Taj Mahal Brings Time To Life At The Grand Opera House
Much like the revered Indian palace from which he gets his name, Taj Mahal stands proudly among his peers, his monumental career spanning six decades. In that time, he’s earned 18 Grammy Award nominations and five wins, while collaborating with the likes of the Rolling Stones, Etta James, Eric Clapton, and Ziggy Marley.
Mahal received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award last year, which gives the release of his latest album Time a sense of sage awareness. The album’s title track is a composition written by the late Bill Withers that had never been released previously.
Fans and newcomers alike can expect to hear these new songs and older material played live this month. With the help of the Phantom Blues Band, Mahal will be performing at The Grand on Friday, July 17.
“I think it’s important that people get to hear this kind of music at this particular time,” Mahal says on his website. “I’ve spent almost 70 years playing this music. It’s time to listen.”
— More at TheGrandWilmington.org
Acclaimed Rocker Willie Nile Plays The Queen’s Crown Room
In a rare Delaware appearance, NYC’s Willie Nile brings his foot-stompin’ brand of lyrical rock to The Queen’s Crown Room on Friday, July 24.
Nile has been called “a one-man Clash” and “the unofficial poet laureate of New York City” by Uncut, with his records earning earnest praise from Rolling Stone, Downbeat Magazine, London Times, and The New York Times.
“One of the most brilliant (and most confounding) singer-songwriters of the past 30 years,” The New Yorker wrote in 2023. Last year, Nile released The Great Yellow Light, which MOJO awarded four stars.
— More at TheQueenWilmington.com
Weekend At Bertha’s Returns With More Than 25 Live Acts
Acid Mothers Temple (AMT) headlines this year’s Weekend at Bertha’s, a jam-packed three-day event set for July 24-26 at Firebase Lloyd in Townsend. The event will see performances by more than 25 live acts.
With 70-some studio releases over a period of 30 years, AMT has defined itself as one of Japan’s most prolific psychedelic rock bands. The group has been led by guitarist Kawabata Makato, who says AMT’s goal is to create “extreme trip music.”
“Music, for me, is neither something that I create, nor a form of self-expression,” Makato states on the band’s website. “All kinds of sounds are around us, and my performances solely consist of picking up these sounds, like a radio tuner, and playing them so people can hear them.”
Joining Makato and AMT at the festival with be prominent regional jam-bands Ominous Seapods, One-Eyed Jack, Juggling Suns as well as local favorites like Xtra Alltra, Full Carbon Get Up, Ritter Lane, and Urban Shaman Attack.
— More at WeekendtBerthas.com
