Holidaze Rock Returns To The Baby Grand
At the end of this month, the holiday concert Kategory 5 & Friends Present Holidaze Rock will light up the Baby Grand for the third year in a row. More than 20 area musicians will share the stage for this high-energy show, which sold out last year.
“It’s always an honor to share the stage with so many amazingly talented people playing a wonderful variety of rocking Holiday music,” says Kat Pigliacampi, lead vocalist for Kategory 5. “I really couldn’t do it at all without the help of Roger Hoilman, who is really instrumental in making this happen. I’m so grateful.”
Hoilman, who plays guitar and sings in the show, helps organize the rehearsals for the show at his Ponderosa Barn, a non-commercial, private performance space in West Grove, Pa.
The concert starts at 3pm on Sunday, November 30, with proceeds benefitting The Grand’s community engagement programs. More at TheGrandWilmington.org.
Dogfish Head Celebrates Analog-A-Birthday
In its 30th year, the folks at Dogfish Head are enhancing the brewery’s annual Analog-A-Go-Go event into a full-on Analog-A-Birthday, or as their website describe it, “one big, massive, birthday extravaganza to celebrate off-centered goodness since ’95!”
On Saturday, November 8, from 1-4pm, Dogfish’s Milton brewery will transform into a record fair meets beer fest. More than 18 samples of beer, spirits and cocktails will be available, and record stores from around the area will bring their best vinyl for sale.
Staff from the longtime magazine Relix will be on-hand to help brew an exclusive beer for the event appropriately called Pan-Am-Jam-Band. More at Dogfish.com.
The Rock Orchestra Celebrates The Music Of Paul Simon
A tribute to the music of Paul Simon signals the start of the ninth season for The Rock Orchestra (TRO) at The Grand. On Saturday, November 15 guests can expect to hear selections ranging from the musician’s early work in the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel to his more recent material.
And, of course, there is his Grammy-winning album Graceland, which saw Simon explore the connections between American rock and blues with the deeper roots of African music.
“As a singer, this is dream material,” TRO’s co-founder Joe Trainor says of Simon’s music. “His melodies and timing are so inventive and beautifully constructed.
“For TRO, it’s territory we haven’t explored much, with new genres and new textures. But it’s a challenge we’ve had a blast tackling.” More at TheGrandWilmington.org.
Universal Funk Order To Serve Another Night Of Funksgiving
With the help of DC Mac Wondo, Universal Funk Order (UFO) offers a plate full of funk and soul music on Wednesday, November 26 for the band’s annual Funksgiving show.
“For this to be our sixth Funksgiving at The Queen, it’s easily become the best night of the year for us,” says Reid Kelley, the band’s vocalist and trumpet player. “We’ve built this pre-holiday tradition that gives our fans something to look forward to and we hope to see more new faces this year!”
Mac Wondo will help set the stage for UFO, opening the night with a mix of classics and more contemporary hits. The DJ has made notable appearances more recently at The Quoin, Bardea, Wilma’s and the Philadelphia Art Museum. More at TheQueenWilmington.com.
Community Rallies To Support Musician Mark Unruh
GoFundMe page created on September 26 has already raised more than 90 percent of the funds requested in support of Mark Unruh. The musician and teacher had surgery at the end of September to help him in his years-long battle with gastrointestinal complications.
As the page described, Unruh’s career “spans 50 years of playing, 43 years of teaching, and a lifetime of still learning.”
On September 29, Unruh posted a personal note to the page saying, “I’m heading into surgery tomorrow and I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am for all of the donations … We have a wonderful community of musicians and lovers of music who all watch out for each other, and you have helped guide me through some difficult times.”
As of press time, $31,740 of the total $35,000 requested had been raised. If you are interested in helping bridge the funding gap, visit GoFundMe.com and search for the page titled “Help Support Mark Unruh.”
