The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Live shows coming back to Connecticut
Optimism continues in the blues/entertainment sector in Connecticut, and venues are hard at work re-booking the acts they had to cancel.
The Sunday shows at Brass Horse Cafe have been keeping blues fans occupied. This week, St George and the Dragons are giving a 3 p.m. show. Michael St. George is known as the fiery blues guitarist that powered bands like EasyBaby. Now, he steps out front, leading a new band of veteran musicians who share his vision for high-energy, blues-based, good-time music.
Crystal Bees is taking advantage of its outdoor stage Friday, with LB3 Friends and Family Jam. Sunday brings in Sal Iacobucci and Dreaming the Blues, a free show starting at 5 p.m. Expect a healthy dose of power blues rock with soul power. Tables are available on a firstcome basis and social distance guidelines will be in effect.
Some of the virtual shows that continue include Everyday with Elle Sera at 8 p.m., and Get Live Memphis: A virtual Music Festival continues with various performances nightly.
Every Thursday at 7:30 p.m., there’s a jam hosted by Ed Train. Go to Who’s Playing Where for a complete listing. As live shows grow, so does the listings.
Fairfield Theater continues with its auction of memorabilia. This week features a signed and numbered Stanley Mouse Grateful Dead 50th anniversary poster, signed by Mouse and printed in 2015. It is an 18"x24" poster, with a limited edition run of 450. The auction ends June 30.
The commemorative design was created on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead which happened to correspond with the 50th anniversary of Stanley Mouse moving to San Francisco to begin his career in the Rock Poster and album cover world. The combination of one of his most famous Grateful Dead Motifs, the Skeleton and Roses, with a celebratory drink and twinkling lights in the background make this a very popular image that honors both the artist and his legacy.
While Gov. Lamont extended the large gathering restrictions, Infinity Hall is continuing to work with artists and their teams to reschedule all affected shows. They appreciate your patience during this time as it is very challenging to reschedule large tours across dozens of venues. The governor’s update is new but does not come as a surprise to Infinity Hall. They have been working diligently with artists and are focused on making sure when they are able to welcome you back, doing so safely and with the best lineup possible.
Some of the names coming back in the fall and spring include Roomful of Blues, Ana Popovic and John Mayall. Other acts being worked with are Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters, Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, and Dana Fuchs.
Infinity will continue to contact ticket holders directly regarding individual shows and provide updates as they become available. The delays are unfortunate, but they provide time to adapt, plan and ultimately the confidence to reopen. With the fans’ love for live music they are looking forward to what’s next.
Enjoy music from Best Video Film & Cultural Center on their YouTube channel. While most of us are social distancing, Best Video Film & Cultural Center is taking this opportunity to share wonderful musical moments from its shows — videos shot by executive director Hank Hoffman over the past several years and chosen to showcase the diversity of music that is presented.
The Best Video Film & Cultural Center YouTube channel was created in December and has posted a number of videos so far with many more to come. Subscribe to the channel to get notified when new videos are uploaded.
Notice went out that the famous Time Out Pub in Rockland, Maine has been closed, due to the COVID-19 virus; the owner is not planning to reopen the club and plans sell this historic venue. This club overlooks the North Atlantic Blues Festival. Partying at the Time Out has been an essential part of the festival experience. The memories could fill a book.
The festival headliners would frequently jam at the Time Out, later in the night. Paul Benjamin also booked acts for Monday Night Blues and bands from all over the country would travel to Rockland, even in the winter.
Legendary blues-rock band Savoy Brown, born in London 55 years ago and long-based in upstate New York, announced the Aug. 28 release of their new album, Ain’t Done Yet, on Quarto Valley Records. Their latest disc follows on the heels of Savoy Brown’s highly-successful 2019 CD, City Night.
The Monterey International Pop Music Festival was a three-day concert event held June 16-18, 1967 in California. The festival is remembered for the first major American appearances by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, the Who and Ravi Shankar, the first large-scale public performance of Janis Joplin and the introduction of Otis Redding to a mass American audience.
The festival was the subject of a documentary movie titled Monterey Pop. Blues Beat saw the film and thought this is the future, people going to films and not concerts. Well I was wrong on that count, but I take a little credit for being ahead of MTV for music viewing.