On Stage: Get ready to party in the streets

Summer is far from over with big weekend music festivals plentiful

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times

Get ready for one of the biggest music parties of Summer 2015. The Mad Decent Block Party is coming to town.

The Mad Decent Block Party is an ambitious summer tour featuring many of the top acts in the EDM (electronic dance music) genre. The tour has 21 shows in 18 cities. Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Los Angeles are the only cities with two shows.

The shows in Philadelphia are scheduled for August 6 and 7 at Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing (601 North Columbus Boulevard at Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, 215- 629-3200, www.festivalpierphilly.com).

One of the top acts visiting Philly is Keys N Krates. The Toronto-based trio, which is one of the most popular and creative groups in the EDM scene, produces great music but in a way different than most electronic acts.

Keys N Krates features Adam Tune on drums, David Matisse on synthesizer and keyboards and Flowinsky (Greg Dawson) on turntables.

Their first release was the “Blackout” EP in 2103. Since then, they have released three more EPs — “Lucid Dreams,” “SOLOW” and the recently-released “Every Nite.” There also have been four official singles — “Treat Me Right,” “Dum Dee Dum,” “Keep It 100” and “Are We Faded.”

“We dropped the ‘Every Nite’ EP in mid-September,” said Dawson, during a phone interview Wednesday evening. “We have a new single called ‘I Know You’ coming out in late August. Then, we’ll do another EP in the fall.

“We like singles and EPs rather than albums because we’re on the road so much. We don’t have the time to spend a lot of time in the studio working on an album. You can make a body of work with five of six songs that will stick around for awhile if the quality is good.”

Keys N Krates really enjoy taking the music to the fans.

“The way we are right now, we’re out every weekend doing shows,” said Dawson. “It’s been that way for the last three months. We’re not doing an actual ‘tour’ tour until January.”

While many EDM acts use laptops exclusively to produce the sounds, Keys N Krates have a more organic feel — more of a band feel.

“We started off as a band before we were actually producers — simple drums, basic keyboard and simple turntables,” said Dawson. “We played like a band but replicated songs in a different way. Once we started playing live, we figured out how to evolve from a band to producers who were playing their productions 100 per cent live.

“All three of us are always digging for samples, sounds, melodies, chord progressions. Whatever we all get inspired by is what we work with. Then, we all collectively start attacking it — turning it into something we like.

“Sampling is wide open for us. We have no qualms about what we sample. It all comes down to — is it something that sounds like what we want? But, getting clearance to use samples can sometimes be a real pain in the ass.”

Keys N Krates is always pushing its boundaries.

“Our new EP is just kind of elaborating on what we did last time,” said Dawson. “But, it’s a bit more musical as opposed to a minimal 808. We pride ourselves on making sounds.”

The 808 reference is about the Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer (a.k.a. the “808”). It was one of the first programmable drum machines.

Video link for “808” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=lIS-o_–wqY.

Keys N Krates often been referred to as the world’s only “trap band” because of their unique blend of hip hop and bass music. What separates Keys N Krates from the mass of electronic and hip-hop producers is the very distinctive show they create by performing their bass-dominated beats as a band — completely live.

When fans attend a Keys N Krates show, they see KNK’s music and the music of others morphed into a new entity by three musicians using only drums, keys, turntables and live sampling.

“We’re a live band,” said Dawson. “This is our way of doing it. Out fans really appreciate that.  We’ve been really surprised at how fans have noticed and appreciated what we’re doing. Our core base of fans is super-attracted to it.

“What we do gives them more of a concert experience. It’s not just a major laser show. We usually do about a 60-minute set. We have some new stuff. And, we take other people’s stuff and mash it together with ours.”

Video link for Keys N Krates — https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=1ooPp0-UX48.

The Mad Decent Block Party will begin at 3:15 p.m. on both August 6 and 7. The line-up for August 6 includes Flosstradamus, Ilovemakonnen, Jack U, Jauz, Nadus, Porter Robinson, Swizzymack and What So Not.

Acts slated to perform on August 7 are Alison Wonderland, CL, Dirty South Joe, Giraffage, Major Lazer, Yellow Claw, Zeds Dead and Keys N Krates. Tickets are $40 for either show.

Another outdoor venue will feature music of a much different nature this weekend.

The Bryn Mawr Twilight Series at the Bryn Mawr Gazebo (9 South Bryn Mawr Avenue, Bryn Mawr, http://www.brynmawrtwilightconcerts.com) will host the Lisa Willson Vocal Academy on August 7.

The season finale on August 8 will feature Nalani & Sarina along with Christine Havrilla & Gypsy Fuzz.

Both artists will have busy musical weekends. Havrilla also has a pair of New Jersey shows — Lambertville on August 7 and Asbury Park on August 9 while Nalani & Sarina will be double-dipping on August 8 with a late night show in Manhattan.

Havrilla’s set at Bryn Mawr will be a full band show celebrating her “Vol. 4- The Red Hill Sessions” release. Nalani & Sarina, the powerhouse twin sister act from central New Jersey, will be focusing on songs from their new EP “Scattered World.”

More options to hear live music in an outdoor setting can be found at the Susquehanna Bank Center (Waterfront Drive, Camden, New Jersey, 856-365-1300, http://www.susquehannabankcenter.org).

The weekend schedule at the venue along the Delaware River features Nikki Minaj, Meek Mill and Rea Sremmurd on August 6, Joe Bonamassa on August 7 and a quadruple-bill on August 8 with Incubus, Deftones, Death From Above 1979 and The Bots.

The show on August 7 by Bonamassa has an added attraction. Bonamassa, who is one of the most-respected guitarists around, has one of the all-time great drummers in rock in his band — Anton Fig.

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’ve heard Fig play.

For the last 29 years, he was the drummer of David Letterman’s house band. He has also recorded with a huge array of top-flight musicians including Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, Rosanne Cash, Joe Cocker, John Phillips, Warren Zevon, Sebastian Bach, Joe Satriani, Paul Butterfield, Journey, the Rolling Stones, Billy Joel and Kiss.

“This is my first full project since the Letterman show ended,” said Fig, during a phone interview from a rehearsal session with Bonamassa in Nashville earlier this week.

“This tour is the ‘Three Kings’ tour. All the music we’re playing will be songs by the three great blues guitarists Albert King, B.B. King and Freddie King. After this tour is over, Joe will do another tour playing his music.

“We have five guys in the band — two guitarists, bass, keyboards and drums — and there will also be a horn section with trumpet and two saxes. It’s really sounding great. I’ve played with all these musicians before. I’m excited to be playing with such a really good band.

“Because I had the Letterman show, I had never been able to go out on a long tour with anyone else. I was never able to get away for more than three weeks. Joe is my regular gig right now. It’s been a big change for me. When a job of 29 years end, it’s always a big change.”

Another new thing for Fig is the release of his album “Figments.”

“Figments” showcases Fig’s talents as a songwriter and producer with 13 original songs that reveal his considerable melodic gifts and distinctive rhythmic sensibility.

The album features a stellar cast including Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson, Ivan Neville (Neville Brothers), the late Richie Havens, Ace Frehley (Kiss), Blondie Chaplin (Beach Boys), Sebastian Bach (Skid Row), legendary keyboardist Al Kooper, Donald “Duck” Dunn (Booker T and the MGs), singer-songwriter Chip Taylor (composer of “Wild Thing”), Chris Botti and Randy Brecker.

“This is the only album I’ve ever done on my own,” said Fig, a native of Cape Town, South Africa. “It took years because I was doing everything myself. I was producing it and, at the same time, running off to the Letterman show all the time.

“The songs were written over a long period of time and it took a couple years to finally complete it. The musicians I used were ones who made sense with each song. I didn’t go after musicians just for the name value. Most of the album was done in my apartment in New York. People would just come there and play with me.”

Fig has been playing drums almost as long as he has been walking.

“I started with drums when I was three or four,” said Fig. “I was in my late teens when I left South Africa and came to America to study at the New England Conservatory of Music. After that, I moved to New York and started doing a lot of session work.

“Making my own album was a lot of fun. I would love to tour it but it would be very difficult because every track is so different. I’d just like people to enjoy if for the great record it is.”

Video link for Anton Fig and Joe Bonamassa — https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Z3_GOk36JD0.

Bonamassa and Fig will be performing in Camden on August 7 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $90.

The Bots — brothers Mikaiah Lei and Anaiah Lei — are based in Los Angeles. The indie rock duo plays music that more-or-less falls into the garage punk category.  Last year, Rolling Stone magazine named them an artist “Most Likely to Succeed in 2014.” The Bots released their debut album “Pink Palms” late last year on the Fader label.

 “Our parents got us into music,” said Anaiah Lei, during a phone interview Wednesday from a tour stop in Jones Beach, New York. “We started playing music together when we were really young. — may around eight or nine.”

Mikaiah Lei (Lead Vocal, Guitar, Bass) and Anaiah Lei (Drums & Percussions, Backing Vocal) recorded their first album together when they were just 15 and 12.

“When we started playing seriously, we started getting paid for shows,” said Mikaiah.  “I was around 11 when we did a gig and got paid $100. Our first recording was a self-titled album in 2009. It was more like a demo. We were thankful that at a young, tender age, we were able to record our music.”

In 2010, the Bots released an EP titled “Black and White Lights.”

“That album was mostly pop songs,” said Anaiah. “Since then, we’ve become a cooler version of ourselves. We got a little older, a little wiser. And, we’re better players.

“We’ve always been a two-piece band. The trick with making music with just the two of us is that we have three or four amps onstage with lots of loops, delays and pedals. That’s how we achieve the large stage sound.”

Now, the brothers are touring in support of their “Pink Palms” album.

“We started recording the album in October 2013 and finished around the same time the next year,” said Mikaiah. “Since then, we’ve been working on new material at home. We’re always writing and making new music. We’ll start recording our next album at the end of November.”

Video link for the Bots — https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0Ob9FFcw2xU.

The show at the Susquehanna Bank Center on August 8 will feature The Bots as the opening act. The show begins at 6:15 p.m. and ticket prices start at $44.

You can catch more music under the stars on August 9 when Philly Gumbo and Glen David Andrews share the bill as part of Upper Merion’s annual “Concert Under the Stars” series (Upper Merion Township Building Park, 175 W. Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia, www.umtownship.org, 610-265-1071).

There is File Gumbo and Philly Gumbo. They are very different but both are very tasty. And, they both feature a variety of complementary ingredients.

File Gumbo is a traditional New Orleans dish. File (pronounced fee-lay) powder is a seasoning made from the ground, dried leaves of the sassafras tree. It’s an integral part of Creole cooking, and is used to thicken and flavor Gumbos and other Creole dishes.

Philly Gumbo has been the foremost exponent of New Orleans music in the Philadelphia area and perhaps the only band in the country to effectively mix New Orleans music, rhythm-and-blues, reggae, blues and African music.

The band has been the standard-bearer for New Orleans music on the Philadelphia music scene for more than a quarter century. The current line-up features Randall Grass (keyboards), Pete Eshelman (guitar), Tim Hayes (drums), Bert Harris (bass), Richard Orr (saxophone ) and India Rex (vocals).

“We’ve been together for 35 years,” said Grass, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon. “We’ve been playing continuously all that time and are probably one of the longest running bands anywhere — definitely the longest in Philadelphia.

“It began when Walt Taylor and I played a show in Germantown — Walt singing and me on keyboards. The first time we played, we knew we had something when we looked up and saw someone dancing on the table.

“We saw an ad at Third Street Jazz (record shop) from Tim Hayes, a drummer who was into reggae, blues and New Orleans music. Then, we got Pete Eshelman who was playing in a reggae band called Roots Revolution.

“After that, we picked up a bass player and began doing shows. It’s always been a blend of reggae, R&B, New Orleans music and blues. That was the concept of the band. In 1980, we started playing regularly.

“We were asked to play a benefit at a club called Bacchanal in Philly. After that, they offered us a regular gig there. From 1981 on, we played there every Saturday for about 10 years. Over the years, we’ve played just about every place there was to play in Philadelphia.”

Not surprisingly, the band’s schedule of live shows has been cut back because of other commitments.

“These days, we’re very selective about our gigs,” said Grass. “We only play about once every month. We just opened for C.J. Chenier at the Ardmore Music Hall.

“When we first started playing, people around here didn’t know New Orleans music. If you said New Orleans music, they thought you were talking about Dixieland. They might have been aware of Dr. John and Fats Domino but they thought of them as rock acts.

“Thanks to the New Orleans Jazz Festival and other touring acts, people now know the music. We’ve stayed with our mix of sounds — but we keep adding songs. Of course, we also play the familiar traditional songs such as ‘Iko Iko,’ ‘Hey Pocky Way’ and ‘Go To The Mardi Gras.’”

Ironically, despite a 35-year history, Philly Gumbo has recorded just one album — “Come and Get It” in 2011.

“We never had the ambition to record an album,” said Grass. “We’ve always looked at ourselves as primarily a live band. We made the album a few years ago so that our fans would have something to take home and listen to.”

Video link for Philly Gumbo — https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=jWQwVOSHdM0.

The show in Upper Merion will begin at 7 p.m. and feature free admission.

Fans of Conor Oberst and his music as Bright Eyes surely have August 7 circled on their calendars. That’s the day when Oberst returns to Philadelphia with his first band — Desaparecidos.

Formed in Omaha, Nebraska in 2001, Desaparecidos was a hardcore rock band featuring Matt Baum, Ian McElroy, Denver Dalley, Landon Hedges and Oberst. The band took its name from the word given to political dissidents who mysteriously disappeared under Augusto Pinochet’s right-wing dictatorship in Chile from 1973-1990 for questioning his and his government’s mode of rule.

Desaparecidos released their debut album “Read Music/Speak Spanish” in 2002 — and then disbanded one year later. Now, Desaparecidos are back with a new album and a new tour. “Payola” was recently released on Epitaph Records and the band’s tour brings it to the area for a show on August 7 at Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, 215-232-2100, www.utphilly.com).

“For us getting back together, it was just timing,” said Dalley, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Rochester Hills, Michigan. “Timing wasn’t right before. We did a reunion show in 2010 and it felt really natural. It was the best we ever played.

“We picked up right where we left off. So, we decided to make music again. When our other schedules ground down, we started on it again in 2012. We played the MAHA Festival in Omaha and that’s when we released the 12-inch single ‘MariKKKopa.’ In 2013, we released ‘Anonymous’ and ‘Left Is Right.’

“When we did shows, we still played songs from the first album but it was nice to have new material to play.  In 2013, we did an East Coast tour and then later did a West Coast tour. In 2014, we toured the Midwest and the South. It was pretty sporadic — a week or two at a time. But, we’ve been touring steadily this year.”

The fans never forgot Desaparecidos and, as a result, “Payola” has been a strong-selling album.

“We recorded the album in Omaha with Mike Mogis, the same producer we used on the first one,” said Dalley. “We all grew up together and the sound just kind of happens when the five of us get in a room together.

“The songwriting was a lot more collaborative this time. When we were putting down the tracks in the studio, it was turn it up to 11 the whole way. When we heard the songs all together at mastering, we were surprised at how cohesive it was.”

Just as it was with the first album, the songs are very political — tackling issues such as racism, the anti-immigrant movement, government corruption and healthcare problems.

“I don’t think the band would be the same without the political stuff,” said Dalley.

Video link for Desaparecidos — https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=FDSaq-Vwb50.

The Desaparecidos show at Union Transfer will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $25.

Another act with a long musical history will be performing on August 8 when Pretty Poison headlines a show at Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack (777 Harrah’s Boulevard, Chester, 484- 490-1800, https://www.caesars.com/harrahs-philly).

The Casino’s “Summer Rewind” Party will feature a trio of the biggest dance super stars from the ‘80s and ‘90s including Pretty Poison (“Catch Me I’m Falling”), Rockell (“In a Dream”) and Joe Zangie (“I’ll Be Loving You”).

Vocalist Jade Starling and keyboardist Whey Cooler formed the Philadelphia-based Pretty Poison in 1981. “Nighttime,” released in 1984, peaked at number 14 on Billboard’s dance chart.

The band’s biggest hit “Catch Me I’m Falling” topped the dance chart and reached the Top Ten of the Hot 100 — helped in part by exposure from its placement on the soundtrack to the popular movie “Hiding Out.”

“Catch Me I’m Falling,” the band’s first album, was released on Virgin in 1988 and featured a remixed version of “Nighttime.” The second Pretty Poison album “Euphoria, was released in 1998. Starling continued to perform and released her first solo album “Captive” in 2014.

Starling has received numerous awards along with Cooler including ASCAP awards in the category of Pop and Film, and a lifetime achievement award from the Philadelphia Music Foundation. In 1989, the single “Catch Me I’m Falling” was certified gold for sales in excess of 500,000 units.

“Catch Me I’m Falling” has been used in nine major motion pictures including Adam Sandler’s “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan,” Jamie Kennedy’s “Kicking It Old Skool,” Benjamin Bratt’s “Pinero” and Margerette Cho’s “Bam Bam & Celeste.”

“There have been a few hits already from the ‘Captive’ album,” said Starling, during a phone interview last week from her New Jersey home.

“We recorded ‘Captive’ in our studio in Cherry Hill. Whey co-wrote and produced it and we collaborated with Lee Dagger and DJ Laszlo. We did a lot of production through Skype — sending tracks back-and-forth.

“The album has been out since last August and has had three hit singles — ‘Insomniak,’ ‘Think About U’ and ‘Better and Better.’ I’ve been on the road with the ‘Freestyle Explosion Tour,’ which features about 10 acts. Even with our freestyle shows, we’ve incorporated new stuff. We’ve been playing mostly dance clubs and outdoor events.

“Our audience is quite a mix. We get old Pretty Poison fans and they bring out their kids. And, we have a whole new regime of fans. Younger fans know us from our stuff in the EDM/house genre. I’m going to debut the new video for ‘Better and Better’ in the show at Harrah’s.”

Starling and Cooley also have new plans for Pretty Poison.

“We’re in the studio now working on a new Pretty Poison record,” said Starling. “The new album has a lot of EDM music — songs with heavy drops. It’s exciting.”

Video link for Jade Starling — https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tQZVa1I2GxQ

The show at Harrah’s Block Entertainment Center will kick off at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 for early purchasers, $15 for General Admission,  $25 for Front Row VIP and $50 for Meet & Greet.

Another option for live entertainment on August 8 is a concert by Kicking Down Doors at the Mermaid Inn (7673 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, 215- 247-9797, http://www.themermaidinn.net/home.html).

Kicking Down Doors is a Philadelphia-based duo that plays a blend of roots rock, country, soul and Americana.  It features instrumentation and arrangements by Ernie Tokay and vocal stylings by lyricist Autumn Walden.

“It started back in May 2013,” said Walden, during a phone interview last week. “Ernie and I had met a few months earlier. I had been singing in a Grateful Dead tribute band called Pure Jerry. We wrote our first song that night and kept meeting to play together more.”

Tokay said, “What I said to her at the time was — you have a really nice voice. She had a calm way of working. I invited her to my Tuesday night jams at my studio.

“I have my own studio — Little Spiders Music Studio — in Kimberton. I have digital and analog equipment and a lot of pretty expensive microphones. I do around 12 records a year here. With the Tuesday night jams, I’ve been trying to build up a circle of friends. We do four showcases a year at the Mermaid Inn.”

Walden said, “I didn’t expect it to develop into anything. I had written poetry but this was the first time that I was writing melodies and lyrics together. It happened really fluently. Then, Ernie invited me to play with him at the Philadelphia Folk Festival. ‘Kicking Down Doors’ was a song we wrote earlier.”

Tokay, who is heading back to the Philadelphia Folk Festival with Walden this year, said, “2013 was our first time at the Philadelphia Folk Festival. There is a large sense of jamming in the campground. Our plan was to play the ‘Overnight Jam Stage.’ We had to show up onstage at 2 a.m. We played our music and it went over pretty cool. At last year’s festival, we played the ‘Dulcimer Grove’ and the ‘Front Porch Stage.’”

The band’s first release was ‘The Record” and its follow-up is “Now,” which was just released last month.

“We did that album back in 2014 but it really wasn’t a finished record,” said Walden. “The new one ‘Now’ was our first real record. We recorded it at Studio Four with Phil Nicolo.

“We’ve done a lot of gigs around the Philly area in the last two years including the Tin Angel and the World Café Live. We’re going back to the Philadelphia Folk Festival this year. We’re playing the ‘Dulcimer Grove’ at 1 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.”

Video link for Kicking Down Doors — https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y3VK-MZ_jDY

The Little Spider Studio Showcase at the Mermaid Inn will be a showcase for Kicking Down Doors’ new material. The event will get underway at 8 p.m. 

Even though the Lettermen released their first record 55 years ago, it doesn’t mean that the singing group can’t find new things to add to its impressive resume. Just recently, the talented trio signed on to do an annual residency at the Andy Williams Theater in Branson, Missouri.

Fortunately for area fans, the Lettermen still return to this area at least once a year to perform. On August 8, the Lettermen will bring their highly-entertaining show to the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com).

“We’ve done at least 75 shows a year for 50 straight years,” said the group’s founding member Tony Butala, during a phone interview earlier this week. “And, I’ve worked Branson for 30 years. Now, we have agreed to do 65 days a year in Branson.”

The Lettermen haven’t released a single in almost 25 years yet are still touring internationally and playing to packed houses. When the Lettermen got started as recording artists, 78 r.p.m. vinyl records were still the main way of recording. Amazingly, yet the Lettermen are still going.

The Lettermen, who are known for their great vocal harmonies and romantic ballads, spent 25 years recording hit singles for Capitol Records. Their debut album “A Song for Young Love” reached the Top 10 and was the first of 32 straight Top 40 albums by the trio.

“I put together the first ‘boy band’ around 50 years ago,” said Butala. “We were like the Jonas Brothers of our generation. I found the best-looking, best-dancing, best-singing solo artists and formed a trio with them. We’ve never been a recording group that happens to sing. We’re a performing group that entertains.”

The Lettermen established their enduring popularity with songs such as “When I Fall In Love”, “Where Or When”, “Somewhere My Love”, “Theme From A Summer Place” and “Put Your Head On My Shoulder”.

“We established a wide demographic base during the first 20 years and we’ve continued to build on it,” said Butala. “We just finished our 76th album. Performance is the most important reason for our longevity — but, it’s also because we sing love ballads. Love never goes out of style.”

Butala and his mates have never been content to rest on their laurels.

“Right now, we’re working on new recordings,” said Butala. “I have my portable studio with me and I have another studio I use. I can do all the tech stuff.

“And, I’ve been working on a book. It will be coming out in early 2016. I want it to be a New York Times Top 10 Bestseller.  It’s called ‘The Lettermen — Between a Rock and a Heart Place.’ I’ve got 25 chapters done so far.”

In reality, every show the Lettermen perform is a new chapter — in their career and in the lives of their fans.

“After each of our shows, we always come out to the venue’s lobby and meet with our fans,” said Butala. “We pose for pictures and sign autographs so tell people to bring their albums and cameras. We’re always the last ones to leave the building — except for the janitor.”

The Lettermen will do two shows at the Sellersville Theater on August 9 — 3 and 8 p.m. Tickets for either show are $39.50 and $55.

Other upcoming shows at the Sellersville Theater are Commander Cody & Bill Kirchen on August 6, Dick Dale and the The D-Rays on August 7 and the Capitol Steps on August 8.

The Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org) will host a show on August 8 featuring The Dispersions, The Good Mess, Grand Strangers, and Vilebred.

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com) will present Ross Bellenoit and Chris Kasper on August 7.

Chaplin’s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110, http://chaplinslive.com)  will present  a Bluegrass Jam on August 6; Paddy and the Slaughterhousers, Chris Paterno, and Terry Meyers on August 7: and Brosef Gordon-Levitt, Centerfolds, Awaking Mercury, Eunoia, and Aim 4 Grey on August 8.

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389, www.ardmoremusic.com) will host Stratosphere All-Stars (members of Lotus, Particle & more) and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong on August 11 and Touchpants featuring Jon Fishman (drummer, Phish) on August 12.

Melodies Café (2 East Ardmore Avenue, Ardmore, 610-645-5269, www.melodiescafe.com) will host Ben Kessler along with Chloe and J on August 7 and Craig Bickhardt, Kyle Swartzwelder and Michael Braunfeld on August 8.

Doc Watson’s Public House (150 North Pottstown Pike, Exton, 610-524-2424, docwatsonspublichouse.com) will present roots reggae band Lyahnl Arkstra on August 8.

The American Music Theatre (2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, 800-0 648-4102, www.AMTshows.com) will present its current house production “Inspire” on August 6 and country music star Trace Adkins on August 7.

The remaining schedule for the Eagleview Summer Concerts on the Square at Eagleview Town Center (Wharton Boulevard, Exton, www.ineagleview.com) features Linda Ortega and Matt Andersen (August 11), Liz Longley and Angaleena Presley (August 18) and Gedeon Luke and the People (August 25).

“Nunsense” is running at the Candlelight Theater (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, 302- 475-2313, www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org) now through August 22.

Video link for “Nunsense ” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xscpTLQmrck.

Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings (doors 6 p.m./show, 8 p.m.) and Sunday afternoons (doors, 1 p.m./show, 3 p.m.). Tickets, which include dinner and show, are $59 for adults and $33 for children (ages 4-12).

Rainbow’s Comedy Playhouse (3065 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise, 800-292-4301, http://rainbowcomedy.com) is presenting “Too Many Cooks” now through August 8.

Matinee performances are every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and selected Saturdays with an 11:30 a.m. lunch and a 1 p.m. curtain. Evening performances are every Friday, Saturday and selected Thursdays with dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the show following at 8 p.m. There will also be “Twilight Performances” on selected Sundays with dinner at 2:30 p.m. and the show at 4 p.m. Ticket prices range from $30-$55.