By Danny Coleman
originally published: 06/03/2016
"Yes! I love performing there; it's one of the best places that we play. The audiences are great, there's people drinking wine and I'm a wine enthusiast so it's a great place to perform," says Al Stewart as he prepares to come to New Hope, PA for a two night engagement at the New Hope Winery.
Al Stewart was born Glasgow Scotland with roots in England and rose to musical prominence with the back to back platinum albums, "Year Of the Cat" in 1976 and 1978's "Time Passages." Stewart however, looks back on another of his collection as a probable turning point in his career; that being "Modern Times." According to his recollection, in the early 1970's, English folk artists were having a very tough "Go of it" getting airplay on American radio stations and he was no exception. "Well, to start, "Modern Times was the first album that Alan Parsons produced and that set me on a good path. I was trying to break out in America, I had had some success in England and there were so many successful artists in England but for some reason none of us could really break into or make a dent in the American market. "Modern Times" had a different feel and was somewhat of a transition. I was being managed by an American DJ at the time who said, "You know what American FM audiences love? They love electric guitar leads," so we took that process to the next album. Parsons brought in Tim Renwick to play lead guitar and then we added saxophone; If you ask me, I think that the solos he put on my record were the best he's played in his career. Tim turned my folk album into a rock album and when we combined the two elements you come up with, "Year Of the Cat."
A self professed history buff, he doesn't shy away from incorporating history lessons in his music or in stage. Stewart readily admits that he loves discussing his music, the historical references he incorporates into it and seeing the audiences focused on the anecdotes and facts he so eloquently intertwines between his selections. "I like to chat on stage," he said with a laugh. "I like to mix it up a bit, come at my stories from different angles and improvise what I'm going to say. I guess you can say I'm old fashioned in a way; there's nobody else doing what I'm doing. People have been doing this sort of thing for years, it started in the Peloponnesian War when troubadours would carry stories of the war or from their commanding officers and sing them to the proper people; what I'm doing is not terribly different. Most people today have a short attention span; that's why most hits only have 20 or 30 words in them(laughs)."
The two nights in the bustling, quaint town of New Hope are a portion of a 12 date tour which he's currently undertaking on the east coast but Stewart chuckles at the thought of this run being labeled as such,"I've been on tour for 50 years at this point," he stated with a large laugh. "I no longer tour as I once did but we do have a dozen shows scheduled on the east coast. Now it's more like I go wherever I'm wanted (laughs). My last two shows were in Tokyo and Rome; talk about being on opposite sides of the planet? I've probably logged about 60 hours of air time but it just worked out this way; I love to do what I do."
Any thoughts of new material coming anytime soon are like the very stories which he tells; past history. "I don't know," he said with a touch of whimsy in his voice. "Perhaps when people start buying records again? Truly, nobody buys records any longer, they all seem to want singles and individual downloads. I don't want to make records in a vacuum where I do so just for my own pleasure; I've seen these things and they're called vanity projects. You make a record, pay for it yourself and then nobody buys it; I don't want that. I enjoy having a half dozen other people involved, bumping around in a studio, offering different takes and opinions on things, I like interacting with others; I think it's part of the overall process."
Stewart says that his current stage mate, Marc Macisso, is a, "Great talent" and that he is never sure what may happen once the two are together in front of an audience. "I never know what Marc has in his pocket! He plays a slew of different instruments and I'm never quite sure where we're going from one moment to the next, so without giving too much away; let's just say it keeps things interesting and you'll have to come to the show to find out."
Stewart will be performing two shows; one each on Saturday June 11 at 8 p.m. and Sunday June 12 at 6 p.m. Ticket prices are a scant $35 for each show and can be purchased via the winery website at www.newhopewinery.com. The New Hope Winery is situated just a short distance from the center of town at 6123 Lower York Road and is easily located with plenty of parking available.
That's it for this week! Please continue to support live and original music and until next week....ROCK ON!
This week's event listings
Amalfi's Restaurant146 Lawrenceville-Pennington Rd. Lawrenceville
(609) 912-1599
Fri. 8:30 p.m. Smoked Ice
Sat. 8:30 p.m. Take Five
Amarones Windsor Inn29 Church St. Windsor
(609) 448-7144
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Ottmar
Fri. 8 p.m. Gyrl Band
Sat. 8 p.m. Sounds Of The Street
Wed. 6:30 p.m. "Simply Piano" feat. Carla Gaiser
Blend Bar & Bistro911 Highway 33, Hamilton
(609) 245-8887
Tues. 8 p.m. Triviajam
Bowman's Tavern1600 River Road, New Hope, PA
(215) 862-2972
Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Hazlerigg Brothers
Fri. 6 p.m. Bob Egan
Sat. 6:30 p.m. David Dales Trio
Sun. (12 p.m.) Ottmar (6 p.m.) Lorenzo
Mon. 6 p.m. Andy Prescott
Tues. 6 p.m. Lovey Williams
Wed. 6 p.m. John & Maggs
Backstage at Championship Bar 931 Chambers St. Trenton
Fri. 8 p.m. "Free Show Friday" feat. Andross, Black Collar Biz, Los Campeones, More Than Sound. Ages 21+, FREE
Sat. 5 p.m. Electric Puke (EP Release Show), Breaklite, The Agoraphobix, Surplus Molly, Gavin Riley Smoke Machine, Dreams In Cryogenic Fugue, Disconnected. All ages, $10
Sun. 5 p.m. Chronologist, Hadean, Capture The Sun, Deeply Woven, Nihilanth. All ages, $10
Chickie's & Pete's183 US Highway 130 North Bordentown
(609) 298-9182
Tues. 8 p.m. Acoustic Music Night feat. The Dawgs
Wed. 9 p.m. Quizzo Trivia
Dempster's Pub437 Pine Street Mount Holly
(609) 261-0500
Thurs. 8:30 p.m. DJ DNIAL
Fri. 9 p.m. DJ Chris
Dog & Bull Brew House810 Bristol Pike (Rte. 13) Croydon, PA.
(215) 788-2855
Thurs. 8 p.m. Dane Rosenfeld
Fri. (4 p.m.) "Happy Hour Jam" feat. David Dzubinski Group (9 p.m.) Mike Estabrook
Sat. (11 a.m.) "Saturday Brunch Jam" feat. David Dzubinski Group (9 p.m.) Lenny G & The Soulsenders
Sun. 11 a.m. "Sunday Brunch" feat. Dick Gratton
Mon. 8 p.m. The Keith Lesnik Trio
Fran's Pub116 S. Main St. New Hope, PA.
(215)862-5539
Fri. 8 p.m. Ja Tun & Random Acts of Soul
Sat. 9 p.m. Castle Lane. $5 (cover charge)
Mon. 8 p.m. Open Blues Jam
All shows age 21+
Halo Pub4617 Nottingham Way, Hamilton
(609) 586-1811
Sat. 7 p.m. John & Carm
Havana New Hope105 S. Main Street. New Hope, PA.
(215) 862-9897
Thus. (8 p.m.) Stu Hamm. Doors at 6 p.m., $15 (advance) (11 p.m.) "College Beat The Clock Night" DJ Dance Party
Fri. 8 p.m. Artimus Pyle "Honoring The Music of Ronnie Van Zant's Lynyrd Skynyrd" $40
Sat. 8:30 p.m. Schwubby Buzzer
Sun. 2 p.m. Midnight Sun Orchestra
Mon. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Wed. 8 p.m. "Live, Local, Unplugged" Hosted by Pat Foran
Hopewell Valley Vineyards46 Yard Avenue Pennington
(609) 737-4465
Thurs. 6 p.m. Louis Pettinelli
Fri. 6 p.m. Silent Q
Sat. 6 p.m. Acoustic Road
Sun. 2 p.m."Jazzy Sundays" feat. Darla & Rich
Iron Plow Vineyards26750 Mount Pleasant Rd., Columbus
(732) 306-9111
Sat. 1 p.m. John & Maggs
Ivy Tavern 3108 S. Broad Street, Hamilton
(609) 888-1435
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Fri. 10 p.m. The Ernie White Band
Sat. 10 p.m. New Dawn
All shows 21+
Jake's Pub869
Bustleton Pike, Richboro, PA
(215) 322-6787
Tues. 5 p.m. Bill Shannon
John & Peter's 96 S. Main Street New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-5981
Fri. 9 p.m. Midnight Sun Music Festival
Sat. Midnight Sun Music Festival Day/Night 2
Sun. (3 p.m.) David Falcone (9 p.m.) Leisure
Mon. 9 p.m. Open Mic. Night
Tues. 9 p.m. Dead Soldiers
Wed. 9:30 p.m. The Invitational
All shows 21+
JoJo's Tavern2677 Nottingham Way Hamilton
(609) 586-2678
Wed. 10 p.m. Karaoke
Laurita Winery85 Archertown Road, New Egypt
(609) 752-0200
Sat. 1 p.m. Jim Gaven
Sun 1 p.m. The Bergers
Wed. 6 p.m. "Girls Night Out"
Mama Rosa's Restaurant572 Klockner Road, Hamilton
(609) 588-5454
Fri. 6 p.m. Deb & Mike
McStews Irish Sports Pub5316 New Falls Rd Levittown, PA
(215) 949-9570
Thurs. 10:30 p.m."Beer Pong" w/ DJ Codie
Fri. 9 p.m. Hangman's Cry / Initial Kick
Sat. 9 p.m. "Saturday Night Dance Party" w/ DJ RV and DJ OXX (Beyonce Ticket Giveaway)
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo hosted by Mike
Millhill Basement300 S. Broad Street Trenton
(609) 989-1600
Fri. 8 p.m. Erik Peterson, Tail Light Rebellion, Logan Carpenter, Cornelius the Third-Chain Smokin' Alcoholic Outlaw Rap, Toy Cars. $8
Sat. 9 p.m. World Sucks, Dab Nebula, Hole In The Earth. $6
Tues. 10 p.m. "Local Artist" Hip Hop, Experimental EDM and Bass Music Showcase
O'Connor's American Bar & Grille1383 Monmouth Road, Easthampton Mt. Holly
(609) 261-1555
Fri. 9 p.m. Joe Vadala
Sat. 9 p.m. Dave Murray Duo
Olde Liberty Tavern2114 Liberty Street, Trenton
(609) 396-2262
Sat. 9 p.m. Open Mic. Night
Palermo's Of Hamilton310 Klockner Rd. Hamilton
(609) 838-7979
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke
All shows 21+
Patriot's Crossing1339 River Rd. Titusville
(609) 737-2780
Fri. 8 p.m. Receptor
Sat. 8 p.m. Union Street Jam Band
Pete's Steak House523 Whitehorse Ave. Hamilton
(609) 585-8008
Fri. 9:30 p.m. The Polish Nannies
Randy Now's Man Cave134 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown
(609) 424-3766
Fri. 8:30 p.m. Steve Forbert w/ Lisa Bouchelle. This show takes place at the Open Arts Stage located at 146 Rte. 130 South, Bordentown. Doors at 8 p.m., $25 (advance)
RHO Waterfront50 Riverview Plaza Trenton
(609) 393-7300
Thurs. 10 p.m. "College Night" w/ Doors at 9 p.m. Ages 21+, $5 (with college ID)
Fri. (4:30 p.m.) Happy Hour Buffet. $10 (8:30 p.m.) Once Again
1867 Sanctuary at Ewing101 Scotch Road, Ewing
(609) 392-6409
Sat. 7 p.m. Fascinating Rhythm Jazz
Sun. 3 p.m. Reason In The Road, The Coteries
Tara's Tavern 1 Cookstown-New Egypt Road, Wrightstown
(609) 286-2300
Fri. 9 p.m. Morning Wood
sat. 9 p.m. Psycho Misfits
Tavern On The Lake101 Main St. Hightstown
(609) 426-9345
Wed. 8 p.m. Karaoke Night
The HOB Tavern146 Second Street
(609) 291-7020
Sat. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Tues. 9 p.m. Open Mic. Night
Wed. 8 p.m. (TBA)
The Ivy Inn248 Nassau St. Princeton
(609) 921-8555
Thurs. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Ron
Fri. 10 p.m. DJ Fatha Ramzee
Sat. (4 p.m.) Busy (10 p.m.) Twisted Charm
Tues. 8 p.m. Quizzo w/ Bob E Luv
Wed. 10 p.m. "Wednesday Wheel Night Spin To Win Karaoke" w/ DJ Rockn Ron
The Roost 181 Rte. 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 208-0050
Fri. 9 p.m. Out Of The Red
Sat. 9 p.m. 80's Undercover
The Sticky Wicket 2465 South Broad St. Hamilton
(609) 439-0007
Fri. 9 p.m. Forecast
Sat. 9 p.m. Off The Record
The Sun National Bank Center 81 Hamilton Ave. Trenton
(609) 656-3200
Check website for upcoming events
Tir Na Nog 1324 Hamilton Ave. Trenton
(609) 392-2554
Fri. 9 p.m. Oliver McElhone
Sun. 3 p.m. "Irish Sessions" w/ Gormley & DeAngelo
Wed. 9 p.m. Paul Wiese
All shows 21+
Trenton Buzz702 Pine St. Trenton
(609) 392-6000
Fri. 8 p.m. Live Band & Open Mic.
Trenton Social449 South Broad Street Trenton
(609) 989-7777
Fri. 4 p.m. First Friday
Mon. 9 p.m. Monday Night Karaoke w/ Benny P
Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic. Night
Triumph Brewing Company (New Hope, Pa. Location)
400 Union Square New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-8300
Thurs. 8 p.m. Trivia
Fri. 10 p.m. The Rooks. ($5 cover charge)
Sat. 10 p.m. Colleen Ryan/VHS. ($5 cover charge)
Sun.(2:30 p.m.) The True Voice Project (7 p.m.) Open Jam Night (Sign-ups at 6:30 p.m.)
All shows 21+
Wildflowers Inn2572 Pennington Rd. Pennington
Sat. 9 p.m. Acoustic Rock w/ DiRty ReD
All shows 21+
