(LAKEWOOD, NJ) -- The Strand Theater presents "Shaking Off The Cobwebs" Concert Series as they clear away the snarl and tangle after a year’s absence and rock life back into The Strand! For one of the first shows, Rod Picott will celebrate the 20th anniversary of his first show at The Strand on Friday, August 6th at 8:00pm. Opening the night will be Ocean County artist George Wirth.
Rod Picott will play a selection of songs from his catalog, including many from his latest release, Wood, Steel, Dust And Dreams, a collection of songs he penned with good friend Slaid Cleaves, including their breakthrough hit “Broke Down”.
Wood, Steel, Dust & Dreams is a double CD of all the co-writes Slaid Cleaves and I have written together over 32 years. These are all new recordings of the songs. Many are reimagined and have special guests such as Slaid himself as well as Matt Mauch, Will Kimbrough, Lex Price and Nielson Hubbard.
Rod Picott is the songs he sings. Since before Woody Guthrie songwriters have soaked their public image in sepia tones singing about the working life but Picott bears the scars of actually living that bluecollar life. Rod Picott's songs are inhabited by sheetrock hangers, drinkers, circus hands, boxers and working girls and he sings about his characters with intimacy. Listening to a Rod Picott album you can smell the gasoline on a mechanic’s hands and the perfume of lovers in dark corners.
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The son of a welder and former Marine, Picott grew up in the small mill town of South Berwick, Maine. His father's record collection spanned Ray Charles to John Philip Sousa and James Brown. His is older brother introduced him to the punk poetry of Lou Reed and Patti Smith. The tall, wiry framed Picott worked as a sheetrock worker out of high school until he released his first cd, Tiger Tom Dixon's Blues in 2000.
George Wirth is a singer/songwriter with a gift for telling human stories shaped by imagery and narrative. His unaffected, lived-in vocal style and guitar arrangements suit his songs perfectly, with images and melodies that resonate long after the music fades. Never one to grab a cheap cliche’, George’s lyrics capture moments from the lives of friends and strangers alike and make them real in their honesty. We know these people, even though we’ve never met, and while the songs are personal to George they become personal to the listener as well. Live, his songs are often interspersed with humorous stories, observations and rambles that take on a life of their own, resulting in further narrowing the gap between performer and audience.
Join the Strand as they start breathing life back into the theater in anticipation of its 100th Anniversary in 2022!
"Quarto Valley, those guys picked me up and they released the record which is a tribute to Hubert Sumlin. Paul Rodgers put out a statement on his Facebook saying something to the effect of, it's good to see a young guitar player like Sean paying tribute to one of the best Chicago Blues players ever. Hubert was one of the best string benders ever or something like that; basically giving me props for paying tribute to Hubert."
(DUNELLEN, NJ) -- The Dunellen Theatre presents Faster Pussycat with special guests Johnny Nasty Boots and RAHWAY on Saturday, May 4, 2024. Doors are at 6:00pm, showtime is 7:00pm.
(DEAL PARK, NJ) -- Axelrod Performing Arts Center has a pair of great shows coming up in April. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the release of Joni Mitchell's 1974 album Court and Spark, The Joni Project will perform the album in its entirety, along with a selection of other Joni favorites, on Saturday, April 20 at 8:00pm. The following week, Magical Mystery Doors will perform classics from The Beatles, The Doors and Led Zeppelin on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at 8:00pm.
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