Irvington Town Hall Theater Launches New Benefit Series with “Cool Music/Hot Night” Concert on September 22
The Irvington Town Hall Theater (ITHT) Commission has announced a special three-date series for the 2018-2019 season to benefit the Friends of ITHT– a 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to supporting the historic, 116-year-old, 432-seat theater overlooking the Hudson River.
The first event, “Cool Music/Hot Night,” kicks off the series with an outstanding concert line-up (and pre-show party) on Saturday, September 22 at 7:30 pm.
The concert features Brooklyn’s Kenny Young and the Eggplants (described as “what would happen if Tom Petty was the lead singer of the Violent Femmes and sang songs about animals and other objects that can speak”), along with four beloved local acts: Party Faithful, Tumbleweed Mile, James John Wilson, and Mood FM.
ITHT commissioners Mitchell Bard and Marjorie Rosenfield are heading up the series. “The 9/22 concert is an affordable way for more people in our community to see what ITHT has to offer,” Bard said. “We have an incredibly loyal base of supporters who come to events at the theater. We hope even more people will come out on September 22, support their local theater, and have a great night out, right here in Irvington.” Between sets, the crowd will be treated to music videos from local artists.
Tickets are $20 (visit: www.irvingtontheater.com); each ticket includes one beer, sponsored by Scott Smith of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in White Plains. VIP tickets, at $40 each, include premium seating and a pre-show (6:30 pm) cocktail reception.
The Eggplants are a popular staple in New York City rock clubs, having released six albums over the last 20 years. The band tours the United Kingdom to large crowds and positive critical notices. English music legend and BBC radio host Tom Robinson, who regularly has the band on his show, called the Eggplants “the most brilliant, left-field Brooklyn band you have never heard of.”
The Party Faithful meshes sixties-reminiscent melodies with glam-flavored guitars and dreamy atmospheres that occasionally drift into psychedelic territory. The band formed when Patrick Harmon (lead vocals, guitar) and Erica D’Andrea Gray (bass, vocals) combined their affection for post-punk-tinged anthemic rock with their affection for each other (they married soon after and now live in Ossining with their 20-month-old son). The band has grown to a party of five with the additions of keyboardist Karen Hou, Irvington guitarist Miyuki Furtado, and drummer Pat Morin.
Tumbleweed Mile is an American indie rock band led by Nyack singer/songwriter/guitarist Chris Merola and Croton-on-Hudson bassist Michael Levine, with former Irvingtonian Marc Jacoby on acoustic and slide guitars. The band has played stages from Austin’s SXSW to Mercury Lounge to CBGB’s; Merola was the front man for the roots rock band, “Rain Deputies.”
Tarrytown resident James Wilson is known for diverse, lyrically-driven songs delivered in a soulful voice lined with southern tonalities. Raised in Texas, Wilson is a descendant of British vaudevillian performers; his dad sung in the church choir. Using an organic method to tease out subconscious prose, Wilson’s songs begin as a means to document internal dialog without edit; the result is a raw, simple, stripped but emotionally-charged sound.
Mood FM, a neo-funk soul jam band, features Irvington natives Peter Rubin (guitar), Philip Joy (drums), Max Johnson (keyboard), Nick Dinielli (bass), and Hannah Kibel (vocals). Showcasing stellar musicianship, Mood FM has played venues throughout New York and recently released a new single, “Step Up.”
The series will continue on January 17, 2019 (presenting New York comics who are regulars in the city’s comedy clubs), and a concert on April 26, 2019 featuring an Irvington institution: the “downtown” bands that turn Halloween night into an outdoor music festival, filling side streets with adoring fans each October.
The presenting sponsor for the series is Eric Bernstein of Compass of Dobbs Ferry (www.compass.com/agents/westchester_ny/eric-bernstein).
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