"If just listening to the sounds of music isn’t enough for you, check out the DVD “Live at the Midway Unplugged” (Lowbudget Records), in which singers, players and bands from all over the area paid a visit to the Midway Café in Jamaica Plain, and each delivered a couple of tunes done up acoustically.
Roslindale folks who took part include Glenn Williams, Andy Hollinger, Bird Mancini and Doctor X, aka Tim Casey, who also produced the show and the resulting DVD.
This gets off to a rollicking start with Phil Kaplan performing his wry and funny and rather offbeat “I Am Grateful.” You’ve got to wonder what his wife thinks about her mention in the lyrics. Gabriel Mireles follows with some blistering guitar work and a look on his face suggesting that he’s surprised about just what his fingers and hands can do on the strings. Glenn Williams hits his stride when he trades his guitar for a ukulele on the deceptively happy-sounding “No Flies on Fred,” a tune about a guy whose woman has run out on him.
Mr. Curt is joined by Clara Kebabian for the terrific guitar-fiddle, singer-backup vocal song “In the City;” there are three complicated instrumentals (two are delicate, one is jagged) from the barefoot duo Church of Flying Dreams; Lenny Solomon, decked out in a big hat, and playing guitar and harp, delivers a couple of heartfelt songs in the folk tradition; Emily Grogan gives her all on “Weathervane” in duet with Clara Kebabian, and has a ball pulling off harmonies with Linda Viens on the great rocker “Girl of Opportunity.”
Andy Hollinger and his longtime performance partner Pat McDonald each do solo pieces, but also play together, and share some wonderful guitar interplay. John Patton, picks at his guitar slowly, in the manner of John Renbourn, on “Southwind,” then switches to an intense, percussive style when ratcheting up the speed for “Improvisation in G.” Doctor X, guitar in hand, takes the stage for his melancholy “Misfits,” an angst-filled song about two people who find each other but are up against the world.
There are many more songs and artists on the DVD, each with many different musical offerings in this two-hour extravaganza. If you looked at and listened to this package just on the strength of its variety, you’d know you have a winner."
- Ed Symkus, The Transcript, May 31, 2007 |
"Tim Casey has been building a solid portfolio of video-based projects. Here he and his team have recorded a crystal clear unplugged show at the Midway with 18 artists. Here’s a rundown of the highlights. Phil Kaplan is probably the closest thing Boston has to Randy Newman with his wry sarcastic songwriting style. Backed with his guitar or ukulele, Glenn Williams is a sensitive storyteller in song.Clara Kebabian’s violin sweetens up Mr. Curt’s song that carry messages we may have heard before, but need to be reminded of. Church of Flying Dreams, an avant garde guitar and snare duo, break new ground in instrumental presentation. Lenny Solomon backs his Bonnie Raitt-ish folk tunes with guitar and harmonica. Bird Mancini is a cool two-piece (guitar/accordion) that sound like a full band from the ’60s with good arrangements and harmonies. Emily Grogan and Clara Kebabian do one of my favorite songs penned by Emily—“Weathervane.” Then Linda Viens joins Emily to perform another stripped down Angeline song—“Girl of Opportunity.” Thea Hopkins sets a peaceful trance with her soul-felt songs. She has a silent strength in her character and raises the bar in this compilation. John Patton is a classical guitarist who plays in a gentle traditional folk vein. Doctor X wraps up the video up with an ear for a good melody and a nice selection of songs that includes a folk rendition of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt.” "
- T Max, The Noise, June 2007 |
