It’s only November, but there is no surer sign of the impending Christmas season than the announcement of the annual Trans-Siberian Orchestra tour.
An unlikely success story, the main founders of the band were once a part of the progressive metal band Savatage who had a song called “Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)” on their 1995 album Dead Winter Dead. That song was the basis for the idea behind TSO and gave birth to a winter tradition unlike any other. When you go to a TSO show, you get loud guitars, lasers, lights, a huge ensemble production, and best of all, you get infused with the C... Read more

If the heart of Christmas celebration lies at home with our families, it’s community celebrations that extend the warmth of our traditions into the world, as we share share the holiday spirit with our friends and neighbors. When the Christmas tree in Broadway Plaza lights up on November 16, it will kick off the 14th celebration of one of Fort Wayne’s most cherished community traditions, Christmas on Broadway, and it will bring forth even more holiday warmth than ever before.
“Christmas on Broadway has grown far beyond a celebration of the Broadway Corridor, which has become a source of p... Read more

They have a knack for embarrassing each other, an “anything goes” attitude, and a penchant for off-the-wall humor.
The four men who started out as friends at an all-boys high school in New York never dreamed they’d make a living making others laugh, but that’s exactly what they’re doing. Today, they’re the stars of the TBS show Impractical Jokers and The Cranjis McBasketball World Comedy Tour.
That tour is making a stop in Fort Wayne on Friday, Nov. 16, at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. The Tenderloins Comedy Troupe — made up of Joe Gatto, Sal Vulcano, James Murray, and... Read more

New adaptations of A Christmas Carol seem to spring up faster than you can say, “Bah, humbug!” It is a rare theater season in our community that doesn’t find a company putting forth an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ season-defining classic. afO had resisted the temptation to throw its own offering into the ring until we ran across Doris Baizley’s delightfully clever and fresh retelling, which is tailor-made for the intimacy of the black box theater where we perform.
First presented in 1977 at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, the production proved so popular that it was revived fo... Read more

Oakland, Calif., music legends Tower of Power are celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2018 with a new album, a tour, and a planned visit to The Clyde Theatre on Nov. 16.
The band just dropped their 19th studio album, Soul Side of Town, and while the new disc shows the spirit and energy still present in the band, the live setting is where Tower of Power have always been at their best. With tenor sax Emilio Castillo and baritone sax Doc Kupka guiding this ten-piece machine, Tower of Power will blast their way through two hours of funk and soul classics that will likely result in a hair-raisin... Read more

No Depression calls The Claudettes “the B-movies of the music world—maybe not understood now, but in the future, the kings and queens of the universe.” Without a doubt, The Claudettes are one of those bands that are nearly impossible to classify. They’ve been described as rockabilly, punk, a “skewed cabaret of blues and jazz,” “a revelatory blend of jazz and blues, stirred with punk brio,” and compared to “Keith Moon chasing a crazed, punked-up Little Richard with greasy rhythm and blues that makes the dance floor so slippery you need to sprinkle the floor with sawdust to kee... Read more

When Cirque Dreams returns to the Honeywell Center in Wabash, bringing with it the seasonal spectacular Holidaze, the audience will be treated to a visual and aural feast.
Music, dance, more than 300 costumes, and an astonishing cast of 20 are prepared to raise the bar of cirque performances, and acrobats will provide an afternoon and evening of entertainment that will launch the holiday season and leave an indelible impression.
The spectacle and majesty of Cirque Dreams is the vision of its producer Neil Goldberg and his own childhood memories of growing up in New York City. When planning wh... Read more

It’s time to party like it’s 1726 as The Bach Collegium, an early music ensemble that performs the music of Bach and other composers using a select chamber choir “accompanied with period instruments in the articulate, buoyant, Baroque style,” bring their love of the Baroque period to the stage of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Nov. 18.
Given the groups description, it’s fair to say that Bach himself probably would have given his blessing as they do their best to present the music of this great composer, as well as other composers of the period, in the way it was most ... Read more

You might not know the name Chuck Sperry, but there’s a good chance you have seen his art work at some point. Sperry and his art are in high demand in the music world. He has designed prints for Widespread Panic, Ben Harper, The Black Keys, Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, and The Who, to name just a few. In addition, Sperry has been featured in several documentaries and books, as well as featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Spin, The Independent, and Billboard. Sperry has art on display in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Now we have a chance to experience the magic of Sperry right h... Read more

While music created by guitars has been providing artistic pleasure to millions for many years and through many musical genres, the beauty and artistry of the guitars themselves are finally getting their due, thanks locally to a new exhibit at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art.
Medieval to Metal: The Art & Evolution of the Guitar allows visitors to study and admire the instrument itself as a piece of art and sculpture, one to be admired even momentarily disconnected from the music it creates.
Bringing this exhibit to Fort Wayne has been exciting for Charles Shepard, president and CEO of the Fort W... Read more

Local live juggernauts Sad Gravity finally release their debut recording in the form of a self-titled album of eight songs. The release launches with raw guitar and deep, thumping bass compiled with thorough, sometimes flashy drum work with plenty of vocal breaks for the instruments to shine through. The vocals often sway between straightforward singing and a falsetto that rotates the songs in and out of the “catchy without blatantly trying” category.
Connor Corwin and James Valdez switch off singing (and quite possibly guitar and bass, which they can be seen doing at their numerous live ... Read more

If you’ve been hanging around Fort Wayne over the past twenty years or so, chances are you know the name David Todoran & The Mobile Homewreckers.
These cats have been making music in various forms and with various locals talents in styles as diverse as pop/rock, Americana, and Byrds-y twang. Being a distant rural yokel and looking at the Fort Wayne music scene from a county or two away, I can say that the name David Todoran is one I’m familiar with, but I’m just now getting familiar with one of his albums. His newest, Apparition, is an absolute gem.
Todoran said this about its release, ... Read more

Right off the bat, the new album by Fort Wayne garage punk band Slug Love is hard-hitting and chunky and chugs along at a higher BPM. The first track on Underside, “Flying Discs,” has the type of riff that every band has ever played in a bar, but without the carbon copy feel to it. Its back-and-forth power chords launch Underside, and when the song lands, the underground heart of the record helps cushion the blow.
As it progresses on, the slower songs (though there are no real slow ones) and the more tender parts of the band’s songwriting offset all the super-sweet riffing and the old-s... Read more

Nate Utesch has been the leader and sole constant in the electronic band Metavari since its inception in 2008. He’s cultivated the sound and aesthetic from the sprawling vastness of post-rock to a much tighter electronic feel. If you listen to early Metavari, such as 2009’s Be One of Us and Hear No Noise, and compare it to 2015’s Moonless, you will hear a much different band. But under the surface, Metavari remains the product of Utesch’s singular vision.
Metavari is now a one-man band, a studio project composed and recorded by Utesch in his home studio. When the band plays shows, Utes... Read more

When you grow up in a small town but catch glimpses of what could be from your bedroom window, what does an angsty kid do about it? Some buy a guitar and amp, put their list of small-town and big-world issues to paper, and write songs. Then they find some like-minded guys and gals to spread their message of disenchantment from town to town. That was the case of Fort Wayne’s F---ing Panthers. This four-piece began their musical journey fresh out of high school and wrote punk and metal-infused songs about small-town life and the daily grind.
The guys built a following and put out Learning To ... Read more

Fort Wayne has plenty of guys and gals that work behind the scenes to help make the community the thriving, creative space it has become. One of those people is musician, studio runner, and jack-of-all-trades Jason Davis.
As owner/operator of Off The Cuff Sound in Fort Wayne, Davis has recorded bands as diverse as Legendary Trainhoppers, Addison Agen, Heaven’s Gateway Drugs, Water Witches, the D-Rays, and James and the Drifters.
But when Davis isn’t recording other artists, he’s booking studio time for his own band, Streetlamps for Spotlights.
“Streetlamps formed around 2004 as a wa... Read more

When local band elle/the Remnant released Skies I’ve Learned How to Love in January 2018, it must have seemed like a long time coming.
In 2014, the six-piece band had just come off a one-year hiatus and had reformed with a new spirit and a handful of new songs. Over the next four years, they recorded the 12 songs on Skies.
It was worth the wait.
The album, best categorized as indie-folk-Americana, finds Coplin and Armstrong, as well as bandmates Jessica Becker, Edith Coplin, Jen Foster, and Kelsey Schneider, in an adventurous mood. Driven by Armstrong’s propulsive guitar and Coplin’s cl... Read more

For nearly a decade, Tony Richards Didier shared the microphone with Charly Butcher. Today, Didier is one of many who are mourning the loss of their former colleague and friend.
Butcher died Aug. 15 of an apparent cardiac event. He was 61 years old.
“We did the morning show on WMEE together and we had so much fun,” Didier said. “We were young and did silly, stupid things on the air. Many of them took on a life of their own.”
Among Didier’s favorite memories is the creation of the Maumee River Monster.
“We got six months out of that bit,” he said. “It was so real. We just made ... Read more

Jordan Plohr wouldn’t exactly describe himself as a “born performer,” but he has been one for almost as long as he can remember. His first role was as Joseph in his preschool/kindergarten Christmas pageant.
“I don’t know that (performing) interested me beforehand,” he said. “It was one of those things they make you do at that age. But I remember it very vividly, and I must have enjoyed it because I kept seeking out opportunities to perform.”
Although he’s the only actor in his family, he does come from an artistic background.
“My parents are both pretty good at sketching,�... Read more

With a name like F---ing Panthers (blame them for the censorship), you can mostly guess what you’re in for: fast punk rock where the shows are overflowing with PBR and the crowd is rowdy as hell. And you’d be right to some regard. But what FP do best is mix these antics, in the spirit of Fidlar or even local steamroller Flamingo Nosebleed, with personal content and deeper meaning like any worthwhile guitar-based band.
The band, which currently consists of lead vocalist Billy Rivers on guitar, bassist Nate Green, “Diamond Boy Daniels,” and Ben Kelly also on guitar, and drummer Matt Brow... Read more

Colorful yet simple landscapes featuring bold, black lines make up En Hughey’s ink and paper illustrations.
“I find inspiration while walking my dog, biking, taking road trips and in video games,” Hughey said. “This current series began in a state park. I’ve found that anytime I’ve needed a new start, or a jolt of inspiration, the outdoors can only help.”
But this inspiration started long before Hughey was taking walks with the dog and soaking in the support from the Fort Wayne art community, both audience and creators alike.
“I can’t really remember not being interested in ... Read more

Leones’ latest recording is a slight departure from their regular output. Holy, the band’s 2016 EP, was saturated in distortion and heavier-hitting riffs. But Lovetrip keeps it cleaner until the bridges or the occasional heavy outro. The title track features reverb-laden deep vocals and clean guitars. Only at the end of the song is there any distortion, but it’s in the form of a sludgy, dissonant riff that still remains catchy.
“Underwater” starts off faster, though the vocals are still as subdued. Toward the end, there is some distortion featured in the background, but the song, a... Read more

With just a year under their belts, local poppy-garage band Sad Gravity have established themselves, at the very least, as a band that can open up for anyone and can do so with competitive talent. Members Connor Corwin, James Valdez, and Nolan Dye take a cue out of Parquet Courts and add in a foreword by Jimmy Eat World to create “sad lyrics with upbeat music” as quoted by Dye via email.
“We overlay emotional lyrics over fast-paced, driving instrumentals,” said Dye, who plays drums for the group. “The themes are very much consciously presented and implemented.”
Though you can ... Read more

For a dozen years now, Dweezil Zappa has been recreating his father Frank’s music in concert.
When he visits the Clyde Theatre on November 15, patrons will see something they’ve been denied at Dweezil’s shows for a while: images of Frank.
“On this tour, we do have even a little bit of merchandise that features my face and Frank’s face,” Dweezil said in a phone interview. “Even some of the tour posters for promotion actually do have a picture of my Dad on it.”
This may not sound like such a big deal to people who haven’t paid attention to Zappa family news bulletins lately.
Th... Read more

Although a successful professional for more than three decades in Fort Wayne, Christopher Guerin never strayed far from his love of language, literature, and writing.
Having spent his childhood on the move as a self-described “Air Force brat,” Guerin lived in places as varied as the Wyoming, the Philippines, and Illinois. The latter was where he finally settled down enough to earn two degrees (a B.A. and an M.A.) in English literature at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Moving to Chicago to be with his future wife, the couple eventually moved to Colorado where Guerin spent six ye... Read more

Freddie Mercury and his Queen bandmates get the biopic treatment in Bohemian Rhapsody, an occasionally inspiring but generally middling overview of the arena rock group and its larger-than-life lead singer.
Creative differences between the real-life band’s surviving members and Sacha Baron Cohen, who was originally slated to play Mercury, have loomed over the production since 2010, and it’s no big surprise that the band ultimately favored a more play-it-safe approach with the material. With a rousing soundtrack and a litany of on-the-road montages, die-hard Queen fans will have plenty to ... Read more

It’s not uncommon to see unfamiliar numbers come across your phone. Most of the time it’s some sort of scammer. But when Warsaw, Ind., musician Mark Allen starting noticing a strange number popping up on his phone, little did he know that it was NBC’s America’s Got Talent on the other line.
Luckily, they didn’t give up. They eventually sent an email to Allen inviting him to the Season 14 auditions. You see, the 50-year-old Allen has a strong passion for music, having performed covers and originals in the area for more than 30 years, most recently with Mark Allen and Company. He’ll... Read more

The besotted hero allows his love’s presence
At war on sea against the advice of his men,
As though afraid he might never see her again,
Though Cleopatra demanded her attendance.
The engagement lost, her man rumored dead, she flew
From the smoke-obscured scene, not aware that she drew
Anthony after her, leaving his men to drown.
For love of her he lost his honor and his crown.
I believe in “honor,” though not a common word,
As it once was — a life that honors all others.
My definition, at least. Some think me absurd.
And love? It can’t be defined except by lovers.
I do not judge them... Read more