Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Forget her not: Southern chanteuse Kim Meeks

"Forget Me Not," a four-song EP about heartbreak by Macon, Ga. singer/songwriter/keyboardist Kim Meeks presents a pop/jazz vocal performance that will remind you of Fiona Apple and Sarah McLachlan. She gets outstanding instrumental backing from producer and engineer Joey Stuckey. Dude plays everything, and his guitarwork brings additional artistry.

Aimed at those of us 'of a certain age,' "Everybody's Pretty" is a profoundly melancholy narrative about hitting the wall.


Although the song does make me smile because I initially thought she was singing "everybody's pretty when they YAWN" ... which is when people look pretty ugly.
Fortunately this live performance of the song dispenses with the unnecessary 48-second, scratchy-record surface noise intro that's on "Forget Me Not."
"You're a drama queen/looking for a king. But just one won't do.
With your heart out on your sleeve/everyone can see that it's all just a game to you," Meeks sings on "Inside," which has a neat piano hook.
The title track is memorable for its unexpected soft-loud dynamic shifts.
Learn more about this artist at www.kimmeeksmusic.com and facebook.com/kimmeeksmusic.
And if you thought that was interesting, check back here later. I'll tell you about her sister Sherry's fiction novel, "Finding Tambri."

Friday, June 17, 2016

'Cause what else are you gonna do on a Tuesday?

Held in honor of the Summer Solstice, ValleyArtScene and Grace Notes Piano Studio sponsor the fourth annual Make Music Upper Perk -- a whopper of a free music event, especially for the Upper Perkiomen Valley, Tuesday June 21.
The first notes begin at 10 a.m. and wrap up with a 9 p.m. campfire in New Goshenhoppen Park ... ON A TUESDAY. There's metal, classical, folk, concert bands, rock, and much more, to discover by a lot of people you've probably never heard play before.
Venues are Java Good Day Cafe, 231 Main St., East Greenville; the Upper Perk YMCA, 1399 Quakertown Road, East Greenville; the Upper Perkiomen Library, 350 Main St., Red Hill; the Upper Perkiomen Community Thrift Shop, 301 Fourth St., Pennsburg; the Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center, 105 Seminary Ave., Pennsburg; Art on Main, 218 Main St., East Greenville; Pennsburg United Church of Christ, 775 Main St., Pennsburg; outside at St. Mark's Church, 81 Main St., Pennsburg; and the Upper Perkiomen Community Life Center, 104 Main St., East Greenville.

Also in honor of the solstice is June 18th's yoga and holistic Moyo Festival, held 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 4335 W. Skippack Pike on the Schwenksville side of Skippack Township.

Need to get word out about special public events in "Ticket" magazine and www.tickettoentertainmnent.com? Shoot me an email at bbingaman@21st-centurymedia.com.