All posts by limelightmagazine

PAULA POUNDSTONE TO BRING LAUGHTER TO THE NARROWS CENTER ON OCT. 22ND

FALL RIVER — Armed with nothing but a stool, a microphone and a can of Diet Pepsi, comedian Paula Poundstone is coming to the Narrows Center in Fall River, MA, on Saturday, October 22, 2022. Purchase tickets HERE.

Poundstone began nurturing her stand up comedy talent in 1979 as part of the Boston comedy scene. Since then, her ability to create humor on the spot has become the stuff of a legend. Little wonder people leave her shows debating whether the random people she talked to were “plants”—which, of course they never are, and complaining that their cheeks hurt from laughter.

Poundstone’s spontaneity and razor-sharp wit have made her one of the most popular panelists on NPR’s hilarious weekly news quiz show, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me, and her commentaries can be heard on NPR’s Morning Edition and read on the Huffington Post.  Her first book, There’s Nothing In This Book That I Meant To Say, (with a foreword by Mary Tyler Moore) was published by Random House in 2007. Her second book, The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness, was published last year. The book debuted at #1 on Amazon best sellers lists in Humor in Hardcover, Audible, Kindle and CD within its first ten days of release and is now out in paperback. The audio book, read by Paula, was one of five finalists for the 2018 Audio Book of the Year.

Poundstone’s guest appearances include The Late Show with Stephen ColbertStar Talk with Neil deGrasse TysonLate Night with Carson DalyNerdist with Chris Hardwick, and she was a clue in a New York Times crossword puzzle. She’s filed commentaries for CBS Sunday Morning and Morning Edition and All Things Considered for NPR. She voices the character “Paulette” in Cartoon Network’s new animated series Summer Camp Island. An avid Disney movie fan, Paula had a dream come true when she was cast to voice the character “Forgetter Paula” in Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out, winner of the 2017 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film.

Poundstone has had numerous HBO specials and starred in her own series on HBO and ABC. Her second special for HBO, Paula Poundstone goes to Harvard, marked the first time the elite university allowed its name to be used in the title of a television show.

Poundstone was the first woman, in its then 73rd year, to perform standup comedy at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. She won an American Comedy Award for Best Female Standup Comic and is recognized in innumerable lists, documentaries, and literary compendiums noting influential standup comedians of our time.

The Narrows Center is located at 16 Anawan Street in Fall River. Tickets are $48 advance and $53 day of show. Tickets can be purchased  HERE.

FILMING LOCATION SPOTLIGHT – 2021 RECAP

On the fourth Friday of every month throughout 2021, Limelight Magazine spotlighted the filming location site(s) we visited for some of our favorite (and not so favorite) films and TV shows. Here is a recap of all the locations we featured this year. Click on the name of the movie or TV show to see each of them.

  1. Coma (1978)
  2. Escape From Alcatraz (1979)
  3. Benson (TV Show)
  4. I Spit On Your Grave (1978)
  5. A Quiet Place (2018)
  6. The Wonder Years (TV Show)
  7. House of Dark Shadows (1970)
  8. Let’s Scare Jessica To Death (1971)
  9. A Good Son (1993)
  10. Halloween (1978)
  11. Dallas (TV Show)

LIMELIGHT MAGAZINE’S TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2021

With pandemic restrictions being lifted, we saw 53 movies in a theatrical setting this year, along with 188 others on physical media or through streaming services. Overall, it was another solid year for filmmaking even though we found many of the hyped films to be underwhelming.

While many veteran filmmakers made our top 10 list, we had three feature film debuts this year with The Power, Censor and Saint Maud. This is the most we’ve ever had on our year-ending list. It should be noted that all of these films were directed by women who blew us away with their direction behind the camera. We cannot wait to see what’s next from Corinna Faith, Prano Bailey-Bond and Rose Glass.   

As with any list, we have not viewed every film released in 2021, but these were the 10 that stood out above the rest. Like last year, we are only including each film’s synopsis. We hate spoilers and trailers that give everything away. We firmly believe not knowing too much is the best way to view most of these great films.

Disclaimer: This list is based on films we’ve seen as of Dec. 31, 2021. It could be adjusted in the future as we view other films from 2021 in early 2022.

1. Last Night In Soho (directed by Edgar Wright)

SYNOPOSIS: A young girl, passionate about fashion design, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters her idol, a dazzling wannabe singer. But 1960s London is not what it seems, and time seems to be falling apart with shady consequences.

2. Come True (directed by Anthony Scott Burns)

SYNOPOSIS: Looking for an escape from her recurring nightmares, 18-year-old Sarah submits to a university sleep study, but soon realizes she’s become the conduit to a frightening new discovery. 

3. Nightmare Alley (directed by Guillermo del Toro)

SYNOPOSIS: An ambitious young carny with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychiatrist who is even more dangerous than he is.

4. The Power (directed by Corinna Faith)

SYNOPOSIS: London, 1974. As Britain prepares for electrical blackouts to sweep across the country, trainee nurse Val arrives for her first day at the crumbling East London Royal Infirmary. With most of the patients and staff evacuated to another hospital, Val is forced to work the night shift, finding herself in a dark, near empty building. Within these walls lies a deadly secret, forcing Val to face both her own traumatic past and deepest fears. 

5. Censor (directed by Prano Bailey-Bond)

SYNOPOSIS: Film censor Enid takes pride in her meticulous work, guarding unsuspecting audiences from the deleterious effects of watching the gore-filled decapitations and eye gougings she pores over. Her sense of duty to protect is amplified by guilt over her inability to recall details of the long-ago disappearance of her sister, recently declared dead in absentia. When Enid is assigned to review a disturbing film from the archive that echoes her hazy childhood memories, she begins to unravel how this eerie work might be tied to her past.

6. Saint Maud (directed by Rose Glass)

SYNOPOSIS: Having recently found God, self-effacing young nurse Maud arrives at a plush home to care for Amanda, a hedonistic dancer left frail from a chronic illness. When a chance encounter with a former colleague throws up hints of a dark past, it becomes clear there is more to sweet Maud than meets the eye.

7. Don’t Look Up (directed by Adam McKay)

SYNOPOSIS: Two low-level astronomers, upon discovering that a meteor will strike the Earth in six months, go on a media tour to try to warn the world but find an unreceptive and unbelieving populace. 

8. Nobody (directed by Ilya Naishuller)

SYNOPOSIS: Hutch Mansell, a suburban dad, overlooked husband, nothing neighbor — a “nobody.” When two thieves break into his home one night, Hutch’s unknown long-simmering rage is ignited and propels him on a brutal path that will uncover dark secrets he fought to leave behind.

9. Werewolves Within (directed by Josh Ruben)

SYNOPOSIS: When a proposed pipeline creates hostilities between residents of a small town, a newly-arrived forest ranger must keep the peace after a snowstorm confines the townspeople to an old lodge. But when a mysterious creature begins terrorizing the group, their worst tendencies and prejudices rise to the surface, and it is up to the ranger to keep the residents alive, both from each other and the monster which plagues them. 

10. House of Gucci (directed by Ridley Scott)

SYNOPOSIS: The true story of how Patrizia Reggiani plotted to kill her husband Maurizio Gucci, the grandson of renowned fashion designer Guccio Gucci.

LIMELIGHT MAGAZINE’S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2021

Rather then rank our top 10 albums of the year and write about them as we have done in the past, the co-owners of Limelight Magazine decided to post those that resonated with us the most in 2021. They are listed alphabetically by artist name and we encourage you to check them out. Were any of these among your favorites of the year?

*Accept – Too Mean To Die

*Alcatrazz – V

*Lindsey Buckingham – Lindsey Buckingham (self-titled)

*Alice Cooper – Detroit Stories

*Dennis DeYoung – 26 East Vol. 2

*KK’s Priest – Sermons of the Sinner

*Liquid Tension Experiment – 3

*Matthew Sweet – Catspaw

*Wheel – Resident Human

*Steven Wilson – The Future Bites

Don Felder to perform Eagles classics in Fall River, MA

Don Felder, who was a former lead guitarist of the Eagles for 27 years, will make his debut appearance at the Narrows Center in Fall River, MA, on March 1, 2022. He will perform the hits he co-penned or performed with the Eagles, such as “Hotel California,” “Victim of Love,” “One Of These Nights,” “Heartache Tonight,” and many more with a full band. This show is expected to sellout quickly. Purchase tickets HERE.

Felder is a legendary singer-songwriter, a 1998 inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the Eagles, a New York Times best-selling author, and a true American rock and roll guitar hero. Felder spent 27 years with the Eagles, recording the classic albums One Of These Nights, Hotel California, and The Long Run, and the live albums Eagles Live and Hell Freezes Over. With the Eagles, the band owns the fine distinction of recording the top-selling album of all time – Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975– which has sold over 38 million copies (and counting). He also co-wrote some of the band’s biggest hits, including “Hotel California” and “Victim of Love,” and became a New York Times best selling author with his autobiography Heaven and Hell: My Life in The Eagles (1974-2001). His iconic double necked guitar was featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Play It Loud exhibit in May 2019 – the first major exhibition in an art museum dedicated entirely to the iconic instruments of rock and roll – and is currently on display in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s exhibit of the same name. He was inaugurated into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville in 2016, and the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2017. His most recent solo album American Rock ‘N’ Roll (BMG) was released on April 5, 2019.

The Narrow Center for the Arts is located at 16 Anawan Street in Fall River, MA. Tickets can be purchased online by clicking HERE or calling the box office at324-1926.

JOHN 5 AND THE CREATURES TO PERFORM IN NEW BEDFORD, MASS.

John 5 (Photo by Jeff Graham)

In celebration of John 5 and The Creatures new album, Sinner, the band will be going on tour with a stop at the Vault Music Hall in New Bedford, MA, on May 12, 2022. The tour will feature support from The Haxans (featuring Ashley Costello of New Years Day and Piggy D of Rob Zombie). This concert is presented by JKB Management and Booking. Tickets can be purchased HERE.

For almost 30 years, John 5 has been one of the most in-demand guitar players on the planet. As well as a guitarist for hire, John 5 has shared the stage as axe-man for Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson and Rob Halford. He has also worked with an impressive array of names, from all walks of music, including KD Lang, Rod Stewart, Dave Lee Roth, Alice Cooper, Tina Guo and Steven Adler.

To call John 5 a shredder does not do him justice. There’s little he can’t put his hand to.

John 5 was born John William Lowery, on July 31st 1970, in Gross Pointe Michigan. His love of guitar began at age seven, when he began watching the Hee Haw series with his father. “I watched the guitar playing and knew that was what I wanted to do. My friends wanted to be astronauts and such but all I wanted to do was play and play and play”. Other notable influences included KISS and Jimi Hendrix.

John 5’s solo career turned out not to be a flash in the pan, and he has now released ten studio albums, two live albums and a remix album. He has worked with several special guests on those albums, including Albert Lee who called John 5 “one of the nicest guys I’ve worked with,” Steve Vai who called John “underrated,” Joe Satriani, Jim Root, Eric Johnson and many more. As well as his solo albums John 5 teamed up with the vocal talents of Joe Grah (formerly of Texas band Jibe) to form “radio rock project” Loser. Their first single, “Disposable Sunshine” was featured on the Fantastic Four soundtrack. 

In 2006, John 5 was invited to join Rob Zombie for a short Ozzfest tour. Despite being told “not to get too comfortable,” the pairing brought a resurgence in Zombie, who at the point was turning his hand to directing movies and taking a break from music, they began work on 2006’s ‘Educated Horses’. As a consequence, John 5 had to make the decision to leave his fledgling band Loser. “Being the founding member of Loser, my decision to leave was not an easy one.”

In 2015, following a series of web shows to celebrate the release of his solo album Careful With That Axe, John 5 decided to take his solo set on tour, and formed The Creatures band to support his live shows. Initially joined by long-term friend Rodger Carter on drums, the band continues touring to this day, and now work as a unit on John 5’s solo albums. The current line-up includes John 5, Ian Ross on bass and drummer Logan Miles Nix.

The Vault Music Hall is located at located at 791 Purchase Street in New Bedford, Mass. The venue is set within a former bank building featuring original vault doors and a truly historic feel. 

MUST BE 21 or OLDER with Valid ID for Entry.

THE BEST OF THE CASSETTE CHRONICLES – YEAR 5

BY JAY ROBERTS

For 2021, life continued to be complicated for the world at large. While there’s no need to rehash what we all know about that, the fifth year brought about some changes for The Cassette Chronicles series as well. Specifically, I had to cut it back to a bi-monthly schedule.

So while there may have been less articles coming out this year, the twenty four albums examined covered the gamut from the heaviest of metal to some of the most successful of 80’s top 40 music. One band was featured in five articles (though I only chose one to represent them), while a look back at the Giant album Time To Burn got me a content warning on Facebook because of the album artwork.

When I started out this series on a lark, I don’t know that I anticipated doing it for five years. But thanks to Limelight Magazine, I’ve been able to write a great number of albums and I look forward to continuing doing that very thing in 2022 as well. It will still be on a bi-monthly schedule but here’s to keeping the flame burning bright for the best in both well known and under the radar album gems.

While I don’t typically rank the albums in any specific numerical order, this year my favorite piece was brought on by quite possibly the saddest news for me personally in regards to the music world. The death of Mike Howe hit me hard and though it took me quite a while to get the words I wanted to say in a coherent fashion, my article on the album Blessing In Disguise balanced not only a look at the album itself but paid tribute to Howe, a vocalist I loved.

So take a look at that one and the other nine albums that you will see below, I think it is worth the trip. I thank everyone for continuing to read the series and I look forward to doing it all again next year. Come along for the ride, won’t you?

Please click on the cassette title to read the article.

#1 – METAL CHURCH –  BLESSING IN DISGUISE

#2 – JUDAS PRIEST – RAM IT DOWN

#3 – TESLA – THE GREAT RADIO CONTROVERSY

#4 – XYZ – HUNGRY

#5 – BLACKEYED SUSAN – ELECTRIC RATTLEBONE

#6 – RATT – DANCING UNDERCOVER

#7 – GIANT – TIME TO BURN

#8 – ELECTRIC BOYS – GROOVUS MAXIMUS

#9 – DIRTY LOOKS – TURN OF THE SCREW

#10 – NEVADA BEACH – ZERO DAY

THE ENGLISH BEAT TO PERFORM IN FALL RIVER, MASS.

The English Beat will perform at the Narrows Center in Fall River, MA, on Friday, April 1, 2022, at 8 p.m. The band continues to dish out two-tone, ska, reggae and new wave, while mixing social commentary with danceability. Purchase tickets HERE.

Founded in 1979 by Dave Wakeling, The English Beat is a band with an energetic mix of musical styles and a sound like no other. Their infectious sound, which crosses fluidly between ska, soul, reggae, punk and rock, has allowed them to endure for four decades and appeal to fans of all ages all over the world.

Throughout their career, The English Beat has scored multi-platinum record sales, sold out shows and, most importantly, universal fan approval because they kept “The Beat” alive.

Along with their contemporaries The Specials, The Selecter, and Madness, the band became an overnight sensation and one of the most popular and influential bands of the British Two-Tone Ska movement. By Christmas 1979, The Beat were riding high in the UK charts with their first single, a smoking remake of the classic Smokey Robinson tune “Tears of a Clown.” Over the course of the next five years, The Beat toured relentlessly and released three studio albums: I Just Can’t Stop ItWh’appen, and Special Beat Service.

Following a lengthy hiatus, Wakeling continued to keep the music alive and strong, touring the world as The English Beat.

Today, The English Beat is still lead by Wakeling with an amazing all-star ska backing band that will play all their signature tunes, such as Mirror in the Bathroom,” “Save It For Later,” “Can’t Get Used to Losing You,” “Hands Off, She’s Mine,” and “I Confess,” as well as some covers, songs from General Public, and their 2016 studio album Here We Go Love, the band’s first new release since 1982’s Special Beat Service.

The Narrows Center is located at 16 Anawan Street. Tickets can be purchased online at narrowscenter.org or by calling the box office at 508-324-1926. For those wanting to purchase tickets in person, box office hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 12 noon to 5 p.m.

The English Beat (PHOTO BY EUGENIO IGLESIAS)

THE ZOMBIES TO PERFORM IN FALL RIVER, MASS.

Iconic British psychedelic pop legends The Zombies are back to celebrate their long-awaited Induction into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with a new album in the works and their 2022 “Life Is A Merry-Go-Round” Tour, which will make a stop at the Narrows Center in Fall River, MA, on May 1, 2022. Purchase tickets HERE.

After receiving their fourth nomination in 5 years, the support for The Zombies’ induction among the public and their peers was undeniable – the band placed 4th in the public online poll with over 330,000 votes, while even fellow nominee John Prine called for their induction before his own in a Billboard interview.  On March 29, 2019, at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, The Zombies joined Stevie Nicks, Radiohead, The Cure, Def Leppard, Janet Jackson, and Roxy Music as the 2019 Class of The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  Fittingly, the Induction Ceremony took place exactly 50 years to-the-day after The Zombies’ classic “Time of the Season” first hit #1 on the charts in America.

Never content to only look back, The Zombies spent the Pandemic touring-hiatus in the studio recording the follow-up to their 2015 Billboard-charting album, Still Got That Hunger. The title for their 2022 tour – “Life Is A Merry-Go-Round” – is a lyric from one of the new songs, but is also a fitting description of the dizzying effect the past 2 years have had on the world.  The band exclusively debuted several of the new songs in their only live concert of 2021, broadcast around the world in September from the legendary Abbey Road Studio 2 in London.  Led by founding members, vocalist Colin Blunstone and keyboardist Rod Argent, The Zombies’ 21st-Century line-up features Steve Rodford on drums, renowned session guitarist Tom Toomey, and the newest member, Søren Koch, who joined the band following the untimely passing of their beloved bassist Jim Rodford (formerly of ARGENT and The Kinks) in early 2018.

The band’s live performances, described by Rolling Stone as “absolutely triumphant”, take fans on a journey through time, from their early hits…their 1968 masterpiece Odessey & Oracle…post-Zombies solo favorites…right to today with brand-new material from their forthcoming album.

The second U.K. band following the Beatles to score a #1 hit in America, The Zombies infiltrated the airwaves with the sophisticated melodies, breathy vocals, choral back-up harmonies and jazzy keyboard riffs of their 1960’s hit singles “She’s Not There” and “Tell Her No.” Ironically, the group broke-up just prior to achieving their greatest success – the worldwide chart-topping single “Time of the Season,” from their swan-song album  Odessey & Oracle, ranked #100 in Rolling Stone’s ‘500 Greatest Albums of All Time.’  To this day, generations of new bands have cited The Zombies’ work as pop touchstones, and the band continues to be embraced by new generations of fans.

Following the break-up of the original band, lead vocalist Colin Blunstone went on to develop an acclaimed solo career (with hits including “Say You Don’t Mind,” “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted”, and “Old & Wise” with Alan Parsons Project) and keyboardist/songwriter Rod Argent rocked ‘70’s arenas with his eponymous band ARGENT (“Hold Your Head Up,” “God Gave Rock ‘n’ Roll To You”), but the legend of The Zombies continued to take on a life of its own.  By the start of the new Millennium, Blunstone and Argent were inspired to resurrect The Zombies.

The explosive release of Still Got That Hunger proved that Zombies fever is stronger than ever, with premieres at Rolling StoneMojoThe Wall Street Journal, The Guardian  Speakeasy, and Spin, alongside special broadcast performances, including Later…With Jools Holland, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Conan, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, CBS Saturday Morning and AOL Sessions. Moreover, it marked a historical moment on the Billboard charts, as The Zombies’ critically acclaimed album Odessey And Oracle re-entered the Billboard 100 forty-eight years later at the same time as Still Got That Hunger!  

The band’s 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction marked a major triumph in their 5-decade career, but you can be sure they will not rest on their laurels.  The Zombies story continues on….!

The Narrows Center for the Arts is located at 16 Anawan Street. Tickets to his show can be purchased online HERE or by calling the box office at 508-324-1926. For those wanting to purchase tickets in person, box office hours are Thursday through Saturday, 12 noon to 5 p.m.

The Zombies – Photography by ALEX LAKE insta @twoshortdays WWW.TWOSHORTDAYS.COM