Author: Michael Witthaus

Crowned28 tribute show honors icons

In 2023, when Jordan Quinn did her tribute to generations of great female singers, called “Queens,” it was a one-woman show. She had backing vocalists, but the artists she chose were solo icons: Aretha, Whitney, Cher, Dolly, Gaga and the like. For her latest take on the format, the Manchester performer decided to open up the playing field a bit.

The result is Crowned28, a night of music that includes the aforementioned solo stars but also songs from groups, like the Pointer Sisters, and LaBelle, with its ’70s smash, “Lady Marmalade,” and a version of “I Say a Little Prayer” that, although an Aretha Franklin hit, hints at what Diana Ross & the Supremes might have done with it.

The show is also more theatrical this time around, Quinn explained in a recent phone interview.

“It allows me to blossom and transform into other people, which I really enjoy doing,” she said. “We try to take advantage of that, bring out a side that maybe you wouldn’t see in a typical tribute show with some of these artists.”

The costumes and choreography reflect this, and the milieu also has changed from the last production, which was done for a seated audience at Manchester’s Rex Theatre. This show is cabaret style and will be held in the Angel City Event Space of Rock ‘n Roll Meatballs on Elm Street.

“We are selling more tickets than there are seats, so there will be more standing around,” Quinn said. This will allow the singers to mingle and dance with the crowd, creating a nightclub vibe. Along with Quinn, there are two featured singers, each of whom will have their own spotlight during the show.

Mariah Delage won the Best Voice In Keene competition last year and appeared as a featured dancer in the Actorsingers’ recent production of Legally Blonde. Aysa Carnucci has worked with Palace Youth Theatre, Exeter’s Pine Street Players and the Amato Center’s dance company.

For Quinn, singing together with Delage and Carnucci is Quinn’s is a highlight of Crowned28.

“I really like the ensemble pieces; I love sharing the stage with them,” she said. “‘Lady Marmalade’ is one of my favorites, and the Pointer Sisters’ ‘I’m So Excited’ and then, of course, listening to the other girls sing Cher and Christina Aguilera is just a gift.”

For her solo turns, Quinn enjoys doing Tina Turner’s “Simply the Best,” and her take on Celine Dion covering “All By Myself” while decked out in an all-white suit was a showstopper in “Queens.” The three singers also do a solid version of Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good” and give Heart’s “Barracuda” a terrific three-part harmony that it never had before.

While she continues to perform in the area’s restaurants and bars as a solo artist, Quinn is carving a niche with shows like Crowned28. It’s a pursuit that’s less about enjoying tributes, though watching her convincingly cover Donna Summer or Pat Benatar makes it clear she likes it.

“It’s the fact that it’s mine,” she said. “I grew up in the theater industry, and the whole idea behind creating my own show is because when you go into an audition for a musical theater piece, all you have is 36 bars to sing in front of the director. Then the director and their team decide if you’re right for the part or not. Thirty-six bars is like a minute of singing. In my mind, it’s like I am so much more capable than just 36 bars.”

Shaping a mood and casting an ensemble, which includes a band with drummer Stephen Baberadt, Greg Kieffer on guitar, bass player Jack Lianos and Derek Tanch on keyboards, is more satisfying than just taking part in a show, she continued.

“I feel like I’m able to show all of my capabilities, I think that’s what’s really exciting, because I have found a way to not limit myself,” she said. “There is no one category that everyone belongs in [and] I wanted to create a theatrical piece that everyone can enjoy, but also to showcase that we don’t belong in one category.”

Crowned28 – A Celebration of Iconic Women in Music
When: Thursday, June 5, 8 p.m.
Where: Angel City Event Space/Rock N Roll Meatballs, 179 Elm St., Unit B, Manchester
Tickets: $20 at eventbrite.com

Featured photo. From left to right: Mariah Delage, Jordan Quinn and Aysa Carnucci Courtesy photo.

Faith Ann Band refines sound, adds guitarist

By Michael Witthaus
mwitthaus@hippopress.com

In January, with some new songs done, but not enough for a studio album, the Faith Ann Band chose to put out their first live EP instead. Recorded at the Stone Church in Brattleboro, Vermont, it’s a blistering collection, a solid document of a hard-charging quartet hitting its stride, driven by feral frontwoman Faith Ann Mandravelis’s raw energy.

It kicks off with “Route 2,” its lead-in strum giving way to bashing and growling. With provocative lines like, “your breath on my neck is a whole kinda mood” — a studio version released in March ends with heavy metal vocal jousting — it captures the many vibes convincingly struck by the band on the live record.

There’s a proto-metal cover on Live at VT Stone Church: “The Wizard,” from Black Sabbath’s 1970 debut. The show was on Good Friday 2024, and while the song’s selection wasn’t intentional, one audience member noticed. Faith Ann said in a recent phone interview that included bassist Nate Sanel and drummer Nick Johnson, “This guy rushed right up to us right after we played it. He was like, ‘Black Sabbath on a Good Friday in a church — that’s so metal!’”

A show at Manchester’s Shaskeen Pub on Friday, May 30, will give New Hampshire fans a chance to hear where the band is landing these days — a more collaborative creative process that will be displayed on Say Less, the upcoming follow-up to 2022’s In Bloom.

“It’s definitely a different sound … a bit more poppy, more driving, maybe a little more funky,” Nate Sanel said. “With a different band and a different lineup. Faith is still writing the lyrics and the songs, but now there are three different people contributing overall — and we have a different producer on this album, too.”

Faith Ann said her songwriting these days was removed from the take-no-prisoners stance on In Bloom. Lyrically, that LP was an immediate, often visceral response to leaving corporate life and other complications. At the time, she called it a healing journey and talked about stepping out of the shadows from a toxic relationship.

That’s changed.

“I’m trying to be more whimsical,” she said, adding that the group’s new dynamic is a contributing factor. “Although I’m still bringing songs that I’ve thought of, the band is taking up space now; that’s a cool thing. [Also], we’re concentrating more on the performance, getting people dancing and invested into the set.”

The Shaskeen show will feature the newest member of the group, Eric Shea on lead guitar. While not exactly the same as Spinal Tap’s drum chair, the Faith Ann Band has had its fair share of guitarists over the years. “We’ve talked about that a lot,” Faith Ann agreed. Lately, they’ve carried on as a trio, and are looking forward to the extra power Shea will add.

Sharing the stage in Manchester is Andrew North & the Rangers. Faith Ann admired the Concord band’s efforts to support its local scene, like the monthly open mic it hosts at BNH Stage. “You’re getting the passion and the talent … they’re trying to push it,” she said. “When I think about who’s going to put the effort in to bring a crowd, it’s a good choice; and it’s been a while since we’ve played with them.”

Between their leader’s frequent solo gigs and other shows that are set for the coming months, the group is keeping busy. At the end of June they’ll be on the main stage for this year’s Concord Market Days. They’re also booked for Troutstock 2025 in Montague, Mass., July 25-27, and the Barefoot Festival in Greenfield on Aug. 2.

On June 22 they’re leading an all-day Summer Kick-Off at Auburn Pitts, a show Faith Ann organized.

“Some people just want a day of it, and they don’t want to be committing their whole weekend,” she said of the event, which also has Glitter Tooth, The Whole Loaf, Tumbletoads and Jesse Rutstein. “I’m trying to bring more of the day-fest vibes to the Manchester area, because it’s a bumping city.”

Faith Ann Band w/ Andrew North & the Rangers

When: Friday, May 30, 8 p.m.
Where: Shaskeen Pub, 909 Elm St., Manchester
Tickets: $20 at eventbrite.com

Featured photo. Courtesy photo.