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Broadside Electric's Own Website | Concert: Saturday January 23rd 1999 8pm |
Coming
Saturday, January 23rd at 8pm is folk group with talents that are almost too numerous to
write. Broadside Electric consists of Tom Rhoads,
Jim Speer, Helene Zisook, Amy Ksir and Joe D'Andrea. This group of five musicians will
fill the Watching Arts Centers gallery with instrumentals and vocals that will mesmerize
you. Tickets are $10 and seats can be reserved by calling (908) 753-0190.
Tom Rhoads is the Lead vocalist, plays guitars of various sorts, as well as, Appalachian dulcimer, tin whistle, and harmonica. Tom has also played soprano recorder, keyboards, bodhran and other percussion, electric bass, kazoo and siren. Tom was raised on folk and classical music, played cello as a kid, mostly gave up music during puberty, then taught myself guitar in college. Tom’s British roots on both sides of his family, brought a sound and depth to him. Tom formed Broadside in 1990 and the band just kept going and reinventing itself and it doesn't look like they’ll run out of steam anytime soon.
On Chapman stick and electric bass guitar; wind instruments including recorders, clarinet, saxophone, crumhorn and rauschpfeife and vocals is Jim Speer. Jim became serious about music playing saxophone, clarinet, and alto clarinet in High School. From there he went on to Haverford College, and under the advisement of composer Curt Cacioppo took a degree in music theory and composition. He taught himself the bass by playing along with Egyptians albums and the soundtrack to Magnum, P.I. Since 1990 he’s been playing bass in Broadside Electric and has been writing music for television.
Helene Zisook sings backup and plays acoustic and 5-string electric violin. Helene has been playing violin since she was six, and is a survivor of the Suzuki method. She played both solo and in orchestras throughout school. In college, hungry for new experiences, she answered Jim and Tom's ad and helped to found Broadside Electric. She has also participated in a wide range of musical projects outside the band, from community orchestras to performing and recording with other local groups. Most recently she and Joe have been performing with the excellent Stick player Ray Ashley as Three Hour Detour; and have recently released a CD.
Joe D'Andrea plays percussion and drums, fiddle and sings also. Joe was
placed squarely in front of his uncle's drum set at age three. That did him in. He began
studying violin in 1979 and soon afterward took up piano and learned the wonders of music
composition and improvisation. In 1997 he was integrated into a most unique ensemble known
as Broadside Electric. Amy Ksir plays Tin whistles, flute, oboe and sings. At the age of
13, she ran off with a wild gang of international folk dancers. They taught her to
pronounce "Sitno Severnjasko Horo" and to count in 11/8. She stole her mom's
pennywhistle and started listening to old Dubliners albums. In college she was singing
harmony on Dylan songs in the campus coffeehouse, and joined a
Cajun/Appalachian/Irish/bluegrass band called "Biff and the Backwater Boys."
When she moved to Philadelphia to start a math Ph.D. program, "I thought I might kick
the folk habit, but I soon fell into the old patterns." One Sunday evening she heard
this band called "Broadside Electric" on the radio (thanks, Gene Shay!).
"They played electrified Bulgarian dance tunes and my favorite Woody Guthrie song. I
was hooked immediately."
This band is a rewarding ensemble who meld together almost like family. Through its many iterations of members they have found they’ve grown. Broadside Electric’s most recent album, More Bad News was originally released in 1996 and features the Chapman Stick, Zeta violin, crumhorn and rauschpfiefe.
Click on photo for larger image
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Watchung
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