This past Tuesday, AWoW presented it’s September showcase. Both newcomers and longtime talent took to the stage to refuel our creative selves as we said adios to the summer and hello to the fall.
Band of Strays performing live at the cell theatre. Artists Without Walls September 2017 Showcase.The night got rolling with the group the Band of Strays, featuring Louis Ledesma, guitarist Chip Thompson and drummer William Grafton. They warmed us up with a wonderfully eclectic mix of originals and standards. A true standout was their original tune “I Still See You” that lead singer Lou dedicated to his wife. Give a like to their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/bandofstrays/, so you can stay in tune with their upcoming gigs.Playwright Elizabeth Primamore shared an excerpt from her ten-minute play Just Fine and Blank, followed by an essay about living the Rock ‘n’ Roll dream. Elizabeth was recently a fellow at The Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Colony. Her play, The Professor and Michael Field, achieved the status of semifinalist for the 2017 Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. Loved your performance Elizabeth, looking forward to you sharing more with us in the future!
The sweet harmonies, melodic perfection, and soulful sounds of Theresa Sareo and her band, delighted the AWoW audience. Theresa was joined by bandmates Michael Holland and Clare Cooper. It has been eight years since Theresa performed a full night of her original music and we are beyond thrilled that she is dusting off tunes like Sweet Melina and Still On My Way for her upcoming full band show, October 26th, 8pm, West End Lounge, 955 Broadway at 105th St.Grab your tickets before this one sells out. #StillonmywayWriter Richard Vetere took to our stage to play Saint Pedro (Peter) in his new ten-minute play, “The Trump and the 7 Deadly Sins”, directed by M. Grace Sutton. Saint Pedro is questioning The Trump, played by Nick Hardin, on why he thinks he belongs there as he tries to get over the “Wall” into Heaven. Belly laughs rippled through the AWoW audience as Saint Pedro walks through in painful detail why The Trump will be taking a different elevator. The one that will take him to the other capital H. You can support Richard in his upcoming play “Lady Macbeth and Her Lover” which opens at The Directors Company on Thursday, November 2nd.
We were delighted by an impromptu tune from Singer-Songwriter David S. Goldman on Tuesday night. David stepped out from behind the soundboard, borrowed a guitar and effortlessly sang a beautiful rendition of a blues tune. David will be joining our October showcase line-up, where he will share a newly collaborated piece with AWoW Co-Founder Charles Hale. This one is not to be missed and David, we need to hear you SING more!Shu Nakamura, aka Shu McNamara, played us out on Tuesday night. This man’s incredible ability to cooly play any tune you throw at him, with grace, ease and his own unique style, only minimally speaks to the talent he bestows upon on us everytime he takes the stage. A true gift to collaborate with and a talent that will no doubt be heard on our stage and many, many, many more in the future. : off the charts talent!Post-show gathering with the artists and the audience…an AWoW tradition.After the showAfter the showStrays waiting in the wings at the cell.September featured an incredible line up of amazing talent and great people. We’ll see you in October!
