Jammin’ For The Animals II, 7/30-31 @ Blue Falls Grove

The Reading festival season is alive and kicking again with the second annual Jammin’ For The Animals Festival, an event benefiting the Humane Society of Berks County in memory of festival organizer’s brother, Bobby Jones, being held at Blue Falls Grove in Ontelaunee Township.

The second year also brings the addition of a second night of live music, with the festivities to begin on Friday evening (7/30) with two very solid bands, and did we mention, a Grammy Award wnner to fill in the gaps (and from what the rumor is, to sit in with BOTH bands to make the first evening, an epic night of improvisational jams and dueling solos).

The camping music & arts festival returns to Blue Falls Grove, a family fun picnic & camping site for over 26 years, complete with an Olympic size swimming pool (additional discounted cost), fishing (license required), over one mile of creek front, volleyball, basketball, hiking, and horseshoes.  It is adjacent to 3,000 acres of watershed and a 1,000 acre lake for fishing and it has become famous recently as the site of the “birthday party episode” of  the “John & Kate Plus 8” reality television series.

Gates will open at 5pm on Friday, July 30th with Grateful Dead tribute band, the Good Lovin’ Jamband kicking off the music at 6:30pm.  Grammy-winning guitarist David Cullen, a Berks County native, will be providing the “tweener” set before premier Pennsylvania bluegrass band Cabinet hits the stage to headline the first evening at 8:30pm.  There will also be an acoustic campfire jam with the members of Cabinet immediately following their set on the main stage.

Gates will re-open at noon on Saturday, July 31st with events for children and adults of all ages.  Scheduled events are juggling & hula hooping workshops, tie-dying & pottery workshops, piercing & tattooing seminars, glassblowing, fire performances, live painting in the art village, disc golf, Chinese auction, raffles, as well as dozens of kids activities in their own pavilion.  This is all happening while non-stop premier live music is going on from 1pm until 10:30pm with artists including Mike Miz, Flux Capacitor, Fellswoop, George Crow & Cody Chelius, Dakini, Estaban & Friends, and headlining the event is breakout gospel, funk, organic groove jamband, Natural Breakdown.

In only its second year, the Jammin’ For The Animals festival is leading the way in captivating the small, hassle-free festival scene with the caliber of music one would normally see at a larger festival.  Combine the top notch music with workshops, kids events, raffles, and a variety of vendors of all kinds with proceeds benefitting a great cause in the Humane Society of Berks County, and what you get is a great festival with a great vibe – something +VIBES is proud to be a part of.   

PlusVibes Productions will be providing the light show for the festival, as well as greeting you at the front gate and patrolling the grounds as the VIBES PATROL.  Our good friends at Scarlet Sound will be providing the crisp sound.

This event is an ALL-AGES, rain or shine, family-friendly (please be kind to the people AND the environment) event.    Friendly pets are also welcomed (leashed only).

A limited number of advance tickets are available for $30 for the weekend through CHRIS at PlusVibes Productions, at the Brass Lantern, and at the additional ticket outlets listed on the MySpaceand Facebook pages.  

Tickets will be available at the gate for $40.   NO DAY PASSES are available.  We highly recommend you take advantage of the discount and guarantee your ticket (we’re expecting a big crowd) by purchasing your ticket now.

Children under 10 are admitted free with adult.  Camping is available for an additional $5 per person (to be paid at front gate).

For more information or any additional quesitons, email info@plusvibes.com.

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE.    BRING A FRIEND!

+VIBES joins Berks Jazz Fest ’10 – hosts Grammy winnner

After many years of showing tribute to Berks Jazz Fest by hosting live jazz during the festival’s traditional days at the Brass Lantern, +VIBES has become a member of the Berks Jazz Fest in 2010 and together they will be bringing you two premiere (non-ticketed) events, each to be listed and promoted by all Berks Jazz Fest media outlets.

On Friday, March 19th, the very first day of events of Berks Jazz Fest, the Brass Lantern will feature its very first Grammy award winner on its stage in David Cullen, appearing with the Good Lovin’ Jamband, a Berks County bred Grateful Dead tribute band.

David Cullen is a world-reknown Classical guitarist and has won a Grammy Award for BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING.  He has performed with Will Ackerman, Samite, Michael Manring, Victor Wooten, The JacoBig Band and with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He earned his Bachelor of Music in Classical Guitar Performance from the Hartt School of Music.

David has performed throughout North America for Classical Guitar Societies, Jazz Festivals, and Performing Arts Series.   He has released 9 CDs for the acoustic guitar label Solid Air Records and his recordings have been featured on NPR stations across America.

In honor of all that is jazz, David and the Good Lovin’ Jamband, whose drummer is David’s brother (Matty), will be performing a very special set in tribute to “Jazz Is Dead” in which the classic tunes of the Grateful Dead are performed all instrumental with a heavy jazz edge.

David has been known to play Grateful Dead tunes at local solo acoustic shows for many years in the Berks County area, and the combination of the full band with David leading on Classical guitar is mind-blowing.  It will be a historic event for the Brass Lantern and PlusVibes Productions is extremely excited for this event!

On Saturday, March 20th, the Brass Lantern will be hosting Reading-native and another jazz-guitarist,  Josh Taylor with his trio.  Josh is a seasoned guitar veteran and is versed in many styles including jazz, blues, rock , bossa nova, Latin, and flamenco.  He has played at various Berks County venues over the years, including gigs at Bixler’s Lodge, The Brass Lantern, The Inn at Reading Cabana Bar, and Gerald Veasley’s Jazz Base at the Crowne Plaza, and he has been involved with Berks Jazz Fest for many years – a time when his expertise can shine, and he can capture an audience on his very first note.

Josh is joined onstage by local stand-up bassist, Trey LaRue who is the full time bassist in The Kingpins, a self proclaimed “tortured, mean rockabilly” band also based in Berks County, and drummer John Fundyga, who plays in various projects including local veterans, John King’s Dance Band and the Ukrainian Club House Jazz Band.

We expect both nights to be fantastic nights with great crowds, so we recommend you get there early.  We’ll have the fireplace stoked and the mood set to “jazz lounge” at the Brass Lantern for these and all shows during the Berks Jazz Fest celebration.

WE’VE JUST ADDED ANOTHER JAZZ FEST EVENT.  The Dirk Quinn Band will be coming back, fresh off their latest tour, on THURSDAY, March 25th at 9pm.

Here’s all the information:

Berks Jazz Fest 2010

March 19th – 28th

Good Lovin’ Jamband @ The Brass Lantern

with very special guest, and Grammy-award winner,

David Cullen

Friday, March 19th, 2010

9pm – 2am
21+ only

$7 at the door

——– – ——– – ——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

the Josh Taylor Trio @ The Brass Lantern

Saturday, March 20th, 2010

9pm – 1am
21+ only

$6 at the door

——– – ——– – ——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

the Dirk Quinn Band @ The Brass Lantern

THURSDAY, March 25th, 2010

9pm – 1am
21+ only

$5 at the door

——– – ——– – ——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

The Brass Lantern offers:
- $2.50 domestic drafts, $6.50 pitchers
- $3 Jager, Rumplemintz, Blackhaus, Kettle, Stoli & other shots
- Wings, Burgers, Nachos, Patty Melts, Salads, & more
- Kitchen open until 11pm on weekends!
- Friendly service & great overall vibe

Roots, Rock, Reggae Weekend @ The Brass Lantern

It’s another edition of ROOTS, ROCK, REGGAE at the Brass Lantern starting Thursday, December 17th and running through Saturday, December 19th.

Beginning on Thursday the 17th is the final edition of “Thirsty 3rd Bluegrass Thursdays with the Manatawny Creek Ramblers” for the year.  Daniel Bower’s traditional bluegrass (roots) group has been faithfully providing foot stompin’ throw downs every month bringing traditional tunes to the forefront, in addition to catchy original numbers (of course with that bluegrass feel).  The Ramblers have brought in some quality guest musicians such as Kris Kehr (mandolin) and Johnny Kilgore (guitar) over the months to make every night a special evening of friends and music at the Brass Lantern.

Friday the 18th brings 2009′s final “Grateful Dead Night” at the Brass Lantern.  Matty Cullen’s troupe of seasoned Deadheads comes together to bring another 4-set night of authentic Dead tunes (rock) with opening sets by Pangea Acoustic and the NeoTrio, and then a full two sets at the end of the evening with a collaboration of the two opening acts coming together to form the full band, the Good Lovin’ Jamband.

These nights bring out all kinds of guest musicians.  In October they brought a second percussion kit, manned by drumming veteran, Rob Wolfe, and the night was filled with the authentic feel [of two drummers] that the Grateful Dead brought to the stage every night.  And we’ll let you in on a little secret – scheduled in March, during the world re-known Berks JazzFest, Grateful Dead night will have a little jazz twist in it, with the guys bringing in very special guest, and Grammy Award winning guitarist, David Cullen for an extremely  rare “Jazz Is Dead” set at the Brass Lantern.

Stay tuned for more information on that show coming in early 2010. 

Saturday the 19th completes the triangle with another “Reggae Night” at the Brass Lantern.  We are pleased to announce a special one-night-only show featuring our old friends Mystic Rebel and special guest Jah Witness. 

Mystic Rebel has blessed the Brass Lantern with many irie reggae nights in years past, showcasing mainly the music of the legendary Bob Marley and the Wailers, and we are very happy that they will be reuniting for another special evening of positive vibrations.

+VIBES Productions is very excited for the fantastic music coming up THIS weekend.  It is very important during this holiday season that we bring you the music that makes you smile!  So we encourage you to take a break from your holiday shopping (aka the “craziness”) and come out and let loose with your family in music at the Brass Lantern.

We hope to see you there.

Here’s all the information:

Thirsty 3rd Bluegrass Thursdays

with the

Manatawny Creek Ramblers

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

9pm – 12am
21+ only

$4 at the door

————- – ————- – ————- – ————–

Grateful Dead Night

with the

Good Lovin’ Jamband

with opening sets by

Pangea Acoustic and the Neo Trio

Friday, December 18th, 2009

10pm – 2am
21+ only

$5 at the door

————- – ————- – ————- – ————–

Reggae Night

with

Mystic Rebel and very special guest Jah Witness

Saturday, December 19th, 2009

10:30pm – 2am
21+ only

$5 at the door

All shows are at the Brass Lantern.