Huge Lineup of Music at the Brass Lantern, 4/20-4/29
April 15, 2010 by chrisk
Filed under All Blogs, Event Reviews
Starting on Tuesday, April 20th, the Brass Lantern, in association with PlusVibes Productions, will be hosting a huge lineup of premium artists, with what was supposed to be, the venue’s final five shows.
As reported in a previous blog entitled, “End of an Era: The Brass Lantern To Change Ownership,” the venue was scheduled to be sold to a local sports bar owner on April 30th.
Well, that deal has fallen through and, while some people may think this is a good thing, it is unfortunately not. Though technically back on the market (serious inquiries should contact them immediately), the Brass Lantern is still suffering from the issues discussed in the March blog and now is in serious danger of closing its doors forever, especially as the summer “slow” season approaches.
So the events planned as their “final” performances may continue to be billed as such, because the future of the Brass Lantern as a live music venue is now up in the air. +VIBES encourages everyone to patronize this landmark live music venue and tell a friend (to tell a friend) that the Brass Lantern needs their help to keep its doors open.
The “final” performances will begin on Tuesday, April 20th, with NINE FINGER SALOON performing an early show as part of the “FINAL Taco Tuesday” at the Brass Lantern. 9FS is a musical tribute to the works of Jerry Garcia, with all the members being no strangers to that stage. The music is schedule to start around 9pm.
Thursday, April 22nd is “Customer Appreciation Day” at the Brass Lantern with FREE homemade appetizers from 5pm until 7pm, and $1.25 Miller Light drafts until midnight and West Chester’s high energy dance band, BODEGA. These youngsters have graced the stage at the Brass Lantern many times in their still-rising career, gaining the attention of any conscious music lover in the building. They are raw talented musicians, and they continue to build a loyal following with every show. They hit the stage around 9:30pm (with no cover until they start!).
FROG HOLLER is having their CD Re Release Party on Friday, April 23rd at the Brass Lantern. They have completely remastered and re-packaged “Couldn’t Get Along”, which was the Berks County band’s debut album released in 1998 on the ZoBird label. It was a year or so later when they established a lasting friendship with the Brass Lantern and from that point until now they have undoubtedly provided the highest attended shows there ever. We expect this evening to be like “old times” where it’s standing room only and the place is full of fans singing along to every word. This show starts at 10pm, but we suggest you come early to get your spot!
A semi-reunion show is shaping up for Saturday, April 24th, with some of the members of ALCHEMY coming together to open up for QUAGMIRE SWIM TEAM. We couldn’t (possibly) say goodbye to the Brass Lantern without hosting two bands that have been with +VIBES since its very beginning. This night will be one to remember as all sort of surprises are expected, but one thing is for sure, the Brass Lantern will be full of dancing friends and family.
Not sure how to top all that, so we’d like to think of Thursday, April 29th’s show as the “cherry on top”. What was billed as the “Final Show at the Brass Lantern” before the new ownership has now become possibly the last chance you will have to see Reading-reggae favorite, JAH WORKS at the Brass Lantern. This Baltimore-based band had no idea what they were in store for when they arrived for their first show at the Brass Lantern in 2008. They immediately became part of the +VIBES and Brass Lantern family by putting on one of the best reggae parties ever at the venue. They somehow topped those shows two more times, increasing the attendance and gaining new fans each time, while remaining very humble and grateful for the opportunities. This show is slated to start at 9pm and will be standing room only, so come early and spend an evening with some positive vibrations.
Stay posted to www.plusvibes.comand www.thebrasslanternlive.com for more news regarding the future of the Brass Lantern.
In summary:
TUESDAY, 4/20 – Nine Finger Saloon – 8:45pm
THURSDAY, 4/22 – Bodega – 9:30pm
FRIDAY, 4/23 – Frog Holler – 10pm
SATURDAY, 4/24 – Quagmire Swim Team w/members of Alchemy – 10pm
THURSDAY, 4/29 – Jah Works – 9pm
ATTN: Music-Lovers — HELP SAVE THE BRASS LANTERN
Due to the relentless recession, the steady decline of patronage, and for various other reasons (any thing that could possibly break in the last year, HAS), the Brass Lantern joins the long list of privately owned companies in serious danger of closing its doors forever!! The venue is currently on the market and will continue to be, until sold or until their business begins to thrive again.
The Brass Lantern has been a landmark for live music in Reading, Pennsylvania since around 2001, hosting prime national touring acts such as Melvin Seals & JGB, DJ Flow (of the Chappelle Show), The Recipe, RAQ, and Michael Glabicki (of Rusted Root), just to name a few. More importantly, it has been the “stepping stone” venue for hundreds of smaller jam bands, building solid fan foundations for bands such as Lotus, Pnuma Trio, Quagmire Swim Team, Juggling Suns, Frog Holler and many others.
These bands played (and some are still playing) multiple shows at the Brass Lantern in order to capture the hearts of Reading live music fans and create the “travelling music fan” in an era where live shows (and turnout for live shows) is in direct proportion to keeping each band travelling and performing, thus keeping the band together. Some of these bands have moved on to bigger venues and large festivals largely in part to building their fanbases at the smaller clubs across the country like the Brass Lantern.
By consistently providing the quality live music stated above, and using mainly word-of-mouth promotion with bits of Internet blogs and posts by its proud staff and satisfied patrons over the years, the Brass Lantern has gained the reputation as “PA’s Best All-Around Small Venue“, and truly is a hidden gem (although scuffed) nestled in the city of Reading. People connect at the Brass Lantern, whether it’s over a fine craft beer or a top-end mixed drink, over a game of darts or pool, or over some top notch live music; all patrons, whether it’s their first time there, or they’re a regular customer, are assured a safe and fun time. It is for this reason that people want to come back. Many patrons who come in from out of town remark, “this bar reminds me of my hometown bar” and it’s because we treat bands and out-of-town concert-goers so kindly and with open arms (yes, this is still possible in the heart of the city).
Simply put, the Brass Lantern is the reason PlusVibes Productions was even created.
So, I plead with you to KEEP THE BRASS LANTERN ALIVE.
Come in and spend a little money – have a drink or have a bite to eat, catch up with good friends and good people, see the best live music that Reading has to offer, and TELL SOME FRIENDS ABOUT the Brass Lantern. We honestly have some of the best food & drink specials around the city and we absolutely need all the business we can get, plus we love seeing new faces!
I actually bartend every Tuesday evening from 5pm until 2am, with our $1.25 Taco special (chicken, beef, or beans, 7-10pm) along with $6 domestic pitchers. I am also usually playing some of the best Brass Lantern live show recordings from over the years on our soundsystem. Do you have a request? Do you want to talk about good music? I would love to chat.
Is there a live show from the Brass Lantern that you would love to have a copy? I personally extend an invitation to anyone wanting a copy of a live recording to come in, have a couple drinks, maybe eat some tacos, write down the show you want, and I will personally make you a copy for free(first come, first served). It will be ready for pick up the following week (there, I got ya’ for two visits). All I ask is that you buy a drink or two each time you stop by!
I thank you for your continued support of live music in the city of Reading, Pennsylvania, and I hope to see you soon.
Chris K
Founder, +VIBES Productions
Entertainment Director, The Brass Lantern
More information, including a full band schedule can be found here.
The Brass Lantern
1350 North 12th Street
Reading, PA 19604
610/372-9311
Hours: Mon thru Sat 5pm-2am
Thanksgiving Week Jam-A-Thon @ The Brass Lantern
November 1, 2009 by chrisk
Filed under All Blogs, Event Reviews
With a whopping 7 bands scheduled in 3 days (Wednesday, Friday, & Saturday), the Brass Lantern has ensured that they are the ONLY choice if you’re wondering where to check out the best live music in Berks County this week.
Psychedelphia
Starting off on Wednesday, traditionally known as the biggest bar night of the year, the Brass Lantern welcomes psychedelic rock & jazz ensemble, Pychedelphia, out of Philadelphia (the name says it all).
It’s the first time Pychedelphia will be appearing at the Brass Lantern, and it will be their second show of the day, since they are scheduled to play a post-Phish party (from Tuesday at 11:30pm until 6am on Wednesday) with acts like The Breakfast, Steve Molitz (Particle), and DJ Logic. It should prove to be a very big show for them. They also have scheduled gigs at The M Room (Philly), The Chameleon Club (Lancaster), and the Millcreek Tavern (Philly) to finish out the rest of 2009.
Supporting Pychedelphia will be local indie rock band Flux Capacitor, who are seasoned veterans of the Brass Lantern, where they always put on a great show, as well as at various Berk County bars and clubs. They finish out their year with stops in Columbus (Ohio), Ocean City (Maryland), and Allentown.
The music starts at 9:30pm with Flux Capacitor and then Pychedelphia coming to the stage around 11:30pm. Thanksgiving Eve is sure to be filled with an evening of dancing and smiling, all in preparation for the annual feast the following day.
Friday evening, November 27th, marks the return of our favorite bluegrass jam band, Cabinet, out of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area. Every night at the Brass Lantern with the bluegrass phenoms is a musical journey that leaves their large following wanting more and more. The room is always filled with great people (all smiles) and with the holiday mode still in effect, we expect this night to be one of the best of 2009. Come chill out after dealing with those Black Friday shopping crowds with some of the best jam bluegrass in Pennsylvania.
With only this show and a Thanksgiving Eve show at Appalachian Brewing Company (Harrisburg) scheduled before taking some time off through Christmas & New Year’s to be with friends & family, Cabinet will be prepped and ready for yet another dance-fest.
This show will start at 10pm with two long sets. Be sure to catch Cabinet at one of these two shows!
Saturday ends the weekend right at the Brass Lantern with “Moonlight Forest Studios (in association with PlusVibes Productions) presents…A Wooded Revue“.
Called “a celebration of quality original music [indie-folk-bluegrass] from Philly to New York to the Moonlight Forest” [a recording studio in Fleetwood (PA) managed by Daniel Bower], the night features four bands from those regions who have all been previous guests of the studio and/or have performed at various musical events held on the property, and who have all formed a musical union and personal friendship with Bower over the years.
Wissahickon Chicken Shack, Hezekiah Jones, Joe D’Amico Band, and Land of the Look Behind are all scheduled to play throughout this night, with Bower being the ringleader and emcee for the evening.
“It’s refreshingly communal,” Bower explains, “…we all listen to each other’s music. We all play together and go to each other’s shows. There’s no competitive nonsense – just creative people having fun together. ‘A Wooded Revue’ is our attempt to bring the vibe out of the woods and to the live music lovers of Berks County”.
The event will begin at 9:30pm and it will also be coinciding with a canned food drive for “Friend, Inc.“ where we will be offering $2 off your admission price for any item donated.
We encourage you all to take part in this wonderful week of quality live music at the Brass Lantern (yet again). Come and see why we are THE best spot in Berks County for live original music.
Here’s all the information:
Pychedelphia
with Flux Capacitor
at the Brass Lantern
Wednesday, November 25th, 2009
9:30pm – 2am
21+ only
$5 at the door
http://www.thebrasslanternlive.com/
——————– – ——————- – ——————
Cabinet
at the Brass Lantern
Friday, November 27th, 2009
10pm – 2am
21+ only
$8 at the door
http://www.thebrasslanternlive.com/
——————– – ——————- – ——————
Moonlight Forest Studios in association with +VIBES Productions presents
A Wooded Revue
at the Brass Lantern
featuring
Wissahickon Chicken Shack
Hezekiah Jones
Joe D’Amico Band
Land of the Left Behind
Saturday, November 28th, 2009
9:30pm – 2am
21+ only
$8 presale / $10 at the door
for tix email mofoproductions@mail.com
http://www.myspace.com/moonlightforeststudio
http://www.thebrasslanternlive.com/
Thirsty 3rd Bluegrass Thursdays @ The Brass
October 28, 2009 by chrisk
Filed under All Blogs, Event Reviews
PlusVibes Productions is proud to be hosting a series of monthly bluegrass shows at the Brass Lantern every third Thursday each month, with local bluegrass favorites, the Manatawny Creek Ramblers.
The series will run through the fall, occurring every third Thursday of each month, and is being billed “Thirsty 3rd Bluegrass Thursdays with MCR” in conjunction with the best beer special around - $1.25 Miller Light drafts.
Members of MCR include Daniel Bower (Frog Holler, Society Beat) on guitar and vocals, a recent addition and sometimes called the “hardest working man in [Berks County] showbiz” is Kris Kehr (Kris Kehr & the Stone Poets, The Youngers, formerly of The Recipe) on mandolin and vocals, Michael Beaky on banjo, and Josh Sceurman (Frog Holler) on bass. They bring traditional bluegrass medleys and intricate originals from the “hills” of Oley, Pennsylvania (also known as “Pennsyl-tucky”).
They recently (June) released their seven song EP “Meet Me by the Moonlight” and have been supporting their debut EP vigorously with frequent showcases at the West Reading Arts on the Avenue series and stops at the Steel City Coffee House (Phoenixville), the Sterling Stage String Fling (Sterling, NY), the extremely eclectic Stir Fried Festival (Snipes Farm), and two Sunday summer nights at Union Jack’s (Manatawny), with the first on Sunday, July 19th at 6pm.
The Ramblers’ biggest accomplishment in 2009, thus far, was receiving 2nd place in the highly acclaimed Delfest Music Festival’s Bluegrass band contest. Despite the deluge of rain that trounced the grounds, they emerged and found themselves playing better than ever and, from what Kris has said, they lost to “a truly professional contestant, a national touring band”. More recently, they have announced their addition to the Jerry Fest (Kempton), August 7th & 8th, a posthumous celebration of the life of Grateful Dead leader, Jerry Garcia.
The Brass Lantern and PlusVibes Productions would like to invite everyone for a foot-stomping, good old time with the established Manatawny Creek Ramblers, starting THIS Thursday at 9:30pm, and continuing every third Thursday of each month.
Here’s all the information:
Thirsty 3rd Bluegrass Thursdays
with the
Manatawny Creek Ramblers @ The Brass Lantern
every third Thursday each month
9:30pm – 1am
21+ only
$4 @ the door
The Brass Lantern offers:
- $1.25 Miller Light drafts
- $3 Jager, Rumplemintz, Blackhaus, Kettle, Stoli & other shots
- Wings, Burgers, Nachos, Patty Melts, Salads, & more
- Kitchen open until 9:45pm!
- Friendly service & great overall vibe
Hope to see you there.
Bodega, RYAT, Tim Conley, JUGGLING SUNS @ Brass
August 14, 2009 by chrisk
Filed under All Blogs, Event Reviews
This weekend is cooking up to be a jam-roast, with instrumental powerhouse Bodega on Friday (10/23) night, and the now 4-piece jam veterans, the Juggling Suns on Saturday (10/24) night at the Brass Lantern.
With the fireplace now in full roar, the Brass Lantern kicks into cold weather mode, which, more importantly, means its peak business (see older blog, “SAVE THE BRASS LANTERN”).
PlusVibes Productions has a full roster of great music scheduled through the New Year at the Brass Lantern, including confirmed shows with fantastic bands such as MIZ (featuring Mike Miz), PUSH, Quagmire Swim Team, Cabinet, Pychedelphia, Flux Capacitor, and a special Brass Lantern Christmas show with Gingham.
Bodega
The Brass Lantern also features three residency shows every month with DJs Gregg Nyce and Evolution, the Manatawny Creek Ramblers, and the Good Lovin’ Jam Band featuring members of Pangea Acoustic and Neo Trio. See the Brass Lantern‘s official website for further information.
THIS Friday, October 23rd, are the young (but certainly
veterans on the jam band circuit) Bodega. Billed as high-energy dance music, they always kill it at the Brass Lantern. You can hear their past shows from the Brass The General rip , available now on Internet Archive.
This time they are bringing the duo RYAT and Tim Conley (Grimace Federation) with them. The duo perform a very unique electronic show with RYAT laying down captivating vocals with very spacey effects, and Tim playing his guitar through heavy effects as well, with both of them controlling beats, loops, and samples on laptops. The whole show has a very Björk overall feel.
Mark Diomede (Suns)
On Saturday, October 24th, the Juggling Suns come back to town. The Suns have reduced their numbers to four, losing rhythm guitarist and vocalist Tim Morris, leaving the rhythm and solos to guitar master, Mark Diomede – a feat that Mark conquered immediately, as evident in the most recent rain-soaked Sun’s awesome performance at the Dragonfly Equinox Festival
on September 26th at Blue Falls Grove.
The new ensemble has opened up space to return to its roots – the long intricate jam (much to any music fan’s delight). The live shows have become havens for those wanting to dance, to sing, to play air guitar, and most importantly, leave every venue or festival grounds with HUGE smiles on their faces, saying, “Damn, that Juggling Suns show brought the house down!”
It’s a sight and saying that I have seen and heard multiple times this year. This Saturday will be no different at the Brass Lantern. Don’t miss it!
Here’s all the information:
Bodega with RYAT and Tim Conley
Friday, October 23rd, 2009
9:30pm – 2am
21+ only
NON-SMOKING venue
$5 @ the door
————— – ———— – ————- – ————- – ————-
The Juggling Suns
Saturday, October 24th, 2009
10pm – 2am
21+ only
NON-SMOKING venue
$8 @ the door
The Brass Lantern offers:
- $2.50 domestic drafts, $4.50 micro brew drafts
Blue Streak trailer
- $3 Jager, Rumplemintz, Blackhaus, & other shots
- Wings, Burgers, Nachos, Patty Melts, Salads, & more
- Kitchen open until 10pm!
- Friendly service & great overall vibe
Hope to see you there.
J.Wail vs aNdu and DJ Spacecase, Sept 3rd @ The Brass
August 14, 2009 by chrisk
Filed under All Blogs, Event Reviews
Rolling through the Brass Lantern
again on Thursday, September 3rd (this time with a drummer, called aNdu) is touring work-horse Jonah Gabriel Lipsky, aka J. Wail School for Scoundrels ipod , taking the live electronic funk to a higher level.
The Wanderers rip His MySpace blog describes his vibe as, “…[in] the dawn of an age of digital wizardry where gadgets seem to surge in song, congealing in an amalgamation of buzzes, beeps and blips…the pulsing of machines and pounding of concrete and steel in symphonic collage power our world. J. Wail rises to the call of the sonic traffic controller, poised behind a palette of electronic devices with his Telecaster
in hand.”
, although a native New Yorker, has spent extensive time in Asheville, NC and Phoenix, AZ but is now currently based in Denver, CO. At the age of 2, Jonah’s mother passed away leaving behind a beautiful classical guitar that she once played. The cherished guitar was later passed down to him and, although he rarely takes it on stage, the symbol, connection, essence, and inspiration of his mother and her guitar resonates deep within his soul.
J. Wail‘s enthusiasm and strong desire to share and spread his music has earned him a reputation as one of the hardest working, up and coming artists in the touring industry. His current tour has logged over 50,000 road miles, countless air miles, and 150+ shows performed on all corners of the continent, as well as Alaska and Hawaii.
He creates innovative club-funk-rock through innovative techniques using live guitar, bass, vocals, synthesizers, and live electronics. His ability to experiment and improvise nightly has led to several appearances and collaborations with some prominent musicians.
On-stage guest jams have included national artists Michael Travis/Jason Hahn (EOTO/String Cheese Incident), Dean Ween (Ween), Brock Butler (Perpetual Groove), Ekoostik Hookah, Tom Constanten (Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame, ex member of the Grateful Dead), and members of the Brazilian Girls.
J. Wail has performed opening slots for national artists such as Bassnectar, Particle, Perpetual Groove, Toubab Krewe, Boombox, and DJ Le Spam & the Spam Allstars.
In between catching his favorite band, Phish, around the country, J. Wail has still been working hard in 2009, playing stretches of after-parties for acts such as EOTO, Bassnectar, Bob Weir & Ratdog, and even setting up impromptu stages at various Phish show lots, as well as jumping onto as many festivals rosters that he can get into, such as the Tall Tree Lake Festival (Illinois) in June and the upcoming Gemstones Conscious Alliance Benefitin Lowell, Massachusetts on September 4th.
With the addition of a live drummer, aNdu
, to the mix, more creative possibilities opened up for Jonah onstage, and the now “live band” is tearing through cities across the U.S. and beyond!
Special guest, local dance/dubstep DJ, DJ Spacecase will be spinning before the main show and in between sets.
Here’s all the information:
PlusVibes Productions presents…
J. Wail vs aNdu
with special guest DJ Spacecase
Live at the Brass Lantern
Thursday, September 3rd, 2009
9pm show
21+ only
$5 at the door
The Brass Lantern offers:
- $1.25 Miller Light drafts until midnight
- $3 Jager, Rumplemintz, Blackhaus, Kettle, Stoli & other shots
- Wings, Burgers, Nachos, Patty Melts, Salads, & more
- Kitchen open until 9:45pm!
- Friendly service & great overall vibe
Frog Holler at the Brass Lantern, Friday June 5th
May 21, 2009 by chrisk
Filed under All Blogs, Event Reviews
Supporting their latest album release, Believe It Or Not, Frog Holler (the now “official” spelling of the band’s name, correcting any-and-all sorts of misspellings over the years) will be making another appearance at the Brass Lantern, in Reading, Pennsylvania.
The show is set for Friday, June 5th, 2009 at 10pm, and after a successful CD release party at The Silo back in April with approximately 300 people, we expect this show to be a packed house at the Brass Lantern. With the air conditioning kicking and the venue now SMOKE FREE, it will sure to be a most intimate show with good friends and good music.
Berks County’s Best Americana Bluegrass Band
versus Berks County’s Best All-Around Small Venue — there’s been many rematches over the years, but each match seems to out-do the last, and this one is churning up to be one of THE best.
A new addition to the Brass Lantern, LIGHTS will be provided by PlusVibes Productions as well.
Buy their new CD online at CD Baby or iTunes
Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins movie
Here’s all the information:
Frog Holler
@ The Brass Lantern
Friday, June 5th, 2009
10pm – 2am
21+ only
NON-SMOKING
$8 @ the door
And a side note: Frog Holler’s own Daniel “Skrappy” Bower will be hosting a very special monthly event at the Brass Lantern, labeled THIRSTY THIRD BLUEGRASS THURSDAYS, featuring his side project, The Manatawny Creek Ramblers, starting Thursday, July 16th at 9pm. There will surely be many special musical guests throughout their residency and the night also features the best beer special in town, with $1.25 Miller Light drafts until midnight!
End of an Era: The Brass Lantern To Change Ownership
Purchased by John and Ginger Ortiz in 1999, the Brass Lantern, located in the Northeast section of Reading, Pennsylvania, started off as your typical neighborhood bar and restaurant, with a standard American-style menu but focusing mainly on the [at that time] growing fascination with microbrews, which is simply another term for handcrafted beers produced in limited amounts (which varies by region).
The Brass Lantern featured seven different beers on draft and a massive bottled beer selection from microbreweries around the world. If you wanted a “good” beer in town, you came to Northeast Reading.
After building a successful clientele in a short amount of time, the Brass Lantern became a pioneer in the live original music scene in the Berks County area. They purchased an entire sound system, built a stage, and began showcasing the best musical talent in the area, such as Frog Holler, The Worms, The Youngers, Hexbelt, and Dakini. All these bands built a large part of their fan base at the Brass Lantern over the years.
With talent like those bands listed above, the Brass Lantern quickly fit the bill as “Berks County’s BEST Original Live Music” and they established themselves as THE venue to play in the area. This, in turn, brought the Brass Lantern to the attention of touring bands nation-wide, and they began to receive press kits and demos from bands around the country (so many that they filled an entire coat closet full of demo CDs!).
Acts such as Brothers Past, Townhall, Fat Mama, RAQ, The Recipe, and Lotus all had multiple successful shows at the Brass Lantern in the early part of the millenium before becoming headlining national touring bands.
By 2003 the Brass Lantern had caught the attention of NATIONAL touring acts and hosted maximum capacity shows with Michael Glabicki (of multi-platinum record selling band, Rusted Root) and Melvin Seals & JGB.
It was shortly after these shows when +VIBES founder, Chris Kratz came on staff at the Brass Lantern as a bartender and, by the end of that year, took over the booking responsibilities from the co-owner, John, who had booked all the phenomenal shows up until then (those were some big shoes to fill).
From there, it was full steam ahead for live music at the Brass Lantern, with shows two, three, four, and sometimes fives days a week for several years. It showcased THE premier artists (of ALL genres) in the jamband circuit, including Quagmire Swim Team, Alchemy, Jazzam, Cabinet, Living Earth, Future Rock, Jah Works, Pnuma Trio, BioDiesel, Boris Garcia, Kris Kehr & Julie Edlow, Juggling Suns, Family Groove Company, Natural Breakdown, U-Melt, Mike Miz, Codename, Bodega, Ronnie Penque (of New Riders of the Purple Sage), Jeff Bujak, David Cullen (Grammy winner), Marco Benevento, and many more. It is roughly estimated that, through the years, the Brass Lantern has hosted over 1500 shows with over 200 bands with over 600 individual musicians.
Those numbers demand respect, especially in the fact that 90 per cent of those bands performed their own original material and not just a night full of cover songs (with the exception of the Grateful Dead and “reggae nights”), so every night was its own unique show.
It was undoubtedly evident that the Brass Lantern had established itself as a landmark for live original music in Reading, Pennsylvania.
But while the music flourished over the years, Father Time had taken his toll and danced his heavy boots all over the Brass Lantern property, leaving a trail of evidence – a leaky roof, a pothole-ridden parking lot, a shattered front marquee, broken tables, chairs, & bar stools, broken beer coolers, and many other little tedious broken things throughout the building.
Showing the utmost respect to what it had become in the music scene yet having its demeanor not going un-noticed, people have even called it the “Brokedown” Lantern, in reference to a Grateful Dead classic.
So these extra repair bills and responsibilities, in addition to a city with a rising crime rate, as well as a declining national economy (which hurts the overall patronage to the venue) and that equals a financial liability for the current owner, who has a family including a newborn to worry about, and also a thriving interior & exterior renovation business.
Understandably, the business was put on the market in 2009, and it is now official – the Brass Lantern has been SOLD! The final day of the current ownership is tentatively Thursday, April 29th, 2010.
Although deeply saddened by the situation, PlusVibes Productions keeps its head high in knowing that it has provided the best hospitality around to all the artists, the crews, the patrons, and our beloved Brass Lantern “family” of regular customers, and also, that it has been such a positive experience for everyone involved – the memories, the lasting friendships made, the laughs, the tears, the smiles, and most of all, the MUSIC!
It will NEVER be forgotten.
After speaking with the NEW owner, he has stated that he wants to give the Brass Lantern a much needed makeover and improve the general security inside and outside the venue, but keep the overall vibe the same. Upon the urging of his wife, who ironically worked in the building when it was a seafood restaurant, he plans to simply name it, the ‘New’ Brass Lantern.
We are very anxious to see what the future will bring for the landmark Berks County venue and hope that +VIBES will be able to continue to provide the same quality live music to our beloved community of music lovers at the Brass Lantern.
Stay tuned for information on that as the changeover approaches.
In the meantime, +VIBES has put together a proper lineup of music from now until April 30th, with some of the artists that have been our true friends throughout the years.
Please be sure to catch one of your favorite acts before the changeover, and say goodbye to the current owner. In honor of the years past, we are encouraging patrons to write down on a small piece of paper, a positive experience or good story about the Brass Lantern and attach it to our band wall.
Here’s the final lineup of the ‘old’ Brass Lantern:
3 on the Tree
9pm, Thursday 4/8
Three’s Company feat. DJ Gregg Nyce, DJ Evolution, & VJCA
10pm, Friday 4/9
I Yahn I Arkestra
10pm, Saturday 4/10
Cloud Party
9pm, Thursday 4/15
Good Lovin’ Jamband
10pm, Friday 4/16
DJ Alpha Zulu vs. DJ Spacecase
9pm, Saturday 4/17
Bodega
10pm, Thursday 4/22
Frog Holler
10pm, Friday 4/23
Quagmire Swim Team with Ben & Josh (of Alchemy)
9pm, Saturday 4/24
FINAL SHOW OF THE OLD BRASS LANTERN
Jah Works
9pm, Thursday 4/29
Kitchen CLOSED this evening!
For all show information, go to http://www.thebrasslanternlive.com/.
And KEEP POSTED to http://www.plusvibes.com/ for information on FUTURE shows at the Silo Upstairs Lounge, Trooper Thorn’s, possibly the New Brass Lantern and other venues near you.
And we are ALSO sponsoring four festivals again this summer. More information on that coming soon.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF LIVE MUSIC & ARTS!
Good Times with Frogholler
November 21, 2008 by bryanmull
Filed under All Blogs, Event Reviews
Much thanks to goes to Frogholler The Curse of the Jade Scorpion move Forever Lulu film for another fantastic kickoff to the holiday season with a great night of music, the night before Thanksgiving 2008, at the Brass Lantern, but most of all, ’twas a night with good friends.
We thank you and everyone that made it a safe and enjoyable evening. Were you at the show? Feel free to leave your comments.
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