Scott Tady
| Beaver County Times
A mix of in-person and virtual entertainment awaits Beaver Valley folks craving fun this month.
Some options:
•Jam Night returns to Mario’s Dockside Grille in Bridgewater, with David Granati, Joey Granati and Crash McCracken leading the jam sessions, open to all musicians, from 8 to 11 p.m. every Thursday starting March 18.
•David and Joey Granati are back in action at Mario’s Dockside on March 20, for a Granati Brothers & Friends show also featuring their brother and keyboard master Hermie Granati.
•Kelly’s Riverside Saloon in Bridgewater hosts a virtually taught Italian Wine School at 2 p.m. March 27 featuring Tuscan wines and extra virgin olive oil. Seating is socially distanced and very limited, so call 724-728-0222 to reserve a spot. As we speak, Kelly’s is planning its St. Patrick’s Day programming. I’ll update you in my Thursday roundup of Irish-themed in-person and virtual events.
When you factor in all the live entertainment neighboring Spanky D’s Restaurant and Boatyard Bar has been offering, and with plans for a new bar and grill, The Standard, to be built next to Kelly’s, across from the batting cages, Bridgewater’s Riverside Drive is poised to be a hot spot this summer.
Though for now, virtual entertainment remains a key part of the equation.
I’d recommend the March 14 “A Celebration of Carole King’s ‘Tapestry'” virtual concert starring powerhouse Pittsburgh singer Katie Simone with Center Township keyboard ace Joe Munroe, plus guitarist Mark Lucas and drummer Mark Pollera. The Facebook livestreamed concert begins at 8 p.m and is free, though a percentage of virtual “tips” will be donated to the National Independent Venue Association.
Simone grew up listening with her mom to “Tapestry,” and said picking a favorite song from King’s 50-year-old masterpiece is tricky.
“They’re all brilliant,” Simone said. “The entire record feels like a warm embrace; like my coziest sweater.”
Remembering Eileen
Profound sorrow and the healing power of music blended Feb. 27, as The Clarks’ Scott Blasey performed a livestream set in memory of Beaver resident Eileen Hertweck, who had died early that same day after a courageous battle with leukemia.
With more than 1,800 fans watching on their computers or smartphones, Blasey began his solo set with an emotional, heart-tugging tribute to Hertweck, a longtime critical care nurse at Heritage Valley Health System and wife of The Clarks’ guitarist, Rob Hertweck.
Recalling how Rob had met his wife when she tended bar at popular Pittsburgh concert venue Nick’s Fat City, Blasey began his set with a Clarks’ fan favorite from the Nick’s years, “Penny on The Floor.”
Blasey said he first realized Eileen was Rob’s soulmate, when she hitched a ride home in the band’s tour van after a Chicago gig.
Strumming an acoustic guitar in front of a microphone with impeccable acoustics, Blasey’s big, warm voice then dove into The Clarks’ regional hit “Cigarette” followed by a stirring trip through Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” and then The Clarks’ decades-old set staple, “Mercury.”
Blasey’s performance, publicized throughout the week by newspaper and radio coverage, elicited donations to a GoFundMe campaign to benefit the Hertweck family, including daughters ages 13 and 10. By the time Blasey made a late-week appearance on 102.5-WDVE to publicize his livestream, the GoFundMe already had collected $90,000 in community donations.
By this past Thursday, the amount of GoFundMe contributions topped $155,000. You can help at https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-hertweck-family
Recognizing her volunteer work with the Dutch Ridge Elementary PTA, the Artsy Doodle Craft Studio in downtown Beaver will honor Hertweck through a Rainbow Art Fundraiser with all proceeds donated to the Hertweck family.
Picked up in person, these Rainbow Art Create Crates include all the supplies, paints, brushes and instructions to make crafting at home fun and easy, with details at artsydoodlecraftstudio.square.site/
Give George the night
Pittsburgh jazz star George Benson released a remake of his ’70s classic “Give Me The Night” given a fresh, glittery coat of techno by collaborator and global DJ-producer Steve Aoki.
“Getting the chance to re-imagine such a classic track as ‘Give Me the Night’ with the legend George Benson has been really exciting,” Aoki said. “My father and George were friends, so when this opportunity came about, it was full circle for me to be able to create a club version putting my own spin on it.”
Benson’s original hit, produced by Quincy Jones, shook dance floors worldwide, climbing to No. 1 on the Billboard Soul Singles chart, No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Disco Singles chart and No.7 on the U.K. Singles Chart, ultimately earning a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance.
The new version of “Give Me The Night” continues the recent career resurgence for Benson, the Pittsburgh jazz ambassador who once told me in an interview he made money as a youth helping build houses, including one in Beaver Falls.
I bet your brain’s humming “Give Me the Night” right now.
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Ford focus
HGTV’s Pittsburgh-set “Home Again With The Fords” returned last Tuesday with a new episode.
The home improvement show, starring Pittsburgh siblings Leanne and Steve Ford, has featured fixer uppers in Franklin Park, Fox Chapel and various Pittsburgh neighborhoods.
Last week’s storyline: “Two college sweethearts bought an old Victorian in a charming Pittsburgh neighborhood across the street from their cousins. Now, they need Leanne and Steve’s help.”
“Home Again With The Fords” airs at 9 p.m. Tuesdays, and you can binge most of the whole season between 6 and 11 a.m. on March 18.
Scott Tady is the local Entertainment Reporter for The Beaver County Times and Ellwood City Ledger. He’s easy to reach at stady@gannett.com.
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