Talking Guitars, an intimate portrait on film of master guitar craftsman and now Island resident Flip Scipio, will screen tonight, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m. at the Katharine Cornell Theatre.
This behind-the-scenes music documentary illustrates the fascinating juxtaposition of the quiet artist and the world of musicians who seek his expertise. His clients include Jackson Browne, David Lindley, Ben Taylor, Paul Simon, David Tronzo, Leni Stern and Carly Simon. For himself music is like Esperanto, a universal language.
Playing Americana and country roots music, the Shannon Whitworth Band comes to the Katharine Cornell Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 8 p.m. The band features original song-writing, banjo, pedal steel, dobro, fiddle and mandolin, all forming a creative foundation for sweet, sultry female vocals.
Irish harpist and singer Aine Minogue (pronounced Anya) — famous for her celebrations of Celtic culture and sacred seasons, including the transition from summer to fall — will perform a Harvest Eve concert at the Katharine Cornell Theatre on Sunday, Oct. 12.
She will focus on that time between the veils, as the seasons change, exploring the Celtic roots of Halloween as it is derived from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain.
Entrain’s Drums For Peace, a concert focusing on the theme of peace, love and unity, will be presented twice on Friday, Oct.3: first, an alcohol-free, all-ages show at 7 p.m., then an over-21 show at 10 p.m. Both shows are at Outerland at the Martha’s Vineyard Airport.
Entrain’s energetic percussion-driven sound will offer the audience an explosive two hours of drum ensemble pieces and rhythms from all over the world. The full band will also be playing tunes from their seven compact discs that contain this positive message.
Outerland, the Island’s only nightclub, is up for sale. Aboveground Records and Offshore Ale have cut back on their performances. The Oyster Bar’s entertainment license was revoked this summer. The Wintertide is gone. The old Atlantic Connection is now an amusement arcade.
Is it that hard to put on a little music?
Well, clearly Vineyard music promotion is a tough racket, but the pervading sentiment of those working in music on the Island is that it can be done.
A couple of years before Tiny Tim tiptoed through the tulips of America’s oddball garden of novelty singers, Mrs. Elva Miller (1907–1997) of southern California sharpened our appetite for the camp pleasure of the over-warbled, excruciating and off-pitch note. Now in the world-premiere of Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing at the Vineyard Playhouse, Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway director and writer James Lapine brings us the story of the rise and fall of this songstress and, well, the truth must be told: laughingstock.