RALEIGH -- Raleigh is drawing the highest-profile event in bluegrass to the state many consider to be the music’s ancestral home. The International Bluegrass Music Association awards show, the genre’s equivalent to the Grammy Awards, is coming to town. Mayor Nancy McFarlane will announce Wednesday that the city has landed the IBMA awards show and convention for 2013-15.

The IBMA formed in Kentucky in 1985, later moving to its current home in Nashville – host to this September’s 2012 awards show, with more than 60 acts performing. The IBMA board of directors has been contemplating a move, and a delegation visited Raleigh in March to check out the city’s convention center and other facilities.

The board was scheduled to vote on the potential move at a meeting last month. In what might have been a harbinger, William Lewis, executive director of Raleigh-based PineCone, the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, was recently appointed to the IBMA’s board. Musicians and fans hailed the move as a positive one both for the association and for the lively-but-lonesome sounds of bluegrass, with its characteristic high-pitched singing and high-level musicianship on fiddle, banjo, mandolin and guitar.

Longtime IBMA member and convention-goer Tony Williamson, a highly regarded mandolinist who owns an instrument shop in Siler City, said moving the event from Nashville to Raleigh signals a welcome shift back toward the roots of bluegrass.

“It is very exciting, a really good thing for Raleigh and for the IBMA,” Williamson said. “In terms of the history, I think North Carolina is every bit as much the birthplace of bluegrass as Kentucky.”

The IBMA’s annual convention, trade show, awards presentations and performance series annually draw such artists as Alison Krauss and Union Station, Steve Martin and Sam Bush. Former IBMA board member Don Light said that North Carolina’s historical connection to bluegrass makes it a fitting home for a major bluegrass event.

“There’s a definite connection historically and to the present day,” Light said. But Light added that the IBMA could run into difficulties attracting the field’s biggest names to Raleigh. The much larger-scale Grammy and Country Music Awards have rarely ventured away from New York, Los Angeles or Nashville, in order to make it easier to attract major artists close to home.

Still, the city’s musical history is compelling. Raleigh’s bluegrass past includes local stints by acts that include “Father of Bluegrass” Bill Monroe and brother Charlie in the 1930s, and Lester Flatt and Shelby native Earl Scruggs, who were regulars on radio station WPTF in the 1950s.

From the definitive five-string banjo sounds that arose from Scruggs’ home turf to the rock-influenced “newgrass” sounds of the late ’60s and ’70s, many of the genre’s major developments originally took off in North Carolina. Light recalled that North Carolina was a trend leader when bluegrass migrated from country schoolhouses and off-hours radio broadcasts to college campuses and coffeehouses.

North Carolina also remains a hotbed of bluegrass fandom, from the many summertime festivals dotting the state to the countless informal picking sessions held in venues from farmhouse kitchens to small-town theaters. In recent years, bluegrass-influenced groups such as the Concord-based Avett Brothers have been attracting younger listeners.

Indeed, there’s a long tradition of young people turning out for shows including such Tar Heel-grown musicians as Scruggs, guitar legend Doc Watson, fiddler Bobby Hicks, guitarist Curly Seckler, and former Ricky Skaggs banjoist Jim Mills, who said he’ll be “just tickled” for the IBMA to come to Raleigh.

According to IBMA, as many as 4,000 fans attend the event for three days or more, with an economic impact estimated at more than $3 million. Activities range from the concerts and award shows to professional seminars on music-business matters and booths displaying instruments and other bluegrass-related items. Known as the “World of Bluegrass,” the event started in Owensboro, Ky., and also took place in Louisville before moving to Nashville in 2003.It’s not clear if today’s announcement by Mayor McFarlane will include details about the awards show and convention, but participants in the March event anticipated that concerts would be held in the Raleigh amphitheater next to the convention center. Whatever the arrangements, the show’s move to North Carolina sounds like good news to people like Williamson, who love the captivating, Carolina-grounded sounds of traditional bluegrass.

“I think there’s going to be some consideration for a new mission, to get back to the grassroots,” he said. “People want to see something real; that’s why we all get into this. Bluegrass music is about excitement.”

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A special Sunday night stand up comedy show at the award winning Chakra Restaurant in Paramus, NJ featuring 3 award winning stand up comedians. Sunday May 20th 7PM (Restaurant will open at 6).
Admission $10 with $20 food and beverage minimum. Chef Thomas Ciszack will be offering a special small plates menu. While this is not a benefit, the show is being sponsored in part by Stolichnaya Vodka, Hendrick's Gin and Sailor Jerry's Spiced Rum. There will be 3 comics (John McClellan, Robin Fox,

Regina DeCicco in addition to an emcee-Tim Hayes). :
JOHN McCLELLAN
John is a unique and brutally funny voice in the world of comedy, carving out his turf as he headlines comedy clubs and rock music venues across America. He possesses a rare ability to bring laughs to situations with insight and energy using what the Long Island Entertainment News calls "A razor sharp sense of sarcasm coupled with a working stiff sensibility, John McClellan is what real stand up is all about." A fearless yet engaging performer focusing on the right way to do something wrong, he shows you within minutes of taking the stage why Cincinnati CityBeat called him "The super villain of comedy"

A grand prizewinner of The Seattle International Comedy Competition, McClellan has opened live concert shows for acts such as David Lee Roth, Collective Soul Bobcat Golthwaite and Doug Stanhope as well as being a featured performer in some of the nation's top comedy festivals. He is regular guest on Sirius Satellite Radio, but John may be most recognizable from his appearance in season 4 of Bravo?s "Millionaire Matchmaker", making his date to the Museum of Sex one of the highly rated episodes in the history of the program.

ROBIN FOX
Professional stand-up comedian Robin Fox spent 17 years as a New Jersey stay-at-home mom. This "Real Housewife" was the funniest lady at the PTA and bus stop but one day decided to move her act to the comedy stage and has audiences roaring ever since. For the past 10 years, this very funny lady has been a crowd pleaser for audiences young and old and especially those somewhere in-between.
Robin is a regular performer at the East Coast's top comedy rooms in addition to being the warm-up comedian for Off Broadway shows and was crowned champion in 2010 of the 11th Annual Gilda's Club Laugh-off plus most recently named host of the 2011 Lucie Awards at Lincoln Center.

REGINA DeCICCO
Regina DeCicco spent many years in television behind the scenes before deciding to take the plunge into the world of stand-up comedy. After five seasons at Saturday Night Live in the Design Department and one season at "Whoopi", Whoopi Goldberg's NBC sitcom, Regina realized the time had come. She studied improvisational comedy at the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatre and currently performs, writes and films sketches with her all female group, "Candy Slice" in addition to performing stand up around the country.

Regina became "Lower Hudson Valley's Funniest Person" for 2011 after competing against those from New York's Rockland, Westchester, Orange and northern New Jersey's Bergen counties. Regina was also selected to be a part of the 2011 Women in Comedy Festival which was held in Boston.

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NEW YORK — Despite a lack of sleep, which she credited to having a very eventful stay in New York, Florence Welch still tapped into festival-level energy for her sold-out show at Radio City Music Hall on Tuesday night.

In the time that's elapsed since the release of her 2009 debut Lungs, the 25-year-old English musician, stylized with her band as Florence and the Machine, has blossomed into an international star and a world-class performer. That much was reflected in her ability to command the audience's attention, keeping them on their feet throughout an hour-long show in a venue that afforded the option of seating.

The show was live-streamed on Fuse TV, and maybe because of this, Welch performed a set that was heavy on material from her most recent LP Ceremonials, breaking only to backtrack with Lungs singles "Dog Days Are Over," "Cosmic Love" and "Rabbit Heart."

Opening up with the new album's intro track "Only If for a Night," Florence got her vocals warmed up, easily hitting the rapturous notes on "What the Water Gave Me" and "All This and Heaven Too," with her energy level steadily rising with each song.

With the vibe finally established and the crowd engaged, Florence took a few extra moments to get her audience prepared for "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)," by encouraging men in the crowd to hoist dates on their shoulders, summer festival-style, despite Radio City being "quite a snazzy venue." It didn't take much prompting. Immediately, girls in the crowd began to pop up on shoulders, and Welch gleefully tallied the number of fans who were happy to oblige, before launching into the song.

"Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" was one of the highlights of the set, complete with an extended break allowing the audience to clap along to the percussion, while Welch skipped from one end of the stage to the next. Her sheer, billowing jumpsuit, which gave her the appearance of a fairy as she sauntered across the stage, was also mesmerizing when she stood still, arms spread, letting her vocals fill up the empty space in the auditorium on songs like "Spectrum."

Her disarming interactions with the crowd made it easy to swoon over her, and performing "Heartlines" after admitting that New York feels "more and more like home" didn't hurt either. "Dog Days Are Over," one of her biggest singles to date, was an obvious smash with the audience, and the encore found her delivering two final cuts from Ceremonials. "Never Let Me Go," came with a dedication to a fan's mother who had just passed away and "No Light, No Light" was her final number before disappearing for the night.

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Tim Minchin, whose musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Matilda won a record seven gongs at this year’s Laurence Olivier Awards, will star in the National Trust’s exciting new Trust in Comedy event – and we’ve got a pair of tickets to give away!

Taking place at the National Trust’s Belton House in Grantham on Friday 15th June at 8pm, it precedes the hugely popular Belton Spitfire Proms on 16th June. Minchin, famed for his wild backcombed hair and khol-rimmed eyes, is the Australian musician, songwriter and comedian who hosted the first ever BBC Comedy Prom last summer.

Other TV appearances include The Royal Variety Performance 2011, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and 8 Out of 10 Cats. Known for spectacular performances, his songs span musical styles and topics like environmentalism, rationalism, prejudice(ism), and logical fallacies(ism) . It is an event not to be missed.

As well as performing to sell-out crowds around the world, Minchin wrote the music and lyrics for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s adaptation of Matilda. The musical which won seven out of the ten awards it was nominated for at the Olivier Awards, is currently running in London’s West End.

This is not the first time he has received recognition - Tim also won the Perrier Best Newcomer Award in 2005, and has scooped numerous other awards. His third live DVD, Tim Minchin & the Heritage Orchestra – Live at the Royal Albert Hall, was released in November 2011. While outdoor comedy is still considered to be in its infancy, it is starting to grow in popularity.

Trust In Comedy is a new venture for the National Trust and it seems certain that Tim’s original blend of music, song and stand-up will not only keep the audience in stitches, but will also put the National Trust on the comedy map.

But don’t worry if you don’t win our competition – advance tickets cost £29 and £34 on the gate. Group rates of buy ten tickets and get one free are available. For information, including rules and restrictions, and tickets visit www.belton-proms.org.uk or ring 01476 566116.

To be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets to see Tim Minchin at Belton House, near Grantham, on Friday 15th June 2012 simply answer this question: Q) How many gongs did the musical Matilda win at the Laurence Olivier Awards?

Send your answer to Tim Minchin Competition, Gainsborough Standard, 5-7 Market Place, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 2BP.

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TWO RIVERS — A benefit comedy show to raise money for the “Return to Pearl Harbor Honor Flight of Wisconsin” is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday at East Twin Pub & Grill. Cost is $8 for the show or $20 for preferred seating at the show and dinner beforehand.

The mission of the Honor Flight Network is to offer the veterans of the attack on Pearl Harbor a trip of honor back to Hawaii. There are 36 survivors of the attack, with 23 currently scheduled to make the trip June 14-17. The role of the Honor Flights is to offer World War II Veterans a day trip to memorial sites around Washington, D.C.

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A COMEDY theatre show is calling in at Newbiggin this weekend. Cornwall’s leading exponents of delirious wit return to Northumberland with their new comedy theatre show direct from the other side this Sunday, May 6.

A Curious Evening of Trance and Rap with the Ogden Sisters looks into the fascinating world of mediums and the origins of the spiritualist movement. Travelling back in time to a darkened room set in 1892, hand picked brave observers will dress in Victorian bonnets or facial hair and join the world famous Ogden Sisters at their table as they present the marvellous, the mysterious and the spiritually peculiar.

Spirit seekers will watch on as the whole room embarks on a surprising journey where they will feast on cottage pie, get shot at by an Anatolian and witness the powers of trance dance. A dark tale of three broken sisters unveil as an audience voyage to the physical realm, through the etheric region and right up to the brass knocker of a portal door.

Mark Labrow, promoter at Newbiggin Maritime Centre, said: “Our partnership with Highlights has enabled us to bring high quality arts performances to the doorstep of our small community, adding to the range of events we’re able to provide for both locals and visitors. “We’re anticipating a fantastically funny evening to lift the spirits.”A Curious Evening of Trance and Rap with the Ogden Sisters will be at Newbiggin Maritime Centre on Sunday, May 6, at 7.30pm.

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A "miracle." That's the word Al Jardine not-so-jokingly uses to describe the latest Beach Boys reunion – this one consisting of himself and fellow founding Beach Boys Brian Wilson and Mike Love, as well as longtime players Bruce Johnston and David Marks.

After decades of prolonged separations, legal spats and near reunions, the core Beach Boys are back together, both on stage and for an forthcoming new album. Their rebirth, which became a reality earlier this year when the group performed "Good Vibrations" with Maroon 5 and Foster the People at the Grammys, has reawakened musical memories for 69-year-old Jardine.

"When I'm rehearsing over there, I'm hearing stuff I haven't performed for many years," Jardine said during a recent break from rehearsals for the iconic band's 50th anniversary tour, which kicked off last week in Tucson, Arizona.

"It's wonderful to rediscover the music that way. When you're recording three albums a year, as we did in the early days, it's yesterday's news," he said. "You're on to the next thing. Boom. That stuff gets parked somewhere though, and now it's becoming unveiled again."

When the Beach Boys formed in 1961, it was mostly a family affair: school pal Jardine established the group with Wilson and his late brothers, Carl and Dennis, and their cousin, Love. Their breezy harmonic tunes and embodiment of freewheeling West Coast sensibilities captured the nation's attention just before the Beatles invaded the United States, and continued for much of the 1960s with timeless songs like "I Get Around" "Surfin' USA" and many more.

Following the 1998 death of Carl Wilson, the group fractured and began moving in different directions. Over the past 20 years, the Beach Boys' legacy has been mired in messy conflicts that the group's members agreed to squash in honour of their fans and the band's 50th anniversary, a hallmark occasion even in this jaded age of reboots and comebacks.

"They sense that we love each other and that we really want to share that love with them (the fans)," said 69-year-old Wilson, the visionary songwriter of such classics as "Help Me Rhonda," "Surfin' USA" and "California Girls." Wilson, who has released solo albums in recent years, had a turbulent tenure with the Beach Boys, notoriously leaving then returning to the band at one point as he battled mental illness and drug abuse.

"When it comes to the music, all the pretensions are aside," said 71-year-old Love, who reached a settlement with Jardine in 2008 after launching a lawsuit against him in 2003 over his usage of the Beach Boys name (he also has sued Wilson on more than one occasion, most recently in 2005). "All the egos are aside. It's just all about those group harmonies," he added. "The effect that it has on ourselves and other people is just fantastic."

Love said that the Beach Boys, who will be supported by a backing band composed of members from the group's various touring entities, have rehearsed more than 50 songs spanning all their albums, including "Pet Sounds" and "Smile." The band noted the biggest challenge has been figuring out who is singing lead on which songs, not recapturing their chemistry.

"The chemistry is there," said 63-year-old Marks, who recorded four Beach Boys albums and has moved between the band's camps. "We pick up right where we left off, especially the five of us together. The magic bubble comes around us. It's the chemistry that's behind all successful bands, like the Beatles and the Stones. It has to be there. It's special for us."

The 40-city tour will take the band's members to bigger venues than in recent years, including headlining performances at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. To honour Carl and Dennis Wilson's contributions (Dennis died in 1983), the band will play alongside videos of the late founding Beach Boys during a tribute in the show.

"We haven't gotten the holograms together yet," joked Marks, referencing the hologram of late rapper Tupac Shakur that appeared at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival earlier in April. For a group who could hardly be considered boys anymore, they're surprisingly unfazed by the prospect of a sweeping tour that will take them across North America, Europe and Japan.

"The heavy lifting is the writing, arranging and recording," said 69-year-old Johnston, who joined the group in 1965. "This is not the heavy lifting. This is the chocolate cake for me because we get to pull all of these magnificently arranged parts out and sing them live. We don't have to write them now. We just have to pull them out of the trunk."

The Beach Boys will stuff more tunes into that trunk with the release of an as-yet-untitled album of new material this summer. Love said the new songs will recall their classic harmony-stacked style. The group plans to perform their new single, "That's Why God Made the Radio," while on tour and may add new tracks to the set list when the album is released.

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E! is delving deeper into the music business with opening acts and a Jonas Brother. As part of its upfront presentation to advertisers Monday, the cable network will announce new unscripted series from Nigel Lythgoe and Ryan Seacrest, in addition to a robust scripted slate. The former, Opening Act, revolves around finding acts to open for some of music’s biggest names; the latter, Married to Jonas, centers on the oldest of the Jonas Brothers, Kevin Jonas, and his wife Danielle.

On Act, Lythgoe will usher the cable network into the competitive music competition market with a series that counts Mary J. Blige and Rock Mafia producer Antonina Armato as part of its artist development team. That team will comb the Internet in search of talented amateurs capable of opening for such acts as Nicki Minaj, LMFAO, Brad Paisley, Gym Class Heroes and Jason Mraz.

Olivia Lee, best known for her hidden-camera segments on The Tonight Show, will surprise these unknown acts at their homes to present them with the opportunity. From there, they're brought to Hollywood for a performance boot camp, mentoring sessions and, finally, a one-night-only performance that could make or break their career. The series, produced by Nigel Lythgoe Productions, will bow at 10 p.m. July 9. In addition to Lythgoe, Steve Schnur, Simon Lythgoe and Kary McHoul will serve as executive producers.

“With this unexpected break and whirlwind journey comes raw emotion, nerves and intense preparation,” says E! entertainment president Suzanne Kolb. "The question is whether or not the opening acts can truly seize the moment and use this extraordinary opportunity as a stepping stone to the career they never
thought possible."

Jonas will track the young couple as they attempt to balance love, fame and business, a challenge as Jonas Brothers head back into the studio to record new music. The show's 10-episode season is set to bow Aug. 19, with half-hour installments airing at 10 pm.

To be sure, the cameras are nothing new for Kevin Jonas, whose every move was captured as he and his two brothers rose to fame on and off the Disney stage. Seacrest, too, has plenty of experience with such peek-behind-the-curtain celebrity docuseries including E’s hugely popular Kardashian franchise. In addition to Seacrest, the project will include Stephanie Bloch Chambers and Adam Sher for Ryan Seacrest Productions as EPs.

"The series presents a unique look at a young couple and their families from two entirely different worlds -- one small-town and one dealing with international fame -- coming together as one and starting a whole new life together,” said E!’s entertainment programming chief Lisa Berger.

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For Jesse's debut solo comedy show, it was into the Classic Studio we filed - and to a sign on the stage saying "You'll find out what this is a bit later", which ended up setting the tone for an inquisitive night ahead.

At the start of his act, Jesse Griffin introduced himself on the PA - as "our support and the headline act" before making his way to the stage and beginning right from the very start - with the big bang and everything that's followed it.

From there, a rambling stream of consciousness extolled how we'd got to this stage (things like - "chicken, egg or maybe egg, chicken" - and how chance had led us to Jesse, our leader, a task he was was willing to step upto.

It's an interesting night with Jesse - a lot of wordplay and deadpan dry moments, which you really need to make sure you're paying attention to to get the maximum return from what he's saying. This self professed "Ginger nut" had a lightly mocking tone which belied some quick thinking and smart seeding of payoffs early on which came to fruition later on. Plus I loved the clever use of stationery in one set of gags.

It's actually hard to define fully what this show was about; loosely it was autobiographical, taking in his time in Dunedin and life up in Auckland as well as relating an incident with the police. But there's a bit required from the crowd as well as Jesse selects three members of the audience to fill in his survey questionnaire (sample question: "On a scale of 1 to 10, tell us how you feel about 11"), there's a genuine impish pleasure in revelling in the absurdity of language, the ambivalence of meaning and a large serving of very, very dry smart humour.

A selection of graphs (whoever thought you'd come to a comedy show to look at graphs?) proved to be a very sly nod and a wink to those investing in intellect into the proceedings.

That's the thing with Jesse's humour - it's quietly delivered, super-smart throughout and will need your investment in the set ups for the ultimate pay-offs. With a glint of something a little devilish twinkling behind his eyes, I was very happy to follow Jesse as a leader - hopefully you'll feel the same as one of the quirkiest, and most different of the festival shows continues.

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After nearly canceling its spring musical following a burglary of money, Oakmont High School drama students are eager to show their appreciation for generous donations that kept the show going. The drama department will host a free showing at 2 p.m. Saturday of its "Little Shop of Horrors" musical, which was made possible by more than $11,500 in donations.

"It's really meant for those who donated or supported us in some way, but we have no way to find that out," said drama teacher Samantha Howard. "It's a way to say thank you for all the support we received."Call The Bee's Melody Gutierrez, (916) 326-5521. Follow her on Twitter @MelodyGutierrez. Approximately $3,000 was stolen March 10 from a cash box inside Howard's desk inside her locked office, which is inside a locked rehearsal room at the Roseville school. The money was raised from a previous student-directed show to pay for the spring musical. Howard said she had planned to deposit the money into a school account.

A 17-year-old boy was arrested March 31 on suspicion of burglary after he came to the Roseville Police Department with a parent to talk about the Oakmont burglary. Approximately $500 cash was recovered and returned to the school, said Dee Dee Gunther, a spokeswoman for the Roseville Police Department. Gunther said she could not disclose whether the teen is an Oakmont student.

After media reports about the possible cancellation of Oakmont's musical, Howard said students received more than $11,500 in donations. One person donated $3,000. Howard said everyone who donated after the $3,000 target was met was told Oakmont had raised what was needed.

"Everyone who donated from then on did so knowing we had enough money," Howard said. "It will help us with future shows and allows us to put on the free one."Oakmont's "Little Shop of Horrors" opened last week and has four remaining 7 p.m. shows Thursday, Friday and Saturday as well as the free 2 p.m. show Saturday.

Tickets for the 7 p.m. shows are $9.27 when purchased online at brownpapertickets.com and $10 at the door. Reservations for seats at the free show can be made at brownpapertickets. The shows are at the Oakmont High theater, 1710 Cirby Way, Roseville. "It's been an overwhelming unbelievable process for all the right reasons," Howard said. "The shows went really well (last week). The only sadness was the audiences were small. We've had this amazing journey and we want to share it."

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