All posts by emily whittemore

“A Concert for Nepal” to Benefit Earthquake Victims

A Concert for Nepal

Two large earthquakes struck Nepal in April and May, leaving a death toll of over 15,000 and many more injured. An estimated 450,000 people were displaced and several UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley were destroyed.

The earthquakes and after-shocks of Nepal rippled their way across continents and struck a chord with local singer-songwriter Steph Johnson, which provoked movement of another kind.

“I wanted to get involved in putting together a benefit for Nepal,” says Johnson. “I imagined myself there and what I would be thinking, about my fate and the world. I would probably feel like the world was coming to an end. I wept for my friends and the people of Nepal.”

With Nepal plucking at her heartstrings, Johnson immediately reached out to local musicians and artists about playing together for a benefit concert. The response? Resounding. Continue reading…

Live Review: Courtney Barnett, Chastity Belt, and Darren Hanlon at the Casbah, June 2, 2015

Courtney Barnett
Photo credit: Paul Hudson

Greeting us from Queensland, described as “the Arizona of Australia,” Darren Hanlon engaged the audience with comical anecdotes and mischievous melodies. With charming, down-to-earth, honest lyrics, Hanlon writes the kind of songs that one might sing to intimate friends while roasting marshmallows under the stars on the rooftop of an urban jungle. Continue reading…