Scott Tady: Hopewell & Beaver Falls shows to talk about; 'Hundreds of Beavers,' too.

International touring and recording jazz artist Janine Gilbert-Carter returns home June 16 to perform a Father's Day Gospel Dinner Concert at Shadow Lakes Country Club in Hopewell Township.

"Taking my music journey back to where it began," said Carter, an Aliquippa native, who relocated to Washington, D.C., in 1988, going on to perform at White House events, jazz festivals and corporate events, as well as touring Italy, Israel and Russia on multiple occasions.

"I am just coming off a three-month residency at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok," Gilbert said. "I was determined to come home and perform a gospel concert. I will be singing traditional down-home gospel songs and hymns. I am taking it back to where my musical journey began, in the church. I am dedicating the concert to my dad Freddie Gilbert who passed eight years ago."

For the Shadow Lakes show she hand-picked "some of Aliquippa's finest," including Cheryl King on keys and backing vocals, Quentin Newsome on bass, Rodney Burrow on drums, Gary Howard on guitar and Yolanda Harris on backing vocals.

Tickets cost $50 for the 3 p.m. show, available at TicketLeap.com or by contacting janinegilbertcarter@gmail.com. The dinner menu: New Orleans boneless chicken breast, sesame ginger glazed salmon, traditional bread stuffing, stuffed pork loin, sautéed green beans with bacon and onions, buttery Yukon smashed potatoes, garden salad and rolls.

'Heroes' arose in Beaver Falls

The Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls' ballroom passed its honky-tonking test.

Two weekends ago, dozens of spectators sat captivated at their tables, clapping along, singing and applauding at the appropriate times as Tony Barge's Honky Tonk Heroes delivered two sets of classic country and classic rock.

If you'd have closed your eyes, you might have sworn that was Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard or Waylon Jennings on stage singing, as Barge's voice replicated Mount Rushmore figures of outlaw country.

Besides being a top-notch drummer, Stefan Rodriguez entertainingly pantomimed lyrics, as when he waved Ol' Glory during "Okie from Muskogee." For the surf-rock classic "Wipeout," Rodriguez carted one of his snare drums into the crowd for fans to drum along in tandem. (Yes, there's video footage of me somewhere, trying to keep up with his speedy drum strokes.)

Tony Lang's fleet and fiery guitar slinging added a wow factor, especially on his dexterous "Freebird" solo; vocalist-bassist Ray Lantz excelled on several Creedence Clearwater Revival tunes and harmonica player Scotty White added a steady, gripping layer of blues with a welcome side of humor.

Library officials had wondered if the renovated second-floor ballroom would withstand a five-piece band and ardent fans. Seemed solid enough to me.

Meanwhile, if you get the chance, catch the Honky Tonk Heroes April 19 at Koehler Brewery Pub in Ellwood City and April 27 at the Baden American Legion.

CLO makes show-going easier

The Pittsburgh CLO rolled out plans last week to make it easier for families to attend musicals in downtown Pittsburgh.

First, there's a cheaper family ticket plan to see a CLO season that includes "West Side Story," "The Color Purple" and "The Music Man" at the Benedum Center, "Seussical" at the Byham Theater and "Young Frankenstein" at the Greer Cabaret Theater.

Secondly, comes a new daycare program where parents can entrust their young ones (ages 3-12 and fully potty trained) to the care of Pittsburgh CLO Academy of Musical Theatre Faculty while the adults immerse themselves in live theater.

Maybe most interesting is shuttle service to avoid driving into Pittsburgh and scrambling for a parking space. Two-and-a-half hours before showtime, a shuttle bus resembling a trolley will pick up theatergoers at The Mall at Robinson, returning them there between 10 and 11:20 p.m. depending on the length of the show. Cost is $10 per person and reservations must be made at least a week in advance.

Learn more at PittsburghCLO.org/RemovingBarriers.

Pittsburgh is a Swiftie town

According to a new study, the Pittsburgh region boasts the third-most Taylor Swift fans per capita.

Only Santa Clara, Calif., and Tampa finished higher in the study analyzing Swift's Era’s Tour cities and their Swifties scenes (stadium attendance, Google search volumes, Taylor-themed events, etc.)

Pittsburgh even finished one spot higher than Kansas City, where Swift has become a regular at Chiefs football games watching her boyfriend Travis Kelce.

Las Vegas finished in last place. A real “Blank Space” for Swift diehards.

The full study, commissioned by casino.org,, a top independent provider of casino and sportsbook reviews, coincides with the April 19 release of “The Tortured Poets Department," Swift's highly anticipated new album.

Some of us are planning a midnight listening session.

Beavers everywhere

"Hundreds of Beavers"hits streaming services Monday.

It's the most wildly imaginative indie film I've seen in a long time; one that's stuck with me since I got a sneak peek a few months ago.

Premiering on Prime Video and Apple TV, the Looney Tunes-meets-"Blazing Saddles" comedy centers on a resourceful man who ends up stranded in the frostbitten North Woods, where he uncovers a nefarious plot by, well, hundreds of beavers.

"A marvel of slapstick invention that in terms of pure unbridled creativity puts most big-screen comedies to shame," accurately surmised The Daily Beast.

"You’d do well to satisfy your craving for knockabout lunacy by checking out 'Hundreds of Beavers,' as visionary as any indie in many a moon, and a dam site (ahem) more fun," added the Los Angeles Times.

A black-and-white film seamlessly mixing real actors, CGI settings and a whole lot of costumed beaver and bunny actors, "Hundreds of Beavers" achieved sellouts in a North American tour of independent cinemas (I tried to get it booked at The Lindsay in Sewickley.)

Indulge your silly side and admire a keenly creative cinematic craft with "Hundreds of Beavers."

Besides Prime and Apple, Fandor (“the Netflix for indie film,” Wall Street Journal) begins streaming "Hundreds of Beavers" on April 19.

Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Tady: Janine Gilbert-Carter plans Beaver County homecoming show