Scott Tady: Local music pairs with wine in Ambridge; Midland concert will get emotional
Culinary experts say Chardonnay pairs perfectly with salmon, Pinot Noir matches excellently with hearty pizza, and Rosé should be your go-to for cheeses.
I'd add that any kind of wine pairs exquisitely with live music.
They must feel the same way at Harkins Mill Wines in Ambridge, which rolls out another month filled with live local music.
The schedule:
May 3: Brian Belonzi, classic rock; May 4: Doug Edgell, acoustic rock; May 9: Ricky Lake Jr., rock-Southern rock; May 10: Becky Kimble, country, folk, blues; May 11: Samantha Sears, eclectic acoustic rock; May 12: Chloe, modern-rock and pop; May 17: Jenah Shank, singer-songwriter/rock; May 18: No Assembly Required, acoustic; May 19: Nathan Brice, rock and classic-rock; May 24: David & Hermie Granati, classic rock; May 25: Davis Gray, R&B, soul, blues and folk; May 31: Heather Eileen, classic rock.
Following up her successful gig a month ago at Harkins Mill, Kimble says her 6:30 p.m. May 10 show will find her covering such diverse artists as Maren Morris, The Lumineers and Solomon Burke.
A bunch of those Harkins Mill shows include food trucks.
And being a winery, Harkins Mill naturally offers special events like a Wine, Cheese and Chocolate soiree with Trish's Truffles & Sweet Treats on May 5, and serving as one of the destinations on the Ambridge International Wine Walk on May 11.
Opened last November, Harkins Mill hopes soon to add outdoor seating.
Midland center hosts moving show
Memorial Day is headed our way.
Besides local parades and memorial ceremonies, one of the best ways to commemorate the holiday might be attending "From a Distance," a mixed-media concert May 24, starring Donna Groom inside the BlackBox Theater at the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center in Midland.
As a tribute to military veterans, Groom will sing songs that were popular domestically during wartimes dating from the U.S. Revolutionary War through the U.S. war against terrorism in Afghanistan. Paired with each song, Groom will share emotional letters written to loved ones from servicemen and servicewomen stationed in those active war zones.
"It's kind of like a Ken Burns documentary wrapped up in a concert," Groom, a Big Beaver resident who since the 1980s has performed nationally with Pittsburgh's famed doo-wop group, The Skyliners, said.
"'From a Distance' runs the gamut of emotions," Groom said. "There are love letters, funny letters, melancholy letters and letters to children, but they all have the same theme of yearning and longing. The music was carefully chosen, and even some of the letter writers chose the accompanying music."
In earlier incarnations of the show, at venues like Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall in Pittsburgh and St. James Church in Sewickley, Groom and her band performed "By The Light of the Silvery Moon" timed with a World War I letter, and "Ashokan Farewell," a waltz used as the title theme of Burns' 1990 PBS miniseries "The Civil War," while video projections showed the handwritten letters.
Formerly titled "Love Letters" − and at last check still outdatedly listed as that on the Lincoln Park website − Groom recently rebranded the show "From a Distance," inspired by the Bette Midler hit that became a song of strength for many at the outbreak of the Gulf War.
The concert's conveyed emotions are eminently relatable.
"Everyone has experienced being separated from friends and loved ones, or being homesick," Groom said. "Letters and emails keep us connected.
"This is definitely a family show put together with much thought and love."
Reserved seating costs $20 and $25 at lincolnparkarts.org. Showtime is 7 p.m.
Ghost Hounds open for Stones
Pittsburgh's bluesy rock band Ghost Hounds are back on the road with the Rolling Stones.
With Center Township's Joe Munroe playing the keys, Ghost Hounds will open for the Stones June 7 in Atlanta, June 15 at Cleveland Browns Stadium and July 5 in Vancouver.
Ghost Hounds have warmed audiences for Mick Jagger, Keith Richards & Co. on prior North America and European tours.
Get a Wiz bobblehead
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced a Wiz Khalifa Bobblehead Night on July 20 against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Khalifa threw out the first pitch at a Pirates game. last July. The famously pro-weed rapper turned that it into an international news-of-the-wild story when he told his massive social media fan base that he was high when he took the PNC Park field.
“Shroomed out throwin’ a baseball is crazy," he tweeted.
McLaughlin making it happen
Hopewell singer-songwriter Jordan McLaughlin was a last-minute addition as an opening act for rising country star/2021 "American Idol" champ Chayce Beckham this May 3 at Jergel's Rhythm Grille.
McLaughlin's blue-collar anthem, "Built for This," has earned radio airplay on radio stations in Beaver and Butler counties.
Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Local music pairs with wine in Ambridge; Midland show promises emotion
