By Danny Coleman
originally published: 03/10/2016
"It's quite nice actually, I've had a quiet couple of months and I was offered a special gig in Switzerland but I needed three hours worth of music. I needed to start writing again and I took the gig and then I realized; I better get my brain in gear," says the legendary Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre with a laugh as he discussed his latest tour and CD "Back To Steel." "It's a short tour, only 10 dates in April and then more in the fall but it gets me working and we've got plans for more into 2017."
Playing along side Ian Anderson for 43 years, Barre helped to outright shape the Tull sound which earned him a 1988 Grammy Award for his work on "Crest of a Knave" and his guitar work on the classic "Aqualung" garnered him the "25th Best Solo" ever in the U.S. and the "20th Best Solo" ever in the U.K. Over 60 million Tull albums have been sold, placing Barre's work in a multitude of homes; helping to make Jethro Tull a household name.
"Touring with Jethro Tull was a great education," readily admits the 69 year old shredder. "When we first started out, discipline was tough at first but eventually you realize the importance of it and you get down to business so to speak. I've finally inherited it for myself and my new band now gives me 110 percent. I learned much over the years and touring was a melting pot of information. I've had a great career, I've met and performed with some of the most amazing musicians, met so many great people and learned so much from them. I'm not saying that I'm good, great or a bad musician; I'm saying I've learned a lot and that makes me a better player and performer."
During his "Down time," Barre has managed to release three solo discs; his latest being "Back To Steel," a 15 track effort which he said was a mere prelude to his next CD. "This was a jumping off point for the next one," he stated with confidence. "It was important for me to work on my song writing and I needed a strong album to play live. This album was written to be played live and recorded by just me and the band; there were no guests or additional appearances and it translates well on stage. I've already got much of the material for the next one written so that will be coming in the future as well."
During his live performances, Barre does his share of Tull material and on the new disc he added a hard driving version of the classic "Skating Away." "I don't want to do verbatim Tull," he said with conviction. "I reconstruct the Tull tunes when I play them, I want to give them a real boost. There is no flute of course, so I try to give them more of a guitar perspective."
Barre has experimented with his band lineup and has even admitted changing gears and reversing decisions but the end result was worth the effort as he's been with this current configuration for more than a year and is very happy with the results. "The band has sort of grown from four years ago. I experimented, I went in one direction and then I came back. When I first started, I had a six piece band and no room to breathe; so I pared it down to the current makeup and it's working well. I have a good rapport with Alan Thomson my bassist and George Lindsay is very accomplished and of course Dan Crisp on vocals; they're just a great band and I have lots of space with plenty of room to breathe. The thing about us is that we get on so well and I think it really shows on stage; the whole band have a big part to play in the show. One of the things that I love is working with new musicians and when we're on the road we meet so many. I recall during the days of Tull, touring with Mountain, I remember them being so tight and they really showed me how it should be done; they taught me what a band should be. I mean, Leslie West was this dominating figure yet those guys all smiled and laughed and had a good time on stage. They seemed to genuinely be enjoying themselves; the music and their performances reflected that."
Barre brings his band to the U.S beginning on April 10 with a show at BB King's in New York City. This portion of the tour is geared toward small venues and theaters with multiple stops in the Northeast. Locally, Barre will be stopping in Asbury Park and Teaneck, NJ with an additional show across the mighty Delaware River in Ardmore, PA. "When people come to our shows they can expect a good time and we love to see lots of smiling faces. We hope the audience soaks up our energy and in turn we soak up theirs; through energy comes power and we like having the power of making people leave our gigs with a smile on their face. Before every gig when we sit down to choose the material, it's always hard to know what to drop from the set list to make room for something else to keep it fresh because everything deserves to be there (laughs)!"
That's it for this week! Please continue to support live and original music and until next week....ROCK ON!
Amalfi's Restaurant146 Lawrenceville-Pennington Rd. Lawrenceville
(609) 912-1599
Fri. 8:30 p.m. The Dadz
Sat. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. St. Baldrick's Event "Shaving The way to Cure Kids Cancer"
Amarones Windsor Inn29 Church St. Windsor
(609) 448-7144
Fri. 8 p.m. Blue Moon
Sat. 8 p.m. Tony Malandro
Blend Bar & Bistro911 Highway 33, Hamilton
(609) 245-8887
Tues. 8 p.m. Triviajam
Bowman's Tavern 1600 River Road, New Hope, PA
(215) 862-2972
Thurs. 6:30 Glen McClellen Trio
Fri. 8 p.m. Bob Egan
Sat. 8 p.m. Hazlerigg Brothers
Sun. (12 p.m.) Ottmar (6 p.m.) Lorenzo
Mon. 6 p.m. Andy Prescott
Tues. 6 p.m. Larry Tritel
Wed. 6 p.m. John & Maggs
Backstage at Championship Bar 931 Chambers St. Trenton
Thurs. 9 p.m. "Pizza Hustle Hip Hop Presents:" Height Keech, Wade Wilson, Kahlil Ali, Cornelius the Third, A Mankind Complex, Frankie James, Gavin Riley. Ages 21+, $6
Fri. 7 p.m. Weary Travelers, Surrender The Night, The Stone Eye, Don't Tell Lucy, Gainstrive. All Ages, $10
Sat. 8 p.m. Mr. Fickle with Tru Con, Bizzy, Burgundy Bal, Young Flak, Exquisite, Channel Jamil, Jai Hoffa, Namoney, Boom Blake Malo Ru, Goddavinci, Sun Du, Lucky Vegas, Spade Don, Pninety, Strife, Son Of Sam, Dazmynnrose, "Halftime:" Clutch Tyme VS Tyrant Fly Hosted by Tony Drago w/ sound by DJ TDogg. Ages 18+, $10
Sun. 4 p.m. Drowning, Psycho Enhancer, Objection, Torso, Strength Through Suffering, Before I Had Wings, Dissent. All ages, $10
Candlelight Lounge 24 Passaic St. Trenton
(609) 695-9612
Sat. 3 p.m. Andre Mutcherson Trombone Quartet. $10 (cover charge)
Chickie's & Pete's183 US Highway 130 North Bordentown
(609) 298-9182
Tues. 8 p.m. Acoustic Music Night feat. The Dawgs
Wed. 9 p.m. Quizzo Trivia
City Streets510 Route 130 South East Windsor
(609) 426-9400
Sat. 9:30 p.m. 80's Undercover
Dempster's Pub437 Pine Street Mount Holly
(609) 261-0500
Thurs. 8:30 p.m. DJ DNIAL
Fri. 9 p.m. DJ Chris
Sat. 9 p.m. Sharon Lia band
Dog & Bull Brew House810 Bristol Pike (Rte. 13) Croydon, PA.
(215) 788-2855
Thurs. 8 p.m. Gypsy Mother
Fri. (4 p.m.) "Happy Hour Jam" feat. Visoon
Sat. (11 a.m.) "Saturday Brunch Jam" feat. Michael Leggerie (9 p.m.) Paul Donavan
Sun. (11 a.m.) "Sunday Brunch" feat. (TBA) (3 p.m.) Tommy Griggz
Wed. 8 p.m. Mia Johnson
Fran's Pub116 S. Main St. New Hope, PA.
(215)862-5539
Mon. 8 p.m. Open Blues Jam
All shows 21+
Glory Days Tavern1200 Hornberger Ave. Roebling
(609) 499-0896
Fri. 8 p.m. Kevin Toft & The All Stars
Sat. 8 p.m. (TBA)
Havana New Hope105 S. Main Street. New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-9897
Fri. 8 p.m. "Chicago Tribute" w/ Sounds of Society. $15
Sat. 8 p.m. "Led Zeppelin Tribute" w/ Lez Zeppelin. Doors at 6 p.m., $40
Sun. 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. "A Lift For Alannah 2016 Benefit" Hosted by Vinnie the Crumb feat. Se7en Band, Fish Out Of Water, The Naturals, "KISS Tribute" Rock 'N' Roll Over, Heather Heather Trio, Christine Martucci.
Wed. 8 p.m. Pat Foran & Friends w/ Charlotte Berg, Gregg Cagno
Hopewell Valley Vineyards46 Yard Avenue Pennington
(609) 737-4465
Thurs. 6 p.m. "Full Flavored Expressions Art Exhibition" Artwork by Kenneth Lewis Sr. / Alex Otey
Fri. 6 p.m. Jazz On Purpose
Sat. (12 p.m.) "Full Flavored Expressions Art Exhibition" Artwork by Kenneth Lewis Sr. (6 p.m.) Living The dream
Sun. (12 p.m.) "Full Flavored Expressions Art Exhibition" Artwork by Kenneth Lewis Sr. (2 p.m.) "Jazzy Sundays" feat. Thieves & Poets
Wed. 6 p.m. "Farm To Table" Dinner. $70 per person.
Ivy Tavern 3108 S. Broad Street, Hamilton
(609) 888-1435
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Fri. 10 p.m. The Polish Nannies
Sat. 10 p.m. The Buicks
Tues. 7 p.m. Teddy Z Memorial Jam
All shows 21+
John & Peter's 96 S. Main Street New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-5981
Thurs. 9 p.m. Snackpile / Spitune
Fri. 9 p.m. Dinner
Sat. (3 p.m.) Fellaheen (9 p.m.) Mike Montrey Band w/ Special Guests Arlen Feiles, Pat Foran
Sun. (3 p.m.) Jamie Salvatore (9 p.m.) Room For Mojo
Mon. 9 p.m. Open Mic. Night
Tues. 9 p.m. The Silks
Wed. 9:30 p.m. The Invitational
All shows 21+
JoJo's Tavern2677 Nottingham Way Hamilton
(609) 586-2678
Wed. 10 p.m. Karaoke
McStews Irish Sports Pub5316 New Falls Rd Levittown, PA
(215) 949-9570
Thurs. 10:30 p.m. "Beer Pong" w/ DJ Codie
Fri. 10 p.m. Steal Revenge / Perfect Storm
Sat. 10 p.m. "Saturday Night Party" w/ Dueling DJs
Tues. 7 p.m. Quizzo hosted by Mike
Millhill Basement300 S. Broad Street Trenton
(609) 989-1600
Check website for upcoming events
Mill Hill Playhouse/Passage Theatre205 E. Front Street, Trenton
(609) 392-0766
Thurs. 8 p.m. Remembrance Day
Fri. 8 p.m. Mention My Beauty
Sat. (3 p.m. ) Panther Hollow (8 p.m.) Etty
Sun. 3 p.m. Etty
O'Connor's American Bar & Grille1383 Monmouth Road, Easthampton Mt. Holly
(609) 261-1555
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Bill Corvino & David Kelly
Sat. 9:30 p.m. Secret Sound
Olde Liberty Tavern2114 Liberty Street, Trenton
(609) 396-2262
Sat. 9 p.m. Open Mic. Night
Sun. 10 a.m. "St. Paddy's Day Parade Day Bash" feat. Daddy Green Jeans
Palermo's Of Hamilton310 Klockner Rd. Hamilton
(609) 838-7979
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke
All shows 21+
Patriot's Crossing1339 River Rd. Titusville
(609) 737-2780
Fri. 8 p.m. Mike Old Brew South
Sat. 8 p.m. Audio Pilot
Randy Now's Man Cave134 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown
(609) 424-3766
Sat. 12 p.m. "Fourth Anniversary Party w/ FREE Man Cave Hot Dogs" feat. (12 p.m.) Harry camissa & Prof. Jim Franklin "Book Signing" for "Inside Out: Fifty Years Behind the Walls Of New Jersey's Trenton State Prison." (2 p.m.) Steve Garvey of the Buzzcocks Meet & Greet/Autograph Signing.
RHO Waterfront50 Riverview Plaza Trenton
(609) 393-7300
Thurs. 10 p.m. "College Night" w/ DJ Paul Desisto. 21+
Fri. (4:30 p.m.) Happy Hour Buffet. $10 (8:30 p.m.) Xclusive
Sat. 10 p.m. Dance Party w/ (TBA)
Take 5 Gourmet Cafe1065 Washington Blvd., Robbinsville
(609) 443-6800
Fri. 7:30 p.m. "Friday Fun" Open Mic
Tara's Tavern 1 Cookstown-New Egypt Road, Wrightstown
(609) 286-2300
Fri. 9 p.m. (TBA)
Sat. 9 p.m. The Polish Nannies
Tavern On The Lake101 Main St. Hightstown
(609) 426-9345
Fri. 9 p.m. Smoke & Mirrors
Sat. 9 p.m. Quartet of Catastrophe
Wed. 8 p.m. Karaoke Night
The HOB Tavern146 Second Street
(609) 291-7020
Sat. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Tues. 9 p.m. Open Mic. Night
Wed. 8:30 p.m. Deb & Mike
The Ivy Inn248 Nassau St. Princeton
(609) 921-8555
Thurs. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Ron
Fri. 10 p.m. DJ Copacetic
Sat. 10 p.m. DJ Darius The First
Tues. 8 p.m. Quizzo w/ Bob E Luv
Wed. 10 p.m. "Wednesday Wheel Night Spin To Win Karaoke" w/ DJ Rockn Ron
The Roost 181 Rte. 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 208-0050
Fri. 9 p.m. Strictly 60's Band
Sat. 9 p.m. ArHouse
The Sticky Wicket 2465 South Broad St. Hamilton
(609) 439-0007
Fri. 9 p.m. New Dawn
Sat. 9 p.m. Einstein Bridge
The Sun National Bank Center 81 Hamilton Ave. Trenton
(609) 656-3200
Check website for upcoming events
Tir Na Nog 1324 Hamilton Ave. Trenton
(609) 392-2554
Fri. 9 p.m. Ziggy Isaacs
Sat. 3 p.m. "Parade Day" feat. Mike Brill
Sun. 12 p.m. "Parade Day" feat. Diarmuid MacSuibhne / Some Assembly Required
Wed. 9 p.m. Paul Wiese
All shows 21+
Trenton Buzz702 Pine St. Trenton
(609) 392-6000
Fri. 8 p.m. Live Band & Open Mic.
Trenton Social449 South Broad Street Trenton
(609) 989-7777
Fri. 7 p.m. First Friday
Mon. 9 p.m. Monday Night Karaoke w/ Benny P
Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic. Night
Triumph Brewing Company (New Hope, Pa. Location)
400 Union Square New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-8300
Fri. 10 p.m. The Letters Home. ($5 cover charge)
Sat. (12 p.m.) Hobnail. (10 p.m.) Successful Failures. ($5 cover charge)
Sun. 7 p.m. Open Jam Night (Sign ups 6:30 p.m. at hostess stand)
All shows 21+
Wildflowers Inn2572 Pennington Rd. Pennington
Sat. 9 p.m. Acoustic Rock
All shows 21+
Danny Coleman is a veteran musician and writer from central New Jersey. He hosts a weekly radio program entitled 'Rock On Radio' airing Sunday evenings at 7:00pm EST on ThePenguinRocks.com where he features indie/original bands and solo artists.
