Ink 19

A conversation Aronieme With a sound that feels summoned from the borders between dream-pop, darkwave, gothic atmosphere, and experimental art-rock, Aronieme is stepping forward as a singular new voice in alternative music. The Calgary-based singer, songwriter, producer, and jazz-trained vocalist has already made a striking impression with “Take the Ride,” a spectral and immersive debut statement that invites listeners into a world of vulnerability, mystery, and shadowed beauty.

Renaissance Theatre Company • Orlando, Florida Directed by Donald Rupe This year was way more hectic than most, at least in my schedule. I could only fit this party in near its closing night, so if nothing else, the cast was well oiled. The Office Holiday Party Musical Extravaganza Show reprises all the dreaded employer-sponsored parties so many of us suffer through this season and takes us into the Never Never Land of trying to make nice with coworkers we hate. Professionally, of course.

Orlando Shakes • Orlando, Florida Starring Nigel Gore, Mark Edward Smith, E. Mani Cadet, and Timothy Williams Written and Directed by Jim Helsinger I finished shoveling out my driveway (three leaves had fallen, blocking my exit) and trundled over to the catch the annual ceremony of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, possibly one of the most revered and produced piece of stagecraft known to man.

Greed Folk-rock singer-songwriter Tom Garfield recently released his EP, Greed, a four-track collection of songs challenging the powers that be in the manner of Bob Dylan. Tom Garfield Garfield explains, “From Woody Guthrie to Bad Bunny and all in between, I’ve always been inspired by artists who use their platform to promote a more just, peaceful, and equitable world.

“Loser” Singer-songwriter Andie Case unveils her brand-new single, “Loser,” a track from her upcoming debut EP, Show Me Yours, I’ll Show You Mine, which explores motifs of self-discovery, healing, identity, heartbreak, and resolve. “Loser” finds Case looking at failure in a plainspoken, honest way. The song is not about giving up or feeling sorry for yourself. It is about facing doubt, disappointment, and insecurity without letting them take over.

Most of the Time Blues guitarist and singer-songwriter Peter Parcek unveils his fifth long-player, Most of the Time, a collection of songs including new material and covers of tracks by Bob Dylan, Bill Withers, John Hiatt, and Mose Allison. “I feel like I’m honoring the masters while adding my own voice to the tradition,” Parcek says. “I’m standing on their shoulders and trying to bring the very best I have to offer.” Peter Parcek Most of the Time also opens a fresh chapter for Parcek.

“Something to Say” Pop singer-songwriter Camille K releases “Something to Say,” a bright new single about the moment a close friendship begins to turn into love. The song captures the mix of hope, nerves, and courage required to let someone know how you feel. Instead of focusing on heartbreak, it centers on the happiness of finding out those feelings are reciprocated. Camille K Produced by Sakred Wolves, “Something to Say” blends heartfelt acoustic touches with polished pop production.

directed by Theodore Gershuny starring Lynn Lowry, Mary Woronov Mixing psychological drama with broad, raunchy comedy and leavening it with loads of sex and nudity was a surefire recipe for box office success in the 1970s, except for Sugar Cookies. The 1973 film now has a devoted cult following, but in the words of its producer, Lloyd Kaufamn, it was “the only X-rated movie ever to lose money.” The marketing of the film was mostly to blame for the poor box office.

Dreamland Off to Dreamland then for Professor and The Madman, perchance to recapture the swirling glory and blazing, ambitious wonder of solar-powered ‘60s pop and psychedelic garage-rock theatricality, which seems an unlikely mission for these punk warhorses. And yet, it’s perfectly on brand, reinvention being the whole point of this creative endeavor.

on pulling names out of a hat and working with the Ween Brothers Born in Philly, raised on doo-wop, Ben Vaughn is a man of many hats.