Meet Me At THE MET Thursday Nights at 10

Meet Me at THE MET, a new, one-hour program featuring local, regional, and national music artists, will debut on WSBE Rhode Island PBS on Thursday, October 3, 2013 at 10 p.m.

Created by Rudy Cheeks and Nate Flynn, in association with Rhode Island PBS, the program will showcase the best Rhode Island music from the past 40 years. It will consist of live musical performances and interviews recorded at THE MET Café in Pawtucket. The initial series of 13 shows will air on Thursday nights at 10 through December on WSBE Rhode Island PBS (over the air on digital 36.1; Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon FiOS 08 / 508HD, and Full Channel 08; DirecTV 36 / 3128HD, Dish Network 7776; in MA, Comcast 819HD and Verizon FiOS 18 / 518HD).Each episode will rebroadcast on the following Saturday at 2:30 a.m. and Sunday at 11 p.m.

Brown Bird October 3

"What we are trying to accomplish is to capture and unleash the energy and excitement of live musical performances in front of an enthusiastic audience," said Rudy Cheeks, the show’s host and co-creator. "Through this experience, we hope viewers will feel an appreciation for the creative community in Rhode Island and maybe help build the careers of local and regional musical artists," he said. "The arts have already proven to be a powerful economic engine and we'd like to add to that," Cheeks said.

Co-creator Nate Flynn added, "Today's video technology allows live performances to be captured in a much truer way. Small HD cameras can get close to the stage without affecting the performance and that lets viewers experience the feeling of being up close in a club through their television. Meet Me at THE MET is shot so that all you see is the stage and performers. We want viewers to experience what it's like to be standing 10 or 20 feet from the action on stage."

The initial series of artists represents a wide variety of genres, popularity, and experience, including some of today's most popular local artists, lesser known artists trying to make a name for themselves, and some of Rhode Island's better known musical veterans. The first five shows will feature:

• October 3: Roomful of Blues and Brown Bird
• October 10: Mark Cutler and Sarah Lupo 
• October 17: Allysen Callery, Vudu Sister and Sara Azriel 
• October 24: Rizzz and Tim Flynn's Area 51 
• October 31: Northern Lands and Comic Book Keith 

"We are delighted to premiere ’Meet Me at THE MET’ on Rhode Island PBS," said David Piccerelli, president of Rhode Island PBS. “THE MET is a great local stage for live performances, and Rhode Island PBS is the bigger stage that amplifies those local voices. It’s that local connection that differentiates us from other TV stations, and how we engage and serve our community," Piccerelli added. "We’re collectively building an innovative experience, not just for Rhode Island PBS viewers, but one that will carry the Rhode Island music scene across the country,” Piccerelli said.

Mark Cutler October 10

The producers of the show have a long and varied history in the music and entertainment industry. Nate Flynn, a native of North Smithfield, is an international award-winning communications professional with experience in concert production, photography, and video and multimedia production. As a key member of the Brown Student Concert Agency, he worked stage crew for some of the world's most famous artists including Bob Marley, Blondie, U2, Dire Straits, the Kinks, Emmylou Harris, The Ramones, Dave Brubeck, Carly Simon, Pat Metheny, Bonnie Raitt, and Little Feat, among many others.

Rudy Cheeks, a native of Pawtucket, has had a 40 year career in music, radio, print journalism, film and television, including stints with the legendary Young Adults and Fabulous Motels, Comediac bad movie nightclub act (precursor to Mystery Theatre 3000), Club Genius television show, and was a radio host on several Rhode Island radio stations. He co-authors the popular Phillipe and Jorge column in the Providence Phoenix and is a member of the Pawtucket Hall of Fame.

Both Flynn and Cheeks are founding members of the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame and serve on the Board of Directors.

Rizzz October 24

"I feel happy to have my memories of all the music in the ‘70s and all the musical changes and events and the evolution of it. It’s tragic there is no documentation of it,” said Rich Lupo of THE MET and Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in Providence. “We had these bands in the ‘70s that were a mixture of blues, rhythm and blues, and rock. Music goes in and out of style. Many of the groups around now – Deer Tick, Joe Fletcher and the Silks – are similar to the groups from the ‘70s. If someone documents these bands, it will be a history of music," Lupo said.

Meet Me at THE MET is made possible in part by funding from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and Washington Trust, with additional support from the Providence Phoenix, Imaj Associates, THE MET, WSBE, Litho Print, and Mojo Photography. For information about underwriting opportunities, contact the series executive producer Paula Gurney.

The series Web site, meetmeatthemet.net, features more information about the series, the host and production team, funding and volunteer opportunities, as well as the artists who will appear in the series.

Rock Your Thursday Nights: Meet Me At The MET

After we announced it in March, it's finally here: Meet Me at The MET rocks Thursday nights at 10, starting October 3. 

Nate Flynn and Rudy Cheeks. Photo by Kris Craig/Providence Journal

Each episode will feature performances by a wide variety of Rhode Island bands or bands with Rhode Island roots, captured live at The MET nightclub in Pawtucket, RI. 

Forgive us for name-dropping, but you're going to love this range of performers: the Cowsills, Roomful of Blues, the Schemers, Rizzz, Brown Bird, Alec K. Redfearn and the Eyesores, Northern Lands, the Mallett Brothers, and Last Good Tooth. According to producers Nate Flynn and Rudy Cheeks, you could also see Joe Fletcher and the Wrong Reasons, Deer Tick, Low Anthem, Psychedelic Clown Car, Audio Revival and reunion shows by The Mundanes and Rubber Rodeo. Producers are also in touch with Tom Tom Club (Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth from Talking Heads) about a tentative show for Meet Me at The MET. 

The weekly series will feature live musical performances taped at The MET (located at Hope Artiste Village, 1005 Main Street in Pawtucket), as well as interviews with musicians and band members and, occasionally, even archival performance footage of some of the bands from years past.

**UPDATE** Hot off the presses, we received confirmation of these acts for the first five shows:

First show (10/3): Brown Bird and Roomful of Blues

2nd show (10/10): Mark Cutler and Sarah Lupo

3rd show (10/17): Allysen Callery, Vudu Sister, and Sarah Azriel

4th Show (10/24): Rizzz and Tim Flynn's Area 51

5th Show (10/31): Northern Lights and Comic Book Keith

Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available!

A Night of Music Legends and Locals in Studio at Rhode Island PBS

There are moments when past, present, and future converge with spectacular results. On Monday, March 4, 2013, starting at 7:30 p.m., Rhode Island PBS kicks off a special night of legendary and local stars orbiting the rock, rhythm and blues galaxy.

Performing live in the Rhode Island PBS studio to support the station's March fund raising campaign will be 10-year-old guitar prodigy Nolan Leite of Pawtucket (find him on YouTube); Kevin Williams and The Invisible Orphans with Kevin Williams of Woonsocket, Ron Pacheco, Jr. of Attleboro, Massachusetts, and Adam “the Swiss Watch” Chamberlain; the Jess Lewis Band with Jessica Lewis of Providence, Caleb Cook of Warren, Chris Piccirillo of Cranston, and Gary Potter of Richmond; award-winning singer and songwriter Mark Cutler of Providence; and alternative folk artist Allysen Callery of Bristol. Rudy Cheeks (nee Bruce McCrae) and Jonathan "Nate" Flynn will introduce their new musical performance series, Meet Me at The Met, which will air on Rhode Island PBS. See two of Jonathan Flynn's videos here and here. Board members of the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame will staff the phones.

The evening opens with Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughn – In Session. In 1983, when legendary blues guitarist Albert King, age 60, was joined by his disciple Stevie Ray Vaughan, age 29, on a Canadian soundstage for the live music TV series “In Session,” magic took place. Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughan – In Session is not simply a television program: it’s a summit of two master musicians. The only known recording of King and Vaughan performing together, this is the concert that blues fans in general, and Stevie Ray Vaughan fans in particular, have waited for.


Then at 9 p.m., it's musical mayhem in The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. The legendary concert extravaganza marked the last performance of the original line-up of “The World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band”: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman, and Charlie Watts. Under the big-top and dressed in outrageous circus garb, The Rolling Stones are joined by an all-star musical cast: Jethro Tull, The Who, Marianne Faithfull, Taj Mahal, Yoko Ono, and the ad-hoc, one-time only supergroup “The Dirty Mac” featuring John Lennon (guitar/vocals), Keith Richards (bass), Eric Clapton (guitar), fresh from his break-up with Cream, and Mitch Mitchell (drums) of The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Originally planned and staged by the Rolling Stones in December 1968 as a BBC TV special to promote the newly released Beggars Banquet, it never aired. In fact, the footage, shot by award-winning cinematographer Tony Richmond (The Kids are Alright, The Man Who Fell to Earth), was lost for many years. Finally, in 1989, it was discovered in a trash bin at The Who’s vault in London. It has been restored to preserve this historic once-on-a-kind event and was first broadcast in 2007. The public television broadcast includes a 2004 interview with The Who’s Pete Townshend about the historical gathering.

With Mick Jagger as the show’s literal ringmaster, the unscripted, unapologetic mayhem yielded timeless musical moments, including the first-ever performance of Stones future classic “You Can’t Always Get What You Want;” John Lennon’s first concert before an audience outside The Beatles; the only existing footage of Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi’s short stint with Jethro Tull; The Who’s standout “A Quick One While He’s Away;” and The Dirty Mac’s rendition of The Beatles’ “Yer Blues.”


About the Musicians (from their promotional materials) 

About Kevin Williams and The Invisible Orphans


The Invisible Orphans are New England’s fastest growing blues sensation. High energy, tasty, get up and dance, rockin’ blues, that is. Initially, the band started as a live outlet for Kevin Williams’ solo album, “Hollywood Endings” that featured warm vocals, hook-laden tunes, and tasty guitar licks. It was this solo debut that earned Williams a nod from Uber Pro Audio calling him, “Rhode Island’s best kept secret,” in 2010. After a few months of playing together, it soon became clear that this power trio clearly had a mind—and a sound—of its own. Williams, retaining the role of primary song writer, started churning out classic sounding blues originals like, “Bourbon by the Bedside,” and “Trust Me, Baby” while retaining the pop sensibility and rock and roll spirit of some of the earliest songs The Invisible Orphans performed like, “Please Ms. Fury,” an innuendo filled, hook laden blues-rock song reminiscent of Cream-meets-Tom Petty and “Dawn,” a fun, rocking, familiar 12 bar tune sounding more like Buddy Guy on steroids. “Dawn” was the blues original The Invisible Orphans debuted during their live premiere at the Blackstone in 2009 and along with original sounding renditions of classic blues-rock crossovers helped the band hone it’s unique sound as a fresh take on a classic genre.

Laying down the rhythmic canvas behind Williams is the dynamic duo of Attleboro native and jazz/funk/R and B bass guru Ron Pacheco, Jr. and Adam “the Swiss Watch” Chamberlain on the Drums. If Williams’ playing, writing, and charisma are the collective driving force of the trio, Pacheco’s bass lines are the sensuality. Sexy, smooth, and funky, his delicious virtuosity beckons beautiful women to the dance floor, transforming even the most banal 12 bar blues into a sultry and unique listening experience. Ron’s bass lines don’t just walk; they walk straight into the kitchen and cook for you. And if Pacheco’s playing is the band’s sex appeal, Chamberlain’s drumming is the glue. Tasteful and in the pocket, he can be found behind the kit with a smile of pure joy laying down rock solid grooves like no other drummer you've ever heard. If you ask him about it he’ll tell you, “It’s a matter of taste… and it’s all about 2 and 4.” Hard at work on their debut release of "Bourbon by her Bedside," (due out Summer 2013) their live performances remain an astonishing experience.

About the Jess Lewis Band


Jessica Lewis was born and raised in the NYC area. She began playing piano at 5 years old, and started writing songs at 14. After graduating high school, Jessica attended Berklee College of Music in Boston where she studied piano, voice, and songwriting. Now splitting time between Providence, RI and NYC, Jessica is performing around town; solo and with her band. She also collaborates with Duotone Audio Group, and records at Stolen Moments Music Studio and C James Studio.

Jessica's band is called Jess Lewis Band, with Jess Lewis, Caleb Cook, Chris Piccirillo, and Gary Potter. They are currently finishing up the touches of some original compositions that will be featured on an upcoming self-released EP.

About Mark Cutler


Mark Cutler first picked up a guitar at age five, but the strings hurt his fingers. So he tried drums, but the cymbals hurt his ears. By third grade he was playing bugle. He learned how to play "Mame," but the song hurt his ears. Nothing against the song, you know. Cuz as a wise man once said, "It's all about the song." Mark’s songs have been covered by rockers, cowpokes and punks. In the days before corporate playlists, Mark’s meticulously crafted, heartfelt rock, pop and alt-country songs gained heavy rotation throughout the Northeast. Mark led his first band, The Schemers, to popular acclaim in famous (and infamous) juke joints like Lupos Heartbreak Hotel, The Living Room, and CBGBS. His guitar-driven tunes, played and sung at every gig as if for the very last time, assured the young songwriter’s band its victories in both WBRU’s Rock Hunt and WBCN’s Rock & Roll Rumble.

The first CD by Mark’s next project, The Raindogs, received a four star review in Rolling Stone. “Lost Souls” (Atco) reminds you how a good record can explore musical byways and still be firmly grounded in hard, riveting, mainstream rock & roll”. While touring in support of legends such as Bob Dylan and Warren Zevon, Mark and the Raindogs recorded “Border Drive-in Theatre” (Atco)-with guest spots from Iggy Pop and Harry Dean Stanton, and soaring fiddle from band mate, the late, great Johnny Cunningham.

Mark continued releasing award winning CDs with bands such as The Dino Club, Lexington 1-2-5. His latest projects include 'the tiny string band' and 'The Men of Great Courage' with influences from Hank to Hendrix and all that it implies. His efforts have made top 10 lists throughout the years. Mark's 2010 release 'Red' garnered rave reviews across the country. A gifted guitarist and award-winning singer/songwriter from Providence, Rhode Island, Mark continues to add unique entries to the great American songbook and leads a variety of roots-rock bands, combines powerful lyrics with memorable melodies and driving rhythm.

About Allysen Callery


Allysen Callery is an alternative folk artist with an intricate and unique finger style, and a voice that has been called mesmerizing and angelic. Growing up in New England, she was heavily influenced by her parents' British Isles Folk Revival records of the late '60s early '70s.

Her first two albums, Hopey (2007) and Hobgoblin’s Hat (2010), were self released but reached an international audience, thanks to radio stations such as Folk Radio UK, Sideways Through Sound (Australia) and favorable reviews from Terrascope. In 2011 her EP Winter Island was released by Woodland Recordings (Berlin), with Allysen touring Germany and Switzerland in its support. The rare first edition of this EP sold out in its first month of release. She has been called “The Tim Burton of Folk Music,” her quiet and dark style has made her a favorite of artists and critics alike, including Marissa Nadler, who listed Winter Island in her Best Albums of 2011. In October 2012, Allysen's second EP The Summer Place was released by Berlin-based indie label Woodland Recordings, with Allysen again returning to Germany and Switzerland. In addition, the vinyl only record label JellyFant pressed Winter Island and The Summer Place into one beautiful limited edition record.

The 2012 Winner of the Best Acoustic/Singer-Songwriter Act – Providence Phoenix Best Music Poll, Allysen tours from Maine to New York City, and has played such rooms as Club Passim, The Knitting Factory, The Blackstone River Theatre, The Oak & The Ax, Stone Soup, AS220, Local 121, The Narrows Center for the Arts, The Red Room, and Common Fence Music. Allysen lives in Bristol, Rhode Island, with her husband, daughter, and many cats.

About the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame 
The Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to celebrating, honoring, and preserving the legacy of Rhode Island musicians, educators and industry professional who have made significant contributions to the national and Rhode Island music scene. The Hall will carry out its mission through the annual election of inductees, creation of a museum of artist and music-related exhibits honoring inductees and commemorating the state's musical legacy, and an online music archive of information about and audio recordings by those involved in Rhode Island's past and present music scene.

In addition, the Hall is committed to continuing that legacy by developing programs and services aimed at promoting and strengthening Rhode Island's current and future music scene and ensuring that music continues to play an important role in the lives of all Rhode Islanders.