Cabinet throws hometown Holiday Shows for 2nd year at Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre Dec. 18-19
From a press release:
Americana/bluegrass band Cabinet has announced that their annual hometown Holiday Shows are returning to F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre. This will be the second year at the historical theater, occupying the venue’s Chandelier Lobby for two nights – Friday, Dec. 18 and Saturday, Dec. 19. Each night will feature two sets of music in an intimate Art Deco setting.
A special VIP experience is available for a limited number of ticket buyers that will include early entry to the venue, access to the Cabinet Chandelier Lobby Christmas Carol-oke Happy Hour, an exclusive VIP Lounge, a limited edition Christmas ornament, and more.
As a special holiday gift, all pre-sale and advance ticket buyers will receive a free digital copy of each night’s set. VIP buyers will receive their copy one week before everyone else.
General admission tickets are $25 in advance and $30 the day of the show. VIP tickets are $55 in advance and $65 the day of the show. Two-day general admission tickets are $40 in advance and $50 the day of the show. Two-day VIP tickets, in very limited quantities, are $100 in advance and $120 the day of the show.
Pre-sale tickets go on sale this Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 10 a.m., while tickets go on sale to the public this Friday, Nov. 6 at 10 a.m. and are available at the Kirby Center box office, online at kirbycenter.org, and by phone at 570-826-1100.
The band is currently touring the nation in support of their latest studio release, “Celebration.” This self-released effort has garnered support from fans, artists, and critics alike. Cabinet has been touring this fall with superstar bands such as moe., Keller Williams, Infamous Stringdusters, Twiddle, Fruition, Whiskey Shivers, and more.
Cabinet is a band with roots firmly planted in the Appalachian tradition. They wear their influences like badges, honoring the canon of roots, bluegrass, country, and folk, weaving these sounds into a patchwork Americana quilt. But this music isn’t romanticizing or rehashing the past. Cabinet makes its mark on today. The steady aim of their harmonies soar straight onto target each time, the soaring vocals giving voice to the story of each song. Their music takes the long way home, treating its listeners like passengers on a ride through scenic back roads. Their live shows are inclusive, celebratory, and community-building. Everyone will want to get on the wagon with Cabinet.
Formed in 2006 in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the band brings together players from various musical and personal backgrounds. Some of the members were barely old enough to drink legally, but their thirst for older music was unquenchable. Whether its rustic “American Beauty”-era Grateful Dead or old-timey bluegrass, Cabinet has digested it all. But that is not to say that Cabinet recreates older styles. No, this is music that might have its roots in the past, but it is current and vibrant, with a sense of celebrating the now.
Some of the best parties are the ones that weren’t even supposed to occur. Two or three friends lazily enjoy each other’s company, and then another two or three join the impromptu festivities. Jokes are cracked, drinks are guzzled, and the next thing you know, it’s 3 a.m.
“Celebration,” Cabinet’s third studio release and seventh overall, is that kind of get-together. Initially intended to be a straight bluegrass record, the album instead emerged as the band’s most diverse release yet, which is no small statement when you consider the various genres the band has touched upon in the studio and on the stage to date. What’s remarkable, though, is that the tunes, which span the band’s eight-plus years of existence, showcase that diversity while retaining a distinct, cohesive common thread that the band deftly weaves from track to track. It barely needs to be noted at this stage in the game that the individual musicians’ playing prowess is at a high level, but what makes this a true album rather than a loose collection of unrelated songs is not those acclaimed Cabinet instrumental chops, but its time-honored writing abilities, which are in top form here. Scenes and moods are evoked, established and subtly revisited, sometimes via timeless lyrics and sometimes with just the simple turn of a musical phrase or accent.
What’s more surprising is these songs, despite their shared sensibilities, were not all written during the same period. Some have been kicking around the Cabinet catalog for some time, like “Home Now,” a live staple for the Americana outfit since its early days, which gets a relatively raucous reworking here. Others, like “Pine Billy” and “Red River,” are brand new. “Red River,” specifically, finds the band at its introspective best, a yearning, pretty tune that might pleasantly surprise some Cabinet fans.
Those longtime fans will delight in the new material, and the uninitiated will be won over, too, thanks to the warm, inviting nature of the songs and the way they’re presented sonically. Themes of home and family are abound, further welcoming the listener to gather around the proverbial campfire with the band as tales are told and songs are sung. It’s a good place to be, and you’ll be mighty glad you stopped by.
Stream or download the music from last year’s sold-out holiday shows for free below:
Photo by Jesse Faatz Photography
