An art gallery opening in the Annex Friday night, April 12, and an illustrated music performance on the main stage Saturday night, April 13 are on tap this weekend at the Chocolate Church Arts Center in Bath. The gallery opening is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday. Saturday night’s show begins at 7:30 p.m.
The works of three artists in the Annex gallery will feature photography by Scott Cunningham, collages and painting by Penelope Jones and ceramics by Mary McKone. The public is invited to the opening to meet the artists, enjoy refreshments and experience the world through their eyes. The exhibit will continue until June 8. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and by appointment, (207) 442-8455.
John John Brown’s poignant illustrations and storytelling songs Saturday night has earned him a loyal following nationwide. This dynamic combination of sight and sound promises to engage the audience in a first-time experience that is imaginative and colorful.
Chocolate Church Artistic and Executive Director, Matthew Glassman says, “John John Brown is a unique mash-up of John Prine and a graphic novel. He is a rising star and I think folks will be quite taken by this soulful, imaginative concert.”
Brown’s songs are about people who come from all walks of life, from an aging Vietnam Vet, to a trumpet playing orphan, to a young man with mental illness wandering the aisles of Walmart. Brown’s storytelling songs remind us that all people have a story we can learn from.
Americana UK describes the songs in his album The Road “so well written that every song could be a short story.”
Illustrations for the song “Where the Good Buzz Goes” are in comic book format, describing a Vietnam veteran’s painful memories in his later years, as he heads down the road to sunshine in Florida, ending up at a pier on a precautionary note: “Please have no fear if you see Private 1st class Joe McGee.”
“He had a special kind of sadness to his eyes,” are words from the song “On Black Friday I Met Jesus.” It continues, “No one even looks up at the stars anymore…
“I feel all these lost people would be all right if they just soaked in a little starlight.”
“Someone’s looking up at you, don’t let that person down.”
Music Mecca wrote this review: “A melting pot of humor, longing, satire, and hope, Brown invites us to explore the peculiar lives of individuals who, like us, don’t always have it easy but manage to persist despite life’s impending trials.”
The Chocolate Church is in downtown Bath, 804 Washington Street. Friday night’s gallery opening is free. Tickets to Saturday night’s performance are $15 in advance, $20 the day of the show. For more information, log on to chocolatechurcharts.org, stop by the office Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; or call 207-442-8455.
Paula McKenney is a retired newspaper editor and a volunteer at the Chocolate Church.
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