Flagpole Radio Café Will Offer An Evening Of Music, Comedy And Newtown Culture

The Newtown Cultural Arts Commission has decided to produce a series of six performances of The Flagpole Radio Café, with the inaugural offering to be on Saturday, September 20, at 7 pm.

Performances will be at the Alexandria Room in Edmond Town Hall.

The Flagpole Radio Café will offer attendees a lively and fun collection of music, comedy, and radio-style vignettes that will be principally performed by Newtown residents. At the heart of each show will be a discussion of current and upcoming cultural offerings in Newtown and a showcase of some of these events.

Tickets are $10 and reservations can be made by calling 364-0898.

Jim Allyn is the music director for the show and will perform regularly with his band. Additionally, different guest artists will appear in the show. The first guest artist will be Newtown musician and composer Daria Musk.

Chris Teskey will be the host for this weekend’s inaugural offering of Flagpole Radio Café.

Mr Teskey has been broadcasting bluegrass, folk and Celtic music on the local airwaves since he was 17, when he started programming bluegrass music at WSHU in 1973. After a brief stint as a commercial rock DJ he moved to WPKN in Bridgeport in 1978 and has been there ever since.

Mr Teskey also plays guitar with bluegrass band Hoe and with Lisa Furman and the BlueFlies, and works as managing director of the Playhouse on The Green in Bridgeport. His Celtic and Folk music record company, Mad River Records, has released 13 recordings since 2007 and has several more in the works.

In addition to hosting the event, Mr Teskey will play guitar and sing with Jim Allyn on several of Saturday’s musical numbers.

Daria Musk is an accomplished musician, singer and songwriter who lives in Newtown. Raised in a musical family, with a rebellious heart and a passion for playing, Daria developed a distinctive guitar and songwriting style that catches fire on stage and in the studio.

Her band, Daria Musk Trio (a/k/a DM3), recently released a CD and has been performing at many prestigious venues including The Paradise in Boston and The Bitter End, The Living Room, The Mercury Lounge and The Knitting Factory in New York City.

Among her many accolades, Ms Musk has been chosen as Musician’s Atlas Spotlight Artist 2008. Additionally, she received two Honorable Mentions in The Singer/Songwriter Awards, was a semi-finalist for The International Songwriting Competition and Starbucks Emerging Artist Competition.

DM3 is a consistent chart-topper at OurStage.com and has participated at The Nemo Music Festival, New York City Songwriter’s Circle and The Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.

Locally, Ms Musk recently appeared locally at the SoNo Arts Festival in South Norwalk and opened for Patty Larkin at the Black Rock Art Center’s Summer Sounds of the World Concert Series in Bridgeport.

Admission to the café is $10 per person, or $5 for ages 13 and under. Payments can be done by cash or check; credit cards cannot currently be accepted.

For additional information or reservations call 364-0898.

Subsequent Flagpole Café performances will be Friday, October 24; and Saturdays, December 20, February 7, March 7 and May 30.

Artists wishing to participate in the Flagpole Radio Café should contact Newtown Cultural Arts Commission at info@newtownartscommission.net.­