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Nashville singer Aimee Jane Ladebue half-jokingly says her demographic is women whose personal lives are in utter chaos.
“Seriously though, I want to inspire change and let women know that they can pick themselves up no matter how many times and start over,” says the Pittsburgh native who plays three homecoming shows July 1-3 at Tequila Cowboy on the city’s North Side.
“Ask me how I know. From gutters to greatness. That’s what I’m calling this tour.”
Ladebue co-founded Steeltown Religion, a successful Pittsburgh country-rock act that headlined Jergel’s Rhythm Grille and played the final Nationality Days the year that longtime Ambridge festival moved to Harmony Township.
Steeltown Religion relocated to Florida where gigs were more plentiful. Then Ladebue struck out on her own, moving to Nashville three months ago to grow as an artist.
She learned guitar and recently played solo dates in Florida, Alabama, Hawaii and Ohio, while also finding time for the studio to work on her next album, “Addicted To Chaos.”
She jumped at the chance to play three nights in Pittsburgh, backed by three Beaver County-ites: James Beswick on drums, Matt Forte on bass and Al Torrence, producer of her latest single, on guitar.
“I cherry-picked my three favorite tri-state musicians,” said Ladebue, a Deer Lakes High grad who uses the stage name Aimee Jane.
Her good friend Holly Forte, the bass player’s wife, will join in on tambourine for a few songs, finalizing the dream team for Ladebue.
“Blessed isn’t even the word … my life is magic today,” she says. “I get to play guitar on stage with them. All of my dreams have come true.”
Their Tequila Cowboy shows will mix pop-rock originals with a host of covers ranging from the Cranberries to the Allman Brothers Band, and P!nk to Journey.
Ladebue calls her musical style “trailer park rock.”
She said, “It’s my first full-band show since I went out on my own. Hopefully, people get up and dance.”
Rocking the block
Mark your calendar for July 10 or Aug. 14. Those are the dates for the next Coraopolis Second Saturday block parties.
I checked out the summer series kickoff last weekend, held on closed off Mill Street between Coraopolis’ two main streets
Pittsburgh rocker Byron Nash supplied the musical backdrop, pulling mighty sounds from his Flying V guitar, joined by drummer George Barron from Nash’s former band, Plan B. Their rock, blues and soul fusion included a satisfying take on Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” and Nash’s signature treatment of the Beatles’ “Come Together” that started slow and built to a blistering finale.
Across the narrow street, people could buy a cup of Old Snapper hard cider, from a soon-to-open taproom, while a barbecue stand worked the east entrance. Something I don’t see nearly enough from at Beaver County street festivals — Coraopolis businesses set up tables and tents to showcase their products and services.
It was a cozy, chill vibe that lured people like me to Coraopolis for the first time since the pandemic.
Consider checking out the July 10 Second Saturday block party featuring psychedelic-jam-funk band Habatat, or the Aug.14 edition with singer-songwriter Adam Fitz and acoustic trio the Davis Gray Band.
Tavar was terrific
For Kim Tavar, “making it” as a professional singer simply meant getting to return home to Beaver County last weekend to entertain an enthusiastic crowd.
That might sound hard to believe, Tavar told her 130 Beaver Station concertgoers, especially to those of us who’ve dwelled here for many years. But the joy of singing in Beaver County, in her first show since the international release of her debut album “My Story” became a dream come true for the Midland High grad, who’s lived for decades in Massachusetts, where she’s a Boston police officer.
Tavar and her band, Diagonal Impact, delighted their outdoor audience, soaring through two sets of upbeat soul and R&B. Tavar’s voice was big and bright; her band — with guest keyboardists Joe Munroe and Howie Alexander — were spry and creative.
Only a handful of people danced on the back lawn — we got to work on that — but I spotted many others smiling and bobbing rhythmically in their seats.
Between her originals, Tavar delivered inspiring and humorous messages about unity, perseverance and the benefits reaped from hitting the mental “reset” button during last year’s pandemic lockdowns.
Midway through her Anita Baker cover came the intrusion of a CSX train roaring past on the nearby tracks, but Tavar just smiled and kept singing, using that unplanned moment to illustrate her point about persistence.
The morning after the show, Tavar — who has sung on NBC’s “Today Show” and performed the National Anthem at Gillette Stadium — posted an 11-minute Facebook video thanking Beaver County for its support.
“This was my first live performance since my album release in February … it was well-received in Montreal and The UK and I’m so grateful for that, but to be back home in Western Pennsylvania for a hometown crowd … I mean, everybody came out and had such a good time. It’s what’s needed right now, this live music,” she said.
Beaver goes Canadian
Downtown Beaver pops up in the Season 5 premiere of “Workin’ Moms,” the dark-humored Canadian Broadcasting Corp. show you can watch on Netflix.
In a scene set in a mountainous Calgary suburb, a transitional shot clearly shows the Beaver Clock Tower, Mario’s Woodfired Pizza and surrounding businesses.
It’s at least the sixth time aerial stock footage has found its way into a Netflix or Hallmark program.
Scott Tady is the local Entertainment Reporter for The Beaver County Times and Ellwood City Ledger. He’s easy to reach at stady@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @scotttady
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