Don’t Miss: Anoushka Shankar + Lisa Marie Presley at the Park Theatre

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Ken Abrams, GoLocalProv Music Critic

 

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Musical legacies and stars in their own rite, Anoushka Shankar and Lisa Marie Presley will take the stage at the Park Theatre this weekend.

There's a busy weekend ahead at the Park Theatre as two women, daughters of legendary stars from distant continents, appear in Cranston. Friday night, catch sitar extraordinaire, Anoushka Shankar and Saturday night, hear the daughter of “the King,” Lisa Marie Presley.

Anoushka Shankar

Indian Classical music may not be the most familiar sound in these parts, but if you love the Beatles or the Stones, you already know some of the “riffs.” You may not hear “Paint it Black” or “Tomorrow Never Knows,” but Anoushka Shankar promises to craft an extraordinary musical experience. She is, of course, the daughter of the late sitar legend, Ravi Shankar, who is best known for bringing Indian classical music into Western culture, with the help of four lads from Liverpool.

Anoushka is touring in support of her new album, Traces of You, a record which blends Indian Classical, country-pop, and the sweet voice of her half sister Norah Jones. Jones may be better known, but Shankar is just as accomplished. In 2003, both sisters were nominated for Grammy Awards, Shankar in the World Music category, and Jones in Best New Artist, which she won.

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Shankar grew up in New Delhi, London, and Los Angeles, and you can clearly hear her background reflected in her music. After mastering the sitar under the tutelage of her father, she’s branched out into jazz, flamenco and Western Classical. It should be quite an evening—click here for tickets.

Lisa Marie Presley

Needless to say, Lisa Marie Presley will bring a different sound to Cranston on Saturday—perhaps more familiar, but not what you might expect.  Elvis Presley’s daughter, well known for her celebrity lifestyle, is a unique artist in her own rite, well worthy of the critical praise she’s lately received. She’s developed a mature, sophisticated sound that is a long way from “Jailhouse Rock”.

Since launching her solo career in 2003, her style has moved away from pop-rock more in the direction of roots-country. After shedding some of the excess from her life, she moved to England with husband Michael Lockwood, and brought on T-Bone Burnett as her producer. The results have been encouraging—her 2012 album, Storm and Grace, has been widely recognized as a breakthrough recording. Spinner called it “a moody masterpiece, exploring the demons and angels of her life to the tune of country-spiced downbeat pop.”

Although good lineage matters for both artists, absolutely no one can deny that these women have staked out territory way beyond their father’s obvious accomplishments. Two great shows await...take your pick! Tickets are still available for both shows. Click here for details.

 

Related Slideshow: The 12 Best Pizzas In New England 2013

According to the Daily Meal, twelve of the America's101 best pizzas can be found right here in New England. Take a look, and find out where you can get your next tasty pie. 

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#12 Galleria Umberto Rosticceria (Boston)

Cheese Pizza
 
Overall Rank: #85
 
A North End staple, Galleria Umberto is a by-the-slice pizza place that often features lines extending around the block.  The interior features no frills, the menu is quite simple, but their cheese pizza has long been been considered to be Boston's best.  
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#11 Picco (Boston)

Margherita Pizza
 
Overall Rank: 76
 
Located next to Boston Center for the Arts, Picco is a full-service restaurant featuring a wide selection of Mediterranean cuisine. Though the margherita pizza is the reason they made the list, they also have several inventive pie options such as Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash & Fontina, or Roasted Eggplant & Cauliflower. 
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#10 Al Forno (Old Saybrook, CT)

Margherita Pizza
 
Overall Rank: 68
 
Established in 1992, Al Forno (Not the one in Providence) uses a brick oven heated to over 600 degrees to create some of the best pizzas on the New Haven shoreline. They have received favorable reviews in the New York Times and Hartford Courant, and were named as one of Zagat's "Top 1000 Italian Restauants in America" in 2008. 
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#9 Coppa (Boston)

Salsiccia Pizza
 
Overall Rank: 54
 
The wood-fired pizza at Coppa compliments a full menu of traditional italian dishes crafted by owner-chefs Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette.  Early in his culinary career, Oringer worked as pastry chef at Providence's Al Forno, which also made this list. 
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#8 Scampo (Boston)

Lamb Pizza
 
Overall Rank: 41
 
Scampo, the first-floor restaurant within the famous prison-turned-hotel, Liberty Hotel, features a full menu of inventive italian-inspired cuisine, which also draws on Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern flavors.  The Lamb pizza, which makes the list, is only one of several unique pie options on their menu.
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#7 Santarpio's (East Boston)

Mozzarella, Sausage, and Garlic Pizza
 
Overall Rank: 29
 
Established in 1903, the East Boston-based Santarpio's is the three-time defending award winner of "Best Traditional Pizza" by Boston Magazine.  The family-owned features New York-style pizza and has become a landmark in the Boston area. 
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#6 Colony Grill (Stamford, CT)

Sausage Pizza
 
Overall Rank:27
 
Colony Grill, established in Stamford's largest Irish neighborhood in 1935, features thin-crust style pizza.  Their menu is very simple, including only the staple pizza ingredients, allowing the restaurant to offer "a one-of-a-kind thin-crust pizza that is served simply."
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#5 Regina Pizzeria (Boston)

Melanzane Pizza
 
Overall Rank: 22
 
Though they have more than a dozen locations, Regina Pizzeria's original location in Boston's North End serves as a neighborhood staple and landmark.  Many of the pizzeria's menu items are old family recipes dating back to its establishment in 1926. 
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#4 Modern Apizza (New Haven, CT)

Italian Bomb Pizza
 
Overall Rank: 11
 
Founded in 1934, Modern Apizza features brick oven-style pizzas.  Their traditional Italian menu features many great pies and specialty items, but are on this list due to the "Italian Bomb," a pizza covered in bacon, sausage, pepperoni, mushroom, onion, pepper, and garlic. 
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#3 Al Forno (Providence, RI)

Margarita Pizza
 
Overall Rank: 10
 
Chef-owners Johanne Killeen and George Germon established Al Forno in 1980 to bring simple renditions of food rooted in various Italian regions to Providence. Their signature margarita pizza has been named to several "best pizza" lists in recent years, such as Food and Wine magazine. 
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#2 Sally's Apizza (New Haven, CT)

Tomato Pie
 
Overall Rank: 7
 
Sally's, established in 1938 by Salvatore Consiglio, is renown for its thin crust pizza which has been made in the same coal-fired oven for more than 60 years. Salvatore was the nephew of Frank Pepe, whose pizza also made the list.  
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#1 Frank Pepe's (New Haven, CT)

White Clam Pizza
 
Overall Rank:1
 
Established in 1925, Frank Pepe's Pizzeria's white clam pizza is rated as not only the best pizza in New England, but also best in all of America.  The pizzeria uses coal-fired brick ovens, and uses only fresh clams in their most famous pie. Frank Pepe's has been a favorite for many celebrities over the years, including Ronald Regan and Frank Sinatra. 
 

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