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ASSORTED DECLARATIONS BY STAFF WRITER TOM GRAHAM

The Man with One Banjo
Even while living the life of a comedic star, music has always had its place in Steve Martin’s heart. From his Saturday Night Live roots and stand-up routines to his blockbuster films and Oscar hosting gigs, the lovable comedian that gave us classic films such as The Jerk and My Blue Heaven has been masterfully plucking away at the banjo all along. He’ll be riding into the Diamond City with a banjo on his knee this summer.
Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Edie Brickell will wrap up their North American tour with a visit to the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts in Wilkes-Barre on July 2. This is the first tour for Martin with Brickell and will showcase songs from their collaborative album Love Has Come for You, set for release on April 23 on bluegrass and roots label Rounder Records.
According to a press release, the tour will feature new material performed by Martin and Brickell, along with the unique hybrid of bluegrass and comedy that Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers have been delighting audiences with at their sold-out, critically acclaimed shows.
Martin began playing banjo along with North Carolina’s Steep Canyon Rangers on a 2009 broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion, and continued playing with the band over the next year. They’ve performed together on the critically acclaimed music show, Later with Jools Holland, as well as performance at the 2010 Bonnaroo Music Festival. The group and Martin recorded the 2011 album, Rare Bird Alert, featuring musical contributions from the Dixie Chicks, Sir Paul McCartney and a blue-grass version of “King Tut”. Martin and the Rangers also snagged the International Bluegrass Music Association Award for Entertainers of the Year.
Tickets go on sale Friday, Jan. 25 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased at the F.M. Kirby Center Box Office, online at www.kirbycenter.org or by phone 826-1100. To purchase tickets and for more information on Steve Martin, visit www.stevemartin.com and follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/stevemartintogo.

Super V
On Sunday, Jan. 27, The V Spot (906 Providence Rd., Scranton) will host a cancer benefit featuring live music all day. Set to perform are Tribes, Haze, Paul Martin, Destination West, Jackson Vee, The Switch, Pissed and Miserable and the one-night-only reunion of Jugdish. There will be a $7 donation at the door which will benefit Linda Snopek-Mancini and the family’s medical bills. Music starts at 2 p.m.

All That Saturday
Saturday, Jan. 26 is looking to be a big night out of live music in The 570. The Laser Sex CD release party takes place at The Backyard Alehouse in Scranton with special guests Speakerbot and Roo. The Great Party join forces with Kid On Bikes for a high octane show at The Bog in Scranton. The Switch will perform an acoustic show at the newly-opened Thirst T’s in Olyphant. If you are in the mood to listen to the classics, Strawberry Jam is ready to tear down the house at the River Street Jazz Cafe in Plains with deep cuts from The Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead and more.

White Flashes in the Sky
If you don’t feel like making the trek out into the cold night, you can always stare up at the night sky and hope for a close encounter of the third kind. The truth is out there…

Here’s what’s in my headphones this week: Camper Van Beethoven La Costa Perdida (429 records) 2013