Ohlman to appear with The Slim Kings, featuring legendary Billy Joel drummer Liberty Devitto.
Rock n' soul will rule the night on Saturday, April 22 at 8:00 pm as Christine Ohlman, the flashy, gritty platinum-blonde "Beehive Queen," who is the longtime vocalist with NBC's Saturday Night Live Band, brings Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez to The Emelin Theatre in Mamaroneck for "THE QUEEN MEETS THE KINGS," teaming with legendary Billy Joel drummer Liberty Devitto & The Slim Kings in a night of roots-driven, soulful rock n' roll that will spotlight songs from their recordings, including Ohlman's latest,
The Deep End, a passionate collection that garnered five end-of-year national Top Ten mentions (Rolling Stone editor emeritus Dave Marsh said,"There are so many 'wow' moments," and esteemed journalist Peter Guralnick weighed in with, "Tough, tender, thoughtful and sassy; R-E-A-L, as Sam Phillips was wont to say") and 2023's upcoming The Grown-Up Thing. Ohlman is fresh from a vocal appearance on film with The Rolling Stones in Quentin Tarantino's smash "Once Upon A Time in Hollywood"; concerts where she shared the stage with Bonnie Raitt, Keb Mo, Smokey Robinson, Graham Nash and Steve Miller; sold-out appearances at both the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival's David Bowie tribute and the WC Handy Festival in Muscle Shoals (as the Grand Marshall, she famously rode in Sam Phillips' "often-ridden-in-by-Elvis" baby blue Cadillac); PBS's Nashville-based "Music City Roots" and Nashville's AMA Festival; The Paris Conservatory; the Royal Conservatory at Ghent; featured vocal appearances on episodes of the HBO Martin Scorsese series "VINYL (with a track on the 2-CD series soundtrack and a duet with Elvis Costello); and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Her star turn with Fallon at the SNL40 Anniversary Post-Show Concert (her voice graced the telecast itself) included a romp with the B52s and Fallon as her backup vocalists, and verse-trading with Elvis Costello, among others.
The Beehive Queen and The Drum King are longtime friends and collaborators, and they are always delighted to bring their bands together. "Liberty Devitto is my brother from another mother," said Ohlman recently, adding "The Emelin Theatre is a jewel in the crown of New York's live venues-and 'The Queen meets The Kings' will rock its fabulous stage!!"
Ohlman is a recent inductee into the Blues Hall Of Fame of the American Heritage International Organization. She was chosen #1 Female Americana vocalist in TheAlternateRoot.com's international readers' poll, joining The Mavericks, Paul Thorn and and Rodney Crowell as top placements. Called "The Number-One Secret Weapon in America's gal-singin' sweepstakes" by the All-Music Guide, she will be joined onstage by guitar legend Chris Bickley (acclaimed for his work on the international scene); Lorne Entress (drums-Lori McKenna and Mary Chapin Carpenter); and Wolf Ginandes (the dean of the Boston bass scene) in serving up a night of love-drenched stories in a style Marsh has dubbed "Contemporary Rock R n' B." Her shows are legendary for their powerful musicianship and raw emotion. She is a consummate singer who's gone heart to heart with the best: she counts Bonnie Raitt, Al Green, Bruce Springsteen, The Blind Boys Of Alabama, George Harrison, Mac Rebennack, Sting, Ian Hunter, Bonnie Bramlett, Ronnie Spector, NRBQ's Big Al Anderson, Charlie Musslewhite, Irma Thomas, Chrissie Hynde and the late blues giants Hubert Sumlin and Eddie Kirkland as but a few of those she has collaborated with on Grammy-nominated recordings and live appearances like Bob Dylan's Madison Square Garden 30th Anniversary concert, recently re-released on BluRay.
The Slim Kings, based in Kings County, NY, feature two young guns-singer and guitarist Michael Sackler-Berner, best known for 40+ prime-time TV placements, and top session R&B bassist Andy Attanasio-alongside iconic drummer Liberty Devitto. Devitto spent over three decades playing on seminal records for, and performing with, Billy Joel, Stevie Nicks, and Paul McCartney. The Slim Kings have shared the stage with Southside Johnny and The Spin Doctors-amongst others. In the studio, they've worked with producers like Steve Jordan (Keith Richards, John Mayer). Their recordings have been featured in over a dozen primetime TV shows.
Ohlman grew up loving equally the sweetness of a Memphis horn line and the raunch of an electric guitar riff--whether played by Muddy Waters, Keith Richards, or Pop Staples--teased her blonde hair into a beehive in honor of Ronnie Spector and never looked back. The Deep End includes duets with Dion, Marshall Crenshaw and Ian Hunter (she has appeared on Hunter's CDs and joined him at Carnegie Hall) and guest turns by Big Al Anderson, the late Levon Helm, GE Smith, Catherine Russell, and others.
She has stories from her long, ongoing tenure at SNL. She witnessed both the Sinead O'Connor ripping-of-the-pope's-picture and Jessica Simpson "meltdown" incidents, and appeared on both the SNL 25th Anniversary and 40th Anniversary telecasts. She calls SNL40 a "pure delight," stating, "So many past cast members and members of the SNL Band were there. It was so wonderful to see everyone and to see the brilliant and historic way they constructed the show itself. I've also been delighted to be onstage with the SNL Band for shows like the triumphant return to SNL of Eddie Murphy."
Her credits include the theme song for NBC's 30 Rock ; "Coolest Record Of The Year" by Little Steven's Underground Garage for her contribution to legendary Rolling Stones producer's Andrew Loog Oldham ALO Orchestra Sings The Rolling Stones Songbook Vol. 2; multiple vocal appearances on the Martin Scorsese-Directed HBO Series VINYL (including a duet with Elvis Costello); a tribute CD for songwriters Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham released in the UK on Ace Records; the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Concert in Cleveland; Carnegie Hall Tribute to The Rolling Stones; Little Kids Rock Galas with Bonnie Raitt, Keb Mo, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Miller, Graham Nash, Smokey Robinson, Brian Wilson, Elvis Costello; The Lincoln Center "American Songbook" series with Sting, the late Lou Reed and Van Dyke Parks; headliner slots and show-stopping duets at the WC Handy Festival (with The Blind Boys of Alabama, Bonnie Bramlett and Candi Staton, among others). She has been the Festival's Grand Marshall, with sold-out premier fest concerts at the Shoals Theatre); two "evenings of duets" and festival appearances with the late Mac "Dr. John" Rebennack; the Central Park Summerstage Tribute To Janis Joplin (where she fronted both Big Brother & The Holding Company and the Kozmic Blues Band); appearances on Grammy nominees A Tribute To Howlin' Wolf (with Taj Mahal and Lucinda Williams) and Charlie Musselwhite's One Night In America (with Marty Stuart); recent live shots with Americana stalwarts Paul Thorn, Roseanne Cash, and New Orleans legends The Subdudes (she joins The 'Dudes, BB King, Richard Thompson and others on the CD Get You A Healin' to benefit the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic, Ohlman's charity of choice); and headliner slots at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest's "Down On The Bayou" series with Dr. John, Irma Thomas and others. In addition, she is a musicologist of note, who edited legendary the aforementioned Andrew Loog Oldham's autobiography 2Stoned and is a cover-story-writing contributor to Elmore Magazine.
Ohlman and The Slim Kings promise an incendiary evening at The Emelin Theatre in support of their recordings, including the King's Fresh Sox, Expensive Habits and The King's County Classic, and Ohlman's The Deep End, Strip, The Hard Way, Radio Queen, Wicked Time, career retrospective Re-Hive, concert DVD Live Hive, and 2023's upcoming The Grown-Up Thing. One critic wrote, "From the mile-high beehive hairdo to the textbook rock n' roll radio lungs, Christine Ohlman reminds you of what used to be great about rock before it began to think too much. Watching her wind between roots rock and blues and never lose control of the wheel was a thrilling, reassuring sight." "I've come here tonight to set your souls on fire," The Beehive Queen has been known to tell an audience. And on April 22, she and Liberty Devitto & the Slim Kings will.
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