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Entertainment Review
I had wanted to see Lucy Kaplansky in concert for years. I had already made reservations to go to San Diego on the evening of March 12 to see a different concert on March 13, Berkley Hart, and actually changed my flight at a substantial financial loss to see her instead. Needless to say it was with great anticipation that I looked forward to an overwhelming evening.
It is seldom that I am highly disappointed by a concert. When I am it usually has more to do with the venue than the artists, but I had seen Eric Andersen and Richard Shindell at this particular venue, and they were both impressive.
San Diego has a very nice acoustic music venue formerly called “Acoustic San Diego,” now known as AMSD Concerts. The concerts are held in a church, and they are a very intimate setting. Nothing as spectacular as the Triple Door in Seattle but then nowhere I have found matches the Triple door for live Music.
Lucy mentioned that she was suffering from jet lag and perhaps that was part of the problem. She talked about her adopted daughter a great deal and how much she missed her when she traveled. It might have been a combination of factors but her stage presence was uninspiring, which is fine, if the music is great.
I realized that she was not up to her best when she attempted to do a cover of Hallelujah, the fabulous song written by Leonard Cohen that has countless different lyrical versions. To some it is a sexual masterpiece, to others a spiritual tour de force, to some it is the joining of the sexual with the spiritual. However, one is moved by the lyrics it is one of the greatest songs ever written.
There have been over 200 versions recorded of this song. Artists as diverse as Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, John Cale, Allison Crowe, Damien Rice, Bob Dylan and K.D. Lang have given the audience goose bumps as they performed this powerful lyrical masterpiece. Unfortunately, this was not the case this evening. Having said this I will tell you that her six CD’s are very good and worth having, or I would not have been so anxious to see this performance. All this really told me is that we can all have our bad days.
In Temecula, California, they had the Old Town Blue Grass Festival from March 19 to 21. I can honestly say that Blue Grass is not my musical taste, but I am always trying to grow. I spent the majority of my life in San Diego and at one time Temecula was a nothing little town. It was the place people bought a home who could not afford the outrageous prices in San Diego, and they would commute to either, Riverside, Orange County, or San Diego. That is no longer the case. Temecula has grown up and is a town that has everything.
There was a small unknown band called the Blacksmith Brothers that were extraordinary. From covers to original material, I was impressed. I would have purchased one of their CD’s but they have yet to produce anything. I enjoyed the festival so much I will try to return again next year. Like they say sometimes you do not know what you are missing.
The evening of March 20 I went to the Pala casino to see Help. They are a rock group that does only Beatles music. It was amazing to me that they sounded so much like the original group. I was also surprised that I remembered many of the lyrics. I have not listened to any of their music for at least 30 years. I must admit that I have never been a great fan of the group, yet somehow the music stayed somewhere in the deepest crevices of my mind. I especially disliked how the group evolved during the later years starting with Sgt Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band. I was curious to see how this band Help would do impersonating the Beatles since so many bands are out there doing that now, and they are a talented group.
I had the pleasure with my wife of seeing Jewel at the Barbara Mann Performing Center in Fort Myers, Florida. The best way to describe the experience is that we were both spellbound. She is as talented as any female singer songwriter that I have experienced. Her stage presence is charming and dynamic. Her life story is enchanting and captivating. Imagine growing up in Alaska without water or electricity, going on the road with her dad at the age of eight to play in biker bars and lumberjack joints, getting a scholarship at the age of fifteen to a private art school in Michigan.
She then moved to San Diego and after a series of misfortunes found herself living in a van and playing gigs in a coffeehouse in Pacific Beach until she got on her feet. Her first CD “Pieces of You,” sold 3000 copies in San Diego before she hit the road to promote it. It has now sold over 11 million copies. This is an artist’s that has won three Grammy’s and I would be surprised if she does not have even greater things coming her way. A wonderful and memorable experience and an artist’s I highly recommend.
At the Barbara Mann Auditorium, I had the pleasure of seeing Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. I mentioned previously how much I enjoyed the play “The Jersey Boys and I have to tell you that Frankie Valli in concert is a treat not to be missed. He had an 11 piece band with him and the new Four Seasons and the show was pure energy. He has always had a very distinct voice and that has not changed. I was impressed with the fact that his voice still sounds great. Of course he did many of their big hits, but he also did many covers of big hits from the past and he sounded great on all his different renditions.
This is going to be a very interesting musical year. Dan Hill my favorite singer songwriter from my college years just released a new CD. Sade who has always produced fabulous CD’s has also released a new CD. Frankie Valli has also just released a new CD.
We went to Savannah, Georgia to the Savannah theater to see “Southern Nights,” and what a very pleasurable evening. This is the oldest playhouse in the country starting in 1818 and the cast that they have assembled is stellar. All that I can say is that if you are near Savannah, which is a charming city, do not miss the Savannah Theater. This is one of the great entertainment bargains of all time. Awe inspiring music, patriotic, humorous, and good for all ages what more can you ask of any entertainment.
It had been twenty years, since we had been to Gatlinburg, TN. At one time it was one of the most charming small mountain towns that I had ever experienced. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. It is like Orlando, FL. in the mountains. We had planned to stay a few days but left after one evening. It was a glorious evening indeed. We saw a show called “The Soul of Shaolin,” and my wife and I were both transfixed throughout the performance. The martial art displayed was awe inspiring, the story was beautifully performed and the sets were stunningly beautiful. This show made up for all the disillusionment of what the area has become.