Blondie ROCKS the Casino Ballroom in Hampton Beach

Debbie in a wizard hat.

So my brother scored tickets to Blondie and invited me. We got down to the beach early to have dinner and wound up at the Purple Urchin. Both of us got lobster rolls. The food was good, and sitting on the 2nd floor patio was nice.

The seats at the Ballroom were better than I had for Styx. A little closer and less awkward when standing. The opening act was X. I had never heard of them before, but they were good. Aparently in 2003 their two albums from two decades before were voted one of the 500 most influential in music.

Blondie hit the stage wearing hats. Debbie Harry donned a wizards pointy hat. She only wore it for the opening number. I have to say, at 68 years old that woman can still sing. I don't even think her pitch has changed since the 80's. Female voices usually deepen as they get older.

One thing I noticed, and I'm not sure if it is because of her age or not (I never saw them in their hayday) but when she wasn't singing Debbie would stand off to the side. She usually had her hands nicely folded in front of her. No moving too much, simply standing still. She didn't do it every single time, but more often than not. Then it hit me - it was respect. It was out of respect for her band mates who were playing. She always moved out of the spotlight letting them have it for a while. Again, I don't know what she was like on stage 30 years ago, but my feeling is that if she did something similar then than that's exactly what it was.

It was a fun night and they put on a great show. The band sounded great, lots of energy, especially the drummer, Clem Burke. He must of had four or five mini solos throughout the night.







Here's some video I took. Not great quality, just something to share with fans. Also there's a few more pictures below.

STYX ROCK @ Hampton Beach - Venue not-so-much

Photo: In The Studio with Redbeard

It's no secret I LOVE Styx. So it's pretty amazing that in over 30 years of loving this band I've only seen them live twice. The first time was in 2011 in Colorado and the second time was last night. Both times they rocked it!

Great set list (see below.) The only two things I missed from 2011 were Chuck Panozzo (He played a couple of songs in 2011. No appearence last night) and Castle Walls. They did such an amazing job with that song in 2011 I was hoping to hear it again. Other than that I have no complaints - about the band. The venue, however...

Before I get into that, I want to mention how Tommy Shaw's daughter had a raffle for a signed guitar for the bands charity Rock to the Rescue. In April of this year the band, along with REO Speedwagon, raised money for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. Last night they raised money for York Center for Wildlife. Read more about Rock to the Rescue on their website rocktotherescue.net.

I also want to share this five minute video that I made of some footage I shot last night.

WARNING: It's pretty bad. I used my phone and could not get close to the stage. But I put what I did get into a single video simply to share with other fans. Enjoy!





Okay now back to the venue:

Casino Ballroom in Hampton Beach, NH.

My view of stage. Shows angle of tables

 I know it's got amazing history and everyone from Zeppelin to George Carlyn have played there, but let me tell you, unless you are front and center seating sucked. It was very uncomfortable standing because chairs were so tight and awkward due to the tables. Yes I said tables. Most of the seating, with the exception of right in front of the stage, is tables and chairs so that people can eat beforehand. Nice concept, and maybe for a comedian, when you don't stand all night, that would be great. But for a band it became awkward.

View from the front.
Photo: this-is-melisa.tumblr

The tables are so close together and our section had the left side of the tables virtually with backs to the stage. We had to turn the chairs around and butt them up against the table but then the person in front of you stands and pushes their chair back into you. Not comfortable. Especially when you have to shift to an angle to be facing the stage (click the above pic to see the tables and angle.) Everyone around us had the same complaints and again, if you stay seated, as we did for the opening act, it's not to bad. (Heads do get in the way though, because you're on flat ground.)

All and all there are better venues to see a band but for Styx I'd go just about anywhere. I will say I was surprised acoustically. The sound was very good. Food was average. (We had chicken fingers and fries.)



SET LIST:

1. Blue Collar Man
2. The Grand Illusion
3. One With Everything
4. Fooling Yourself
5. Lady
6. Lorelei
7. Man in the Wilderness
8. Miss America
9. I'm OK
10. Crystal Ball
11. Light Up
12. Pieces of Eight
13. Too Much Time on My Hands
14. Sing-a-long: Tiny Dancer/You Can't Always Get What You Want/Light My Fire/Black Dog/Fat Bottom Girls
15. Come Sail Away
16. Rockin' the Paradise
17. Renegade
    
    

Set list help from: www.setlist.fm 

Wicked in Boston!

I had the pleasure of seeing Wicked in Boston this evening. I have had the soundtrack for this show since 2004. I know all the songs, the entire story and yes I have watched tons of videos on YouTube. Nothing compares to live on stage. It's magical.

Favorite songs of the night: Popular, Defying Gravity, No Good Deed and For Good.

Alison Luff

Tonight starred Alison Luff as Elphaba and Sarah Schenkkan as Glinda. Schenkkan is the understudy but you'd never know it. She was amazing. Both women were pitch perfect and gave outstanding performances.

According to Schenkkan's Facebook page these shows in Boston will be her last. Too bad. I know, however that she won't be short on future projects.

Kim Zimmer

John Davidson

Blasts from the past were John Davidson playing the Wizard and Kim Zimmer (was Reva on Guiding Light) as Madame Morrible. I would never have recognized Zimmer under that wig and make-up. On the other hand Davidson looked the same, simply older. I thought he did a great job and even noticed him coping the voice from the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz.

Clifton Davis

Clifton Davis, 40 year veteran of stage screen and television, starred as Dr. Dillamond and Curt Hanson was Fiyero.

One of the great things I noticed was the amount of children in the theater. I think that's such a fantastic thing, to expose a child to the theater at a young age, and Wicked helps do that.

Curt Hanson

The themes that run through this show are wonderful for young girls. Don Aucoin from the Boston Globe wrote: "For the past decade, with wit and heart and a boatload of gorgeous tunes, Wicked has celebrated the power of female friendship. While giving full weight to the complexity of the path girls have to navigate, the show has affirmed the importance of standing up to groupthink, otherwise known as peer pressure."

It's true. Seeing the tweens seated all around me, I thought how wonderful that they'll be getting the messages that are in Wicked: A strong female friendship, putting your own opinion of yourself before others opinions of you, staying true to your moral compass, finding what makes you happy.

Composer Stephen Schwartz had this to say in an interview with the Boston Globe, "I think that the sort of empowerment of Elphaba is very inspiring. And it’s more than just to girls. I get all these e-mails from young gay male teens, and from older women, women who are in bad marriages and are affected by ‘Defying Gravity.’

“She starts as an outcast girl who wants nothing more than to fit in, and the whole first act she pursues that opportunity,’’ Schwartz noted. “But when it’s finally within her grasp, in order to take that opportunity it means selling her soul. And she won’t do it.

“While she is empowered, it’s not like ‘The Bad News Bears’ and she wins the championship and lives happily ever after. It’s very bittersweet,’’ observed Schwartz. “It’s funny to say about a green witch in ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ but there’s something realistic about how her power worked out for her. The fact that it’s not an unmitigated triumph feels real to people.

“Her courage in giving up her chance to fit in in order to stay true to what she believes is inspiring,’’ he added. “And the friendship between those two [Elphaba and Glinda] is also complicated and nuanced. That relationship speaks to girls and women.’’

I couldn't have said it better myself.

It was a wonderful evening at the theater. If you haven't seen Wicked yet, make sure you do. You won't regret it.

Sarah Schenkkan

Alison Luff and company

Alison Luff and Jenn Gambatese

Alison Luff

  Photos: broadwayworld.com and Boston.Broadway.com

Rediscovering The Osmond Brothers

I was going through some music for an upcoming wedding that I'll be DJing and got caught up in some great old songs: Stevie Wonder - "For Once in My life", The Beatles - "Something", Dusty Springfield - "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me", Percy Sledge - "When a Man Loves a Woman" just to name a few.

Then I came across The Osmond Brothers remake of the Temptations "I Can't Get Next To You." Now those that know me know that I was a huge Osmond fan growing up from about ages 9 through 14. Listening to this song some 30 plus years later I really enjoyed it.



I then found myself getting reacquainted with some of the other Osmond Brothers songs from the early 70's. Most people know the teeny bopper songs from Donny & Marie but the brothers wrote songs that leaned more towards rock-n-roll than teen idol. Teen idol was not what they had wanted for themselves.

In an interview with all the brothers back around 2000-2001 they spoke about how the decision to do the Donny and Marie Show ruined any potential to go back to the career that they had all wanted.
Here's that piece of that interview:

(More of the interview below)

Here are some of the songs they wrote back then: 

This song tends to shock people when they find out it's the Osmonds.



This next song was also a favorite of mine. It was a huge hit in England.



This one is live.



And here's more of that interview for those of you who may be interested. It's a nice insight into the brothers. Also, they show their talented vocals and harmonies with a little impromptu vocal exercise.

When did we stop listening to albums?

Has anyone else noticed that in the 70's we listened to albums and today we listen to songs? I'm not sure what that means, or says about the music of today, but it's made me curious. I'm listening to Boston, the full album and I realized I don't normally do that anymore. I have playlists with favorite songs.

Has anyone else notice that? Anyone over 40 that is. Did we change or did the music change? Or is it the difference between record players and digital? Yet, I used to make cassette tapes in the 80's & 90's of my favorite songs - my playlists, if you will - so was it truly the way albums, in particular rock albums, were made/written in the 70's?

There are albums by Boston, Rush, Styx, Billy Joel and more that I can still sit and listen to from beginning to end. Yet I haven't actually bought a CD, let alone sit and listen to a whole CD in years. I download individual songs. So what's the difference? Me or the music?

I don't have an answer. I'm just putting it out there.



Some albums I can still listen to from beginning to end:

Boston - self titled
Rush - 2112, Moving Pictures (technically not 70's. Released in 1980)
Billy Joel - 52nd Street
Styx - Crystal Ball, Pieces of Eight (links are not to full albums)
Van Halen - self titled
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours

Idina Menzel Live and Barefoot in Boston

I was fortunate enough to see Idina Menzel perform at the Wang Theatre in Boston last night . What an amazing concert. The best part of the evening was the fact that it was simply a girl and her orchestra. No fancy light show, over-the-top costumes, half naked dancers... It was about the music and the voice. That, to me, is the mark of a true artist.

Now before I get flamed, let me say that I don't mind the over the top all-out concerts. They have there place, and performers like Lady Gaga have proven they have the chops to simply sit at a piano and sing, and keep you captivated. This is not a slam to anyone else. It is simply my view on the core of a true singer, songwriter, performer and how they seem to get lost now-a-days by the "show."

Idina opened the show without even stepping foot on stage. She sang a beautiful rendition of "Over the Rainbow" from back stage. Rainbow naturally lead into her song from the musical Wicked, "The Wizard and I", and her entrance on stage. One amazing moment was at the end when she dedicated "the next song" to all of us, then put her mic down and sang "For Good" (also from Wicked) acapella,.

Throughout her performance she was witty, honest, open... The chatting between songs would sometimes get almost a rambling quality (not in a bad way) and she would sometimes get off track, telling us a story that you could tell wasn't a rehearsed speech. It was simply Idina speaking from the heart, talking to her audience in a very open and relaxed manner. She connected with us. She made it personal, choosing songs that meant something to her, giving her audience a peek inside.

There were a lot of young people there, thanks I'm sure in part to Idina's role on Glee. I was very happy to see that they were loving the concert every bit as much as the older crowd. It made me wonder about the flashy over-the-top performers. How much of that is really necessary to give your audience a great concert? My personal opinion is that it's not needed. It's fun, it's a party atmosphere, but what of the singer? What of the musicians? Are they getting lost in today's techno-dance-mix age of filling the stage with dancers, costumes and light shows? I don't have the answer. I only know what I feel and that is that we need more performers to get back to basics. Stand on the stage and sing for us. Share with us that piece of you that you can only share through music. Idina did and it was magnificent.

I like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and others like them. Quite a few of their songs are on my mp3 player, but I have no desire to see them in concert. However, should Idina Menzel come back to Boston I will be the first in line for a ticket.

Oh, and for those of you that may be wondering, yes, she really was barefoot.

Best songs about being on stage...

There are three songs that I have always felt described being on stage to a tee:
Lights by Styx
Blinding Light Show by Triumph
Limelight by Rush

Having been a musician all my life, and performing in front of people for as long as I can remember, I know these songs. I may not know the "fame" aspect as these bands do, but the songs always touched me... told a bit of my story, I guess.

I think Lights best describes the "why" you perform... the need...

Blinding Light Show almost hauntingly describes the view, the sounds, the feelings when you're on stage.

Limelight gives the reality - the good, the bad and the ugly.

I forgot about Foreigner's Jukebox Hero - This song is what made me add this post. I was listening to it and remembering 1981, summer after my freshmen year in high school, and all I wanted to do was play music. I didn't care about anything else. I was lucky enough to actually be playing music, onstage, every weekend. Funny how we always desire more then we have.

This song was like an anthem - I was going to be like the kid in the song. It didn't happen quite as I imagined back then, but what in life happens just as we imagine. What I didn't realize at the time was that I was living that dream already.

This song is about the dreams we dream, and sometimes they can come true. :)