Category: Music Page 11 of 20

Connie plays 4 musical instruments and her daughter is a graduate of Belmont University in Nashville with a degree in Music Business and once worked for Taylor Swift. She may comment on concerts or reminisce on concerts of old.

Ghost Brothers of Darkland County

Stephen King, John Mellencamp and T. Bone Burnett have collaborated on a musical entitled “Ghost Brothers of Darkland County” and it has been touring 20 small towns, including the performance on November 3, 2013 at the Adler Theater in Davenport, Iowa.

Only two stops remain on the tour, one in South Bend, Indiana, and one in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I can’t help but wonder if the troupe will then take the show to Chicago and/or New York and this is their way of working the bugs out.

The 15 singers and 4 musicians who comprise the cast spin the tale of ghosts who cannot be freed until the truth is told. That device is one King has used before, most recently with passengers at a railroad station who are stranded there, seemingly forever, as ghosts.

Bruce Greenwood as Joe McCandless and Emily Skinner as his wife, Monique, head up the cast of “Ghost Brothers of Darkland County.”

One of the most pleasant surprises of the evening was how good Bruce Greenwood’s singing voice is. This talented character actor has played many, many television and movie role, including a major role in the Denzel Washington film Flight and as Captain Christopher Pike in Star Trek Into Darkness. However, Greenwood apparently played in a cover band 25 years ago, so this was familiar territory. Greenwood’s solo on the song “How Many Days” in Act I is one of the highlights of the entire play.

Two brothers went the Cain and Able route in this story now set in Mississippi (although supposedly Mellencamp had property in Indiana with a cabin with a similar story that he related to King). The boys fought over a girl, as brothers often do, and things did not go well.

The original brothers are Greenwood’s older siblings, Andy and Jack, but the lead character’s grown sons, Frank and Drake McCandless, are Joe McCandless’ concern now, as they seem to be on the same path to destruction. The women in the lives of the two pairs of brothers, Jenna and Anna, are well-played (and sung) by Kate Ferber and Kylie Brown. As Anna says, “I’m a whole lotta’ big girl and I know what men like. I want to make damn sure you know what you’ve gotten yourself into now.”

Unless Joe McCandless (Greenwood) tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about a fateful night in 1967, his own sons in 2007 may suffer a similar fate and wind up in the limbo or Purgatory represented by the Dreamland Cafe…”the place where lost people go.”
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The sets in this touring production were spare, mostly consisting of chairs and a large drop cloth representing the cabin where all the mayhem begins. If this does go on to Broadway (or Chicago), I hope they drop the Prairie Home Companion spare style and put up a cabin like the house in “Fences,” a Denzel Washington vehicle. It would add a lot to the production.

The ghosts are also pretty cut-rate, depicted as such by the wearing of raggedy choir robes in off white. “Here we are and here we’ll stay until the truth sets us free” is the familiar unifying message from King.

“The Shape,” (aka, the Devil) tempts Jenna (Kate Ferber) or Anna (Kylie Brown).

There is a figure representative of Satan who acts much like Joel Gray in “Cabaret” and is analogous to the small devil that is the conscience of the main character in “Animal House.” (good angel on one shoulder; bad devil on the other.)

The liner notes for Jake La Botz, who plays “the Shape,” were interesting, describing him as dropping out of high school at 15 and hitting the road for hobo camps. Then Jake was a roofer, boilermaker, graphic factory worker, and obituary writer before he turned to the guitar and became a back-up artist to such greats as Ray Charles, Etta James, Dr. John, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, and Taj Mahal. His unique outfit, consisting of a vest, no shirt, multiple tattoos and a walking stick, was also unusual.

Greenwood told David Burke of the Quad City Times that the play was about “the corrosive nature of secrets and how elusive redemption can be.” He added, “But with Stephen King, it’s so dark…It’s like Prairie Home Companion on acid.

Supposedly, the production took 13 years to stage. I can only assume that’s because King was churning out more novels (“Dr. Sleep,” the continuation of “The Shining” most recently) because his part in the play seems the easiest. There are a lot of clichés utilized in what is billed as “Libretto by Stephen King.” They start early, when young Joe (Zac Ballard) hears talk of having his “britches tanned” and they continue through such well-worn expressions as “rode hard and put away damp” and lines like, “Does the phrase ‘up shit creek’ ring a bell?'”

Those colloquialisms didn’t scream “original,” to me. King’s words do ring truer on lines like “Too late always comes too early.” There is also a familiar echo to the line, “You can never do the right thing after you just closed up the local honky-tonk.” That struck me as about as original as the old “a motorcycle is an accident waiting to happen” cliché and “Slap my tail and call me Stinky” didn’t strike me as Deathless Prose or Great Writing, either.

But I digress.

The original songs (Mellencamp and T. Bone Burnett) are the real saving grace of this production. Many sound as though they could become classics. (Any time you put “home” in the lyric, it seems to signal a home run.) There were those in the cast who stood out like a diamond amongst zircons, Greenwood most of all, and the caretaker, sung by Eric Moore, who has previously appeared in Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell and Man of LaMancha was outstanding.

All in all, it will be interesting to see if the play now goes to a larger venue and, if so, what they charge for tickets. Tickets at the Adler ranged from $39.50 to $59.50 to $69.50. The theater was not full, but the audience gave the cast a standing ovation at the end of the three hours.

On this tour of smaller houses, the 20 cities included Bloomington, Indiana; Louisville, Kentucky; Knoxville, Tennessee; Asheville, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Evansville, Indiana; Indianapolis, Indiana; Akron, Ohio Columbus, Ohio; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Madison, Wisconsin; Rockford, Illinois; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Sioux City, Iowa; Ames, Iowa; Davenport, Iowa; South Bend, Indiana; and Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the tour ends on November 6th.

August 7, August 8, August 9, 2013: Replica Ships, Chicago, Phillip Phillips & John Mayer @ Tingley Park

By Connie Wilson

On August 10, 2013

In Music, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture

Last 3 days have been busy.

First, the Nina and the Pinta, replica ships, visited Davenport, Iowa on the Mississippi River. I felt obligated to take some pictures of same, which I will share with you here.

Phillip Phillips

Then, we arrived in Chicago for the John Mayer/Phillip Phillips concert at Tingley Park (Midwest Bank Amphitheater), which was tonight, August 9th. Video will be available on YouTube at

Phillip Phillips

John Mayer

However, there are some still shots I can share with you here.

Tomorrow, the Tall Ships at Navy Pier.

“Chicago” Plays Moline; Gives Local Musician Chance to Open Show

By Connie Wilson

On June 18, 2013

In Local, Music, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture

“Chicago” takes a bow after over two hours of music.

“Chicago,” the band, played the IWireless Center in Moline, Illinois last night (June 17, 2013) to a roughly half-full house.

Local singer/songwriter Tim Stopulos (Tim Stop) opened for them, singing five original songs. The young Bettendorf Assumption graduate who has been following his dream since graduating from Wake Forest. did a fine job displaying poise and polish. He would be a contender on a competition show such as “The Voice” or “American Idol.”

“Chicago,” the band, performing at the IWireless Center in Moline, Illinois, on Monday, June 17, 2013.

For the past three summers, I’ve attended the “Chicago” concerts across the street from me at Northerly Isle Pavilion in Chicago (also known as Charter Isle Pavilion). The first year I saw them in concert, they were paired with “Earth, Wind & Fire.” It was a phenomenal concert. The second year I saw them (same venue), they were paired with “America.” Last year when I saw them, they were on tour with the “Doobie Brothers.”

Robert Lamm on keyboards for “Chicago” on June 17th, 2013.

The band first formed in Chicago in 1967. The musicians were mostly DePaul music students, starting with saxophonist Walter Parazaider, whose apartment they used for practice sessions. Original members then were guitarist Terry Kath— (often credited with being the original heart and soul of the group)—; Danny Seraphine on drums; James Pankow on trombone; Lee Loughnane on trumpet; Robert Lamm from Roosevelt University on keyboards; and, eventually, local bass player Peter Cetera.

James Pankow, original band member, on trombone during the “Chicago” concert of June 17th, 2013. (IWireless Center).

Four original members of the band performed with the group last night: Robert Lamm on keyboards; Lee Loughnane on trumpet; Walt Parazaider on saxophone, flute and woodwinds; and James “Jimmy” Pankow on trombone.

The group were originally not called “Chicago,” at all, but “The Big Thing.” Then, the band changed its name to “The Chicago Transit Authority,” about the time they moved to Los Angeles in June of 1968 and signed with Columbia Records, with James William Guercio, their manager and friend taking the band where the action was.

Soon, the REAL Chicago Transit Authority threatened to sue if the group didn’t change its name. So the group became simply “Chicago” and it remains so today, one of the longest-running bands never to have broken up or taken a long hiatus, second only to the Beach Boys in terms of singles, albums and longevity.

James “Jimmy” Pankow always strips down to a shirtless number (usually with plunging neckline) later in the show. Why? No idea.

Wikipedia lists “Chicago’s” number of albums as 120 million albums sold, 22 gold albums, 18 platinum albums and 8 multi-platinum albums. Of those, five were Number One albums and there were 21 Top Ten Hits from the rock, jazz, fusion, progressive rock, soft rock musicians. It is surprising that the group has won only one Grammy, awarded in 1977 for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group. In 1976, “Chicago X” contained Cetera’s composition “If You Leave Me Now,” which became the group’s first Number One single.

The band has had hits like “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It is?”, “Saturday in the Park,” “If You Leave Me Now,” “Glory of Love” (the theme song for Karate Kid II) and “You’re the Inspiration”, written by Robert Lamm for Kenny Rogers in a 3 hour period before Lamm was to fly to Italy, but a song which Rogers never recorded. [Cetera calls Robert Lamm, in a January 15, 2007 interview before “Live at Lake City” with Orchestra Concert, “One of the great songwriters of that generation.”]

For its final number, the band unfurled a flag, singing a relatively new song with the lyric “I Just Want to be Free.”

“Chicago” is credited with being the leading U.S. singles-charting group in the 1970s and their breakthrough album,”Chicago II,” began the band’s tradition of the iconic numbering of each subsequent album. How many albums have there been? Somewhere around 30, with promises that there will be a new one come fall of 2010.

“Chicago” is unique in that it is a relatively faceless band. Its members are replaceable and interchangeable, although the death of founding member Terry Kath in 1978 from an accidental gunshot wound, as described in a VH1 “Behind the Music” special was a low point. (Supposedly, Kath was horsing around with a firearm and had just said, “Don’t worry, guys. It isn’t even loaded. See?”)

Guitarist par excellence Keith Howard, who has been with the band for each of the performances I’ve seen over recent years.

Also in that VH1 special, original band member Pankow said, in 2000, “One record company said to us, ‘˜Man, if you get rid of the horn section, we’ll sign you.” With incredulity, Pankow continues, “That’s like telling Elton John to get rid of the piano!” [One original member of the group, Danny Seraphine—who was fired by the group in the 1990’s for not getting along with some of the replacement musicians—was so incensed by the focus of the VH-1 special on Kath’s death that he demanded that all references to his participation be removed. Seraphine has since formed the California Transit Authority and, in 2006, the group played the CD USA’s New Year’s Eve party on Fremont Street in Las Vegas.]

Despite Terry Kath’s tragic accidental death, the group soldiered on, bringing in Donnie Dacus to assume lead singer duties in April of 1978. He left the group after “Chicago 13” in 1979, as the band began to move away from jazz and rock and more towards pop ballads.

In 1981, Columbia Records dropped the band, but Warner Brothers picked them up. Bill Champlin left in August of 2009, to be replaced by Lou Pardini. Tris Imbodden, originally the drummer for Kenny Loggins, replaced Seraphine. In 2009, sometimes the only “original” member of the group onstage would be Robert Lamm. Lately, when I’ve seen them, trombonist James “Jimmy” Pankow, with his rolled up sleeves and plunging neckline shirts, has given good horn and good show. I can’t help but smile. In his sixties (66, said the local newspaper), he is still going strong, as are the other “original” members.

My favorite band member from the past four shows remains guitarist Keith Howard, who shreds his solos with flair. For that matter, there was a lengthy percussion piece that allowed other band members to take a breather and, with at least two percussionists and two keyboard artists at all times, the ten members on stage were keyboards (2), percussion (up to 3 on any song), woodwind (usually sax, but sometimes flute, 1), cornet (1), guitar (2) and the irrepressible trombone (1).

In an interview at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Florida (the band was playing there and was also singing the national anthem at the Florida Marlins game of April 10, 2009), Robert Lamm was interviewed and appears in a YouTube interview saying, of the group’s longevity, “I think it’s as simple as we enjoy each others company and we’ve all grown as musicians.” When asked how they got together initially, he answers, “By Providence.”
When asked about how the music business has changed since “Chicago” formed in 1967 and began churning out its hits in the 70s, Lamm becomes more serious on the video: “How changed? Technology. As human beings we’ve changed, but a ‘˜Chicago’ concert is always memorable and always maintains a high level of quality.” He noted that the group had 70 singles that were played on the radio back in the day and says, “If we were trying to break now, I have no idea where we’d go. I find it very puzzling.” He also said that he did not, at first, follow “American Idol,” which asked to use some of his songs. “I was sort of looking down my nose at it, but now I’m kind of in to it. I like the idea of it.”

The group appeared on Season 9’s Finale of “American Idol” on May 26, 2010, with eventual winner Lee DeWyze singing along to a medley of some of their hits.

A characteristically over-the-top give-it-all-you’ve-got performance on June 17th in Moline, with a twenty-minute intermission and, hopefully, a break for a young local musician who has been making it in Chicago and across the Midwest for years, but deserves wider recognition of his talent.

Sources: www.chicagosuntimes article by Bill Zwecker for RedCarpet on 5/27/2010; Fox-WFLD, Channel 32 on May 27, 2010; Youtube video of April 10, 2009 Florida Marlins game with “Chicago” performing the national anthem; April 10, 2009 interview with Robert Lamm at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino; Interview with Peter Cetera on Jan. 15, 2007 YouTube video prior to “Live at Lake City” with Orchestra concert; www.wikipedia.com; “Chicago” and “Earth, Wind and Fire” concert at Northerly Isle Pavilion in Chicago; “Chicago” and “America” concert at Northerly Isle Pavilion in Chicago and June 17, 2013 concert at IWireless Center in Moline, IL.

The Rolling Stones Rock the United Center in Chicago on May 28, 2013

By Connie Wilson

On May 29, 2013

In Music, Reviews

The Rolling Stones backdrop for “Honky Tonk Woman” in Chicago.

[contact-form][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Website’ type=’url’/][contact-field label=’Comment’ type=’textarea’ required=’1’/][/contact-form] Chicago, IL – The Rolling Stones played the first of 3 shows in Chicago’s United Center on Tuesday May 28th, 2013. Despite the power outage to 21,000 Chicago residents caused by severe weather in the Chicago area, the Stones had plenty of power: power riffs from guitar greats Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood and frontman power from perennial hipster Mick Jagger.

Mick Jagger, dancing non-stop, onstage at the United Center in Chicago on May 28, 2013.

Jagger gave a senior class in aerobics for the almost-70 (in July) set that went on, uninterruptedly, for 2 and ½ hours, despite starting nearly 45 minutes late. He defied both age and the tornado-like weather that dumped at least 2 inches of rain on the area just before 8 p.m. showtime. Flash flood warnings were issued for the area and a small tornado touched down in the western suburbs.

Mick Jagger on the lip-shaped stage he prowled during the Tuesday night (May 31) show.

Opening with “Hey, You, Get Off Of My Cloud,” a song popular in 1963), Mick Jagger appeared onstage wearing a black sparkly jacket (with tails) and continued to give a senior seminar in “How to Continue Rocking for 50 Years” by never slowing down during the entire show.

Film of the very young Jagger and Richards was projected on the large screen behind the stage, along with clips of other music greats.

The second song on the band’s play list was “It’s Only Rock & Roll” followed by “Paint It Black,” which led to a brief break where Mick Jagger referred to the United Center as “The house that M.J. built,” meaning Michael Jackson.

Opening of the concert: “Hey, You, Get Of Of My Cloud.” May 28, 2013. Tuesday. Chicago’s United Center.

Nearly every major hit the band has recorded (minus,for me, “Time Is On Our Side”) was performed in this first of 3 shows with ticket prices of $150 to $600 a ticket. One of the best sequences featured the band playing “Wild Horses.” It featured filmed tributes to many greats projected on the screen behind the band, including Leadbelly, B.B.King, Bo Diddley, Bob Dylan, John Lee Hooker, Etta James, Elvis Presley, the Staple Singers, Howlin’ Wolf, James Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis, Hank Williams, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Otis Redding, Johnny Cash, Louis Armstrong, Charles “Bird” Parker, Merle Haggard, Miles Davis, Little Walter, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Sonny Rollins, Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Little Richard and Tina Turner.

The show continued for an entertaining 150 minutes with hits like “Honky Tonk Woman, “Brown Sugar,” “Midnight Rambler,” “Miss You,” “Paint it Black,” “Sympathy for the Devil” (with Mick wearing a boa feather decorated cape), “Start Me Up,” and “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.”

I’ve seen the Rolling Stones at least 13 times; the lack of camaraderie between Mick and Keith was never more apparent than at this show. Still, name another band still going this strong after 50 years.
See them while you can, because nobody lives forever.

Saturday, February 2, 2013 in Sydney, Australia

By Connie Wilson

On February 2, 2013

In Music, travel

Our 8th floor digs at 44 Bridge Street.

A gray day here in Australia with temperatures near 70 Fahrenheit. We watched “Network” and “Midnight Express” till 3:30 a.m.. so we got a late start.

Much like my obstructed view in Chicago, we can see the Harbour but the view is obstructed by buildings.

Stacey joined us at 3 p.m. and we took off for Circular Quay Theater, 2 blocks away and saw “Silver Linings Playbook.” Cost of an adult ticket? $18. Cost of a ticket for a senior? $11.

Cornet player Paul Wheeler and me, post movie, in Sydney, Australia.

Afterwards, we strolled next door and had fish and chips and burgers at a bar nearby where Paul Wheeler played cornet.

Stacey and Craig and I on Circular Quay on Saturday, February 2nd after the movie “Silver Linings Playbook.”

We walked back to Bridge Street and Stacey left to “socialize” with her friends.

Craig and cornetist Paul Wheeler.

Tomorrow, we’ll hit the Museum with the Anish Khapour exhibit. We already visited the Museum right across the street from us and the Mint and Parliament and also strolled past the Hospital.

Ringo Starr is touring Australia. It’s like a European-ized version of the United States. The cornet player was invited to the book signing on Thursday (5 to 8 p.m.) at the Galaxy Bookstore on York Street.

Prince Plays Chicago’s United Center: September 24, 2012

By Connie Wilson

On September 25, 2012

In Music, Pop Culture, Reviews

Prince in Chicago, 9/24/2012.

Prince had not played Chicago in 8 years, but his first of 3 shows on Monday, September 24, 2012, was well worth the wait. If you’re going, make sure that you don’t bail before the final third encore, either, or you’ll miss all his Big Hits. There were many naysayers complaining about the long delay before he reappeared, in a different plain black outfit, to play his big hits, because it was a work night and at least half of the crowd had gone home. There was also disappointment at the House of Blues, where the rumor was that Prince would be present and play. He was present, but he didn’t play. For me—someone who didn’t have to go to work early in the morning—I was willing to wait (Maybe it’s all the waiting you do at political rallies that has me conditioned.) There was a long wait at the beginning of the concert and the delay between the end of the first encore and my move to the floor and all the “hits” was substantial: also more than an hour. So, it was midnight before the evening ended, after the 8 p.m. ticketed start time was also delayed.

Prince takes a bow before the first of 2 encore periods.

I saw Prince play at the (Moline, IL) Civic Center years ago, when he was fighting with his record label, had just started using the symbol and played only one recognizable “hit” from his catalogue: “Raspberry Beret.” Although the 6 of us waited all night for “Little Red Corvette” or “1999” or “Purple Rain” or “When Doves Cry,” I don’t remember that we heard any of them. There were 2 large Chow dog-like statues set up on each side of a proscenium stage that reminded me of a fancy Chinese restaurant. There was none of the dancing that I had heard was so mesmerizing in his act.

When Prince played the United Center in Chicago on the first of 3 nights of shows on Monday, September 24, 2012, there was lots of dancing. The stage, itself, was the now-familiar Prince emblem. The Purple One was clad in black and white, in a half-white (left side) and half-black (right side) suit that made me think of an old Cesar Romero role…[it may have been the Joker, on television]…where his face was painted half-white and half-black.

Overview.. Symbol-shaped stage.

The singer was accompanied by a 20-member ensemble and, my seat-mate said, was either rolled in or carried in in a box. (I missed this, as the smoke machines and the fake sound of a rainstorm projected against the Prince symbol with lightning on the giant overhead screen had practically obscured the stage to the point that I was afraid Prince was having trouble finding the stage.)

The concert was scheduled to start at 8:00 p.m. I was nearly an hour late but missed nothing. There was no “lead-in” band, but there were many fancy electrical things and color changes for the stage, onto which were projected swirling patterns and polka dots at other points in the show. At several points, Prince climbed atop the electrified grand piano to sing and dance.

For this show and the extra one added on the third day of his performances in the “Welcome to” format he has used in other cities, 11 horns fill the arena, giving the band a large sound. Prince has said, “My favorite instrument is the band,” which he fine-tuned during rehearsals in his 70,000 square foot headquarters southwest of Minneapolis.

Prince last performed in Chicago in 2004, pulling in more than $87 million and reviving his career. Now 54, he has not released an album since 2010 because, as he told Gregg Kot of the Chicago “Tribune,” in a September 23^rd interview, he doesn’t see much point in releasing albums when: “We’re in a singles market again. It’s crazy for me to walk into that with a new album. Young people have decided they like to listen to music in a certain way, through earbuds, and that’s fine with me as long as it doesn’t bother them that they’re not hearing 90% of the music that way.” He adds, “But I don’t have to record to eat or to get out of debt or to pay my taxes. I looked forward to the day I could do this. Freedom is an interesting thing. You have to work really hard to get free.”

Prince did many covers during the show— (too many, according to my seatmate, since Prince’s own catalogue is so deep) —and some were surprising (“Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough,” “The Arms of an Angel”). There was a semi-odd gospel song featuring the 3 female back-up singers and Prince was extremely generous in sharing the stage with a bald African-American female singer named Shelby. Shelby was an unusual choice, compared to Prince’s other female protégés over the years. She sang well, but we all paid to hear Prince and Shelby got a lot of his onstage time.

There were also some minor technical glitches where the amplifiers were heard to hum and drone. At one point, Prince tossed the guitar with the leopard-skin strap over the edge of the stage to a stagehand. Shelby’s microphone did not not work properly at one point, so Prince gave her his.

But, more than anything, Prince seemed to want the crowd to enjoy themselves, constantly cheerleading with phrases like, “I can’t hear you” and “Right now, I’d like to hear my favorite sound in the world—you!” He instructed the 3 back-up singers to go out into the crowd and bring audience members up onstage to dance. He also danced a lot in tiny red heels (I’ll bet his feet hurt at the end of the long show) and if you want(ed) to hear “Little Red Corvette,” “1999” and the songs I had come for, you had to stay till the very end, ending at midnight and enduring a 20-minute wait while Prince changed and many moved from the nosebleed sections to the floor as people departed before the final set.

As usual, I was seated next to a Bobblehead who howled and danced like Randy Quaid might have danced in the National Lampoon movie “Vacation.” I thought he was going to hurt either himself or me.

Prince knows the sound he wants from his big band. He told Gregg Kot: “Remember the scene in the movie ‘Amadeus’ where he’s dying, and he’s hearing the music in his head? It becomes impossible to explain. He doesn’t have the vocabulary. Now, I’m short—literally and also when I speak—and it’s easy to get all ‘Can’t you hear this? Can’t you hear what I’m hearing?’ And so I use humor when I feel my blood pressure going up.” He attributes his longevity as an artist to being a practicing Jehovah’s Witness for the past 20 years.

Of earlier times, he said, “I nearly had a nervous breakdown on ‘The Purple Rain’ tour in 1984 because it was the same every night. It’s work to play the same songs the same way for 70 shows. To me, it’s not work to learn lots of different songs so that the experience is fresh to us each night.” He also attributes his longevity to personal changes in his life since the 80s and 90s.

“The world is so jagged. I like smooth waves. It’s the way I live now. In the 90s, we had a lot of crazy people in here. Now, no one argues, no one swears, no one smokes, and no one talks harsh. We all enjoy each other. You don’t know what that’s like till you start living like that, because, for a long time, I didn’t. It was affecting me in my head, which, in turn, affected me in my throat. I changed the way I operate. A lot of my contemporaries didn’t. That’s the reason I’m still here and a lot of them aren’t.”

The show was very enjoyable, especially when I think back to the snoozer I saw at Moline, Illinois’ Civic Center (“The Mark of the Quad Cities” it was called then). This one was up-tempo and lively and designed to please and entertain. As Prince reminisced with Gregg Kot of the “Tribune,” that’s the way he likes it: “I remember those Park West shows in Chicago that I played when I was just starting out. I’ll dream about the Park West sometimes. I can see it so clearly in my dreams. That wide-open look from the stage, the people right up on you. Those were life-changing shows.”

ThrillerFest in New York City & Other Things That Have Kept Me Away from the Blog

By Connie Wilson

On August 6, 2012

In Books, Music, Politics, travel

I’ve been away from the keyboard for a variety of reasons:

ThrillerFest in NYC in July.

Joseph Finder, author of “Paranoia,” “Company Man,” et. al.

1) I attended ThrillerFest in New York City July 11-14 and had the opportunity to hear wisdom from many great writers. Pictures are a few. The HWA’s own W.D. Gagliani was on one panel, as was Nate Kenyon (“Diablo: The Order”). I had the opportunity to see the Terra Cotta soldiers at the Discovery Center on W. 44th Street and, as a special treat, I got to wait in LaGuardia airport from 6 p.m. until almost midnight (the plane was supposed to leave at 8 p.m.)

2) Upon our return, we spent some time at the beach with Scott, Jessica, Ava & Elise.

Ava & Elise with Grandpa at the 31st St. Beach in Chicago.

Nellicoat, the fancy restaurant on Randolph Street where we dined on my birthday with son Scott and daughter-in-law Jessica.

3) Then, of course, there was my birthday. We dined at Nellicoat, which used to be a different restaurant on Randolph, but is now very fancy.

4) July 28, Saturday: Chicago and the Doobie Brothers at Northerly Isle Pavilion (birthday celebration).

Northerly Isle Pavilion, July 28th, 2012: Chicago and the Doobie Brothers.

The Doobie Brothers appeared with Chicago this year (7/29/2012).

Chicago skyline at dusk.

5) Last, but certainly not least, I’ve been putting the finishing touches on “Hellfire & Damnation II,” which went “live” as an E-book on July 28th. It’s a truly entertaining book, with illustrations for each story and a great cover from Vincent Chong of the UK, plus a Fro the Author section explaining the inspiration for the stories. There will be a 5-day period when the book on Amazon Kindle will be free, but that has yet to be determined. Stay tuned for the exact dates, which will probably be near Halloween.

“Hellfire & Damnation II” available now in paperback from Amazon and Barnes & Noble and in Kindle E-book from Amazon. Stay tuned for free download dates, which will be somewhere near Halloween.

6) Lollapalooza has been ongoing in Chicago all weekend. I’ve been listening to the groups from my balcony, except when a very bad storm caused authorities to evacuate the park. The last band that got to play its set as originally scheduled was “Moon Taxi” from Nashville, friends of my daughter’s. At about 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, the high winds and rain swept in. However, the concert continued after a brief period of time, allowing the Red Hot Chili Peppers to perform, at least. On Sunday, Florence & the Machine and Jack White played and they sounded great.

Lollapalooza, August 3-5.

Twelve Tenors End Show in Chicago on Sunday, June 3rd

By Connie Wilson

On June 4, 2012

In Music, Pop Culture, Reviews

Jay McManus of the 12 Tenors and Me

The Twelve Tenors are one of the groups touring the country that were formed by 56-year-old entertainment entrepreneur David King, who was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in July, 2011, for his contributions to the entertainment industry, which consist of approximately 20 touring groups, all of them inspired by King’s 1996 exposure to Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance” onstage performance(s). Recognizing that there was a worldwide market for entertainment of this sort, King went on to bet the farm (and all of his wealth) to start Spirit Entertainment and form entertainment juggernauts such as this group of 12 handsome, suited Irish tenors, all of whom introduce themselves as Irish, although some are American-born of Irish stock.

Jay McManus, one of the 12 Tenors, onstage in Chicago (6/3/2012).

The group has a theater in Branson, Missouri, which was struck by a tornado and destroyed in 2012. Dolly Parton has offered the Twelve Tenors a starring role at Dollywood this season. Chatting with me after the show about their involvement were lead dancer and one of the singers, Jay McManus, from Galway Bay, who has been with the troupe for 7 years. McManus definitely worked hard for the money. His dance moves mid-performance were a big crowd-pleaser and made most of the mature audience dizzy just watching, I’m sure.

Rhys Tees, 23, (l), youngest of the 12 Tenors & Tim Oxbrow, 33, the oldest with 7 years with the group.

The troupe also sends its members into the crowd at various points, as they sing opera favorites from “Carmen” and “Turandot,” tributes to Barry Manilow, Frank Sinatra and the Beatles, and traditional Irish favorites like “Oh, Danny Boy” and “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.” In chatting with youngest member of the group Rhys Tees, who is 23 and joined the group in January of 2012, I learned that many of the group have permanent residence(s) in Branson, Missouri, and the age range goes from Rhys, the youngest, who is from London and trained at the Millennia School for the Performing Arts there to oldest-in-the-group 33-year-old Tim Oxbrow, who is single and has been with the group for 7 years.

Riverfront Tent in Chicago, seen from Japonnais Restaurant across the Chicago River.

: The 12 Tenors onstage at RiverFront Tent in Chicago, June 3, Sunday.

And the Winner Is: Phillip Phillips on “American Idol” Season Eleven

By Connie Wilson

On May 24, 2012

In Music, Pop Culture, Television

Phillip Philips & Jessica Sanchez.

I didn’t need to stay home to watch “American Idol” live, because I already knew that Phillip Phillips had the fan base to pull out the win. It’s not “fair,” in that his vocal talent was not and is not as great as that of either Jessica Sanchez of third-place finisher Joshua Ledet, but it proves, once again, that the show is primarily a popularity contest. Singing is secondary to likeability. The selection of Scotty McReery last year proves that and it has been proven once again.

The selection of the boy rather than the girl proves the bias towards female singers, also. Yes, there have been some female winners, but they are the exception that proves the rule. It is harder for a girl to win this contest than for a boy; maybe in the Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood years, the men, as competition, weren’t as strong. Whatever the rationale you settle on, there is no doubt that young girls vote (repeatedly, it would seem) for their favorite male singer, and this year, that favorite was Phillip Phillips.

When the Top Three made their visits home, Phillip’s father and his relationship with him were a network’s dream. The pawn shop owner was packing a pistol and Phillip even picked up his favorite stuffed turkey and toted it around the store. In the parade sequence, Phillip seemed genuinely touched, and there could be no doubt that he was overcome with emotion at the finale, as he tried (unsuccessfully) to finish singing his song “Home.” I found it touching and rewound and replayed the finale moment(s) more than once.

I find Phillip charming, too. He reminds me so much of a young Dave Matthews, and we certainly can use a young(er) Dave Matthews on the music scene. He writes songs and plays guitar, and his acknowledgement of his brother-in-law’s contribution to his musical success was another sign of the close-knit family from which he comes.

Not that Jessica Sanchez had a family any less close-knit, but, in writing for www.Wikinut.com, I found the half-Filipino/half-Mexican singer being trashed on that international site. Why was she not being praised? The answer is that she was being criticized by a resident of the Philippines for not being “Filipino” enough! I had previously thought that Jessica’s ethnic background might be a plus for her, initially, but, as it turns out, that vote did not materialize.

Those who say, “Well, it isn’t fair. Jessica is a better singer” have a completely valid point. To them, I say, “Is life always fair?” It certainly hasn’t been to me, of late! Talent in any field is not an entree to success if you have to curry favor and win approval of massive numbers of people to cash in on that talent. In the case of “American Idol,” which I have been following since 2007, it has not escaped my attention that someone the audience “likes” (Scotty, last year), rather than someone who really has the pipes will win every time. Remember Adam Lambert’s year? Does anyone really believe that Chris Allen was a “better” singer than Adam Lambert, who had already been in Broadway productions?

I enjoyed the finale, although I found some of it to be sub-par. The Neil Diamond medley and the Bee Gees medley did not “gel” and someone should tell Chaka Khan not to wear a skin-tight catsuit when backed by young women easily 30 years younger and 30 pounds thinner than she is at this point in her career. Also, the “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” number seemed to consist primarily of screaming and weird faces on the part of Jennifer Holliday, so the less said about that, the better.
As for Aerosmith’s outing as a band: liked it. Can’t help myself, I enjoy watching Steven Tyler dance around. I enjoy watching Mick Jagger dance around. I’m sure I will enjoy watching Phillip Phillips dance around, in years to come.

I predict bright futures for both Jessica Sanchez and, even more so, for Joshua Ledet. I think these fantastic voices will “live well and prosper.” I think that Phillip Phillips will also be one of the Idol winners who will go on to success. He has that “Q” factor that makes you want to root for him, and he seems to know what he wants to sing and who he wants to be as an artist.

One thought I had about 3 programs back is this: Whatever happened to the announcement that Tommy Hilfiger would be dressing the contestants and “advising” them regarding their fashion faux pas, this season? It seems he sank without a trace. Whover put Sklar Laine in her horrible outfit tonight, when she shared the stage with Reba McIntyre, should have their head examined. My God! What a horrific outfit for the poor thing to wear, given her particular figure flaws. Whose Big Bright idea was THAT?

I did think that Tommy Hilfiger’s “advice” seemed to consist primarily of showing the eager contestants a closet full of potential downfalls and letting them select whatever they wanted. That, to me, is not advice. It’s like taking your child to the candy store to instruct them on eating the right foods. None of the contestants seemed to look “better” after Hilfiger’s appearance on the scene. And then, like the Mad Hatter, he simply disappeared. It was weird. He didn’t ever help Jimmy Iovine to dress and look like an adult, nor did he save Randy from the embarassment of wearing a jacket that made him look like he owned a string of ice cream parlors.

The “group” numbers were weak, in general, and Fantasia, Chaka, Jordin, et. al. added little. On the other hand, it was fun watching Phillip sing with an icon and Joshua and Skylar seemed thrilled to be onstage with their idols (Fantasia and Reba, respectively). I also enjoyed the “live” onscreen proposal of Ace (from some long-forgotten season) to former contestant Diana DeGarmo. The comment he made about “taking Broadway” lends some support to the concept that these singers will go on to have careers in music. I know that I, personally, have seen Syesha Mercado and Constantine Maroulis onstage in Chicago in traveling Broadway productions:”Dream Girls” for Syesha and the upcoming Tom Cruise casting as Stacey Jax in the film version of the play is something to ponder.

I noticed Phillip Phillips, during his moments onstage when he was overcome by emotion and stopped singing, trying to spit out confetti that was raining down on the crowd. This confetti looked pretty substantial! It’s no wonder that Phillip gave up on singing the lyrics, given the emotion of the moment and the paper packing his mouth. It didn’t stop the drum major people in the background who kept marching back and forth as Phillip sang about “Home.” I think it was Phillip’s far superior song on the final night of competition that helped him win. Jessica’s song was shrieky and nonmelodic. She had done well up to that point, but song selection was never Jessica’s strong suit during her weeks on the show. She would go from superb, as with her Whitney Houston selections, to really stupid, as with the number she sang in sky-high heels that was her attempt at an “upbeat” number (“Set the night on fire…etc.). That little ditty really didn’t enhance her reputation on the show, and she has Gloria Estefan to thank for that particular miscue.

Phillip, on the other hand, seemed to select just the right song, even if it wasn’t a song any of us had ever heard. He was always interesting to watch and I enjoyed his awkward dance moves. I also thought that Joshua Ledet was the most “compleat” (British spelling) performer of the entire competition. And, for sheer spunky “Let’s get this show on the road” you had Skylar Laine.

Holly Cavanagh got some good moments during the finale, as well she should have. I enjoyed hearing her sing the perennial graduation favorite “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” I did not enjoy revisiting Colton Dixona and DeAndre Brackensick seemed unusually prominent during the men’s group numbers. I actually have forgotten the name of the chubby male singer that made it through primarily because Jennifer Lopez liked him. My spouse did not like Han whatever-his-name-was, the Asian singer, but it was nice to see Elise (Testone) again. This is one of the few “American Idol'” groups that I would potentially pay money to see, as a group. They were that good, in general. I’m still trying to remember the name of the 2 blondes (one with a new short hair-do, I think), because, like all of America, we forget our idols much too quickly.

Jessica Sanchez finishes 2nd on "American Idol."

Hollie Cavanagh Eliminated from “American Idol” on Thursday, May 10th

By Connie Wilson

On May 10, 2012

In Music, Pop Culture, Television

Jessica Sanchez

The inevitable occurred tonight on the elimination night of “American Idol.” Hollie Cavanagh, who had been in the bottom three so many times previously, was finally kicked off. Just before the announcement was made, you could see in her eyes that she knew she was being cut from the competition.

The remaining three contestants are Phillip Phillips, Jason Ledet and Jessica Sanchez. The Big Question of this year’s competition is whether it is going to be an All-Male Final Two, as one steady watcher thinks it will be, or if it will be the two strongest voices, Jessica Sanchez and Jason Ledet.

Phillip Phillips has all the teeny boppers on his side, and he is, indeed, charming. His vocals are not as strong as either Joshua’s or Jessica’s, but he is certainly an original, interesting, unique performer, and he seems to resonate with the voting public, much as Scotty did last year with his bass country-and-western vocals.

I don’t honestly have a horse in this race. I could live with any of the three winning, for a variety of reasons. The raw emotion registering on the faces of fellow contestants (especially Joshua) and judges, alike, (Jennifer Lopez) was touching as Hollie sang her final song. She did a great job with the lyric and melody that talked about how there are always other mountains to climb.

Carry on, contestants!