Get up outta your seats!
Went to see
Pink Martini at the Gaillard the other night.
Had enjoyed them before, right after we had elected a new Mayor.
He was invited to come up and play a song on the piano and later led a Conga Line through the gorgeous place!
That time I did not fall in line behind the Mayor but I did send him a photo and received a thank you on his City letterhead.
I decided to take a "selfie" as we waited for the show to begin.
Remembering my missed opportunity before, I hoped I could get more involved with the 10-piece band.
Boy, did I ever!
Shortly after they started, an invitation was issued to "the ladies in the audience" to come onstage to dance a number.
Many accepted the offer and streamed up the steep steps on each side.
I hoped there would be a chance for us guys to also climb up there.
A bit later, another offer was made for couples to come up and dance behind the band - a much larger space - so up I went.
The view from the stage was great.
I liked being behind - and among - the band for some outtasight angles as they played.
Pink Martini's lead singer
Storm Large belted out several tunes as we admired the scene from her viewpoint.
A fun, special offer that was gladly accepted.
I can't ever recall being onstage in such a beautiful setting.
Not that I am onstage that often.
Once, years ago, while chairing a tourism conference in Missouri in a small hall, I tapped the mic and said: "
Ahem, can you hear me in the back?"
A male voice loudly bellowed from a curtain behind me
"Yeah, yes I can."
It was really cool to look at the musicians and the audience in the huge hall from a VERY different viewpoint.
The drummer caught my eye and I trained my phone cam on him.
I shuffled around in my stage right corner, peeked into the curtained wings and soaked in a satisfying moment.
I HAVE been backstage at the
Music Farm, coming down the stairs from the Greenroom where the performers had idled and peeked onstage.
But, no "peeking" this time. Right out there among them!
And, yes, the "traditional" Conga line invitation later was announced and the audience members queued up and filled the aisles.
Eventually, they ended up crisscrossing the stage.
Maybe a Mayor was needed to organize and lead the bouncing, swaying procession?
Needless to say, that audience-involved activity was the finale of the show.
It was easier than usual to exit and head to my car.
Here are some additional photos from that delightful evening.
(Click on the links and photos for more details.)
Labels: "Storm Large, Conga Line, Leader Lauderdale, Mayor Tecklenberg, onstage at the Gaillard, Pink Martini, selfie., The Music Farm
"Give The People What They Want!"
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings are back. And, they're better than ever.
The Music Farm was packed - on a Monday night - to welcome Sharon back onstage from her battle with cancer.
Radiation treatments may have taken her hair but her energy and honest Soul Power has not been diminished.
Wow. I broke a sweat just watching her move around that stage.
The Dap-Kings American funk & soul band backed her dynamic performance as she showed she has NOT lost her groove, rhythm, feeling and explosive power.
Last year, just before release of their 5th studio record,
"Give the people what they want," cancer was diagnosed.
Instead of worldwide touring, it was hospitals and doctors.
But now she looks great, sounds great and keeps moving.
Yes, she kicked off her shoes. It's a trademark.
She leaned from the stage to tousle the hair of fans in the front row then rubbed her head and laughed.
She paced across the stage, back and forth.
Coming to the front, she'd pick out a member of the crowd and seem to sing to him or her.
Snappy steps.
Glides and hops.
Over by the 3-man horn section...smiling at the Conga player...sailing to the edge.
I had found a spot by the stairs to the balcony and held on to it for the entire hour and a half show and encores.
Obviously Sharon was glad to be back. Enjoying being onstage again.
The crowd gave its love and she gave it back.
She says that's what got her through the medical ordeal - performing for her fans.
I had been down in front of the stage the last time I saw her at The Farm.
That night she invited some of the ladies to come up on stage and dance with her.
This night she selected two men from the audience. Both had lots of hair!
The first young man whipped out his phone and took a few "selfies" with Sharon.
Then, the lead guitar stepped over and photo bombed one of the shots by sticking his face in between them.
The second fellow was a "Mountain Man." Huge guy. He was easily half again as tall as Sharon but quick on his feet as they danced together. Funky.
The crowd loved it.
The first man climbed down off the stage, this man just stepped down. Yikes.
As Sharon left the stage after her encore, she tried to touch as many people as she could.
Yes, she was back.
And we're glad.
(Click on the photos for more details.)
The link should let you listen to tracks from the new album.
Glad to see her back in front of the crowd.
Lawdy!
Labels: a great Monday night crowd, hospitals & doctors, Mountain Man, selfie, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, The Music Farm, worldwide tour
Blues On A Saturday Night....
Went downtown for a production called
"Night Of The Blues" at the Music Farm.
MICHAEL MARTIN PRESENTS offered us Asheville's
Blond Blues as the opener and the headliner was
The Jimmy Thackery Trio , down from Washington.D.C.
Master guitar man Thackery, founder of a wildly popular band The Nighthawks, shook up the place.
People were dancing, clapping and pumping their arms in the air. Whew.
His longtime bass player was Mark Bumgarner and Russ Wilson on drums.
It was an early show - for The Farm - and there were many familiar faces in the crowd.
People often seen following the blues at the
Pour House, Home Team BBQ and, formerly, at
A Dough Re Mi.
They too had come downtown for the first show by music producer Martin.
Toward the end of the nice, long uninterrupted set, Thackery and bassist Bumgarner left the stage so the drummer would be featured. Russ Wilson then dazzled the crowd with an amazing drum
"solo."
At one point he was pounding away with TWO sticks in each hand and then tossed one set over his shoulder.
THEN, he reached down behind him, picked up a marching drum and stepped down from his riser.
The crowd applauded as he quick-stepped to the front of the stage, playing a snappy tattoo before returning to his drum set.
At the end, Michael Martin thanked the enthusiastic crowd and he promised this would be the first of many shows he plans to bring to Charleston.
(Click on the photos to see a larger image. A Blues audience is a little older - and wiser. I saw many were wearing ear protectors. I had mine.)
Thanks for stopping by. Support live music.
Labels: Bass Mark Bumgarner, Blond Blues, drummer Russ Wilson, Jimmy Thackery and the Nighthawks, Michael Martin Presents, Night Of The Blues, The Music Farm
That time I did not fall in line behind the Mayor but I did send him a photo and received a thank you on his City letterhead.
A fun, special offer that was gladly accepted.
