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Thursday, December 15, 2011

Clint Black

CLINT BLACK
The Stiefel Theatre,  Salina, KS
© Lydia Lowe  12/15/2011
I love the backdrop (unfortunately, it makes it difficult to get good photos)
Clint Black playing harmonica.
 
The Marquee outside the Stiefel Theatre 

CLINT BLACK . . . I had the opportunity to see Clint Black perform on Wednesday evening.  This was a make-up show from the week before.  Clint was suppose to perform on Thursday, December 8 but became ill and had to cancel.  This show was worth waiting for, though.

I'm not a country music fan.  I never really have been.  So naturally, I was curious to see what my reaction would be to this type of music.  I was familiar with Clint Black.  I knew who he was, that he wore a black cowboy hat as his trademark, that he sang country music, and that he was married to Lisa Hartman.   But I didn't know any of his songs and none were familiar to me as the concert began.

Clint Black and his band were impressive.  Every member of his band could play multiple instruments and I could tell that this was something they took for granted.  Everyone of them, including Clint, moved from instrument to instrument with such ease that you knew this had been going on for some time.  Never in my life would I have thought someone in the band would have pulled out a saxophone at a country show or that at one point Clint would play the drums.

Add into this show the fact that Clint kept throwing in one liners that had the audience laughing themselves silly.  He really is quite funny.  Clint is funny in the way that he would say things and you'd have to think just a bit before you realized what he'd say.  He's the thinking mans comic!

The place was packed with country fans and everyone knew all the words to all of his songs.  True fans in every sense of the word.  I had my favorites as well.  "Like the Rain" is one that I dearly loved.  Talk about mood music.  It made me think of the prairie right before a summer rain.  "Desperado", an Eagles tune, was amazing.  He stayed true to the way Don Henley sang it oh so many years ago.  Of course, Clint and the band got tapped for an encore.  The last song of the evening, and the last song of the encore, one of Clint's band mates sang "Josie", a Steely Dan song, and also accompanied himself on the saxophone.  Clint played drums on this song. 

It was truly a memorable evening.  I don't know if I'll become a convert to country music or not.  But you never know.  I sat down at my computer this morning and searched for "Like the Rain" because I just had to hear it one more time.  Apparently Clint Black, country music and his tunes stayed with me long after the concert was over.  That is saying something.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Darlene Koldenhoven

DARLENE KOLDENHOVEN
The McPherson Opera House,  McPherson, KS
© Lydia Lowe  12/11/2011

Darlene Koldenhoven
DARLENE KOLDENHOVEN . . . Little did I know that when we embarked upon an interview with Darlene on Saturday afternoon, that by show time, we would be filming her concert for her website.  We began as interviewers and fans, and became part of the show.  

Darlene is warm and welcoming.  She answered all of our questions.  Even after the interview was over, she answered many more questions that I had regarding some of the things that she had said during the interview.  I nearly didn't ask a couple of them because I thought she might think they were dumb.  But if she did, she didn't show it.  She gave me in depth answers to my questions about what goes on behind the scenes at the various musical shows she has performed at and insights into various performers, ( Streisand was a topic of conversation). 

Darlene's concert started out with background instrumentals and she provided the voice to the music.  It was quirky and different.  I had never been to a show like this and the first song she sang was a little disconcerting but after that, I can't imagine listening to her any other way.  She played the piano and did some improvisational singing with sounds.  Very jazz based.  I love jazz, so this was part of the program was a favorite.

One of my favorite songs of the evening was a song that Darlene wrote and sang, entitled: "Infinite Voice".  She has a CD with the same name.  If you get a chance to hear this song, or better yet, buy the CD, do it.  This is a CD that you will treasure forever, based on just this song.  It should be required listening.  Simply beautiful.

Other songs that really stood out for me: a trilogy of Christmas songs that she sang near the beginning of her show ("Gabriel to Mary, Weeping", "Joseph's Question", and "The Star to the Stable"), and near the end of the show: "Gabriel's Oboe" and Darlene's encore number: "Sous le dome epais".  Truly, though, I enjoyed everything that she sang.

Grammy winner, singer, songwriter, author, and voice coach . . . Darlene Koldenhoven is one busy lady.  Check out her website and go to her show, when she's in your area.  You won't regret it.  There truly is nothing like hearing her live.  Her voice will resonate with you long after the concert is over.

Darlene Koldenhoven

DARLENE KOLDENHOVEN
The McPherson Opera House,  McPherson, KS
© Lydia Lowe  12/11/2011
Jiggy (James Lowe), Darlene Koldenhoven, Me, Ross Long

Friday, December 9, 2011

The Celtic Tenors

THE CELTIC TENORS
The Stiefel Theatre,  Salina, KS
© Lydia Lowe  12/10/2011

Daryl Simpson, Matthew Gilsenan, Colm Rogan, and James Nelson
THE CELTIC TENORS . . . Unique!  These Irish lads are quite something.  I knew next to nothing about this group when I did a quick interview with them before the show.  They had arrived late for sound check and the interview almost didn't happen.  But after talking to them before the show and then getting to hear their music?  This is a group to watch.

The Celtic Tenors covered just about every musical genre, other than rap and heavy metal, in their own unique style.  Primarily they sang with piano or guitar accompaniment and let their voices be their instruments.  In fact, near the end of the show, they sang "Danny Boy" without instruments or microphones.  The auditorium was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.   And the audience . . . could hear them just fine!  The range and volume of their voices were some of the strongest I've ever heard.

Each member of the group had a signature strength.  Daryl smiled the entire time.  He smiled through the interview, he smiled through the show, and he was still smiling at the meet and greet afterwards.  Matthew kissed all the girls.  He gave me and my colleague a kiss on the cheek after the interview, he blew a kiss to a female audience member during the show, and he was still hugging and kissing all the girls at the meet and greet afterwards.  James was just himself.  He was friendly and knowledgeable at the interview.  He was friendly throughout the show and he was still very friendly at the meet and greet afterwards.  We didn't get to meet Colm at the interview but we did get to talk to him extensively at the meet and greet.  My colleague had on a Pantera t-shirt and Colm was very taken with it.  He asked Jody, my colleague, if she had liked the show since she was heavily into metal music.  He seemed stunned and confused when she overwhelming gave the show her seal of approval.

Something quite funny happened around the intermission.  At the beginning of the show, Matthew had a beard.  After the intermission, he did not.   We were quick to notice and then eventually it was pointed out to the audience.  Apparently he had orders from his wife to shave it off.  The big joke of the evening was that at all their shows, he has a beard for the first half of the show and then at intermission he shaves it off!

It was a terrific show and these guys were lots of fun.  Their talent is tremendous.  The meet and greet after the show was the icing on the cake.  Keep up the good work, fellas.  I hope they travel back through Kansas again, very soon.

 

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Jimmy Fortune

JIMMY FORTUNE (formerly with The Statler Brothers)
The Old Mill Dinner Theatre, Buhler, KS
© Lydia Lowe  12/04/2011

Check out Jimmy's new CD: "Windows".
Included on this CD is the song that he sang when he auditioned for The Statler Brothers.
 A Roy Orbison hit entitled, "Crying".


Thursday, December 1, 2011

Changes Are Coming!

     You may have noticed a new tab at the top of my blog.  A calendar.  If you can't get to it, don't worry, the calendar is under construction.  There will be more tabs that join the calendar tab as I go through this next year. 
 
     There is so much entertainment in Salina and the surrounding area.  I go to a fraction of the available entertainment in the area.  I'm only one person and can't get to it all.  I am, however, going to provide a calendar to keep everyone up to date on what's happening in the area.  If you have an entertainment event that you would like listed, shoot me an email, let me know what it is and all the pertinent info.  I'll get it put up on the calendar.

     Also, if you attend an event, take photo's, write a review or would just like to let others know about an entertainment experience that you've had out in the community, shoot me an email and let me know about it.  I'll post it on ReVue.

     It's an exciting time at ReVue!  This upcoming year is going to be full of surprises.  Don't forget to comment on the posts.  Good or bad, I'll post them for all to see.  The year's not over yet and I have a few more reviews to post this year.

     MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!