The audience at The Orpheum Theatre in Wichita, Kansas was in for a treat as Lisa Rock and her band performed their tribute to the music of The Carpenters, in a show entitled “Close to You”. 

Rock’s vocals were rich and deep, reflecting Karen Carpenter’s sound. The show featured nearly all of The Carpenter’s 15 number one hits, as well as a few others that they covered, during their heyday. The band kept the music fresh and lively. It was hard not to sing along and dance in your seat as the band laid down track after track and Rock’s vocals encouraged the audience to sing along to old favorites.

Through the evening, Rock provided background information regarding how the songs came to be recorded. One started out as two lines from a commercial, although a complete song did exist. The song was “We’ve Only Just Begun”. Richard Carpenter heard Bette Midler sing a song on The Johnny Carson show one evening, he re-arranged and re-purposed it and it became the song, ”Superstar”. Rock also sang the title song from The Carpenter’s 1970 Oscar win, “For All We Know” from the movie Lovers and Other Strangers.

Of course, Karen Carpenter was the major topic of the evening. Rock kept her all in our thoughts throughout the show. While the show was a celebration of her life, her work, and her music it also featured a somber side due to her premature passing.

Rock has kept the show going for 12 years, through 400 performances, and as she’s toured 40 states. Truly an inspiration to be able to keep the show fresh and relevant. If you get a chance to catch it live, buy that ticket, you won’t regret it.