We’ve
got a Double Whammy of reviews for you today …
First
up, Forgotten Hits East Coast Correspondent, Shelley Sweet-Tufano …
Followed
up by an interesting batch of shows from West Coast Correspondent Gary Strobl!
Enjoy!
The last weekend in
July fell two days after my birthday and it also marked the beginning of my
concert marathon month of August. And because it IS MY BIRTHDAY WEEKEND, Kent
will indulge me with the beginning of this review.
Yes, the Saturday
night concert was Herman's Hermits Starring Peter Noone, and I want to talk a
bit about their opening act. The Sunday concert was Peter Asher and Jeremy
Clyde. We have run full circle on the “Which one is Peter and Gordon, and which
one is Chad and Jeremy?” confusion to be able to now answer with a simple,
“Yes.”
Elizabeth Silvia and
Adam Landry are a guitar playing, singing, young duo who are lucky enough to be
associated with The Stadium Theatre Performing Arts Center in Woonsocket, RI;
and thus be chosen to open the July 28th show. This girl has a powerful
voice and is strongly backed on vocals by Adam who is an instructor at the
center. Starting with Joni Mitchell’s, Big Yellow Taxi and ending with Hanson’s
MmmBop, they inspired the audience to clap and sing along. I became misty-eyed
a few minutes in as I thought about my own mission from the last 20+ years:
connecting disabled and non-disabled children to the world through the use of
music. Someone helped these two on their journey, and just maybe, I have helped
others.
Peter and his Hermits
were even higher energy than usual. Oh sure, I can attribute it to being my
birthday concert, but they knew nothing of that. And it would never affect them
in any way had they known. It was stifling in The Stadium Theatre … no, I mean
STIFLING, HOT, HUMID! Sweat was pouring down from the audience. I can’t imagine
what those stage lights were doing to Peter, Rich, Dave, Vance and Billy. I got
a slight taste of it when Peter had the lights turned on the audience for a
time … I think just to keep an eye on us … and we found ourselves in the middle
of the Amazon Jungle , climate-wise. The audience was screaming like they did
at 16. I look around and wonder where these loud teens are sitting, but no
screaming teens are visible. Again I am amazed at how much energy we can
muster up at these shows. I was with friends. We were having fun. The
performers were having fun. One of my best Birthday weekends ever.
Sunday morning finds
me driving from Woonsocket to Old Saybrook, CT, to attend The Kate Theatre
Performing Arts Center in an intimate setting, with a polished complexion that
is so reminiscent of Katherine Hepburn herself.
There is a small museum that
opens one hour before each performance and is just large enough to intrigue the
visitors into wanting to know more of Hepburn’s life. Everything (including the
bathrooms … and this is no small feat in the concert world) is crisp and clean
in a black and white motif with blinking theatre lights. I already know it is
sold out and why wouldn’t it be? A shoreline theatre town with an enormous
historical link to NYC and good seafood, there are probably not enough seats to
handle all who run to see Peter Asher and Jeremy Clyde perform together in
their first tour without Gordon or Chad. As it fills up, I see WTNH political
reporter, Mark Davis, come in and Forgotten Hits reader (and producer of
Strawberry Fields) Charles Rosenay arrive.
I have seen Chad
Stuart and Peter Asher, with an angry, frustrated Jeremy Clyde on a large
screen trapped in London. I have seen Chad, Jeremy and Peter at The Fest For
Beatles Fans. And now, I have seen Peter and Jeremy alone together. They think
it was confusing when there was Peter and Gordon vs. Chad and Jeremy in the
sixties? Well now we just never know who will come together. And COME TOGETHER
THEY DID.
In the lobby I was
told it was two 50 minute sets, separated by a break. In the theatre I
overheard that it would be two 45 minute sets with a 15 minute intermission. It
turned out to be a 65 minute segment, a 15 minute intermission and an hour and
10 minute ending. WOW! Every minute packed with songs, stories, videos and
pictures. I know they are off to The Chicago Fest For Beatles Fans and several
other tour stops so I will not reveal the set list, dialogue or any surprises
you will see when you go. Because you REALLY should go! I was able to view the
60’s world through the eyes of Peter, Jeremy and several of their friends as
The British Invasion first budded and then bloomed and blossomed fully.
Well, readers of
Kent’s Forgotten Hits … any questions?
Shelley
We'll be seeing Peter and Jeremy this weekend at The Fest For Beatles Fans here in Chicago ... along with our FH Buddy Billy J. Kramer, who invited us to come out as his guests.
Really looking forward to this ... we saw Peter and Gordon perform here several years ago ... and I haven't been to a Beatlefest in about a decade now! (kk)
************
Hello Kent,
How are you?
I was part of the SRO
audience at the Paley Center in Beverly Hills this evening to see the premiere
of the new PBS documentary My Music: Dionne Warwick - Then Came You.
It was a wonderful
documentary featuring rare music clips and informative and insightful
interviews.
These amazing music
performances were shown chronologically as Dionne Warwick's illustrious career
unfolded.
Larry King interviewed her
after the screening and she answered his questions with charm, grace and
gratitude.
It was indeed a magical
evening of music and conversation.
It is a must-see documentary for anyone who enjoys her music.
Check your local listing
for this very special PBS broadcast.
Also, here is my pass from
last week's concert with The Byrds and Marty Stuart.
I went with prolific
writer and good friend Harvey Kubernik on Tuesday night and then I got tickets
for Henry Diltz and me the following night.
Henry used to hang out
with Roger and Chris at the Troubadour when Henry was playing banjo in his band
The Modern Folk Quartet.
If the 50th Anniversary
of Sweetheart Of The Rodeo stops in Chicago, you don't want to miss it!
It was an absolutely
amazing show.
The musicianship was outstanding!
I am going to see Jackson
Browne at the Greek Theatre on Saturday and then Jeff Lynne's ELO at the Forum
on Sunday.
On July 22nd, I documented
an event in Laurel Canyon called Love Street Festival.
Musical guests were Micky
Dolenz and sister Coco, Wilson-Phillips minus Chynna (she was sick). Bijou
Phillips took her place. Owen Elliot Kugell also sang. Michelle Phillips sang
with all of them and the evening ended with the Robby Krieger Band.
All in all, it has been a
sizzling (literally) summer of music so far.
Huge hugs to you!
Thank you for everything you do!
That's What Friends Are
For,
Gary Strobl
Wow, these are some pretty amazing
events.
We’ll be seeing Jeff Lynne’s ELO on
the 15th of this month … and we can’t wait! Been waiting 18 months now (well, more like
thirty years if you consider the last time he toured The States!) and we cannot
wait to see it.
PBS ran a Dionne Warwick profile several years ago ... it'll be interesting to see what they've come up with for this new feature. (Any idea when it's scheduled to air?)
The Love Street Festival sounds
incredible … if you’ve written a piece on it, I would love to run it here in
Forgotten Hits so that others can enjoy it, too!
Thanks, Gary … always good to hear
from you! (kk)
Hello
Kent,
Here
is a nice little piece that AXS wrote up about the Love Street Festival in
Laurel Canyon on July 22, 2018.
I
think you should share this link with your readers.
It
encompasses everything that happened on that hot and sunny Sunday in the hills
of the mystical and legendary Laurel Canyon.
Cheers,
Gary
"Love Street Festival
is undoubtedly the best-kept secret in L.A. Somehow, in that magical space, the
future, the past and the present seem to all be rolled into one. Laurel Canyon
has been at the heart of so many of the songs we cherish. It’s inspired lyrical
masterpieces and continues to be home to the ‘creatures’ Morrison once so
poetically described. The beauty of the area remains, mostly because the
elements of what used to be, still exist. The idea is not to run it over with
crowds. It’s to preserve the neighborhood nestled deep in the canyon above
Sunset Boulevard, just as it is."
https://www.axs.com/legends-of-laurel-canyon-come-out-in-support-of-the-6th-annual-love-st-132012
FH Reader Tom Cuddy sent us this piece from The Hollywood Reporter, talking about the new PBS Dionne Warwick documentary ...
https://mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.src=ym&reason=myc#mail
FH Reader Tom Cuddy sent us this piece from The Hollywood Reporter, talking about the new PBS Dionne Warwick documentary ...
https://mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.src=ym&reason=myc#mail
