Stevie Wonder - NIA Birmingham

The howling wind and rain surrounding the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham belied the warm glow felt within it’s walls for the “[Stevie] Wonder Summer Night’s Tour”.  To suggest that early October is a Summer night is pushing it a bit, even for the most eccentric promoter, but the feeling inside the arena was not one of being glad to be out of the rain or any thoughts of weather or the poor excuse for British summer.  This night it was all about the music and, I’m sure, for most of the audience, the chance to see a living legend.

“Legend” is banded about and tagged on to numerous people these days, from mediocre pop stars and footballers to TV presenters famed for being particularly useless and many more talentless no-marks beyond.  But do not allow the “Legend” moniker to be devalued by such people when you think of Stevie Wonder.

I’m not going to tell you how many great songs Stevie Wonder has written and performed from his “Little” Stevie Wonder days onwards.  If you want to see his discography to remind you of the hits and the albums, then try his own website or wikipedia.  But I will remind you that Stevie Wonder was 58 on his last birthday (he was signed to Motown at 11).  Which, when thinking of his musical output and influence, is nothing short of astonishing.

But back to the gig:  Unsurprisingly, he was led onto the stage to a raptuous reception and it can be fair to say that he had nothing to prove to the audience nor would it have taken much effort to make people’s nights.  He could have performed a cut down version of his greatest hits and left after an hour and we all would have gone home happy.  Instead, we were treated to almost two and a half hours of glorious music.  Yes, he did many of his hits (even if he had stayed on stage till the early hours, he could not have run through them all).  He opted to play segments of some of them in a bid to squeeze as many in as he could and it also had the desired affect of the audience cheering and applauding with delight when their favourite tracks were played.

What was surprising to me was the amount of music the veered away from the big hits.  The backing band were happy to go along with any musical direction that Stevie led them in, spanning a broad range of musical styles and also a quite magnificent jam where each band member was introduced and had their moment to shine.  For me, the energy and enthusiasm of the band really shone through in that period, as when each band member took up their solo, the others turned towards them to watch, admire and applaud.

Stevie was particularly vocal about getting some crowd participation going and he seemed to revel in hearing the audience singing their hearts out for him.  It was enough for him to do it without making the more cynical amongst us beginning to think that we were doing his job for him.  He also used his opportunity to put his full support behind Borack Obama’s bid to become president - even to the point of getting a crowd of people in Birmingham, England to sing Obama’s name.  If Stevie can exhort that sort of influence over here, I imagine Obama must be a shoe-in back in the States.  He also gave us some homespun advice about the world being one group of people and that all of the boundaries of race, religion, countries, etc shouldn’t detract from the fact that we are all people and that we really should think about that more often.  Wise words, I thought.

So, after he played constantly good music for the best part of two and a half hours, he left the stage to a standing ovation, as he now leaves the UK to head to Australia.  And we returned to a cold, wet and windy night a little bit warmer inside and happy that for years to come we will be able to tell people that we saw Stevie Wonder in concert and that he was great…a legend

Wild Child at The Whisky-A-Go-Go

The Doors made their name at the Whisky on Sunset Blvd, so it was fitting that a Doors tribute band, Wild Child, were performing while I was staying in LA.  If the blog title doesn’t give it away, I’m a huge Doors fan, so this was as near as I am ever going to get to seeing the Doors…apart from the gig me and Gaz went to last year, where we saw Ray Manzarek and Robbie Krieger with their band.

Is there such a thing as cool hobo bohemian chic?  It’s what I thought when I stepped out og the cab on Sunset, funnily enough, at sunset.  There are a few bars, shops and restaurants and it was either the light or the free wine I enjoyed at the hotel that made me really like the place. 

The Whisky looks a little run down and that suits it perfectly.  There were already a few people waiting outside, so I wandered up the street to get a beer and maybe something to eat.

After a couple of beers and a huge bowl of pasta, I went back to join the queue of people filing in.  There, I met Susan.  She was in front of me in the queue and started talking to me.  So, I had a friend for the gig, which was nice.  Even though I have been travelling on my own for 3 months, it’s still nice to have some company when I’m out and about.  I later lost her in the crowd (it got really busy), but she helped pass the time until the band came on, as did other people around me who were all keen to talk Doors which was great.

I proudly declared my Ray Manzerek/Robbie Krieger gig attendance, only to be out done by a girl who saw not only them, but also John Densmore when they toured with Ian Astbury, as the 21st Century Doors.

When the band finally came on, the place was packed and the performance was eagerly anticipated.  It did not disappoint!

You had to squint pretty hard to convince yourself they looked like the Doors.  It actually seemed like only he lead singer was really putting in the effort to look like Jim Morrison.  He had the leather pants, the boots, the shirt and the necklace, even the hairstyle.  He also seemed to mimic Morrison’s stage poses and actions.  But, despite his efforts, he didn’t really look like him.  Which isn’t the point anyway is it?

They sounded like the Doors and they steamed through a set that covered all of the hits and all of the fans favourites.  I think they did over 25 songs (the jack and coke has blurred my memory).  They were definitely on top of their game as musicians (the drummer was outstanding) and the singer, although not as rich in baritone as Morrison, hit the right notes and he seems to have perfected hi Morrison scream.  The crowd loved it.  I loved it.  It was great to see such a mixed crowd of Doors fans bouncing around and singing along in unbridled joy.

With the gig over and the crowd leaving, I decided to go into another bar where another band were just about to start.  Star Fucker - a band made up of people who played in other bands - I believe one of them was in Guns ‘n’ Roses.  They were crap.  I decided to call it a night and head home after considering a trip to the Viper Rooms, but deciding against it.  Technically, I did still see where River Phoenix died, as the cab went past the club and Phoenix did die on the pavement outside, I think.

And so it was with a bit of a headache I awoke on the 4th of July…

Kung Fu Panda

“Skadoosh!”

I always refer to going to the cinema as “going to the pictures” or “going to the picture house”.  It’s a generational thing - before multiplexes on industrial estates, there were picture houses.  Proper theatres that had perhaps 3 screens.  Before the film came on there would be an advert for the chippy across the road.  Your bum would be numb before the trailers finished.  That sort of thing.

In Westwood Village, next to Beverly Hills in L.A., there are several picture houses.  These picture houses have ornate fronts with lots of lights.  Think of the picture house in Back to the Future and you’re on the right track. 

Most of these picture houses have premieres.  In particular the Fox theatre.  There’s a premiere there just about every week and the stars roll up in limos for the screening.  So, think of Will Smith shuffling uncomfortably in his seat because his bum went numb before the opening credits.

If it’s good enough for those guys, it’s good enough for me.

I already had high hopes for Kung Fu Panda.  I like Jack Black and I like talking CGI animals, so it was sure to be a winner…and it was…sort of.

There’s a really heavy reliance on Jack Black to be, well, Jack Black.  I often wondered how much of Jackie Chan, David Cross, Angelina Jolie and Seth Rogen’s lines ended up on the cutting room floor.  Perhaps the character interaction between Black (useless at Kung Fu Panda) and the others (highly skilled martial artists) would have slowed the pace.  But it was the glimpses of it that left me wanting more, rather than the extensive action scenes.

The actions scenes were a bit of a blur, so it seemed appropriate that they were periodically slowed down to show you that it wasn’t just a cloud of dust with the odd fist or leg sticking out.  If anything, it was the action sequences that I found a little tiresome.  So the characters ping off walls and thump and kick each other, but, other than watching it take place, what does it give you?  The humour and, in particular, the attention to detail of Black’s character, so it mimics all of his facial expressions were the real plus points and, for me, gave me much more as an audience member.

On the whole though, it was good clean fun.  Entertainment for kids and adults and it had enough laughs in it to have me chortling to myself.

If you saw the disappointing Over the Hedge and expect better, then this is the movie to restore your faith in the whole CGI thing.  It’s a simple movie that follows a simple narrative and doesn’t try to be too clever for it’s own good.

I even forgot about my bum going numb halfway through.

The Beatles Love - Cirque Du Soleil at the Mirage

Heart stopping.

Breathtaking.

It sounds like watching Cirque Du Soleil interpret the music of The Beatles might be dangerous, but it is the performers who are defying death.

We had restricted view seats, as that was all that were left and when we sat down we faced the side of a huge screen curtain.  There were four such curtains that effectively quartered the stage, just as the audience were in quarters around the stage - the spectacle must be able to be viewed from all angles, so our hopes were raised a little.  Besides, when booking the tickets we at least knew the music would be good - that was guaranteed.

The lights lowered and some spoken words from each Beatle edited together slowly built into an introduction.  Then, just as the drum solo (Ringo’s only drum solo for The Beatles) from Golden Slumbers kicks in, the huge curtains drop and from that point on, not only do we have a great view of what is going on, we couldn’t take our eyes off it!

The music fits well with the performance or vice versa.  I have the album and I didn’t really take a shine to it, as it felt strange to hear the songs segue together and also to hear a bit of a song rather than the whole thing.  However, I shall revisit it after seeing this show.

The performance is amazing from start to finish.  Performers descend from the heavens, rise from the basement, slide in through the air from right above our heads, wheel in on a VW Beetle (the reg is that from the Abbey Road album cover) and so many more stage entrances and exits.  All of the performers are aided by props and costumes that seem to fit the bill just right: quirky and definitely circus, but inkeeping with the music.

At times, I was drawn into the music - attempting to identify snippets or happily foot tapping along.

At times, the music faded and I was drawn into the light display, the big screens and the overall look of the auditorium.

At times, I was watching individual performers and their gracefulness as well as the amount of effort and hard work they were really putting in.

At times, I was mesmerized by the stunts being performed - there were moments when it really did look dangerous, but the stunts were carried off with precision.

There does seem to be a storyline throughout the show.  It’s a little confusing, but I think it follows along the lines of Britain following World War 2 and how it blossoms into a generation of love and peace.

There are clowns of sorts.  Four fellas, I presumed to be artistic representations of The Beatles, but I could be wrong, with Ringo by far the most prominent as he attempts to hand flowers to any woman near him.  There are other characters that come and go: a (sort of) narrator come ring master and a priest, who doesn’t seem to say anything and acts like Christopher Lloyd in Taxi, to describe but two.

The technical precision that takes place between performers, props, stunts, lights and music are astounding.  I gazed around and the entire audience looked awestruck.

To say it’s all very trippy does not really carry the weight with which it all forms stunning scenes throughout.

I really can’t recommend this highly enough - if you like The Beatles, you’ll love it, even if circuses are not your thing, as this is a far cry from Billy Smart’s!

Speed Racer

At the IMAX theatre on Navy Pier, Chicago.  Cost: $15

WOW!  Maybe it was the 80ft screen, maybe it was the superb surround sound, but WOW!  That was some film!

It is visually stunning.  I thought that Sin City had pushed the boundaries and blurred the lines between genres, but this is something else.  I don’t know how quite to some it up.  How about technopsychadelic?!

It looks like a cartoon or a CGI movie, but it has the feel of live action, if that makes sense?  It has a glossy sheen and vibrant colours that I assume mirror the cartoon on which it is based.  I have very vague recollections of the cartoon; only a few signature moves and his outfits ring any bells with me…oh, and the monkey.

To match the look and feel there is a story adequate enough to engross you and it has an unrelenting pace that belies it’s 135 minute running time.

I don’t know if this is typical of American audiences, but the whoop and holler a bit and there was a round of applause at the end.  It is also reassuring to know that even in other countries, nay continents, I still get stuck behind Kareem Abdul Jabbar or Sideshow Bob - this time it was the latter.

The cast were excellent.  Emile Hirsch reminds me of a young Ewan McGregor.  Christina Ricci looked amazing and wasn’t in it enough for me.  Susan Sarandon seemed to be attempting to get her bosom into every shot - no complaints there.  Even the kid wasn’t too annoying.  My only reservation John Goodman as Pops.  His presence served to remind me of another cartoon / live action movie, The Flintstones, but maybe there are only a few big fat American actors about.  Actually, I have another reservation, but it’s more of a personal one; I don’t like seeing monkeys in human clothes.  Perhaps it’s due to those PG Tips adverts when I was a kid.

A final word then, or four: GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

At the Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway, New York.

Having previously seen a musical (see Jersey Boys), I had promised myself that I would also see a ’serious’ play.  Tennessee Williams is widely regarded as one of the greats and this production had Terrence Howard, who I thought was terrific in the excellent Hustle & Flow, and James Earl Jones (yes, Darth Vadar’s voice) in it, as part of an all black production.

The obvious comparison would be to the Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor movie, but thankfully that is avoided, as I have never seen it.  I didn’t know much about it at all other than it is a family drama set on a plantation in the deep south. 

My ticket, bought legitimately from the box office, cost $96 and my seat was excellent - about 15 rows from the front.  ” Far enough away to avoid seeing how much the actors sweat, but close enough to see their faces”, I heard someone behind me remark.  The set seemed small, but that added to the claustrophobic, hot and humid atmosphere generated on stage by the set, the actors and the lighting.  Each act was played in and out by a saxophonist.  The tune was a steamy, sexy tune that made it perfectly suited.

I should, firstly point out that Terrence Howard is no longer in this production.  His face is still present on the billboard, but he has been replaced by Broadway debutant Boris Kodjoe.

The play opens with Kodjoe as Brick, the retired sports star turned drunk, in a steaming shower as the saxophone plays.  Almost every woman, and quite a few men, audibly gasped at the site of Kodjoe’s naked back.  I didn’t think that a drunk would have a physique like that, but let’s just put that down to jealousy - nobody else was complaining.

Shower interrupted.  Maggie, Bricks’s frustrated wife, in a powerhouse performance from Anika Noni Rose, makes her entrance.  Seemingly not to be outdone, Maggie soon strips down to her underwear and it is my turn to gasp.  She really is quite stunning.  Her appearance, though distracting, does not take anything away from her machine gun rapid delivery of what is essentially a monologue, occasionally punctuated by Brick’s drunken remarks.  It is a tour de force from Anika, as she single-handedly provides all of the details as to what is going on within this household, whilst at the same time revealing her own emotion and desperation, particularly with her husband who would rather go to bed with a bottle than with her.  But she also shows a determination to stick with the situation until something gives - like a cat on a hot tin roof.  While Anika’s performance has a fluidity, Kodjoe seems to be consciously hitting his marks and making his cues and in doing so he makes for an unconvincing drunk.

Following a ten minute intermission, a huge cheer greets Phylicia Rashad, as Big Mama.  Despite having an extensive and varied CV, Phylicia Rashad is best known for being Dr Cliff Huxtable’s wife, Clair, in the god awful Crosby Show.  The years of forcing herself to laugh along with a gurning Cosby in garish sweaters seem to have had no detrimental affect, as she is quite simply outstanding.  She blusters and rushes about the stage in a performance of raw emotion - tears stream down her face.

And there it hits me.  In Big Mama, we are seeing an older person, but a person of similar desperation and determination to Maggie.  With Big Mama, she faces the same uphill struggle to convince her husband that she truly loves him and in doing so has to put up with all sorts of shit.  Like a cat on a hot tin roof.

A huge standing ovation meets James Earl Jones as he enters the scene as Big Daddy, the patriarch of this plantation dynasty.  He shakes up the whole theatre, never mind the stage, as he bellows and swears his way through the scenes.  It is almost too much - almost, but not quite, reaching the point of scenery chewing.  There were times when he seemed to stumble over lines, either James Earl Jones lost his way, or this was another facet of his performance.  That aside, there were times when he bellowed that I could not understand what he was saying.

For me, a key scene is the heart to heart (a rather stilted one, at that) between Big Daddy and Brick as they both begin to reveal their reasons behind causing their women to be cats on hot tins roofs.  It looked like James Earl Jones was, at times, trying to coax a performance out of Kodjoe.  Don’t get me wrong, Kodjoe hits his marks and delivers his lines at the right time, but the sheer feeling radiating out of the other actors does not come.

The final act, again following on from a ten minute intermission, brings things to a head.  This act is much more of an ensemble piece, as other characters and their motivations come to the fore.  Giancarlo Esposito (whom I recognise from his film work, e.g. The Usual Suspects), as Gooper the older but less valued brother of Brick, really grasps his chance to shine.  His previous appearances in the play are for comedic value or as the brunt of others’ comments.  These moments have clearly happened to Gooper all his life and when he gets his chance to vent, boy does he vent.  It really did appear to me that in that moment Gooper had his chance to be heard and he takes it.

It strikes me that Gooper too is a cat on a hot tin roof - prepared to put up with not being the favourite son, if it means his dreams of running the plantation are realised.  At least his desperation is shared by his wife Mae, played excellently as a subtle combination of bitch, to Maggie, wife, to Gooper and mother to her many children…of course popped out in an effort to please Big Daddy.

The play ends with all cards laid on the table, including a final confirmation that Brick truly is his father’s son and I was left wondering what might happen next.

This powerful story is laced with humour and the production is expertly presented.  It got, deservedly so, a massive standing ovation.

Jersey Boys

The 3pm show on Sunday April 13th at the August Wilson Theatre, Broadway. My ticket was bought from a tout (I think they’re referred to as Scalpers here) for $120. The cover price is $122 - bargain! Thank you Eileen M Petri. Without you this would not have been possible.

In light of recent revelations about children’s care homes, this show has an unfortunate title…and there is no mention of Bergerac.

So, I’d decided that I would go and see Jersey Boys. I like Frankie Valli & the 4 Seasons and it seems more of a credible show, i.e. it’s a biopic like The Buddy Holly Story, rather than a contrived show around an artists music, e.g. We Will Rock You. Besides, Jersey is prettylocal, so it all sort of fits in with the trip so far.

The show starts with a few references to Jersey that the rest of the audience gets and I don’t and the comments raise a few laughs. The story is a little thin and moves pretty quickly. The guys playing the original 4 Seasons are good. Let’s face it, the 4 Seasons’ sound is their own and it is testament to the cast that they are able to create a sound so similar.

Narrators by way of different 4 Seasons fill us in on what’s going on, butit seems to be all aboutthe music. Barely a minute goes by without another tune kicking in. Frankie’s voice occasionally becomes a bit shrill, butthat could just be my ears adjusting to the unique falsetto sound. The stage is utilised well enough to depict the scenes without resulting to major set changes. A few chairs and a concentration on the characters in the scene are enough.

The audience seems a little muted. Perhaps this is due to it being a Sunday afternoon crowd. Special mention to the elderly couple next to me. Every punchline in the show was repeated by her to him. If he’s hard of hearing, then full credit to her for doing it. If it’s an annoying habit on her part, then full credit to him for not telling her to shut up. Also kudos to the show for the full on swearing. It’s like a musical Goodfellas! Interestingly enough, this show also features Joe Pesci. He’s a character in it because he was actually instrumental in the group getting together. Who’d have thunk it?!

 

[INTERMISSION}

It’s like the audience were given a half-time team talk. They’re a lot more into it. There are even a few sniffles when Frankie Valli sing to his dead daughter, who then appears and sings with him (what’s that all about?).

The show continues at a relentless pace. One of the only issues I have with it so far is that I have no idea what year we’re in and so what part of the overall 4 Seasons career we’re in. I finally realise that the whole narrator thing is represented by a different season (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) being displayed and a different 4 Season (band member) narrating.

The show concludes with a where are they now section; 1 retired, 1 working for Joe Pesci, 1 dead and 1 still Frankie Valli). The show gets a standing ovation and we all dance about a little bit, as we clap along to their few final numbers. There then follows a particularly heartfelt plea for charity donations - it’s a Broadway thing that’s raised over $70 million. I decide that they can get along without my donation, although I almost change my mind when I see a female cast member collecting.

I retire to a nearby bar, Papillon, for a coffee and reflect on the show. I can’t help wondering how many others the eventual Frankie was up against. It must be difficult to find someone small in stature, but big in vocal range. I guess that’s why this particular Frankie looked a little more pudgy than I would have thought.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. Most of the jokes hit home and the songs are great. The dramatic aspects seemed to be paper thin, almost as though they do not want to spend the time delving deeper, as it would get in the way of the musical numbers. But it’s really about the music.

As a side point, Oprah Winfrey Presents The Colour Purple - The Musical, is on down the street…I kid you not. What next? Schindler’s List?!