6 posts tagged “music”
Guess what! Today Mr. G surprised me with tickets to see Eric Clapton! So now I have two shows to look forward to this year: Clapton in May and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers in July (that was Mr. G's Valentine's Day gift to me). Isn't he the best?? I wanted to see Bob Dylan when he was in town last summer, so these concerts will kind of make up for missing that one.
I'm also still keeping my fingers crossed for a Paul McCartney or Ringo Starr tour. I'd be willing to travel anywhere in the country to see them—and then we could add another entry (or two) to our list of rock 'n' roll trips. So far we've been to Cleveland (in 2001) to see a John Lennon exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; to Las Vegas (in 2002) to see Paul McCartney play the MGM Grand; to Memphis (in 2005) to see Graceland, Sun Studio, and the Gibson Guitar Factory; and again to Vegas (in 2007) to see Beatles LOVE.
We've also thought about driving to St. Louis sometime to see Chuck Berry perform at Blueberry Hill. The guy will turn 88 this year and he's still rocking the house once a month. I just hope we don't put off that trip until it's too late ...
This time last week, Mr. Guycita and I were at The Mirage in Las Vegas, watching the much-hyped extravaganza known as Beatles LOVE. I'd never seen a Cirque du Soleil production before, so I walked in with few preconceptions. What I did know was that (after having listened to the LOVE soundtrack several times) I really liked what George Martin and his son Giles had done with throwaway takes of classic songs.
Unfortunately, I think the show hindered my enjoyment of that music.
Don't get me wrong: The show itself is fabulous. The acrobats are amazing (in fact, I think they forever ruined the circus for me), as are the dancers. The production values and special effects (especially during "Within You Without You" and "Octopus's Garden") are top-notch. And I don't think there is a bad seat in the house. If you are a fan of the stage, you will love Beatles LOVE.
But if you are primarily a fan of the music (as I am), you may be disappointed. The sheer sensory overload makes it impossible to take in everything that's going on, and I was forced to tune out the music in order to absorb what was happening in front of me. Also, the storyline that the Cirque du Soleil folks have concocted around the lyrics can seem like it's stretching them a bit more than it should (for example, "A Day in the Life" becomes the soundtrack to the death of John's mother, and "Come Together" is reimagined as a free love anthem). But that's not to say that none of the interpretations are successful: "Something," with its simple set and beautiful dance, is especially mesmerizing.
What I realized during the show is that the music of The Beatles does not need any visual accompaniment. The best images are those you conjure up in your own mind, which is probably one reason their songs have stood the test of time. My favorite part of the show, in fact, had nothing to do with acrobats or dancers, snazzy props or fancy lights, or anyone's interpretation of the lyrics: It was the footage of the actual Beatles that rolled at the very end. That's what it's all about, man.
That said, Mr. Guycita and I had a great time on our trip, surrounded by more Beatles merchandise and music than we would be in probably any other spot in the world (besides Liverpool itself). As you can see, I was giddy with excitement, and Mr. Guycita played along (what a good sport):
Over the weekend, Peru marked 186 years of independence from Spain. To commemorate the occasion, Mr. Guycita and I observed our quaint tradition of stuffing ourselves at the local Peruvian restaurant.
One of my cousins is doing much more than that to celebrate Peru's rich history. He lives in the beautiful mountain town of Cajamarca, and for the past four years he has been a part of the Asociacion Cultural Origenes. The aim of this nonprofit organization is to educate young people about Peru's folkloric tradition. They do this by putting on demonstrations of traditional dance and music throughout Peru and abroad (including Ecuador, Chile, and soon Spain).
My cousin's roles in the ACO include organizing events, arranging the music, and playing bass for the dancers. I couldn't be more proud of the work he is doing. Watch as his group performs the beautiful marinera, a dance typical of northern Peru:
And here is a (rather long, but very interesting) dance they did at the Mitad del Mundo. My cousin says it's their best act:
A week ago today, I attended a funeral. The person in the casket was not my ailing grandmother in Peru, nor was it my aging grandpa here in the States. It was my 21-year-old cousin.
When my mom called to tell me the terrible news of his death, I could not believe my ears. How could such a young, seemingly healthy man go to bed one night and never wake up? I knew he was a good kid, so drugs or violence were out of the question. A dozen scenarios swirled through my head, and it wasn't until after the funeral was over that I learned he'd apparently died of sepsis. No one had had any idea that he was sick.
I feel bad that I did not know my cousin very well. He was nearly a decade younger than I, and most of my life our families had lived hundreds, if not thousands, of miles apart. When I did see him at family gatherings, he was quiet and kept to himself. My attempts to draw him out of his shell were met with a shy smile and a twinkle in his eye, but our interactions never went far beyond "Hi" and "How are you?" I didn't know that my cousin had a girlfriend of five years, whom he planned to marry. I didn't know that he had so many friends who looked up to him and whom he ministered to. And I didn't know that he was a poet and a songwriter, or that he was a gifted guitarist and a talented vocalist, or that he had a band that had just finished recording its first demos.
At the visitation, his family wanted to give a CD of his band's demos to everyone who came to pay their respects, but so many people showed up that they ran out. Mr. Guycita and I were lucky enough to snag the last one, and I'm sharing my favorite track here.
Each time I listen to this song, I marvel anew that this quiet kid was capable of emitting such a powerful sound. It turns out that my cousin was a pretty cool guy, and I wish I'd known him better.
I'm not a chick-flick kind of gal, so when a friend asked me (and Mr. Guycita) to go see Music & Lyrics with her a few months ago, I was fully prepared to hate it. Much to my surprise, I actually thought it was a cute movie, and I left the theater newly in love with Hugh Grant.
What won me over? It was the brilliant faux-'80s music video at the very beginning (and end) of the film. I would almost buy the soundtrack just to have that song, but since I can't bring myself to do that, I decided to purchase the ringtone. Now I'm going to have to restrain myself from dancing whenever anyone calls me!
When I was in the 1st or 2nd grade, my parents gave me and my brother a record entitled Gee, Our 1st Album! Produced in 1982 by Showbiz Pizza (which later merged with Chuck E. Cheese), it featured Billy Bob, Mitzi, and the rest of the Animatronics gang (aka The Rock-afire Explosion) interpreting various hits from the 1950s to what was then the present day.
The track list on this gem paid tribute to some of the best rock and pop artists ever. The Rock-afire Explosion covered everyone from Elvis ("Little Sister"), Paul McCartney ("My Love"), and Billy Joel ("You May Be Right"), to The Yardbirds ("For Your Love"), The Doors ("Light My Fire"), and The Rolling Stones ("Satisfaction"). They also delivered a moving rendition of "Unchained Melody," by The Righteous Brothers, before rocking the house with a fab Beatles medley.
My brother and I listened to this album over and over and over again. It introduced us to an amazing era in music—and left a deep impression on my musical sensibilities. It may sound silly, but I really cannot overstate the influence this record had on me. (Would I still be obsessed with The Beatles had I never owned this album? It's scary to even think about it.)
I do wonder, however, how the Showbiz Pizza folks ever thought that some of these lyrics (such as "I can't get no satisfaction" or "Remember how I found you there, alone in your electric chair? I told you dirty jokes until you smiled") were in any way appropriate for their target demographic. Is it wrong that I nevertheless plan to introduce my future kids to this masterpiece as soon as they can operate a turntable?
