Sunday March 16th at the Brown Theatre The Soweto Gospel Choir will be stopping in all the way from Soweto South Africa for a 2 night engagement. This 52 member choir has been mixing traditional hymns, African gospel, and secular pop for over a decade. To commemorate their 10 year mark and arrival in Louisville, we are giving away a copy of their new CD 'Divine Decade.' just leave a comment here or email louisvilleisforlovers@gmail.com and tell us one of the actors from the 1989's A Dry White Season, a film about the 1976 uprising in Soweto (or just leave your name, it's up to you) and we'll announce a winner around March 1st.
The Soweto Gospel Choir will be at The Brown 3/16 & 17. tickets start at just $15.
Showing posts with label The Brown Theatre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Brown Theatre. Show all posts
Friday, February 21, 2014
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Review of The Swell Season at The brown 5/29
THE SWELL SEASON & JOE MANNING 5/29 - REVIEWED BY MARY KING (JOHN'S MOM)
First, John missed an incredible show. he was supposed to go, but is also working on some work for an art show in a few weeks, and ran out of money, so i let him use the ticket money on supplies. but he still missed a good show; Joe played well, Normal Joe sound. he is a nice guy, a friend of my Son's. i first heard his music when he did "i know you rider" for louisville is For lovers 5. i loved that song.
Glen Hansard was like a jack rabbit hopping around all over the stage! It was like he had music going on in his head all the time.
He is a real proud pleaser, and has a following from about 20 year old-to my age (which i won't say exactly). the ladies love him, but there was equal parts men and women in the audience. but, it also doesn't hurt that he is super cute.
He is a real pro, he even extended the concert by 45 minutes during the encore. you could tell he really enjoys coming to louisville. he talked about how the first time he was here he past the Brown Theater and thought "one day... and now this is the second time we've played here."
he talked all about coming to louisville for the first time and meeting lots of interesting people, and 'crazy musicians' which i'm sure one of those is my son. John told me about meeting him and hanging out with him years ago when The frames played at headliners. his friend Rachel Grimes introduced them. The Fiddle player even said hello to her on stage, and she hollered back! so, John, i wasn't the loudest person there. ha.
the fiddle player, i think his name is Collin, did a solo on a 300 year old folk song, and got a standing ovation, it was awesome. you could tell all of the musicians love what they do.
Glen played all of the songs of his i love, and even covered my favorite Willie nelson song, Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain, from "Red Headed Stranger" he really won me over with that. and he did it perfectly, he didn't change a thing. i love that song.
he even improvised a song at the end, and the band did a fabulous job keeping up with him. at first they looked at him, like "what is this? but then they jumped in and Marketa joined in on the Piano, and it came together nicely. it seemed he was having so much fun, and didn't want the night to end.
his asking the audience to join in on songs, and teaching them songs, it was so much fun.
they ended with an old irish song about a man at the end of his life, just wanting his friends to share and drink and not be sad about him dying, it was very touching.
-and now i have something to say about Marketa Irglova: she never interacted with the band, she stood very still, unlike Glen, but her beautiful voice is full of pain, and maybe that's why she wasn't overly energetic.
She has a lovely voice, but she is very timid, and appears very shy on stage. their recent break-up shows. she sings with pain in her Heart. she must still love him. everyone i overheard in the lobby said the same thing. if she put out an album of torch songs it would be great. the songs she sang that she wrote were sad and beautiful. Glen helped her with "The Crossroads". they were all good songs, but that one is really a beautiful song.
one of my friends that was there, said it hasn't been that long since they were last together. i think He Broke up with her. Marketa said on stage, that it was sad that the tour was ending, it's obvious that she is still in love with him, and stays on tour just to be near him.
John says she's too young for him, but she doesn't look like she's too young. i hope that they don't break up the music group because of their personal history, because the group as it is, is perfect. as far as their own story, i don't know. what i saw on screen was the perfect love story, but so was 'sleepless in Seattle', but Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan only had two scenes together in that movie! and in 'officer and and a gentlemen', Richard Grear and Debra Winger hated each other off screen, but were great Lovers in the movie, so you never can tell what is or could be.
First, John missed an incredible show. he was supposed to go, but is also working on some work for an art show in a few weeks, and ran out of money, so i let him use the ticket money on supplies. but he still missed a good show; Joe played well, Normal Joe sound. he is a nice guy, a friend of my Son's. i first heard his music when he did "i know you rider" for louisville is For lovers 5. i loved that song.
Glen Hansard was like a jack rabbit hopping around all over the stage! It was like he had music going on in his head all the time.
He is a real proud pleaser, and has a following from about 20 year old-to my age (which i won't say exactly). the ladies love him, but there was equal parts men and women in the audience. but, it also doesn't hurt that he is super cute.
He is a real pro, he even extended the concert by 45 minutes during the encore. you could tell he really enjoys coming to louisville. he talked about how the first time he was here he past the Brown Theater and thought "one day... and now this is the second time we've played here."
he talked all about coming to louisville for the first time and meeting lots of interesting people, and 'crazy musicians' which i'm sure one of those is my son. John told me about meeting him and hanging out with him years ago when The frames played at headliners. his friend Rachel Grimes introduced them. The Fiddle player even said hello to her on stage, and she hollered back! so, John, i wasn't the loudest person there. ha.
the fiddle player, i think his name is Collin, did a solo on a 300 year old folk song, and got a standing ovation, it was awesome. you could tell all of the musicians love what they do.
Glen played all of the songs of his i love, and even covered my favorite Willie nelson song, Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain, from "Red Headed Stranger" he really won me over with that. and he did it perfectly, he didn't change a thing. i love that song.
he even improvised a song at the end, and the band did a fabulous job keeping up with him. at first they looked at him, like "what is this? but then they jumped in and Marketa joined in on the Piano, and it came together nicely. it seemed he was having so much fun, and didn't want the night to end.
his asking the audience to join in on songs, and teaching them songs, it was so much fun.
they ended with an old irish song about a man at the end of his life, just wanting his friends to share and drink and not be sad about him dying, it was very touching.
-and now i have something to say about Marketa Irglova: she never interacted with the band, she stood very still, unlike Glen, but her beautiful voice is full of pain, and maybe that's why she wasn't overly energetic.
She has a lovely voice, but she is very timid, and appears very shy on stage. their recent break-up shows. she sings with pain in her Heart. she must still love him. everyone i overheard in the lobby said the same thing. if she put out an album of torch songs it would be great. the songs she sang that she wrote were sad and beautiful. Glen helped her with "The Crossroads". they were all good songs, but that one is really a beautiful song.
one of my friends that was there, said it hasn't been that long since they were last together. i think He Broke up with her. Marketa said on stage, that it was sad that the tour was ending, it's obvious that she is still in love with him, and stays on tour just to be near him.
John says she's too young for him, but she doesn't look like she's too young. i hope that they don't break up the music group because of their personal history, because the group as it is, is perfect. as far as their own story, i don't know. what i saw on screen was the perfect love story, but so was 'sleepless in Seattle', but Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan only had two scenes together in that movie! and in 'officer and and a gentlemen', Richard Grear and Debra Winger hated each other off screen, but were great Lovers in the movie, so you never can tell what is or could be.
Friday, April 3, 2009
'One Night of Queen' concert review
I'll start by saying I have never been an over the top Queen fan. I know people who swear by them and I saw plenty of ‘em Tuesday night at the Brown Theatre. I am familiar with quite a few of the popular songs but as high school kid of the 90's, my first real thought when I think of Queen is the scene from Wayne's World when Wayne and Garth rocked me with "Bohemian Rhapsody" in the AMC Gremlin. Oh yea, there's also the ass kicking "We Will Rock You" that you can thank every competitive sporting event in history for ruining for me... thanks. I quickly found out what I missed from a live Queen show when Gary Mullen and the Works of jolly old England hit the stage.
When it comes to cover bands I'm always skeptical of what I'm in for and my first question is usually; will they do the original band justice? Are these tribute bands riding the coattails of their idols merely for monetary purposes or is a true love that makes them get out there and perform numbers from bands of the past? With a little help from friends, I learned to look at these cover bands as a window into the past of something that I can't experience anymore, if I was even old enough to have enjoyed it in the first place. Gary Mullen is one of those die hard Queen fans, telling the story of a show that can no longer be told by the originals. Back in 2000, Gary’s love of karaoke led him to a television show in the UK called "Stars in their Eyes" performing as Freddie Mercury and won the competition. With his band "The Works," One Night of Queen was born and have toured the world ever since.
The concert itself was supercharged from the beginning; Gary embodied Freddie Mercury in voice as well as in action. From his flamboyant dancing around the stage to participation with his audience, he was Freddie to a T; it was uncanny really! Again, I'll say, I'm not a diehard fan but if I would have closed my eyes, I could hear no difference from an actual live recording of Queen. The band was spot on performing "Somebody to Love", "Under Pressure" and many other classic Queen tracks. Like many other tribute shows, the crowd ranged from baby boomers to young children. While the kids may have just been brought by parents who forgot to get a sitter or if they were just trying to turn them on to some different music, a good time was had by all. It amazes me how excited people get and makes me realize that at one time they had a special relationship with the music if you will. Like how I feel when I put on the Weezer blue album; the bliss (and pains) that were high school memories come rushing back and its 15 years ago all over again.
As I have been asked to review two tribute shows from the past now at the Kentucky Center venues maybe I should compare the shows; I think not. It would be difficult to really pit the two shows against one another from only my stand point; the Pink Floyd Experience had a far better light show but Pink Floyd was known for their light shows. Gary Mullen had a phenomenal stage presence that really brought Freddie Mercury back on the stage for many; the Pink Floyd Experience didn't have that action but only because David Gilmour and Roger Waters didn't really move from their stage stations of space rock. I think I've made my point that the two shows from roughly the same era (at least overlapping) simply cannot be compared to one another. They both brought something very valuable to the table; they bring important music of the past to the attention of younger generations while letting others a chance to relive a time they fondly remember.
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