Finally Friday - Neil Diamond Revue Show

Oh Yeah - So Good, So Good. Sweet Caroline and More.   The Arlington Music Hall had a very fun music revue show - Neil Diamond tunes. 

Robert Neary's voice was a tad raspy and he said he was struggling.  But the man sounded like Neil Diamond and put on a great show.  He powered through.  The band was awesome - drummer, 2 guitars, trumpet, sax, and trombone. Wow.  Sweet Caroline, indeed

The gang - so fun, so fun.   We enjoyed  Cracklin' Rosie,  Sweet Caroline, Solitary Man...

Dang - so many hits.  Good times!

 

Finally Friday - I Love the 80s

Well it was actually Sunday August 20th when Ray and I attended an I Love the 80s concert at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth.  What the heck!  Fun flashback and live music. 

Dang it was mostly "old" people at the concert.  The good thing is we all pretty much sat to enjoy the music, and stood for the big numbers at the end of a set.  I never did want to stand through a whole concert, even back in the day.

Tommy Tutone opened at exactly 7:30 pm.  He was amusing and of course we could  all sing along - Jenny, Jenny 867-5309

Paul Young was a UK dude and I only knew one  song. His set was the  weakest. The man lost his voice and his looks. His big number was an old Daryl Hall song - Every Time You Go Away.  

Next up - Hooters - a Philly band. They still sounded great and were tight. Lots of great songs and energy.  And We Danced,  All You Zombies, Day by Day     I really enjoyed them after all of these years. 

Finally - our star, Rick Springfield. He's 74 but looks great - lean with  the leather coat, long hair. He's lost a bit of the voice, but still adequate. He talked, had videos playing of himself back in the day of pretty boy, General Hospital, etc. You can tell he was having a blast and could also laugh a bit at his image. And the finale song was Jessie's Girl - he had his shirt off, sang like crazy, and really ended on a high note. 

A friend sent me this photo - apparently sometime he was at a liquor store signing rum bottles. He and Sammy Hagar are in on a product.  He did put in a plug onstage and swigged some rum. 

Fun time all around and Ray was a good sport for taking me. He knew some lyrics too!
 

Movie Review Madness - Pitch Perfect 3

Pitch Perfect 3 is silly, campy fun and a great way to spend a winter two hours. Hang out with a tub of popcorn, listen to tunes, laugh, and come out smiling. The Pitches are back in fine form. 

Well, the Bellas are out of college and in the real world, and that’s a bummer. Anna Kendrick’s a music producer but feeling discouraged with the kids and crap she has to deal with. She quits. Now what?

Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson – so fabulous. Her throwaway lines are gems) is bumbling along. At a Bellas reunion, the ladies all agree they’ll do anything to sing together again. How about a USO show? They have a connection and suddenly are landing at a base in Spain. Hilarity ensues. Of course there’s a riff-off with the other bands (and they have instruments…shocking!)

Are there love connections? Yes. These ladies are on a military base for goodness sake.

Are there some daddy issues? John Lithgow appears from a long ago past to connect with Amy. But his nefarious past proves troublesome. Just go with the plot line. Rebel is vulnerable and strong.

Pitch Perfect 3 has awesome mash-ups and plenty of girl power. Don’t judge. I got my five dollars of matinee entertainment.  And hey, can’t go wrong with a George Michael finale tune – Freedom 90. Seriously, so uplifting. The Bellas are fine and ready for their own freedom in the world. Sing it loud!

Wordless Wednesday - Almost

 Christmas highlights - I got a Super Spirograph. I always ask for stuff that we can keep here and play with kids. I loved Spirograph as a kid myself. My father liked. it too. What a hit. If I'm in the mood to do something artsy, I'll be playing with my new toy.

 I don't think you can have Christmas and little girls without the appearance of Barbie. And her hair already looks like a tousled mess from her Corvette ride.

Music - here's the key - bang the maracas on the tambourine....try it.  (That gift left our home!)

Yes, we are brilliant and evil.....

Happy Wednesday

Wednesday With a Song

I treated myself a few Sundays ago to a symphony ticket. How glorious. As part of the Pops series, the Fort Worth Symphony presented Rodgers & Hammerstein show tunes accompanied by film clips. Basically, the symphony played and the singers on screen burst into song.

I knew them all thanks to my folks. My mother and father loved theater and show tunes and I grew up knowing Oklahoma , The King and  I, Carousel, Sound of Music, and South Pacific.  Wow - so many great songs.

If I Loved You, June is Bustin' Out All Over, There is Nothing Like a Dame, Some Enchanted Evening, Getting to Know You, Shall We Dance, Oh What A Beautiful Morning, and more....

I had a great seat in the orchestra section. The symphony did a grand job, and the clips brought back such awesome memories.  I was fortunate to actually see Yul Brynner many years ago in a touring production of the King and I  - holy cow - he commanded the stage.

Anyway, support your local musicians and go see some and hear some great tunes. I'll be going back, that's for sure.

already gone - Glen Frey

My father took me and Helen to our first big concert - it was The Eagles.........I think their first tour. The Spectrum in Philly. Boz Scaggs (!!!) opened.

Helen and I weren't old enough to drive so I'm guessing we were junior high age. My Dad was way cool and loved the Eagles from Day One. I chatted with him tonight (he's 84) over the death of Glen Frey and we mourned together.

Take It Easy............and so many hits.  The Eagles were the soundtrack of my life.

He passed at age 67 - not that old in this day and age.  I've seen the footage "the History of The Eagles" and they were so damn good. Great songwriting, good singing, and a lot of charisma.

David Bowie this past week..........now Glen Frey.............the soundtrack of my youth...........is passing away......

big sigh

But the music lives on............RIP Glen Frey