My last concert of the summer was both a surprise and a delight. A friend provided a ticket at the last minute to a performance at the local amphitheater by James Taylor and his band (and thus, the surprise), and the concert itself was pure delight. First, the weather couldn’t have been better. Sunny and a little too warm most of the day (low 90s), the temperature eased off as the sun dropped down and, softened by a pleasant breeze, was perfect for an evening under the stars. Arriving at the venue about two hours before the music was to start, I staked out a perfect spot on the grass with my lawn chair and blanket. Well back from the stage but just opposite the center mic, I enjoyed a great vantage point for both people-watching and concert viewing.

As I mentioned yesterday, I’ve always enjoyed Taylor’s music; he takes that clear, pure, emotive voice and wraps it around an assortment of genres (blues, folk, rock, jazz, country) and makes them his own. This was my first chance to see him in a live performance, and while I was pleased that the playlist included his most well-known and -loved songs (”Fire and Rain,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” “Sweet Baby James,” “Carolina in My Mind”),  I enjoyed the variety of other tunes it included. We got a sampling from his latest Covers album as well as a few folk songs from the first half of the last century and what Taylor jokingly referred to as a few “state fair” numbers.

Taylor was backed by four superb voices. David Lasley has been singing with James Taylor for nearly three decades, but check out his bio to see what a remarkable career he’s had as a solo artist, song writer and backup for other performers. And Andrea Zonn provided vocals as well as beautiful fiddle/violin accompaniment throughout the show. Larry Goldings on keyboards provided great, jazzy sound; and Bob Mann (guitar) and Jimmy Johnson (bass) showed great versatility whether in rock, blues or country mode.

It was interesting to compare the acoustics on this night with that of Tuesday’s Crosby, Stills & Nash concert, and I really didn’t notice any of the unpleasant qualities from that earlier performance. I’m sure Saturday’s near-sold-out audience helped buffer some of the ambient sound, and fewer speakers may also have contributed to better sound. Most importantly, though, just has to be the fact that James Taylor still has excellent control of a voice that is just as strong and true as it was at the start of his career, and he has assembled great musicians and vocalists to help him deliver the music. Playing straight through for more than two hours, together they presented a truly fine evening of music.

I really can’t imagine a much better way to end the last full week of summer than with such a great evening. The memories will carry me through the dark, wet days of winter and keep me looking forward to more great outdoor events next year.

–Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

This week I had the great good fortune to take in not just one but two outdoor concerts. We’d had tickets for some time to see Crosby, Stills and Nash as part of the Britt Festival’s summer concert series. But yesterday afternoon I learned that a friend had an extra ticket to the final performance in the series for last night — for An Evening with James Taylor. I’ve enjoyed his music from day one, so it was a no-brainer to jump at the chance to go (and Harry was tied up attending the high school football game, so I didn’t feel guilty about going without him).

The other concerts we’ve seen through the Britt this summer have been at its venue in Jacksonville, but these two this week were both at the Lithia Motors Amphitheater on the grounds of the Jackson County Expo Park, just a few miles from our house. In fact, there have been evenings this summer when we could sit on our patio and pick up a little music wafting from that direction. While it seats 5,800 (about 2,000 in reserve seats and the rest in lawn seating) — 3,000 more than the Jacksonville site — and has better sight lines (no trees or light towers in the way), aesthetically and acoustically it has some challenges. First, it sits no more than perhaps 100 yards from Interstate 5. Tuesday night Stephen Stills speculated that he could use his 5-wood from the stage to drive right over it. Three miles in the other direction is the municipal airport, but at least the flight pattern is not directly overhead, and few commercial flights go out in the evening. We found that the competing noise from those transportation corridors wasn’t terribly distracting or overwhelming, but the designers of the amphitheater could have improved the acoustics with a better choice of materials. The ample, wide bowl is backed by concrete block walls which bounce sound back very efficiently (NOT a good thing!). David Crosby gave a few “construction notes” as he wryly pointed out the “other band” that was playing just a second or two behind them from the back of the place. His solution? “You could throw some blankets up over those walls or something!”

Nevertheless, it didn’t take long to just settle in and enjoy the tunes. Unfortunately, there were a LOT of empty seats and open lawn area for C, S & N, which I’m sure didn’t help the sound difficulties. While Crosby and Graham Nash still seem to be able to hit their notes crisply and with power, Stephen Stills’ voice took a long time to warm up and certainly hasn’t the range or strength it used to. I’ve always loved the harmonies this group wove together, and they were still able to do so — “Guinnevere”  still has that mystical/magical quality. Especially later in the evening — perhaps part of that as the sound crew adjusted to the conditions of the site – their voices seemed to meld more solidly together in both their old hits and some new covers they performed. They spoke of potential plans to put together an album of such pieces (by the Stones, Bob Dylan, James Taylor and others), and it was nice to get a mix of the oldies with some new and underplayed stuff. And I must say that whatever Stills may have lost vocally has not affected his guitar-playing talents in the least. He was simply awesome all night long. By the end of the two-hour concert, with the crowd on its feet, he and his bandmates had delivered on their promise to present us a “fiery ball of rock and roll.”  

I’ll share my impressions of James Taylor and his band tomorrow.

–Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

Twenty-eight years ago today, Harry and I embarked on our journey through life together as husband and wife. Through those years we’ve brought two new souls into the world (lovely daughters Sarah and Jenny), bought three houses, worked through major job changes,  supported each other through the loss of parents, battled health issues and ridden through both the highs and lows that everyday life sent our way. After all that time, I am pleased to say that we still make each other laugh, enjoy each other’s company and put up with each other’s idiosyncracies. This weekend we didn’t plan any kind of major celebration but nevertheless enjoyed a few “dates” together.

Friday night saw us making another trek over to the Britt Festival in Jacksonville, Ore. (a short drive from our home), to take in another great concert at the outdoor amphitheatre there. (I wrote about the Moody Blues concert we attended there earlier this summer). Once again we brought along our own picnic supper and wine to enjoy before the music got started. This time the headliner was Creedence Clearwater Revisited, the band founded by original Creedence Clearwater Revival members Doug “Cosmo” Clifford (drums) and bass guitarist Stu Cook. We had seen the group play about six years ago (and got to chat with Cosmo after the show, an impressively fit and VERY nice guy who is a golf fanatic — Fran, take note!) and knew we were in for a great show. First up, though, was the Karen Lovely Band. Based locally here in the Rogue Valley, Karen is a lady singing the blues with a powerful set of pipes, backed by a hard-rockin’ band. Jeff Pevar on guitar impressed us with his creative licks. Having won some regional blues competitions, these folks could really be going places.

CCR played for a solid 90 minutes and then followed up with two encore sets. John “Bulldog” Tristao provides lead vocals that don’t leave you hankering for John Fogerty’s, and Tal Morris on lead guitar was a joy to listen to and watch. Along with Steve Gunner on keyboard, harmonica and acoustic guitar, they played virtually every CCR hit you can think of (”Suzie Q,” “Proud Mary,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Lodi” and on and on). The audience members (made up mostly of we baby boomers) thoroughly enjoyed themselves, dancing, clapping and singing along. (Concert pet peeve: when the people directly behind you sing louder than the band . . . and don’t know the lyrics!)

Last night we took in Taking Woodstock at the local multiplex. We thoroughly enjoyed the film (tie-in with Friday evening’s entertainment: CCR played at Woodstock, albeit at 3 a.m. following the Grateful Dead); few “name” actors but some really nice performances. Eugene Levy’s Max Yasgur was delightful, Richard Thomas (remember John-Boy Walton?) makes an appearance, and Liev Schreiber inhabits a character who is just a bit different than those you’ve seen him play before. Afterwards we drove over to Ashland, home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and several excellent restaurants, B & Bs and eclectic shops and galleries. After a bit of window shopping we chose Alex’s Restaurant and Bar for dinner. It’s housed in a Victorian-era brick building alongside Lithia Creek, and because we arrived after the theater crowd had dined and departed for their shows, we got a prime table outdoors on the balcony above the creek. We enjoyed a great meal on that pleasant, warm evening and decided we were looking forward to what the next twenty-eight years might bring.

–Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader 

Just this past weekend Harry and I enjoyed one of our favorite summertime activities: taking in an outdoor concert. I don’t know if it’s luck, fate or some subconscious choice on our parts, but for the last 20-some years, we’ve managed to find homes that are in fairly close proximity to some outstanding outdoor amphitheaters. Last summer I mentioned two of these in a blog about summer concerts — Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, Wash. (about two miles from our then-house) and the Gorge at George, Wash. (about 40 miles’ drive from our place in East Wenatchee). Happily, our new home is equally blessed being sited close to a great concert venue. Jacksonville, Ore. (less that 10 miles from the house), has been home for decades to the Britt Music Festival. While at its inception the focus was primarily on classical music, these days the acts booked there run the gamut from country western to African folk music to rock. On this particular evening, we were looking forward to enjoying the music of The Moody Blues.

 One of the aspects we appreciate most about the Britt is that one can bring in whatever food and drink one wants. No need to buy overpriced, unappealing (and barely warm) food or beer (not cold enough) or wine not to one’s taste — outstanding! One thing we don’t particularly enjoy is the lack of parking anywhere near the amphitheater. Jacksonville is a charming little town established in the mid-1800s during a gold rush boom, and it boasts a shopping district with all the original storefronts and streets lined with quaint Victorian houses and churches (The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid was filmed here). All that original architecture means that the streets are no wider than they were in the horse-and-buggy days, so we found ourselves lugging the makings of our gourmet picnic uphill (because of course the venue is set in a natural bowl on a hill above town) from quite a distance in the full blaze of the late-afternoon sun. Once settled on our blankets on the green lawn under the shading pines, a cool glass of Chardonnay in hand, we forgot that inconvenience and settled in to people-watch, visit with our fellow concertgoers and nibble on our appetizers.

Right on time, the band appeared with little fanfare and no warm-up group. Original members Justin Hayward, John Lodge and Graeme Edge were joined by newer additions Paul Bliss (keyboards and guitar), Norda Mullen (great flutist!), Gordon Marshall (drums) and Bernedette Barlow (keyboards). I have to say that, unlike some of their contemporaries who are also still rockin’, Hayward and Lodge still have clear, strong voices, and Edge’s rendition of the “Breathe deep . . . ” monologue in “Nights in White Satin” retains its wonderful, deep resonance. They played for a good 45 minutes before taking a 20-minute intermission, playing both well-known tunes as well as those less familiar from several of their albums.

Just as the band returned for their second set, we looked up to see the space shuttle Endeavor, a fast-moving point of light among the stars emerging in the darkening sky overhead, tracking directly over the site . . . a nice addition to a lovely evening. We enjoyed another hour or so of great music, concluding with “Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band” and “Nights in White Satin” before a double encore of “Question” and “Ride My Seesaw.” By the time the last note was played, the audience made up mostly of we aging baby-boomers was on its feet and loud in its approval.

I’m happy to say we’ve got tickets for at least two more shows this summer; what a treat to look forward to!!

–Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

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Almost everyone is familiar with the Best Picture Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire. Well, it seems myself, my colleagues and my friends have a weird knack for running into its stars!

It all started in February. Fran Gallagher and I were in Los Angeles for a few meetings, en route to more meetings in San Diego. We were at a meeting at Creative Artists Agency, and on the way out we noticed Anil Kapoor, the actor who portrayed the game show host in the movie. I had not yet seen the film, but Fran had. This was right in the midst of the Academy Award buzz, and Kapoor was on his way to becoming a “name.” Fran told him, “Great job!” and we went on our way.

Then, just last week, my friend Beth, who lives and works in New York City, took advantage of the city’s Restaurant Week and had dinner at Tao. Guess who was seated just a few tables away? Dev Patel and Freida Pinto, the two leads in the movie. As Jamal and Latika, their stories stole the movie. Never one to be shy, Beth asked the real-life couple for a photo, and they happily obliged.

Maybe it is the season of celebrity sightings. In January, the GT staff met Patrick Warburton at our awards event. Anna Pudzianowski caught a glimpse of Sigourney Weaver leaving the Hotel Bel-Air. Dick Evans spent an evening in NYC with the likes of Bernadette Peters and Martha Stewart. Jackie Adam and Dick Evans shared a flight with Victor Garber. Both Beth and Dick spotted Angelina Jolie filming in NYC. Last year, Alex Young, Dick and I lunched at the same restaurant as Melanie Griffith and Sharon Stone. Anna and I spotted Anna Faris doing a photo shoot on Rodeo Drive. I (sorta) saw Beyonce in Connecticut last weekend. John is always meeting stars and sports figures. Even if one is not a celebrity follower, it is always fun to catch a glimpse.

Tomorrow night, Jackie and I are off to the Elton John/Billy Joel Face to Face concert at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park. Perhaps a chance encounter with the famous musicians is in the cards for us?

–Kimberly Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive

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