One Night With Janis Joplin: Review

Performance: "One Night With Janis Joplin"

Genre: Musical Theater

Date: June 14, 2011

Venue: Gerding Theater, Pearl District, Portland, Oregon

In 6 words or fewer: Wow! How does she do that?

Performance Review: The musical blast from a seven-piece band and “Janis” busts open the curtain for “One Night with Janis Joplin,” a bio-musical of woman whose singular voice died, we thought, in 1970. We’ve heard other actors play famous singers, but it’s one thing to knock off Johnny Cash, it’s another to strain the vocal cords and achieve the melodic screech for which Janis is remembered. Actress Cat Stephani pulled it off. Ms. Stephani also showed us the quirky-jerky mannerisms in a performance that outlined the life and influences Janis Joplin.

Before last night, about the only musical I really liked was the “Blues Brothers,” movie. “One Night with Janis Joplin” joins the list, (despite never having been a Janis fan). The music was front and center, with Janis’s oral memoirs spoken from her living room couch, it seemed. The pauses served the purpose of giving all a short break from the sometimes-overwhelming power of the music.

Just as master chefs offer salty with the sweet, “One Night With Janis” balances Janis’s voice with character of “Blues Singer,” who appears, at times, as Janis’s living memory. Sabrina Elayne Carten’s assured, soulful voice was the tasty yogurt over pepper-hot. As the Blues Singer, Ms. Carten covered Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin and Bessie Smith. She has a lovely voice, and she provides many true highlights of the show.

The Portland performance is the World Premier of the show, which they extended until July 3. The Estate of Janis Joplin cooperated with the producers. I suspect that this show will move on to other cities and create renewed interest in Janis, her life and her music.

P.S. Props to the other talents in the show: Singers Moriah Angeline and Marisha Wallace, and the seven members of the band.

Jim Wallace Plays the Blues at Halibut's, Concert Review

Performer: Jim Wallace Band

Genre: Blues

Date: June 10, 2011

Venue: Halibut's

In 6 words or fewer: Satisfying, laid back, classic blues

Link to Video: Jim Wallace Blues Video

Performance Review: Jim Wallace stuffed his four-member band into the corner of this little bar. Jim on blues harp, plus a blues guitarist, bass player, and a woman drummer. This great little group plays the classics with at just the right syncopation, passion and humor. Band members are skilled musicians who simply seemed to like themselves and like playing the blues. I was in a gray mood when I walked in, and felt good when I left. One can't ask for much more than that.

Venue Review: In the bad old days of segregation, banks offered African Americans home loans in Northeast Portland, but not in some other areas of the city. In the past quarter-century, the area has become more diverse. Alberta Street, in particular, has benefitted from businesses investing up and down the street over the past decade. Now, NE Alberta may be one of the best streets to walk up and down on a warm Friday or Saturday night. Lots of bars, restaurants and art galleries have taken root.

Halibut's bar is small. Guests enjoy the intimacy of someone's living room or basement. On this night, the volume perfectly fit the room. The drummer even used brushes instead of sticks. What's great is that the music begins at 8:00 p.m., an hour at which I'm actually awake. This night at Halibuts, I might have been the median age, another positive.

Halibuts has a full bar, and its other side is a restaurant. Patrons can buy food off the restaurant menu while in the bar, at least at the early hour of my attendance.

U2 at Qwest Field, Seattle, Concert Review

Performer:  U2

Genre: Rock

Date: June 4, 2011

Venue: Qwest Field, Seattle

In 6 words or fewer: Stadium acoustics mar great production.

Video link: U2 Live Pride (In the Name of Love)

Performance Review:  Bono & The Edge & 493 other tour employees produce a powerful rock extravaganza on the "360 degree" stage plus a  live video on a remarkable, changeable jumbotron hung under the "quadropuss."  That's what their rock revival tent looks like: an octopuss with four legs and a spire.  Under it is their oval stage with rotating bridges to the platform that circles the stage, from which the tour derives its name.  Within the circle is the "red zone," the high-rent area where people stand up-close and personal.

Any stadium show requires video for the distant fans in the stands.  U2 brings everything they need with them in what looked like about 30 trucks.  The jumbotron is amazing.  It is not static; at times, it stretched down to the stage floor.  After 93 shows, everyone knows what they are doing: the videographers, Bono, the video mixers, the lighting crew.  Pros. 

You know the music.  You know the band.  U2 delivered. 

Some of the video was preproduced.  The best introduced "Beautiful Day."  Bono spoke of Gabby Giffords and how she took a bullet for her public service.  The video showed the view of Earth from space. Then came Giffords' husband, Mark Kelly, on video from space, speaking to us and holding up words in zero-gravity.  Among the words was "It's a Beautiful Day." 

Venue Review: Qwest Field was built with acoustics in mind, but not for music.  One purpose for the roofs is to bounce sound down to the NFL football field and give the Seahawks a home field advantage.  Loud fans can cause chaos to opposing teams. Unfortuntaely, the roofs also cause chaos for music.  Initially, our seats were near the ceiling.  Literally, we could not make out the words of Lenny Kravitz, the warm-up act, or Bono.  It was just one loud, bassy, mush.  After a few songs, we gave up.  It was painful to listen, so wen went outside.  


Fortunately, we returned to find other seats that were not under the roof, and the acoustics improved.  However, literally, the band sounded better one block from the stadium after we left for good.  Others agreed: the sound that escaped the stadium was significantly superior to what paying customers heard. 

Officially, Qwest Field did NOT allow camcorders for the concert, but nobody frisked your cargo pants pockets.  These days, iphones can do video, which is what I used for the video linked above.  

Timing:  Ticket time 7:00.  Lenny Kravitz went from 7:30-ish to 8:20.  U2 started at 9:00-ish and rocked about two hours (which meant we had to cancel our 11:00 pm dinner reservations.)

Kelly Thibodeaux at the Trout Lake Country Inn: Concert Review

Performer: Kelly Thibodeaux and the Etouffee Band

Genre: “Swamp Rock”

Date: May 28, 2011

Venue: The Trout Lake Country Inn

In 6 words or fewer: Cajun Fiddlin’ in Northwest Forest

Video link: Etouffee at Trout Lake Country Inn.

Performance Review: Kelly Thibideaux only had one partner with him last night, but the two of them had enough energy to fill the room and get people moving.

Some sounds transport a person: Steel drums fly you a caribbean island; steel guitar buses you to Nashville, and cajun fiddle floats you to Nawlins (New Orleans). "Swamp Rock" as Etouffee bills itself, aptly describes their sound, but they also throw in some blues. No need for percussion instruments the way these guys attack their fiddle, harmonica, acoustic guitar and electric guitar. Throbbing music raised the pulse rate of the audience, even without dancing, which many enjoyed.

Venue Review: The town of Trout Lake, Washington is about 25 miles north of Hood River, Oregon, adjacent to a national forest and in the shadow of snow-covered Mt. Adams. The Country Inn is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. You walk into the old bar, where they serve up beer & wine. The main room is about the size of an elementary school gym, with a stage on the far end. The floors, walls and ceiling are all wood. The few tables and chairs get taken by those who arrive early to eat dinner. With all the saws, posters and other memorabilia on the walls, the place looks like it's been in use for 100+ years, which it has.

I happen to have a place within walking distance, so I love the venue. It’s a great place to relax around good people.

(This venue is not good if you are in a wheelchair.)