May Favorites

Present Laughter: Those who follow me closely might realize I saw this play in April, and it is a terrible oversight on my part that I did not include it in last month's blog post, since it is one of the funniest pieces of entertainment I have seen this year. Kevin Kline is an absolute delight and the perfect fit for the lead role of an actor who doesn't quite realize he is past his prime. However, this is an ensemble production that offers some wonderfully meaty female roles, and indeed the whole cast is extremely strong. As with most Noel Coward plays, Present Laughter is both laugh-out-loud hilarious and highly intellectual. It is a play that could be seen many times over and never get old, in part because the audience is in on all the jokes from the beginning and in part because this cast is so spot-on in their delivery.

"Dance Right Here", JT Hodges: In the vein of JT's previous hit "Ray Bans", "Dance Right Here" is an infectious bop that is instantly catchy and indeed makes me want to dance whenever I hear it. Even though JT positions himself as a Country artist, this song is pure pop. It's a perfect summer song that adds a kick of sunshine to any playlist.

Bang! The Bert Berns Story: Back in 2014 I saw an off-Broadway musical, based on Bert Berns's life and featuring his music, called Piece of My Heart. It was an okay musical with very good music. You see, Berns wrote such mega-hits as "Twist and Shout", "Tell Him", "Baby Let Me Take You Home", "Here Comes the Night", "I Want Candy", "Piece of My Heart", and "Hang On Sloopy". He also produced songs and albums for artists such as The Isley Brothers, Solomon Burke, and Van Morrison. However, while many of Berns's songs and producing credits have become deeply embedded in pop culture, the man himself (who died in 1967 at the age of 38) has largely been forgotten while his peers like Phil Spector, Burt Bacharach, and Leiber & Stoller are widely celebrated. Bang! The Bert Berns Story is a must see film for anyone who loves 60s pop music. Berns's son co-directed the film, and Berns's wife is one of the featured commentators (alongside industry veterans and prolific figures like Paul McCartney, Van Morrison, and Keith Richards) offering humorous and touching anecdotes about Bert. However, the film doesn't come across as biased. Rather, it's a well crafted portrait of a man who deserves much more recognition than he's received. The film showcases a brilliant career that ended far too soon, along with the love and respect that Berns's family and associates clearly had for this passionate, creative man. I am still in awe that one person could write so many major hits in so short a time.

Vaquero, Aaron Watson: Country music stations in Oklahoma are the real deal; they're so much better than anything on Sirius or in the North East. In the slightly over 24 hours that I was in the great state of Oklahoma, I heard quite a few top notch Country songs on the radio, the kind that are so good that I was actively googling lyrics and noting the songs and artists down in Evernote. One of those songs was "Outta Style" by Aaron Watson, and it was one of three songs I downloaded as soon as I got home. A week later, I was at Target in Massachusetts and happened to see Vaquero, Watson's latest album from which "Outta Style" is the lead single. I picked it up on a whim, having heard none of the other songs. As it turns out, this is one of the best album impulse buys I've ever made; no regrets here. Vaquero is full of catchy tunes with thoughtful lyrics, fantastic melodies, and memorable guitar licks. The whole album is unapologetically pure Country music, which seems like a bit of a throwback in the current Country music landscape. I pretty much had the album on repeat non-stop for a week. While there is not a dud among the sixteen tracks on offer, I definitely have some favorites, led by the the previously mentioned "Outta Style" and the exuberant "Amen Amigo". Other highlights include "Run Wild Horses", "Take You Home Tonight", "These Old Boots Have Roots",  and "One Two Step At A Time".

Midland EP, Midland: Speaking of throwback Country music, I am so in love with the band Midland and the voice of lead singer Mark Wystrach. Every song on this EP makes me think of classic 70s and 80s Country artists like George Strait, Dolly Parton, and Glen Campbell. The mid-tempo grooves and broken hearted lyrics transport me to a neon-lit honky-tonk populated by real cowboys in black hats and tight jeans. Lead single "Drinkin' Problem" is a modern classic, while "Burn Out" and "Electric Rodeo" also easily recall a bygone golden era. I can't wait to hear more from this trio, and I hope I get the chance to see them live; I might just have to get out my cowboy hat for these fellas.

Billy Currington at PlayStation Theatre: This is my third time seeing Billy Currington live, and every time I see him I am reminded anew how many great songs he has and how much I love his music. Before the show, I told a friend that Billy was good, but wasn't one of my top artists, but a few songs into the show I was regretting that description. Sure, Billy may not be flashy, but he has a wonderful stage presence and really knows how to connect with his audience. While this wasn't a life-changing concert experience, it was still a quality performance that left me feeling happy and lucky to be living the life I am – and sometimes that's all you need from a show.

Kiefer Sutherland at Bowery Ballroom: I'll admit that I went to this show for the novelty of seeing Kiefer Sutherland do Country music. I had only listened to a couple of his songs and did not feel confident enough to buy his album based on those listening experiences, but I figured that seeing him live might be interesting. It turns out that Kiefer is a very talented singer and songwriter, and of course he has fantastic stage presence (acting experience will do that for you, I suppose). I was especially impressed by Kiefer's thoughtful and powerful lyrics, as well as by the conviction he puts into his performance (even if many of his stages moves and the way he handles his guitar seemed to have been lifted directly from Dwight Yoakam). His songs are a pleasing fusion of Country and Rock, and he often wears his influences (Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Dylan, etc.) on his sleeve. I was rocking out for the entire show, but my favorite song of the evening was the Eagles-esque "Calling Out Your Name", whose harmonies are pleasingly smooth. Like Billy Currington's show, Kiefer's performance was solid, stripped-down, and highly enjoyable. Needless to say, I ordered his album as soon as I got home.

Groundhog Day: The first and only time I saw Groundhog Day the movie was when it was out in cinemas in 1993; I remember liking it. Of course, since then, it's become a cultural touchstone and meme, but I never felt compelled to watch the film again. However, I've been anticipating the musical version of this timeless tale for quite a while, in no small part due to Andy Karl's presence as leading man, playing the cynical, snarky, and charming Phil Connors. Karl is indeed brilliant in the role of Phil, and I can totally see why he won an acting award for his work in the London run of this production. However, this is another show that wouldn't work without a strong ensemble, and the whole cast truly does give it their all. The genuine smiles beaming from everyone's faces during the curtain call warmed my heart; it seemed the cast enjoyed performing this show just as much as I enjoyed watching it. Groundhog Day is a delightful and highly engaging musical despite its often dark, PG-13 themes and language. The songs themselves are fine, if not particularly memorable, but the script, staging, and acting are the real highlights of the show, especially the way in which the repetitious nature of the story is handled so that nothing ever feels repetitive-in-a-bad-way or old. Oddly enough, the most engaging number in the show is "Hope", during which Phil tries to kill himself over and over. The song for this number is a power ballad, and it is coupled with ingenious magic show-style staging that has Karl showing off his athleticism (even with a knee brace) by waking up in bed again and again after each far-fetch suicide attempt thanks to jaw dropping how-did-they-do-that? choreography. I would love to see this show again for a number of reasons, but mainly to try to figure out how they pulled off this visually stunning number. Suffice it to say, I left the theatre a little bit in love with this show and a little bit in love with Andy Karl.