Musicology

I can't believe my concert luck. I got to see two (actually, four) legends in a week.

The Paul Simon show at the intimate Music Box in Hollywood was such a thrill. I followed him around like a puppy in the late 80's/early 90's while he was touring with Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints, playing huge arenas. To see him up close and personal twenty years later was an honor. Sure, he's gone grey but now at 70, I think he's at the top of his game. His new work from So Beautiful or So What is outstanding, and he mixed it up with old classics, including many from the two albums I mentioned above.

A last minute Saturday night text changed the course of my evening. I was in the car h

eaded to meet up with friends for a poetry reading when I got invited to the Prince concert. I've written about Prince before. I am an ardent fan. So what was I supposed to say? No? I called the friend who's house I was driving to, explained the last minute change in plans, and headed to the Forum.

I don't think I'd been to the Forum since early college, when my friend lost her car at the Run DMC concert (and we had to call her father to pick us up). Before that, in high school, I saw many a concert there, including The Police (The Clash opened for them), Oingo Boingo, Tears for Fears, The Kinks, etc.

What a blast from the past.

I almost passed out when Prince announced the opening act - "My sister, your sister, everybody's sister, Ms. Chaka Kahn!" (legend #3) She was on fire, belting out my personal favorite karaoke song "I Feel For You", among others.

And then Prince.

I can't do the show justice, so I'm posting the setlist. Let me just say that the show ran 4 hours. And when it ended after the third encore, the lights up, people thinning out of the Forum, it wasn't over. About 15 minutes later, he was back on stage for a fourth encore. Wait, did I mention the third row seats?

I'll end by saying that whenever I see concerts, especially those of people I idolize, I feel so lucky to be alive and able to connect with musicians of my time.

1. D.M.S.R.
2. Pop Life
3. Musicology
   (with Prince & The Band interpolation)
4. Extraordinary
5. Mountains
   (with Sheila E.)
6. Everyday People
   (with Sheila E. and Larry Graham)
7. Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)
   (with Sheila E. and Larry Graham)
8. Sweet Thing
   (with Chaka Khan)
9. The Glamorous Life
   (Sheila E. lead vocals, with Soul Sacrifice coda)
10. Raspberry Beret
11. Cream
12. Cool / Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
13. Make You Feel My Love
14. Misty Blue
    (Shelby J. lead vocals)
15. Let's Go Crazy
16. Delirious
    (with Let's Go Crazy Reprise)
17. 1999
18. Little Red Corvette
19. Purple Rain
20. Encore:
20. When Doves Cry / Nasty Girl / Sign 'O The Times / The Most Beautiful Girl In The World / Darling Nikki / Single Ladies / Hot Thing / I Would Die 4 U
    (Sampler medley)
21. If I Was Your Girlfriend
22. Insatiable
23. Scandalous
24. Adore
25. Encore 2:
25. Kiss
26. Encore 3:
26. Sometimes It Snows In April
27. Dreamer
    (with Welcome 2 America interpolation)
28. Controversy
    (with Housequake interpolation)
29. Encore 4:
29. A Love Bizarre
    (with Sheila E.)
30. Play That Funky Music
    (with I Like Funky Music interpolation)
31. Hollywood Swinging
    (changed to Inglewood Swinging)
    
    
    
    
    
    

I Confess

A bunch of friends hit the racetrack this weekend on Friday for a little gambling and a concert.

The gambling: I lost a few races and got into a fight with a 'teller' who was so excruciatingly slow that the race started before I got to wager my bet. Of course one of the horses I would have picked to Place, came in at Place and I grumbled about it for hours. We moved downstairs to watch the adorable jockeys mount their horses. What a sight to behold - tiny athletes and enormous muscular animals. One of the jockeys smiled at me as they were exiting to the track and I took this as a sign. I picked his horse to Win, and it did. Before the next race, I ran down to watch the scene and waited to see who, if anyone, would smile. #3 did and despite his high odds, I picked him to Place. He won. I know, all gamblers have their weird little OCD rituals, but I think in the future I will try this one again. Did I mention how cute those jockeys are?

The concert: Did you realize the English Beat had so many hits? They sang them all, one after the other - "I Confess", "Sooner or Later", "Mirror in the Bathroom", and on and on and on. We danced our butts off until the wee hours of the morning. Almost thirty years later and they've still got it, though Dave Wakefield, the lead singer, oddly reminded me of a realtor I worked with, Clifford Rowe.

This morning I heard a piece on NPR about the racetrack in Baghdad. Despite uncertain times and the war and the violence in that region, people still go to the racetrack, because for that minute-and-a-half that the horses are vying for the finish line, the Iraqi people can forget about their troubles and just focus on the action on the track. It was a powerful story and made me appreciate the relative calm of an ordinary Friday night in Los Angeles, despite the small altercation with the teller ; )

It's (Not) Too Late Baby

I was so inspired by the Carole King/James Taylor concert last weekend at the Hollywood Bowl. Good writing transcends time and that is why the show was sold out for three nights in a row. King is now 68. I hope when I'm 68 I'm still jumping around a metaphorical stage and rocking out to life.