DFWMusic

Rockin the Gazebo

2009-10-10T01:19:00.000-07:00

I attended the Oktoberfest in Southlake Texas tonight. Emerald CityBand played from 9:30 to 11:30. They were really rocking the Gazebowith all their hits. I even got to dance on the stage with theband for a song or 2. They played everything from Michael Jackson toLady Gaga. "I got a feeling that tonights going to be good night" had everyone grooving and moving to the beat. I had a great time and fromthe looks of the crowd everyone else did too. The festival continues through Sunday with top notch entertainment, free admission and free parking. Saturday night has Eight Arms to Hold you (Beatles music) and LeFreak Band (disco music and fun). Visit Southlake Town Square this weekend. You'll have fun and so will the kids. Just bring a jacket, this years a little chilly.

visit www.southlakechamber.com for more info and a complete schedule.

For Emerald City Band info visit www.emeraldcityband.com

www.myspace.com/8armstoholdyou
www.lefreakband.com

Swing Vote

2008-10-13T16:24:00.000-07:00

I went to see Swing Vote with my son while it was at the discount theater. Kevin Costner was
hilarious. I have not seen that entertaining of a movie in a while. I laughed out loud several times. I just go for pure entertainment value. It is gone from the theatres now but be sure to rent it. I think most will enjoy the humor.

On another note, Get Smart is a waste of time. The dance scene is not funny at all and I love
Anne Hathaway in everything else she has done. At least until Get Smart. No laughs.

Me & My Monkey Plano Balloon Fest Review

2008-09-21T16:33:00.000-07:00

Me and My Monkey Plano Balloon Fest Review

The City of Plano had their Plano Balloon Festival this weekend. It drew record numbers of people again this year. On Saturday night they had an impressive fireworks show as well as the Beatles cover band Me & My Monkey playing on the main stage. I did not realize they had the band scheduled for before and after the fireworks show. Most of these festivals conclude with the fireworks. As I started walking home I could hear the music and returned. I was glad I did, the band sounded incredible. I was only able to catch the last half hour of a 1 and a half hour show (near the stage) but it was worth the walk back. They did Get Back, I wanna Hold Your Hand, Twist and Shout, many more hits, and as an encore (Revolution). Everyone in the crowd was cheering and dancing. It was a great closing number.

As an added note I heard Me & My Monkey a couple years ago in Southlake. This time they sounded like a different band. The band has improved over the years. The change to complete songs instead of mostly medleys and the extra sound made a big difference. Kudos to whoever was in charge of audio. You could hear the band past the crowd, past the buses, a quarter mile away clearly and up close it still wasn't too loud.

As for the City of Plano, the lines of people waiting for the buses to their parking lots were in the hundreds. I spoke with one volunteer from Dart to help at the fest and was informed that most years there were 40 buses ordered, this year only 10. The number of families with young children having to wait an hour to get home were not a happy crowd. Order more buses next year.

I was glad I had walked from home.

http://www.meandmymonkey.com
http://dfwmusic.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/dfwevents

Joseph Vincelli/Grapefest Review

2008-09-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

Joseph Vincelli/Grapefest Review
Thursday, Sept. 11

I attended Grapefest on Thursday night in Grapevine. Joseph Vincelli played from 9-10:30. He was incredible. He opened with a song called Sweet Persuasion and closed with Night Beat. In between alot of good music to dance to. There was one little girl about 3 years old that started the dancing off. She only kept up for about 3 songs and that is when I couldn't stand it anymore.You can only tap your toes in your seat for just so long and then you feel out of sync. So I got up and like a shot out of you know where I had a dance partner. I think she must have been watching for someone to dance with. With Joseph you can't sit still. Well with some off his slower songs but thankfully he played mostly fast ones here. We danced to Stevie Wonder's "I Wish Those Days" and a number of other songs. Then I had a swing dance partner for another one. When I asked how he learned to dance so well he said Ennis, Texas. Go catch Joseph Vincelli whenever you can and bring your dancing shoes. And the rest of this weekend
there are 3 stages of live continuous entertainment. All different types of music.
www.grapevinetexasusa.com/grapefest
http://www.josephvincelli.com
http://360.yahoo.com/dallasmusic

Friday Fireworks - Gaylord Texan

2008-08-24T09:53:00.001-07:00

Indoor Fireworks - Gaylord Texan
Friday, August 22

I took my sons and a couple of their friends over to the Gaylord Texan on Friday night to see the free indoor fireworks display. It is an impressive show. Although it is only 8 minutes long, they are larger than I would have thought possible for an indoor venue. They reach almost as high as the glass ceiling in the atrium. The show is put on by North Texas Pyrotechnics. The hotel also has a fire twirler perform before the fireworks at9:30. Friday, August 29 will be the last week for the indoor fireworks. Something different to take the kids to see. There is a daily parking rate of $10.00 at the Gaylord.

www.NorthTexasPyro.com

www.gaylordtexan.com

http://360.yahoo.com/dallasmusic

http://dfwmusic.blogs.friendster.com

A Little Night Music

2008-08-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

Symphonic Saturdays
Addison's Esplanade Park
Saturday, August 2

A friend and I decided to try the Saxophone Quartet playing at the Symphonic Saturdays series. They were wonderful. They played show tunes - Somewhere Over theRainbow, the Pink Panther theme, some jazz - a Glenn Miller medley, Java Jive, Georgia on My Mind, and a few classical songs. A nice way to spend a Saturday evening. The saxophone quartet was part of the Dallas Wind Symphony. For the August schedule of concerts visit

http://www.addisontexas.net

Big Band Blowout

2008-07-29T22:27:00.000-07:00

Plano Community Band Swings
Big Band Blowout
Haggard Park
Monday, July 29

Plano Community Band played all those great swing hits from one of the best eras of music. Stockton Helbing, a drummer, the guest artist for this particular show was incredible. There was one couple swing dancing to most of the songs played. They were fun to watch. Last night's show was the Big Band Blowout and concluded the summer series of 2008. I recall them performing the Big Band Blowout last year as well. Let's hope they continue the tradition next year.

www.planoband.com

Natural Change

2008-07-20T16:34:00.000-07:00

Natural Change in Addison
Upbeat Jazz
Saturday, July 19

Natural Change performed on Saturday night in Addison's Esplanade Park. They were incredible. They played Grover Washington, Earth Wind & Fire, Norah Jones & yes, even Prince. They had a sax, keyboard, drums, and guitar and the keyboard player did some vocals.

I have attended many of these outdoor concerts in Addison and except for the occasional couple dancing to a slow song I have not seen such a large group of dancers out there in front of the stage. I was grooving with all the parents and kids. I think there must have been 30 people dancing free style at once. They stayed out there for at least 3 numbers. If you have a chance to catch Natural Change go. It was mostly jazz, but upbeat jazz, and they closed with Purple Rain. This was more like a party than a concert. Great fun.

Natural Change plays most Friday nights at Brooklyn Jazz Cafe in Dallas. Go to http://www.brooklynjazzcafe.com for the performance calendar.
The band's website is http://www.naturalchangeband.com

Joy to the Red, White & Blue

2008-06-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

Three Dog Night
Allen USA
Sat. June 28, 2008

After an afternoon of rained out activities Allen USA resumed the day long festival with a live concert by Three Dog Night. They were excellent and played all their hits they are famous for - Shambala, Easy to Be Hard, Black & White, Out In The Country, Never Been To Spain, and many more. The final song they played was "Joy To The World" and while most of the song was performed in its original fashion the lead singer donned a chain and baseball cap and rapped part of the song. It was great.The evening concluded with one of the best fireworks displays I have seen. Light showers came and went during the concert and during the fireworks. The best part - the showers brought cooler temperatures and it was about 75 degrees. I am glad I didn't let the rain keep me at home.

Nim's Island

2008-06-24T11:44:00.000-07:00

I just experienced Nim's Island tonight. Nim's Island has everything - laughs, thrills, beautiful scenery, and unusual characters. My favorite part of the movie was that it showed how self-reliant an 11 year old could be. She knew how to take care of herself in alot of situations most adults wouldn't. I have a soft spot for Jodie Foster and still love Nell and the Brave One. I have not found myself laughing at any of her characters before and Nim was funny too, this movie was a treat. Try to catch it.

Hawaiian Dance

2008-06-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

Saturday night, June 21st was the annual St. Rita Singles Hawaiian Dance. This year they had over 400 singles from around the metroplex. The DJ, Robin Dredge with Party Elite, played alot of good dance hits. Some of the familiar hits were remixed with extra dance beats. That just added to the fun for everyone. Loads of great food - including rich Chocolate Cake and Cheesecake shared by the folks in charge of the Singles Conference.If you missed this dance I recommend you try to attend their Retro Dance in January. The St. Rita dances always draw hundreds of singles and it is fun to see people dressed up in disco or hippie attire. There are always new people to meet at each one and some familiar friends to dance with.

Shine a Light

2008-06-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

My son and I took in a late show at Plano Movies 10 tonight. We saw Shine a Light. Martin Scorcese directed this movie about the Rolling Stones concert at The Beacon in New York. I was a little concerned at the beginning when it started slowly with Mr. Scorcese checking out the stage and set and discussing pre-production with the set staff. But when we finally got to the concert it never slowed down. I have attended a number of concerts in my life but haven't had the pleasure of seeing Rolling Stones live. I don't think I have ever seen a performer move around the stage as much as Mic Jagger did. He moves so fast and dances so much you know what a good time he is having. Now Buddy Guy performing Champagne and Reefer was awesome and Christina Aguilera gave a nice performance as well. I have not heard Rolling Stones do Just My Imagination. For presentation and vocals Pleased to Meet you was the best song in the movie. I know the sound was not what one would enjoy at a live event but I did enjoy this movie. Seeing Bill & Hillary hobnobbing with the Stones before the concert was fun.

Lover's Lane Jazz Band

2008-06-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

I attended a concert fit for jazz lovers at Lover's Lane UMC on Sunday evening. The Lover's Lane Jazz Band, now celebrating their 16th year, just keeps getting better every time I hear them. They opened with "All Of Me", one of my all time favorites. Also the name of a funny movie with Lily Tomlin and Steve Martin. They played pieces like "Take The A Train" by Duke Ellington, "A Foggy Day" by Gershwin, and "Laura" by Stan Kenton. "Caravan" originally performed by Duke Ellington and later covered by Chicago was fun and upbeat. Now "Soul Vaccination" by Tower of Power was introduced as a song to lift all sin from your soul and I don't know about that but I did feel my chest lighten during that number so maybe it worked. I love any concert where you feel uplifted and happier when you leave than you did going in. I left with a spring in my step - just right for a spring concert. If you missed this concert the Jazz Band will be performing again on Sunday, June 29th at Lover's Lane UMC 5pm for God & Country an old fashioned patriotic concert and pie auction. http://www.llumc.org/ I will definitely be looking for the cd of Chicago covering big band favorites that they played "Caravan" from.

Black Crowes - Taste of Addison

2008-05-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

Black Crowes
Saturday, May 10
Taste of Addison

Alright it is time to write about Saturday night at Taste of Addison. My son and I returned on Saturday night for Black Crowes. I was looking forward to hearing "She Talks to Angels" and "Hard to Handle" but did not remember any of their other songs. Most of their performance was instrumental rock not many vocals. Nothing noteworthy. They played "She Talks to Angels" about halfway through the concert and it did not even sound like the version you hear on the radio. The music and vocals sounded fuzzy and unclear. After waiting through a number of instrumental songs everyone was dissapointed that they skipped "Hard to Handle". There was no explanation from the band for the omission. The crowd was booing and only dispursed when they saw the festival crew cleaning up the stage area. I think everyone assumed the band would return to play their big hit as an encore.

Saturday night was a big let down after Fridays' performances were so good and such a crowd pleaser. The only reassuring thought is that if they had played their hit, it would not have sounded anything like the originally recorded version. A big thumbs down to Black Crowes. They have proven that they are Hard To Handle.

EDS Jazz Band

2008-05-19T21:24:00.000-07:00

EDS Jazz Band
Monday, May 19
Allen Parks & Rec

Well I just returned from a concert at Allen's Joe Farmer Rec Center. I had never heard the EDS Jazz Band. They can really swing. There are 23 members of the band. 4 of them are vocalists. The rest heavy on brass. They performed alot of old big band/jazz selections. Blue Moon, Day by Day, At Last, even a Beatles hit I can't remember the name of. They played "It Might As Well Be Spring" but a different more uptempo version. All in all a great concert. It wasn't as hot as I thought it would be. We had a nice breeze. I wish it could last all summer.

Wildflower Festival - Richardson

2008-05-18T21:37:00.000-07:00

Friday night I attended the Wildflower Festival in Richardson. I was able to hear Loverboy, Pat Benatar, Eve 6 & Everclear live and in person all in one night. Although $15 admission is not as easy to swallow as the $5 I paid last weekend at Taste of Addison it was a nice concert. At least every band there played all their top hits. I heard AM Radio, Father of Mine, Heartbreaker, Working for the Weekend, and We Belong to the Night as well as many other familiar songs.

Everyone at Taste of Addison was bummed when Black Crowes played everything except Hard to Handle. At least these acts remembered their fans. The people and the songs who got them where they are today. The weather could not have been sweeter. Cool and dry, jacket weather. Couldn't ask for anything more, except maybe a discount. A big thumbs up to the City of Richardson and all the above mentioned artists. Thank God for the heavenly weather.

Taste of Addison - Friday Night

2008-05-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

Taste of Addison
Friday, May 9, 2008

My son and I attended Taste of Addison 2008 last weekend. I will devote this one blog to just Friday night when we saw Switchfoot and Gavin DeGraw. Out of the 2 acts I would say Switchfoot performed the best. Every popular hit they performed sounded as good or better than the recorded version. The lead singer also came out into the audience several times - a very brave deed - had you seen the number of people. They really played to the audience and drew the crowd in.

Gavin DeGraw gave a terrific performance as well playing "I don't Wanna Be" about halfway through. After holding Chariot off until the end he sang acoustic versions of SilverBells? and other songs while holding the audience past their patience and lost a little love in the process. At least we were able to hear all the hits that brought us out and kept us there. Saturday night still smarts, another blog about that later.