"Been talking 'bout the way things change, and my family lives in a different state. And if you don't know what to make of this, then we will not relate. So if you don't know what to make of this, then we will not relate. Rivers and roads, rivers and roads, rivers 'til I reach you." ~the head and the heart

I have a concert to write about today! I went to see The Head and the Heart at Terminal 5 on Sunday, and it was a great night. My friend Leah and I got a spot dead center in the front row (are you surprised?), so we had a perfect view. There were two opening bands, so The Head and the Heart didn't go onstage until 10:00pm. They were worth the wait, though. They've only released one album (and it's amazing, so go buy it), and they played every song from the album, along with a bunch of new songs. Leah and I both managed to avoid crying during "Rivers and Roads," which was quite a feat for us. They played with so much passion and energy, and you could tell how appreciated the audience and enjoyed being onstage and sharing their music with us. This is a good review of the show.

I recorded audio of the whole show and video for most songs. A security guy came and made me stop filming during "Coeur d'Alene," but later in the show Charity (who's in the band) announced that they wanted people to be able to film, which I thought was pretty cool. During the encore the security guy came back and made me stop filming again, but I did get a good chunk of the show (and audio of the whole thing).

Here's a playlist of my videos (I have more to add to it, which I'll do whenever I can get back to the library or Starbucks and connect to the internet). At least watch the first two videos. Really. "Lost in my Mind" is first, and it was absolutely wonderful. The members of the two opening bands came onstage, and the crowd sang along, and I can't explain what a feeling it was to be a part of that. Belting out "There are stars...UP ABOVE!" along with so many people was incredibly cathartic. "Rivers and Roads" is next in the playlist, and Charity absolutely kills it at the end of the song. Oh my goodness, she's freakin' amazing. "Sounds like Hallelujah" is another one of my favorites from the album, and it was great to hear it live.


Here are some photos I took:




And finally, here's my audio of the whole show (and here's the download version if you want that). If you haven't heard this band before, they are definitely worth a listen. Make sure to listen to "Rivers and Roads," "Lost in my Mind," "Down in the Valley" (a perfect closing song), "Sounds like Hallelujah," "Heaven Go Easy on Me"....oh, just listen to them all.
Here are the first five songs, and to hear the rest, go to the playlist here.

"Words will land on me, then abandon me, mangle, untangle me, leave me on the floor." ~u2

I haven't been able to post a lot because I don't have internet in my new apartment, but hopefully by April I'll be online at home and will be able to post more. Right now I'm at Starbucks, and I have recent shows to share about.

Porgy and Bess
The current Broadway version of this opera is quite controversial, but it seems like most people who haven't seen the opera before like this production, and that's true for me. Audra McDonald is a four-time Tony winner, I love her, and I think she's wonderful in this show. Norm Lewis is also very good. They have such beautiful voices, and I loved hearing them sing this score.

Jesus Christ Superstar
I love the music from this show, so that made it very enjoyable. I think the design elements are pretty strong in this production, particularly the sound design. A few of the actors are pretty weak, though. That may be because of the direction. I saw the first preview, and unfortunately a technical aspect of the show didn't work at that performance. They stopped the show three times to try and fix it, and Des McAnuff (the director) came onstage a few times to apologize, but they never got it to work. We got to see "Superstar" performed three times before they finally decided to just move on. That's the kind of song that gets stuck in your head easily, so it was pretty difficult to shake after hearing it live three times in a row.

Carrie
I ushered at this and got a seat in the front row, which was awesome. I love, love, love Carrie. I love the movie, and I really love the musical. In this production, Molly Ranson is fabulous as Carrie. I love what Ben Brantley says about Marin Mazzie (playing Carrie's mother) in his New York Times Review; he writes, "Mazzie at first seems like your average strict but caring mom. But when she sings, in a pure fire-edged soprano, an intensity emerges that shades into something more sinister. And the line between fierce maternal solicitude and obsessive, homicidal madness blurs in ways that take you by surprise." I also liked Christy Altomare as Sue. I thought the show was very moving.

Once
I saw this movie when it opened and fell in love. I have the DVD and watch it often. Obviously I had high expectations going into the Broadway musical that's been adapted from the film. The show didn't disappoint. It's absolutely lovely. I wasn't thrilled that they cut a few songs (particularly "Lies"), but overall I think it's a beautiful show.

Gore Vidal's The Best Man
I'm seeing this show today, so I'll post a review later. The cast includes James Earl Jones, John Larroquette, Candice Bergen, Eric McCormack, Jefferson Mays, Michael McKean, Angela Lansbury, and Kerry Butler. Seriously. If that's not an ideal, all-star cast, I don't know what is. I'm excited.