Here is your concert report, written from notes taken in the DARK with aging cataract eyes!
Concert started pretty much on time. Patrons were surprisingly youthful looking to me. Say 30s and 40s? A smattering of the grey and salt & pepper folks but not that many, at least in the mezzanine first level. Could not get over my seat placement. Four rows from the balcony railing and smack in the middle-great view of the stage but needed binoculars for good views. The viewing screens were too focused on just small areas of the stage (like one person at a time).
Paul came out, looking very small in the circle of light. He was dressed in a charcoal grey suit with sort of a fancy looking tee shirt type top, ie no buttons? No head gear and normal looking black tie shoes. He spoke somewhat hesitantly, cracked a few jokes about the lack of preparation for the show and how quickly it was pulled together to celebrate the 25 th year of his healthcare foundation-mainly his friends and how he went with the family theme. Cracked a joke about things were not structured but loose but he assumed the audience was quite loose now. (Guess he was referring to the cocktail party before the show and the fact food and drink was pushed to raise funds. (water in a bottle was $5.00 US).
The he opened the stage to Steve Martin. I guess I have not seen Steve in years and was a bit taken by the white hair and glasses. He was with the (fill in blanks) band and joked about how they got together etc. Steve has a lovely clear and loud speaking and singing voice. Well, I thought I wrote down a line or two from the songs but I can not read my writing. But the songs seemed to showcase the violinist (fiddler?) who was quite good. Then Steve introduced Edie. She had on a lovely color of green dress but personally I thought the style did not flatter her at all. She and Steve sang at least 2 songs which they co-wrote? (Give that child away and an unknown baby to Sara?). Then Paul came out and he and Edie sang the song your the reason our kids are ugly and he and Steve and Edie sang some song about taking the train to NYC.
Next up were James and wife Caroline Taylor. James has such a lovely and distinct voice IMO. They sang the going to Carolina in my mind song and then Caroline commented about a great lullaby Love song that she is not sure to whom James originally wrote but that it is HER song NOW. And they sang You can close your eyes.
Mark Stewart, with a bit of a geisha hair syle and the band backed up James.
Next came Vince Gill and I think it is his daughter Jenny. They sang an everley brothers song-Let it be me-then wife Amy Grant and two other young women (more daughters?) came out and they all sang put a little love in your hand.
Trudy and Sting came on next and joked around with anything you can do I can do better-a pleasant interlude and very lively couple.
I have the next person as Tina but no idea who what when
Then Paul came out leading Lulu. They sang (of course) father and daughter with Lulu mainly on the chorus. But sweet looks back and forth. Then Paul played and Lulu sang. Fellow next to me said-Rufus Wainwright-Alleluja? (Tied you to a kitchen chair, cut off your hair?-Alleluja)-no idea about this but she got all worked up over the song and she received a rousing ovation, including from the young man next to me.
Then some fellow from New Orleans came out and sang -long long time a-coming and Sting came out for a song with Boogie Woogie (not the company B bugle boy one).
Then a woman and a man (Tom and Rita?) came out (assume husband and wife) and they sant song with until sun no longer shines? in the sky? about loving you baby. The a brunette and blong quitar playing sister duet came out. They were resting from playing at the Beacon Theater and Paul invited them to sing- something with trick of light?
Now I think Paul invited someone that he played with in the band eithr for 25 years or 25 years ago. Maybe this was Ruben and Luba and Fernandez?, the fellow with the instruemtn in the band? Anyway, Paul played with them after the woman left and did Late In The Evening, I am guessing, done latino style?
Then Stevie Wonder and his adult daughter came out and did about 3-4 songs which included Paul sing When I was a little boy, with back up Vince, Sting and James and Steve and alternated verses with Stevie and his daughter. Then asked everyone to sing America the beautiful and the whole group came on stage. Lulu was between her Mom and Dad and Mom was stroking hair and talking to her.
Loading.. |