He has a radio program on WXOU out of Oakland University
Wild At Heart
All my fans know that with Cyndi Lauper in town yesterday at the Motor City Casino, I would have to do a review of the show. First, I had dinner at the Asembly Line Buffet which is still as good as always esp their sushi and dessert bars. The turkey and prime rib is also a favorite. This is the first show I have seen at the Sound Board so I didn’t know what to expect. My seats were in the 4th row on the floor which was pretty decent. Being on that level, I did wish the stage was about 6-8 inches lower to give a better view because the first row would seem to suffer neck strain after a full show. One of my friends was sitting on the next level, second row on the side and was even with the stage. That is supposed to be the best seat in the house for viewing. Luckily, Cyndi played close to the edge of the stage so I had a great view the whole show. The seats are small and hooked together so they aren’t the most comfortable but not bad unless you get a real heavyset person sitting next to you and then things could get ugly. I didn’t price drinks but they did have 2 bars on the floor with the main bar right outside the front doors where you came in. The bathrooms are a bit of a walk if you are on the floor but they do have a nice handicap accessibility if in a wheelchair. Also, they have a little cubbyhole on the main floor where artists can sell their merch (I bought a tour t-shirt for a respectable $25 considering $35 seems to be the going price and she was selling signed CD’s for only $10). The sound for the show started off with a small gaffe during her first song but after that, it was crisp and clear, although her blues-harp player could’ve been turned up a bit higher.
The show started with English songwriter/guitarist David Rhodes who is probably best-known for his extensive work of 30 years with singer Peter Gabriel. He came out and did a 40 minute set of about 6 songs of his own material. I talked to him briefly after the show and he is just starting to work on solo material after years of sessions work. His first solo record, ‘Bittersweet’, came out in 2009. He has also added his spare, elegant guitar style to albums by artists as diverse as Paul McCartney, Joan Armatrading and Roy Orbison. In addition, David fronted a band called Random Hold, which was successful in the late 1970s and was also a significant contributor to the music of Vitamin Z and Talk Talk.
Cyndi started the show playing her entire blues album and was accompanied during her set by blues legend Charlie Musselwhite who played a wicked blues-harp. During her second and third songs, “Shattered Dreams” and “Early In The Morning”, she came out into the audience. She ended up standing on the chair directly behind me for ‘Morning’ which of course had me excited as I was mere inches from her. She doesn’t climb speakers anymore, but at 57 she can still run around the stage with the best of them. Of the songs, only “Crossroads” and “How Blue Can You Get” sounded like they could have been grittier and more bluesy. It seems odd to have Cyndi singing all these blues songs but this has been something she has been wanting to do for the last 8 years. At one point she addressed a fan who was shouting out songs they wanted to hear with “I have been doing greatest hits shows for the past 10 years so now I am doing what I want to do” and letting the crowd know she will sing what she wants and they either follow along or get out of the way. I applaud her strength to do something like this and enjoy listening to her talk about the music. She told stories of meeting BB King when she was 19 and how important Robert Jordan and Ma Rainey are to our musical heritage, telling the audience to go home and go online to youtube these artists and reconnect with this legacy. The best of the blues songs for me was a rocked out version of “Rollin’ and Tumbin’” which was popularized by the great Muddy Waters and just as interesting as the version Jeff Beck played at Crossroads.
After a short break, she ended the show with some of her best and most popular songs including the underrated “Who Let In The Rain”, “Change Of Heart”, “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”, “Time After Time”, “Mother Earth” (from new album) and “True Colors” which had the audience dancing in the aisles. During ‘Girls’, she did a brief line from “Dancing In The Streets’ to honor Martha Reeves who was at the show (about 3 rows behind me) and looking good. This was one of the best, if not the best, show I have ever seen her put on. Charlie definitely made the show better by his presence.
On Billboard this week, Cyndi’s new album “Memphis Blues” debuted at #26 (#1 Blues album). “Memphis Blues” is Lauper's third highest charting album on the Billboard 200 of her career only trailing her first two releases “She’s So Unusual” and “True Colors”. In addition seven songs from the album ranked in the Top 25 on Billboard's Blue Digital Songs chart including a #1 bow for "Crossroads" with Jonny Lang. The album itself surprised me about good it was since Cyndi’s voice, while having a terrific range, isn’t know for that grittiness which seems to set the standard for the blues. Jonny Lang’s guitar, Allen Toussaint’s piano, Charlie Musselwhite’s blues-harp and BB King’s vocals all give the album the much needed cred along with some wonderful blues session people who have worked with all the blues greats and contribute to this album. I love the fact that Cyndi is doing new things and while a couple of the songs don’t seem to work, most of them do which just goes to show why I think Cyndi is one of the most talented and gutsy performers on the planet. Highlights on the album include "Early in the Mornin'" and "Mother Earth" which both include Toussait's tremendous blues piano licks while ‘Early’ also has BB King’s wonderful blues vocals, the fierce "Rollin' and Tumblin'" with Ann Peebles throaty alto complementing Lauper's vocal style, the slow and sexy "Romance in the Dark" and the boogie-woogie arrangement for "Don't Cry No More". The album is definitely stronger than it has a right to be. I give the album a B+.
PS - I also have a pair of tickets for Hole’s upcoming Sunday, July 11th show at the Fillmore with opener Foxy Shazam. The tour is in support of their new album “Nobody’s Daughter” though it only feature Courtney Love and a whole new line-up of musicians. The opener, Foxy Shazam, is supporting their first self-titled major label release. The single, "Unstoppable", was released in February 2010 and was featured during Super Bowl XLIV. Lead singer Eric Nally is getting a lot of comparisons to the late Freddie Mercury and they rely on a heavy dose of theatrics and over-the-tops lyrics which should excite any fan. To win tickets, send me an email to doramu13@yahoo.com with an answer to what movie did Courtney Love get a Golden Globes nomination for her acting. First correct response wins.
Twilight fans might be interested in the fact that a member of the cast "Twilight: Eclipse" will be surprising Detroit fans and moviegoers at the MJR Marketplace 20 and the Uptown Palladium tomorrow, July 3rd. So you might want to stake out the theatre and see who is going to show. I don't the who or when but it is going down. You can visit www.eclipsethemovie.com for the latest updates.