Prince at the DNA Lounge- late show, Wednesday night April 24

Prince and 3rd Eye Girl in Vancouver. The lights for the DNA show were set up differently, but the vibe is similar.

The word from the Swede, who had gone to the previous night's late show, was that is was guitar-heavy rock and roll, with almost nothing he recognized during the first hour, but with which the mostly younger audience seemed well-versed. He said he wanted to get in line for the next night's show at 8:30. Having worked all day at my day job (people are constantly surprised I have one- as if this  beast somehow paid my bills) I needed a wee bit of downtime before meeting up with him.

Sometime around 9:30 I found him near the front of the line, and once I had made friends with the folks around us he ditched me to get a half-pint of Makers. Returning, he opened the bottle and took these little itsy-bitsy swigs, then took out a pack of blue American Spirits, lit one, and then gave one out to everyone standing behind us. I was the only one not smoking and not drinking and I taught this fucker the pleasures of both bourbon and cigarettes and there was something about this entire situation that was just incredibly wrong.

The line to get into the 800 capacity club was incredibly long, snaking all the way down the block. I had no idea how all those people were going to get inside, but I also didn't really care because we were pretty close to the front of the line. I know I mentioned that already. I know I'm gloating. So?

Soon the line began to move and I noticed a half-pint of Beam, more than 3/4 full, sitting on the sidewalk, discarded next to the bus stop. It looked so sad there. I knew the Swede's Makers was going to soon join it and even though I gave up booze over a year ago, I still hate to see it go to waste. Fucking amateurs, just leaving it there on the sidewalk for the bums. Pros like me had soft-sided flasks. That's comme il faut.

We got inside and staked out a spot about 15 feet from the microphone placed center stage. A voice came on the PA and said anyone taking pictures with their phone would be removed from the audience. The Swede said they weren't joking about this, since he saw them give people the boot the night before, but as it turns out I did see a couple of people who thought this didn't apply to them turn out to be right.

When these shows were announced, along with their hefty prices, I took umbrage to a comment I saw on a friend's Facebook that the audience would be full of "douches" because obviously who else could afford such tickets. This ended up becoming an online debate between us as I stuck up for my peers, who had just been called douches by some 30-something slacker/hipster, and though the crowd was for the most part quite nicely appreciative, enthusiastic, knowing and behaved, I did have the distinct misfortune of standing next to two of the most obnoxious assholes I've encountered in a very long time, one of whom felt the need to tell everyone within earshot that Slash is the worst guitar player ever and Jeff Beck is the best. Repeatedly. 300 fucking times. Okay, maybe only six times before I looked at him with an annoyed look and asked him to shut up. What an asshole. Only creepy douches walk around telling people Jeff beck is the world's greatest living guitar player. What an asinine thing to say. Jeff Beck isn't even in the top ten. Everyone knows that. Try humming a Jeff beck solo from after 1971. See? Idiot. Jeff Beck. Jesus. Dumbshit. Then there was his pal, who was just a creep, trying to manipulate this young guy who was there with his girlfriend, saying he shouldn't let her out of his site because someone might give her a roofie. He seemed like just the type of Humbert Humbert wannabe scumbag who would do such a thing. He really creeped me out. Meanwhile, however, the young guy's girlfriend, who was also Swedish (but raised here), felt it incumbent to keep pressing her large breasts forcefully into my back and arms and resting them there. As if I should know them. And I wanted to. Douches aside, so far the show was great and Prince wasn't due onstage for at least half an hour.

The lights went down at 11:35, the crowd went crazy, and Prince and the three women who comprise 3rd Eye Girl walked onstage and accommodated us with a slowed-down, grungy blues version of "Let's Go Crazy" and I immediately wished I had brought some ear plugs, as I could feel every hair on my body rise and begin to move like underwater plants. It was incredibly loud, to the point of painful, but it also felt good and soon my ears adjusted to the volume.

Now let me state this without reservation: 3rd Eye Girl- Donna Grantis, guitar, Ida Nielsen, bass, Hannah Ford, drums- is the perfect back-up band for Prince when he's in a rock and roll mood, and that's exactly what this tour is about. . While Grantis gets to trade licks with Prince, it's really Ford's drumming, and her never-ceasing exuberant smile, which propels the band and makes this foursome rock solid. It's also a seamlessly tight band, but the audience expects that from Prince at this point.

At the age of 54, he's just starting to show signs of aging (it's almost imperceptible, but you can see it in his skin and in his body movements if you look closely and pay attention) but musically the man is still in his prime and obviously going strong. Of course it helps to have a body of work like his, which he made plain to the crowd when he taunted "Do you know how many damn hits I have?" in the middle of a medley of some of the bigger ones later in the hour and forty-five minute show. But the new material- guitar oriented, hard driving, muscularly beat out with slashing chords and a stomping beat, sounds hot, and the band played both the new and the old with equal fervor. Still, the funk was there. During "Housequake"(my favorite of the night if only because I didn't expect it), Prince commanded "Everybody jump up and down!" and we did,  to the funky beat, and it was good. It was fantastic. It was like 1987 because for some reason Prince decided to play more songs off of Sign O' the Times than any other album, and who would have expected that?

If you didn't already know Prince was one of the greatest guitarists of all time, then this band and these shows may not be for you. For those that do know, and that's a lot of folks, it doesn't get much better than this. Loud, raucous and funky- this band kicks ass, and with the electric lights pulsing behind them, the music cranked, the women shredding and smiling,  it's like they're the house band in a Tarantino remake of Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill! 

The set list, as I could recall it the next afternoon...

Let's Go Crazy
Let's Work
You Got the Look
Endorphine Machine
I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man
Screwdriver
Bambi
Guitar
Purple Rain
Adore
She's Always in My Hair
I Like It There
FixUrLifeUp
Boom Stratus
Sign O the Times
Hot Thing
Housequake
I Would Die 4 U
When Doves Cry
A Love Bizarre
Alphabet Street
Fragments of Nasty Girl/Single Ladies
Pop Life

The Artist Sessions

The Artist Sessions, a new concert series that's the brainchild of Lara Downes, gets underway tonight with Downes herself taking the stage with Quartet San Francisco at Yoshi's San Francisco location. Downes is an exceptionally gifted performer, a tireless advocate for expanding classical music's reach beyond its traditional audience and venues as well as an engaging and interesting personality.

This is what's in store (lifted from her site):

Each evening begins with an on-stage conversation between Downes and the guest artist, and includes audience talk-back immediately after the performance. Says Downes: "In The Artist Sessions, I want to create an engaging space, a space for truly intimate encounters with artists who are working in especially compelling and thought-provoking areas of their discipline. A space for talk, food, drinks, friends and some of the best music - classical and beyond - that is happening right now! I'll be curating these evenings with an eye to giving a close-up look at each artist's musical landscape. I want audiences to come away with a real understanding of who the artist is, what drives him or her, and how that shapes the music."

Tickets are still available, and there's a discount available for members of the Bay Area Classical Music Meet-Up group. I won't be able to make it because I'll be seeing the Prince gig at the DNA tonight, but that's about the only thing that would keep me from attending this.

Pericles, post-punk, in Berkeley

Evan Zes, Annapurna Sriram and Rami Margron in Berkeley Rep's Pericles, Prince of Tyre. Photo courtesy of mellopix.com 

There are so many things that can go wrong when a company decides to do Shakespeare. Double that risk if it’s not one of the “better” plays, and double down again if the script is cut. So it’s pleasing to report that not only does Mark Wing-Davey’s take on Pericles, Prince of Tyre do justice to a problematic play, but it does so with a kind of gleeful post-punk self-awareness of what can and can’t be done with the thing. It's what Shakespeare might look like if John Waters made a sincere attempt at him.

Seriously cut, it feels more episodic than ever and if your attention wanders for a moment you’ll likely get lost but it’s also easy to find your way back. There’s a lot clamoring for one’s attention on the smartly designed-set, whether it’s the home-made of look of many of the instruments used by the trio of musicians parked above the floor, Ninja stagehands, a brawling Batman and Robin, or a King in Klimt dress (the costumes by Meg Neville are marvelously realized creations). The music, which is present through most if not all of the production, by Marc Gwinn consistently enhances the action and never distracts from it. However, apart from the actors, it’s really the scenic design by Peter Ksander and Douglas Stein which makes the most lasting impression. My favorite sly touch is how the marital bed in which Pericles’ family is conceived then becomes the vessel upon which it is destroyed and returns once again for, well, you’ll see if you pay attention. But there are also tweaks in script that zip by in a flash and don’t be surprised if you find yourself thinking wait- that’s not Shakespeare- that's Monty Python.

The cast of eight is solid, led by Anita Carey’s Gower and David Barlow in the title role. Everyone else doubles at least in other roles, with James Carpenter seeming the most at home with the Bard’s language as multiple kings, but all acquit themselves just fine. Jessica Kitchens is a marvelously physical actor. But it’s really Wing-Davey’s vision that keeps this Pericles always interesting and at times makes it soar, escpecially during the first half. Through May 26^th at Berkeley Rep’s Thrust Stage. Recommended.

Little Women in May

April's Operapalooza rolls into May as the San Francisco Conservatory of Music presents Mark Adamo's Little Women only weeks before San Francisco Opera stages the world premiere of his new work, The Gospel According to Mary Magdalene. Performances will be May 3rd at 7:30 and May 5th at 2:00 PM. Free admission, fully staged, with piano accompaniment. Details on the cast can be found here.

Radicals

Herbert Blomstedt returned to Davies last week for his annual visit and it was like that moment during the holiday meal when the favorite relative shows up just in time and saves the day because everyone was about to start screaming at one another over all the horrible things they've been silently harboring for years. Leading a program that could easily have been called "Radicals," Blomstedt led off with the prelude to Wagner's Tristan und Isolde and followed without pause into an instrumental version of the "Liebestod" from the same. Now, if you were to tell me you think the prelude to Tristan is the greatest piece of music ever written I wouldn't argue. I may even agree. Furthermore, if you said the greatest aria ever written was the  "Liebestod" from the same opera, again, you'd get no quarrel from me. However, having said that, there are some things about which I'm a little picky.

Blomstedt decided to split the strings and I think this was a mistake as the huge swells the music can achieve never fully materialized. The prelude should, in the right hands, produce something akin to a vertiginous effect- a feeling of standing on the edge of an emotional abyss, tempted to let yourself fall without remorse. It needs a certain level of terror coursing through it to make the next few hours worth it. When it's done right- it really is the greatest piece of music ever written. When it's missing that sensation of throbbing longing at its center it's merely beautiful- which isn't bad, but it's also not the same thing. And that's what Bloomie gave us.

When it was over Blomstedt played the role of avuncular, jocular uncle at the family gathering, and he was not only interesting, but intensely entertaining as he spoke to the audience while stagehands set up a piano  for Ingvar Lindholm's Poesis, which inexplicably was receiving its American premiere with these concerts. Blomstedt conducted the world premiere back in 1964, so he knows a little something about it, and what he discussed and demonstrated turned out to be true- not a single melody was evident, but musically it was a fascinating bit of work and as it built to the point where it collapsed in climax, the orchestra achieved a level of volume that was scary and thrilling at the same time. It was quite possibly the loudest I've ever heard them play. An added delight was the Davies debut of Keisuke Nakagoshi as the featured pianist on the piece, who rocked the keys and a mohawk.

After the intermission came Beethoven's Eroica, and Blomstedt led the band in a ruddy version that had a more heroic tone that MTT usually brings to it. Details were sacrificed for a measure of gravitas, and whether or not one found that to be a good approach is entirely subjective. It was only here that I noticed there was a new timpanist onstage , whose control, sense of timing and appropriate awareness of volumes convinced me that San Francisco audiences really won't miss a certain notorious whiner who recently occupied that space but may have moved on to Chicago.

Blomstedt is still in town for concerts tonight through Saturday featuring Beethoven's Violin Concerto with soloist Augustin Hadelich and Nielsen's Symphony No. 5. They should be well worth attending.

One last sour note

Sadly, the SFS musicians are still singing their song of woe that few people wanted to hear in the first place, even though the strike is over and they have ratified a contract. Sorry folks, but whoever is doing your PR for you is tone-deaf and off-pitch. Find a new voice, asap.

What on Earth do you think is to be gained from placing this post this in a public forum?

Talk about ending on a sour note, and with a complete lack of grace.

Not quite a draw, but at least it's over

The musicians of the San Francisco Symphony have ratified a new contract, so the looming spectre of another work stoppage, and all of its accompanying ugliness, is over. Here are some of the details, courtesy of the Symphony's Communications department:

The agreement also outlines a new process for sharing information among the musicians, Board of Governors, and administration on an ongoing basis to maintain trust, respect and understanding between the members of a sustainable arts organization.  The administration and musicians are committed to working with a third party on an ongoing basis to improve communication and seek a cooperative spirit to address future challenges and opportunities.  A shared commitment to grow audiences and serve our community includes broadening musicians’ involvement in fundraising, marketing and audience development activities.  

Negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement began in September 2012. The previous agreement expired November 24, 2012 and was extended by mutual agreement to February 15, 2013.  A tentative agreement on a new contract was reached March 31, 2013 and has now been ratified and approved by the full Orchestra and Board of Governors.  Over the course of the 26 months of the agreement, musicians of the SF Symphony will receive a 4.5% increase in salary, with current minimum weekly compensation of $2,725 and increasing to $2,850 by the end of the contract.  

“The success of the San Francisco Symphony lies in the dynamic partnership among the musicians, Michael Tilson Thomas , the careful stewardship of the board, hard work of the staff, and the enthusiastic and consistent support of our community,” said Sakurako Fisher, President of the SF Symphony.  “This agreement represents a significant amount of collaboration and a recognition that only a shared vision and a true partnership will propel our outstanding 100-year-old orchestra toward an even greater future. We remain deeply gratified by our community’s exceptional commitment to our orchestra and to the arts.” 

“The musicians of the San Francisco Symphony recognize the important qualities of partnership and collaboration that defines all successful orchestras,” said violist David Gaudry, Chair of the musicians’ negotiating committee.  “Everything we do is for our audiences.  We love what we do, and we want to keep providing our listeners the highest level of musicianship, be active in growing our community, and ensure the long-term artistic vitality of our great orchestra.” 

“This new agreement recognizes the immense talents and dedication of our musicians and underscores our commitment to their well-being on every level,” said Brent Assink, SF Symphony Executive Director.  Their artistry shapes and enriches the cultural landscape of our community in meaningful and far-reaching ways.  I want to express my thanks to Dave Gaudry and the musicians’ negotiating team for their many long hours of collaboration on this new contract.  I would also like thank the Board Labor Relations Committee, the entire Board of Governors, and our hard working staff.  But most of all, I deeply appreciate the patience and ongoing support of our Bay Area community, touring partners, and fans around the country during the past few weeks. We all have a stake in the success of this institution and we look forward to strengthening our partnership to move the orchestra forward.”

#winning. 

Bonjour M. Gauguin

I'll be the first to admit the idea of schlepping out to a high school auditorium in El Cerrito to attend an opera isn't my idea of an optimally spent Saturday night, but it was actually an easy trek via BART and the auditorium was quite impressive. However, that's not worth making much of a fuss over so try this instead- we went over there to check out West Edge Opera for the first time and came away really impressed with the boldness and talent displayed. So put your prejudices aside and go see the American premiere of Fabrizio Corlone's Bonjour M. Gauguin, because it's likely to be one of the more rewarding and quirkier things you'll see this year. Director Mark Streshinksy and choreographer Yannis Adoniou have gathered a very strong cast, even if singing isn't always the primary strength of some members. Between the images of Gauguin's work which frame and set the scenes, the visual impact of the very physically appealing cast, and the curious, alluring but challenging music of Corlone, Gauguin took me by surprise in a most pleasant way in this intelligent, thoughtful production.

I'd even go so far as to say it appears Opera Parallele may have some East Bay competition. That's very high praise, and great news for the Bay Area. Highly recommended, and only two performances left this coming weekend, April 12 & 14. Just go- trust me.

Let us bleed: the high price of concert tickets

Of course it's only rock and roll...

After reading comments on his Facebook page about the high prices of tickets to the upcoming Prince DNA shows and Stones concerts, I challenged my friend and fellow-blogger Gordon Elgart, who is Editor-in-Chief of the website Spinning Platters, to a debate on the subject. He believes acts like the Stones and Prince are sticking it to their fans with these high-priced concerts, and worse, that younger music fans lose out when prices get to the level where they are obtainable only by people with large amounts of disposable income. I disagree with him.

You can read our exchange here.


but I still like it. Yes I do.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was a writer who really understood and appreciated the amazing and probably endless variety of experiences which could be expressed through the medium of film. Because of that understanding, he approached each movie on its own terms. My favorite review of his was for "The Devil's Rejects"- which he called "a gaudy vomitorium of a movie, violent, nauseating and really a pretty good example of its genre" in his three-star review. What I admired was how he appreciated (and respected) who the audience for the movie actually is and how he viewed it from their perspective, even if it wasn't necessarily his own.

That's the sign of a professional. That he could be entertaining and enlightening while doing it marked him as an artist in his own right. He will be fondly remembered.

Rocks Off

Today is the day, #StartMeUpWednesday, and even though I have no idea how I'm going to get a ticket, I am beside myself with anticipation to the point of being so distracted I can hardly sit still at my desk.

What a fantastic day this is- there will be at least four Rolling Stones concerts in California next month.

Here is the Rolling Stones song of the day:

By the way, did anyone else find it telling of the times that the tour announcement was made via YouTube and the campaign conducted almost exclusively through social media?

April's Operapalooza



"Mixing memory and desire..."

As my compatriots Axel and Patrick have duly noted on their own blogs, this month offers an almost freakish amount of interesting opera productions being staged across the Bay Area by most of the leading smaller companies. However, since both of them left out one I consider worth seeing, here's a complete list of the productions I know about which take place this month:

The SF Conservatory of Music presents fully staged performances of J. Strauss' Die Fledermaus on April 4, 5, 6, & 7- this time at the Conservatory itself, with its wonderful acoustics.

West Edge Opera presents the American premiere of Fabrizio Carlone's Bonjour M Gauguin at the El Cerritto Performing Arts Theater (accessible from the El Cerritto BART station) on April 6, 12, and 14.

Pocket Opera performs Offenbach's  Orpheus in the Underworld at the Legion of Honor on April 14 in their customary English language version.

The Philharmonia Baroque presents concert performances of Handel's Teseo around the Bay Area on April 10, 11, 13, & 14. Nicholas McGegan conducts.

Down south on the Stanford campus, Jonathan Berger (Stanford faculty) is premiering two chamber operas, Theotokia and The War Reporter in the Bing Concert hall April 11 and 12. Heather Buck, New York Polyphony, and the St. Lawrence String Quartet are among the performers.

And finally, the indefatigable minds behind the Bay Area's most creative opera company, Opera Parallèle, present a double bill of Leonard Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti (pictured) & Samuel Barber’s A Hand of Bridge at Z Space on April 26, 27, & 28. Eugene Brancoveanu, who really should be singing at the Met, leads the cast and we're lucky to have such an extraordinarily talented singer in our midst so do go check him out. Brancoveanu aside, it is always worth seeing what Director Brian Staufenbiel and Music Director/Conductor Nicole Paiement will bring to the stage.

You can take a look at either of these fine blogs for additional comments and details.

Finally, though it's non-operatic, you also won't want to miss the maiden outing of the Curious Flights concert series on April 26, a new endeavor led by the ever charming clarinetist Brenden Guy. The ensemble have dedicated themselves and this new concert series to the performance of new and rare works from the chamber, and orchestral repertoire. The concert will be held at the Community Music Center, 544 Capp Street, in San Francisco.  Find out more here.

Rock and a Hard Place

I just committed a huge wad of cash to Prince tickets and damn it, I knew this was going to happen. I just knew it. Time to put on a kind face.

Which leads me to your Rolling Stones song of the day: