Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats

Mahaiwe Arts Center, Great Barrington, MA
www.mahaiwe.org
by Amy Meek

The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats thrilled and delighted the large audience of the beautiful Mahaiwe Arts Center with a show that successfully combined amazing acrobatic feats with both colorful spectacle and humor. The troupe, which was comprised of young performers who displayed immense skill and agility, took the audience into a magical world and gave them a glimpse of Chinese cultural tradition.

Some of the highlights of the show included a chorus of female acrobats who made use of props such as spinning disks and candles to demonstrate their amazing strength, balance and flexibility. They contorted their bodies in superhuman ways while spinning and holding the objects and balancing them off different parts of their bodies. In one number, the performers were roller skating on a platform using extreme speed and precision to keep themselves on balance while getting into many formations. In "Awesome Adagio" a boy and girl danced together, and he lifted her high above his head while she balanced on his shoulder on the tip of her toe.

The use of bright colors in the show helped to create an exotic atmosphere, especially in the number "Diving Daring Do," which used five acrobats inside three Chinese dragons to enchant the audience. They made the dragons come alive and took the audience into a timeless experience of Chinese tradition. The use of scarves, flags and bright costumes also enhanced the theatricality of the performance.

Finally, the humor that the troupe used made the show a pleasure to watch. They used audience interaction and alternated the intense acrobatic moments with moments of comedy, never taking themselves too seriously. This show was truly a magical and awe-inspiring journey into an evening of suspense and wonder.

Bruce Hornsby/Wood Brothers

Mahaiwe, Great Barrington, MA
www.mahaiwe.org
by Eric Sutter

An audience has to move when hearing good music or at least be moved... this was the case with both acts which knew how to make a good noise. The Wood Brothers are biological brothers with a rootsy front porch blues-folk brand of Americana that rocks. The rich ringing tones of "Lovin' Arms" from their "Loaded" CD sounded outstanding. Oliver Wood's acoustic guitar and voice was out front through his set with brother Chris' support on stand-up bass guitar and harmony vocal. "Liza Jane" featured their brotherly harmonies and a bowed bass solo by Chris. Chris began their "Train Trilogy" with a chugging harmonica as Oliver cut in with electric slide guitar and humorous vocals. They closed with "Postcards from Hell."

Here came the noisemakers... live and on the move! Musical visionary Bruce Hornsby began his set with "Heir Gordon" from 2004's "Halycon Days." His piano solo was exquisite as he segued into "Harbor Lights." He performed a couple of gems on piano with "Michael Raphael" and "Here We Are Again" from his new CD "Levitate." His band, the Noisemakers, provided a full sound accompaniement and solos with electric guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and reeds. The six piece band launced into "This Too Shall Pass." The songs took on a new life in a live setting with Hornsby's co-written ballad on Don Henley's hit "End of Innocence." At times, Hornsby's vocals were ragged, but the powerhouse band pumped him up on the 1988 hit "Look Out Any Window" which morphed into the Rolling Stones "Tumblin' Dice" with a rock riff supreme and saxaphone interlude. Hornsby performed a playful "Prairie Dog Town" on the dulcimer and also jammed on the accordion. He took a request and played "Gonna Be Some Changes Made" with its hypnotic percolated rhythms. This three time Grammy winner -- Best New Artist of '87 -- performed his hit song "The Way It Is" with J.T. Thomas on keyboards. A standing ovation led to the adventurous "Space is the Place" and "Dreamland."

Don McLean in Concert

Mahaiwe, Great Barrington, MA
www.mahaiwe.org
August 9, 2009
by Eric Sutter

Far from fading away, singer-songwriter Don McLean lifted spirits and touched souls with a fun concert filled with magic. He began with a triplet of Buddy Holly Songs, "Well Alright," "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" and "Peggy Sue Got Married" which put the audience at ease. His warmth and humor conveyed real love. His versatile songwriting skills were evident as he shifted styles from the folk ballad of "Homeless Brother" to the more pop oriented classics "Empty Chairs" and "Castles In the Air." In 2004, McLean was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.

He changed musical direction once again to a country groove with Don Williams' "Tulsa Time" and a yodeling "Deep In the Heart of Texas," which featured a searing hot electric guitar solo. Marty Robbins' "Singing the Blues" featured a melodic piano solo. A highpoint was McLean's cover of Roy Orbison's "Crying" in which he can still hit those amazing vocal highs.

The band aptly accompanied McLean and his acoustic guitar on the spiritually aware "Jerusalem." His incredible fingerstyle guitar work and the words of "And I Love You So" were heart rendering. "Crossroads" featured the singer's delicate guitar style with piano accompaniement. His ever popular "Vincent" was given a makeover with the inclusion of synthesizer to gave the song an orchestral appeal. Incidentally, McLean shared the story that "Vincent" was written in nearby Stockbridge when he was first starting to perform. With the exception of a few minor breaks in his voice, his classic 8 1/2 minute folk-pop #1 hit "American Pie" sounded as wonderful as it did in 1971; the audience sang along at times. He kicked out a cover of Elvis' "I Gotta Know" with resounding audience response.

Whatever McLean did, people loved it. He encored with down in your soul fingerstyle guitar blues and a little electric slide on the side -- not bad for a 64 year old Hudson River troubadour.

Kathy Mattea Concert

Mahaiwe, Great Barrington
by Eric Sutter

The wind in the mountains that chilled the Berkshires in the evening was warmed by a gifted singer in Kathy Mattea. With Mattea, here is a country girl who is also a modern day independent woman with a good head on her shoulders. Her music was clean without boundaries, with an excellent voice that rang true. Her lyrics were not all sweet, as she has an uncanny ability to probe the darker side of human nature.

She started her set with "Dark as a Dungeon" about a coal mine disaster. Her family comes from a long line of coal miners from West Virginia and "COAL," her latest CD, is a tribute to her place and people. Acoustic guitar, fiddle, mandolin and stand-up bass accompanied her mountain soul voice on songs "Goin' Gone" and "Untold Stories." Her Appalachian tales included the Jean Ritchie song "Blue Diamond Mines." This was real country music... heartfelt and not from your ordinary country star. "Love at the Five and Dime" included most in the audience becoming the chorus on the line "dance a little closer to me."

"You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" featured an acoustic guitar solo and a powerful mandolin solo that cut high about all other sounds. The beautiful melody of "Come from the Heart" left plenty of room for some fine instrumental work. The beloved Grammy winner, "18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses" was a sure hit. She rocked the Stones' "Gimme Shelter," showcased an acoustic slide guitar on her bluesy "455 Rocket," and sang her heart out on Hazel Dickens' hard luck tale, "Black Lung." Mattea encored with a spritely Celtic instrumental.

At one point, Mattea called the Mahaiwe a jewel -- her voice echoed in this beautiful venue, and the audience echoed their praise of Mattea.

Johnny Winter

Mahaiwe, Great Barrington
January 25, 2009
Eric Sutter

The audience of approximately 400 were eyewitness to the heat wave of Texas blues legend Johnny Winter, who chased away the chill on this cold mid-winter night in the Berkshires. Winter has been living the blues since he first broke through in the early 70s. The night began with a hard rockin' electric guitar blues instrumental solo performed by Paul Nelson, from the Johnny Winter Band. The band was pumped up when Winter took the stage with the high powered crunch of "Hideaway." Dressed in blue jeans, black shirt and his trademark black cowboy hat, and lone star tatooed arms, he sounded the way he looked... like a road weary, raspy voiced blues veteran of countless bars, roadhouses and concert halls. "Sugar Coated Love" and "Boogie Real Low" exemplified his blues shuffle rhythms and use of boogie guitar styles. He is one of the true building bridges of blues and rock interpreters who have linked the British blues of the 60s to the Southern rock of the 70s.

He worked the crowd to a frenzy with "Blackjack" and growled the Texas gutbucket blues with "Lone Wolf," which brought forth howls from the audience. His long slender fingers glided over the strings of his guitar with the grace of ageless beauty. He let it rip with a ferocious blues force on "Red House." The backwood yowl of "Johnny Guitar" caught the cheers and handclaps from the audience. The super raw cover of "It's All Over Now" sounded Stonesy, but with more Texas big beat and swagger courtesy of the rhythm section of Scott Spray's swampy bass lines and drummer Vito Liuzzi's bam. Winter has paid his dues and then some, and it showed as he squeezed passion from every smokin' hot slide guitar lick on his low down "Mojo Boogie" interspersed with Spray's tirade of funky bass lines. The encore, "Highway 61," featured traded electric guitar riffs between Nelson and Winter with solos galore.

A note about Mahaiwe. The theatre opened in 1905 for vaudeville shows, then became a movie house in the late 20s, and reopened in 2004 for a new century of entertainment.

Dave Mason

Mahaiwe, Great Barrington
by Eric Sutter

The British born Rock 'n Roll Hall of Famer Dave Mason rocked the Mahaiwe Theater with a mix of 60s Classic Rock, 70s solo material and new songs from his latest CD, "26 Letters~12 Notes." Mason, who came into prominence in the 60s with Steve Winwood from Traffic, went on to jam with many well known rockers including Clapton and Hendrix. He lit the fuse with the opening track from his new CD with "Good 2 U" firing off stinging lead guitar and a gutsy soulful vocal delivery. He easily slipped into his sensitive side and performed the familiar 70s songcraft of "Let It Go, Let It Flow" and "We Just Disagree" on strummed acoustic. His band sparked a strong pulse of blues tinged rhythm with the Traffic songs "Fourty Thousand Headmen" and a rockin' "Dear Mr. Fantasy," which featured the hot licks of John Sambataro's lead guitar.

Mason was an image of renewed vitality, even as he wiped the sweat from his bald head Louis Armstrong-style as he launched into "Ain't Your Legs Tired Baby?" More new blues followed with the true grit of "Let Me Go" and "One Day." The well-known opening riff of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" brought the dancing baby boomers down front as the funky rhythm section of Gerald Johnson on bass and Alvino Bennett on drums picked up on the action. The new ballad "How Do I Get to Heaven?" featured acoustic guitar interplay and singing between Mason and Sombataro. They closed with the 70s shout of joy, "Only You Know and I Know" which was a full band workout with a fluid electric guitar solo courtesy of Mason and smart keyboard work by Bill Mason. After a standing ovation, they kicked into the rock anthem written by Dave Mason, "Feelin' Alright" with an electrifying interaction of dual guitars between Mason and Sombataro... I'd give Mason the sweaty edge.

Taj Mahal

Mahaiwe, Great Barrington
by Eric Sutter

Multi-instrumentalist and musical interpreter of American folk and blues artist Taj Mahal wowed the full house audience at the Mahaiwe. His repertoire spanned from his early 70s acoustic country blues "Fishin' Blues" and "Queen Bee" to the more hip-shakin' electric blues from his later years. He gave a shout out to Springfield where he grew up. Later, he caught a soul-blues groove of musical expression early on with "Checkin' up on my Baby" and "E Z Rider." Mahal created a steamy soul sensation as he danced and called for the ladies to scream. He smiled broadly and cut into an easy rollin' blues in "You Don't Treat Me Like You Used To," which was the first song taught to him on guitar by North Carolina's Leonard Perry.

During a lull in the diversity of music, he shifted to electric piano. A fan yelled out, "Yes We Can," as Mahal's comeback resounded, "Yes We Have" and he proceeded to pound out "Blues with a Feeling." With 40 years in the recording business, his music has showed no signs of slowing down and he has incorporated different rhythms that have been assimilated into his blues style. He played an upbeat bounce boogie shuffle called "I'm Gonna Move Up to the Country and Paint my Mailbox Blue" and followed with the pretty instrumental acoustic piece "Zanzibar" from his new CD, "Maestro."

Incidentally, the singer has won two Grammys, most recently with 2000's "Shoutin' in Key" and the 1973 soundtrack to "Sounder" in which he played the role of Ike. To close the performance he played a celtic blues instrumental on banjo, which turned into an old school Mississippi chooglin' hoedown. Mahal danced his country blues banjo sound into the audience with everyone stompin' and dancing. He encored with a delicate song for 21st century lovers called "Lovin' in my Baby's Eyes," played on acoustic guitar.

Bernice Lewis and Dar Williams

Mahaiwe, Great Barrington
October 3, 2008

by Eric Sutter

What a pleasant evening of fine melodic music was had in a quaint theatre nestled in the Berkshire Hills. In addition to the wonderful music, the setting offered peak foliage colors. The audience was revved up for both regional singer/songwriters. Bernice Lewis opened a capella with "Where the Rivers have No Name." This songwriting teacher from Williams College sang from a powerful women's perspective asking, "Where Did Our Country Go?" Her humor was evident with "Normal Is Just a Setting on a Washing Machine" while her acoustic guitar and voice worked wonders on the final song, "Somewhere Between Religion and Release."

The much anticipated appearance of Dar Williams brought a passionate response to the singer and what she stands for: i.e. a long-held connection to social and environmental issues that ring true to our collective human conscience. She began the evening with "Calling the Moon" from her 2000 CD "The Green World." Her refreshing folk pop was delivered in a clear sweet voiced, but witty and conversational style, that revealed universal truths in a confessional manner. She told interesting stories in relationship songs like "The Easy Way" and "The Promised Land." Williams; intelligent and thought-provoking lyrics fostered human connections in "The Babysitter's Here" and "The Beauty of the Rain." The toe-tapping folk-rocker hit about change, "It's Alright," buzzed the audience.

The singer's acoustic guitar was a delight on "Holly Tree" and the lyrics of "Christians and Pagans" were well received. She shifted to a gentle and resonant mode with the close to home, "The Hudson," -- where she resides in New York. "Mercy of the Fallen" was a favorite sing-a-long. She encored with "When I as a Boy" from her debut CD of 14 years ago. Her remembrances had a magical child-like Peter Pan memory and effect.

Indigo Girls

Mahaiwe, Great Barrington
September 21, 2008
By Donna Bailey-Thompson

From the moment Australian Missy Higgins, acoustical guitar in hand, greeted the audience with a smile and "G'day!" her opening act could do no wrong. She sang, strummed, scurrying fingers across a keyboard or pausing to bang out a succession of pay-attention chords. Her clear, no-nonsense voice sang with the fervor of her age – 25 – and of her beliefs in love, betrayal, anger, and dismay. Already an award-winning success in Australia, she spoke of temporarily relocating in Los Angeles – the center of the music business – slowly building her profile, through touring and writing songs for selected film scenes. An old poster advertising "Gone With The Wind" caught her fancy, especially the "cheekiness" of Vivien Leigh (Scarlet) and the sensuality of Clark Gable (Rhett) locked in a passionate embrace which inspired the writing of "Angela" and the repeated phrase, "You’re a danger he’s addicted to." Toss in "Scar,"and Missy’s profile jumped.

The hoots and hollers burst forth when the reasons for the sold-out house appeared – dark Emily Saliers and blonde Amy Ray, the musically electrifying and compelling Indigo Girls. For more than 20 years, they have built a legion of followers who adore them and their blend of folk rock – and whatever embellishments and surprises they incorporate. The fans know all the lyrics and sing along continuously. Occasionally when Emily stepped away from her mike, a row of white lights strung across the proscenium arch shone into the audience, illuminating the dedicated choir, their singing in sync with The Girls. Excitement surged whenever Emily got into the music, knees bent, jamming. Amy focused, serene. Emily into another plane. Wild shouts from fans dancing in place. "The Power of Two." Yes! Then, "I was waiting for me."... "I’m all washed up when Poseidon has his day."... "Land of Canaan" and the screaming and whooping hit higher decimals.

Emily Saliers has said, "Creating harmonies with someone is magical; it’s a whole other side of performing." Amy Ray has reaffirmed the principle that drives the Indigo Girls: "It’s all about living in the moment...and trying to make it better than the moment that came before," a comment in tune with the beautifully restored Mahaiwe.