Show by Show: the subdudes

As I wrote in the posting announcing our 2008-09 season, one of the shows I'm looking forward to the most next year is the subdudes on January 17.

I've been a fan of this band for about 10 years, but became borderline obsessed with them after seeing them live last summer at the Iowa Arts Festival in Iowa City. Since that night of almost a year ago I have packed at least one subdudes disc with me to work every day. For me, the band's spectacular blend of R&B, funk, rock, blues, and Louisiana "front porch music" is the perfect sound to keep the brain happy, the nerves calm, and the energy pumping.

The band, comprising well-known musicians from the New Orleans scene, came together in 1987 for what they thought would be a one-time performance at Tipitina’s. Led by singer/guitarist Tommy Malone, accordionist John Magnie, and some of their past bandmates from The Radiators and the Continental Drifters, this first performance was primarily an acoustic affair, focusing on traits the band would later call their trademarks -- an emphasis on songwriting and vocal harmonies.

The subdudes were born that night. Over the next 10 years they released five well-received albums, toured extensively, and made a decision as a band to uproot and move their homes and band operations from New Orleans to Ft. Collins, Colo.

It was around this time in 1997 that the band first came into my radar. My friend Jessica introduced me to them by putting "Angel To Be," a terrific song from their 1994 album Annunciation, on a mixtape. (Ah, mixtapes!) Jessica told me about how she first learned about the subdudes by seeing them perform live at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. A crowd favorite at this major music event, the band inspired what Jessica called "Big puppy dog tears" when they decided to split up as a band in 1997.

As their Web site says, though, the band was far from through. "Spinoff projects ensued, as did the occasional reunion show. Finally, in February of 2002, three of the four original band members decided to get back together. They recruited additional longtime friends to fill out the sound and called themselves the Dudes, but the music was still unmistakably the subdudes. Today, they are once again the subdudes. And there’s still nobody in the world that sounds like them."

In 2004 the band paired up with producer (and Bob Dylan guitarist) Freddy Koella to record Miracle Mule. Well-loved blues musician Keb' Mo' produced their 2006 CD Behind the Levee, and Street Symphony (there's a reason they're all wearing tuxes in the picture above) followed in 2007.

A couple of additional interesting things about the subdudes:

• Drummer Steve Amedee does not use a standard drum kit. He instead creates the band's signature percussion sound by holding a tambourine on one leg and hitting it with a drum stick. It's surprisingly cool and effective.
• The subdudes offer their fans an excellent look at their history and a host of rare tracks of the band and its principal members performing solo or with other groups, on the subdudes podcast, accessible through their Website at http://www.subdudes.com/podcast.php, and also on iTunes. I subscribe and it's like getting a personal mini-concert on my iPod monthly. Definitely check it out.

Lastly, if you want to check out the subdudes at greater length, allow me to recommend the purchase of their discs in this order:

1. "Live at Last" (1997). The subdudes are a band best heard live and this gives a great feel for their music and their talent.
2. "Annunciation" (1994). With great songs including "Angel to Be," "Poverty," and the ultimate "front porch" track "Sugar Pie," this is in my mind the band's best studio disc.
3. "the subdudes" (1989). Their debut CD features the studio version of "Light in Your Eyes," a fan (and my personal) favorite.
4. The band's three most recent studio releases "Miracle Mule" (2004), "Behind the Levee" (2006) and "Street Symphony" (2007). As a fan it is so thrilling to hear this group record together again and their new music proves the band's timelessness with their cool harmonies on songs like "Brightest Star" and pulsating rhythms on tracks like "Papa Dukie and the Mud People."

One more thing. Remember to thank the good folks at the Ronda Glenn Law Firm for sponsoring the show. Brad Glenn, Ronda's husband, first told me of their love of this band after we'd sent out an audience survey last winter asking people what they thought of a variety of artists we were thinking of bringing to the BCPA. Brad wrote "Can I vote twice for the subdudes?"

The rest is history ...

Show by Show: "Movin' Out"

Now that the 2007-08 season is done, I wanted to take some time to write a little bit more about the shows on our 2008-09 season. There's so much more that can be said about all of the shows beyond the brief event descriptions you've already probably seen.

As it's our top selling show in advance ticket sales, I thought it would be good to start with the Billy Joel, Twyla Tharp dance/musical Movin' Out.

It's safe to say interest in this show is well-founded. Movin' Out opened on Broadway in 2002 and played just over 1300 critically acclaimed performances. The production won two Tonys: Best Choreography for Twyla Tharp and Best Orchestrations for Billy Joel and Stuart Malina.

The show then went on to have a successful US National Tour, which is how I first saw it in 2004.

Movin' Out tells the story of a group of friends growing up in Long Island in the 1960s. Through Tharp's choreography and a selection of Billy Joel hits sung by a band suspended on platforms above the dance floor we get to know Brenda and Eddie ("Scenes from an Italian Restaurant"), James ("James"), Judy ("Why Judy Why"), and Tony (Anthony in "Movin' Out") as they fall in and out of love, deal with the Vietnam War, alcohol and life's other temptations, then stumble into adulthood.

The choreography and dancing are incredible, as are the Billy Joel songs. The songs span Joel's career, from "Cold Spring Harbor" (1971) to "River of Dreams" (1993). "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me," "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant," "We Didn't Start the Fire," "Captain Jack" -- they're all here. As is, for me, the most surprisingly beautiful song inclusion in the show, "Summer, Highland Falls" (see video of Billy singing it below), a lesser known song from his album "Turnstiles" (1976).

Movin' Out comes to the BCPA on Saturday, December 6.

• Running time: One hour and 45 minutes, including one 15 minute intermission.
• The show does contain some strong images of war, addiction, and other adult topics, but should be appropriate for any child you would feel comfortable letting watch a prime time television drama.

Have you seen Movin' Out? Looking forward to seing it for the first time with us? Still need to buy tickets? Contribute your story to the blog by writing me at jaalberts@cityblm.org.

Some building specs ...

As promised following a March entry on this Blog, I have some specifics about the BCPA's measurments. Our box office manager, Jocelyn, walked around the building with a tape measure to give us some new figures to complement some building basics we already had in our collection.

Highlights include:

STAGE from floor to stage lip 3-4 Feet
Proscenium width 46” – 0”
Proscenium height 26’ – 3”
Last row in house (balcony) to DS lip of stage 73’ – 0”

Main Floor
Row AAA to stage 2 feet
Aisle seats in Row BBB to stage 2 feet
Center of Row BBB to stage 4.5 feet
Aisle seats in CCC to stage 4.5 feet
Center of Row CCC 8 feet

Row A to stage 12–13 feet

Distance between back of seat
seatback in the following row 3 feet

Balcony
The first row of the balcony overhangs row H on the main floor.

Front railing of the balcony is 2.5’ high

Patrons enter the lower balcony at Row DD
There are two steps up from hallway to the lower balcony doorway
From there, there are six steps down to Row AA and 16 steps up to Row MM

There are over 20 from Level 3 to upper balcony

Ballroom
Height of ballroom ceiling 14’

Season Ends with Arlo Guthrie ... Another is set to begin

I arrived at work this morning to this note at the top of my inbox:

My wife and I have been to shows on Broadway, in Chicago and London, and many local venues. Shows of all kinds and variety. The Arlo Guthrie concert was one of the most enjoyable nights we have spent in a theatre. Thanks so much for bringing these types of shows to a venue where the audience and artist can feel connected and is right here at home. We have tickets for two shows next season and maybe more. The Bloomington Center of the Performing Arts has added so much to the quality of life here in Central Illinois. It makes special nights like the Arlo Guthrie concert possible.
--Gary Schwartz

The show was a great way to end the 2007-08 season. Classic songs, great humor, a night people won't forget anytime soon.

Were you there? Write me (jaalberts@cityblm) with your experiences at the Arlo Guthrie concert and I'll post your review in the Blog.

THE 2008-2009 SEASON

And now with just 110 days to go until the Fab Four open the season, we're already looking ahead to 2008-2009. Advance season ticket sales are incredibly strong with dollar figures for the end of May this year already ahead of our dollar totals for the end of July last summer. That said, if there are shows you want to see, get your seats early before the good ones are all gone.

As always, you can order them at http://www.artsblooming.org/

While you're at it, let us know what shows you're looking forward to most. My picks are posted here. You can tell me more about what has you excited by sending an email to jaalberts@cityblm.org.

Seussical

I loved Seussical. Yes, it's taken me over two weeks now to say so, but I did. I loved it. And from what I can tell, everyone else did too.

It was the biggest crowd yet at a BCPA Family Series event. Almost 900 people experienced 80 minutes of absolute charm. Simple staging, energetic performances, and music that I still find myself humming when I wake up in the morning.

Truthfully, I've been a fan of Seussical for years. And I've been a fan of its creators even longer. Ahrens and Flaherty's equally charming Once on This Island was a breakthrough hit in 1990. The versatile composer and lyricist then delivered two more equally interesting, and diverse tuners -- My Favorite Year (1993), Ragtime (1998) -- before penning Seussical in 2000.

Seussical won fans over quickly in previews, but received lukewarm reviews on Broadway. The songwriting team attributed the failure to the weightiness of the Broadway production. It was an economical production when it was seen in preview, with minimal staging and props -- a show that let the imagination fill in all the details. But it received the full treatment on Broadway, with big sets, big stars (Rosie O'Donnell and Cathy Rigby both had turns as the Cat in the Hat), and a big budget that led to the show closing after just 198 performances.

When Theatreworks took on the show, they brought the production back to the basics. They minimized the cast, made minor deletions to the storyline, cutting a drumbeats-of-war subplot taken from Seuss' "The Butter Battle Book," and made the costumes, sets, and props basic, so that the audience took its cue from the opening song "Oh, The Thinks You Can Think."

That said, the production was still the largest Theatreworks had ever mounted.

Critics nationwide have paid attention to the success of this version of the show. Composer Stephen Flaherty likewise called the show "One of the most fun-filled productions of Seussical I've ever seen."

It certainly lived up to my expectations. And everyone I talked to after the show, from seniors to my three-year-old son, were all given chills by the great storytelling and the memorable songs.

I'm sure I'll be humming them again tomorrow morning when I wake up. You too? Let us know what you think by sending me an email at jaalberts@artsblooming.org, and I'll post your comments.