Peter & Barbara's Concert

My dear friends Barbara and Peter Lafford lived in the Phoenix Valley for many years, before they retired to Virginia. While here, they performed regularly with the North Valley Chorale, a non-profit organization devoted to giving its members the opportunity to sing large-scale pieces to the public. This week, Barbara and Peter returned to the Valley to perform Brahms' Requiem; and I got to attend.

Hanging On To What They've Got

I've only attended a few concerts through the years; and now that I'm "retired" I can't really afford to go to any. So it was a surprise and pleasure when my daughter, Jenny, called me a week ago and asked if I would like to attend a concert being given by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Of course, I said yes!—And Jenny graciously included my fiancé, Keith.

The King/James Version of Rock 'n' Roll

The first time I ever heard Carole King, was when I was a disc jockey at a small radio station in 1972. Her record, "Been To Canaan" was on the charts and I played it. Considering my job, I was embarrassingly ignorant of pop music icons and had no idea King, who'd written dozens of hit songs for others by then, was already one. The next year, when a friend played me her favorite album, Tapestry, I didn't connect it with the singer of "Been To Canaan" at all.

Set Us Free

This evening Michael and I attended a free show by a new friend, singer Fox Elipsus (his professional name). Fox is not from here. He is, in fact, from Britain though his home is currently in Buffalo, New York. But since January his home has been his car, as he has been touring the United States and Canada promoting his new, independent-label double-CD Momentum. Since Fox is not part of the mass media, he is free to write and perform songs of joy, of meaning, of political import, as well as of love. And so I was happy to open our home to him for the several days he will be in the Valley. I knew we weren't only supporting "indie art", but also the high frequency vibration of Love.

The Mikado

I am not the world's biggest opera fan. I love classical music, but I'm afraid I'm one of those Philistines who prefers his entertainment in English. When I see an opera in German or French or Italian, I keep reading the subtitles projected above the stage and miss most of the action. I know, I should just learn German and French and Italian. I'm always meaning to. But I've been busy.

Still Breathing After All These Years

How did this happen? I've known quite a few old people through the years. They eat mild foods to avoid upsetting their ulcers; have screen doors on their homes so they can leave the solid doors open; they know the names of the parents of the Lennon Sisters and have opinions about the young men they married. They do not listen to, or understand, rock 'n' roll. So how can an official old person be Paul Simon, the writer of The Boxer, The Sound of Silence, Mrs. Robinson, Bridge Over Troubled Water?

Billy Joel 'Storm Front'

When my youngest daughter, Jennifer, was 14 years old, she had a job, which meant she had an income. She also had an absolutely favorite song, Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire", to which she knew all the words (even though the references meant nothing to her), and got me to play whenever we rode together in the car.

Peter, Paul & Mary 'Reunion'

I have taken, literally, thousands of photos in my lifetime. I have made an effort to document pretty much every event I've attended. But, prior to the advent of cell phones, taking photos of nighttime, outdoor concerts was pretty much impossible.

So it was with one of the best concerts ever, Peter, Paul & Mary's Reunion tour in 1978. I saw it with my school chum Mike Mundell at Merriweather Post in Columbia, Maryland.