THE BEAT
by Seth Rogovoy(WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., Aug. 28, 1997)
Summer '97: A Recap
The summer of '97 will be remembered for two high points -- and not much else. Weeks after David Byrne played the Berkshire Performing Arts Theatre in Lenox, people are still talking about the show, describing it as one of the most exciting concerts not of the year but of their entire lives. Indeed, it was that good.The other high point was Bob Dylan's pas de deux with Ani DiFranco at Tanglewood. While this show might not have exactly changed anyone's life, it did restore the fallen luster brought about by Dylan's indifferent performance there in 1991, and gave the audience a taste of Dylan's newfound energy and drive. It also introduced DiFranco to thousands who had never seen her before, making converts of all but the most surly of Dylan fans. Judging from the enthusiastic reception, it won't be long before DiFranco headlines her own show at Tanglewood. Here's a nomination for DiFranco for next summer's Independence Day concert.
This year's July 4th at Tanglewood featured a lazy Lyle Lovett, cruising along on his own coattails. Shawn Colvin at the National Music Foundation was similarly afflicted -- a good performance, utterly professional, yet somehow devoid of the warmth and personality that infused her shows while she was working her way up the pop-music food chain.
The music foundation, perhaps wisely, played a conservative hand this summer with only three concerts. While the Byrne show was a real coup, the Colvin show was a guaranteed crowd-pleaser -- nothing wrong with that. As for Jim Brickman, the less said, the better. Overall, it was a good effort that holds out great promise for the future at the foundation.
In its first summer of operation, the Studio in Pittsfield offered typically erratic, inconsistent programming which came bunched together in just a few weekends. Its reliance on the same old warhorses -- Little Feat, Jefferson Starship and Max Creek, which returns once again this Sunday, Aug. 31 -- was disappointing; one longs for shows by more exciting acts that have done something new or have had some artistic relevance since 1972. Word is that efforts are currently under way to address precisely these concerns. Let's cross our fingers and hope for the best.
Rock and reggae for a cause
The seventh annual Rock and Reggae Festival brings the curtain down on the summer concert season this Saturday, Aug. 30, at Butternut Ski Area in Great Barrington from 1 to 8. Headlining the all-day event are From Good Homes, the rootsy hippie-rockers from New Jersey who played the Studio last spring and who opened the very first date on Bob Dylan's tour earlier this month -- before Ani DiFranco took over the slot at Tanglewood. Also on the bill is reggae vocalist Danny Tucker, a native of Jamaica who has lived in Boston for the last quarter- century. Tucker performs with his group, Vibe Tribe, which blends jazz and R&B influences into the roots-reggae mix. Filling out the bill are Boston's funk/hip-hop outfit Fat Bag, the Pioneer Valley's Black Rebels and the Berkshires' own Chillbone. Proceeds from the festival benefit the Berkshire County Homeless Children's Fund. Tickets are $12 in advance from Tune Street in Great Barrington or $15 at the door. For more information call 274-6584.
Backstage bits
Newly-freed from a Japanese prison where he was being held on heroin- possession charges, Rick Danko, vocalist/bassist of The Band, showed up on stage at a recent Bob Dylan concert in Wallingford, Conn., and sang two songs with his former employer. One of them, appropriately enough, was "I Shall Be Released."....News that the Rolling Stones are hitting the road once again for a tour of the U.S. which will include stadiums, theaters and nightclubs got us thinking, what are the chances of having the Stones play one of their small gigs right in downtown Pittsfield at the Studio? One possible connection in its favor: Keith Richards used to hang out and play at Studio founder Mort Cooperman's Lone Star Cafe in New York, where he carved his name in the dressing-room wall. Start me up, guys....
For those who can't get enough of jazz keyboardist Chick Corea, who performs with Gary Burton at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival on Friday night, Aug. 29, catch him again next week when his band, featuring Steve Davies, Steve Wilson, Bob Sheppard, Adam Cruz and Avishai Cohen, plays two shows each night at the Van Dyck in Schenectady, N.Y., beginning Wednesday, Sept. 3 and running through Friday, Sept. 5. Call (518) 381-1111 for more info....
[This column originally appeared in the Berkshire Eagle on Aug. 28, 1997. Copyright Seth Rogovoy 1997. All rights reserved.]
Seth Rogovoy
rogovoy@berkshire.net
music news, interviews, reviews, et al.
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