Roots Report May 2022: So many shows, you MAY be overwhelmed

Okee dokee folks… I think some people out there may need a little reeducation as to how to behave in public now that things are getting back to normal. Folks spent a little too much time in their bubbles watching Netflix and doing whatever they wanted, when they wanted. It shows. What exactly am I talking about? I have been going to shows and I have witnessed a lot of bad-mannered behavior. Concerts are no longer in your living room. You cannot adjust the volume, rewind or pause them at will. If someone interrupts the goings-on, things will be missed.

I went to a show the other night that was supposed to start at 8pm. It did not. Many ticket holders were late arriving to the theater. Twenty minutes past go time, the show still had not begun. An announcement was made alerting the audience that the show was going to begin soon and that they should take their seats. The alert actually seemed to have the opposite effect. Lots of folks began to get up and head to the lobby. Shows are supposed to start at a predetermined time. If you are late YOU should miss out, not make everyone wait. These shows are not on demand.

Most shows are 75-90 minutes long. Most times there is an intermission. What boggles my mind is the excessive and steady flow of people that get up from their seats during a performance and disrupt the enjoyment of the folks around them. Can’t anyone sit still for 90 minutes anymore? Don’t even get me started on the spilled drinks! My camera bag has been soaked twice over the past couple of weeks!

Oh, and one more thing. Hats! Seriously? It used to be proper etiquette to REMOVE your hat when indoors, especially at a seated event. I had to ask the person in front of me to either take his hat off, slouch down or turn the brim down — it was flipped up like Gomer Pyle’s and extremely obtrusive.

Please, for the sake of everyone around you, reintroduce yourselves to proper, polite and considerate behavior. The outside world is not streaming, it is real and live. This has been a public service announcement. Thank you. Read on…

The band Chicago has always been a favorite of mine. No other band has ever produced so many horn-driven hits. They are now in their 55th year of playing music. Though the band has endured many personnel changes and styles, they always return to the brass section for their core sound. Jimi Hendrix famously said of the band, “The horn section is like one set of lungs and the guitar player is better than me!” I had a good, long chat with Jimmy Pankow, trombonist and songwriter for the band. He shared many stories from his 55-year career with the band. Listen to that on Motif’s Roots Report Podcast! Chicago will be at Mohegan Sun Arena on Sat, May 7. For more, don’t be “Searchin’ So Long,” just get to: MoheganSun.com

Joan Osborne hit it big in the mid-’90s with the song “One Of Us.” Since then she has kept busy playing her own music, the music of Bob Dylan, joining with others such as Funk Brothers and touring with the Dead. It’s been a while since she has performed her breakthrough album Relish in its entirety. She will be making her only area appearance doing just this on May 13 at The Garde Arts Center in New London. Also performing at this show is Madeleine Peyroux who will be performing her Careless Love album. Don’t miss this one! Look for my interview with her online. For more, climb the “Ladder” to: GardeArts.org

There are so many great shows coming up besides the few I talked about above. I will mention some here. Ready. Set. Go! At Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland; North Sea Gas, music from Scotland on May 8; Matt & Shannon Heaton perform a “Take It Outside” concert on May 15 and Cantrip on May 22. Row over to RiverFolk.org for more. 

The Odeum is always a busy place. Coming up: Get sedated with Marky Ramone on May 6, SNL and Weeds star Kevin Nealon May 12, one of the hardest working musicians around; Adam Ezra, on May 14; rumor has Graham Parker playing on May 15; Anders Osborne and Jackie Greene on May 21; a solo, electric show by Bob Mould on May 26 and the Mighty Max Weinberg with his Jukebox show on June 3. Yodelayheehoo to: GreenwichOdeum.com for more. 

The Narrows always has a big, wide schedule! In May catch: Jonathan Edwards on May 6, Jon Butcher on May 7, Matt Anderson May 11, A Tale of Two May 14, Danielle Nicole May 18, Low Cut Donnie May 19, Quinn Sullivan May 20, and Beaver Brown on May 21. The Narrows has made it a bargain for college students to attend shows with a new student discount. All you have to do is show up on a concert night, show your student ID, and get in for $15. (This does not apply to sold-out events). For more, Braga over to: NarrowsCenter.org 

PPAC has the cerulean-faced Blue Man Group with what is promised as a “Still Blue, The Rest Is New” show on May 20. Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli is also at PPAC for two shows only on June 2 & 3. Make your Weybosset to PPACRI.org for more. 

I know Rhode Islanders don’t like going very far, but sometimes you just have to if you want to see something special! The Only Former US Senator Currently on Tour Tour with Al Franken will be at The Wilbur Theatre in Boston on May 14. Do you remember when he and Tom Davis used to imitate Mick and Keef on SNL? Neigh over to TheWilbur.com for more. 

Shawn Colvin will perform her breakthrough recording Steady On in its entirety to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of its release. It will take place at The Cabot in Beverly, Mass on May 7. Nice theatre and not a bad drive — a little over an hour. Colvin is the perfect reason to check it out! Cheddar over to TheCabot.org for more. 

The Who, or as I say, half a Who, will be at the Garden in Boston on May 18. Who knows how long Roger and Pete will keep doing it. See them now! “Magic Bus” to TDGarden.com for more. PHEW!!!

Don’t forget there is so much more online from Motif! I have the Roots Report Podcast, interviews and event reviews at MotifRI.com, and lots of concert photos on the Motif Facebook page Facebook.com/MotifRI. Please check it all out! That’s it for now. Thanks for reading. www.JohnFuzek.com