but go see a concert in one of the great small venues. That was my Tuesday night. A friend of mine from the south bay called me this morning and told me he had two extra tickets to the Hall and Oates show and asked if I would like to go. I have resigned myself to get out more and besides these tickets were in the second row. I was less than 10 feet from the front of the stage all night. How do you pass that up? Not to mention that the arena, can you call it an arena if it holds under 5000 people, is absolutely beautiful. It is the Mountain Winery in Saratoga. It is actually the old Paul Mason winery. There is a small pavilion there, up in the hills, under the stars. Hard to beat for a setting to see a show, any show.
Now first off, I have never claimed to be a great Hall and Oates fan. Sure I love their staples, Sara Smile and She’s Gone, but I always found some of the later stuff to be childish, much like most of the pop in that era. I also remember that I was seriously put off a long time ago by a quote I read from Daryl Hall where he stated he had the best voice in music. At the time, I thought he was nuts. However, listening to him tonight, I thought maybe I should have heard him in his prime. He has great command of his voice. He still sounds great and proves once again that senior citizens can contribute to society.
I can’t believe I am doing this, but I am recommending them as a show you should see when they come to your town. Here are a few things that make me recommend them.
1. First, they run their show like an all request show. They take requests from the crowd and will play what you ask them to play. I found this refreshing as they did not just stick to the set list.
2. Second, they record their shows live and sell the CD right after the show. I just love modern technology sometimes.
3. Third, they seem to be seriously having fun. I don’t think music is about ego to them anymore (as I always felt it was with Hall). I think it is truly about the music and enjoying themselves now and it shows on stage.
4. Lastly, you have got to hear this guy sing Me and Mrs. Jones. It’s incredible.
I want to thank C & S for the invitation, the dinner and a great time. Sure, I know he invited me because he knows I have no life and I could make a show on short notice, but I don’t care. It was still good to see him and especially to laugh at him like the old days. Thanks for thinking of me.
To the rest of you, if you have a chance to go to the Mountain Winery for a show, do it. You won’t regret it. And take may word for it, Hall and Oates are definitely worth the price of admission.
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