Displaying items by tag: Drew Shirley

The other night I went to Ravinia Festival. I am not afraid to admit that, after all my concert going years, it was my time going to the Ravinia venue located in Highland Park, Illinois. But there must be first time for everything and a double bill with Lifehouse and Switchfoot, two of my fave bands in the past, made it all the more enticing. Simply put, if you have never gone to Ravinia before, you need to go. It is just beautiful. Well-manicured lawns surrounding the pavilion area make an inviting temporary home for its large number of picnickers. And a friendly staff member is always nearby, ready to help, adding to the venue’s pleasant ambiance. The atmosphere is quick to relax its attendees from the moment they arrive. Picnickers can bring their own food and drink though there are a handful of food choices available on the Ravinia grounds making it easy to fill a hearty appetite before or during a concert. In short, I quickly discovered Ravinia is the perfect place to have a great family or date night. Its enchantment is only heightened by beautiful trees strategically placed throughout the grounds. Though easily accessible by car, a Metra stop is just right outside the gates, offering an even easier option of transportation for many and an easy escape route after the concert. But not to worry. Even for those that choose to drive, it's still easy to leave in a timely manner.

The night’s opening Act was Brynn Elliott, a senior college student from Boston. Ms. Elliott is a very energetic young lady whose soulful and jazzy voice is full of life. The young music artist sang eight catchy songs that got the attention of those sifting into the pavilion and having many thinking, “Have I heard that voice before?” Brynn interacted with the growing crowd well, many jumping around and dancing with her to her faster paced songs. As her set came to an end, Brynn couldn’t be more grateful to Lifehouse and Switchfoot for inviting her to open for them.

Switchfoot then hit the stage to a loud roar of cheers. The pavilion quickly filled, while no doubt a few slices of pizza were quickly scarfed down upon the band’s opening notes. Switchfoot appropriately opened their set with “Hello Hurricane” in the wake of the Harvey devastation, a stark reminder of those in need. Frontman Jon Foreman came out strong, his vocals rich, his energy at a high level matching his talent. Foreman commanded the stage, leading a band that also appeared to be in peak form. The years have been good to Switchfoot, an added maturity gracing each number played, each note struck, each address to the crowd made.  

Throughout the evening, the band, still fresh off their 2016 release Where the Light Shines Through, performed a variety of material sure to please Switchfoot fans from all eras, touching on albums from earlier in their career to current. As the set played on, Foreman walked around the pavilion, shaking hands and hugging people in the crowd, as he so often loves to get close and personal, a quality his fans don't mind one bit. He even shared a handful of interesting stories as to how and why some songs were written and the meaning behind them. Guitarist Drew Shirley was ripping through leads while Chad Butler kept a steady rhythm on drums along with bassist Tim Foreman, Jon’s brother. Jerome Fontamillas chimed in with guitar and keys to help create the band’s signature wall of sound that has so well defined the California quintet.

After seeing Switchfoot’s live show, it’s easy to believe the accomplished studio artists are happiest on stage where they can spend quality time with the fans who have supported them for so many years.

Lifehouse took the stage next. This surprised me, thinking Switchfoot would headline, but thus the double bill. Lead vocalist and guitarist Jason Wade reminded the crowd that, despite hailing from Los Angeles, they haven't toured the United States in seven years. Women in their late twenties and thirties began to flood into the pavilion, some screaming, as the band found its rhythm on stage. The band was not rusty, displaying a strong stage presence, their fans excited to see them after such a long drought.

Opening with the song “Hurricane” (obviously a theme here), the first of their fifteen-song night swiftly got their fans excited for what would be a truly rockin’ performance. The band played a good amount of material from their first two albums, songs from seventeen or so years ago, that made everyone feel a bit nostalgic, reminding us of an exciting time when a band is in its breakout stage. Fans sang along at the top of their lungs with the band’s heartfelt songs of heartache and hope. Seen around the stage were a handful of women crying and signing along with tears of emotion streaming down their faces, making the moment all the more unforgettable and powerful.

And now for the downer… Despite their powerful catalog of material and showmanship, the band truly lacked when it came to audience interaction. This was a bit disappointing. Song after song was played with little or no introductions in between and Wade did very little at all to connect with the crowd. It was almost as if they just wanted the night to end.

Switchfoot stole the night away and the reason is simple. They relate with the crowd and the crowd with them. They connect. It’s clear Foreman and company are having fun and hold a great appreciation for their fans. That’s what it’s all about, right? The venue was perfect, the staff amazing and, thanks to a fine sound system, the music performed sounded as if we were in a studio outside of the loud cheers. In all, it was a fine night of music and beautiful memories were created.

Switchfoot Setlist:

Hello Hurricane
Stars
Bull in a China Shop
Love Alone Is Worth the Fight
Your Love Is a Song
I Won't Let You Go
If the House Burns Down Tonight
Live It Well
The Sound (John M. Perkins' Blues)
Where I Belong
Meant to Live
Float
Only Hope
Dare You to Move

Lifehouse Setlist:

Hurricane
Halfway Gone
Sick Cycle Carousel
Nerve Damage
It Is What It Is
Pride (In the Name of Love)
Flight
Broken
Everything
Whatever It Takes
First Time
Spin
You and Me
Hanging by a Moment

Filled with clever and rapid-fire dialogue exchanges, The New Sincerity is a fast-moving comedy written by Alena Smith, one of the nation’s top young, up and coming women writers. The play’s title is explained well in its press release - "Erudites among us know "New Sincerity" is an actual term used in music, aesthetics, film criticism, poetry and philosophy, generally to describe art or concepts that run against prevailing modes of postmodernist irony or cynicism." And there is plenty of cynicism and irony to be found in the latest comedy/drama at Theater Wit that deals with millennials and the idealism of the Occupy Movement. 

As co-founder of a highly regarded online political journal, Asymptote, Benjamin, a Harvard literature graduate, is always looking for hard-hitting and thought provoking material to maintain status among their peers and competitors. Just less than a block away from their office is the Occupy Movement where protesters converge in the park all throughout the day and night. Benjamin’s newly appointed senior contributor, Rose, has a strong interest in doing a piece on the protest, but he is insistent she stay far removed for fear of taking sides. Disregarding Benjamin’s direct order, Rose not only checks out the movement firsthand but creates a relationship with one of the protesters, Django. As feared, word gets out about an Asymptote staff member being associated with the Occupy Movement and Benjamin not only takes the criticisms from his co-owner and faithful readers, but he fears how this will affect his fiance's upcoming book release since her last book, Death of the Left Wing clearly believed that the modern protest is dead and ineffective. Furious at Rose for screwing up the journal’s branding, she finally convinces Benjamin to visit the movement, which he reluctantly does. 

The story then becomes that of an opportunist and the hypocrisies that come about as Benjamin realizes the potential afoot and does a complete turnaround to where he can’t get enough coverage on the movement, even to the point that he lies about being involved from day one. We also see the hollowness in Benjamin regarding his relationship with women as he states he does not really believe in love and deep connections, much the opposite of Rose. 

Smart and brutally honest, The New Sincerity offers tremendous acting performances by each of its four cast members. Drew Shirley as is energetic and finely projects the qualities to make a convincing Benjamin who is incapable of fully connecting emotionally. At the same time, Maura Kidwell as Rose is perfectly cast as the grounded one who seems to get it in the play while Erin Long as the very funny tell-it-like-it-is intern Natasha and Alex Stein as the protest because there’s a protest protester Django also provide a huge spark.

I really enjoyed the set which was a cozy two-story office with large windows giving us a peek at New York City. As the scenes changed, large computer monitors would tell us what month it was giving us a nice idea of a time frame.

I liked the direction of this play by Jeremy Wechsler, as I felt he outstandingly captured the essence of millennium living, ideals, social media marketing and stereotypes. The often overly politically correct gender pronoun usage was also addressed when a friend of Django’s insisted on being called dragon as she did not identify with male or female. I wasn’t quite sure if Smith was taking a jab at renaming our own gender to whatever we want or embracing the fact that we can.   

The New Sincerity has plenty of very funny dialogue exchanges and provides a story that is paced very well with plenty of memorable moments. I recommend this fiercely funny play, which is being performed at Theater Wit through April 17th. For more show info visit www.TheaterWit.org.