I have to push back on the Lawrence Welk mockery. Yeah, the champagne music is, was, even at the time, incredibly pale. (‘One Toke Over The Line’ notwithstanding.) But:
He played every shitbox ballroom in the Midwest for decades. His show was on for 50 years. He fought for black performers. He paid his people well.
I’m saying he paid his fucking dues. Now, imma not run out and buy his ‘Greatest Hits’ compilation, but I have nothing but respect for him.
• jumps off box, prepares to duck from rotten tomatoes •
Also: the performances I saw that he arranged of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" used the real lyrics ("Muddle through somehow") instead of the cop-out ones ("hang a shining star upon the highest bough") which earns points with me
Boring music doesn't have to be made by bad people, but Trump is going to find himself all the worst!
Agreed! He was the soundtrack of Sunday dinner time at the kitchen table as a wee lad! It was Paul Harvey daily at noon. Bicycles, pop sickles, water from the garden hose, playing until the lights came on. Wow, that was a nice little recollection!
I came here to write something about this - he may not have been broadway , but he had a following - he was kind , and he had diversity. I remember watching him with my grandma and my dad when I was little .
Back in 1971, he started one show by coming on stage dressed as a hippie! Long hair wig, furry vest, granny glasses, love beads, and sobon. It was hysterical. Can anyone imagine Don the Con doing anything remotely like that?
I love the Kennedy Center. My daughter lives in DC and I live in NC, so I get us a season ticket package every year. Every other month or so, I take the train up to DC, we go see a fabulous musical, and then go out for an insanely expensive dinner and have a great time. Dumpy wants so badly to be part of the cool kids' group, and he knows they can't stand him becausr he's a boor and a parvenu, so this is his petty revenge.
It's one of my bucket list venues! Tori Amos played there two summers ago and I was THIS close to going, but I was also seeing her in New Orleans, Birmingham, Atlanta, Nashville, St. Louis, and Red Rocks and I decided to "exercise restraint."
Yes, it was art. A lot of thought and creative energy went into the staging, the costuming, the choreography and choice of songs. I'm a middle-aged white lady who needs my son to explain the Kendrick-Drake beef to me (he's a Kendrick fan) but I can recognize something powerful when I see it. And I'm a Kendrick Lamar fan now just because he showed all the MAGAs that no one gives a shit about their stupid culture war. They lost - and all the tantrums in the world aren't going to change that.
He’ll rename it the Robert F Kennedy, Jr Center and forbid anyone vaccinated or wearing a mask to attend when the bird flu goes pandemic. Mask of the Red Death in reverse.
Subscriber here. I’m a classical musician. Principal flutist of Alabama symphony orchestra. Love your writing and your dogs. I have two labs myself. Didn’t know you were a pianist! How cool. Thanks for helping keep me slightly sane in this craziness. It’s the smallest of the problems but Trump and his minions will decimate the arts.
Unfortunately, decimating the arts is right out of the fascist playbook
"Arts, sciences, medias, universities, knowledge... What they call the Cathedral. Erasing all counter-powers and thinking to destroy protest and opposition at their roots. If no one thinks, no one fights. Can you see it now ?"
Evan, trump and his fans won't do the Charleston, it's too intricate and energetic for them. It's too new too. Heck, the Minuet is too new for them! Square dancing, maybe, but it's too energetic. Besides, dance of all kinds is filled with joy, and these folks lack joy.
Also the Charleston generated from an orphan school band in Charleston SC (its a cool history and that band had major influence in developing jazz musicians but I digress). Also, them orphan kids weren't white which was part of the subversiveness of dances like that of the era.
They won't do the Charleston and they won't do the minuet.
Trump is the type of guy who memorized the bouncing from one leg to another so popular in the 1970s and the grab your ass slow dance where he just sways back and forth.
And all the time he thinks he looks like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.
What is wrong with this country??????? What a pathetic despicable person. Thank you for the Barbara Cook tribute. It was beautiful. Of all the fears I had about the sickness and evil that would be wrought by Trump 2.0, all of which are coming true, destroying the Kennedy Center was not on my list. He and his minions, especially of the political class, are destroying this country one institution at a time.
Trump is a beady-eyed, lizard brained, uncultured, incurious twit.
Your comment about his pathological suit wearing reminded me of the Donny Jr story where he slapped college Donny for dressing like a regular boy, not a cheap businessman. Boy, does that guy have some traumas to work through.
As for Kendrick Lamar’s show, I don’t know his music. I had trouble understanding (hearing) the lyrics. But I loved it because I KNEW Trump would be having a meltdown.
Kudos to all those who flee the Kennedy Center to avoid this lout.
Two things Mary Trump mentioned in her podcast a week or so ago, regarding her family’s non-participation in arts of any kind:
1. Beyond her own interests, NONE of her family members were ever remotely interested or participated in the arts.
2. When she would visit her grandfather’s house, the family would congregate in a room they called, “the library”, adding that it didn’t contain a single book.
Due to CF45’s plunder of such an important institution, I hope anyone associated with the Kennedy Center does an about face and turns their backs on all of it. What if they all leave and start something new? A performative “slap” to his crusty-orange-y-glowing-oompa-loompa face.
Well put, Evan. I sing with one of Washington’s major choruses, and the KC is a venue we rent out. We have two still scheduled this season. I hope we can cancel our contracts, because fuck that. And if we can’t, who’s to say the orchestra unions won’t blacklist it and we can’t assemble an ensemble to accompany us? Ditto IATSE for backstage professionals. Ditto any audience - I ain’t singing for no Nazis.
Oh and there will be “Honors,” but it will 100% be garbage right wing “talent.”
• stands on soapbox •
I have to push back on the Lawrence Welk mockery. Yeah, the champagne music is, was, even at the time, incredibly pale. (‘One Toke Over The Line’ notwithstanding.) But:
He played every shitbox ballroom in the Midwest for decades. His show was on for 50 years. He fought for black performers. He paid his people well.
I’m saying he paid his fucking dues. Now, imma not run out and buy his ‘Greatest Hits’ compilation, but I have nothing but respect for him.
• jumps off box, prepares to duck from rotten tomatoes •
Also: the performances I saw that he arranged of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" used the real lyrics ("Muddle through somehow") instead of the cop-out ones ("hang a shining star upon the highest bough") which earns points with me
Boring music doesn't have to be made by bad people, but Trump is going to find himself all the worst!
Agreed! He was the soundtrack of Sunday dinner time at the kitchen table as a wee lad! It was Paul Harvey daily at noon. Bicycles, pop sickles, water from the garden hose, playing until the lights came on. Wow, that was a nice little recollection!
I'll upvote this for the courage it took to go there. Any display of moral courage in these dark times needs to be acknowledged.
As for the rotten tomatoes here is a clean up tip with a big band soundtrack.
https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-trp-018&ei=UTF-8&hsimp=yhs-018&hspart=trp&p=remove+tomato+stains+from+clothes&type=Y143_F163_225899_091823#id=1&vid=c898758508cb649dd0ad3c85cae62930&action=click
I came here to write something about this - he may not have been broadway , but he had a following - he was kind , and he had diversity. I remember watching him with my grandma and my dad when I was little .
No matter how good the music, Trump's presence makes it unlistenable. A Welk medley anywhere else is OK.
He gave the world Big Tiny Little,too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcziiWbDQyg&list=RDEMOYorWQVtOG1Z8_Vd3yG7KQ&start_radio=1
Thx that one’s a keeper
Thank you!! That was great and I would never have been aware of it if you hadn't shared.
Pete Fountain was also in his orchestra for a while.
Back in 1971, he started one show by coming on stage dressed as a hippie! Long hair wig, furry vest, granny glasses, love beads, and sobon. It was hysterical. Can anyone imagine Don the Con doing anything remotely like that?
It was real musicians moving real air in a room together. A lot of people haven’t had that experience, which can be life-changing.
Myron Floren was a brilliant accordionist
It was easy to mock Lawrence Welk.
But that never stopped him or his musicians from putting on the show and looking like they were having a good time
I love the Kennedy Center. My daughter lives in DC and I live in NC, so I get us a season ticket package every year. Every other month or so, I take the train up to DC, we go see a fabulous musical, and then go out for an insanely expensive dinner and have a great time. Dumpy wants so badly to be part of the cool kids' group, and he knows they can't stand him becausr he's a boor and a parvenu, so this is his petty revenge.
“So when Trump fully ruins the Kennedy Center and it’s all Lawrence Welk all the time”
You’re going to be longing for Lawrence Welk when Lara Trump’s Tom Petty in Retrospect show opens this fall.
Tom Petty libelz!
Go to Wolf Trap; it’s marvelous
It's one of my bucket list venues! Tori Amos played there two summers ago and I was THIS close to going, but I was also seeing her in New Orleans, Birmingham, Atlanta, Nashville, St. Louis, and Red Rocks and I decided to "exercise restraint."
You must go! I saw Sarah Caldwell conducting the orchestra there a long time ago and it was beautiful
Ditto Arena Stage, Signature Theater, Wooly Mammoth, Studio Theater, Shakespeare Theatre and the zillions of other great venues.
Wolf Trap is part of the National Park Service. Trump will get his tiny hands on it as well.
It's wonderful!
Fuck Trump. Fuck his family. Fuck his heritage.
𝘏𝘪𝘱-𝘩𝘰𝘱 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘗𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘻𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘻𝘦-𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯-𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳-𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘱, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰.
Yes, it was art. A lot of thought and creative energy went into the staging, the costuming, the choreography and choice of songs. I'm a middle-aged white lady who needs my son to explain the Kendrick-Drake beef to me (he's a Kendrick fan) but I can recognize something powerful when I see it. And I'm a Kendrick Lamar fan now just because he showed all the MAGAs that no one gives a shit about their stupid culture war. They lost - and all the tantrums in the world aren't going to change that.
It just wasn't well miked. My hearing is not the best anymore and I could not make out a single word of what he was saying.
This is excellent deconstruction and commentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pVTjadUAxg&t=1s
I expect we'll soon enough find out just how insulated from 'government' interference the recording industry has become ...
I DARE Orange Foolius to try and come for hip-hop. That will go well.
He’ll rename it the Robert F Kennedy, Jr Center and forbid anyone vaccinated or wearing a mask to attend when the bird flu goes pandemic. Mask of the Red Death in reverse.
No way. If he tries to rename it, it will be after himself.
There will be a special history of measles and autism wing
Polio and TB are waiting in the wing's also...
Oh. I hadn’t thought of that. Ugh.
Subscriber here. I’m a classical musician. Principal flutist of Alabama symphony orchestra. Love your writing and your dogs. I have two labs myself. Didn’t know you were a pianist! How cool. Thanks for helping keep me slightly sane in this craziness. It’s the smallest of the problems but Trump and his minions will decimate the arts.
Pianist and subscriber here
Unfortunately, decimating the arts is right out of the fascist playbook
"Arts, sciences, medias, universities, knowledge... What they call the Cathedral. Erasing all counter-powers and thinking to destroy protest and opposition at their roots. If no one thinks, no one fights. Can you see it now ?"
Yup. Hate it. No real musician supports fascists.
Yup
How much you wanna bet he changes the ribbons on the Kennedy Center medals because they're woke rainbows?
Yep. They'll be white, blue and red like the Russian flag.
And have the hammer and Sickle engraved on the medals themselves.
Evan, trump and his fans won't do the Charleston, it's too intricate and energetic for them. It's too new too. Heck, the Minuet is too new for them! Square dancing, maybe, but it's too energetic. Besides, dance of all kinds is filled with joy, and these folks lack joy.
Also the Charleston generated from an orphan school band in Charleston SC (its a cool history and that band had major influence in developing jazz musicians but I digress). Also, them orphan kids weren't white which was part of the subversiveness of dances like that of the era.
Donnie likes his double tug boogie
"Square dancing, maybe"
Indeed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxEZMXnQGs8
They won't do the Charleston and they won't do the minuet.
Trump is the type of guy who memorized the bouncing from one leg to another so popular in the 1970s and the grab your ass slow dance where he just sways back and forth.
And all the time he thinks he looks like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.
What is wrong with this country??????? What a pathetic despicable person. Thank you for the Barbara Cook tribute. It was beautiful. Of all the fears I had about the sickness and evil that would be wrought by Trump 2.0, all of which are coming true, destroying the Kennedy Center was not on my list. He and his minions, especially of the political class, are destroying this country one institution at a time.
Trump is a beady-eyed, lizard brained, uncultured, incurious twit.
Your comment about his pathological suit wearing reminded me of the Donny Jr story where he slapped college Donny for dressing like a regular boy, not a cheap businessman. Boy, does that guy have some traumas to work through.
As for Kendrick Lamar’s show, I don’t know his music. I had trouble understanding (hearing) the lyrics. But I loved it because I KNEW Trump would be having a meltdown.
Kudos to all those who flee the Kennedy Center to avoid this lout.
Pianist and subscriber here
Here are a few things you may enjoy deconstructing Kendrick's show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pVTjadUAxg
and of course, Josh Johnson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgKsG6NZSIo
I'm a Deadhead so I guess I'm glad the band got their flowers (roses of course) just before this, but yeah, feeling the same gut punch.
Two things Mary Trump mentioned in her podcast a week or so ago, regarding her family’s non-participation in arts of any kind:
1. Beyond her own interests, NONE of her family members were ever remotely interested or participated in the arts.
2. When she would visit her grandfather’s house, the family would congregate in a room they called, “the library”, adding that it didn’t contain a single book.
Due to CF45’s plunder of such an important institution, I hope anyone associated with the Kennedy Center does an about face and turns their backs on all of it. What if they all leave and start something new? A performative “slap” to his crusty-orange-y-glowing-oompa-loompa face.
As I was reading his post the first thing I thought of was Animal Farm.
That totally tracks, especially given what giant pigs Trump and his minions are.
I don’t want to go on truth social
What did he post?
Oh yeah, I’ve never been on there myself.
It was about what he’s going to do at the Kennedy Center. Nauseating.
Well put, Evan. I sing with one of Washington’s major choruses, and the KC is a venue we rent out. We have two still scheduled this season. I hope we can cancel our contracts, because fuck that. And if we can’t, who’s to say the orchestra unions won’t blacklist it and we can’t assemble an ensemble to accompany us? Ditto IATSE for backstage professionals. Ditto any audience - I ain’t singing for no Nazis.
Oh and there will be “Honors,” but it will 100% be garbage right wing “talent.”