STURGILL WILL ROCK THE BOWL - courtesy photo
YA GOTTA LOVE TAYLOR SWIFT
People kept predicting she would show up dramatically at the Democratic Convention and announce her backing of Kamala Harris for President. Nope, I would opine sagely, you don’t understand how these things work. No offense, Queen B fans, but I thought Beyonce might, though also not likely. Those nights belonged to the nominee, they were carefully choreographed per celebrity egos, but, at some point, Bee walking out unannounced on Kamala’s left, Oprah on her right, that;s a photo op fore the ages, and the screaming would not have dropped a decibel for maybe an hour.
But Ms. Swift – is a whole different story. The book is still being written, but have we ever seen such a popular phenomenon ever, sorry Beatles, too bad Elvis. There are millions of young Americans and their moms and aunties who would turn green or communist, or maybe into a duck, if Taylor asked them. Nicely, od=f course, and with solid reasoning.
I think she was going to wait a bit longer, than a tweet at the end of the Great Debate, to make her declaration of support. but her hand was forced by that AI fake of her endorsing The Orange Mess, that was posted on his page – really Donny, they are not as dumb as you think – I think – that must have driven steam out of her ears. That’s it. Not waiting another second. Attention, Swifties.
I think she will still make some in-person announcement, closer to election day, to mobilize her army and give them specific instructions. A lot of them will be voting for the first time. Kamala, you better figure out which cabinet post you will offer her Nov. 6, even though you know she will not take it. Girl power, indeed.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
STURGILL SIMPSON - HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY, OK? I can’t overhype this, because he is still so relatively unknown, yet drawing large, wildly cheering festival crowds because: Simpson is among the best songwriters we have, an affecting singer, a helluva guitar slinger, but mostly, his band can leave you stunned, they are that good. Too much? There’s only one way to find out, isn’t there? Lucky you. Sat 8 p.m., Greek Theatre, LA, $93-288.
THEATRICUM BOTANICUM: The long summer season is running short! Don’t miss any of these. Well, if you had to miss one, of those I’ve seen, maybe "Wendy’s Peter Pan." Big cast of kids, all excellent, a menacing Hook, but seems like there’s more that could have been done with the script. And more cowbell, uh, crocodile, please! Maybe I’m just spoiled and expect greatness every time, instead of just a really good performance, which this is. "The Winter’s Tale" is one of Willie the Shake’s last, a tragi-comedy. He had at that point moved away from telling the stories of royalty, writing more about the emotions and lives of more everyday people. A terrific production. Molière’s classic "Tartuffe" is brought forward a few centuries, right into today’s headlines. How do you rid yourself of a persistent and clever con man? I hope to report next on "Latin - Vote," their topical/political offering of the season, which I have on very good authority is a don’t-miss. "Vote" Sat 3:30 p.m., "Wendy" Sat 7:30 p.m., "Winter"Sun 3:30 p.m., "Tartuffe" Sun 7:30 p.m., "Vote" Mon 7:30 p.m., $15-60.
HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES — You can go to the Cinema Bar any Monday night, 9-11:30, for more than a decade now, and hear these hot players run through Django Reinhart-style ‘30s jazz. This amazing ensemble is a treasure. Mon 9 p.m., Cinema Bar, Culver City, free.
RECOMMENDED:
Tonight - "THE SUBSTANCE OF FIRE" – is still getting glowing reviews, and packing them in at our local theater treasure, The Ruskin, at the airport, in this long run. Written in 1991 by Jon Robin Baitz while still in his 20s, he drew his characters lovingly and skillfully, even those decades past his age. Directed here by Mike Reilly, the first NY production starred Rob Rifkin and Sarah Jessica Parker. Lead Rob Morrow first performed it years ago, as the youngest son. Now he plays the aging Holocaust-survivor patriarch of a family business, a book publishing company not doing well and about to be taken over by a large foreign firm. His children want him to bend his principles and publish a best-seller, but he is intent on a six-book examination of Nazi medical experiments. It’s almost like two plays, first the family dynamics with his three very different shareholding children, and in the second part comes Marcia Cross as a psychiatric social worker, and a different territory opens. Thurs, Fri, Dat, next Thurs, 8 p.m., Ruskin Group Theatre, SM Airport, $25-40.
RICK SHEA, TONY GILKYSON – Another great booking by Wayne Griffith of McCabe’s, two of my very favorite local picker singers, who have been playing together a long time, and it shows. McCabe’s Americana in the Park, Rick Shea & Tony Gilkyson, Mustangs of the West, Gandara Park, Sun 4 - 7 p.m., free.
COMING ATTRACTIONS (also recommended): "The Substance of Fire," Ruskin Group Theatre 9/12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21; Sturgill Simpson, Greek, 9/14; Theatricum Botanicum - "The Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx/Latine Vote" 9/14, 16, 22, 29, 10/3, 6, 12, 20, 26 - "Wendy’s Peter Pan" 9/14, 21, 28, 10/4 - "Tartuffe-Born Again" 9/15, 22, 29, 10/5, 13 - "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" 9/23; McCabe’s Americana in the Park, Rick Shea & Tony Gilkyson, Mustangs of the West, Gandara Park, 9/15; Dengue Fever, Lodge, 9/20; Tom Jones, Greek, 10/7; Joni Mitchell and the Joni Jam, Hollywood Bowl, 10/19; David Gilmour, Hollywood Bowl, 10/29, 30, 31.
Charles Andrews has listened to a lot of music of all kinds, including more than 3,000 live shows. He has lived in Santa Monica for 38 years and wouldn’t live anywhere else in the world. Really. Send love and/or hate mail to: mailto:therealmrmusic@gmail.com
