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| Concert Review: Cyndi Lauper at the Keswick 11/15/13 |
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 by: JoeS - Springfield, PA
started: 11/18/13 6:12 pm | updated: 11/18/13 6:12 pm |
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The Keswick Theater was graced to host the Cyndi Lauper "She Is So Unusual 30th Anniversary Tour" last Friday Nov. 15th. Indeed it was a night where "Fans Just Want to Have Fun," was the operative description and we certainly did!
The Keswick is located in downtown Glenside. The seating is comfortable and the acoustics the very best. There are a number of decent restaurants and a great coffee shop. Come a little early and hang out in the coffee shop and many times you can catch the band getting some hot brew. I'd recommend you arrive about 45 minutes prior to the show so parking is not a challenge. The Theater was designed by the famous architect Horace Trumbauer and most of its original grandeur has been preserved. It is dead center in the middle of a major restoration, however, that in no way detracts from the experience.
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The concert opened with Hunter Valentine a Canadian indie/punk rock band with a round house punch. They have an in your face style and push the music out at the audience. The audience was quite diverse from: young fans especially women, a lot of moms with their daughter dressed like Cyndi, and yes us the folks who were there when Cyndi started. The lead singer of Hunter Valentine is Kiyomi McKloskey and she has a powerful and deep voice. She has quite a stage presence and played off of her band mates. A point is that they are an all women band. I'm not familiar with their music but did enjoy “Just Another Love Song,†“Staten Island Dream Tour,†and I think the title was “Feels Like Tonight.†The band received polite applause and performed about 10 songs. Being the warm up act for someone like Cyndi is both a blessing and curse. I think they did a fine job and were rewarded by the fans with applause without a trace of , please get off the stage.
To say Cyndi Lauper is a character is a trite understatement. She took command of the stage, the show, the venue and the entire evening. She made numerous forays into the audience to sing, dance, prance and just talk. If any fan crossed the line she just gave it to them in a way that was funny but authoritative. All shows have some folks who; can't stop using the flash on their camera, can't stop taping or who get into the artist personal space. We had them all and she did not need security, she tore them a new butt, again with New York humor. In, I hope, an unusual situation we had some folks at each other about standing, dancing and singing. I don't know why you would come to a Cyndi Lauper concert if you wanted to sit pensive in your seat, however, we had a few. When she saw the altercation, she stopped the show, walked down to the folks involved, separated them, told the young folks who were dancing to please join the folks to the right and told the two guys to please stow it and I quote, ' We are here to have fun, celebrate times in our lives and have a sense of community.' It worked, she got a standing ovation and back she went to the show, “She's So Unusual.†sort of described the situation.
The night had some very special moments when Eric Bazilian joined the group to a rousing ovation for “Time After Time,†“Yeah Yeah,†and “True Colors.†His exuberance accompanied by an infectious smile captured the fans and he blew us away playing on the sax, guitar and his signature melodica. We also were treated to a full night of Rob Hyman (Hooters) on guitar along with Bette Sussman on keyboards, William Whitman on bass, Scooter Warer on drums and Keith Mack on guitar. A fine band who Cindy conducted like a symphony orchestra while dancing, strutting, jumping and shaking her money maker. She basically performed the entirety of the “She's So Unusual†album with a few additions. It was an amazing show this night, the power of it, the exuberance of it, the quality of it, the freshness of it and the length of it.
Cyndi started the show with a thunderous version of â€Money Changes Everything.†This live version went on for about 5 minutes with the fans being the Mormon Tabernacle Choir back up singers. I have to admit we sounded great, we were loud, in tune and particularly enthusiastic. Something not lost on Cyndi and she played us the entire night, what fun!
She finished with an encore of “Yeah Yeah.†“Good Enough, “Sex Is the Heel†and lastly with “True Colors.†I admit I react emotionally to music, I guess that is why I love it so much, but I think she really got to the audience with her acoustic version. She has a formidable voice and boy did it get a work out. She played the string dulcimer with aplomb and Eric the melodica with a passion and sensitivity that made this wonderful song a true experience. Cyndi is a true Renaissance women. She has been nominated for every award under the musical sun. She has won many the most recent a Tony for the musical score for “Kinky Boots.â€
Not being a music critic leaves me as a music fan. Fan of what I think is just great music. I'm usually amazed by most of the artist I go to see. I think Cyndi is a more than an artist, she is an entertainer. Someone who has a grip on her art and her fan base. This was another night of just remarkable live music, in a fine venue with mostly a fun seeking and adoring audience.
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