Stephen Bruner, who is better known by his stage name Thundercat, is an electric bass player who has reportedly been influenced by the two renown fusion artists Stanley Clarke and George Duke. Stephen provided samples of jazz, R&B, funk, electronic, and other genres in his performance, and although the volume and timbre of his presentations were a bit overwhelming for my supposedly half deaf behind, I marveled at the uniqueness and creativity of each and every selection.
Steven Ellison, of the stage name Flying Lotus, is a music producer, rapper, and electronic musician with a strong penchant for multi genre experimentation. There was a bit of excessiveness in terms of my comfortability with the flashing lights and incessant sounds, but the wizardly appearance of him behind a sheer three dimensional curtain, the amazing backdrop of perpetual video imagery, and the constant and varied influx of musical accompaniment gave uncontested credibility to his creative brilliance.
The joint was packed ya'll, and the participatory response, of the dominant 20 to 35 aged- old audience, reminded me of my avid appreciation for the Jimi Hendrix, and Funkadelic concerts I attended back in the day. I'm certainly glad I went to see Thundercat and Flying Lotus, because I now know first hand that some of our young artists are still working to preserve, cultivate and proliferate the innovative creativity that has made all types of music available to us, and has allowed countless artists to both find their place in the sun and to remain in our hearts. I'll just have to remember, if I go to another concert of that sort, to bring some ear plugs and dark glasses.
As for the first operatic offering entitled 'Dido and Aeneas' on Saturday, the program guide touted the simplicity of the stage setting. I was not convinced however, that economic restraints did not play a major role in limiting the props to a white park bench that spanned the width of the stage. The movement and vocal renditions of the twenty six performers, confined to this single bleacher, left me feeling a bit deprived in relation to the glamorous hoopla that I had expected, but their obvious exuberance along with my willingness to fully grasp the overall artistic intent, gave me a sense of having acquired a bit of insight, into the complexities that accompany transforming a story into operatic form.
The second presentation, entitled Bluebeard's Castle, was a bit more restrained because the only setting was the stage itself, and albeit very large and very white, along with a revolving trajectory, I could not comfortably grasp why there were a total of eight performers and only two of them contributed an audible rendition of the music being played. Not wanting to be undaunted, I was grateful that my appreciation for their concerted efforts overrode my expectations for a visual and vocal extravaganza. Let me point out however, that the orchestra was totally on point and poppin throughout both operas. So much so that I leaned forward a few times, to see who was playing the tuba, oboe, or any other instruments whose resounding tones both sparked my interest and captured my attention
As was the case in Friday's musical performances, the Saturday audience's appreciative exuberance, demonstrated by their resounding applause, let me know that opera is here to stay.The fact that the majority of patrons were between 40 and 70 years of age, and the same color as the stage, left me wondering if this mode of entertainment was limited to a select group of people, and if perhaps my cultural and/or aesthetic make up hindered me from seeing what everyone else saw. Nonetheless, the experience left me with a satisfactory sense of 'been there ...done that', and the understanding that I should read the reviews or talk to someone who knows the details of a particular performance, before I attend another opera.
We say we don't don't go to certain places or do certain things because we don't have the time or the money. We say we don't like certain people or things because we don't like the way they look. I agree with the adage that "There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments, and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance—that principle is contempt prior to investigation", and I implore all of you do try looking at stuff the way me and Nicole did this past weekend ..."Do whatever it is, within reason, that you want to do, and don't knock nuthin till after you've checked it out".
I'll holla...
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