Items filtered by date: November 2007

On a wonderful summer evening, I had the privilege of visiting one of the best venues in the Chicago area.  The Ravinia Festival in Highland Park is a pillar of the outdoor concert community, and I can't believe I considered myself a seasoned concert-goer without ever stepping foot on the grounds.  From an extensive lawn where nobody seems bothered that they cannot see the stage, to the wonderful pavilion where there isn't a bad seat - everyone is bathed in amazing acoustics.  What better band to drive those acoustics than the perfectionists, Steely Dan.

The show started with an instrumental called "Dizzy's Bidness" that consisted of most, and then the entire backing band.  As the two men that make up the heart of Steely Dan, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, entered the stage the needle was dropped and the band broke into the 1977 album "Aja".

I've become quite a fan of bands covering an entire album at a show, and Friday night's performance of "Aja" did not disappoint.  The tightness of this band and the familiarity with the material really showed as it was a faithful reproduction of the album that reached #3 on the US charts.  Though Fagen's vocals are slightly declining with age, he showed no fear in belting out each song with as much energy as he could possibly muster.  He was quite obviously having more fun than anyone else at the show.  Fagen was given a vocal assist by three lovely backup singers he endearingly referred to as "The Embassy Brats".

After the completion of "Aja", Fagen, Becker and crew broke out material from across the spectrum of the band.  This included an interesting prelude to "Hey Nineteen", where Becker informs the audience of the importance of keeping a hip flask handy.  Prior to this, Becker had been so intensely focused on the music that he seemed as if this little speech was the first time he noticed the audience.  Song after song rocked on, and it became more and more apparent just how great the musicians are that Fagen and Becker have surrounded themselves with.

There were a total of 13 musicians on the stage for the entire show, playing in sync the entire time.  This lead to an extended cover of James Brown's "Papa Don't Take No Mess" where Becker once again stepped up to the mic in order to introduce every single member of the band.  It was a well deserved salute and maybe a bit too long of a rest before the awesome conclusion that was in store.

The set came to a raucous conclusion with "My Old School" and "Reelin' In the Years".  The last song finally got the crowd on their feet - one of my pet peeves at a show is when everyone is sitting down, but the venue doesn't strike me as the kind of place where everyone gets up and dances.

The band was back on stage nearly as quickly as they exited, with Fagen informing us that they still had 7 minutes to play.  The band broke into "Kid Charlemagne" and the crowd went nuts all over again.  As the show wrapped up, Fagen and Becker exited the stage, and the band played everyone off with the theme from "Last Tango in Paris".  This provided excellent framing for a fantastic show.  The band played for a solid two and a half hours and didn't let up once.  Now that I've crossed Steely Dan off the list of my bands to see, my next objective is to see them again as soon as possible!

I really enjoyed the Stone temple Pilots concert tonight at The Venue in Hammond, Indiana.

I hadn’t seen singer/frontman Scott Weiland in a few years and I was worried that he might be looking disturbingly thin or strung out, but at this weekend’s show, Scott looked very healthy and fit. Scott’s face and entire physique looked filled out, muscular, robust and youthful again. Weiland impressed us with his fantastic pitch perfect rock voice and it was a pleasure to see and hear him sing.

Especially after the recent loss of musician, Amy Winehouse, it is never pleasant to witness the descent of someone with so much depth of emotion and real talent self-destructing over time and in front of you on the stage.

Tonight’s performance was just the opposite as Weiland, a childhood abuse survivor, with bipolar disorder, and a great dancer, moved sinuously and with flowing ease through the band’s hit list.

Scott referred to his drug dependency in his memoir, "Not Dead and Not for Sale",

"I was running wild during the second Velvet Revolver tour [in 2007]... At the beginning of the tour, I was okay, but then a single line of coke in England did the trick. I snorted it. And soon the demons were back. Thus began another decline... I was out there again, going to dangerous places to buy substances. All this was done in secret; the guys in Velvet Revolver didn't know I was using. When I told the guys that we'd have to miss a couple of gigs because I needed treatment, their reaction shocked me. They told me I'd have to pay them for those cancellations - in full. I reminded them that when they had relapsed and needed rehab, I had supported them completely. It made no difference to them.... It didn't matter that Velvet Revolver had sold some five or six million records. I was out."

It really disturbs me to hear stories like this where truly gifted musical artists like Weiland and Winehouse are pushed past the limits of their own physical and psychological endurance, whatever that level of endurance may be at the time, in order to fulfill financial obligations.

The lyrics from their hit song "Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart" … "I’m not dead and I’m not for sale…" "So keep your bankroll lottery eat your salad day deathbed motorcade" flashed on the big screen behind the band and as Scott encouraged the crowd to sing along with him. I thought that those lyrics were a perfect mantra that all gifted and often over-worked musicians should think about to remind themselves of their personal intrinsic value each night.

I loved the heavy, rolling, bass lines, Robert DeLeo, puts down as well as his brother, Dean DeLeo’s rich, crunchy, growling, psychedelic guitar sounds. Along with super solid drummer Eric Kretz, this seasoned rock band really holds it all down and lays out one of my favorite bouncing drum beats and guitar riffs in the song "Big Bang Baby".

STP touched on many favorites throughout the night including, "Vaseline", "Plush", and "Interstate Love Song" that Scott said moved him the very first time he heard it and went on to say how the band had written it in less than fifteen minutes.

Scott Weiland seriously looks ten years younger and healthier than he did in 2008 and if he keeps up whatever he’s doing healthwise, Grammy Award winning Stone Temple Pilots will be recording creative new albums and touring successfully for many, many years to come.

Stone Temple Pilots are now touring with their 2011 self-titled release and I highly recommend catching them when they come to your town.

For more information on tour dates check out their website at www.Stonetemplepilots.com.

It's been two years since the California band, Incubus, charmed Chicagoan's with a stellar performance on the scenic Charter One stage. For anybody who attended in 2009, the set was amazing - complete with a great light set, killer vocals, instrumental perfection, and an ensued misty rain that only enhanced the experience further. Fast forward to 2011 and Incubus is back with a new album, If Not Now, When? , and they are ready to grace the stage yet again for another incredible show. The set will include classic Incubus songs, as well as new material for hungry Chicago fans. Opening for Incubus is Tom Morello, former vocalist of Rage Against the Machine, making this show one worth catching. Everything kicks off at 7:30PM on Sunday, August 21st, 2011.

Tickets are still on sale for both general admission and the seating area, so grab yours before it's too late and I'll see you there!

Check Incubus out at www.enjoyincubus.com

Each security team member received a briefing prior to the event, which ended up being completely accurate. It read: People expected: 14,000, mostly male and a very active crowd.

As I approached the Mayhem Metal Festival I immediately began hearing people say, “Fuck yes!” and “Fuck that!” The swearing was an unintelligible indication of what was lying behind the entry gate: Metal fans that will stop at nothing to hear their anthem of thrashing guitars, loud vocal abuse and thundering drums. The second stage presents up-and-coming bands along with old fan favorites. Legends such as The Metal Melitia and Hatebreed brought the crowd to their highest hope and prepared them for the chaos that was scheduled to follow. The main stage headlined such acts as Machine Head, Megadeth, Godsmack, and Disturbed.

The crowd starts cheering, “Machine fucking Head!” and  it feels as though the crowd is an army going into battle, with Machine Head giving them the best pre-battle speech they’ve ever heard. The pit starts and the fists start pumping.  Machine Head was a perfect band to open the main stage. They prepped the crowd with energy that I didn’t know even existed. Once they finished their set, people were prepared to take on anything and everything.

Megadeth approaches the stage and the older crowd gets excited as the younger crowd tremendously calms down. The crowd had nothing but respect for them, but as a whole, the crowd didn’t have as much energy as they had for Machine Head. Megadeth takes the stage with a veteran’s approach. They’ve been around for years and have continued to wow generations of metal fans. They know their routine and they know how to put a killer show that has gotten them to where they are today.

Megadeth plays a very safe performance.  They play older songs like “Rust in Peace” and close it out with “Peace Sells.” They also play newer songs to promote their new album coming out in November. Once Megadeth leaves, Godsmack approaches with a no-holds-barred attitude.  Sully Erma is quite possibly one of the best front-man performers I have ever seen.  Erma brings an unsettling excitement for his music and enthusiasm.  He sounds just like he does on the album and you can tell that he loves his craft.  He was one of the only performers who moved around the entire stage and engaged the whole crowd. Godsmack performed songs from their entire collection bring a presence that will satisfy any concertgoer.

The band was a great breath of fresh air that main stage needed. Godsmack revived all fans of metal music, and closed with “I Stand Alone.” The stage was set, the crowd was ready, but no prayers could be spoken for the Atom bomb that exploded when Distubed struck their first chord. I’ve seen many concerts explode in an arena, but none were as insane as Disturbed. They open their show with “Stupified” and I wish I brought a crash helmet. Everyone is glad to see their boys back home and give them the best homecoming a band could ask for. The crowd sings every line to every song as they welcome their hometown boys. This year’s Mayhem Festival delivered a satisfying tour-de-force with crowd-pleasing bands that delivered an outstanding show.

*Photos by Carl Burke

You very well may have first heard ZZ Top rock, while carrying your boom-box on your shoulder, and walking down your block. It was the lovely ‘80s when I was no longer a virgin to ZZ Top's tunes, and it was also when Aqua Net hairspray was rampantly used to create cockamamie up-do's.
 
(On a serious note, in the process of one getting his or her cigarette lit, hair fires were quite frequent).
 
However, ZZ Top ignited a blast of a time starting way back in 1969. Billy Gibbons (guitar, vocals, harmonica and bass) had started "Moving Sidewalks" and kicked the two other men in the band to the curb. Gibbons, then, stumbled upon Frank Beard (drums, percussion, vocals, saxophone, trumpet and tuba) as well as Dusty Hill (bass guitar, keyboards, vocals, saxophone and base clarinet ), forming ZZ Top, also known as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas." The three buds got the taste of success pretty quickly, becoming a band in demand.
 
The creation of the name "ZZ Top" may devastate Marijuana-joint-making enthusiasts, since it did not actually stem from the highly esteemed Zig Zag (ZZ) and Top's Rolling papers. Rather, it was Gibbon's cross-breeding of Z.Z. Hill's name, and B.B King's up on "top" status that resulted in the name of the band.
 
ZZ Top has broken records, received awards up the wazoo, and has worked on numerous television shows plus movies. The band, which once had their stage the shape of the state of Texas, was honored in a big way when "They were inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. With that said, I was expecting to see star qualities while they perform. Besides, ZZ Top have opened for The Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker, Santana and many other Music Industry heavy weights for Pete's sake!
 
A few nights ago, at Hammond Indiana's Horseshoe Casino, three sharp dressed men came out onstage, playing many of their greatest hits that sounded just like if you were listening to them on the radio. Only a handful or so of fans were dressed in clothes reminiscent of the ‘80s, and the stage design proved ZZ Top are no "cheapos", also keeping up to date with the latest technology. That is, they had three Paul Bunion-sized screens, one in back of them and on each side. Everyone in the crowd was able to see the ZZ Top guys up close and personal, and at one time during their performance, the monitor behind them played graphics of intricately-designed hub caps that appeared to be flying out into the audience.
 
ZZ Top filled the venue with their signature, sizzling Texas boogie rock and blues, and it was great to watch folks passionately adore them and want more. A "Yee-haw!" is also in store, because ZZ Top will have a new album, currently untitled, out this fall and you can catch them on tour!

Big Randy knows how to throw a party! Some of the best parties of the summer in recent years have been in Schiller Woods in the form of Woodsbash. For the tenth anniversary celebration it was a fantastic time. Woodsbash 2011 was a blast!

Sweet G has been a tremendous asset to Woodsbash as she has helped promote this event or the last five years. This was most likely her last year working on the committee for Woodsbash and is deciding to step down. This lady has helped out so much on these events over the years and not all the credit does go to Randy.

The day started out with the usual rain in the morning scaring a lot of music lovers away. As luck would have it, the skies cleared up and the sun came out for a bit to help out in having a better time. An abundance of the partiers that weren’t afraid to melt still showed up and didn’t mind the couple of raindrops that fell later in the day as it was quite refreshing.

The entertainment was awesome as always. Starting out the show was the band Sonic Pistol. The sweet sounding grooves provided by the tight rhythm section were very cool. These guys kicked off the show and helped to knock the sleep out of the eyes of the vampires within the crowd. If they didn’t wake you up, you might want to see a doctor because you might be dead.

Old Chicago area veterans Diamond Rexx came up next and jammed for your entertainment. The aging musicians within this band date back to a much simpler time for Chicago area musicians. Some of the old Thirsty Whale crowd showed up and it was definitely a nostalgic moment. The band played and had some cool tricks up their sleeves. They rocked!!

The up and coming Veilside came out and jammed their asses off. Very cool group with all the makings of a band that should succeed. Each one of the members in this band is a solid show themselves. Together? As a band? They are unstoppable!

The final act of Woodsbash 2011 was Loveblast and why not save the best for last. This guitar oriented band makes use of the talents within the hands of their guitar slinger. The rhythm section creates the templates for the guitarist to showboat his playing. With multiple influences driving this band from the hair metal days, this is one of the bands that got it right.

Woodsbash would not be complete without Jell-O shots, kickass music, and the heavy metal Godzilla. A guy dressed up in a Godzilla suit wearing a leather jacket walked around the crowd and posed for pictures. To be trapped within a hot suit during an above eighty degree day should make just about anyone pass out from the heat. Inside this custom suit are battery operated fans to help keep the guy inside cooler as he entertains the crowd.

The day after Woodsbash 2011, many heads needed aspirin, the woods needed to be cleaned, and Big Randy needs to start organizing Woodsbash 2012! He keeps saying that he isn’t going to do it again; that this year is the last year. He said it last year and the year before. It’s a lot of work for one person to organize and headaches come with it.

Funding is the hard part of the equation. To throw a party like this will cost an upward of a thousand dollars. In the last few years, Randy, Sweet G and a few others working behind the scenes have done a Winterbash that helps to fund the Woodsbash. It has been a successful idea for the last few years, but it is becoming tougher on the comittee. The obligation and commitment to run a show like this is huge and in future years, Randy may need to get some help with setting it up and with the funding the entire event. If he decides to put the torch down, someone else needs to pick it back up. Donations to the event are always welcome and that is what really helps to put on this party. Thank you Randy and Sweet G for doing this!!

The Venue inside of Hammond, Indiana’s Horseshoe Casino always has some of the best acts that come through the area. The setting for a show is a top notch facility with not a bad seat in the house. The theater will start to fill up and the entertainer du jour will start their show. On Saturday night, a seasoned performer graced the halls of The Venue with her angelic voice. After a half century of singing for her supper, musical super star Patti LaBelle sang her heart out for a packed house. It was just awesome!

From the opening song to her final bow, Patti Labelle was a graceful musical angel and the eyes of the concert goers could not be turned away. The very young looking Labelle was sporting a mini dress and showing lots of leg as she sang hard for everyone. This ripened singer really knows how to put on a show. Her voice was strong and beautiful with a lot of dynamics. She was just phenomenal in every way.

“If You Asked Me Too” was introduced as that hit song by Celine Dion in which she sold millions of copies of the song and Patti “only sold two” she said jokingly. She then began her original song and did it better than anyone else had. It was being performed the way it should always be done, by Patti Labelle.

Everyone was dancing in their seats when “New Attitude” started up. The song made famous through the 1984 movie Beverly Hills Cop was so intense with energy. The representation of the digital age was present within The Venue and this song took people back to fond memories of a crappy blue Chevy Nova being driven down Rodeo Drive.

The show marched on through a sea of hits. She nailed a great version of “Over the Rainbow” taking the crowd under her spell. When the opening line “Hey sister, go sister, soul sister, go sister” started out, people started dancing. “Lady Marmalade” was being done live and the queen of the stage was in command. She sang the song “On My Own” that she had done with Michael McDonald and it was beautiful.

During the course of the show, the set list seemed to go on and on with the band sounding incredible. The bass, the drums, the guitars, the singers, the keys, and Patti made a flawless combination. Never a sour note or an offbeat moment could be noticed. The group of traveling entertainers came in and tore the roof off of The Venue.

The night came to the point where the band has to pretend like the show is over. They wave their goodbyes and walk off stage. The lights never went out on the stage and The Venue started to get loud. They absolutely had to have some more of Patti Labelle and her smoking band. Finally a little bit of life is seen on the stage and the place cheers with excitement.

The anticipation was killing everyone. What was she going to do to close out the night? Which one of her hits was she going to bring out now? The crowd anticipated a gem and that is what they received. The strongest performance of the night was not a song written by Patti Labelle. Instead, she chose a song from the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, to end it. The “Earth Song” started to ring the first few notes and everyone in the place knew what she was about to do. Did she really dare to touch such a strong song of Jackson’s? She did! The song was perfect all the way through and Michael would be so proud to see the incredible version done.

She finally waved goodbye for real and Patti was gone. The band and this pop music icon had just taken a crowd and put smiles on everyone’s faces. The entire evening had been a nonstop session of sweet music. No one could have been disappointed by the performance that had been seen. It just wasn’t possible.

If you are looking for a good concert to see you might get lucky at The Venue in Hammond, Indiana’s Horseshoe Casino. On a beautiful Saturday evening in July, a crowd of people got lucky and saw Patti Labelle. It was just awesome!

311 has and probably will always be one of my most favorite bands ever to exist!  Having that said, they ROCKED Charter One Pavilion yet AGAIN past week on Thursday July 14th.  I've seen 311 play live many many times, and this was by far the best show I've ever seen them play.  Why some may ask?  What was so special about this show?  

THEY FREAKING BROUGHT SUBLIME WITH THEM THIS TIME AROUND!

Now, I know that there's a lot of people out there saying that Sublime will never be the same without Bradley Nowell on their side and to all the critics and fans out there; I'd actually have to agree.  But I would like to say one thing about Sublime's performance with Rome last week, and that is WOW, seriously.  I was impressed by Rome's ability to sing and virtually live up to what Sublime should sound like.  I'd like to really thank 311 for allowing them to come to Chicago to show us what they are made of!  Sublime with Rome was fantastic and I really think it's the closest to the original Sublime as it's going to get.  I have always wished that I could of seen Sublime play live back when, but this was a real treat.  I really would recommend any fan of Sublime to check these guys play live with Rome if the opportunity ever comes up.  This is as close as it gets! 

Now as great as Sublime with Rome was, I was there to see 311!!!  After Sublime played their set, my anticipation nearly exploded, literally.  For the first time ever seeing 311 live, I was blessed with a photo pass to be able to photograph them for the first 3 songs of their set.  I felt like a KING!

Now for most concert reviewers or photographers this may not be a very big deal.  But not for me, NO WAY. Please excuse my French, but I nearly shit myself with excitement.  Never in a million years would I have imagined that I would be lucky enough to be in front of EVERYONE there taking photographs of 311 as they played a live show in front of thousands of fans.  I'd like to thank BUZZNEWS for really making a dream come true for a LONG TIME 311 fan; never had I felt so lucky.  I was so close to 311 as they played that the band could literally drip sweat on me.  I mean, I was up there, in front of the gate, in the security pit as they opened with  "Down", "Jackpot", and "Sunset in July."  As I looked behind me, all I could see was thousands of fans screaming lyrics that I know too well, passed out/smashed fans being pulled out by security and photographers running around me like hamsters on a wheel snapping photo's with their all TOO expensive camera's.  I really felt like I was dreaming.  I couldn't help but stand, frozen in this moment for a while, soaking in what was happening.  It was honestly one of the best moments of my life.  

Once I finally snapped out of my haze of where and what I was doing, I was finally able to join the rest of the hamsters in the pit; and I just started snapping away photo after photo.  Mind you, I was the ONLY person there taking pictures with a 5 mega pixel camera... on my phone.  Though, I felt a little inadequate taking pictures with a phone, this feeling only lasted a short moment.  Hearing and seeing 311 play closer and louder than ever before made me not care the slightest bit that I wasn't using a big fancy camera.  After all, I came to see a show and snap some pics, not obsess over the PERFECT SHOT!

Unfortunately I was only allowed in the photo pit for 3 songs.  After that, it was back to the assigned seat I was given...or so I thought.  Luckily I quickly noticed that I was not really being escorted out of the general admission area, so once I was done shooting I quickly disappeared into the crowd to continue enjoying 311 play some more tunes.  For me, 311 shows are never just a concert.  311 is an experience.  For the rest of the night, I bumped into friends, had a few beers, shared a few laughs and just kept enjoying the night.  What a better way to enjoy summer in Chicago than by seeing your favorite band in the BEST outdoor venue in the city has to offer.  

If you've never been to Charter One Pavilion for a concert, you are really missing out.  It's a beautiful venue that over looks Lake Michigan and Chicago.  It's a great place to catch your favorite band and enjoy a night out in the city.  However, BEWARE! Beer is ALWAYS expensive and ATM's are scarce.  Be prepared to wait in long lines if you don't bring cash!!  Other than that, Charter One Pavilion is a GREAT venue and I love going there any chance I get!!!  

Set list for that night was as follows:
(Sorry if I mixed any up or failed to mention any!)

Down
Jackpot
Sunset in July
Beautiful Disaster
Do You Right
Homebrew
Rock On
Prisoner
Freeze Time
Applied Science
Wild Nights
You Wouldn't Believe
Amber
Eons
What Was I Thinking
PNUT BASS SOLO
Nutsymtom
Beyond the Gray Sky
Flowing
Come Original
Creatures

Who's Got the Herb?
All Mixed Up
Feels So Good


www.311.com


Thanks again to 311 for bringing a great show yet again to Chicago, I patiently await your next show!!!  And thanks again to BUZZNEWS for giving me yet another opportunity to write for them!!!!


Peace, love, unity, respect.
311!

I remember watching old movies as a child in awe with great ladies like Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Bette Davis and Barbara Stanwyck and thinking one day I will be a great business woman slinging out dry witticisms just like them. I also loved watching the "Beach Blanket Bingo" movies and being slightly turned on by all the clean cut kids dancing on the beach around a bonfire in bikinis.

Well, in Trogg! A Musical! I got everything I wanted from those movies plus the absolutely fabulous campy laughs and gender bending ironic twist on those themes that I’ve come to expect from a David Cerda production. Who else can take a 1970 cult classic about a misunderstood caveman and turn it into a clever laugh riot?

David also has a knack for writing genuinely funny and catchy tunes for his musicals and casting equally talented comedic singers and dancers in his shows like his costar, Ed Jones, who plays the hysterically funny Carol Ann to David Cerda’s classic and deliciously powerful and wry, "Joan Crawford". Alex Grelle who plays "Peanut" is also unbelievably funny in his every gesture and has a real knack for physical comedy.

I really enjoyed the entire cast in this, and Julie Bert Nichols, Megan Keach, Elizabeth Lesinski and Andrew Swan also deserve special mention for their great dance skills and comic turns. Props also to the cast choreographer who kept the theatre hopping with choreography that was highly entertaining, making you feel there was something different and interesting to watch on every inch of the stage. Directed by Scott Ferguson, the deadpan, campy and deliciously visual is perfectly blended together, making "Trogg" a fun-filled experience.

Just like it’s well dressed and coiffed predecessors, "Lady X", "Poseidon! An Upside Down Musical" and "Rudolph the Red Hose Reindeer", "Trogg A Musical" may have a few adorable kitschy and skimpy costumes but it is not skimpy on laughs or great music, so you really can’t find a better way to get real bang out of your theatre buck this summer!

"Trogg! A Musical", written by David Cerda with Cherly Snodgrass and Taylor E. Ross, is currently playing at Chopin Theatre (1543 W. Division) through July 16th. For tickets and more information check out Hell in a Handbag Productions website at www.handbagproductions.org or call 800-838-3006.

Eye on India is a 10 day festival comprised of cinema, music, dance, theatre, literature and food, which was created "to promote the theme of universality in today's increasingly polarizing context” (Sanjoy Roy 2011.)

I attended Day One of the festival, and the pre-show shindig, at the Harris Theater in Chicago's Millennium Park. The duds worn by the party-goers were the first thing that caught my eye. The traditional Indian gowns that many of the ladies wore were fashion masterpieces for sure! Joan Rivers, the Barney Fife of The Fashion Police, better not shoot her mouth off, and tear traditional Indian gown designers a new asshole. Or, perhaps I will protest she give up her Fashion Police badge and Plastic Surgery addiction immediately.

The hors d'oeuvres served were amazing and the conversations I had with some men and women from India in regard to their culture were highly intellectually stimulating, titillating, and straight up, out-of-this-world in every meaning of the idiom.

Two glasses of Heinekens later, the Eye on India performances began in the wee-bit nippy Harris Theatre. The opening act began, which was The Chicago Children's Choir and The Natya Dance Theater. The Natya dancers were a joy to see. They were all beautiful, healthy-sized young ladies and were, refreshingly, not put in Hootchie-Mama costumes!

The Chicago Children's Choir and Natya Dance Theatre had such easy-to-see talent that was intriguing and invigorating to watch and listen to minute by minute. Plus, the lyrics of the song The Chicago Children's Choir opened with called for world peace, and the lead singer sang with infectious, gospel music-like passion.

India's Violin Icon, Dr. L. Subramaniam's performed with Ambi Subramaniam on violin and T.A.S. Mani on Mridangam the entire time. They performed one of Dr. L. Subramaniam's own compositions, which was in the kriti format, and allowed the musicians to improvise at certain times. With that said, the music was suspenseful, and there were exciting and fulfilling climaxes throughout the composition.

I periodically looked around during the show to see most of the audience's faces gave me the impression they were thoroughly enjoying the performance from its start to finish.

Dr. L. Subramaniam is a world renowned performer, producer, conductor and composer who has 150 recordings, some of which were for movies like "Little Buddha". He is clearly adored by many.

There will be different performers and acts, than the ones I critiqued, at Eye on India until the festival's last day on July 17th. For information please go to: www.EYEonINDIA.com. Each of the new upcoming Eye on India events I read about sound like they will be culturally eye-opening and fully satisfying.