From: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org (good-noise-digest) To: good-noise-digest@smoe.org Subject: good-noise-digest V5 #75 Reply-To: good-noise@smoe.org Sender: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk good-noise-digest Thursday, August 22 2002 Volume 05 : Number 075 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Upper Merion Show [Beth Sheligo ] Re: Upper Merion Show [ThePsyche@aol.com] Re: Upper Merion Show [Beth Sheligo ] Re: Upper Merion Show ["Gina" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2002 21:53:31 -0400 From: Beth Sheligo Subject: Upper Merion Show >>Hope to hear from you regarding the show this evening! JoAnn<< > Sorry for the delay, but better late than not at all. The show on Sunday at Upper Merion Township was great. John seemed very relaxed (he said he hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before) in good voice and good humor. Gone were the ubiquitous lyric and song sheets that have covered his performing space for the last two or three years - Sunday night, it was just John and his music. Alice Peacock opened the show, performing for about 45 minutes. John came on and performed a brief set, with Alice joining in on most of the songs. After a 10 minute break, wherein John stated he was going to "study" some of the songs that had been requested, he once again took the stage. The show started at 7:00 and concluded around 9:30, with just the one break. I didn't keep a set list, but songs performed included: Down in the Milltown Branching Out I Saw a Stranger with Your Hair Lightning's Blues Blue Chalk Part of Your Own Edgar the Party Man Let Them In After Yesterday Where the Bottles Break I'm From New Jersey The Ballad of Jamie Bee What Was That A Saint's Complaint Oh Abraham People My Age Encore: Love is Our Cross to Bear I got very excited when, early on, someone near the front of the crowd shouted a request for "Prom Night in Pig Town," the song I have always wanted to see him perform live and never have. He said he would consider it, but I guess it got lost in the deluge of pre-show requests he already had to fulfill. John said he was going to work on reclaiming those songs of his that he can no longer remember. Sounds great to me! Now for a rant: This is the fourth time I have been fortunate enough to see John in the last two years. Each time, Alice Peacock has worked with him. While I think she is a good performer, I have been a little disturbed at the amount of time she gets on stage at John's shows. When she has a 45 minute opening, then sings with John on more than half the songs, it is more like watching "The Alice Peacock Show with Special Guest John Gorka." I don't think their voices blend especially well, and Alice seems to turn many songs where she is singing back-up vocals into more of a duet. My boyfriend observed that he hopes she becomes too big of a star to open for John very soon, so we can get back to focusing on John at John's shows. I agree. I don't intend to trash Alice here - her work is fine. I just think John's shows with her have gotten out of balance, and I would like to see him go back to being the star of his own show. Rant Over. Beth ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2002 22:33:07 EDT From: ThePsyche@aol.com Subject: Re: Upper Merion Show Beth writes: > This is the fourth time I have been fortunate enough to see John in the > last two years. Each time, Alice Peacock has worked with him. I haven't heard John perform often with others. I have seen him numerous times over the last 6 years and he has always been alone. Except for two times...I heard him, once at a folk festival and once at a house concert and both times it was John with Alice Peacock singing back up on some songs. I know that John and Alice shared management and booking agents a couple years ago and that is how they began performing together. It was John's choice. Since that time the two of them have become very close friends along with their families. I did not have the reaction you had, I enjoyed Alice's voice with John's and her take on Gorka tunes. I heard her at a solo show when she did a cover of John's Houses In The Fields and it was beautiful. But, I don't know how I would feel if the last four times I saw John I did not get to hear him sing any songs alone. I am still fondest of the solo performer, voice and guitar....male or female. But as for it being the Alice Peacock Show with Special Guest John Gorka, I would imagine John wouldn't mind that. He is at a place in his career to do what he wants and if he did not want to perform with Alice, he would not. He must like her work a lot to perform with her as much as he does. Alice is good people. I am eager for her new album due to be out September 3. Thanks for the review. Yours in music, Bryn, the music junkie ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2002 23:34:00 -0400 From: Beth Sheligo Subject: Re: Upper Merion Show >>>But as for it being the Alice Peacock Show with Special Guest John Gorka, I would imagine John wouldn't mind that. He is at a place in his career to do what he wants and if he did not want to perform with Alice, he would not. He must like her work a lot to perform with her as much as he does.<< > >Bryn, > I am certain this is the case. In their show at the Tin Angel this spring, Alice described seeing John perform for the first time, and insisting on going back stage to see him and tell him that she wanted to perform with him one day. (She said John was a bit nonplussed and the friends who attended the show with her, told her, "Ok, Stalker Lady!"). John said on Sunday that he has enjoyed mentoring her. They seem to enjoy a good working relationship. I hope she goes on to a very sucessful career. I just would like to see John performing REALLY solo again. While we are on the subject of John performing with other artists, I got to see a terrific show about two years ago at McCarter Theater in Princeton, NJ. Cliff Eberhardt opened for John, and each of them "helped out" on the other's songs during their respective segments. Both performers had a great night, and it remains among the best performances from both artists that I have seen. One of my all time favorite shows. Beth ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2002 21:34:31 -0700 From: "Gina" Subject: Re: Upper Merion Show Alice Peacock brings out these sorts of debates. I have heard people say that they love the way her voice goes with John and others say that they didn't care for it. The first time I saw Alice, she was opening for Lucy. She was funny and her songs were okay, but just okay, I thought. She did a great encore with Lucy, but again, the encore itself brought out the same debate with some saying that they thought she was trying to out sing Lucy. I thought she was just completely wrapped up in the song. Oh well. I have seen her open for John and accompany him on some songs. When she opened for Cheryl, she didn't sing with her. However, when Cheryl sang "Howl at the Moon," a very beautiful song, we were treated to a goose bump gorgeous sound coming from the back of the church. When it was over, I turned to see Alice standing in the back. It was definitely one of those magical music moments. Alice has grown on me now. But, when you go to see Gorka, sometimes you just want Gorka. I am always afraid that I won't get as much of the main performer when there is an opening act. Gina - ----- Original Message ----- From: Beth Sheligo To: Sent: Wednesday, August 21, 2002 8:34 PM Subject: Re: Upper Merion Show > >>>But as for it being the Alice Peacock Show with Special Guest John Gorka, I would imagine John wouldn't mind that. He is at a place in his career to do what he wants and if he did not want to perform with Alice, he would not. He must like her work a lot to perform with her as much as he does.<< > > > >Bryn, > > > I am certain this is the case. In their show at the Tin Angel this > spring, Alice described seeing John perform for the first time, and > insisting on going back stage to see him and tell him that she wanted to > perform with him one day. (She said John was a bit nonplussed and the > friends who attended the show with her, told her, "Ok, Stalker Lady!"). > John said on Sunday that he has enjoyed mentoring her. They seem to > enjoy a good working relationship. I hope she goes on to a very > sucessful career. I just would like to see John performing REALLY solo > again. > > While we are on the subject of John performing with other artists, I got > to see a terrific show about two years ago at McCarter Theater in > Princeton, NJ. Cliff Eberhardt opened for John, and each of them > "helped out" on the other's songs during their respective segments. > Both performers had a great night, and it remains among the best > performances from both artists that I have seen. One of my all time > favorite shows. > > Beth ------------------------------ End of good-noise-digest V5 #75 *******************************