Viewing: Performance - View all posts

Pacific Amphitheatre Show - July 4th, 2019 

Sharing the stage with the Pacific Amphitheatre was quite a thrill. And to do it in my own backyard, sort of speak, was a privilege. The Pacific Amphitheatre? No way!

Well, yes, way. A July 4th to remember for sure! 

Here I am singing "Desperado" in front of a live orchestra. OMGee! Thanks to Ken Yoshida for this photo. 

Here are some photos I took:

ThrowBackThursday - Las Vegas Hilton 

ThrowBackThursday Post- Looking back on a blog post of recent yesteryear (and bringing it over from the old website for further reference).

May 28, 2010
______________________________________
 
"That's alright, mama,...that's alright with me...."

So goes the song running through my head and softly warming up my vocal cords during load-in and soundcheck on Wednesday.  Why, you might be asking? 

I had this little show I was doing with Hotel California on the huge LAS VEGAS HILTON STAGE FOR GOODNESS SAKE!  (Catch my enthusiasm?)
 

Yes, it was the very place where Elvis (you know, "Presley"?) appeared in the days of old.













 

This is where Barry Manilow had his "house gig" as well, before moving to the Paris.

A quick search on YouTube will reveal the vast number of show biz greats that have graced this stage.

Back to the present, below are some moments I captured on my less-than-stellar camera phone in which you can actually distinguish some resemblance of a photograph.  More may be on the way when I have in my possession the pictures taken by Kevin our sound man with his iPhone.
 
This is the last remaining piece of original stage Elvis performed on (Was next to the water cooler)
 
 
No need to take stairs to the stage!  Did Elvis ride is way to work here?   Mmmm, I suppose so.
 
 
Thanks to Barry for getting things set up for us!
 
"Looks like we made iiiiit""

Thankyuveramuch!

Old Dog - New Trick: Good Dog! 

I have been working and traveling with Hotel California going on 9 years now. It continues to be a rewarding journey in stage performance.

So hey - I've discovered a new thing! It's called: "Warming up your voice". Have you heard of it?
 

A spot of tea at the Florida State Fair - Tampa, FL

After spending a good amount of months lightly going through any old song backstage, warming up before a show, I have allowed the old dog in me to learn a trick - Plain old fashioned scales and annoying but performance strengthening buzzings and stuff.

I'm pretty much tired of warming up during (as opposed to before) the show.

A typical beginning to a 90 minute show, with all it's "Steve challenge points", will go like this:

1. TAKE IT EASY: Lot's of high harmonies to get to throughout, and then I sing a high harmony above the melody during the second verse. Not really the place to start your warmups! I want to be ready to go when I get there.

2. WITCHY WOMAN next. Singing the lead vocal here, I want to be ready when I get there. No more wondering if my voice will answer back "Ooops, dang; why didn't you warm me up?".

3. ALREADY GONE: More high harmony!! Second verse harmony, etc, etc...

4. SEVEN BRIDGES ROAD: This is where a noticeable difference caused me to say, "Okay, I think this warming up thing is working" I notice I have much better pitch (extreeeemly important) and breath and resonance here on this one!  ¡Muy importante! - a lot of acapella

That's just the first 4 songs.

In conclusion, being the old dog with a new trick, I have become... my own best friend? (Get it? Dog = Man's best friend)

That's it for now.... ruff!