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October 21, 2006
Wish You Were Here
Kate Katcher of Bridgeport’s Playhouse on the Green was picking my brain before Friday night’s concert there about ways to draw crowds to the intimate little theater on State Street and I’m afraid I wasn’t much help.
I gave a few suggestions and, before heading into the show, all I could think was, “I’m glad I just write about concerts instead of having to put the things together.�
I don’t know who said “You’ll never go broke underestimating the American public� – I also don’t know if I got the quote right – but you definitely can go broke trying to figure out any pattern in which people attend live music events.
The first concert I attended Friday night was at the Playhouse where young singer-songwriter Kevin Devine and his band headlined with the extremely talented Darian Cunning and a young pop trio from Danbury, Self Made Soul, also on the bill.
Granted, Devine is hardly a household name and an odd choice as the supposed “draw� for the show, but there were only about 25 people in the 229-seat venue for the start of the concert. Cunning can easily draw more than that when he plays a club in the area, so why were there so many empty seats?
It couldn’t have been the ticket prices, because $15 isn’t a whole lot for a concert these days. It most certainly wasn’t the Playhouse on the Green, which is absolutely beautiful and you can’t find a better place to watch a show.
It can’t be that people are afraid to venture downtown at night, can it? If it is, it shouldn’t be. Downtown isn’t exactly bustling with shady people in the evening, it’s well lit and Bridgeport’s Finest are always patrolling the streets whenever there’s any activities going on in that area.
I’ve worked in downtown for nearly 20 years and have never had any problems (knock on wood), so don’t be afraid. Like in just about any city on Earth, there are parts of Bridgeport you don’t want to be in when the sun goes down, but downtown isn’t one of them.
I watched Self Made Soul perform a few songs and teenagers in attendance ate them up. The trio showed some good hooks and musicianship, but I had to get to my next stop, the Fairfield Theatre Company for a concert with Jefferson Airplane/Starship founder Marty Balin.
It turns out, it’s not just the kids who don’t show up to musical events. There couldn’t have been more than 75 people there and this was for a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Though not as aesthetically pleasing as Playhouse on the Green, FTC is a great place to see a show as the sound system is great and the set-up is reminiscent of the old “MTV Unplugged� studio.
Again, I don’t think it was the ticket price, because $32 doesn’t strike me as being out of kilter for the man who sang on so many hit songs in his 40-year career.
The people that did attend were in for a treat as Balin and guitarist Slick Aguilar – who were joined by Charlie DeChant on keyboards, saxophone and flute – took the fans, in Balin’s words, “way, way back to the last century� for hits from Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship and some surprises.
For fans of the Airplane, there were “It’s No Secret,� “3/5 of a Mile in Ten Seconds� and “Plastic Fantastic Lover.� Each of these songs were rewarded with standing ovations, causing Balin to remark, “I see we’ve got a lot of old hippies here.�
Balin’s Jefferson Starship years were represented by “Miracles,� “Count on Me,� “With Your Love,� “Hearts� and “Runaway.�
After about 90 minutes of Balin, I checked back in to the Playhouse on the Green to catch Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band’s set. Katcher seemed happier as more people had arrived and there were about 45-50 fans now in the theater. Still, not a very promising number.
Devine showed why Capitol Records thought enough of his music to sign him. His songs are pretty much straightforward folk-pop, but he brings a certain warmth and personality to the tunes so that you can’t help but get caught up in his performance.
Unfortunately, I missed Cunning’s set, but I have had the pleasure of seeing him a handful of times in the past. Check him out, if you get the chance.
You also can catch Devine again as he returns to Toad’s Place (562-5589) in New Haven on Nov. 1 with Straylight Run, Matt Pond PA and Street to Nowhere with tickets $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Devine was just at Toad’s on Oct.10 as the opening act for KT Tunstall.
Posted by Sean on October 21, 2006 5:10 AM
