The concerts keep a-comin’. This time, we did back-to-back concerts, literally. Two concerts on the same weekend. Not that we planned it that way. One concert had been postponed and rescheduled from its original April booking. We held onto those tickets, hoping we could make the new date work for us. And, being the savvy planners that we are, Rob and I figured out a way to attend both concerts on the same weekend, and enjoy every minute.
I keep telling y'all I’m not a fan of country music. But, music being fluid, I have come to appreciate a variety of songs that fall in the country genre. My aversion to country music is slipping and the "hard no" ice is slowly melting. There are some country music artists that I really like, as long as I don’t hear a lot of twang going on. Dolly, of course, may she rest in peace. And, Willie Nelson, no doubt. And, Chris Stapleton. I categorize Chris Stapleton as more of a bluesy country singer, not a country country singer. He has some really great lyrics, catchy melodies, and a gritty voice that sounds like he's done some hard livin'.
Rob, my daughter, and I went to the Chris Stapleton concert at the Atlanta Falcon’s Mercedes Benz stadium in Atlanta. If you watched any of the FIFA World Cup, you might have seen teams play in the Atlanta Stadium, as it was billed during the tournament. Mercedes Benz did not sponsor the Cup, so all signage had been hidden, and the company’s name was never mentioned during those games. The Chris Stapleton concert was my first trip to Mercedes Benz stadium, "The Benz." It was a huge building, with all modern niceties.
Ashley McBryde and Lainey Wilson opened the show, and both gave solid performances. I don’t really know their music, but they put out a lot of energy. I was especially impressed when Lainey Wilson walked among the audience signing autographs while singing one of her hit songs. Singing and signing all at the same time. Chris Stapleton, the main act, played a fantastic show, full of expert guitar playing, heartbreaking lyrics delivered with angst and passion, upbeat songs of joy and tenderness, and major intensity. He played all the songs we hoped he would play. His voice was strong and husky. He sounded great. It really was a wonderful concert.
But, for me, it was someone else who stole the show.
I’ll bet your city doesn’t have a well-known, even famous, sign language interpreter, does it? Atlanta does. Georgians who have watched a governor’s address, an emergency briefing, a weather-related announcement, or any other high-profile report online, on TV, or in person, have grown accustomed to seeing David Cowan translating enthusiastically. He fervently gives it his all when translating speech into sign language. He really is a hoot.
Our seats in The Benz put us directly behind the small platform where David Cowan stood as he translated the concert for a handful of patrons. In the vast arena, we could look directly at the stage which was way way way far away up there, gawk at the jumbotron screens which broadcast close-up views of Chris and the band, and still see David Cowan interpreting the songs just below our seats. David Cowan didn’t just translate the lyrics, he performed them. Once he caught our attention, at times, we couldn’t look away. The night was so full of music, hours worth, that they had to rotate in three different sign language interpreters. The other two guys were mechanical, using their hands stiffly to tell the story. But, David, wearing his cowboy hat... David TOLD the story, exaggerated motions, full sweeping arms, body convulsing, facial expressions of sadness, fear, despair. And, he ripped into air guitar at appropriate moments. He was beyond entertaining to watch.
Search for the online video of David Cowan interpreting Beyonce’s Get Me Bodied from the Atlanta Gay Pride Festival 2018. You’ll get an idea of how fun he is. Really, do it. It will put a smile on your face.
Next concert.
Perhaps you’ve never heard of Jon Batiste. Rob hadn’t. Jon Batiste is a musical prodigy from Louisiana who first came on the scene as band leader for Steven Colbert. After leaving that gig, he went on to write, arrange, perform, and record music, earning 8 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Film Award, and an Emmy Award. And, he is one cool cat. You ask: what kind of music does he play? Well, that’s hard to say. Everything. Well, not hard rock or metal, or country (sorry Chris), but he could, if wanted to put his own spin on it. He could tear anything up. Jon Batiste sings and plays piano brilliantly, and fills in with other instruments as needed.
Rob and I saw Jon Batiste at historic Chastain Park, an intimate outdoor venue in Atlanta. Jon played with his small ensemble along with the Atlanta Pops Orchestra. The concert was spectacular, even magical.
You know how you see a picture of a sunset, and you think how pretty it is? But, that is nothing compared to standing on top of a mountain watching a 360 view of a stunning sunset sky? Being in the moment? You know how you watch another person dive into the water, and it looks refreshing, but you cannot experience the cool sensation until you jump into the water yourself? You know how you can watch a video of a roller coaster, but, until you strap in and feel yourself inching up to the summit then plunging at death-defying speeds, you don’t really understand? That’s kind of how it is with Jon Batiste. You can listen to his music, but I don’t think you get the whole picture of his genius. Not until you experience it yourself. Before the concert, Rob wanted me to play a few of Jon’s songs so that he could anticipate what we were going to hear. But, hearing one of his songs on our small JBL speaker was nothing like seeing him perform. He’s one of those guys you need to see to understand.
Jon was a master of improv and embellishment. On piano, he added trills and frills and runs and streams of cascading notes that sounded exactly like they belong there. He altered rhythms and played syncopated style, interspersed with traditional notes. He played with passion and humor and joy. He played Classical music, Jazz, R&B, straight-up Blues, Soul, Pop, Americana, and Gospel; at times, backed by the full Atlanta Pops Orchestra with all of its lush sounds, at other times, singing and playing solo. Whether singing lyrics with conviction, scat-singing, reciting poetry, improvising, playing saxophone/guitar/melodica, or pounding the keyboards with his nimble fingers, Jon infused his funky personality into the arrangements. One could only wonder: HOW can he do all that?
With an eclectic setlist including Moonlight Sonata, soundtrack from the animated film Soul (his creation), Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, Georgia on My Mind, I Need You, When the Saints Go Marching In, Beethoven's 5th, What a Wonderful World….and more, the concert was nothing short of amazing. Jon completely sucked us all in with his wonderful imagination and talent.
After the concert, heading back to our car, the collective reaction of everyone in the parking lot was W.O.W. Rob, eyes a little bit teary and wide with astonishment, said: that wasn’t just a concert….that was…. a Moment. As we bumped into concert-goers at our hotel, in awe-struck voices, all agreed: We can’t even describe what happened. That was absolutely incredible.
I think chances are slim-to-none that you will ever see Jon Batiste in concert with a full orchestra, at a cozy outdoor venue, in cool evening air, with a brilliant moon hanging just over the stage. That’s why I’m doing my best to describe our experience for you. And, hoping that you might find a way to enjoy his music just as much as we have. I’ll say it again: Jon Batiste is a musical genius. Look him up. He has so much music out there. For a classical listen, I recommend watching him perform his rendition of Fur Elise on Youtube. For a little more pep, watch his music video for Freedom. If that doesn't get you moving, then you just ain't got no rhythm at all. Jon's released a short poignant tribute to Dolly that's worth watching, too.
I’m completely out of time now, so I’ll just leave it at that. I hope you can fill your life with music that speaks to you one way or another. And, keep it comin'. It really is good for the human soul.