I know the date June 11th very well because it’s the birthday of my best friend Marshall – but it turns out to also be the birthday of Craig Gall, the director of the Kenosha Pops Band- and yesterday was Craig’s 40th birthday as well as the opening night of the 2008 summer concert season. So you can maybe imagine how much fun last night was. It was also great that the weather cooperated at least somewhat. It was chilly (I wore long sleeves and probably should have worn a jacket) but we had partly cloudy skies and it was just wonderful to be outside and enjoying the resumption of this happy lakeside tradition, and to have the occasion of Craig’s 40th birthday to celebrate as well. Craig ended up programming a lot of music dating back to around 1968 – music from the musicals Oliver, Funny Girl, Finian’s Rainbow among them – and the band sounded terrific, especially considering that it was their first outing of the summer. (Typically it takes them a concert or two to be on top of their game, but they really sounded assured.) And in what amounted to a wonderful personal touch to the proceedings, the special guest for the night was Nick Keelan, Craig’s trombone teacher at Lawrence University. What a nice guy! I think of Lawrence (and with some justification, frankly) as a somewhat snooty place where everybody is incredibly talented and skilled . . . and everybody knows it, too. (Though I must say that there are several voice teachers there that I like a lot.) But Professor Keelan was so down-to-earth, easy to work with, just a great guy- and I know it meant the world to Craig to have him on hand for this special night. And you should have heard him tear through Variations on the Blue Bells of Scotland. I never would have guessed that the trombone could be that agile; it was amazing.
Of course, part of this gig for me as announcer and soloist is to throw in some humor – and the dryer the better – so for instance, when I’m announcing that “The Windmills of your mind” was recorded by Dusty Springfield, Swing out Sister, and Sting – and even the Muppets – and I can’t help but add “by the way, I’ve only heard of the Muppets.” That’s one of the running gags in my pops band shtick, when I’m reading off the names of pop music figures who mean absolutely nothing to me. (By the way, I have heard of Sting – vaguely – although there was awhile when I thought that he and the professional wrestler of the same name were the same guy.)
Last night, I also took great pains whenever possible to highlight the conductor’s age, as when I first called him out on stage at the top of the concert and said “please welcome forty-year-old Craig Gall!”
But the funniest moment of the night came when I’m introducing a musical selection from the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark, which of course was programmed because of the recently released sequel. I announced “John Williams once again contributed a stunning score to the fourth installment of the whip-cracking professor’s exploits” except that what came out of my mouth was “Wick-Crapping” – and my exemplary diction meant that every soul in the audience heard it. There is something especially interesting about seeing little old ladies in the audience laughing their heads off because I said the word “crapping” by mistake. It’s was like Animal House out there ! But hey, anything I can do to bring some extra laughs into our lives, especially in this rain drenched summer of 2008, is a good deed indeed.
Of course, the biggest smiles of the night came from the music – – – as it should be – – – and it was ample reminder for me of why I enjoy doing this so very very much. . . and why I hope this gig will remain on my calendar for many years to come.
pictured: party hats for all onstage in honor of Craig’s birthday. More pictures of the concert can be found on my KPB page.