A Night with Leon Redbone

I've been meaning to get this on for a while now, but I've almost forgotten how to post a blog. Good thing this is so user friendly.

Last November I was surfing the web and started pulling up names of old music groups and performers I used to listen to more than I do now; groups like Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks, Gerry Rafferty, Allan Parsons Project, and I remembered Leon Redbone. He was very popular in the late 70's to the early 90's. He was a frequent guest of Johnny Carson and appeared on SNL several times, but hardly any of the kids know who he is today and he has mostly a kind of cult following now. I checked his website and saw he was going to be in Temecula April 25th. I've always enjoyed his music and voice and at only $20 a ticket I couldn't pass it up. Kayla lives there so I got tickets for Cherryl, me, Kayla and Kayla's boyfriend Jason.

Anyway, the day finally came and Cherryl and I hopped into my H4 Hummer Escape Pod (my bright yellow scion xB) and ended up spending 3 1/2 hours on the freeway to go 120 miles to Temecula.

(Here it is for those of you who haven't seen it yet.

Cherryl refuses to drive it. It's too yellow!!!)

It turned out pretty nice ride though. Stuck in the car for so long Cherryl and I got to talk more than we have for a long time. We picked up Kayla at the Shigley's house (old friends from Canyon Country 1st Ward) where she lives then went to get Jason at his parents palatial house in the mini ranch area (really nice place) and went to Old Town where the theater is.

We were hungry so we went to Sweet Lumpy's BBQ down the street. Great food! Cherryl and I shared the sampler platter and it was perfect. The rib meat literally fell off the bone, and the people treated us like we were the only customers they had even though most of the tables were full.

After dinner we walked to the theater along the western board walk checking out all the old buildings and old people walking around. It never occured to me that other people were checking out the old guy (me) walking around too. It was life looking back at me. The Old Town Temecula Community Theater was built just a few years ago.

The outside looks like the rest of Old Town, with a definite western flair,

The theater is small and intimate and the inside is very modern.

Our tickets were right in the middle, 9th row, which put us right behind the sound booth in the bottom left corner. The only thing on the stage was a very large, oversized, old style microphone (He calls it Big Mike), a stool and a piano. We got in early and as I was watching everyone else come in it occured to me that Cherryl and I were some of the youngest people there. Kayla and Jason were the only ones their age.

I think most every one was either a music teacher, music professor or something simialr. They all looked like musicphiles (is that a word?) of some kind or another, and when he came out they all got very much into his music. Because of his style it was a little hard to understand him sometimes, but it was a lot of fun. He and his piano player played and sang for an hour and a half including the encore. I took three pictures with my cell phone camera but they turned out too small to post. Anyway, most of you have never heard of him even though you have heard him (he sang the duet "Baby It's Cold Outside" with Zoey Deschanel in "Elf"). Quoting from Wikipedia; "Leon Redbone is a singer and guitarist specializing in interpretations of early 20th-century music, including jazz and blues standards and Tin Pan Alley classics.
Recognized for his trademark Panama hat, dark sunglasses, and bow tie, Redbone first appeared on stage in Toronto, Canada in the mid-1970s. Virtually nothing is known for certain about his background or true identity. Redbone has been called "the most famous non-famous American musician". Redbone has released approximately fifteen albums and earned a sizable cult following who will travel significant distances to hear him perform. His concerts blend performance, comedy, and skilled instrumentals. Recurrent gags involve the influence of alcohol and claiming to have written works originating well before his time (as part of the mystery of his true age). "

Here's the program:

I haven't learned yet how to upload video links, so here's a link to one of the videos where he appears on Johnny Carson and plays with Doc Sevreson. It's the only time I've ever seen him without his panama hat or white fedora. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziucmWCzcl0&feature=related