#1
Posted: 8/1/04 at 1:48pm
This Friday night was moonlight and magnolias at Atlanta's sold out Chastain Park Amphitheater for a special concert with the legendary Carole King. Carole, with her beautifully trademarked raspy voice, presented her "Living Room Tour" to the audience with only herself on piano and 2 supporting musicians, Rudy Guess and Gary Burr on guitar. The stage was set with a couch, club chair, lamps, and ficus trees to evoke Carole's living room. Carole, absent from Atlanta for about 10 years, opened her show with "Home Again" from her classic 'album' "Tapestry". She followed the opener with a clever ditty inviting the audience to her living room set up next to their dining room (as everyone picnics al fresco at Chastain). Carole then delved back to "Tapestry" to sing "Beautiful" and an updated "Where You Lead" (now featured on the WB's Gilmore Girls). Carole interspersed some of her newer material from her most recent CD "Love Makes the World" with 70's nuggets like "Sweet Seasons" and "Been to Canaan". Carole then re-introduced her Nashville based friend songwriter Gary Burr who then sang a couple of songs which included Juice Newton's "Love's Been A Little Bit Hard on Me". Carole then took back the lead vocals for a rousing version of "Smackwater Jack". Closing out the first half of the show, Carole showcased some of the classic songs that she has written in a medley which included "Oh,No, Not My Baby", "Go Away, Little Girl", "One Fine Day", and "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow".
After a 15 minute intermission, Carole returned to the stage and gave the audience a demonstration of how singer/songwriters take ideas and turn them into songs. She and Gary Burr commented that July was going to host the first 'blue moon' in 3 years (2 full moons within 1 month) and proceeded to try to write and sing a 'new' song about a blue moon. The second half of the show was heavy on sing-a-long classics from "Tapestry" including "It's Too Late", "I Feel the Earth Move" and "So Far Away" which was dedicated to a safe return of our troops from overseas. Ms. King got the audience going with a lively "Chains" and a three song encore which included "You've Got a Friend", (You Make me Feel Like) "A Natural Woman" , and "The Loco-Motion". All in all it was a terrific evening spent with a legendary singer-songwriter. One final comment - Carole looks terrific! My brother-in-law, who is a physician, was seated next to me at the show. He commented that he "sees 60-something women in his office all day, and Carole King does NOT look 62"!
After a 15 minute intermission, Carole returned to the stage and gave the audience a demonstration of how singer/songwriters take ideas and turn them into songs. She and Gary Burr commented that July was going to host the first 'blue moon' in 3 years (2 full moons within 1 month) and proceeded to try to write and sing a 'new' song about a blue moon. The second half of the show was heavy on sing-a-long classics from "Tapestry" including "It's Too Late", "I Feel the Earth Move" and "So Far Away" which was dedicated to a safe return of our troops from overseas. Ms. King got the audience going with a lively "Chains" and a three song encore which included "You've Got a Friend", (You Make me Feel Like) "A Natural Woman" , and "The Loco-Motion". All in all it was a terrific evening spent with a legendary singer-songwriter. One final comment - Carole looks terrific! My brother-in-law, who is a physician, was seated next to me at the show. He commented that he "sees 60-something women in his office all day, and Carole King does NOT look 62"!
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