A little full circle at the Pops

By Pat Clark
pclark@modbee.com

E-Mail

Comments (0)

Text Size:

tool goes here

Sometimes, things in life connect quite nicely.

Take my enduring love of Billy Joel's music.

I was hooked on Joel from my first exposure as a teenager to "The Stranger." I spent far too many afternoons sequestered in my room with the album spinning over and over on the hi-fi.

I went on to do the same with "52nd Street," "Glass Houses," "Songs in the Attic" and, to a lesser degree, "The Nylon Curtain." (Yes, he's released many more albums, but those were his best and where my heart lies).

My niece — more like another sister at only seven years younger — also found an affinity for Billy Joel in my oddly purple-painted room on that old faux woodgrain turntable.

My first for-real relationship was with a guy who also loved Joel's music, and he took me to my first-ever concert to see Joel in the Bay Area.

Joel took a back seat as I grew older and my attention turned more to bands like U2 and The Police. But I always paused when a Joel song came on the radio and reconnected from time to time to his albums.

When Twyla Tharp concocted the stage production "Movin' Out" based on Joel's music, I vowed to go. It wasn't until the show came early this year to the Gallo Center that I finally did. My husband and I celebrated our 18th anniversary by seeing the show.

Not surprisingly, I loved it.

And so, when said niece e-mailed me last month about going to the Picnic at the Pops concert, I thought it was a perfect plan. The show featured Michael Cavanaugh, who played the "Piano Man" from the original Broadway production of "Movin' Out," performing some of Joel's most popular songs.

And when my niece also thought my 11-year-old might enjoy the show, I really got excited.

I'd been thinking for a while about taking him to his first pop concert. Sure, he's been to other live shows — recitals, stage productions and such — but no pop or rock concert. For a mom who's heavy into rock, that seemed like a shame.

To be sure, sharing his first pop concert would be special times. But he's only 11. It's not like I could take him to a Linkin Park or Green Day show — although those would have been his first choices.

But a late summer evening spent outdoors listening to a little Billy Joel sounded like the perfect entry into the live concert experience.

The show was Saturday and the weather was lovely — despite a morning of thunder. It was the first time my husband and I attended one of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra's wildly popular Picnic at the Pops events. We took our little dinner, bought a bottle of wine (hey, now, soda for the child), relaxed on a blanket and enjoyed the evening.

Sure, my son spent some of the time playing games on my cell phone, but he also used the phone in place of the good old burning Bics of yesterday, holding it up and waving the backlit screen back and forth to the music.

By the end of the show, we were all standing, rocking out and singing along to "Only the Good Die Young" — son included.

No, it wasn't the most traditional first rock concert experience for a kid. It wasn't even Billy Joel. But it was a nice entry into concertgoing for someone his age.

Best of all, my son decided he loves Billy Joel's music, too. He deemed the music "hecka cool!" That's about as high as the praise gets from an 11-year-old.

And it was a lovely way to connect the past with the present. Maybe someday they'll resurrect the old Day on the Green shows — events that seem, for some crazy reason, equal parts hazy and wildly fun in my memory — and we can take him to one of those.

Oh, wait ... haze clearing a bit. Mmmm ... maybe not.

Just for the record, the tattooed chef count went up to nine after last week's episode of "Top Chef." Peeking out from the back collar on cheftestant Robin's neck was an undefinable inked mass.

Nine tattooed chefs out of a field of 17. Nine.

Nine.

I'm just saying ...

The Emmy Awards are this weekend and I'm going to be a cranky lady come Monday if some of my favorites don't win. To wit:

Best drama: "Damages" or "Mad Men." I'm good either way.

Comedy: "30 Rock" — a shoo-in

Actor, drama: Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad." In-TENSE.

Actress, drama: Holly Hunter, "Saving Grace." Love her. Love.

Actor, comedy: Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock." Timing, folks, is everything.

Actress, comedy: Tina Fey, "30 Rock." Come on, who else?

Reality/competition program: "Top Chef," the pre-tat year.

Oh, heck, give it to "Top Chef" next year, too. Even with its kitchen full of dull contestants — tats and all.