I have a confession to make. I love this movie; I grew up on this movie. So I was cautiously excited to see my icon on stage in a music review. My fears were immediately and resolutely assuaged from the moment the band hit the stage and the announcer began the famous welcome speech.
A few mics, a couple of spotlights, a small bar and an energy as strong as 1000 watts transforms the theatre at C venues into a heart-pounding, foot stomping, non-stop thrill ride through the ‘I’ve got a woman, I need a woman, I lost a woman’ soulful streets of the blues. I challenge anyone to stay rooted in their seat for more than a chorus or two.
The excitement is infectious. After five seasons, this show is as fresh as Jake Blues straight out of prison. Jake and Elwood are spot on with incredible energy and that cool, camp, irresistible trademark style. Strutting and dancing about the stage, this rock and roll jam packed party just keeps building in intensity to an explosive finale that will have you up all night, rushing to the VCR for a revisit.
I would be remiss to forget a shout out for the ladies, whose vocal strains are as sexy, tight and impressive as their hot pants. They also show off very precise choreography, giving even the backing vocalists moments of the polish and panache which marked the era of big band blues. Then there is the bartender, whose enthusiasm and raw talent made me want to jump up and shake a tail feather.
No Blues Brothers show would be complete without ‘The Band’, a collection of cool, quirky, and extraordinarily talented very young men, hovering in the back behind shades, some looking even too young to smoke a pipe or drink a beer. It made this reviewer smile to think this show is bringing classic rock and roll and the soul of the blues to a new generation.
You do not have to be a fan of the Blues Brothers movie to love this show. You just have to have ears, heart and a pulse. Years ago, I went to one of the last concerts of the last remaining members of the Drifters. He came down the aisle and it was like Rock and Roll church! Last night, I happily returned to pray at the pearly gates of the blues. If there is a heaven on earth, I think it might just be at C.
