Jonathan Field - Maker of Random Stuff

Oh yes… this past weekend I was one of the most privileged people in the world (so what else is new?) as I witnessed the musical wonder that is Hall & Oates live in concert at the Hollywood Bowl.

The tickets were provided by Lisa’s brother Skip, who had some kind of inside connection. We drove out to LA on Friday night, spent some time with her family, and then went to the show on Saturday night. It was stupendous.

Daryl Hall is 60 years old. He looks better than me, and probably better than you. Oates looks healthy, but he doesn’t look better or worse than he did in the eighties. They put on a hell of a show, and the crowd was really into it. The nice bit was that most of the people there seemed to be well aware of the kitschiness. Everyone in our section was dancing and shouting when the big songs came on. They opened with Maneater. Hall finished every song with about 12 minutes of pseudo-soul singing finale. I later learned that he is in fact a protege of the Tempations, which I suppose gives his questionable moves some credibility.

They did not play “Kiss On Your List” or “Private Eyes” which was sorely disappointing, but with a catalog as large as theirs I suppose you have to pick. Of course, I think they could have fit them in if he had dropped the soul singing finale on just one of the other songs, or if they had skipped over the unknown piano ballad in the middle which most of the crowd used to go to the restroom. Perhaps that was a kindness. If they had played “Kiss On Your List” or “Private Eyes” I would have surely skipped the bathroom and just peed my pants.

I thought in concert it would suddenly become apparent why Oates is so crucial to the band. However this was not the case. He played guitar and sang background, but he seemed no more significant than the other anonymous backing band members. In fact he seemed less significant than the session saxophonist they had, who got a lot of spotlight action and even walked out into the crowd at one point. But hey, I don’t question it… he’s flippin’ OATES! Of Hall & OATES!

The Hollywood Bowl is a cool venue, too. Never been before — it’s beautfiul on a September night, nestled in a valley of trees. Good sound and lights. And several big TV’s so you can see the details from the back seats. Only downside is a 10:45 curfew because it’s in a residential area. Hall & Oates played until 10:50 because they’re that flippin’ cool.

Thanks Lisa! Thanks Skip!

On another note: Sophie just started a little photoblog. She wanted an outlet for some of her non-work photography. The business is going well, and I have to give her big-time props for that. It’s not easy starting your own business in San Francisco! Now she’s working on finding a little balance between work and pleasure. If she does, she’s ahead of me