Live Concert Surprise

[richiebee]

I made a rare outing last night to see someone I've had very little time for and whose songs I'm really not familiar with (and whose songs I wouldn't expect anyone under 45 to really know). Big gamble since the tickets were really expensive for here ($65) and I had no idea what kind of band he was going to be flying to snowy, isolated Newfoundland for a single night.

The seats were six rows from the stage, and this turned out to be probably the best concert I've ever seen, with a 16 piece band containing some the hottest session musicians in the world. It was one set, two hours and ten minutes of high energy where the main performer left the stage only twice - both times to go and meet the crowd. He continued to sing the whole time.

He did video duets with Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jnr, while his band played along live.

The arrangements of his somewhat dated songs were absolutely incredible. And the arrangements of covers by a diverse crosssection of the music world were even better. The man himself... though the jokes were old, he really knew how to work his audience.

Paul Anka is 65 years old. Anyone who can play a two hour set at that age deserves respect. I now have time for him. What an incredible show.