Songwriters give delightful look at what it takes to make the hits
NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. — Tin Pan Alley, that early 20th century musical institution responsible for creating some of America’s favorite songs, has mutated somewhat. It is now alive and well, living in Nashville.
Instead of songwriters like George Gershwin, Harold Arlen or Irving Berlin, the current names behind hit songs belong to people like Bob DiPiero, Craig Wiseman, Al Anderson, Jeffrey Steele and Tim Nichols.
Coincidently, DiPiero, Wiseman, Anderson, Steele and Nichols occasionally tour with a project that seeks to give country music fans a peek into a hit song’s life from conception through its status as a career making and/or sustaining force.
This project (Songwriter’s Night) takes the brainstorming aspect of songwriting and puts it into an entertaining concert package. In this instance, a highly talented quintet of polished writers and producers showcases material they created but were hits for other folks.
The quintet sings and plays songs made famous by Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire, Alan Jackson and Trisha Yearwood (to name just a few), but because the five actually wrote the tunes, their tales of creation and the resulting interpretations hold a certain fascination. Because they also tell tales and crack wise during the course of an evening, these guys are entertaining and authoritative at the same time.
This is why their performance in Fallsview Casino’s Avalon Ballroom Theatre on Friday night was such a joy to behold and fun to hear. They sing just fine and the playing, especially when Anderson picks up his guitar and causes jaws to drop, is way above average.
And they laugh. Boy, do they ever laugh.
You get the feeling that you’re part of a big family sitting out on the front porch giggling at a group of brothers exchanging pointed yet friendly barbs. When they aren’t goofing on each other, they’re ripping off yarns about how this tune and that tune were created and most of the time, smiles are the appropriate response.
The five singer/songwriters will reprise their performances tonight and it is worth the opportunity to drive over the border to catch them because they aren’t just a trip, they’re a whole vacation.
Concert Review
Songwriter’s Night
Friday night in Avalon Ballroom Theatre of Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort, Niagara Falls, Ont. Another performance at 9 tonight.
