‘NBC’s Last Comic Standing Live Tour’
Sunday, February 20, 2011 At 07:30 PM
The “Last Comic Standing Live Tour” will feature the finalists from the popular series.
MIKE DESTEFANO
Mike has been a stand-up comedian for ten years. A former heroin addict, Mike has been clean for 11 years and performs regularly at prisons and rehab centers pro bono. He lives in the Bronx, downstairs from his mother. Mike has appeared on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “Comedy Central Presents: Live at Gotham,” and had his own half-hour special “Comedy Central Presents: Mike DeStefano.”
FELIPE ESPARZA
Felipe has been a stand-up comedian for 14 years. He was raised in East Los Angeles (Boyle Heights), and has worked closely with fellow comedians Paul Rodriguez, Gabriel Iglesias and Russell Peters. He got his first taste of major exposure when he appeared on a Showtime “Diamonds in the Rough” segment early in his career. Since then, he’s appeared on numerous television shows, including “Comics Unleashed,” “Premium Blend,” and “Comics Without Borders.” He also completed production on his first major motion picture – based on his stand-up material – called “I’m Not Like That No More,” in which he stars opposite Paul Rodriguez.
TOMMY JOHNAGIN
Tommy grew up in Benton, Illinois and currently resides in St. Louis. He has been a stand-up comedian for almost 10 years. Tommy started in standup at the age of 18, and dropped out of college three years later to become a full-time comedian. Recently, he appeared in his own half-hour special “Comedy Central Presents: Tommy Johnagin” in 2009. In addition, Tommy’s credits include “Late Show with David Letterman” and Comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham.”
MYQ KAPLAN
Myq Kaplan is 31 years old and currently lives in New York City with his girlfriend. He recently appeared on “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien,” and his half-hour Comedy Central special entitled “Comedy Central Presents: Myq Kaplan” debuted in April. In 2009, he won New York’s Funniest Standup Competition. Myq tours North America regularly – having performed thousands of shows at comedy clubs all over the country. He’s been a stand-up comedian for nearly eight years.
ROY WOOD, JR.
Roy was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama and is 31 years old. He’s been a comic for 12 years. Roy has opened for comedians ranging from D.L. Hughley and Mo’nique, to Ron White and Bill Engvall. In 2008, Roy was featured on the new season of HBO’s “Russell Simmon’s Def Comedy Jam,” and E! Network’s “Chelsea Lately.” Prior to that, he appeared on “Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen,” and Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend.” Roy is a freelance writer for a variety of morning shows, and his prank calls can now be heard on more than 40 national radio shows, including Jamie Foxx’s Foxxhole Radio on Sirius|XM Satellite Radio
LEON RUSSELL
“The Master of Space and Time” featuring a performance by Grayson Capps and The Lost Cause Minstrels!
2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee to play the Saenger Tues Feb 22
Tickets will be $55 and $25 (plus service charge). The $55 tickets are very limited.
Tickets are on sale now.
Leon Russell is a music legend and perhaps the most accomplished and versatile musician in the history of rock ‘n roll. In his distinguished and unique 50 year career, he has played on, arranged, written and/or produced some of the best records in popular music.
Leon has played on pop, rock, blues, country, bluegrass, standards, gospel, and surf records. As a session musician, arranger, producer, singer, songwriter, pianist, guitarist, record company owner, bandleader, and touring musician, he has collaborated with hundreds of artists, including Glen Campbell, Joe Cocker, Willie Nelson, Edgar Winter, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, J.J. Cale, David Gates, Bruce Hornsby, Hal Blaine, Tommy Tedesco, Bobby “Boris” Pickett, B.B. King, Freddie King, Bill Wyman, Steve Cropper, Carl Radle, Chuck Blackwell, Don Preston, Jesse Ed Davis, Rita Coolidge, Gram Parsons, Barbra Streisand, Ike & Tina Turner, Ricky Nelson, Herb Alpert, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Ann-Margret, Dean Martin, Marvin Gaye, Dave Mason, Steve Winwood, and groups such as Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, The Monkees, The Astronauts, The Accents, The Fencemen, The Ventures, The Beach Boys, The Byrds, Jan & Dean, Gary Lewis & The Playboys, Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Rolling Stones, The Ronettes, The Crystals, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Everly Brothers, The Righteous Brothers, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Tractors and on and on and on…
Leon played on hundreds of hit records in the 1960’s. He was part of studio groups such as The Routers and The Super Stocks. The Routers recorded the huge hit “Let’s Go” and The Super Stocks recorded surf and hot rod tunes. In 1964, Leon was a member of the the house band on the Shindig! show on ABC television which showcased the top pop acts.
Leon built a recording studio in his home in 1967 where he and Marc Benno recorded songs which were released on two critically acclaimed records as the ‘Asylum Choir’.
Leon co-produced, arranged, and played piano, organ, and guitar on Joe Cocker’s second album, ‘Joe Cocker!’ in 1969. He also recorded and toured with ‘Delaney & Bonnie & Friends’.
Leon founded Shelter Records with partner Denny Cordell and released Leon’s first solo album, “Leon Russell” in May, 1970. It included Beatles George Harrison and Ringo Starr, Rolling Stones Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts, Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, and Klaus Voorman. The album contained classic Leon songs, ‘A Song For You’, along with ‘Hummingbird’, and ‘Delta Lady’.
As a songwriter, Leon’s songs have hit the charts across all genres and have been covered by a diverse range of artists. Ray Charles recorded ‘A Song For You’, B.B. King had a hit with ‘Hummingbird’, The Carpenters with ‘Superstar’ and Joe Cocker with ‘Delta Lady’. The Carpenter’s cover of “Superstar”, written by Leon and Bonnie Bramlett, went to #2 on the pop music charts. George Benson won the “Record of the Year” Grammy in 1976 for his cover of Leon’s song, “This Masquerade”, and it became the first song in music history to hit #1 on the jazz, pop and R&B charts.
On August 1st, 1971, Leon joined George Harrison and friends for two performances of the Concert For Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden in New York to raise money for refugees. His “Jumpin’ Jack Flash/Youngblood” medley was considered the highlight of the show by some. The album won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
The “Carney” album, released in 1972, would be his best seller and included the single, “Tight Rope” which reached #11 on the pop music charts.
By 1972, Leon was a major concert attraction. Billboard Magazine named Leon the top concert attraction for 1973.
At the height of his popularity as a rock star, Leon released a country music album, “Hank Wilson’s Back” under the name Hank Wilson on August 31st,1973.
His last Shelter Records studio album, “Will O’ The Wisp” (1975), included the hit single “Lady Blue” (#14 on the charts) and went Gold. “The Best Of Leon” was released in 1976 and earned a 6th Gold Record.
Leon founded Paradise Records, a Warner Bros. label and released albums from 1976-84 such as “The Wedding Album”, “Make Love To The Music”, “Americana”, “Life And Love”, “Solid State” and “Hank Wilson Vol. II”.
Leon co-hosted with Willie Nelson, the first of Willie’s 4th of July picnics. Leon has continued to be a regular performer at Willie’s picnics through the years. Leon joined Willie on tour and they teamed in 1979 for the country album, “One For The Road”, which earned a Gold record and was honored by the Country Music Association with a nomination for “Album Of The Year”. The album included the song “Heartbreak Hotel” that won the Grammy Award in 1980 for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.
Leon and Edgar Winter toured together in the late 1980’s. In 1992, he teamed up with Bruce Hornsby (producer) for the album “Anything Can Happen” released on Virgin Records. Edgar Winter also played on the album. In 1998 “Hank Wilson Vol. 3: Legend In My Time” and 1999’s “Face In The Crowd”. In 2001, Russell played with Earl Scruggs and Friends on “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” which earned a Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance.
In April 2006, Leon was awarded a lifetime achievement award by the Bare Bones International Film Festival. In October 2006, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.
Leon performed at the 2010 Grammys with the Zac Brown Band. He performed with Elton John at Music Cares honoring Neil Young in January 2010.
Leon and Sir Elton John recorded a duet album, The Union, with T-Bone Burnett producing which was released in October.
Leon’s musical style is still resonating with his lifelong fans and is inspiring younger listeners who are discovering his music from either the ‘Mad Dogs & Englishmen’ or ‘Concert For Bangladesh’ DVDs.
On December 2 & 3, the Playhouse will stage the Christmas classic “Babes In Toyland” at the historic Saenger Theater in downtown Mobile at 6 Joachim Street.
The Playhouse production of “Babes in Toyland” is based on the operetta composed by Victor Herbert and weaves together various characters from Mother Goose nursery rhymes into a Christmas-themed musical extravaganza. All ages will delight in this fanciful production that includes original musical and dance numbers, and festive scenery and costumes.
School Shows are $7.00; teachers are admitted free for the performance. One additional chaperone for every 15 students is also admitted free of charge. Performances are at 9:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on December 2 & 3.
Tickets for the public performance are $20.00 for adults and $15.00 for students and senior citizens 65 and older. The public performance will be held at 7:30 p.m. on December 3 at the Saenger.
It was my first time to see Neil, and I never thought he’d come to my hometown. My understanding is that he’d performed in Mobile once before, with Linda Ronstadt back in the ’70s, and that he’d been booed off the stage. I know he almost never tours in this part of the world, and I’d figured it was due to the ‘Southern Man’ controversy and that he felt people here didn’t like him and wouldn’t come to see him.
If that was indeed the case, then I hope he knows now how much he is loved here, and that he won’t be such a stranger in the future. The crowd in the beautiful jewel-box Saenger was vocal about their appreciation from the moment he came out on stage until the moment he left after the final encore of ‘Walk With Me.’ I myself was the first person to shout ‘We love you, Neil!’ after his entrance, and my fellow concertgoers roared their approval.
What I liked about this particular show is that we got a little taste of everything Neil does – piano, organ, harmonica, and all of his guitars: Hank, Ol’ Black, the white Gretsch, and the guitar he used on some of the songs from Le Noise (what kind of guitar is that? Someone please post if you can tell me).
Saturday December 4 at 8pm – Tickets on Sale September 10 – To join the Centre For Living Arts and purchase tickets EARLY, visit the Saenger Box Office or call 251.208.5600
Aug. 8, 3 p.m.: “Gone With the Wind” — Based on Margaret Mitchell’s novel, this epic embodies both a romantic view of the antebellum South and “all that Hollywood embodied during the ’30s.” With Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh and Leslie Howard. 1939, runs 3:42.
“We certainly hope you all enjoy the show. And remember, people, that no matter who you are and what you do to live, thrive and survive, there’re still some things that makes us all the same. You. Me. Them. Everybody. Everybody.”
Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for seniors 60 and over and children 12 and younger. A full range of concessions, from popcorn to beer, is available.
and coming up
Aug. 15, 3 p.m.: “The Blues Brothers” — Believe it or not, it’s been 30 years since John Landis unleashed this mash-up of R&B music, Chicago grit, police pursuit, Sister Mary Stigmata, a murderous mystery woman, Illinois Nazis, and a couple of guys who just want to put the band back together. Starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd at their best. 1980, runs 2:13, Rated R.
For more information on the series, call the Saenger box office at 251-208-5600 or visit www.mobilesaenger.com.
Old and young Mod Mobilians alike will be at the Saenger tonight to hear Robert Plant – man of many bands including one called “Led Zeppelin.”
There were tickets on Craigslist – current availability unknown.
According to Mod Mobilian sources, Mr. Plant was spotted at Callaghan’s Irish Social Club last night.
For those unfamiliar with Mr. Plant – from the interweb:
Robert Plant has confirmed a 13 city North American tour. Beginning in July, this 1st leg of shows which will be followed by further dates in the Fall will preview material from a new album. Featuring a diverse group of musicians – Patty Griffin, vocals, Darrell Scott, multi instrumentalist/vocals, Byron House, Bass/Vocals, Marco Giovino, drums and percussion/vocals, including co-producer Buddy Miller, guitar/vocals. The album is set for release on Rounder in September.
Says Plant: “It’s been a blast working on these new songs…and I’m enjoying such creativity and vitality. It’s been a remarkable change of direction for all of us and as a group we all seem to have developed a new groove ”.
In recent weeks Plant has been in the studio working on the planned release, which will be his first since ‘Raising Sand’, the multi-platinum, 6 -time Grammy winning collaboration with fellow Rounder artist Alison Krauss.
Note – “Band of Joy” was the first band formed by Plant with John Bonham in the 1960s.
Anyone yelling “Play Stairway” will be taken outside and beaten in accordance with Saenger policy.
Robert Plant & Band of Joy in Memphis (note they did play some Zeppelin classics like “Misty Mountain Hop”)
Fun facts about Cray:
– He was won five Grammys
– Has been nominated 16 times for Grammys
– His first band was named “Steakface”
– In “Animal House,” Cray plays the bassist in Otis Day and the Knights
– Some of the gigs that made him well-known were opening for Eric Clapton in the 1980s
Cookin’ In Mobile is the third live package from Cray in the past four years and what sets this apart from his previous recent live outings is that he is pairing a first-ever DVD with the CD, giving fans a chance to see and hear his set at the historic Saenger Theatre in Mobile, Alabama.
The package offers songs from across his 30-year career and includes his best known song, the surprise smash single “Smoking Gun” from his 1986 album Strong Persuader. In addition, Cray covers “Sitting On Top Of The World,” a song first performed by Mississippi Sheiks and made more famous by Howlin’ Wolf and later by B.B. King. The CD and DVD are not identical with 12 songs appearing on the CD and 14 on the DVD. The two songs not included on the CD are “Twenty” and “Phone Booth.”
Cray is sometimes a divisive figure in blues circles. There are those who find his sound slick and style lacking in edginess while his fans champion his sophisticated blend of modern soul with blues. What could be an interesting conversation about the fine line between innovation and sonic expansion usually turns into a ridiculous argument that now seems pointless with his enduring popularity as a touring musician.
Cray recently performed at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival, an event held in Chicago to raise money for the treatment center Clapton opened to assist people struggling with chemical dependency issues.
Cookin’ In Mobile CD:
1. Our Last Time
2. Anytime
3. Love 2009
4. Right Next Door
5. Chicken In the Kitchen
6. Sitting On Top of the World
7. One In the Middle
8. Lotta Lovin’
9. Smoking Gun
10. I Can’t Fail
11. That’s What Keeps Me Rockin’
12. Time Makes Two
Cookin’ In Mobile DVD:
1. Our Last Time
2. Anytime
3. Love 2009
4. Right Next Door
5. Chicken In the Kitchen
6. Sitting On Top of the World
7. One In the Middle
8. Lotta Lovin’
9. Smoking Gun
10. I Can’t Fail
11. That’s What Keeps Me Rockin’
12. Time Makes Two
13. Phone Booth
14. Twenty
During the Civil War a mysterious nomad (Clint Eastwood) enters into a partnership with a Mexican gunman (Eli Wallach), a man with a price on his head. The nomad turns the gunman in for reward money and then rescues him at the last minute. The pair joins a sadistic criminal to pursue much bigger stakes
Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for Seniors (60+) and Children (12 and under)
