Madeleine Peyroux
The masterpiece that is The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park cannot be understated. Attendees will feel welcomed by kind management, ushers, waiters, and employees at your immediate beck and call. The atmosphere of the venue is jovial. The night of Collin’s show, everyone was chatting with anticipation. The distant sound of symphony members tuning their instruments before the show was enough to spark intrigue amongst the audience. It was a magical event, worth the price of admission for the unbelievably delicious ice cream alone. The lights illuminating the shell, perfect acoustics, noises of both the city and harbor, even a stray seagull feather drifting in the sky, all made the environment look right out of a dream.
Come sundown, Jazz singer Madeleine Peyroux took to the stage, and reached for her guitar. She began the show with her cover “Fun Out of Life”, and was accompanied by San Diego Symphony Orchestra, and conductor Sean O’Loughlin. This piece makes you feel as though you’re falling in love, gliding almost, like a coastal breeze drifting past your face. The piano, guitar, and strings were especially divine.
Afterwards, Peyroux introduced herself to the crowd, claiming how surreal this ordeal was. “The French do surreal, and now San Diego does surreal,” she replied, switching out her guitar for her ukulele. Her second song was “Our Lady Of Pigalle,” which was performed underneath a purple and pink sky. It’s a song about the speaker asking the listener to pursue a romance, desiring connection and closeness. Peyroux’s voice could reduce you to tears, it made you feel a part of the world, grateful for the simple pleasures like music and breathing. Audience members could see lights turning on in the skyscrapers across the bay. The horns were grandiose, with a variety of solos that were even more so.
Madeleine Peyroux
Peyroux admitted to only singing three kinds of songs, Jenkins, Blues, and love songs, often all at once. She expressed how lucky she felt in getting to sing for so many people, and hoped that the audience was enjoying themselves. Her next piece, one bittersweet in tone, but an unbelievable highlight for all the violinists, was “Between the Bars”. Whilst playing her guitar again, she was submerged in the light of an overhead spotlight, her voice soothingly low. O’Loughlin worked harmoniously beside his symphony. It was just unbelievable, seeing so many souls fixated on her, almost at peace.
“Don’t Wait to Long”, Peyroux’s next piece of the night, contrasted from the previous songs for being more upbeat. A song about taking a chance, laying your heart on the line, and not waiting too long to live. It’s a timeless message. During this piece, the lights of the Rady Shell turned rosy pink, and was complemented by an excellent guitar solo. The song that followed was “Dance Me to the End of Love”.
After sharing the names of the musicians on the guitar, drums, and the bass respectively, Peyroux revealed that she got this gig because of O’Loughlin, and shared a warm thank you to the San Diego Symphony. The entire crowd got up from their seats to offer a standing ovation. As the lights of the shell turned a radiant blue, Peyroux dedicated the song to O’Loughlin and his wife. They were celebrating their sixteenth anniversary of being married the night of the show. The song, as the name would suggest, possessed a tempting essence to it. One that made the listener want to dance with the one they love.
In light of songs that made the listener want to dance, “We Might A Well Dance” was next in the lineup. Peyroux, masterfully so, tuned her guitar, and immediately eased into the piece. The atmosphere during this one felt strangely hopeful and encouraging. Looking towards the harbor, sailboats were drifting across the sea. As it finished, and silence briefly settled over, the sound of the harp and strings guided the audience back into the music, with an energy comparable to walking through a sea of lights. This song was “How I Wish”. All the orchestra members looked especially focused for this number, immersed in their synchronization. Those watching were gifted with the sight of O’Loughlin in his element too.
Peyroux addressed the audience, telling them she would like to sing the next song in French, one adapted from a French poem. During the Second World War, this poem was printed and dropped by airplanes onto occupied territories of France. She explained that the lyrics relate how, “I write your name on this, my childhood, on emptiness, on sadness, on and on.” Peyroux revealed that it was titled “Liberty”, and hoped the audience would like it. Her passion for this piece could be felt from the furthest reaches of the park, and time passed by so quickly whilst she performed it. It was a moment you didn’t want to see end.
“Lonesome Road” followed “Liberty,” to the joy of an audience member who had shouted for Peyroux to perform it much earlier in the show. She made entertainingly light of this, saying “we had a request to do this song, so we are going to do it now. It was also on the set.” The horns were magnificent during this piece, enhanced by Peyroux natural scatting.
The song that followed, titled “Honey Party”, included audience participation. Once again Peyroux went back to playing on the ukulele, and instructed the audience to sing with her during particular moments, saying that “you would help us all get to the honey party more easily.” Everyone was eager to participate. One audience member shouted, “we can do it!” The song itself was almost flirtatious, groovy, with a handful of muted trumpet, percussion, and flute solos that were positively euphoric. Rady Shell was aglow in a honey golden hue, and all audience members head-bobbed to the beat.
Peyroux’s performance came to a bittersweet conclusion with the song “Desperados Under the Eaves”. She expressed it was the greatest honor to play with the San Diego Symphony. It was the most powerful piece to finish with, one that effortlessly pierced the heart, making you want to weep from overwhelming emotions. She was deeply deserving of her standing ovation.
Before acclaimed Judy Collins appeared, volunteers were already voicing their praises. All those who came in support of Collins seemed to be long-time fans. Among those fans was a woman who wanted to deliver a hand-written letter to Collins, one that shared how she and her husband watched her perform in 1968. By the time Collins was announced, and walked onstage, audience members were already up and clapping for her. She was gracious and charming, expressing how fun it was to be there, wonderful even.
She began with “Spellbound” demonstrating that she’s still capable of singing challenging high notes gracefully. Having the San Diego Symphony playing alongside her brought an ethereal quality to her songs. As soon as she’d finished, she shared her praises towards the Symphony, her music director, and O’Loughlin. In-between many of her songs that night, she would share stories about her life, the folks that she’s worked with, and much more. She was a regular firecracker.
She shouted out Joni Mitchell before singing “Michael From The Mountains”. She painted a picture of the year 1967, jokingly shared about her experience in taking acid for the first time, and talked about old friends she still keeps in touch with. Collins held notes for an impressively long time, great breath control.
Another humorous story she shared with the audience involved her speaking to a friend at the time of the pandemic. Collins watched all the greatest movies ever made when the doors were shut. Her friend spoke about the dilemma he was facing, he couldn’t stop smoking. She asked him if he wanted to stop smoking, and he replied that he didn’t. So she told him to go visit her doctor, who was nonjudgmental. The doctor asked if he wanted to stop smoking. In the end, Collins’ friend admitted that he didn’t, and only came because she told him too. The entire story wrapped up with a punchline, that anytime he smokes a cigarette, God takes a minute from his life, and gives it to The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards. Collins laughed, saying she wished she knew who told her that joke.
Collins revealed that the first song she sang for the show “Spellbound” was from a recent album, the first one she’s written in almost 60 years. She recalled the first time she was told about Canadian poet Leonard Cohen, about how he wanted to play a song for her. After “Suzanne” made it big as a song, and put Cohen on the map, he told Collins he didn’t understand why she didn’t write any of her own songs. She claimed that because she worked with all these musicians, why would she have to write her own songs? But after Cohen asked her that question, she returned home and wrote one, “Since You Asked”. She performed that piece next, which was further enhanced by beautiful strings and piano solos.
The ultimate showstopper that night came in the form of Collins’ song, “Both Sides Now”. It received an outpour of love and a thunderous standing ovation. After it ended, she expressed how special the orchestra was, before jumping into her next story to tell. She spoke about her time with the group “Democrats Abroad” while traveling, about how their meeting was lovely, albeit not very big. She recalled them serving Pierre and grapes. Collins was approached by a woman at this gathering, named Mary Ann, Cohen’s Mary Ann. Collins expressed how she was surprised she had never met her till then.
Mary Ann then revealed how long she’d waited to tell Collins’ something. Cohen and her living in Greece. For the longest time they were happy, and he wrote his poems. But one day, he confessed to Mary Ann that he was leaving to sing his new songs for Collins in New York City. He got to record every single one. Mary Ann wanted to tell Collins that she ruined her life. Funnily enough, they are now friends on FaceBook. Collins then performed Cohen’s “Sisters Of Mercy”, and thanked him.
Madeleine Peyroux
Collins explained how back then, folks would get a vinyl, play it, perhaps light a fire, grab some drinks, and settle down in the living room to listen. Although, she also mentioned how one would have to turn it around to hear the rest of it. Regardless, she said that she would remind everyone about what was happening during 1967, and even briefly sang to herself the song “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” She didn’t anticipate that most everyone in the crowd would sing along with her. “That was wonderful! Are you ready to go on the road?” she asked, much to her audience’s delight. After speaking about Cohen, Mitchell, and the only other musicians to ever record this next piece, she began singing the song “Priests”.
Collins shared that she was raised in a wonderfully musical family. She spoke about her father. How he was a great singer, wrote greater songs, told jokes, and read Emerson. Gradually, these stories led into her singing “Albatross”. It was profound. It solidified how regardless of age, Collins was still effortlessly capable of spellbinding her audience. She also performed a French song, and even provided a translation. “Sure we have had some storms, you and I. A thousand times you took your suitcase. A thousand times I took flight. Each of those pieces of furniture, in this room, without a cradle, reminds me of the explosions, and the tempests, and you’ve lost your taste for me. And me? I’ve lost the taste for conquest.”
Collins dedicated a song to her friend of sixty years, Joan Biaz, and her wonderful spirit. She reminisced, speaking about how Biaz would take her boyfriend out on the road, Bob Dylan. Back then, he was still an unknown musician, but put her on every show that she did. When it came time for both of them to go to France, he didn’t put her on one show. This led to Biaz writing a song about Dylan. Collins recalls how she used to stay and spend time with Biaz in 1961.
Once more, Collins asked the audience to give a round of applause to the orchestra and their conductor. She also wanted to appreciate her music director, and pianist, Russell Walden, as well as Joshua Rifkin, for having done so much in developing the orchestrations for her songs. He did all of the orchestrations for her album “Wild Flowers”. Finally Collins introduced one of her final pieces, a song she said she was happy to hear in 1963, and was unbelievably grateful to have recorded. It was “Send In the Clowns”.
The monumental performance concluded with Collins, Peyroux, and everyone in the audience singing “Amazing Grace”. The overwhelmingly heartfelt applause that swept across the park was nothing short of unfathomable splendor. To learn more about the Rady Shell as a music venue, upcoming concerts, as well as the many talented musicians set to perform there later this year, visit https://www.theshell.org/. Both Collins’ and Peyroux’s websites are at http://www.judycollins.com/ and https://madeleinepeyroux.com/.
By Ava Sarnowski / Staff Writer – BackStage360
Editors Note: We wish to thank the staff at the Rady Shell for all their tireless assistance…