Dale Watson in Chicago

This past weekend, 4th of July weekend, we visited Chicago with our friends and saw Dale Watson at Martyr's. I have to say, it's a little different to see a performer drink himself under the table while on stage! We did our share of carousing around town, eating at a number of different establishments - burgers and beer at BadDog's, sushi at Tank, and Italian at Topo Gigio's.

Walking and driving around town, I also ran into some interesting bookstores that I will review on my Indie Bookstore Travelogue. The best one I happened upon is Tres Americas, which specializes in books in Spanish, the best I've seen in the country.

The Passion of Jesus Christ Superstar

Regarding my last post, written two weeks ago, I have to say that I was extremely disappointed with the production of Jesus Christ Superstar, the Ted Neeley (playing Jesus) tribute performance, that came here to Normal, Illinois. I don't have definitive proof, but I suspect that it was sanitized of its subversive elements for mainstream church-goers. Compared to the 1973 version, which questioned Jesus' divinity and openly compared the Jesus movement to the 1960s counterculture against violence and traditional authority, this production emphasized supernatural biblical themes such as the purported miracles and divinity. The musical even opens with a miracle during the overture and ends with ascension. Most of the whitewashing happens by a subtle shift in mood and mannerisms, such as Jesus' constant mumblings to some unseen force in the sky. But at one point, they even change the words to make sure no devout person is offended. To Pilate Pontius, Neeley's Jesus says "There might be a heaven somewhere, if you only knew" instead of the much more doubting statement "There might be a heaven somewhere, if I only knew."

While I enjoyed the songs, and thought that they were well-sung except for those parts sung by Ted Neeley, this sanitized version left a bad taste in my mouth. I understand that it is supposed to be a tribute to Neeley, but I wondered how he could participate in such a travesty. If the musical wasn't made palatable to the devout, I could forgive Neeley's raspy voice playing a man 32 years his younger. But when he sings, "I have tried for 3 years, feels like 30," I had to laugh. The worst part came at the end, when after Jesus' ascension to heaven, some people were crying at his death and resurrection. In the 70s, the controversy of the musical was to problematize the conflict between Judas and Jesus, to force a reconsideration of who Jesus was and what his death on the cross means. It inspired hate among devout sectarians. Today, the musical might as well be named The Passion of the Superstar. As my wife said on the way out, it was like the story I heard in Sunday school, the rock music version, and perhaps a little more interesting.

Bucky Halker

I headed over to Illinois Wesleyan University tonight and heard Bucky Halker sing labor songs and talk about their historical significance. The music was great, and just as good was the analysis and commentary by Halker himself, Mike Matejka of the Bloomington-Normal Trades and Labor Assembly, and others. It was a great event in a very stately campus library, but I'd also love to listen to Halker's labor tunes in a bar relaxing with a cold one!

I wonder if Halker would be interested in performing at the One Day in July street festival in Minneapolis/St. Paul this summer?