USA 2007 | George Filev

Pitts to bliss in Ann Arbor.

26/Jun/2007 09:13 Filed in: USA 2007
Hello again,

Well I have to say Pittsburgh was a bit of a surprise. The press was great, check out this TV interview I did, and the audiences, relatively small compared to the cities size but they were very receptive and responsive. Here is the clincher, someone tell me, please, who the hell is running that festival? I've had more excited welcomes at a funeral.

We were never introduced to, or approached by, the festival director at any time and on arrival made to feel most unwelcome when is was suggested that we stay in a flea pitt (no jokes) motel 30 mins drive out of town, with no transport provided. Needless to say, we did not stay there and although there were many obstacles presented to us by the festival, we did manage to do our job professionally. How amazing is this site!

image001 by Craig E. Biertempfel

We ended up staying at the Hilton Pittsburgh after some negotiation. It is the building in the centre between the two bridges.

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It was pleasant enough and we happened to be in town for the first gay block party in the middle of Liberty Avenue and all of us attended, not wanting to miss out on any culture. It was a huge event and they booked Tiffany to sing. Remember her?? She is making a comeback now but she sang the hit "I think we're alone now?" in the 80's.

Well she went off! Literally, the power went off mid song. Not entirely unexpected in Pittsburgh after the technical difficulties we had experienced but to the credit of the organisers it was not long before it came on again and then there was no holding her back. Maybe it was the cheap drinks talking but she rocked the crowd and everyone had a lot of fun.

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On the same evening we were also lucky enough to see Rickie Lee Jones perform on the stage near us. She sure is into some experimental stuff these days. Some of her songs feature her making a vibrato sound with a fore finger and her lips. How ingenious. I hear that, over her dead body, will she ever sing the 1979 hit "Chuck E.'s in love" in public again . Shame really, I like the old stuff better than the new stuff.

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That's one amazing thing about being in the states. Having access to performers that would not necessarily tour to Australia.

Next stop was Midland in Michigan. This place really kicked off when Dow Chemicals and Dow Corning set up base in town. Now there are many scientists living here with interesting stories about things like.......... the day I went into the office and accidently invented teflon.

We just happen to have arrived in town the Day that Hall and Oates were performing live in concert and guess what? We went a saw them. It is amazing how many hit songs they performed and also how much work they have had done on their faces.

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It is also where Santas go to get trained in Santas house during Christmas. I kid you not! This joint is like a giant cookoo clock with mannequins mechanically coming out to chime the bell.

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Check out the court house.

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And some typical homes you would expect in this neck of the woods.

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Here is a local we bumped into.

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Only kidding. All jokes aside Midland was a really special time for us after Pittsburgh. We were really well looked after and welcomed so much that the kindness brought us to tears. We even had a local choir sing especially for us, a rendition of "Bridge over troubled water", and the audiences who came to the shows filled our hearts with joy. Thank you Midland for being so lovely.

image009 image by Brett Marshal

Finished our gigs, got in a car and we drove to Ann Arbor, well known for the University of Michigan and Zingerman's Delicatessen.

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I decided to go with a number 74 Dave's Open Road sandwich. Thought it would be fitting seeing that I was interviewed by Dave Askins that morning and I was about to hit the road again. It was delicious.

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We set up in Ingalls Mall under a big clock tower and it was a great site for the show.

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I look red in the photo but I think it is a colour balance issue in the camera. Ann Arbor was an incredible place to perform. The audiences were the largest we have had so far and very appreciative. People kept coming back to see the show again and again and each time the applause got louder and louder at the end.

We had a question and answer session on mic after one of our shows and a child decided to ask, "How does sea weed grow?" This was hysterical. The show really took off here and the whole town was a buzz. People even stopped us in the street, recognizing who we were out of costume and giving us positive feed back. This is unheard of and we would love to return to Ann Arbor some day soon.

image001 image by Myra Klarman

Lastly we tend to get a lot of people asking about the music in the show so here is a list of the songs in "Swoon" with the artists listed next to them.

1. Kick in the Head (Walk In Track) - Dean Martin
2. Bells - Paul Healy
3. Sweat and Toil - Paul Healy
4. The Fall - Paul Healy
5. Batti Batti, O Bel Masetto /Don Giovanni - by Mozart and arranged by Uri Caine Ensemble
5. Seelinnikoi - Traditional (arr Varttina)
6. Vissi d'arte - Pucini (Tosca)
7. Bei Mannern, Welche Liebe Fuhlen - by Mozart and arranged by Uri Caine Ensemble
8. Chasing Sheep is Best Left to Shepherds - Michael Nyman
9. Hyva Tyttona Hypata (Climb Down Track) - Traditional (arr Varttina)

Next stop Hanover New Hampshire then Reno Nevada and Denver Colorado before heading finally to New York City.

Much love,

George

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