By Clare Shore (Editor's note: The publication of this review was delayed by technical difficulties.) To delight or not to delight? Surely the latter is out of the question, and as for the former, it’s exactly what Seraphic Fire did in its season-closing concert of music inspired by, or set to, the work of William Shakespeare. At the May 12 concert at All Saints … [Read more...]
Cake leaves out ‘Survive’ dessert from strong SunFest set
Unlike the primary California gold (and platinum) rush of popular music acts between the 1960s and present day, most of them from Los Angeles (The Doors, Van Halen, Los Lobos, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ice-T, Jane’s Addiction, N.W.A., Maroon 5) and the San Francisco Bay area (Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Sly & the Family Stone, Tower of Power, Primus), Cake emerged … [Read more...]
SunFest, Day 4: Third Eye Blind and Dafeauxnito
By Hali Neal On the last day of SunFest (May 6), Third Eye Blind went all Depeche Mode for the occasion, dressing completely in black, even on a South Florida afternoon close to summer. Lead singer Stephan Jenkins, hilariously, even had a black water bottle. The only pop of color was Jenkins’ highlighter-yellow tennis shoes. After finishing the anti-suicide anthem … [Read more...]
SunFest Day 3: Ice Cube, 311 in fine form
By Hali Neal Ice Cube, one of the pioneers of gangster rap, was an odd choice to replace 1970s Miami mainstays K.C. and the Sunshine Band (who had a scheduling conflict) on Day 3 of SunFest (May 5), but it proved to be a wise one. He put on an entertaining set while also managing to poke fun at himself: “I bet you thought Ice Cube couldn’t do this s**t no more, huh? … [Read more...]
South Florida composers shine at Zimmermann’s Café
By Dennis D. Rooney The Zimmermann’s Café Chamber Music series, modeled after the similarly named Leipzig establishment where J.S. Bach led a collegium musicum, features South Florida composers. Chamber music by five of them was heard April 29 in a concert at Frazell Hall at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Lake Worth. In addition to the music, the audience, seated at … [Read more...]
Master Chorale gives glorious account of Brahms’s ‘German Requiem’
By Clare Shore At the end of a grueling week, on an absolutely gorgeous spring Friday evening in South Florida, one is not always keen on driving 40 minutes to sit inside for an hour and a quarter listening to a large-scale piece of music. But that’s what I did, and I left Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale on May 4 renewed and refreshed by Master Chorale … [Read more...]
Summer season preview: Three classical festivals
Classical events during the high season are distinguished by big stars and ensembles coming through South Florida in times of chilly weather up north. And while the summer months have always had things going on if you knew where to look, these days there are bigger and more elaborate events that bring out the permanent residents. Here’s an overview: Palm Beach Chamber … [Read more...]
Summer season preview: Pop music
To paraphrase a favorite question of the late Andy Rooney from 60 Minutes, do you ever wonder why you see so many “Local” stickers on South Florida cars? The ones with the upside-down silhouette of Florida forming the “L?” It’s partly because of the stickers’ availability, of course, but also because more natives are choosing to stay rather than move away. And that, … [Read more...]
SunFest, Day2: Powerful sets from Incubus, Nathaniel Rateliff
By Hali Neal It was warm out at SunFest on Friday night, but much of the sweat was on stage, with powerful performances by Incubus and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats. Incubus, whose best-known songs include “Drive,” “Megalomaniac” and “Pardon Me,” played a set marked by strong harmonies, vocal prowess, and extended intros to some of their most well-known … [Read more...]
Chameleon wraps season with splendid Brahms
By Robert Croan The splendid Chameleon Musicians ended the first season in their new venue in the Broward Center’s pleasant Abdo Room on April 29 with an intense, serious-minded all-Brahms program. With cellist and Chameleon founder Iris Van Eck joined by pianist Kemal Gekic and Michael Klotz (who alternated between violin and viola), the ensemble contrasted Brahms’s … [Read more...]