Joint Jumps With Double Bill of Vocal Artists

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Local Grammy nominee Lee Rocker and Rockapella, an a capella group, and both perform on the Playhouse stage through the end of the month.
Local Grammy nominee Lee Rocker and Rockapella, an a capella group, and both perform on the Playhouse stage through the end of the month.

“Stray Cat Strut,” “Rock This Town,” “Sexy and Seventeen” are hits that still reverberate through memories of anyone who danced through the 1980s along with visuals of Lee Rocker strumming his double bass like a guitar.

Those memories came to life this past Sunday, Aug. 14, when he appeared at the Laguna Playhouse for a special performance accompanied by keyboardist Joey Guevara, guitarist Buzz Campbell and drummer Larry Mitchell. They will perform again on Aug. 21 and 28.

As a member of The Stray Cats, Rocker has sold tens of millions of records including 23 gold and platinum ones worldwide. He’s toured with the Rolling Stones and received Grammy nominations. If last Sunday’s show is any indication, he is still on top of his game. What makes the show even more enticing is the relatively intimate atmosphere of the Playhouse, a venue small enough to allow for a close connection to his audience.

Rocker, a longtime local resident, previously performed at the Playhouse with the Laguna Concert Band. His own three-man back-up trio is riveting. Altogether, they made it difficult not to catapult oneself into the aisle to dance. In a different vein, his performance of Arlo Guthrie’s “City of New Orleans” was unexpected and as moving as when the song first hit the radio waves.

Consisting of standard “Cats” songs and new material, the show was mostly pure rock ‘n’ roll, seemingly sped up at times from previous versions. There were no stylistic embellishments or phony showmanship, just great music enhanced by a background video showing vignettes from a lengthy and still thriving career.

Adding to the club atmosphere was the bespectacled bassist performing in a long jacketed and vested suit, a throwback to times when elegance pervaded not only music but musician’s sartorial choices.

 

Five Voices Fill the House

1.5 vocal review ROCKAPELLA - 2The Laguna Playhouse just closed “All Shook Up,” the rocking and rolling mash-up of the Bard and Elvis Presley. Though the music has barely died down, here comes another musicaloosa with Rockapella, a quintet of extraordinary singers performing rock ’n’ roll, Motown and pop classics a cappella, without instrumental accompaniment.

Their repertoire spans so much more than just Elvis favorites. Tunes popularized by the Rolling Stones, Beatles, Michael Jackson, Johnny Cash and a plethora of others brought an audience of mixed generations to their feet on opening night Wednesday, Aug. 10.

It might be hard to imagine a two-hour show of pop music without a keyboard, guitar or drum anywhere. But once Scott Leonard, Jeff Thacher, Steven Dorian, Calvin Jones and Bryant Vance started up with “Rock Around the Clock,” everyone seemed hooked. Mercifully, those pink-framed shades worn during the first number disappeared, as did, eventually, people clapping along with the beat and drowning out the singers. The group did ask the audience to sing along to “Another Saturday Night” and other tunes, to set a mood.

Memory lane got crowded with hits like “Dancing in the Street,” “Used to be My Girl,” “Up on the Roof” and “Wonderful World,” not necessarily in that order. Mixing up Motown (“Just my Imagination,” “Ain’t too Proud to Beg”), Stevie Wonder hits (“My Cherie Amour”) and icons like “My Girl,” accompanied by sharply choreographed dance numbers, kept the show fluid from start to eagerly requested encore. The show could easily forego bringing audience members up on stage for a few warbles and shimmies as was done with Doris, a self-described grandma who did her thing gamely but for far too long.

With his shaggy blond mane, wiry frame, superlative dancing, high tenor voice and engaging wit, Leonard led his four companions into musical territory that became entirely original thanks to the group’s skill at creating sound effects. Leonard described vocal percussionist and beat boxer Thacher as “ the Mozart of spit.” Leonard is the group’s chief songwriter/arranger.

Vance’s basso profundo voice gives just the right amount of spice to tenors Jones and Dorian.

Even Andy Williams gets his due with their performance of “Moon River,” as a change of pace.

Then Leonard made the confession that, for all their artistry, the group had sold itself to “the corporate devil” by hawking anything from tacos to beer. Folger’s Coffee anyone? Preparation H? The ensuing medley of jingles momentarily made one appreciate commercials as something other than providers of bathroom breaks.

The group included the lengthy number “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?” based on the series of video games that morphed into a four-year run on PBS television, bringing geography to children and awareness of the group to audiences.

Although a cappella singing has its roots in religious music, it re-gained new popularity in “Pitch Perfect,” a 2012 film centered on a collegiate a cappella group that has generated several sequels.

Rockapella performs at the Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, through Sunday, Aug. 28.

Lee Rocker’s gigs continue at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 21 and 28, at Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road. www.lagunaplayhouse.com 949-497-2787.

 

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