String Productions
CONNIE KALDOR

Date: 25 October, 2003 Venue: Vogue Theatre

Reviewer: June Heywood

Connie Kaldor

Anyone would be delighted to call her friend. Connie Kaldor is warm, amusing, and sincere.

On Saturday night at the Vogue Theatre Ms Kaldor performed a wide range of her songs to a sold out crowd of all ages. Her warmth showed throughout the program. She spoke directly to the audience, seamlessly breaking down the barrier between herself and her fans with musical skills and repartee.

Her opening number was a grand example of her warmth and comedic style. Connie immediately engaged the audience by telling an amusing stream-of-consciousness story in the first person as to the busy-ness that might prevent someone from being at her concert. The excuses tumbled out faster and faster and became more ridiculous until she suddenly stopped. "Relax", she said and broke into song. "What will you remember when it's all said and done?".

There were many true-to life funny songs she sang. One about a Prairie wedding from a jilted bridesmaid's point of view. The other was a night out at Richards on Richards as experienced by Connie's alter ego, Boom Boom LaTour.

The friend I took to the performance said that Prairie weddings are just as Ms Kaldor vividly describes. The bridesmaids 'wear three layers of indescribable combustible material' and the bachelors resemble a 'tsunami of leisure suits' at the local Legion. This number combined musical styles including a polka and a waltz.

Boom Boom LaTour's song was pure jazz. Scat singing and snapping her fingers, she declared "I'm doing everything to get lucky tonight". In the song, she confessed she was crossing everything but her legs.

There were sad country songs with lines like, "There's nothing more lonesome than a whistle when it's gone" about a closed Prairie rail line. "Lonely coyotes call" tells of a single mother who works long hours for low wages and few tips in a café on the far edge of town. With enjoyment, the audience sang along to the chorus, "When you told me you loved me you were lying".

Ms Kaldor showed her sincerity and political awareness in "A Mother's Prayer", an anti-war, anti poverty wish for all children of the world to be free from harm and in their mothers' arms. In "I've Never Been to Ireland", she mentions the beauty of the country also it's blood and guns. In this plaintiff air, Connie was joined by Bill Gossage on violin. He also played and sang on other numbers. Her husband and producer, Paul Campagne, also played guitar and was a backup singer.

This was the first concert in a western tour. If the show comes to your town, grab your kids, family, and friends. Experience an evening of warmth with the energetic and friendly Ms Connie Kaldor.

.© 2003, June Heywood