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Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1579 Posts |
 Posted - 01/01/2012 : 3:19:38 PM
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I will admit to having only a passing acquaintance with "A Prairie Home Companion" so I doubly enjoyed the show yesterday at the Blaisdell. Seeing Ledward, Danny, Jeff, and Jake was tremendous fun, but the rest of the show was totally entertaining as well. Lots of tunes that our old family band used to perform, "Sea of Love" and "The Name of the Place" among others, performed by a seriously strong band of musicians. The sound effects artist was a show in himself. The skits were droll as could be, and Keillor's personality is so engaging.
Among the guest artists, everyone was exciting but I have to say, at the risk of exposing my personal prejudice, that Ledward shined the brightest for my taste. This really came through for me when the local guys played along on some of the band tunes, Ledward seemed to find the heart of the song in his pa`ani, while still letting his own distinctive voice shine through.
I sure hope Mr. Shimabukuro really enjoys playing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" because it seems like he'll be doing it for a long time. Danny had one of his originals arranged with the band and that was a kick as was his rendition of Peter Moon's "Pandanus." Jeff started off with a tapping piece - I guess this is mandatory for up and coming acousticalizers these days. I liked his composition better than many I've heard in the genre. He's quite the eclectic, with blues and jazz and classical as significant in his sound as slack key, in fact I'm not sure I heard anything from him that I would have called Hawaiian music.
The show ended with all four of the local performers jamming on "Ku`u Ipo Onaona" which naturally got a big "hana hou" so the guys took it out on "Hawai`i Aloha" - I wonder if the "Home Companion" cast and crew got as much chicken skin as we did?
Fran
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E ho`okani pila kakou ma Kaleponi
Slack Key Guitar in California - www.kaleponi.com
Slack Key on YouTube
Homebrewed Music Blog |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 01/01/2012 : 3:24:18 PM
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| Are you describing the second show, Fran? The three-hour one that wasn't broadcast nationally? Thanks for the info, since we didn't get to hear that one. |
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Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1579 Posts |
Posted - 01/01/2012 : 4:38:11 PM
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Yep, the show I'm describing was the second, a three hour show. I, being a faithless listener, was confused on the whole issue of what was going out on the air. Keillor had us sing "Auld Lang Syne" at 7 pm local in order to coordinate with the east coast midnight, so I got the idea that we were being broadcast. I had no idea that there was a separate national cast.
And checking the web site http://prairiehome.publicradio.org the latest show isn't in the archive, and the complete show is apparently not made available.
So how was the show that _was_ broadcast?
Fran |
E ho`okani pila kakou ma Kaleponi
Slack Key Guitar in California - www.kaleponi.com
Slack Key on YouTube
Homebrewed Music Blog |
Edited by - Fran Guidry on 01/01/2012 4:39:06 PM |
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Russell Letson
`Olu`olu
USA
504 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2012 : 08:29:03 AM
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The usual-timeslot show was much like the longer, special-edition one, only, um, shorter. We listened to most of it driving home from the Cities and were especially taken by Led's uke version of "E Ku`u Morning Dew." Wish we could have seen the red boots. It was also a kick to hear Danny--last time I saw him, he looked like Dondi in the funny papers. I suspect he's grown a bit since 2001.
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2012 : 3:44:56 PM
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Here are some comments I made to another discussion group ---
Someone clearly worked with Garrison Keillor on his Hawaiian pronunciation; he was much more accurate than when he was there five years ago - except when he had to say material unprepared (such as when reading the audience note that wished someone "Hau`oli Makahiki Hou" - but he was closer than most mainlanders without the linguistic practice).
Points are definitely awarded to Keillor and guest Heather Masse (formerly of the Canadian band "The Wailin' Jennys") for a decent job singing "Pu`uanahulu" - that takes some courage to sing in an unfamiliar language ... in the home of said language.
Keillor also got in a few friendly digs at the haole side for the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy, saying that was one of the dangers of allowing Caucasians into your homes, and that the missionaries went to Hawai`i because no one wanted them "back home."
He also seemed to have fun discovering that Jeff Peterson had Hawaiian koko, since there are many Scandinavian-ancestry Petersons back in Minnesota. |
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Reid
Ha`aha`a
Andorra
1526 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2012 : 08:28:40 AM
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Retro,
I can remember a show that Keillor did in which he kept mangling Keoki's name as Kekui (He said "George" properly :-)and then topped it all off with Kammyhammy-ha. Nobody decked him. Both Sarah and I were really surprised that he did as well as he did, this time.
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guitar yogi
Akahai
Kiribati
67 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2012 : 5:46:22 PM
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| They have recently put up the audio from the New Year's eve show that Fran attended at the Prairie Home Companion website- including a few videos with Led and friends doing classics like "Hi'ilawe" and "Ku'u Ipo Onaona"- well worth checking out. I always love to watch Led jam with other musicians! |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 01/18/2012 : 10:07:47 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Reid
... and then topped it all off with Kammyhammy-ha. Nobody decked him.
I remember that cringe-worthy part now, too. I also remember thinking how I used to know several members of the show's production staff, but that none were with it any longer, and how they used to do detailed research on pronunciations in the show's earlier years, because GK didn't want to look ignorant.
Then it must have reached a point where that was no longer a concern of his. While he can be a very warm and witty man in person, his staff always knows who is in charge - whose name is on the label, as it were. |
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Slack key and "A Prairie Home Companion"
