Arranmore

It is not everytime that you get to hear a band that is totally perfect.  Arranmore had a performance at the Schaumburg Town Square Library and all those present enjoyed the old songs which had an Irish touch to it.  The group takes its name from an island on the northwest coast of Ireland.

All the members of the band were in perfect sync and Brian (the band leader) kept it flowing smoothly.

The ambiance too was perfect, I mean I would rather listen to a band playing in open air like this, than in a closed hall.

It was poetic justice that the swan chose to swim into the frame while filming Kirk Rende on the keyboard (I am not sure if it was a swan or a Canada goose)

Rich Prezioso plays with such ease, I like his "When the last leaves fall" by Small Potatoes. If you listen to the words, it is so meaningful.

The mandolin speaks on its own and I waited for Dave to pick up his mandolin more often (not that he was bad with the guitar)

I specifically liked the song Wild Rover, where the audience were made to participate and they responded equally well with their synchronised clap

I liked the subtle joke made by Brian mentioning Jack performing in front of Mount Rushmore, and Jack accepted the joke with the humble smile of his. (I have added it in the video)

All the songs in the video are clipped to make space to fit in more songs.
  Hope to catch them again sometime in the future on their next performance.

Shout Section Big Band

After a long time I got to hear the song "A Tisket - A Tasket" It was sung by Megan Rault with the Shout Section Big Band doing perfect justice to the music. The original song was by Ella Fitzgerald.

The director of the Band, Brett Dean was always present in the front giving directions as and when required.

At times he chipped in and that is when you can see him at the back giving that extra boost to the tempo.

I could not get the names of all the musicians, but I could see that each one contributed in a special way.

I was particularly impressed by Mike Benning on the double Bass. I mean continuously plucking on those thick strings must be pretty tough on those fingers.

Then there was Diego Rodriguez on the drums who did not miss a beat.

The rendition of Ba Ba Black sheep was done well by Kirby Fellis 

Jon Rarick had his own style and there was an extra gusto when he put on his hat.

You could see a few in the audience picking up a few steps but I was expecting more dancers considering the enticing jitterbug music that was being played.

One of the regulars I see at the Town square is Ken Czech who manages to capture some of the musicians in action.

Made a video on the song "The yellow basket" by Megan Rault.

The second video is a mix of all that they played in the evening. (in no particular order)
I am sure Jazz lovers would love it.

Scribble Monster

One of the ways to keep children occupied is to do the things that they like to do, and that is exactly what Jim does. He tells stories in different forms while dancing with them.

Or reading out simple stories to them.

Jim (from ScribbleMonster)  knows the importance of keeping the body active and makes sure the kids too move their limbs.

I was just admiring the multitasking that Jim was doing, like singing, playing the guitar, interacting with the kids, dancing and making sure that there is no dull moment in between.

Jim Reeves (my favourite country singer) always used a box guitar (acoustic) and it is purely coincidental that our Jim also uses a box guitar that helps him in keeping the rhythm.

Sometimes the parents also get involved and that makes it all the more fun for the kids to participate 

As the program came to an end the interaction increased.

Maybe the video with the music will give a better idea.
The open air atmosphere with the water body at the Schaumburg Townsquare  adds to the positive impact on the show. 

Circus

After a long time, I went to the Circus. In fact as kids, one of the good memories that we all have is going to the circus. Two things I liked about this circus (Circus Vazquez) is that it had artists from different parts of the world. Like the Malkhamb artist who came from India.

The Bingo Dance Troupe came from Kyiv Ukraine.

One of the highlights of the show was the capability of Housch-ma-Housh to keep everyone in splits. He too is from Ukraine.

Cyclist Pavel Valla who is a Czech- British with a Spanish heart was not deterred by the fifteen wheels in his cycle when it came to do the balancing act. (see video)

The juggling act by the brothers was fun to watch (wonder if they are twins)

Good to see that the hula hoop is back in action which was a craze in the 60s

Had a chat with the Malkhamb lad (Hasan Ansari) who is from Chembur - Mumbai. He reminded me of my friend Vesavkar who was also from Chembur and was good at Malkhamb.

The trapeze artist performing without safety nets gives one the goose bumps, but she was good at it.

The team from Mongolia gave a good performance. It was all a matter of perfect timing.

The Final bow was very impressive.

Oh, I forgot to mention the second thing that I liked. It is the fact that this circus was performed without any animals.