Sunday, April 25, 2010

an email from patron Jim Hartwick after the Cathy Richardson performance

What can I say other than I was totally exhausted watching Cathy. What a performance. I could not sit still. Thank goodness the woman next to me was bouncing up and down more than me. I was chatting with her before the show about Anne Harris (love her) and her comment was... "the woman is liquid music". I knew I had to share. I totally agree. What a perfectly succinct way to describe her talent. Can't wait till she comes back solo. I feel I was in the presence of greatness tonight. It was so good to see another full house.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Cathy Richardson Rocks

This Saturday night Cathy Richardson is coming to the Acorn Theater with a new band. The last couple of times she was here, Cathy was lead singer with Jefferson Starship. This woman can sing and really commands the stage. She is also really fun. Cathy is pure excitement. Also, years ago, before Cathy performed in our space, she attended an Anne Harris concert as a patron. Since then, she has become one of our favorite performers. Cathy sings Janis Joplin songs with authority and style. I have two vivid memories from past Acorn Theater show. The first one is when Cathy couldn't find her capo (a clamp that goes on the neck of a guitar to change the key,) so she used a rubber band and a sharpie for the show. It was a real MacGyver experience. The second memory is the first time Cathy performed at the Acorn and she sang "Ball and Chain" by Janis. I think everyone got chills. The audience went crazy and she got an enormous ovation. Everyone in the theater knew they were experiencing a brilliant performance and I would bet that everyone remembers that moment. I just love her.

--David

Monday, April 19, 2010

A Letter from a Patron

We are blessed with tremendous patrons and customers. Blessed. It is rare that a show passes when one of us doesn't receive a well-written, lovely note from one of these people, expressing their gratitude for what we do and how we do it.

We're happy to share these notes with you, our readers, from time to time (with permission from the writer, of course!)

From one of our most loyal patrons, Jim Hartwick (with regard to Bunny Fisher's show on 4/17)

David,
I can't begin to tell you how much fun I had night. Bunny was fabulous. What rapport. I love that her choices of songs showcased her range. I had tears in my eyes. My dad would have loved her. I know where I got my appreciation for jazz. The guy next to me was so taken with her as well. I talked him into getting tickets for Cathy Richardson.
Loved the suit/shirt tonight. Suits are a weakness for me. Again... thanks for all you and Kim do. I can never thank you both enough for what you have brought to my life. You have brought my life to a higher level. My expectations for what I want out of my life have changed in the past 5 years thanks to you. I will be forever grateful.
See you next week.
Jim


Saturday, April 17, 2010

It's the Extreme Beer Fest!


Finally, we have a plan for the Extreme Beer Fest! We're going speakeasy style this time...and the night is going to be amazing. WE are inside the theater, yes, but the fest will have you tasting beers in many different locations in the theater.

Regardless, I've been working my tail off on this fest, already...and it's only gonna get busier. Distributors are sending in possibility lists for the beers we'll include, and I'm in my "yes and no" mode as far as what I want you to taste. I can tell you there will be about 60-70 beers, and some good (and filling) food. Nothing too fancy, just right to get you full in between and back on the high gravity horse once you're ready.

If there are any beers you're hoping for, let me know! You can visit our fan page on facebook (facebook.com/acornwineshop) or tweet me (@acornwineshop) and let me know. I'm always on the look out trying to bring you guys some great and exciting new things.

So let the games begin! We'll see you on May 28 for the best Extreme Beer Fest we've had yet!

--Jill

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Sunday Morning with David

It is Sunday morning a little before 10 am. I just returned from downtown Three Oaks where I purchased 5 different newspapers, and from Froehlich's, where I bought at dozen homemade pastries. We have some guests who stayed here last night after a fun evening. Shawn Mullins performed an amazing concert here last night. The room was packed with loving and attentive audience members. I think there is something particularly magical when a performer comes to the Acorn for the first time. Shawn immediately put the audience at ease and made everyone feel like they could relax and enjoy the evening. He is a great communicator and storyteller. It is awe-inspiring how one man with a guitar can fill the room so completely with music. The opening act, Daphne Willis has a powerful voice, great pitch, and a broad dynamic range. The audience seemed to love her and treated her well. I think she made a lot of new fans with her set. Following the show, Shawn stuck around and signed autographs and took photos with his fans. At almost midnight, the staff and performers had a bite to eat and hung out for a little while. Everyone was so wired that I don't think any of us could have gone to sleep without a transition from the concert to bed. Right now, we are waiting for Bunny Fisher to arrive so we can work with her on putting the finishing touches on the show she is performing here next week. This cabaret show is deeply personal for her, making it the perfect theme for an intimate performance. She is performing songs by people who personally touched her life. Bunny and her family lived in Los Angeles and were part of a strong African American arts and music scene. Her father was the personal physician to Ray Charles and Bunny went to school with a number of famous performer and children of famous performers. Later this afternoon, Tempest will arrive to set up for their celtic rock concert this evening. Tempest has performed here annually for many years and put on a great show. I particularly enjoy their fiddler who spins like a dervish and is really fun to watch. Many of the audience members who come to see them loyally appear every year for their concert. I am impressed that this group of musicians, who have been performing for many years, still love touring and performing. Their passion shows in their performance and is contagious back stage, helping me love what do at the Acorn Theater even more.

--David



Friday, April 9, 2010

The theater is BUZZING!


t is Friday afternoon, April 9, and things are really buzzing around the Acorn. I'm working on booking and writing information on future shows while recovering from our music video night last night. Jill is frantically moving merchandise for the big sale in the Wine Shop. Lots of merchandise is being marked down to make room for new seasonal beer and wine. She is making sure the place looks attractive though it is all rearranged. Becky is making the food and drink specials that cleverly fit with the movie Lost Boys that we are showing tonight. She is also keeping a close watch on ticket sales for the Shawn Mullins concert tomorrow. We are close to sold out and we are readying to remove the online sales for the concert to ensure we don't over-sell the show. We are also preparing for Tempest to arrive on Sunday. These guys are a really fun celtic rock band. They have been piling into a van and going on tour every year for more than a couple of decades and I am impressed that they still love what they do and it shows in their performance. I find it inspiring to be around people who love performing and put out such great energy to their audience. They are just fun to be around. I hope all the people who requested their return engagement will come to the performance for a great close to a full weekend.

--David