Dave Blackledge and Denise Barbarita
I caught Dave Blackledge and Denise Barbarita in concert on April 19th at
Charades Tavern, which is on Route 54 between Danville and Elysburg. I've
never been there before. But, I thought it was a cool place. Since it's
only about half an hour from my house, I'll probably be a frequent visitor,
especially since there's gonna be live music there on a regular basis.
Not too many people came out, which was a disappointment. But, considering
the fact that it was the Easter weekend, it wasn't that much of a suprise.
However, those who did manage to make this show were treated to a rather
interesting performance.
After doing a soundcheck, Dave Blackledge took the stage with his own
unique brand of what I would call singer/songwriter comedy. I've gotta tell
you, this guy's one of a kind. I was introduced to him at Fiddlestyx some
time ago when he held his singer/songwriter festival there. From that
moment on, I was a fan. While he does write some serious music, it's the
funny stuff that really got my attention. I have a copy of his CD from
2000, "Straight From The Gut." But, a beeter example of what Dave is all
about can be found on the disc that he gave me after this show, a best of
collection. It's not hard to imagine what you're gonna hear at one of his
shows when you have tunes like "Your Butt's Too Fat To Dance Like That,"
"Clean Underwear," "I Used To Be An Asshole Too," "You Look Like A Dick To
Me," "I Got A Life, But It Sucks" and my personal favorite, "Whoops, I
Pooped My Pants." You know that old saying about laughter being the best
medicine? Well, if that's what you're looking for, Dave's the doctor you
need to see. His music is entertaining and it's guaranteed to put a smile
on your face.
I've known Denise Barbarita for about eight years now and this was the
first time I got to meet her face to face. So, that made the night rather
special right off the bat. Now, for those of you who happen to check out
her debut release, "Beauty Lied," you'll be treated to a pretty rockin'
album because she's got a full band behind her. This show, however, was a
solo performance. So, I got to hear a different side of Denise, one that's
different than what I've been listening to all these years. Drummer Rich
Kulsar was there to back her up. But, not with a full drum kit. He was
using a hand held drum to throw a beat or two into the music.
I've spoken with Denise a few times and in those conversations, she
mentioned that two of her biggest influences are Kings X and Led Zepplin. I
haven't really heard that in her music. But, it was interesting to hear
Dave and Denise do an on the spot rendition of "Stairway To Heaven" and, if
I'm not mistaken, I think that was the first time I've seen anyone perform
that song live. It was a magical moment if I do say so myself...although
some of the words were forgetten. I think we all need to brush up on our
Led Zepplin tunes, myself included.
For those of you who missed this show, Dave Blackledge and Denise Barbarita
will be performing together again at the 2003 Singer/Songwriter Festival at
Charades Tavern, between Elysburg & Danville, on June 21st. Other featured
performers include John J. Blair, Hannah Bingman, Christina Ward, Paul
Farnham, Barby Holder and The Bridge...plus a few other people who I'm not
familiar with yet.
Keep checking back here for more information on this event and those who
will be performing at it. For now, be sure to check out Dave Blackledge and
Denise Barbarita at the web pages listed below.
http://www.singersongwriter.ws
http://www.myshytune.com