Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City."

The current temperature is 43° under cloudy/rainy skies with a 60% probability. Actually, the mean streets of our fair city are slightly wet, but no rain is falling at the moment. As they used to say in car commercials, no ups, no extras. Today's high is forecast to reach 47° under skies that will be cloudy as a light rain is falling with an 80% chance. The sun will rise today @ 8:04 a.m. and set later @ 5:09 p.m.

We didn't do much yesterday morning, since we were heading to that Livingston Taylor concert @ Seven Steps Up, in Spring Lake in the afternoon. We took the fur-children for a walk before we left and that seemingly mollified them for their afternoon of watching and waiting for our return.  

Before the concert, we made a stop at the nearby big-box home center, where we got some "needed" items that included the latest incarnation of "Norm" a Norfolk Island Pine. We had one for many years, but unlike its namesake, Norfolk pines are not true pine trees, but houseplants that need special care. Hopefully, we can give him what he needs and thus give him a long-life here in the manse. The accompanying pic of Norm in his temporary holiday home was taken by our Senior Staff Photographer using our Olympus DSLR camera.

Looking good!

Once in Spring Lake, a quick stop @ Stan's and then it was time for the concert featuring Livingston Taylor and his special guest, Rebecca Loebe, who opened for Taylor. Loebe was a former student of Livingston's at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where Livingston now resides, and now teaches music and stage performance.

Rebecca currently resides in TX, after being a vagabond musician who lived mostly out of her station-wagon as she traveled from venue to venue. She was introduced by Livingston Taylor and gave us a performance that delighted.

Seen in this pic as he introduced Ms. Loebe, Livingston is a lot like me, getting older and better and still making his own kind of music.

Ms. Loebe told stories, sang some songs, and delivered a terrific performance.

Like many musicians, she also had a "Merchandise Table", selling albums and other "sundry things." One of those other "sundry things", was a coloring book with the title Blink, that came with a link to various musical genres to enjoy while you color. We purchased a book for me, which Ms. Loebe autographed. Here is a pic of that book with her autograph in the lower right-hand corner..

Coloring and music, two of my favorite things!

The concert by Livingston Taylor was the highlight of our afternoon. However, I must correct my blog from yesterday. I mistakenly credited Livingston with having six brothers. Actually, he is the brother of singer-songwriter James Taylor, singer-songwriter Kate Taylor, singer Alex Taylor, and innkeeper and singer Hugh Taylor. So, he does not have six brothers, but he does have four musical siblings.

At any rate, Livingston did not disappoint. He told stories, sang songs, and played both guitar and electronic-piano with great skill. He meandered through stories and songs that spanned the decades or perhaps the centuries, as he included songs that ranged from the works of Jerome Kern, Rogers and Hammerstein, and Taylor's own creative mind. Naturally, I took a lot of pix, so I'll just includes some that showcase the many moods of Taylor. Since I have the chance, I'll include Mr. Taylor performing his own song entitled:  I Must Be Doing Something Right. I hope you like it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmboLiC2SMI

With no roadies, Mr. Taylor patiently waited for his turn as an emcee to introduce his former student, Rebecca Loebe.

Livingston was very self-effacing, sitting and taking time to talk to the crowd before the show.

 

I am into the idea of framing a picture at this time. Here, I focused on Mr. Taylor at the electronic piano and used the people in front of us to frame the shot of his face.

As befits the "Star of the show". I took this shot of Mr. Taylor on stage, directly below the screen that Seven Steps Up uses for announcements.

He really is as good as I'd like to be on the guitar.

By this time, the large crowd had warmed up the venue, so Livingston had loosened his bow-tie.

On guitar, Livingston accompanied Rebecca to close the show with her rendition of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas was co-written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine, for the 1944 Judy Garland movie, Meet Me in St. Louis. But, since I couldn't find a version sung by Rebecca Loebe, I have instead included her version of the song Crazy, written by Willie Nelson and a hit by the late Patsy Cline, from YouTube™. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FQfmDb7sm0

However, since I was @ the YouTube™ site, I'll also include Ms. Garland's classic version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, from Meet Me In St. Louis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bsy9Sl4Z6U

I have also included this song from YouTube™ written by Loebe and Megan Burtt and performed by Rebecca, entitled Growing Up from Loebe's 2019 album, Give Up Your Ghosts. I think it captures Rebecca at her best. I hope you like it as much as I do.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKh0XCRJDns

Today promises to be a bit more sedentary with the rainy conditions keeping us and the fur-children indoors for much of the day. That's okay, as we have plenty to do. Ciao.