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FEATURE
by
Tom Lounges
This series takes the “Storytellers”
genre to the next level. Anderson
assumes the role of host a la David Letterman and interviews a local
radio personality, a local celebrity, and then jams with a local
unsigned musician on an original number written by that artist.
“It’s always
interesting,” said Anderson. “The
local artist is thrilled that we learn his song and accompany him on
stage. I have fun turning
the tables on radio folks after all the years they have interviewed
me.” For his 7:30 p.m. show
at The Vic Theatre, Anderson will flip the tables on WXRT air
personality Frank E. Lee. His
regional celebrity guest, is none other than Cynthia Plastercaster, the
world famous groupie who immortalized the manhood of Jimi Hendrix and
other Sixties rockers in plaster.
Anderson will be
running around American roasting radio show folks and giving props to
unsigned regional talent for the next two months, at which time, he
hooks back up with his Tull troupe to tour behind their new CD, The Jethro Tull Christmas Album.
“Real creative title
huh,” mused the singer/flutist as he described the 16-track holiday
set as something old-school Tull fans will love. “We give our own twist to some standard fare [“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”] and we’ve redone some older
Tull things [“Bour’ee”]
and there’s a few new numbers as well.”
One of those new
numbers -- “Birthday Card At
Christmas” -- can be previewed on Anderson’s brand new solo
album, Rupi’s Dance, a stunning
set of eclectic songs with a Mediterranean groove that were inspired by
his pet cat, Rupi
Once they forge
through the holiday season, Anderson and his band will jet off to exotic
far off places like India and South America to undertake the first leg
of Jethro Tull’s 2004 world tour.
“I’ll be stepping away for a bit in April to do some concerts
with some other artists in Germany,” he added.
“And then later in summer, I will be stepping away again to do
some more solo orchestral concerts.”
Anderson rolls through
his itinerary up to Christmas 2004 and pauses... “I guess there truly
is no rest for the wicked,” he jokes.
“Sometimes you feel like it’s just one long tour going on
forever, with a slight pause to stop at home and do your
laundry.”
In truth, Anderson loves performing and is
grateful that he still has such a large and loyal audience greeting him
wherever and whenever he performs.
“This perpetual touring is like being on a never-ending trip.
You keep stepping into a 747, a bus or a Hertz rental car...and
carrying out what amounts to a wonderful journey through life.”
Anderson refers to the
words of his past epic, “Locomotive
Breath,” in describing his thoughts on the musical journey that
began in British pubs back in mid-1960s while he cover blues standards
by his idols -- Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters Sonny Terry and Brian
McGee. “From then to now
and until whenever...” he said. “It’s
like being on a runaway train and seeing things flash before you in this
beautiful blur. You never
seem to know where you’re going, but that’s half the excitement,
never knowing what’s next and what’s in store.”
“I’m
thinking that it’ll probably about another ten years until I have to
hang up my flute, stretchy underpants
and codpiece for good” concluded Anderson, who is currently
feeling fit as a fiddle after a few years of ill-health in the late
‘90s. “I’m
having the time of my life right now!” IAN ANDERSON performs live on NOVEMBER 2 @ THE VIC THEATRE in Chicago, Illinois
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The
Bard of Baroque –– Ian
Anderson –– fresh from completing the latest Jethro Tull world
tour, is returning to Chicago on November 2 to host a uniquely intimate
concert event at the Vic Theatre aptly dubbed -- “Rubbing
Elbows with...Ian Anderson.”