Listening with Lee Zimmerman

Fran Smith Jr. and the Ten Cent Millionaires:
Man Meets Machine
(self-released)
 
Fran Smith Jr.’s name may not immediately signal a cause for recognition, but as a member of the Philly band, The Hooters, his musical signature boasts an indelible imprint. With two decades worth of hits (“Day By Day,” “And We Danced,” “Where do the Children Go”), not to mention service as Cyndi Lauper’s primary back-up band), Smith and the Hooters have attracted a worldwide following.
 
Smith himself has a fruitful side career that includes a previous solo album, voice-overs and theatrical work. It’s interesting to note that the bassist was one of the original members of the Broadway cast of “Beatlemania” and that he once recorded a version of the Beatles’ “When I’m 64” for an insurance company ad, because those Fab Four references permeate his latest solo offering, Man Meets Machine. Despite its title, this is far from a mechanical exercise; it’s filled with cheery, harmonious, effervescent power pop boasting a Brit-rock feel far more pronounced than anything associated with his colleagues. On songs such as “Leonardo,” “That’s the Way I Will Remember” and “Shut Down Land,” Smith echoes classic references, going for a sound reminiscent of that which once shook the airwaves back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, at time well before pop lost its purpose. The innocence and jubilation is kicked up a notch with rockers like “Uniform” and “Rudy” and tempered with the McCartney-like ballad “Waiting in the Rain” and the softer, piano-driven “Redberry Shangrala,” which stands out as the quietest tune of the entire endeavor.
 
There’s nothing not to like here, a claim that few other efforts can lay claim to these days. Well worth investigating, this …Machine serves a satisfying purpose.
 
Visit www.fransmithjr.com.
 
Al Stewart: A Beach Full of Shells
(Appleseed)
 
It’s somehow appropriate that Al Stewart’s most famous albums were titled Past, Present and Future and Modern Times because in listening to his latest offering, the blissfully-dubbed A Beach Full of Shells, there’s a sense that his music is indeed timeless. Anyone with a distant memory of his indelible ‘70s hit “Year of the Cat” will instantly recognize the affable vocals and the evocative story-songs that helped establish his individual imprint.
 
Indeed, it’s been well over 30 years since Stewart made his presence known on the radio waves, but you’d hardly know it from listening to this engaging effort. It’s filled with one winning melody after another, each a beguiling narrative filled with descriptive images of a time and place far removed from our own. Stewart sings in first person, portraying characters that resonate with humor and humanity. Then there are those alluring impressions so much a part of Stewart’s signature sound—“The Immelman Turn,” with its infectious choruses, “Gina in the King’s Road,” the album’s most riveting rocker, and the jaunty “Anniversary,” a pleasing coda. Curiously, Stewart also makes a nod to rock ‘n’ roll’s limited mortality via “Class of ’58,” a song which describes the perils of banking on a career that’s long past its prime. (“What are you going to do when it’s all over?/What are you going to do right now? … Will you get along somehow?”)
 
Stewart isn’t reticent about tackling that question himself, and fortunately his response—as relayed in his music—shows no sign of forced obsolescence. A Beach Full of Shells shows this venerable singer/songwriter still doing what he does best…and clearly his best is as good as ever.
 
Visit www.appleseedrec.com.
 
Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart: S&M Communion Bread
(Funzalo Records)
 
Stacey Earle just happens to be the younger sister of alt country insurgent Steve Earle, but you’d never know it from listening to the music she creates with her partner Mark Stuart. While Steve spews venom and defiance, Stacey’s happy to espouse old fashioned, down-home sentiments that reflect contentment rather than contempt, a sound that’s easy and accessible rather as opposed to angry and antagonistic.
 
The duo’s third effort in common, S&M Communion Bread, is no exception. With its bare bone production and back porch views, it’s a set of simple philosophical observations with a marked lack of pretense. Nevertheless, there are obvious truths that are celebrated in these songs, be it the unadorned, old-fashioned acapella reading of the traditional hymn, “The Old Gospel Ship” or Stuart’s heartfelt, tear-jerking homage to heroes fallen in war, “The Old Watch.” And too, there are songs of joy—the jaunty, good-natured “Up in Annie’s Room” and “Town Square” resonate with good feelings, basic truisms and compassion. This is music of reassurance—reassurance that traditional virtue is still something to be revered and that music of the heartland still has its place in our modern milieu. 
 
S&M Communion Bread doesn’t offer bold pronouncements but then it has no need to. It’s a celebration in music, conveyed by two individuals who put their hearts into their performances from first note to last.
 
Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart perform at Main Street Café, 128 N. Krome Ave., Homestead at 8pm on June 25. Tickets cost $15. For information, call 305-245-7575. For more on Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart, visit www.funzalorecords.com.

Styx, REO Speedwagon and The Outlaws Perform
for July 12 Hard Rock Live Grand Opening

South Florida’s newest and greatest entertainment venue—the 6,400-seat Hard Rock Live indoor arena—will open Tuesday, July 12 at 7:30pm with a triple play of powerhouse classic rock: Styx, REO Speedwagon and The Outlaws. Tickets for the grand-opening event are priced at $30, $45 and $60 and will are now on sale through Ticketmaster or the Hard Rock Live Box Office.
 
The rock band Styx launched its first album in 1972 and quickly soared to the top of the rock music world. Its hits “Come Sail Away” and “Lady” helped to define a generation of music, as Styx continued to release records through the ‘70s and beyond. REO Speedwagon also issued its first release in the early ‘70s, but the group didn’t hit it big until the end of 1980, with “Keep on Loving You,” as well as “Don't Let Him Go” and “Take It on the Run.” The Outlaws’ debut album in the ‘70s included the riveting lengthy guitar battle “Green Grass and High Tides,” which was the highlight of the group's live act. Singles success with “There Goes Another Love Song” and “Lady in Waiting” (the title track of their second album), was followed by regular touring.
 
The power-packed concert will debut what is expected to become the most popular entertainment arena in South Florida. Hard Rock Live is designed so that all seats are good seats, both in terms of sightlines and distance to the stage. The hall is configured with its main stage on the north end and two levels of 5,500 seats that wrap around the east, south and west walls. Depending on the stage size, as many as 900 additional seats can be set up on the floor, for a total venue capacity of 6,400.
 
“The farthest possible distance from the stage is 150 feet,” says Bernie Dillon, Senior Vice President of Entertainment for the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. “Every seat will be tremendous, and, acoustically, Hard Rock Live will be superior to anything in the market.”
 
Dillon will be responsible for booking major music and comedy acts at Hard Rock Live, and says shows there will reflect the diversity of the South Florida marketplace, with both classic and young rock, Hispanic, rhythm and blues and more. He says Hard Rock Live will fill a void in the marketplace, which offers arenas or outdoor venues with as many as 20,000 seats on the one hand, and concert halls of 2,000 to 3,000 seats on the other.
 
Doors open one hour before the show. All seats are reserved and may be purchased at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Box Office, open daily from noon to 7pm. If tickets are purchased at the casino box office, no service charge will be incurred. Tickets also are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and online at www.ticketmaster.com; charge by phone: Miami-Dade- 305-358-5885, Broward- 954-523-3309, and Palm Beach- 561-966-3309. Parking is free.
 
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is South Florida's leading entertainment destination, with an average daily payout of $5.9 million at its 130,000 sq. ft. casino that features live-action poker and the most popular gaming machines, including Monopoly, Video Poker, “Wheel of Fortune,” “Little Green Men,” and “Blazin' 777 Sevens.” The 500-room hotel offers several restaurants and lounges, a 16,000 sq. ft. grand ballroom, a full-service, European-style spa and an adjacent complex of 24 shops, 17 restaurants and 10 nightclubs in Seminole Paradise.  
 
Hard Rock Live is located at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Seminole Paradise located on State Road 7 (U.S. 441) exit Stirling and travel west (1 Seminole Way) in Hollywood. For more information, call 954-327-ROCK.