Brain Chemistry For Lovers - the Oregonian Review

A couple of weeks ago, Darrell Grant and I took Brain Chemistry For Lovers to Wilf’s for a preview show. We were joined for the first time by the “Brain Chemistry Band” - the professors of jazz - Kevin Deitz on bass, Gary Hobbs on drums, and Mike Horsfall on vibes. Also appearing for the first time was the video part of the show created by filmmaker Jim Blashfield. In it, our imaginary lovers, Alice and Bob, come to life, and our “science guy” (and real life science advisor for the script), Dr. Larry Sherman, converses with us through the miracle of modern technology about the science of Romantic Love.

I was insanely nervous. Darrell and I had been “workshopping” the show for a little over a year at Wilf’s - reading from the latest version of the script - trying out new songs or a new order of existing songs. We felt like this was the perfect setting to try out the video, launch the band, and to make an attempt at doing the show from memory. Before we knew it, our little home turf “preview” (read rehearsal in front of live audience) had morphed into a performance in front of OPB’s Art Beat crew, VH1 (who had come to town to videotape an interview with John and I about NU SHOOZ for a show to air March 09), and Marty Hughley from the Oregonian.

But it turned out all my nervousness was about nothing. Just making it through the script  took all my attention, the band sounded great, and even the problems with video timing turned out to be humorous! The audience was attentive and very forgiving - we had a lot of wonderful support from those who had been with us from the beginning when the show was little more than an outline in our minds.

So thanks to those who came to see us, to Wilf’s for hosting, and especially to Jim Blashfield, Larry Sherman, John Smith, and our tech crew, Dave Caldwell and Luke Norby for making it all go.

And Marty liked it too! Here’s the link to his review.

And for those of you who missed this performance, we will be doing one more “preview” before “the really big shew” in February where we perform with the Brain Chemistry Band AND the Portland Chamber Orchestra at the Liberty Theater in Astoria and the Newmark Theater in Portland (as a part of the Brain Awareness Lecture Series). We’ll be at Wilf’s on a Saturday night - January 10th. See you then!