Young, set up behind a double row of keys on the main stage in the center of Front Street, offered an impressive hour and a half set of traditional and new country tunes, backed by "Charlie," his pet name for the synthesizer support system he uses.
Now, I'm no fan of robotic music. I've always been of the opinion "partial-live" is an oxymoron. Either it is, and if it isn't then it ain't.
Young may have changed my mind.
True, The Big Tiny Young Show is backed by canned brass, strings and bass, and keeps the beat with a “drumulator”, however, Young himself is a very live show with a wealth of something no machine, no matter how well the Japanese make it, can reproduce... Charisma.
I happened onto Young just as he was starting out with the " Auctioneer Song" by Leroy Van Dyke. Incorporating the crowd into his act, he tried to auction off a spectator's hat, another's car and then the spectator.
Silly? Perhaps, but it works. Young was able to involve the people he was playing for, a rare talent and one not often seen or at least put to use.
Young played a mean row of keys and has a rich, robust voice comparable to that of Elvis Presley. However, it was his personality which seemed draw the crowd Saturday, and more importantly, keep them there.
Young's renditions of Allan Jackson tunes such as "Don't Rock The Juke Box" and, "Here In The Real World" were first-rate, as was "The Orange Blossom Special," which he doubled for on harmonica, and, on request, he cut a pretty fair copy of the Billy Ray Cyrus hit, " Achy Breaky Heart." Yet it was Young's puns the crowd seemed to enjoy most.
One man was overheard to say, "This guys a riot."
Perhaps not a riot, but at the very least a demonstration of the power of a positive stage presence. Tiny Young was able to reach out from beyond the stage, over the music, tap people on the shoulder and coax them in.
|
|
He had an air about him, which announced, "I'm here to have a good time and so are you," and the end result was, everyone did.
Involved in music since 1968, Young moved to Godeffroy in 1987 from Grand Rapids, Mich. where he fronted a number of regional groups and has been out on the solo road since 1974.
Predominately country, he has opened for such acts as Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash, Ernest Tubb and Micky Gilly. Currently, Young has a demo of original material making the rounds of Nashville hoping to get a recording contract.
Locally, The Big Tiny Young Show will appear on Monday nights at the Rocking Horse Ranch in Milford beginning June 20, and every Friday night at the Fireside Inn in Honesdale.
Aside from artists already mentioned, Young covers hits by Garth Brooks, Conway Twitty, Charlie Pride, Hank Williams Sr., Merle Haggard and Hank Snow.
They include: Midnite Image, The Tri-State Community Chorus, Side F/X, Sessions Jazz Trio, Knight Wind, Frilly Lizard Band, Johann the Juggler, Lucky the Hobo, The Broome Street Traveling All-star Band, Stanley Cohen, The Toni Spradling Dance Company, Harmony in Motion, Dan Bradley's Big Band, Midnite Slim, The
Strange, Rosemary's School of Dance, Tri-State Dance, Dave Gordon, mimes Skip and Caroline, Caroline Westfall, Jerry O'Toole, The Boilermaker Country Band, Peter and Paul without Mary, 61 North, The Delaware Band, The Carl Richards Band, The Honky-tonk Stompers, Steve Moglia, Bob Grawi's Gravicord Ensemble, members of the International Performing Arts Festival, cast of the Orange County Shakespeare Festival and scores of non-performing volunteers who worked hard to pull it all together.
Take a bow.
|
Home
