Feature article about Neal A Very Corvallis Valentine Neal Gladstone and Co. return for concerts at the Majestic Theatre By John Ginn
Neal Gladstone, to me, has always been sort of the unofficial welcoming committee for Oregon, or at least the committee for the mid-valley. When I first moved to the area in 1989, and I was getting to know my way around town, I found myself talking to someone, and in the course of that conversation she said, "And of course, Neal Gladstone is at the Majestic next week."
She was so excited that I said, "Oh really? That's great!" before realizing that I didn't have a clue what she was talking about. "You mean you haven't heard Neal Gladstone? Good heavens!" she said. The concept was new to her, and very, very strange. The concert I saw that next week was kind of a summary of my experience of Oregon to date. It was funny, fresh, relaxed and original, all of the traits that I had found in the people I'd met here. Gladstone was the band's leader, and he was clearly a star on the local music scene, but he also seemed refreshingly unimpressed with himself; he constantly pushed his band front and center to showcase their talent. The songs were clever and witty, and throughout the concert there was an easy-going interplay with the audience, many of whom knew the songs as well as the band did. One audience member was even dragged up on stage to help sing one song. The whole concert, to a newcomer like me, was one big friendly pat on the back. So, if you are new to the valley, and have never seen Neal Gladstone, all I can say is "Good heavens!" The good news is, Gladstone and Co. are playing two shows at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 13 and 14, at the Majestic Theatre. About Gladstone's music: Well, it's ... different. Gladstone loves music of all types, styles and shapes and he switches genres frequently. His strength as a songwriter, he says, is that he writes about the things other people don't think of. "I'm an ‘ordinary life' kind of guy," he said. "I write love songs like other writers, it's just that when I do it, the song tends to be about grapefruit or losing my hair." Love songs are appropriate for a Valentine's Day pair of concerts, but don't expect anything too romantic. Gladstone's love advice in song shifts toward the pragmatic. Guys, want to know the secret to pleasing women? "Sleep Neat" meaning, don't hog the bed. Gals, looking to find and catch a mate? Here's a hot tip: "Lower Your Standards." Both songs are prime examples of Gladstone's droll wit and songcraft, and never fail to rouse the audience. But for all his comic flair, Gladstone is also capable of writing a drop-dead beautiful ballad and dropping it into the playlist. It's the constant shift of styles songs and stage antics that keep Gladstone and Company's concerts so fresh and engaging. Born in Stillwater, Okla., Gladstone grew up in a musical household. He learned the piano, studied the violin and performed with his high school symphony. After high school, he formed a rock trio, wrote his first songs, and worked his way through the University of Chicago by playing in rock bands. Moving to Oregon in 1977 with his wife, Barbara, he hit the circuit as a full-time musician in his rock cover band. He quickly grew tired of the grind, however, and tired of never having any time to write his own music. Essentially retired from performing, his list of self-penned songs grew but languished on the confines of his tape recorder. Encouraged by Audrey Perkins, who sings with the band, he began circulating songs and performing again as a side venture. Slowly, the band built a reputation with their blend of music and comedy, and in 1987, Neal Gladstone and Friends wrote and produced a 13-week original music and comedy radio show on Oregon Public Broadcasting. Four series were eventually produced. Though the band now plays only four or five gigs a year now, their popularity remains high. Everyone in the band has a day job, and free time is hard to come by, so the performances are almost entirely for the fun of it. For the upcoming concerts, Gladstone regulars can expect to see the return of the choral Ginseng and Tonic Singers, Gladstone in velvet smoking jacket explaining the trick to sleeping neat, a new song Gladstone wrote following the recent death of a friend and two new songs: Perkins will debut a new blues song while Gladstone will share a special love song, written long ago at the tender age of 16. "It's the first song I ever wrote. I think it will be — interesting, to bring it out after all these years," he said. If this will be your first Gladstone concert, you might be perplexed at the periodic barking and howling from some audience members. Relax, sit back, everything will most likely be explained before the evening is over. Oh, and welcome to Oregon. Proceeds from the two concerts will benefit the Old Mill Center, an agency providing services to children and families in crisis as well as children with mild to moderate disabilities. The concerts typically sell out quickly, so advance purchase of tickets is recommended. Tickets are $15 and are available at Gracewinds Music or by phone from ValleyTix, 758-9393. John Ginn covers arts and entertainment for the Corvallis Gazette-Times and Albany Democrat-Herald. He can be reached at 758-9522 or john.ginn@lee.net.
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