Diane is a big fan of A Prairie Home Companion and Garrison Keillor so when we found out “The Summer Love Tour” of A Prairie Home Companion was performing at Artpark in Lewiston, NY (home of Hibbard’s frozen custard), I bought tickets. If you’re a fan of Garrison Keillor, you probably know that after his heart attack, he’s announced his retirement. I’m guessing this will be the final performance of Keillor in A Prairie Home Companion that will ever be seen in Western New York. And, a fine performance it was! Garrison Keillor, The Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band, sound-effects man Mr. Fred Newman, and singer Heather Masse entertained a sold-out theater for almost three hours. My favorite moments were when Keillor and Masse sang “Unchained Melody,” “All You Have to Do Is Dream,” and Dylan’s “If Not For You.” If The Summer Love Tour is appearing in your neighborhood, I highly recommend it.
For those who don’t know it, Lewiston is just a lovely little village right across the Niagara River from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, home of the Shaw Festival. And yes, Hibbard’s has terrific custard, well worth a visit (or two).
Believe it or not, Jeff, we skipped the Hibbard’s frozen custard last night after the Keillor concert. Traffic was bumper-to-bumper and we just wanted to get out congestion and get home.
No custard? I won’t tell Jackie; she’d be so disappointed.
Diane and I visit Lewiston on a regular basis, Jeff. And a stop at Hibbard’s for frozen custard is usually part of our plans. But trying to get to Hibbard’s in heavy traffic would have been tough.
I like Keillor as a narrator, enjoyed his poetry-reading segment on public radio and love his Lake Woebegone segments, but much of the rest of the show is a little, maybe a lot, too folksy-country-bluegrassy for me. Still I used to listen on the radio in the early years. I have read two or three of his LW books and have all the CDs.
Like you, I’m not a big fan of folksy-country-bluegrassy music, Rick. A little goes a long way. But, fortunately, Keillor and Masse kept those songs to a minimum and sang some classics like “Unchained Melody” and “All I Have To Do is Dream.” I haven’t heard Dylan’s “If Not For You” in a couple of decades…and it sounded great in the Keillor and Masse’s duet.
I always enjoyed Tom Bodet on the show.
I really like Tom Bodet, too, Rick!
I hate Motel 6 but I like his commercials.
When I think of MOTEL 6 I think of bedbugs, Jeff. But, like you, I enjoy Bodet’s commercials.
I always feel like I have been transported back in time when I hear his voice. I think you had to be brought up on this sort of entertainment and I was brought up on Broadway tunes and Big Band so it is pretty exotic to me. Which is not a bad thing really.
Bodet and Keillor both seem like a throw-backs to a Better Time, Patti.
Well, both are better-behaved than such progenitors as Arthur Godfrey, though Keillor apparently can get close to that.
Tom Bodett had his own Alaska-based version of PHC on ABC radio for a few seasons in the latest 80s (iirc), THE END OF THE ROAD.
WHADDYA KNOW splits the difference between WAIT, WAIT and these kinds of shows…
I’m guessing when Keillor retires, A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION will fold up its tent, Todd. It’s hard to imagine a replacement.