Orpheum Theatre (Los Angeles, CA)
Was (Not Was) is one of the most unique groups of the past two decades. Not really soul, not really rock, they came up with their own lyrically bizarre, usually humorous, brand of dance music that gained a small but fanatical following and some across-the-board success. The group will be joined on the Orpheum stage by music legends Brian Wilson and Kris Kristofferson.
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The last date listed for Was (Not Was) Featuring Brian Wilson & Kris Kristofferson was Thursday February 14, 2008 / 8:00pm. (view all dates)
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This was a wonderful Valentine date. Thank you for this easy and affordable way to enjoy events. Great venue and Was Was Not , Was good! Not bad. LOL looking forward to their new album. Oh wait the opening act Jill was a delight. Hope to see her more in the future. Thanks Mary
the seats were too far to one side of the auditorium.
However, i thought the show was great.
really a great show with a LOT of energy and funk...first time in many years that the entire band was together and they were having an excellent time. Kristofferson and Wilson were a real treat. Kris came out and laid low on some of his most famous compositions while Brian got the house out of their seats and it made for a wonderful show in a fantastic old theatre...worth the visit to see the theatre alone.
When planning began in 1923 for the Orpheum Theatre as the fourth and final house operated by the Orpheum vaudeville circuit in Los Angeles, who could have foretold the memories this magnificent venue would harbor over the years.
Since its February 15, 1926 opening, the Orpheum has played host to some of the most venerable names in show business - from burlesque queen Sally Rand, a young Judy
Was (Not Was)
Was (Not Was) is an eclectic funk band that combines hard-driving soul and rock music with absurdist lyrics that revel in the flip side of modern life and love. The band's origins were in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, where David Weiss (David Was) and Donald Fagansen (Don Was) spent high school alternating between their interests of movies, comedy and dance/soul music. After college, David moved to Los Angeles while Don remained in Michigan. They wrote music together from afar and in the early '80s reunited in Detroit. They recruited local Detroit soul singer Sweet Pea Atkinson, veteran soul crooner Harry Bowens and former MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer and created Was (Not Was). Their self-titled debut album showed the group's fondness for hot dance music, but also a bizarre sense of humor. It landed three club hits, the most notable of which was "Out Come the Freaks," but didn't make a dent outside of the club circuit.
Their second album, Born to Laugh at Tornados, was the first to make noise internationally and featured a diverse group of guest vocalists, from Mel Torme to Ozzy Osbourne. The third disc, What Up Dog?, was a monster album that moved Was (Not Was) from niche act to popular smash, as two dance hits, "Spy In The House of Love" and "Walk the Dinosaur," topped the dance charts and crossed over to the pop Top 20. Their follow-up disc, 1990's Are You Okay? didn't fare as well, as only the group's remake of the Temptations' "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" hit the charts.
Increasing outside pressures caused the group to split up in the early '90s. In 1999, the greatest hits compilation Hello Dad...I'm In Jail was released and The Collection was released in 2004. The group reunited and began touring again a few years ago.
Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson is one of the greatest American composers of popular music in the rock era. He formed the Beach Boys with his two younger brothers, cousin Mike Love, and school friend Alan Jardine, and they became the most successful American rock band in history by performing his songs, which initially combined the rock urgency of Chuck Berry with the harmonies of the Four Freshmen. Wilson's musical imagination expanded during the '60s to include "Good Vibrations," a chart-topping Beach Boys single of 1966. Wilson retreated from his dominance of the Beach Boys after 1967, returning only briefly as a songwriter and producer in the mid-'70s.
Wilson issued a debut solo album in 1988, but a pop crossover proved elusive. In 1995, Wilson reunited with his mid-'60s collaborator Van Dyke Parks for Orange Crate Art. In 1998 was Imagination, which included several throwbacks to lush Beach Boys productions. Wilson began touring and released a pair of live titles: Live at the Roxy Theatre (2000) and Pet Sounds Live (2002). In 2004, he released Gettin' in Over My Head, which was overshadowed by Wilson's preparation of the legendary Beach Boys record SMiLE for its live debut and a new studio recording. Both the live and studio versions earned rapturous reviews, and Wilson then launched a full world tour of SMiLE. What I Really Want for Christmas followed in October 2005. (All Music Guide)
Kris Kristofferson
After a lengthy period of struggle, Kris Kristofferson achieved remarkable success as a country songwriter at the start of the 1970s. His songs "Me and Bobby McGee," "Help Me Make It Through the Night," "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down," and "For the Good Times," all chart-topping hits, helped redefine country songwriting, making it more personal and serious, much in the way that Bob Dylan's songs had transformed pop music songwriting in the mid-'60s. By 1987, it was estimated that Kristofferson's compositions had been recorded by more than 450 artists. His renown as a songwriter enabled him to launch a moderately successful career as a musical performer and that, in turn, brought him to the attention of Hollywood, leading to a lengthy career as a film actor.