I can remember gazing upon the cover of Blondie’s 1978 album “Parallel Lines,” like it was yesterday, as they say. In reality, I was in the latter years of my first decade of life and couldn’t get enough of the black-and-white vertical stripes and slick looking band, fronted by a pretty woman in a white dress and two-toned hair. At the time, I did not realize the album represented the moment the band catapulted out of the New York City 1970s punk rock scene, or that Deborah Harry was on her way to becoming a punk icon.
All I know is it takes only a few notes of “Heart of Glass” and I’m back to my living room, circa 1978-80, watching that LP spin around the turntable.
I suspect there will be quite a few people like me, as well as those who are older and far younger, who will come out to see Blondie when the band swings through our area. For the past month or so, three of its original members — Harry, Chris Stein and Clem Burke — have been on tour with Devo, hitting venues across the country. On Sunday, it will just be Blondie, with three new members) that takes the stage at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y.
As Burke noted in an interview recently:
We had good songs and a good image, but it is the music that has endured.
In addition to Blondie, there will be several other musical acts performing across the area. Celebrated cabaret singer Marilyn Maye will be in Stamford on Friday. It is the same evening of the LAMP Festival with Mates of State in New Haven and Mary Wilson‘s appearance at Sacred Heart University’s Edgerton Center. Bill Payne of Little Feat will be in Fairfield. Heart will be at Foxwoods. Get the Led Out: The American Led Zeppelin is coming to Ridgefield, which is where Todd Rundgren will be on Tuesday. Morrissey is at Waterbury’s Palace Theater and the Parris Island Marine Corps Band will be at the Klein Memorial. The Bijou Theatre in Bridgeport also has a packed lineup. Rush will be in Bridgeport next week.
Classical fans can check out the Chamber Players of the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra in New Haven and Shelton, the Stamford Symphony and Music on the Hill Chamber Chorus will be in Westport. You can catch a mariachi band in Norwalk, too.
There are several stage productions that hope to make their mark this weekend, too, including a musical comedy spoof of Agatha Christie whodunits, “Something’s Afoot” at the Goodspeed Opera House, “The Little Dog Laughed” in New Haven, “Jersey Boys” in New Haven, and “Glengarry Glen Ross” in Fairfield.
Those with a rich appetite, musical and otherwise, are encouraged to come and enjoy the Food and Wine Festival in Greenwich. There will be a beer tasting in Mystic and a BrewFest in Uncasville.
Chazz Palminteri is coming to Ridgefield with a film and some answers, while the classic “Lawrence of Arabia,” will be screened at a number of theaters in the area.
Animals will be celebrated at PAWS in the Park. Arts will be celebrated at the Bruce Museum’s Outdoor Arts Festival. Cars will be celebrated at the New Fairfield Lions’ car show. Play will be celebrated in Norwalk. And art will be celebrated with openings throughout the weekend. There’s the Affordable Art Exhibition in Danbury and “Geometrics in Space” in Stamford.
You have no excuse to say there’s nothing to do this weekend. Your real problem will be cramming it all in.
Good luck. Until next time …
