Concert Review ~ Jim Gaffigan at the Peabody Opera House in St. Louis (August 2, 2015)
****

On a hot Sunday evening in downtown St. Louis, comedian Jim Gaffigan played two shows on his Contagious tour at the beautifully renovated Peabody Opera House, which is located next to the Scottrade Center (located on the site of the old Kiel Auditorium, which was part of the facility that included the Opera House, which opened in 1934), and near the historic Union Station. We attended the second show at 8:00 pm, which was played to a packed house of all ages in the 3,500 seat venue.

Opener Ted Alexandro opened with a 15 minute funny set and Gaffigan performed for about 65 minutes. Known for jokes about himself and his five kids, his being fat and his love of food,   Gaffigan gave us all of that and more in a performance of mostly all new material. I sat in my seat with a big smile on my face the entire evening.

A few of the jokes I remember were:

• Guys with pick-up trucks who never seem to be picking up anything.
• He’s not a man’s man because he doesn’t know anything about cars or how to fix anything.
• His hometown in Indiana in the winter resembles Siberia.
• How he uses a belt to make himself look less fat, kinda like Santa.
• “Fatting out” of clothes and keeping all of them in your closet.
• Speaking in English, like Jesus did.
• Jesus’ miraculous multiplying of the bread, though at times he created unpopular flavors like pumpernickel.
• Binge watching television programs.
• And some new jokes about Hot Pockets.

Gaffigan is sometimes referred to as the “clean comedian”. He is funny without resorting to adult language, a rarity today. Check out his new television show on the TV Land network, The Jim Gaffigan Show.

 

Brother by NEEDTOBREATHE

This week’s song of the week is from one of my favorite bands NEEDTOBREATHE. “Brother” was originally included on their excellent 2014 album Rivers in the Wasteland. This version features guest Gavin Degraw.

Ramblers in the wilderness we can’t find what we need
Get a little restless from the searching
Get a little worn down in between
Like a bull chasing the matador is the man left to his own schemes
Everybody needs someone beside em’ shining like a lighthouse from the sea

Brother let me be your shelter
I’ll never leave you all alone
I can be the one you call
When you’re low
Brother let me be your fortress
When the night winds are driving on
Be the one to light the way
Bring you home

Face down in the desert now there’s a cage locked around my heart
I found a way to drop the keys where my failures were
Now my hands can’t reach that far
I ain’t made for a rivalry I could never take the world alone
I know that in my weakness I am strong, but
It’s your love that brings me home

Brother let me be your shelter
I’ll never leave you all alone
I can be the one you call
When you’re low
Brother let me be your fortress
When the night winds are driving on
Be the one to light the way
Bring you home

And when you call and need me near
Sayin’ where’d you go?
Brother I’m right here
And on those days when the sky begins to fall
You’re the blood of my blood
We can get through it all

Brother let me be your shelter
I’ll never leave you all alone
I can be the one you call
When you’re feelin’ low
Brother let me be your fortress
When the night winds are driving on
Be the one to light the way
Bring you home

Brother let me be your shelter
I’ll never leave you all alone
I can be the one you call
When you’re low
Brother let me be your fortress
When the night winds are driving on
Be the one to light the way
Bring you home
Be the one to light the way
Bring you home

Sweet Victory. Trip Lee has released a new video for his song “Sweet Victory” from his Rise album.

• This is Not a Test. Toby Mac performed the title song from his forthcoming (August 7) album at Alive 2015.
• Angel of Harlem. Jimmy Fallon and the Roots Join U2 on stage at Madison Square Garden on July 22.
• Shed a Little Light. On July 29 at his Columbia, South Carolina concert, James Taylor was joined onstage by the Charleston choir Lowcountry Voices. Together, they sang “Shed a Little Light” in memory of the victims of the Charleston shooting and their families. The entire audience stood in support. Watch this moving video.
• Lip-Sync Battle. Did you see Tom Cruise and Jimmy Fallon in this epic lip sync battle recently on The Tonight Show?