The Mad Cat Live! Band returned to the stage Friday for its third live performance of a classic album. This time, it was their spin on Neil Young’s “On the Beach.” Founder Paul Tei and company Mad Cat produced its first concert last summer with Paul and Linda McCartney’s album, “Ram,” followed last December with Harry Nilsson’s “The Point.”
Musicians for this installment were Jim Camacho (co-founder of the band The Goods), Nabedi Osorio (drummer known for her work with The State Of), Darren Bruck (of The Mystery Tones), Matt Corey and Erik Fabregat, company members of Mad Cat, and musical direction by Tei.
The show began as a silent Neil Young, played by Tei, took a seat in a beach chair under an umbrella towards the back of the stage. The sset mimicked the album cover of “On the Beach.” It gave the illusion, like the album, of a lonely man on a beach meant for a family vacation.
Mad Cat Live Ensemble for "On The Beach."
Young (Tei), from his position on high, drank beer and watched over the band as they launched into three hits, which are forever Young staples, but not actually part of the track list of "On the Beach." The band played the title track from Young’s 1992 album “Harvest Moon.”They recreated the feel of the song with authenticity, right down to the background broom sound, which was accomplished by Corey sweeping the stage with a straw broom. This was followed by “Old Man” from the 1972 album “Harvest,” sung by Camacho in his best Neil Young voice. Behind the performers, a large screen showed a montage of still photographs documenting Young throughout the years.
The screen then went blue and Neil finally spoke. Tei as Young read the linear notes for “On the Beach” and then walked off stage as the band embarked on a journey – an experience which would play into the songwriter's 1970s psyche.
Having rearranged the track listing, the theatrical approach dug deep into Young's mindset, starting with the title song of the 1974 album. Listening to the lyrics, such as “The world is turning. I hope it don’t turn away" articulated the disillusionment that Young obviously felt with the recording industry and the country at large during the making of the record.
“Revolution Blues” came next with images of Charles Manson displayed behind the band expressing the madness that became of the 1960s dream. The song captured the spirit of a man wrestling with himself, not sure of how to proceed after the values of the '60s had been corrupted. On stage, the images of Manson and his followers flashed quickly asa guitar solo ended the song.
Paul Tei.
The band played through the rest of the album, creating a listening experience, switching instruments and lead vocals, as the songs required. Camacho, Bruck, and Fabregat shared the majority of the vocals, with each bringing their own interpretation to Young’s anthems. But the stand out vocal performance of the night was Osorio, who came out from behind the drums to sing “Ambulance Blues,” the final cut on the album.
Her voice perfectly brought out the haunting sadness required for the song. Rolling Stone mentions as one of Young's "greatest lyrical achievements," where, the magazine said, the epic took on Richard Nixon ("I never knew a man could tell so many lies") to his bandmates in Crosby, Stills and Nash," who he says are all "just pissing in the wind."
For a concert featuring such a bleak album,the atmosphere of the show was almost jovial. Tei cracked jokes and offered to sell the decorative plants on stage for five bucks after the show.
While the sparsely populated seats inside the large Miami Theater Center didn't do justice to the talent of the musicians, it did add something to the sincerity of the players and intimacy of the performances.
Mad Cat’s understated theatricality suited the album well, as it allowed the music to be the focal point. The exceptions were the interludes between songs that included 1970s commercials for Serta, Del Monte, Dodge, and the theme for Scooby Doo. These short videos felt intrusive and out of place.
The musicianship here, however, was the key and Mad Cat successfully brought to life Neil Young’s classic album in a unique approach that provided a night of escape and a trip back in time.
"On The Beach" was performed at the Miami Theater Center, 9806 N.E. 2nd Ave., Miami Shores, on Friday, Aug. 12 through Sunday, Aug. 14. For information about the company, go to www.madcattheater.org.
