Simply timeless
Bristol Riverside Theatre presents ‘Time in a Bottle’ featuring music of the ’60s and ’70s
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
The ’60s and ’70s saw some turbulent times in the United States. Loved ones were sent off to war while fights for equality raged across the country. It was an era of change and uncertainty, but through all of the confusion, one thing remained a constant beacon of light at the end of the tunnel — music.
From Creedence Clearwater Revival’s anti-Vietnam War anthem “Fortunate Son” to Glen Campbell’s simple and melodic “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” these two decades spawned endless hits that still reign relevant today.
On July 12–22, Bristol Riverside Theatre is transporting audiences to the days of bell bottoms and long hair with Time in a Bottle, the second concert in its Summer Music Fest series. The program takes a journey through classic chart-toppers of the ’60s and ’70s with songs like “Just The Way You Are,” “Let It Be” and “The Way We Were.” Artistic director Keith Baker and the BRT Concert Band are joined by BRT veterans Demetria Joyce Bailey, Philip Chaffin, Kevin Toniazzo-Naughton and Maggie Griffin-Smith, with BRT newcomer Jake Blouch.
Ahead of the concert’s opening night, The Times caught up with Bailey to learn more about what audiences can expect, her personal ties to the songs she’ll be performing, and why music from this era is still attractive to younger generations.
Bailey admitted she wasn’t around when most of this music was released, but that didn’t stop her from learning all she could. While studying vocals in college, she familiarized herself with songs like “Fortunate Son,” which helped to broadened her musical scope as she embarked on a professional career as a performer.
“I didn’t realize how great it was until I started doing shows,” she said of the music. “Those are classics. Every time you hear them, it’s like you’re hearing them for the first time.”
A self-confessed “dial switcher,” Bailey didn’t stick to one particular genre, taking in the artistry of everyone from James Brown to Frank Sinatra. Though her tastes ran the gamut, she discovered common threads among most of the era’s music, specifically the lyrical detail. In Bailey’s opinion, this is a main reason the music of these artists is still sought after today.
“They were writing in respect to where they were,” she said. “They were writing from the heart. There was nothing to look at except their surroundings.”
Home computers were hardly a reality at the time, so there was no social media or internet to distract during the creative process. Artists were simply left alone with their thoughts and emotions about love, life and war, something that gave their penned works a timeless quality.
With a setlist chock-full of these tracks, Bailey stressed that Time in a Bottle is a family-friendly affair geared toward all ages. This was the case last summer for BRT’s Rosemary Clooney & Friends, during which Bailey saw a number of children and young adults enjoying before-their-time songs such as “Mambo Italiano.” For Bailey, this is one of the biggest perks of the job — inspiring adolescents with songs that influenced her so long ago.
So what can audiences look forward to during Time in a Bottle? Without giving too much away, Bailey named a handful of songs in the setlist. Featured performances are slated to include “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” and, of course, the show’s namesake “Time in a Bottle,” a 1973 love song by Jim Croce. Concert-goers can also anticipate a few high-energy numbers such as “Respect” by Aretha Franklin, as well as a little taste of disco with “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor.
“Keith (Baker) knows his audience so well,” Bailey said. “They walk in expecting a good time and they’re going to get it.”
BRT’s Summer Music Fest closes on Aug. 9–19 with a trip to the Great White Way, BRT style. Broadway Summer Spectacular features an evening packed with Broadway hits from composers like Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jerry Herman and Leonard Bernstein.
Performances for Time in a Bottle are Thursday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, July 13 and 20 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, July 14 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, July 15 and 22 at 3 p.m.; Wednesday July 18 and Thursday, July 19 at 2 p.m.; and Saturday, July 21 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets starting at $30 are available by visiting brtstage.org or calling the box office at 215–785–0100. Bristol Riverside Theatre is located at 120 Radcliffe St. in Bristol.••
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
