Love, Janis – A musical inspired by the book, “Love, Janis” by Laura Joplin


Every epoch or so I’m compelled to come down from the hills and move about the city streets in an effort to enrich my life. Sometimes it’s for fancy restaurant food, sometimes for movies or books. This time I was wrastled out for a musical. I believe a musical is like a play, but it’s got a lot of music thrown in there.
Chilebrown said he had a ticket for me if I’d like to go this musical. It sounded like fun and besides, we wanted to visit Big Nates Barbecue.


I’m not exactly someone who attends such things. I do enjoy Janis’ music and lyrics, but I wouldn’t say she’s on my top 10 list of performers to see, dead or otherwise. Trying to keep an open mind, trying to keep an open mind, trying to keep an open mind.
We were to meet at Meathenge Labs at 5:30. This would give us enough time to get over there for some refreshing beverages, food and then the musical. I offered to drive, gulp. But CB drove his little green car. It’s got as much dust outside as it does inside. He says it’s a piece of shite, I kinda like it. Plus it’s about 11 feet shorter than my pickup, makes parking niiiice.
The drive over was uneventful, couldn’t find parking for beverages so we visited Big Nates first thing. Smelled good. We both had a pork rib plate with tater salad and a few beers. The meat tasted good, but wasn’t completely done. Yet the bark on the meat was black, fire too hot? We paid 9 dollars for 4 ribs and a tiny cup of salad, not quite a deal says I.
We found the parking garage and made our way to the ticket boof. CB looked down and noticed a woman had dropped her purse. It was packed too, wallet, cel phone, papers and all kinds of goodies. We dropped it off at the attendant’s office pronto and it turns out the owner was on the phone holding/waiting. Can you imagine dropping your purse in San Francisco, in a parking garage and getting it back within moments? We’re so cool. The heros move onward.
The Marines Memorial Theatre is a kinda sobering place. And it seemed odd to be housing such a musical as this. My hair is getting quite wooly, my red beard has its own mind and CB looked as though he was seeing people as tall, cool refreshing beverages that needed relieving of their bodily fluids. We hung out in the lobby for a bit. Janis was quietly peeking out from the little speakers up on the wall. There were a few folding tables housing t-shirts and books. The bar looked a little lonely with just a few available drinks and candies. I suppose it’s all about the show, right? You bet.
We were seated soon enough and it turns out this is quite a small venue and a little on the older side. Maybe 400 people? It wasn’t much, but that’s nice for me. I’m not a huge fan of new shiny things. I like my theatres full of history, love and a few blemishes. My pal Shrek would call these, “Homey Touches”. We each got these Theatre Publications booklets to let us know who was who and what was what. Print too small, light too dim, can’t read, save for later.
I did no research as to what I was about to see, typical. So, I spent the first 10 minutes figuring things out. Attempting to glean whatever I could, visually. I do have a handful of her records and I can say, I do know what she is supposed to sound like. But as far as who Janis was as a person and a personality, I have a very little idea.
Those first few minutes were tough. I’ve never been a fan of revivals or people attempting to relive an era by being someone else. it’s really tough for me to watch, makes me cringe. Go read a book or something if you want to know that badly, just leave me out of it. By the end of the first song, “Piece of My Heart” and then “Down on Me”, it was arm hair stand up noticeable that these pepole were good, really good. In fact, by the end of “Bye, Bye Baby” I could most certainly say, “Fucking Nailed It”. I got over myself and decided to sit, shutup and enjoy.
Love, Janis is a musical based completely on Janis’ own words. Letters she sent home to family, press, radio and tv interviews. Laura Jopin wrote the book which inspired this musical, both with the same name. This isn’t someone’s hayseed dream of how they thought it was, nope. This is a thoughtful, beautiful, somewhat simple muscial about a woman who died 36 years ago and her family and musical legacy she left behind.
The play is fun to watch. One Janis (Morgan Hallett), the Inner Voice I figure, comes out and reads the letters. She moves about the stage between two old comfy chairs. She talks about what it’s like hitchhiking out to SF in ’66, apprehensive about what or who she might run in to. Not sure if she’ll be accepted, wanting to fit in. This moves about time to finding Big Brother and the Holding Company, meeting all the cool people and feeling as though she makes a difference. She began to feel good about herself and her music, people wanted her around. Then, the curtain walls pull to the side and the band comes to life. The other Janis (Katrina Chester) comes up front while Inner Voice relaxes in a comfy chair. The band starts up and literally moves the audience to cheer with “Turtle Blues”. The backrop behind the stage is the living, breathing, pulsating psychodelic colors of 40 years ago. Colored spot lights spray this way and that. Joel hoekstra the band leader is a fucking badass lead guitar. In fact, I spent quite some time watching the band and their old amps and instruments. These guys spent way too much time practicing. I spent a lot of time smiling. Eric Massiminoon Bass was always bobbing his head, clearly having a good time. Chris Pimentel on the other guitar had his head band on and stood around looking way too cool. And David Rokeach with his shoulder length hair kept right up. He seemed like a nice guy who wouldn’t drink all your beers, like many drummers will.
The musical moved on pace and never slowed. The letters were touching and we got to witness a side to Janis that was completely missing 36+ years ago. Living life on the road can be tough and lonely existence, Janis was no different. She fell prey to heroin like so many others. It offers solice and a place to be when you have none. Sure it’s an evil bucktoothed solice, but solice nonetheless. As Janis always said, “Get it While You Can”.
It wasn’t long after Jimi Hendrix’s death, within the year of 1970, that Janis too passed. This moment was portrayed as the two Janii sat with each other at the end of the stage, closer to the audience. No way was there a dry eye in the audience, not even one. As the voice-over read the newspaper articles about the Janis dying alone, the Inner Voice looked upset and sad that Janis had gone this way. Her face turned away in a stiff lipped denial. But as the voice-over continued, she gave in and the two embraced each other, both coming to terms with the fact it was over. This was the final It and Janis was gone.
I suppose if I knew more about music and how plays are supposed to go, I could tell you about all the notes that were dropped, the keys Janis couldn’t reach or the ques that were missed or late, but I can’t. And the audience probably wouldn’t have cheered, applauded and gave as many peace signs as they did if it was off. Everyone in that production company deserves a standing ovation. Oh wait, they got that at the end of the show, heh. If you want something critical, here’s something. At the end, the Janii promptly ran away. POOF !!! I somewhat expected them to come out for a little bit and talk or whatever, nope. They ran away and the band went nuts (In a good way). Joel even threw his guitar pick to the audience, cool very cool.
To sum it all up, a great time was had by all. Thank you CB and thank you Love, Janis crew. And, you’re welcome crazy lady who drops purse out of car near ticket machine, you were damned lucky.


xo
ps – Both images are from my personal record collection, not ripped from the Net.

20 thoughts on “Love, Janis – A musical inspired by the book, “Love, Janis” by Laura Joplin

  1. sounds like a great show, and a great venue for it. too bad about big nate’s. i had a rather similar experience there earlier this year. shoulda warned ya.

  2. Hey Princess,
    Aw crap. I spied the interior of the smoker for a good while and the entire contents were all blackened food stuffs. Shouldn’t be burnin’ the meats, man.
    Biggles

  3. “CB looked as though he was seeing people as tall, cool refreshing beverages that needed relieving of their bodily fluids.”
    Thats a little creepy Biggles! I guess, I was looking for T.Leary or K. Kesey to buy some candy for the intermission. Chilebrown

  4. Dang, I had my hopes up for Big Nates. I thought, “Man, if Biggles is excited about it, it’s worth the drive”. Maybe I’ll make it down on Wednesday looking for BBQ.
    “He seemed like a nice guy who wouldn’t drink all your beers, like many drummers will.”
    Many drummers?! There ain’t a drummer who ain’t going to soak up all the beers in the house. If he’s a nice guy, then you won’t notice or care.

  5. Hey Brown,
    Yeah, it is a little creepy. I thought you’d enjoy a little notoriety. It’s good to keep people on their toes when about the “public”.
    Biggles

  6. Not all drummers drink all the beer in the house.
    Some drink all the rum.
    And then there is my friend Dan, who is hell on mead, but at least he is a skinny boy and is a cheap drunk, I mean, date.
    Sounds like a great night, Biggles.
    And good on y’all for rescuing the crazy purse lady.

  7. Hey Barbara,
    It was a great night and hope to do it again sometime in the future. Purse lady scored bigtime on that night, for sure.
    Biggles

  8. Hey Pragmatic,
    If by beer vampiring, booze swilling, nate’s big bbq smelling, musical attendees? Yes.
    I washed my hands a few half dozen times and was still reeking of bbq at 11:30 pm. And I felt really bad for the cute little Asian woman who spent most of the night leaning as far away as possible, from me.
    Tee hee.
    Biggles

  9. Dr B!
    Did you know that you are a featured item at uber-blog boing boing?
    http://www.boingboing.net/2006/07/31/web_zen_bbq_zen.html
    hope you likes the attention!
    cute asian woman who doesn’t like the smell of barbecue is not-such-a-cute-asian-woman in my book
    I’m getting more and more into the slow cooked meat overnight in the grill what with all the heat. wish you could have had some of the most recent pork shoulder – every scrap gnawed off the bone and then the dog ate the whole bone (which is normal for our dog).

  10. Hey Owen,
    It’s good to see you!!
    Yeah, I heard about the boingboing, but really didn’t know what it was. I took a short look and it looks like a lot of fun. But I don’t have much time for fun. And the funny thing is, it went up there just as I had NO meat posts listed. Just a musical review and a post about hair cuts. Sigh.
    I’ve got some bacon that needs reviewing, neat!
    Biggles

  11. That is so cool about “Love, Janis.” I really wanted to watch it too, especially given what I had heard and read about it. And although I like Big Nate’s, I agree that it is small portions for the food, and I like Everett and Jones better!

  12. Hey Eater,
    I think I like my que better, heh. I believe if I head over to SF, it’s going to be Memphis Minnies. Hooyah.
    I really think you should get tickets to see Love, Janis before it disapears. It’s most certainly worth the effort.
    Biggles

  13. Glad you liked it! I’m part of the ‘Love, Janis’ crew, and it was not missed by me that you mentioned the whole production team. Thanks! By the way, you nailed it; Chris is too cool, Joel and Eric are awesome, and David wouldn’t drink all your beers! We’re getting new Janii, come see us again!

  14. Hey Docker,
    Thanks for stopping by. That was a really great show, I had to say something. Even if it wasn’t about meat.
    New Janii, eh? Well, I hope it was an agreeable departure, that’s for sure. I liked them all.
    Thanks again for stopping by and give everyone a hello from us here. Take care,
    Biggles

  15. Very agreeable departure. The run was originally scheduled to end early Sep. It’s been so popular that it got extended, but some actress’ had prior commitments.
    I didn’t realize before that this blog was totally about meat.
    That’s friggin’ awesome.
    I’ll most certainly be checking back, right now I have to go eat some bacon.

  16. I saw the show at an Off Broadway theater in New York. Down around the Village. Had a small table at the stage. It was wonderful. The two women who portrayed “Janis” did a great job and their singing was like when I saw Janie at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco in 1967.
    I have been looking to find another scheduled showing somewhere but I guess the stage play as just faded away like Janis. Very sad.