An Evening at The Social Club
It’s 7 am and a mere 24 degrees C. A week ago today, at the same time, it was 32º. The difference is so wonderfully dry, and the air feels downright balmy.
Loads of stuff going on this week, with Halloween happenings – parties, concerts, and costume contests scattered around town, some with enormous cash prizes, at the end of it.
This week also celebrates the return of Patrice, my baby sister, for the next six weeks or so. Lots to do to get ready for that sweet reunion! She has an early flight from Calgary, landing here at noon on Tuesday; we have a full schedule starting at Coco Cabaret that evening if she can keep her eyes open.
It has been said a million times, ”The talent in Vallarta is (pick one or five): amazing; prolific; great; over-the-top; too much for such a small city; diverse. And so on and so forth.
And we have a number of venues that range from rural to humble and makeshift to first-world Las Vegas showrooms. And some venues cannot be pigeon-holed because they are the square peg. I have written about the Social Club before, but not like this.
First, I am so grateful I was there last Saturday to witness one of the finest concerts held in this city. Ever. I did a quick headcount and came up with 30ish. The main bar, The Red Room, was sold out and packed. It doesn’t take much, granted, the space is tiny. What went on in there for two hours was groundbreaking on a whole lot of levels, and, lucky for all you readers out there, this show will be back next Saturday at 7. And the Saturday after that. And so on, winning friends and adding to the Social Club’s stellar reputation (can a Speakeasy have a stellar reputation?) and repertoire.
The ever-brilliant JT Horenstein created, wrote, and directed ”The Nina Simone Experience,” starring Shannon Maracle, who was elegant in a floor-length backless evening gown for the first half of the concert; her hair brushed out into a pulsing halo that took on a life of its own. Her voice is low and husky with a mid-range remarkably similar to Ms Simone’s. Shannon is as dramatic as Nina, taking up a lot of space while moving through the room, ceding just a touch without missing a beat to let the scurrying waiters squeeze past her to get to the bar for refills.
The band, with Mairead, an unlikely-looking, lovely young woman and kick-ass percussionist and upright bass player, Dante, with a space-age-looking instrument that lent itself well to a violin’s bow, creating some unearthly trembles.
Behind the light and sound board was magicman Tirso Garcia of Colectivo Hueco.
Herding together all this talent is Musical Director, David Maiocco, one of the finest virtuoso pianists anywhere, and now in Vallarta! What a pleasure to hug this man close and listen to his perfection.