For Richard Wayne Penniman, it was his Davies Hall debut tonight.  For the
home of the San Francisco Symphony, it was the first time in its 20-year
history (already? good grief, the opening seems only yesterday...:(that
the pianist mounted the piano. Oh sure, we had Cowell and Cage pieces,
and pianists *inside* the instrument, but until tonight, nobody climbed up
on top. Even at the closing concert of the Summer in the City Pops Series,
that was somewhat of a novelty.

More significantly, while a capacity audience went bonkers, what R. W.
Penniman said while standing on the piano was this: "I am the beautiful
little bitch from Macon, Georgia. Shut up!"

It was "shut up!" this and "shut up!" that all evening long, clearly a
term of endearment because the audience didn't seem to have enough of it.
I wasn't particularly thrilled by that or any of Little Richard's other
funky, groovy shticks, but oh my!  how I loved the music, especially when
the band took off on its own.  It is a spectacular, virtuoso band, and it's
a shame that the names are not printed in the program -- although Richard
did acknowledge them repeatedly.  The first drummer, lead guitarist, and
all the brass are exciting, remarkable musicians.

By and large, I missed Richard in the 'Fifties and 'Sixties, vaguely
aware of "Tutti Frutti," "Lucille," "Keep A-Nockin'" and the others, not
really responding until the 1985 film "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" and,
with it, "Great Gosh A Mighty." Of the Richard of today ("I'll be 68 this
year!"), behind all the cutesy, routine business, there is still a unique,
commanding musician.  At best, the concert got a couple of thousand people
visit Davies for the first time; at worst, there will be some dents on the
piano cover when Louis Lortie plays the Mozart C Major concerto as the
regular Symphony season ("Fall in the City"?) returns.

If you're a Little Richard fan, your best bet is Caesar's Palace, Aug.
8-13...  with Chuck Berry!  In tonight's only understatement, Richard
predicted that "Johnny will be good" when we are in Las Vegas."

[log in to unmask], SF
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