There is only one woman musician who was bestowed the honor of being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Country Music Hall of Fame. That artist is Brenda Lee. Some call her to as Little Miss Dynamite referring to 4 foot 9 inch stature. She enjoyed a five day stay at the Seneca Allegany casino where we took in this living legend.
A few days short of 68 years young, Lee and her band dished out Lee’s original songs and holiday classics with the joy that they were meant to be played. Lee didn’t take her audience lightly, in fact, she sat and talked about how it was a real honor for her to still be playing in front of people who pay their hard earned money to see her. She will always appreciate her fans and did so by appearing after the show to pose for photos and sign autographs.
Lee’s voice sounded strong and her band, consisting of David Ewing on keyboards, Bart Pike on bass, Mike Seavers on guitar, Mitch Riley on sax & flute, Vicky Carico and Sheila Lawrence on backup vocals and Mitch McElwain on drums, made a perfect complement to her show. Lee also dished out some comedy and kept the audience entertained throughout the entire show.
Being a Christmas show, many were there to see Lee sing and partake in the holiday spirit. Her stage setup included a Christmas tree and red and green lights were scattered about as she sang a slew of seasonal hits. Perhaps the biggest Christmas song of all time “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” was saved for the encore, she joked with the audience earlier saying she was thinking about not playing it. Then said “I have to play it, that’s my baby!”
Lee’s personality and intimacy kept the audience attentive throughout. She shared stories of a letter she received from a gentleman before the show that she met in 1965 when she was having dinner with Connie Francis. She invited him and others (including two fans named after her) on stage to sing parts of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” She also shared the love of one fan named Les, who has traveled the world to see her perform. He came to the show and was introduced to the rest of the audience. She also shared the joy of her 10 year old grandson who accompanied her on “Rockin’ Around the Christmas.”
Lee shared the story of how she really enjoyed performing for her audience. Many artists could learn from the professionalism and respect Lee displays for her fans!
Set List:
Bring Me Sunshine
Sweet Nothings
Dum Dum
Break it to Me Gently, Fool Number One, As Usual, All Alone am I (medley)
Jambalaya
Personality (Lloyd Price cover)
Sleighbell Ride, Its Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, Happy Holidays (medley)
Joy to the World
Let it Snow
Jingle Bells
Walking in a Winter Wonderland
Little Drummer Boy
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
This Little Light
Encore:
I’m Sorry
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
We would like to thank Tony Astran from the Seneca Allegany Casino for allowing BackstageAxxess to review the show.
