“Close to You: The Music of the Carpenters" at the Orpheum Theatre -- March 29.
Saturday, March 29, 7:30 p.m.
Orpheum Theatre, 57 South Kellogg Street, Galesburg IL
A tribute to one of the greatest vocalists of all time, singer/playwright Lisa Rock's Close to You: The Music of the Carpenters enjoys a March 29 performance at Galesburg's Orpheum Theatre, with Rock and her six-piece band showcasing some of the most memorable and beloved songs of the '70s, among them "We’ve Only Just Begun," "Rainy Days and Mondays," and of course, "Close to You."
Lisa Rock has been performing to sold-out crowds for years. She has written more than 25 original concerts and cabarets that have been seen across the country, including Close to You: The Music of the Carpenters and A Carpenters’ Christmas. Now, she has arranged a six-piece band, and together they are dedicated to creating a Carpenters’ experience like no other. Rock’s amazing four octave range allows her to sing the hits such as “We’ve Only Just Begun” and “Close to You” in their original keys, keeping the songs genuine and more recognizable for the audience. “When she hits the lower range of her marvelous voice,” notes critic Alan Bresloff, “if you close your eyes, you can see Karen Carpenter’s face.”
Since starting the Close to You show 15 years ago, the band has been seen by more than 250,000 people in 41 states, and they have played more than 400 shows together. The musicians continue to give back to each local community through donations to local food banks and pantries and have proudly donated in excess of 150,000 meals. Rock is also the proud owner of Lisa Rock Entertainment (LisaRockEntertainment.com), booking and managing hers and four other national touring bands.
Composed of siblings Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (born 1946), The Carpenters produced a distinctive soft musical style, combining Karen's contralto vocals with Richard's harmonizing, arranging, and composition. During their 14-year career, the Carpenters recorded 10 albums along with many singles and several television specials. The siblings were born in New Haven, Connecticut, but moved to Downey, California, in 1963. Richard took piano lessons as a child, progressing to California State University, Long Beach, while Karen learned the drums. They first performed together as a duo in 1965 and formed the jazz-oriented Richard Carpenter Trio along with Wesley Jacobs, then formed the middle-of-the-road band Spectrum.
Subsequently, the two signed as Carpenters to A&M Records in 1969; they achieved major success the following year with the hit singles "(They Long to Be) Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun." The duo's brand of melodic pop produced a record-breaking run of hit recordings on the American Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts, and they became leading sellers in the soft rock, easy listening, and adult contemporary music genres. They had three number-one singles and five number-two singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and 15 number-one hits on the Adult Contemporary chart, in addition to 12 top-10 singles. Their music continues to attract critical acclaim and commercial success, and to date, The Carpenters have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making them among of the best-selling music artists of all time.
Close to You: The Music of the Carpenters will be performed at the Orpheum Theatre on March 29, admission to the 7:30 p.m. concert event is $35, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)342-2299.
