POP QUIZ: Who wrote the theme to the TV show “Welcome Back Kotter”?
BONUS QUESTION: Who wrote the Care Bears Theme?
DOUBLE-TRIPLE BONUS ROUND: Who may or may not have had some sort of “encounter” on a school bus with Dianna Ross while opening on the road for the Supremes?
Pour yourself a giant goblet of First Crush Wine (from Harwich) because this is not a trivia quiz. This is simply to illustrate that NOTHING is off limits when it comes to story-telling at a Kami Lyle Sit-A-While. Now in their fourth year, the Sit-A-Whiles have introduced audiences to a combination of local, regional, national and internationally renowned and respected musicians, singers and songwriters.
Past guests and performers include: Paula Cole, Mark Erelli, Bonnie Hayes, Jon Pousette-Dart, Gretchen Peters, Cosy Sheridan, Peter Mulvey, Catie Curtis and Dana Cooper, just to name a few. It’s O.K. if you don’t recognize all the names. In fact, it’s almost more fun if you DON’T know every performer on a given night. Why? Because by the time intermission rolls around, you will feel like you were seated at a picnic next to a new neighbor! You will be wrapped up in their stories and their music in no time!
This past weekend, a sold-out crowd got to spend an evening with John Sebastian (founder and lead singer of the band Lovin’ Spoonful), Joey Spampinato (NRBQ and more recently The Spampinato Brothers) and, of course, Kami Lyle, the singer/songwriter also known as Mrs. Joey Spampinato. We also had the treat of seeing Johnny Spampinato (Joey’s equally talented brother) perform with the group along with Tad Price, Jay Cournoyer on drums and Kami’s talented nephew Charlie Lincoln.
I came to the show with the instructions to write a review, but since I am not much of a “reviewer”, I will try to make sense out of the notes I scribbled on both sides of my hand. (This might take a moment).
First of all, John Sebastian does not like the term “folk-rock”. The song “Young Girl” wait… No… “Do You Believe In Magic” was inspired by the riffs in the song “Heatwave” by Martha and the Vandellas.
John wrote the iconic instrumental “Lonely (Amy’s Theme)” for Francis Ford Coppola’s movie “You’re A Big Boy Now.” He also wrote the theme to “Welcome Back Kotter.” John met Joey Spampinato back in 1975. (Side note: both John Sebastian and NRBQ have credits on the Care Bears Movie Original Soundtrack Album.) Their stories were both fun and mostly historically accurate.
Throughout the night, each performer gets a turn to chat a bit and sing while the entire night is guided along by the talented and playful hostess Kami Lyle. Kami does double duty as hostess as well as performer. As the hostess for the night, I would compare her to any great late-night comedian, except that she can also play trumpet (take that Jimmys). Kami is truly beautiful inside and out. She is smart and quick-witted and eager to jump from keyboard to trumpet to lead singer to hostess without hesitation. The whole night becomes a round-about that is all at once intimate, whimsical and stripped down (there is a full band to support the performers, but many of the songs were friendlier versions of their highly polished studio performances).
At intermission and again after the show, John Sebastian headed to the lobby to meet the audience, take pictures and sign CDs. As you watch someone with this many stories – and more popular songs in his arsenal than Adele — take the time to listen to the stories from fan after fan, you wonder how you got so lucky to be in a room with him. You got lucky because Cape Cod has incredibly talented people like Kami and Joey and the producer of the Sit-A-Whiles, Ruth Condon.
There is another Sit-A-While that was originally scheduled for the end of February. It has been bumped up to February 19th and you should buy your tickets RIGHT NOW – if there are any left. Why? Because Steve Earle will be standing in front of a fake fireplace at the Cotuit Center for the arts along with musician Connor Kennedy. Joey Spampinato also will share the stage with Kami (As Kami put it, she is sleeping with the bass player).
Steve Earle has 16 studio albums and half dozen live albums in his catalogue and three Grammy Awards on his shelf. He has written songs recorded by the best of the best including: Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, Travis Tritt, The Pretenders, Joan Baez. He is an author and actor and someone you have got to meet! I am not as familiar with Connor Kennedy, but he has a voice that at times sounds like Warren Zevon dipped in warm honey and I am looking forward to meeting him at the show!
I also have inside information there will be a special guest on the 19th who sells out venues across the Cape – but I am not supposed to tell you who she is. She is really good and one of my best friends and it’s killing me that I can’t tell you that she is in the line-up!
If, for whatever reason, you cannot get tickets for the 19th, here is a brief list of some other upcoming Sit-A-Whiles:
May 6th
Dennis Brennan, Duke Levine & Jennifer Kimball
The Cultural Center of Cape Cod
May 9th
M. Ward
Cape Cinema
September 23rd or 30th
The Kami Lyle Sit-A-While with Al Anderson & guests TBD
Willowbend, Mashpee, MA
Visit: www.KamiLyle.com for more information
— By Cat Wilson
(Cat Wilson is the multi- award winning radio host of The Cheap Seats feature music program on Ocean 104.7. You can hear The Cheap Seats Sunday nights from 8-10 and online anytime at Ocean1047.com)
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