All paws on deck! PAW Patrol Live! in town this weekend
“No job is too big, no pup is too small,” but the PAW Patrol could always use help from some of their biggest, little fans.
PAW Patrol Live! “The Great Pirate Adventure” rolls into Dayton for four shows Feb. 22-23 at the Wright State University Nutter Center. The heroic pups from the animated television series will embark on a pirate-themed adventure to uncover hidden treasure during a high-energy live stage show.
PAW Patrol has an enthusiastic following among the preschool set, and it’s those young fans who energize performer Janelle Good, who plays the daredevil pilot pup Skye in the current tour. “I think the best part is seeing the kids’ faces light up,” the California native said. “Their favorite pups are being brought to life, and it’s so engaging.”
Life has come full circle for Good who was just 3 years old when she was first bitten by the performance bug as a young dancer. Now, at 22, she is bringing smiles to the faces of children about that age show after show.
“The kids get to go on the adventure with us,” she said. “They bring this incredible energy, there’s nothing else like it.”
“The Great Pirate Adventure” is an engaging experience from start to finish as the characters come to life on stage thanks to the inventive full-body puppetry of the pups. It’s time for Pirate Day in Adventure Bay, but when Cap’n Turbot falls into a dark and mysterious cavern, it’s PAW Patrol to the rescue with Chase, Marshall, Rubble, Skye, Rocky and Zuma all pitching in.
“It’s really interactive, the kids help us along the way,” Good said. “And there’s even some dancing.”
Fans of all ages can let loose and do the Pirate Boogie with the pups.
Keeping in mind the ages and attention spans of the young fans, the Broadwaystyle show runs just over an hour and there is a 15-minute intermission.
So, X marks the spot at the Nutter Center for fun with pups and pirates, or should it be X barks the spot?
We couldn’t resist sharing this doggone cute summary of the plot:
“In PAW Patrol Live! “The Great Pirate Adventure,” Mayor Goodway is getting everything shipshape for a big Pirate Day celebration in Adventure Bay. When Cap’n Turbot falls into a dark and mysterious cavern, it’s PAW Patrol to the rescue! Chase, Marshall, Rubble, Skye, Rocky and Zuma save Cap’n Turbot and discover a secret pirate treasure map that leads them on an epic adventure. Things get ruff when Mayor Humdinger wants to find the treasure first for Foggy Bottom. The pups need all paws on deck for this pirate adventure, including help from the newest pup who’s all ears … Tracker! Using their heroic rescue skills, problem solving and teamwork, the pups set sail to save the day. No job is too big, no pirate pup is too small!”
Contact this contributing writer at djuniewicz@gmail. com.
Over the Rhine, comprised of husband and wife duo, Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist, will return to Parrish Auditorium on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 7:30 p.m. as part of the 2019-2020 Miami Regionals Artist series.
Over the Rhine will be performing as a trio alongside Eric Heywood, a pedal steel player and guitarist. Heywood has toured with a number of artists, including The Pretenders, Son Volt, and Ray Lamontagne. He has also recorded with Over the Rhine on a number of the band’s albums. The trio will play a mix of songs from “Love & Revelation,” as well as other highlights from Over the Rhine’s expansive catalog.
“Last year, we played several weeks before our new record came out, so we’ve been touring Love & Revelation throughout 2019. We have a pretty deep catalog, so we always try to pull some new songs into the set as well as incorporate songs from days gone by. We are actually marking right around 30 years of making music, and I think we’ve recorded 15 studio albums. … So, there’s a lot of music to choose from. It’s starting to feel like one, long river of song,” said Detweiler.
Love & Revelation features 11 songs. A few of the songs fans can expect to hear off the new album include “Broken Angels,” and there’s a duet Bergquist and Detweiler sing called “Let You Down.”
Detweiler said one universal theme that comes through on the record is “grief ” — everything from the loss of a loved one to some of the various issues we’re facing as a country.
“I think the songs on Love & Revelation surprised us a little bit, because when we started gathering the songs in one place for the record, we realized a theme that was running through the record was grief,” Detweiler said. “It’s a stage of life. Karin’s mother passed away last year, and I lost a parent a few years ago as well. So, we’re burying loved ones, and along with that, I think a lot of us are feeling a little off balance as Americans. We’re not quite sure where our country is headed, and there’s a lot of emotion around that, but I think underneath a lot of what we’re feeling is the reality that we are grieving a lot things,” Detweiler said.
He said the lyrics on the song “Los Lunas,” set the tone for somebody who is dealing with heartache.
“The very first line on the record that Karin sings is ‘I want to take a break from heartache/Drive away from all the tears I’ve cried/I’m a wasteland down inside,’” he said.
Other songs on “Love & Revelation” have more hopeful vibes, like the closing song, “May God Love You (Like
You’ve Never Been Loved.)”
“May God Love You (Like You’ve Never Been Loved)” is the last song we wrote for the project, and it is what I would think of as a ‘blessing song,’ and there are a lot of those around. I think we wanted to leave people with almost a little prayer that, ‘I think we’re going to be okay,’ “Let’s just take care of each other,” Detweiler said.
A few older songs have become standards at Over the Rhine’s live shows, including the song “Born,” from Drunkard’s Prayer, and the song, “All My Favorite People,” from the album The Long Surrender. “All My Favorite People” has become an anthem for Over the Rhine’s extended musical family.
“All My Favorite People’ is one of those songs that reminds everyone that we all have parts of our lives that have been broken, and we’re all trying to put some things back together. We are all in this together,” Detweiler said.
In addition to releasing the new project and extensive touring, Over the Rhine has been busy gearing up for the Fifth Annual Nowhere Else Music Festival, which is set for May 22-24 in Clinton County. The couple has also been restoring an 1870s barn on their property with plans of turning it into a future music venue.
Contact this contributing writer at gmwriteon@aol. com.