We had good seats, in row F. The warning bell didn't do much to diminish the buzz of conversation, and even the dimming of the house lights did not deter latecomers from finding their seats. I couldn't help but remember how Van Cliburn handled the rude Birmingham audience many years ago in Boutwell Auditorium. When 8 o'clock came and people were still socializing the aisles, he strode across the stage, flipped out his tails, plonked down on the piano bench and hammered out a thundering rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner." Of course, everyone had to stand up and shut up. Afterward, everyone meekly took their seats, and no one was allowed in until intermission. Harry's audience, with no better manners, chatted and took their seats all through the opening act. But finally, it was time.

Harry brought his "big band", a jazz band with lot of sax, trombone and trumpet, a bass and drums. Everyone had solos -- Harry was obviously proud of his musicians, and humble before their talent. In particular, he mentioned lead trumpet player Leroy Jones several times, saying he had a CD out, and, "if y'all can't afford it, go sell something and buy it anyway." It was a really glitzy and professional show, and Harry was on top of it every minute. He never once left the stage, though the band members got a break while he was playing the piano. I was getting worried about it -- the show ran two hours without an intermission, when I finally saw him sneak a drink of water from the bandstand. He ran a tight ship, and he and the band worked as one. You could see the signals he gave them, etc. He pointed when the light man fell down on the job, and the lights in question went right out. He talked to the audience a little bit, and made us feel special, too, saying how much he like being in the South and how his dad was born in Alabama. He mentioned having visited the Body Building Show that had been going on in another part of the Civic Center earlier that day, and how it made him feel like a wimp. But, to us, it looked like Harry was quite familiar with the services of a personal trainer.

Harry's Steinway was stage left, with the band on the right behind their individual reflective metallic stations. They were round and covered with a shiny, holographic type material. Julie had learned that they all had PowerMac G3 workstations underneath, with flat screen monitors in front of them, scrolling the scores by. The only other stage setting was a large white half circle in the center behind them all before the dark backdrop. It was all very simple and elegant. Harry and the band members wore very dark silky trousers and straight-hemmed, side-vented tunic-style shirts. (Harry's pants were much tighter than the other band members' were.) Each number was lighted differently, with cool lights for ballads and warm lights for other music. We got a laugh when a heckler, after a slow song, shouted, "Pick it up, Harry!" Harry took it in stride and told the audience that when he hears that guy, and others like him, it just reinforces his need to educate the audience in a variety of popular music.

The Birmingham audience was sort of cold to start with, not knowing really what was appropriate at a popular music concert in such fine surroundings. By that I mean that everybody knows (whether they do it or not) to sit down and shut up at a symphony concert and other serious musical offerings, but I don't think they quite knew how to react and interact with Harry and his music. He played and sang old standards and ballads and his own compositions as well as jazz, including some old fashioned Dixieland jazz and other "hot" music. We applauded not only the individual numbers, but also the soloists. But it was polite, restrained, applause. You could tell, as we got into the concert, that the musicians wanted more audience participation and one in particular waved big "come on" signals to the audience, to get them to clap, stomp, etc. In our row, the six ladies lost it when Harry half strutted, half danced across the stage in his tight pants, showing out, so sexy!

Harry finished the show with the title cut from his most recent album, "Come By Me," and the audience rose as one and applauded, whistled, yelled, screamed, and stamped their feet, for the LONGEST time, before he finally came back for an encore. He sang a beautiful rendition of "Cry Me a River," also from the album, walking out on the stage wings INTO THE AUDIENCE, shaking hands as he went right in front of us! This of course drove the audience wild, but to top it off he stopped and sang to a pretty girl, asking her name, Stella, and putting it in the song. Then THE SPOTLIGHT ON HARRY WENT OFF! The band played on (this is no doubt a part of their routine) and after about 5 minutes Harry rejoined us and the spot came back on. Fortunately, Julie knows the girl by sight from hockey games. She yelled, "Go, Stella!" while the spot on Harry was out and she'll be able to find out what went on while the lights were out once Hockey season starts. Isn't that something?