His long-standing fascination with marching bands and choreography remains front and center. He even had the USC Marching Band do a brief introduction, which in itself contained a surprising and poignant tribute to Dolly Parton with a robust version of “9 to 5.” Byrne was almost unseen watching from the edge of the stage, undoubtedly pleased.

When Byrne took the stage, it was much like the last several times I’ve seen him: nothing touching the ground but for the musicians’ feet, although this time they were not barefoot. Each musician carried their own instruments, with several seamlessly switching instruments between songs backstage. The stage design was spartan, with only video displays on four surfaces (three walls and the floor); Byrne’s physical pallet was clean. Well chosen visuals amplified, sometimes distractingly, the underlying message of each song.

The last time I saw Byrne at the Hollywood Bowl was in 2005 with Arcade Fire and The Extra Action Marching Band from San Francisco. Then, the production was far less choreographed, providing spontaneity (especially from the latter ensemble), which elicited uncharacteristic smiles from Byrne.

More recently, after delivering a couple songs (including the opener “Heaven”) Byrne slowed the pace and delivered a monologue about how the band had taken the train up from San Diego that morning and he rode his bike from LA’s Union Station downtown to his hotel in West Hollywood, which was likely the Sunset Marquis. Given the uncharacteristically hot and humid weather, that was no small feat even for the nimble 74 year old. I once saw Byrne give a lecture in San Francisco with several city council members, the main topic of which was about bicycling and improving the bike lanes in San Francisco. Byrne took the opportunity at that lecture to do a slideshow of various interesting things he saw from his bike seat on concert tours around the globe. At the Bowl, he similarly shared a few choice photos, like a bar called Jumbo’s Clown Room.

Having warmed up the Hollywood Bowl crowd with some local color, Byrne delivered a thoroughly impressive set including tracks from his recent solo album Who Is The Sky (produced by Kid Harpoon was also worked most famously with Harry Styles). The crowd welcomed the new music (especially “I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party”) almost enthusiastically as his earlier solo work.

The excellent lighting and use of color was almost unnoticed, which is a testament to its effectiveness as it blended seamlessly with the music and precision choreography of the band.

Not surprisingly, the crowd roared with every rendition of a Talking Heads song.

Many in the crowd, including me, were deliriously happy with stunning versions of “(Nothing but) Flowers,” “Slippery People” and “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody).”  The crowd was whipped into a frenzy with the last three songs “Psycho Killer,” “Life During Wartime” and “Once in a Lifetime.”

Returning for an encore Byrne and his intrepid band closed with the perfect doubleheader of his perkiest solo track “Everybody’s Coming to My House” and a thundering version of the Talking Heads’ “Burning Down the House.”

It is doubtful anyone left disappointed.

XXX

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“American Beauty” set an early tone, and “Find Your People” landed just as well here as it has everywhere else I’ve caught it — a song that has aged into something like a mission statement for this act. Ellie’s turn with material from her album of psalms was gentle rather than preachy, an offering rather than a sermon, which is exactly the right register for songs built on scripture.

The married couple traded off instruments throughout, Ellie switching to mandolin and then guitar as the set called for it, while the backing band kept things loose without ever losing the thread. A duet medley found Drew and Ellie trading verses, a nice showcase of two songbooks that have grown up alongside each other.

The night’s highlight remained “Feels Like Home,” which the two sing together like it still means something to them: counterpoint vocals splitting off before folding back into those honeyed, blended harmonies that are the whole reason people assemble at Hayden Homes Amphitheater in the high desert for a Thursday night show. Drew’s solo turn on “What Would I Do Without You” — by his own admission his favorite in the catalog — was the quieter counterpart, a husband’s love letter delivered without any need for embellishment.

Some marriages don’t need the volatility to make for great music. This one just needs the harmonies.

(photos by Brad Auerbach)

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That may sound like a small thing, but anyone who maintains a lawn knows that mowing it is one of those chores that seems to consume more time than it should. You put it off, the grass gets too long, you finally find the time, and there goes an afternoon. Keeping to a strict Saturday schedule, as my Dad insisted for me when growing up, keeps things on a steady pace (until Buffalo winter sets in, and then another chore reappears…on a far less-regular basis).

With the , I was sitting at the dinner table while the lawn mower was doing the work.

Check out the 30 second video here.

When family members subsequently visited, I showed them the machine in action. Their reaction was similar. A few days later our gardener arrived for his weekly visit. He noticed that the lawn had already been cut since his previous visit and wondered why. I brought him over to see the iGarden unit.

He looked at it silently for a few moments, clearly skeptical. Then he finally said:

“Maybe I should get one of these and just sit in the truck.”

That may be the best product review I’ve heard yet.

Getting started takes some patience

Getting the iGarden up and running wasn’t completely effortless. Setting up the app and pairing it with the mower took some time, and there was a learning curve involved in understanding how the app’s piloting function works.

The piloting feature essentially allows you to guide the mower around the perimeter of your property so it can learn where it is supposed to operate. It took me a little while to get comfortable with that process, but once I got a feel for the steering and the unit’s responsiveness, I was gleefully guiding it around the outer edges of our back lawn.

I could then essentially let the mower go about its business.

That distinction is important. There is a difference between a robot lawn mower that requires you to continually intervene and one that you can set up and then largely leave alone. My initial experience with the iGarden has been much more toward the latter.

It’s not your father’s robot mower

The L AWD is a considerably more sophisticated machine than the early generation of robot lawn mowers that depended on boundary wires buried around the property.

The iGarden uses 3D LiDAR, cameras and other sensors for navigation and obstacle avoidance. It also has all-wheel drive, which allows it to handle slopes of up to 70 percent, or approximately 35 degrees, according to the manufacturer. Our house sits up a bit higher than the back lawn, and I had some trepidation. But the mower navigated the slope with ease.

My next test: the front yard

My backyard is only the beginning.

I plan to use the channel function in the app to program the mower to travel to the front yard, where I have three separate sections defined by sidewalks, the curb and the driveway.

I asked iGarden folks about exactly this kind of situation. The company says the L AWD can handle multiple areas rather than being limited to two zones. Several models on offer from the manufacturer handle up to 80 zones, but my more humble lawn only has four zones, so I can sit back and relax.

Indeed, the unit’s three year warranty provides much comfort about such innovative technology.

Where does it live?

I also wondered whether the mower could remain outdoors, moored at its charging station.

The answer is yes, although iGarden recommends a sheltered location when possible. The mower can travel between the charging station and the lawn automatically, so a garage or covered structure is ideal if you have one.

I’m considering an old doghouse as a sort of robotic garage during the mowing season. It would provide protection from the elements while still giving the mower easy access to the lawn. Once winter arrives, I’ll bring the unit to the garage. Time to start scanning Facebook Marketplace for a viable used doghouse.

Kudos to the designers for the sleek look of the iGarden L AWD. In keeping with the massive strides being taken by Chinese car makers, even a lawn mower can look cool.

The talk of robotics is becoming more pervasive. Robotics is huge behind the scenes in manufacturing and distribution; have you ever seen an Amazon warehouse or a big port?

As to homeowners, I have already written happily about my George Jetson experience when it comes to feline maintenance with a robotic kitty litter.

I am very pleased to enter the next phase: robotic lawn care. The iGarden L AWD is the ideal solution. Program it once, and sit back with your salmon dinner.

More detail here.

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There may be no better place in the world to see Cabaret than Berlin. The musical has been performed countless times since John Kander and Fred Ebb’s 1966 Broadway premiere, and its songs —“Willkommen,” “Mein Herr,” “Money, Money” and, of course, “Life Is a Cabaret” —have become part of the international vocabulary of musical theater. Yet seeing Cabaret in Berlin, the city in which its story is set, gives the production an additional dimension that no Broadway or touring production can quite duplicate.

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  For the El Portal’s production of David Auburn’s “Proof” starring Ed Begley Jr and Hayden Begley, presented by Jason Jeske and directed by Stuart Rogers, the inspiration came from all of the above. It was a short run, July 23 – 26, 2026 at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, but certainly served as a momentous highlight for the theatre’s centennial year celebrations.

Ed Begley Jr, Hayden Begley in “Proof” (Photos by Jeff Lorch)

  An explanation in the program for “Proof” revealed the impetus for the inspirational production. It noted that Ed Begley Jr has been living with Parkinson’s symptoms for over two decades. Ed and his daughter Hayden wanted to do a play together while still at the top of their game. Auburn’s Tony-winning Pulitzer Prize story of a daughter dealing with memories of a father in decline was the perfect choice. 

 The show turned “illness into art” and was even more impactful than the performances on stage. Concord Theatricals generously supported the project, with 100% of proceeds benefiting the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Click: https://give.michaeljfox.org/fundraiser/7362487

  In addition to Ed and Hayden this production starred Kate Woods and Kelly Sry. And the brilliance of the direction can’t be overstated. With Stuart Rogers at the helm, the foursome wove an emotional storytelling tapestry that glowed with golden threads of humor throughout.

  The back porch Chicago story follows Catherine (Hayden Begley—breathtaking with her role’s complexities) who cares for her genius mathematician father Robert (Ed Begley Jr—fearless with his strength and vulnerability) during his mental decline. Upon his death she meets Hal (Kelly Sry—offering subtlety as he goes from geeky-lover to betrayer), a grad student who is compelled to go through his professor’s old notebooks looking for mathematical breakthroughs. There’s a surprising spark between Catherine and Hal that’s blown out after he questions the authorship of an original “proof.” Controlling sister Claire (Kate Woods—taking charge with gusto and guilt) adds to the drama as she insists Catherine is unstable and wants to “look after” her in New York. It all adds up to a poignant family tale about love, trust and sacrifice.

Hayden Begley, Kate Woods in “Proof”

Kelly Sry, Hayden Begley in “Proof”

Kudos to the craftsmanship of the “Proof” design team: set design Joel Daavid; lighting design Matt Richter; sound design Cricket S. Myers; costume design Alexandra Fatovich. Producers: Betsy Zajko, Lexi Sloan and Sara Fenton.

 Theatre has never been more miraculous than this — Jason Jeske presents Ed Begley Jr and Hayden Begley in “Proof” by David Auburn, directed by Stuart Rogers, on the Debbie Reynolds Main Stage at the historic El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA, in the NoHo Arts District.

For more information about the El Portal’s Centennial Anniversary Gala, November 28, 2026 at 7PM, call 818-508-4200 or go to ElPortalTheatre.com.

(All photos by Jeff Lorch)

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Mavis Staples

Mary Chapin Carpenter

Headliner Rhiannon Giddens is like a Ken Burns film in real time. She uses music to tell a story, to educate about that which we need to know more. Any article about her needs to acknowledge her bona fides: She is a recipient of a MacArthur Genius Award (that’s when you wake up blindly learning you have been given a huge sum of cash to keep doing what you have been doing). In 2017, Giddens became only the fourth musician to perform at both the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals. She has an honorary Doctor of Music from Princeton University. More kudos below.

At Hayden Homes Amphitheater her wonderful performance included a medley celebrating USA 250, which started with a Scots Gaelic piece (in the late 1790s the biggest population thereof outside Europe was in North Carolina, her home state). Her angelic voice soared, nearly A Capella against a single sad low acoustic bowed bass note. She segued into a Congolese lament about slavery and then moved through a plucky two-step. Spoons, fiddle and her banjo added authenticity to the stand-up bass and acoustic guitar.

Shifting gears with a bandmember donning a button accordion, Giddens (who now resides in Limerick, Ireland) led the band through a South Louisiana waltz with French lyrics. Another song tapped gutbucket acoustic blues.

Rhiannon Giddens

Back in the day her early operatic training was put on the back burner as she explored the roots of American music history. Her deep affinity for these interconnected musical forms is evident in her respectful and heartfelt live renditions.

Onstage she described how she came late to songwriting. But that delay clearly gave her a full palette from which to create. (She drew on her roots to compose in 2023 an opera that won her a Pulitzer).

In a nod to the Dylan connection above, it should be noted in 2014, Giddens participated in the T Bone Burnett-produced project titled The New Basement Tapes along with several other musicians, which took a collection of recently discovered Dylan lyrics to newly composed music.

At Hayden, further melding musical strains, Gidens’ banjo player took center stage to alternate rapping and playing rapid banjo licks.

Overall, her set was a magnificently eclectic study in the unifying nature of music. By the end of the evening Rhiannon Giddens reaffirmed the melting pot that has filled our country’s musical heritage.

(photos by Brad Auerbach)

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What an amazing six decade story. You probably already know the name Peter Asher, but this film does an amazing job tracking the arc of a career of an artist who was really just about everywhere.

George Martin was already an oboe student of Peter Asher’s mother. So when those two entered The Beatles’ orbit, it was no surprise. But we are getting ahead of the story.

Peter was part of an eclectic artistic family. With his two sisters the trio dabbled in film, but Jane was the most successful. She caught Paul McCartney’s eye, and soon the pair were a couple. Jane’s parents invited Paul to essentially move into their London home, where he says he enjoyed a more erudite family setting than his working class Liverpudlian background. With a piano in the basement, John Lennon would come over for songwriting sessions. A wonderful early sequence in the film is when Peter was called down and was the first in the world to hear “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”

The film is built around the “Storytellers” setting first introduced by Ray Davies; a crack band accompanies Asher while he walks us through his life story.

When Asher was getting his own recording career off the ground with Gordon Waller, McCartney gave the duo a song that Lennon did not particularly like, “A World Without Love.” Upon release it shot to number one around the world, dislodging The Beatles. That made for myriad clever headlines.

McCartney subsequently supplied the duo a string of songs, and the film does a great job finding old TV clips as the duo Peter and Gordon followed in the wake of The Beatles conquering of America. An astounding number of celebrities weigh in with their observations. The film is ably directed and produced by Dayna Goldfine & Dan Geller, who previously showed their acumen with Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song.

Despite conquering America and embarking on many successful package tours as Peter and Gordon, Asher found time to launch the Indica bookstore with John Dunbar and Barry Miles. Asher recalls how convenient it was to have a sister whose boyfriend not only provided a string of number one hit songs, but was able to build bookshelves for the shop.

Dunbar returns from Cambridge smitten with Marianne Faithfull and asks Asher to be his best man. Asher cheekily tells the story that he was not responsible for breaking up The Beatles just because Lennon met Yoko Ono at Indica, but Asher was responsible for introducing Faithfull to Mick Jagger, which is a whole other fascinating story from the era.

Asher becomes head of A&R at a fledgling company The Beatles called Apple and signs his first artist James Taylor on the recommendation of Danny Kortchmar, with whom Asher previously had been in a band. Not mentioned in the film is the assumption that Taylor was happy about getting his break in the music business, even if George Harrison presumably liked the former’s “Something in the Way She Moves” enough to become the first line of his song “Something.”

The film shifts gears when Asher decamps to California, where he helps define the California singer songwriter scene with James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt and Carole King.

By insisting on album cover credits for the studio band he assembled for these artists, Asher altered the protocol and allowed the light to shine on all the players.

The film moves smoothly to a poignant reunion with Waller after many decades.

Asher eventually produced a string of wildly eclectic performers, from Diana Ross and Elton John to Robin Williams and Randy Newman’s criminally underrated Faust. I attended a wonderful star-studded Buddy Holly tribute concert in Los Angeles which Asher produced. And let’s not forget his production of 2013’s Grammy-winning Steve Martin – Edie Brickell collaboration Love Has Come For You.

This is a well-crafted film about a talented, humble artist who achieved massive success both in the spotlight and behind the mixing board. Indeed, it is in the latter arena that this film shines the brightest.

Trailer for the film HERE. 

PETER ASHER: EVERYWHERE MAN will be released theatrically in New York on June 19th and nationwide (including LA) on June 26th via Greenwich Entertainment.

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The set (designed by Teresa L. Williams) ably evokes a school gymnasium converted to a spelling bee championship. The band is on a platform above.

Guests in the know beforehand lined up for a chance to be contestants in the spelling bee. This tactic elicited some clever improvisation once the show was underway, especially when one audience member successfully spelled a bizarre word intended to usher them off the stage.

The actual actors invariably portray a range of somewhat typical characters, yet each is believable. Kevin McHale is the snot nosed kid William Barfée who uses his foot to spell the words, Leana Rae Concepcion is the Asian polyglot Marcy Park who breaks through the stereotype expected by her family and us.

Judging the contestants is Jon (“Pretty in Pink”) Cryer as a vice principal who yearns for one more step up the professional ladder and Lilli Cooper as Rona Lisa Peretty bringing her prior dreams of glory of winning the spelling bee years earlier.

A consistently numerous convention is integrated into the rules, whereby contestants can ask to have the word in question used in a sentence.

Several of the songs were especially helpful to provide further depth to the characters. Nonetheless, a few songs slip into being too clever by half.  Director Danny Mefford maintains a brisk cadence to the intermissionless proceedings.

Without the slightly cutting edge of “Avenue Q”, this is a lighthearted romp for revisiting childhood foibles.

Tickets and more information here.

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