From: R. M. Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2000 3:07 PM To: frozen-fire@turing.cs.hmc.edu Subject: Big People Concert Review Ok, this is not going to be easy, but here goes........ July 26, 2000 Washington County Fair, West Bend, Wisconsin I arrived at the concert site early and laid claim to a spot dead center in front of the stage next to the railing. The stage is a temporary open air type that you usually see at outdoor concerts. The seating area was a grassy hill that slopes down to the stage. There is a gravelled area right in front of the stage. The concert started 10 minutes late. The band members came on stage and I didn't see Ben. I looked at a man standing at the left side of the stage, toward the back of the stage, who had his back to the audience. He appeared to be adjusting an amplifier. Derek St. Holmes started to introduce the 5 (yes 5) members of the band. He introduced Jeff Carlisi, Liberty Devitto, another member of the band as "Brian Wilson's illegitimate son" ( I did not catch his first name) and then he introduced "Ben Orr from The Cars". The man I was watching turned around. My first thought was "That is NOT Ben Orr!". I saw Ben perform with Orr 3 years ago on July 31, 1997 and no way was this Ben Orr. I glanced to my left and the girl next to me had an expression of disbelief on her face. The person that I was looking at was about 5'9" and looked to weigh about 130-140 pounds. His hair was blond but not platinum blond like 3 years ago. His cheeks were concave and his cheek bones were clearly visible. He was wearing a light tan leather jacket with long fringe kinda like a Davey Crockett type jacket. He was wearing dark brown leather pants and leather suede boots that matched his jacket. He was wearing a bandanna around his head, the same color as his jacket, and was sporting a pair of sunglasses. He had a tiny bass guitar around his neck. I couldn't take my eyes off him during the entire first song. I wasn't sure if this was really Ben until the 2nd song when he stepped up to the microphone and belted out "Just What I Needed". I knew then that it was really Ben. The voice was 100% strong and never faltered. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. I started snapping pictures of Ben, one after another. Then I noticed that there was a stool near the back of the stage where Ben had originally stood. Once, during the concert, while the other members of the band chatted with the crowd between songs, Ben sat down on the stool but only for a minute. I noticed a woman standing near the back of the stage, about 10 feet to Ben's right. She was wearing a jacket similar to Bens, and was also wearing a beige cowboy hat. She had a camera which was in its case around her neck. She seemed to be watching Ben closely. She lit a cigarette, took a few puffs, and then handed it to Ben. Ben took a couple puffs and handed it back to her. I figured she was Ben's wife. After a couple more songs, Ben sang "Lets Go". Again, that voice never faltered as he hit each note perfectly and with the same intensity as the younger Ben with the Cars and with Orr. Ben didn't move much on stage. He usually stood in one spot strumming his bass. A couple times he hooked up with St. Holmes in the middle of the stage, but for the most part, Ben didn't have much energy on stage. Ben cracked a few smiles during the concert but for the most of the concert, didn't have much of an expression on his face. Ben's wife took her camera out and started taking of pictures of Ben while he was playing. At one point, she came down in front of the stage, right in front of me, to take some pictures. I wanted so badly to reach over the railing and tap her on the shoulder and ask her how Ben was doing, but I decided against it. I was afraid the security guards would haul me out of there pretty quick and I would miss the rest of the concert. Ben stepped up to the microphone for the third time and sang "Bye Bye Love". Again, that beautiful voice sounded just like it did 20 years ago. Then Ben went to the back of the stage and took off his bandanna and sunglasses. His wife gave him a black bolero type hat to wear. Ben kept his sunglasses off the rest of the concert and I wished that he had kept them on. His eyes were sunk deep in their sockets and I could see the eye socket bone around his eyes. His eyes looked dull and had lost that gleam. I can tell you personally that this is the result of chemotherapy. You see, my mother died of cancer 19 years ago at a young age. She always had this sparkle in her eyes, but that sparkle disappeared after the chemotherapy treatments. Chemotherapy is a double-edged sword. It kills both bad and good cells. It also makes your hair fall out. I suspect Ben was wearing a blond wig, hence the reason for wearing a bandanna and a hat. I also suspect the tiny bass guitar was lightweight and less tiring to carry and play. Several times during the concert, I wished that I had stayed home. It was just too painful to watch. About two-thirds through the concert, Ben went to the back of the stage. His wife met him there and he removed his hat. Brian Wilson's illegitimate son helped Ben take his bass guitar off and he then strapped it on himself. Ben and his wife disappeared behind the stage. I wondered if Ben was done performing for the night, as the band played the next song without him. But when the song was over, Ben reappeared on stage wearing his hat. He then stepped up to the mike for the last time, as he sang "Drive". Again, it was like hearing Ben singing it just like he did in 1984. Derek St. Holmes announced to the crowd that the concert was being taped for a live recording album to be released later. He told the crowd that if they wanted to hear themselves on the album, they had to shout out something unique. Shouts of "Go Packers" and "take the Brewers with you" were heard. I was too depressed to shout anything. A couple more songs followed and then the concert was over. They all left the stage and didn't come out for an encore. I went home and I had a difficult time falling asleep. The image of Ben kept running through my mind. If I had been walking down the street and if Ben had approached me before the concert, I would have never recognized him. Ok, now that I got you all depressed, I want to end this on some positive notes. 1. I was really glad to see Ben's wife on tour with him. Just being there with him has to raise his spirits tremendously. Just knowing that she was just a few feet away from him during the concert had to be reassuring to him. 2. I am assuming that Ben is touring with the approval of his doctors. That has to be a good sign. I am sure that Ben's wife would not have let him tour if his doctors had decided against it. She seemed so supportive of Ben and I am glad that he has such a caring wife. 3. Ben is doing what he loves to do, which is entertaining his fans. He is not going to let a little thing like cancer stand in his way. I will try to post the pictures on a web site in the near future. The pictures are meant to honor Ben Orr and not meant to demean him in any way. Hopefully, this will be just another chapter in the life of Ben Orr and one that he can look back on and reflect on in future songs. I am sorry that this was so long, but I wanted to write down every detail and thought while it was fresh in my mind. Oh, one last thing, please keep Ben in your prayers. It really does help. R. M.