OPB PEOPLE IN BEAVERTON’S RESER

OPB people gathered Thursday night for a radio show at The Reser in Beaverton.

Maybe it’s the same crowd for every Live Wire show, but I don’t know.

I’ve been to one other on Portland’s Eastside and both had one thing in common:

Old people who know how to have a laugh.

Host Luke Burbank threw us a bone when he pointed out his own aging process.

He’s 48 or 49. I’ve got twenty years on him. What’s my aging complaint?

People who laugh too much because it might be their last laugh.

You’ve seen them and heard them.

They are the people who live life to the fullest every second of every day like it’s their last day.

Why do they do that? Because it might be their last day, you never know.

What did OPB people see on our potentially last day where we laughed and laughed?

Here’s the line-up:

A lady who gave one of her kidney’s to a stranger so she’d have a story to tell.

A kick-boxing poet working through the trauma.

A band with a lead singer/guitar man who roamed the stage like he was just released to a new freedom.

A comedian giving his take on a new relationship with God. “We’re not that bad.”

 

Live Wire At The Reser

The show opened with an intro from the Reser boss, then Luke Burbank, before the house band play ‘Boys Of Summer.’

Their guy sang it with the high notes. Impressive.

Our seats were close enough and had the feeling of business class on a jet with noticeably more leg room and big-ass seats.

Since this wasn’t my first theatrical experience I kept an eye out for the unexpected.

That’s what I got at a show in downtown Portland.

We had season tickets that put us third row center at the Gerding for the Billie Holliday show.

The announcement said there would be some audience participation. Oh no.

I’m not a fan of audience participation in theater unless it’s Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Since it was a third row seat I didn’t see Billie wading down the row.

The seating was arranged with row one and two moved to stage right and left with the third row up front. I was suspicious.

Toward the end of the show Billie walked off stage right, past the people and toward me. It’s always me, always you, always somebody.

She sang her song and took a seat on my lap. I told her she was wonderful, she smiled.

At the end the cast came out and took a bow; Billie followed them.

I stood, leaned into the stage and we bumped fists.

It was great. I missed my chance in drama when I didn’t turn and face the crowd with my arms pumping at the same time like a bike racer at the finish line.

My motto is act like you’ve been there before.

 

Stage View Of OPB People

Not every show is a howling success, but every Live Wire show is just that for the radio.

The crowd got instruction on how to pump up the volume on cue, and off we went.

We were a good audience.

If you’ve ever done any performance outside the house, you know how important a good audience is.

I’ve heard people complain about the crowd at kid soccer games.

“The only people here are parents and grandparents.”

As a recent performer, I say that’s enough.

Anyone is fine. I still have the urge to take my guitar to a city street corner and give it a go.

The stage is a whole different deal. People come out to see a certain standard, something befitting a fine setting.

Live Wire came through last night. It always comes through. Luke did it last night.

We came, we saw a live radio show, and it felt like a ride through the twenties or thirties.

OPB people may be old, but not that old. Just old enough.