Raul Malo -- "You're Only Lonely"

I got to see Raul play Pittsburgh's Byham Theater, a gorgeously restored place with gold-infused paintings on the Michealangelo level, December 1st. Theresa is a huge Raul fan and we attended with fellow fan, Tammy, and her husband, Bob.

The show started out really strong with Raul sweetly crooning away his newest "You're Only Lonely" CD hits and his sweet-talking/joking with the audience about how great Pittsburgh was and how he's always going to play here. He played with a three-piece backing band consisting of an organ, drummer, and bass player. I enjoyed the show for the first few songs and then lost interest.

First, as Bob (a drummer himself) later commented, the drummer kept dropping his sticks. Second, Raul could not remember the lyrics to songs like "Moon River." And third, the band had to send out the lyric handbook so Raul could sing approximately two-thirds through the show. Fourth, Raul would erratically stop playing lead guitar several times throughout the show to shake hands with female fans. WTF?

It was a Raul debacle on the highest level, if you ask me. He needs to reassess how much he enjoys touring and playing music in general. My two cents. For what it's worth.

Did anyone else have the same experience? I'm curious. Drop me a line.

Raul? Buck up. And respect your fans. We're loyal in as far as you can perform for your ticket price. Further than that and, my friend, you're pushing the limits.

Nuff said.