Dan's Papers - October 5, 2007 - review: Joplin's Pearl

Last Sunday, September 30, Theatre Three in Port Jefferson rocked the town with the sounds of Joplin's Pearl, a Janis Joplin tribute band. The lead vocalist of the band and a natural Janis copycat, amberRose, took to the stage and belted out Joplin favorites in a bluesy and soulful voice so similar to Janis that when I first ascended the steps of Theatre Three I thought I had stepped into a time warp.

The band, which played with fervor and enthusiasm, is made up of Chris Ferrari on the guitar, Jim Carroll on the drums, Gary Gonzalez on percussion, Sal Sax on the tenor sax, Jeff Lange on the bari sax, John Hines on the trumpet, Vlad Poplavski on the bass, Alex Magor on the keyboards, Ron Goethchius on the wavy gravy and Butch as the sound engineer. Joplin's Pearl came together in January of 2007, after amberRose, who started singing Joplin songs a few years ago and has also been a big fan of Joplin since her start in the entertainment industry, decided to create the tribute band.

Let me paint the picture for you - imagine colorful lights and eleven band members dressed in 60s garb - headbands, boas, floral prints, bell bottoms and rose tinted glasses - all the while dancing, smiling and rocking the theatre with comedy, music and talent. This was not the band's first time at Theatre Three either - they first graced the stage when they played in their "Woodstock" event. They have also played at the Riverhead Blues Festival and at the Shelter Island Beach Blast a few weeks ago.

Not only was amberRose's performance impressive, her every movement was reminiscent of the legendary Janis Joplin - down to the leg kick, the butt shuffle and even the frequent swigs from the bottle of Southern Comfort, a signature Janis drink. After giving the audience chills with her performance of "Ball and Chain," amberRose invited a few members of the audience to come up on stage to dance and sing with her and the band. A man in a colorful wig carrying beach balls then came into the audience and started to toss them aroun. Before I knew it, everyone in the crowd was on their feet, dancing and letting loose.

With a few costume changes, going from floral print to denim and beaded jewelry not to mention the feathery boa hat, amberRose sang a range of Joplin tunes and stated that her favorite three songs are "Piece of My Heart," "Ball and Chain" and "Get it While You Can." The entire show was put together to raise money for the Friends of Karen Organization whose mission is to provide emotional, financial and advocacy support to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Friends of Karen had set up information tables, a raffle and sold other goods like t-shirts and merchandise to help raise awareness and support. So when Joplin's Pearl sang out the lyrics to "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)," many members of the crowd who were there to help raise money and support their families and friends who are suffering from illness, joined in and sang along with amberRose.

But what Joplin tribute concert would be complete without the song of social and political importance that helped to put Joplin, who has been called "the greatest white urban blues and soul singer of her generation," on the map? Of course it is "Lord, Won't You Buy Me a Mercedes Benz." Joplin's Pearl busted this song out with high-energy and a cappella perfection.

In case you were wondering, the name Pearl was a nickname given to Janis Joplin and is also the title of her last album, on which the twenty-seven-year-old singer was working at the time of her death in 1970, from a heroin overdose. The sounds from the posthumous release, which was at number one for nine weeks is just a reminder of how raw and unusual Joplin's music was - it is great that such a legacy can be recreated and honored today in the New York area by Joplin's Pearl.

But don't worry, you still have another chance to see Joplin's Pearl. On November 2 at 6 p.m. there will be a dinner show fundraiser for the Great South bay Lions Club. Located at the Pine Hollow Inn, Route 112, Medford this night includes a cocktail hour buffet dinner, dessert and the show. Call (631) 207-4452 or visit www.thepinehollowinn.com for tickets.