divine and sublime

On a whim and the spur of the moment I went to see Bette Midler in concert tonight. She was fabulous, showy and kitsch with just the right amount of class. She can go from a penis joke to a beautiful tribute to Rosemary Clooney without taking a breath and without the transition being forced. She is amazing and professional and true entertainer.

My favorite songs were ones when she just stood there, her and her microphone and the band behind her. She has a powerful voice and she sings the words as if she feels them. Concerts give you a lot of thinking time, music putting you a place where you wouldn’t have gone that day. I learn a lot about myself at concerts and music venues. With Bette, I learned that it will all be OK, that life is lived to be happy, to have friends, to give to others, and to do all that you do as if you were changing the world. Bette has a loud quietness about her that resonates as wisdom in her voice.

While my friend and I were among the 2 youngest people in attendance, I loved every minute of her show, the flashiness and the quiet moments. She is the perfect blend of wild and calm. And when she ended with “The Rose” I was immediately in my childhood singing to a worn out 45 in the basement of my house with my brother and neighborhood kids. With talent like hers, I wonder, where have all the entertainers gone?