[img]2657|right|Gary Mandell||no_popup[/img]Going into Thursday evening’s finale of the summer concert series in the Courtyard of City Hall, the producer Gary Mandell comes fully quip-equipped.
This line was designed for owners of gray hair who remember British singing groups from the 1960s, especially Gerry and the Pacemakers.
Explaining why he was minutes late for an interview, Mr. Mandell said he was visiting with a friend who had suffered a devastating stroke. Since having a heart device installed, the friend has traveled a route to recovery. “If we went on stage,” the entrepreneur said, “we would be known as Gary and the Pacemaker.”
Meanwhile, the seasonal interlude blockily known as Culver City’s Boulevard Music Summer Festival, every Thursday at 7, sprints over the finish line tomorrow with a card headlined “Dustbowl Revival,” an eclectic mix of gospel, swing, jug band and bluegrass.
Where did the summer go so swiftly?
“The good thing about this summer, which we have been missing for several years, is that we have had nice warm nights,” Mr. Mandell said.
Last year felt, at times, as if it were being played out in a freezer. “Not only cold, but the wind chill factor was pretty substantial,” he said.
Does the producer hate to see the six-week season ¬– his 14th – end? Or is it a relief?
“Neither,” Mr. Mandell said. “We had a good series.”
Checking the Equipment
The producer, who never has visited Aliquippa, PA, reserved time for one more quip. “Here I tell you we haven’t had any wind this summer, and I book the Dustbowl Revival. Go figure.
“I am anticipating a very large crowd because this group is getting a lot of buzz. Not from my amplifiers, though. Every show they are doing around town, they are selling out.
“They played the Ford Theatre opening for the Preservation Hall jazz band. They played out in Pasadena a week ago, and a friend told me it was the biggest crowd he ever saw there. We sold all of our reserved seats for this concert.”
Does country music really work on the Westside?
The question was too temptingly gaping for Mr. Mandell.
“Which country?” he innocently countered. “In the first five concerts, we have had France, Argentina, Brazil, Cuba. I used the line a few weeks ago when I was introducing John Jorgenson. I said, ‘In case you are wondering, this isn’t the first country show we have had.’”
Finally, when the subject turned to audience response, Mr. Mandell related a father-and-son story. “A gentleman approached me last week and said, ‘I want to thank you for the festival.’ He had been with his 10-year-old son, and he said he was sorry they would not be back this week because they were going out of town. He said, ‘I want to thank you especially for introducing my son to a lot of different types of music he hasn’t been exposed to before.’
“That,” said Mr. Mandell, “made my day.”
