THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 21, 1994 TAG: 9408210076
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Music review
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, MUSIC CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
There is a fairly popular theory - offer something for nothing and the public comes a-flocking.
That theory was knocked for a loop Friday at The Boathouse. A no-cost concert by Dan Seals was expected to entice about 2,000 people. The count was about 450.
About a quarter of the concertgoers were children. We're talking babes in arms and kindergarteners; lower-, middle- and upper-grade youngsters.
Nightclubbin' ain't what it used to be. The Boathouse looked like a nighttime day-care center. The kids had a good time, but liquor sales probably came to a crawl.
Meanwhile, onstage, there was the music of Dan Seals. If there is one thing that man offers, it's quality.
Songs from the England Dan & John Ford Coley days mixed well with his country hits, some '50s offerings, and cuts from his new album.
``All Fired Up'' is the first single from that album, a bouncer that is Seals' first entry on the charts in several moons.
His biggest chart success was, of course, ``Bop,'' but there were others - 11 reached the Number One spot.
England Dan & John Ford Coley had their share of pop hits. One of the best was ``They Rage On,'' beautifully reprised Friday night.
There were several ballads during the night, a brave move by Seals since club audiences prefer the more uptempo offerings.
The singer is not an uptempo person. He says little, concentrates on his singing and his sax playing. He can swing with the best of `em - witness his roaring version of ``Let the Good Times Roll.''
They did, but there were not enough folks on hand to appreciate it.
Many of those who did show up were not in a ``whoop-it-up'' mood. They sat - whoops, this is The Boathouse - they stood and listened.
Seals' band tried to get them to clap along, but this was a clap-free night.
The Mann Sisters made a clap-along bid that also failed.
The Chesapeake performers, and their Boots and Lace Band, were an impressive opening act.
The women are energetic, the voices big, the harmony quite good.
One of the most impressive offerings was Debby Mann's booming blues solo on ``Always Remember How to Sing the Blues.''
It was a good lesson.
And, a lesson was learned Friday at The Boathouse: ``Free'' doesn't always entice. by CNB