Renaissance at The Town Hall, New York, NY, USA

Annie Haslam

On Saturday, October 28, 2017, we went to the historic 1,500 seat landmark, The Town Hall located in the heart of New York City, to hear one of our long-time favorite bands, Renaissance, perform. Although the vocals of Annie Haslam with her impressive five-octave vocal range and the multi-talented band would be enough to captivate an audience, joined by a 10-member chamber orchestra, proved to be a phenomenal experience.

For those new to the band Renaissance, as a way of an introduction, we would like to note that the band was formed in the United Kingdom in 1969 with Annie Haslam joining in 1970. The band had acclaimed success as a symphonic rock band throughout the 1970s, however by the late 1980s, the band had dissolved, and Annie Haslam went on to pursue a solo career. The band had a limited tour in 2001, however for the 40^th anniversary in 2009, when timing prevented the original members from regrouping for a tour, Michael Dunford and Annie Haslam decided to create a new Renaissance. Rave Tesar, who was the keyboardist and producer for the Annie Haslam Band came on board, as did bassist David J. Keyes, drummer Frank Pagano, and keyboardist Tom Breslin. When Michael Duford died in 2012, followed by David J. Keyes who left for medical leave, guitarist/vocalist Mark Lambert rejoined the band (he had played with the band in the 1980s also played with Annie’ band), and Leo Traversa came on board as the bass player and vocalist.

Rave Tesar

Renaissance opened the show with just the six members on stage: vocalist Annie Haslam, Rave Tesar: keyboards, Tom Brislin: keyboards and vocals, Mark Lambert: guitar and vocals, Frank Pagano: drums, percussion, and vocals, and Leo Traversa: bass and vocals, performing the song, Prologue, a cut off their 1972 release by the same name, to the audience’s appreciation, which set the tone and pace for the performance. A Trip To The Fair off their 1975 Scheherazade and Other Stories release followed.

Annie Haslam

Next in the line-up was Carpet Of The Sun, one of our all-time favorite songs, off their 1973 Ashes Are Burning release with Renaissance joined by the 10-member chamber orchestra positioned behind the band, which was absolute perfection, followed by At The Harbour, also off the Ashes Are Burning release.

Frank Pagano

After a bit of nostalgia, the band progressed into 2 cuts off their latest 2013 release entitled Grandine il Vento, performing the title song, followed by Symphony Of Light, which Annie Haslam wrote about the artist, Leonardo da Vinci.

Mark Lambert

The band continued with Kalynda off their 1979 Azure D’Or release, followed by the song, Island, off Renaissance’s 1969 Kings & Queens album, which was Annie’s audition song to join the band back in 1970. (Read the interview with Annie Haslam: Annie Haslam of Renaissance – Interview)

Next came another audience favorite with the song, Mother Russia off their 1974 Turn of Cards release. For their closing song, they performed Song For All Seasons, off their 1978 release by the same name. A standing ovation brought the band back on stage, without the chamber orchestra, to provide the audience with one more song for the road, performing the title cut, Ashes Are Burning, which brilliantly, and most memorably, closed out the performance. When the band invited the chamber orchestra to take a final bow with them, thundering applause filled The Town Hall. Bravo!

Leo Traversa

Until next time, keep enjoying the music!

Renaissance is comprised of:

Annie Haslam – Lead Vocalist

Rave Tesar – Keyboards

Tom Brislin – Keyboards and Vocals

Mark Lambert – Guitar and Vocals

Frank Pagano – Drums, Percussion, and Vocals

Leo Traversa – Bass and Vocals

Upcoming Renaissance tour dates include:

October 29, The Egg with chamber orchestra in Albany, New York

November 2, 2017, Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, Maryland

November 3, 2017, The Oaks Theater in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.

A Sampling of the Upcoming Shows at The Town Hall New York:

For information on The Town Hall and a complete listing of upcoming shows, please visit their website: www.TheTownHall.org or call the Box Office at +1-212-997-6661.

The Box Office is open Monday through Saturday from 12:00 pm until 6:00 pm, and is closed on Sundays, with the exception for performance dates.

"Town Hall has played an integral part in the electrifying cultural fabric of New York City for more than 90 years. Disclosing a tale of a vibrant group of suffragists (The League for Political Education) whose fight for the 19th Amendment led them to build a meeting space to educate people on the important issues of the day. The Hall was designed by renowned architects McKim, Mead & White to reflect the democratic principles of the League. Box seats were eliminated, and no seats had an obstructed view giving birth to the term "Not a bad seat in the house." During completion of the building the 19th Amendment was passed (women’s right to vote), and on January 12, 1921 The Town Hall opened its doors and took on a double meaning: as a symbol of the victory sought by its founders, and as a spark for a new, more optimistic climate."

The Town Hall
123 West 43^rd Street between 6^th Avenue and Broadway
New York, New York 10036
United States
Box Office: +1-212-997-6661
Email: boxoffice@thetownhall.org
Website: www.TheTownHall.org
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TownHallNYC

Renaissance Tour Tickets and Information: http://renaissancetouring.com/

For information on Annie Haslam, please visit her website: www.anniehaslam.com

For information on the band Renaissance and upcoming tour dates, please visit the website: http://renaissancetouring.com/

Read our interview with Annie Haslam: Annie Haslam of Renaissance -Interview

Follow Annie Haslam on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AnnieHaslamArt

Follow Renaissance on Facebook: www.facebook.com/RenaissanceTouring/

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