Take a Chance Tuesday

On the last Tuesday of the month, the Ark hosts Take a Chance Tuesday. This event allows the general public to risk attending a concert of a relatively unknown artist without the commitment of a ticket and the price of admission. While this event has appeared on my calendar for at least a year now, I had yet to attend until I discovered that on January 27 Elle Casazza would be playing.

Though Elle Casazza (or Beth as I know her) went to the same high school as me, we first got to know each other when we were counselors for Choir Camp at Interlochen. After graduating from Chicago College of Performing Arts with a degree in Vocal Jazz, Beth became Elle and she has been playing gigs around the Chicago area ever since. For two summers I have desperately tried to see her perform – a seemingly simple task as I was living in the same city as her. The first summer I failed because somehow ever single gig turned out to 21+ and I was solidly 20 years old. Last summer I just failed. Either the gig was out in the suburbs or I already had plans or none of my friends wanted to go with me, so I missed out on ever single concert, and there were a lot of them! So when I received a notification that Elle Casazza would be performing in Ann Arbor I knew I had to be there.

Tuesday night I was there. 2nd row front and center waiting to hear the music I had been trying to hear for almost 2 years now. I didn’t know what to expect. Yes, her recordings were good. She has a good voice and good stage presence. But what worried me was the cliché “it” factor that prevents everyone in the room from taking their eyes off of you; that thing that differentiates between good and great, and which makes a live performance rife with flaws more powerful than a pristine recording.

Turns out I worried for nothing (would I really be writing about her now if it had been terrible? Or average? Or good but not great?). Elle Casazza is one of those rare artists whose recordings, while good, pale in comparison to her live performance. With an infectious smile and soulful voice she is the definition of stage presence with the musical chops to back it up.

From last night I learned two things: first, there is no excuse for me to not see Elle Casazza perform this summer when I am back in Chicago. Second, if this is the quality of the free monthly concerts at the Ark, I need to start making my attendance a priority.