newcritics

Back in the late 90s, L.A. band, The Negro Problem were once described as a cross between Sly and the Family Stone and XTC. After repeated listens to their second album, Joys and Concerns, I had to admit it was spot-on: melodic funk meets quirky pop. I was instantly a big fan. Those of you who are not familiar with one-named front man and solo artist Stew, you can see what all the fuss is about when The Negro Problem and Friends perform for free at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park today. One half of the concert will feature cast members performing selected songs from Stew and Heidi Rodewald’s acclaimed rock musical Passing Strange which had a limited run earlier this year at the Public Theater in Greenwich Village. Best Plays Theatre Yearbook picked Passing Strange as one of the ten best New York plays of 2006-2007. Some of the other winners included Frost/Nixon by Peter Morgan and The Coast of Utopia by Tom Stoppard. I had the pleasure of seeing one of the last performances and I was really knocked out by Stew’s semi-autobiographical story, the sharp humor, the versitile acting and the soulful, crafty songs performed by Stew, Heidi and band. Please, do yourself a favor and line up for the free tickets this afternoon for the 7:00 pm show and check it out. I assure you, it will be pure pop bliss.