I was reading where Paul Anka was playing Theater At Westbury Saturday night. He is always playing the room, the man is like a human yo yo using the theater in the round as a homebase, Is wear he plays there twice a year.
Which is two times more than he plays New York City.
I have never seen the former teen idol live (Justin Bieber should read up on how the man traveled that rocky road -they're both Canadians, Bieber should contact him for career counselling!) ) and always have my eye out for him, he could fill two nights at BB Kings or Five nights at Cafe Carlyle with equal ease. But he never bothers and I don't see why. Why is he stuck playing a place I can't get to.
You see, I don't drive but if you don't drive, the Westbury takes a train and a car to get there and man is it a drag. I've only been twice, once to see Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis and once to see Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach. It was worth it at the age of 36, at the age of 56? Not so much.
So I have waited patiently for the man behind "Lonely Boy", "Put Your Head On My Shoulder", "Diana" and, er, "Having My Baby". And I continue to wait. Why Paul Anka won't play nyc I have no idea but none of us is getting any younger and now would appear to be the time before he does it his way forever.
Anka is 71, Berry 86, Bacharach 84, me 56… life goes on and times goes by (Crenshaw? 59).