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‘Copycat’ Eagles tribute musicians are lifelong fans

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Peoria Times Executive Editor

John Waxman is a fan of the Eagles for two primary reasons: harmonies and guitar work.

Waxman has the rare opportunity to pay tribute to his heroes with the act One of These Nights, who plays the Arizona Broadway Theatre on Monday, Nov. 29.

“The Eagles are a band that we’ve all followed for years,” said Waxman, who performs guitarist Joe Walsh’s parts. “I’m older than some of my bandmates. I’m from the Bay Area. I saw them in the early ’70s and Billy Joel was opening for them.

“I’ve seen the transformations of the different members of the band.”

At One of These Nights’ shows, the tribute act focuses on the Eagles’ hits, although the musicians do enjoy the legendary band’s deep cuts.

“We only play 90 minutes,” said Waxman, of Mesa. “We want to play the songs that people are most familiar with. It’s so exciting. Nine out of 10 people like the Eagles — except Jeff Bridges in ‘The Big Lebowski.’

“Most people know the words and are singing along. Fans are so happy, and every show is a fun show for us.”

Besides Eagles songs, One of These Nights performs solo Don Henley tracks like “Boys of Summer” and three solo Joe Walsh tunes.

“We put a little bit of our own spin on the music,” said Waxman, who uses a Talk Box like Walsh. “We modeled this show after the ‘Live from Melbourne’ tour, the first one they did. We do stick pretty close, but we’ll throw some lead solos in that aren’t quite the studio version.”

Waxman has been a fan of the Eagles since he first saw them in 1975 in Berkeley, California.

“They had just come out with their first album with ‘Take It Easy’ and ‘Peaceful Easy Feeling,’” he said.

“My brother was a musician. After that, I loved them. I was a fan from that day on. I saw them again at Day on the Green (festival in Oakland, California) when Joe Walsh had joined, and one more time on ‘Hell Freezes Over.’”

One of These Nights was founded about seven years ago but lead singer/guitarist JD Madrid of Phoenix has been performing Eagles songs for nearly 15 years. The band also in-

Eagles tribute musicians will perform the act One of These Nights at the Arizona Broadway Theatre on Monday, Nov. 29. (Photo courtesy of John Waxman)

SEE EAGLES PAGE 23

Peoria wood sculptor participating in Hidden in the Hills

BY PEORIA TIMES STAFF

Each of Matt Werner’s wood sculptures tells a story. Whether the Peoria resident is sculpting people in action or sitting quietly, his goal is for viewers to find their own story in the pieces.

Werner will showcase his artwork during Hidden in the Hills, which continues Friday, Nov. 26, to Sunday, Nov. 28. Coordinated by the nonprofit Sonoran Arts League, this year’s free, self-guided tour features 191 artists at 45 studios throughout the scenic Desert Foothills communities of Cave Creek, Carefree and North Scottsdale.

A native of Philadelphia, Werner was a teenager when he discovered an appreciation for art.

“I often visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and one day, I found Auguste Rodin’s ‘Burghers of Calais’ installed on the parkway adjacent to the museum. I had never seen anything so powerful. After that experience, I had a wholly different perspective on what art could be,” he said.

Werner was also passionate about geology. After earning his doctorate, he embarked on a career in geology consulting that spanned more than three decades.

“In 2004, I started a gradual transition to an encore career as a sculptor. After working so many years in the sciences, sculpting wood gave me a new vocabulary for expressing myself. In 2011, I finally was able to step out of my pre-

Peoria wood sculptor Matt Werner works on “Innocence Ended,” a piece that was inspired by the events of 9/11. (Photos

November 25, 2021

With ‘Copy That,’ Evans explores others’ music

BY ALAN SCULLEY Peoria Times Contributing Writer

Sara Evans has a current album, “Copy That,” out, and there was a genuine sense of not just excitement, but surprise, in her voice when she began talking about the project in a recent phone interview.

“I’d have to say it’s probably, I mean, I hate to say this because I never want to sound insincere, but this could honestly be my favorite record I’ve ever done,” Evans said. “That says a lot because A, I’ve made, what, nine albums now, but also I’ve written a lot of my own songs and they’ve all been my babies.”

Evans is referring to the fact that “Copy That” is made up of her versions of songs made famous by other artists. Evans said she realizes that artists commonly say that each new album is the best one they’ve done. She’s also aware that covers albums are sometimes dismissed as less important and less work-intensive than albums of original material.

But clearly, “Copy That” is not meant to be a stepchild of Evans’ nine previous studio albums (plus a Christmas record). Evans and producer Jarrad K (Kritzstein) put plenty of thought and work into the project, beginning with choosing the songs for the album.

“When it got down to it, I was like ‘Oh my gosh, how am I going to pick the songs? This is way more stressful than I thought it was going to be, because the songs are endless,’” Evans said. “I knew we could probably only have somewhere between 10 and 15 songs.”

The approach Evans took to how she wanted to treat the songs also required meticulous effort.

“What we decided is we were really going to – that’s why I named the album ‘Copy That’ – we were just going to copy these songs and not try to make it all quirky and different to where the songs were kind of unrecognizable,” Evans said. “He (Jarrad K) was diligent about that. He really worked my tail off.”

An example is the version of the Kenny Loggins/Stevie Nicks hit “Whenever I Call You Friend” (which features Phillip Sweet from Little Big Town sharing lead vocals with Evans and Evans’ two daughters, Olivia and Audrey, on backing vocals).

“Like someone would put a part on and then we would go back and listen to the original and we were like, ‘Oh, we missed that and there’s also that’ and then we would put that on. We were just like incredibly diligent about that,” she said.

The musical relationship that developed between Evans and Jarrad K is one of the reasons “Copy That” became such a special experience for the singer. Evans discovered Jarrad K, who’s probably best known for his production work with Weezer and the Goo Goo Dolls, after her manager suggested she listen the latest album by Ruston Kelly.

Sara Evans, who recently released the album “Copy That,” is performing Christmas songs at The Vista Center for

the Arts. (Photo by Lowfield)

SEE SARA PAGE 23

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SARA FROM PAGE 22

Evans considers Kelly’s music bro-country and she is no fan of that country sub-genre. But she became obsessed with Kelly’s “Dying Star” album, which was produced by, you guessed it, Jarrad K.

“I was just like, all the intricate details of the production and crazy little drum rolls and stupid, just stupid guitar parts that ended up being amazing, I was just like ‘OK, I want this guy to produce my next record. He has to,’” Evans said.

It turned out that Evans’ hunch that she would mesh musically with Jarrad K was spot on.

“We are literally kindred spirits. We are soul siblings. We are musical soulmates. And we had the best first meeting. I just couldn’t stop ask him things like ‘Why did you do this on Ruston’s record?’ And ‘Where did you get the idea?’” Evans said. “I always tell people that we fell in love musically.”

Another highlight for Evans is that “Copy That” became a family endeavor. In addition to having daughters Olivia, 18, and Audrey, 17, sing on the album, her 22-year-old son, Avery (who has been in Evans’ touring band in recent years), is the featured guitarist on the album.

“Avery plays guitar all over the record,” Evans said. “So almost all of the guitar parts that you hear are him, but he particularly stands out on the Wallflowers’ ‘6th Avenue Heartache.’ That whole entire outro of the soloing and stuff is him.”

Evans says the surroundings for the project also contributed to her fondness for “Copy That.” The album was made shortly after she moved back to Nashville last year after living for a decade-plus in Birmingham, Alabama, where her husband, former University of Alabama star quarterback Jay Barker, has a radio show. It’s where the couple, who married in 2008, raised Barker’s four children from his first marriage and Evans’ three children from her first marriage.

“That is a part of the reason that this is my favorite album because, I don’t know if you’ve ever moved away from somewhere and then moved back, but it’s an amazing feeling, and especially how much Nashville has changed and seeing all the old new blasts from the past, people from my past,” Evans said. “People have also been so kind to me about it, like welcoming me back.”

Evans’ enthusiasm is apparent in the performances on “Copy That,” an album that gets a strong element of familiarity thanks to the faithful renditions of the songs. The choice of songs, however, has some surprises.

There are a couple of country classics (Patsy Cline’s “She’s Got You” and Hank Williams’ I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”) and some ’70s-era country tinged pop tunes (“Whenever I Call You Friend” and Poco’s “Crazy Love”) one might expect from Evans. But “Copy That” also boasts several seemingly left-field choices, such as the Knack’s power-pop hit “My Sharona,” Dexys Midnight Runners’ Irish-tinged rouser “Come on Eileen” and the Pretenders’ bouncy “Don’t Get Me Wrong.”

The diversity of “Copy That” sends a very intentional message.

“I want people to realize that I’m so much more than just the country genre. And like when Spotify does like playlists concerning me, I don’t want to just be associated with Carrie Underwood or Luke Bryan or the current country,” Evans said. “I want to be known as an amazing singer and producer and musician, and not just Sara Evans, the country singer.

“I want people to go ‘Oh-my-God, I’ve never heard Sara Evans sing this kind of music or sing this way,” she added. “I want them to think that I’m an even better singer than they thought I was because I am singing better now than I ever sang, and I’m challenging myself, and I hope that shows through when you listen to it. But I did some really hard stuff on this record.”

Evans has started to filter some songs from “Copy That” into her concerts. Of course, with a catalog that includes 20 charting singles, including five No. 1 country hits (“Born to Fly,” “Suds in the Bucket,” “No Place That Far,” “A Real Fine Place To Start” and “A Little Bit Stronger”) that during the early- to mid- 2000s put her in the front ranks of the country scene, she has plenty of song choices for her shows.

“It’s definitely a good 90 minutes, no question, sometimes longer because I like to talk a lot to my audience,” Evans said. “Yeah, basically it’s all the hits — really even not all the hits — we don’t play everything.” PT

Sara Evans Blue Christmas Tour

WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 27 WHERE: The Vista Center for the Arts, 15660 N. Parkview Place, Surprise COST: Tickets start at $55 INFO: 623-523-8888, info@thevistaaz.com

SCULPTOR FROM PAGE 21 vious career and become a full-time sculptor,” he said.

Social issues have become more important to Werner, and he expresses his observations and opinions through his figurative pieces.

“I’ve become more confident with my voice as an artist,” he said. “My sculptures now include topics ranging across COVID-19, legal inequality, riots, and tragic events like 9/11. I also like to remind others that life — and people in particular — are engaging, amusing, noble, beautiful and joyous. People are simply the most interesting part of life’s show.”

Werner works exclusively with hard woods, such as maple, oak, walnut, mesquite and alligator juniper, and he prefers to use dyes to enhance his stories with color.

“I prefer hard woods because they are act to his work, especially when they feel a personal connection to a piece.

“I feel like what I’m doing is a vocation…it’s a calling. There is some God-given intent that this is what I’m supposed to be doing,” he said.

Guests can meet Werner and see his work at Sylvia Fugmann Brongo’s Studio No. 38 in Cave Creek, where he will also demonstrate his finishing process on his current sculpture project. Guests can also find his work at whiptailart. com. PT

“Grand Canyon” by Peoria wood sculptor Matt Werner. (Photos cour-

tesy of Matt Werner)

EAGLES FROM PAGE 21 cludes bassist/vocalist Justin Brotman of Mesa; drummer Ross Brotman of Gilbert; keyboardist/vocalist Steve Shostak of Gilbert and guitarist/vocalist Clayton Bircher of Tempe. In January, Waxman retired from Honeywell and now plays music full time.

“It’s fun for us and the people enjoy it,” he said. “Some of them come up after the show and say, ‘You’re better than the Eagles.’ I say, ‘Well, thank you very much, but we’re not better than the Eagles. They wrote the music. We’re just copycats.’” PT

Hidden in the Hills

WHEN: Friday, Nov. 26, to Sunday, Nov. 28 WHERE: Throughout Cave Creek, Carefree and North Scottsdale COST: Free INFO: hiddeninthehills.org

One of These Nights

WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 29 WHERE: Arizona Broadway Theatre, 7701 W. Paradise Lane, Peoria COST: Tickets start at $59 INFO: azbroadway.org

CHRISTMAS IN THE PARK

HOLIDAY FESTIVAL

DECEMBER 11 & 12 9AM-5PM DAILY IN HISTORIC LITCHFIELD PARK

FREE ADMISSION & PARKING GREAT GIFTS & AFFORDABLE ART KIDS' ACTIVITIES & FOOD VENDORS

litchfield-park.org

623-935-9040

live hometown parade along old litchfield rd dec. 11 at 10am

pictures with santa dec. 11 from 11am to 2pm

ice skating sessions all weekend long

ANSWERS PAGE 25

ACROSS

1 Paid (up) 6 Tennis star Graf 12 False 13 Sounded content 14 Warm, as leftovers 15 Not certain 16 Cruise stop 17 Farm unit 19 Garten of Food Network 20 Austen novel 22 Perched 24 Recede 27 Force 29 Pleasing 32 Symbolic first step toward getting hired 35 Cab 36 British noble 37 Eggy quaff 38 Existed 40 Squabble 42 Past 44 Furnace fuel 46 Volcanic flow 50 Cheered (for) 52 Ogled 54 Topical antiseptic 55 Builds 56 Strong points 57 “Midnight Cowboy” role

DOWN

1 Grieg’s “-- Death” 2 Actress Patricia 3 Private pupil 4 Sch. URL ender 5 “Feel-good” brain chemical 6 Incite 7 Jukebox picks 8 Hosp. areas 9 Fulfillment 10 Office plant 11 Notion 12 Greek consonant 18 Bach’s “Coffee --” 21 1501, in Roman numerals 23 Moreover 24 Newt 25 Large snake 26 Ornamental garden trees 28 Best-selling Michael Jackson album 30 Bill’s partner 31 Work unit 33 Spanish aunt 34 Sprite 39 Potpourri output 41 Swift 42 Met melody 43 Sticky substances 45 Praiseful pieces 47 Curved lines 48 Presidential power 49 TV spots 51 Dead heat 53 Epoch

EVEN EXCHANGE

by Donna Pettman

Each numbered row contains two clues and two answers. The two answers differ from each other by only one letter, which has already been inserted. For example, if you exchange the A from MASTER for an I, you get MISTER. Do not change the order of the letters.