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... by Joanne Corsano ... joanne@picturelake.com

Zoë with the Pilgrim Monument in the background
click thumbnail to see a photo gallery
of the concert

Personnel: Zoë Lewis (vocals, piano, guitar, ukulele, harmonica, percussion); Roxanne Layton (recorder, percussion, vocals), Ron Siegel (bass), Kareem Sanjaghi (drums), Ken Field (sax, percussion), Sylvie Richard (bongos, percussion).

Blink - Chili - Baby - Cup of Tea - Between Dog and Wolf - Putting On the Ritz - Step By Step ... intermission ... Breakfast Blues - Slow Boat To China - Welcome to the Circus - Always Have the Moon - Rotary Phone - Eyelashes - Gringo

Scroll to below videos for a review of the show.

These Shoes

Slow Boat To China

The performance this late afternoon by Zoë Lewis and the Educated Fleas was almost upstaged by the location -- almost. Hearing the positive thinking and joyful Zoë and her wonderfully skilled bandmates sing about life and death and everything in between is always an uplifting experience. But hearing that delightful music when on a hill that is the highest point in the Town of Provincetown while sitting in the shadow of the Pilgrim Monument, that just makes the feelings soar all that much higher.

This show almost didn't happen at all. It was originally scheduled for a Wednesday in August as part of the Provincetown Museum's summer concert series, something new the museum was trying this year, but it was rained out. And with rain in the forecast for this date it was looking like another washout, but the day came, the sun came out, and the show went on. The band set up in a tent watched over by a stately Cape Cod elm.

The expectant audience, mostly Provincetown locals this time of year, drove up High Pole Road to the museum parking, skipped up a couple of flights of steps, through the museum itself, and up the ramp to the shadow of the Pilgrim Monument, to set up their lawn chairs and blankets, some under the tent and some on the lawn outside the tent. Some of the concert goers arrived by riding the incline elevator (not a "funicular," that's when there are two elevators next to each other) up from Bradford Street. The show started at 5:00 -- moved to an earlier time slot due to the earlier setting sun -- and ran until 7:00. It was getting pretty cold toward the end. Concert going partner and I were glad we'd brought some extra layers, although Zoë's music always keeps the feet tapping and the faces smiling and there's warmth to go around!

The set list, as is usual with Ms. Lewis' shows, included originals from her ten studio albums, and several jazz standards. I never thought I liked jazz until I became a Zoë Lewis fan, but she plays upbeat, traditional, fun vaudeville jazz, where everybody in the band gets a turn soloing and a rousing round of applause from a truly appreciative audience. I just love these Zoë shows with a full band! One thing happened in this show that you don't see much -- when she played her juggling song -- "Welcome To the Circus" -- the song where she does her vaudeville plate-juggling routine -- the hilltop wind didn't cooperate and trying to spin those frisbees on top of those sticks was giving her frights! But she kept at it while the band soldiered on playing the music and the audience hooted and hollered their encouragement and she herself kept telling herself "don't give up"! It was a truly inspirational moment in a truly Zoë kind of a way!

Here is a page with a handy list of links to all pages on this website with content relating to Zoë Lewis.