By Catherine Ellerton
Moapa Valley Progress
What do the drums, violin, bass, guitar, banjo, mandolin, piano, keyboard, timpani, harp, xylophone, bagpipe and trumpet have in common? They are some of the many instruments that the talented Lowe Family plays during their performances. In addition, this musical family of seven siblings (Korinne, Doug, Kami, Kara and Kayli – at this evening’s performance) and two parents (Robert and LeeAndra) sing, dance, and are quick change artists to boot.
As the opening act of the 2010 – 2011 Season of the Moapa Valley Performing Arts Council, The Lowe Family was an exceptional choice. This writer recommends you walk, run, skip or jump to the next performance on October 18 (Evening Of Percussion) and pick up your season ticket.
The publicity that precedes these events usually is a bit lavish; however, in this case, the words of praise “hit the nail on the head.” The one item missing in these write ups is the enthusiasm and total involvement of the audience.
This group, currently from Nashville, Tennessee, offers the total package – brilliant costumes that are changed constantly, backdrop slides to enhance the theme of the segment being performed, interesting lighting, and excellent canned musical interludes and backup. All of these only add to the brilliant, energetic and upbeat performance given by the group as they dance and sing their way through the program.
The Lowe Family weaves their way through a whiz-bang “Flight Of The Bumble Bee,” to powerful renditions of “You’ll Never Walk Alone/Impossible Dream” and “Les Miserables/Phantom of the Opera,” to a comedic narration of Channel Flippers, to an energetic “40’s Medley” in which they obtained the help of audience member, Don Bender (he had to be a “plant” – he was that good), to the “Music of the Masters” (in which family member Doug brilliantly played Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto).
And, yet, this was not enough. The group performed a marvelous selection written by above family member, Doug, called “We Will Go On.” Aiding in that performance were the Valley Voices.
The Lowe Family has no bounds. From Latin music to Bluegrass to Irish (in which the father, Robert, played a touching trumpet solo – no tear jerking – “Danny Boy” in memory of a family member who had died shortly after birth.)
The love of Country as seen in a flamboyant “Patriotic Tribute” to the love of family as heard in “Love At Home” and in the comradeship and unity of the family members as witnessed on stage, leads one to believe that all will be OK with these wonderful values still intact.
