The Adventures of Henning and Polaris

Photo by Cap Blackard

Last week, I played a show at the Orpheum in Los Angeles, California.  I was a member of the band Polaris and we were a feature at a Pete and Pete Reunion Show.  I explained it all in my last post.

I had a real nice time at the Orpheum, it's a beautiful old theater and it was full of an incredibly enthusiastic crowd.  They cheered at the beginning of each song.

We kicked off the night with the theme song to Pete and Pete "Hey Sandy".  That was followed by a panel with the actors, writers, and staff of the show. We then played a full set of the rest of the Polaris album.  The stage was decorated with astro turf and lawn accouterments.

Polaris with Rain Phoenix.
Photo by Lesa Bezo

We were joined for one song by Rain Phoenix who sang along with Mark on "Ashamed of the Story I Told".  Syd Straw also came up and did a song of her own.  I played guitar along with her in an unrehearsed impromptu kind of way.

There are a number of videos up on YouTube.  The best ones are those that were filmed by audience members.  They catch the spirit and the sound of the night.  There is also a long video of the whole concert but it is a board mix and it sounds sad and dead and flat.  Don't watch it.  Board mixes are the worst.  You can't hear the room so you can't feel the vibe. Here's a good one that I came across:


There are also a number of write-ups about the event out there on the web.  I recommend this one, it's touching and it contains a large selection of photos. Consequence of Sound.