These two silly musicians showed up in a documentary I reviewed entitled Pianomania. I enjoyed the doc and the duo, so when Igudesman and Joo played my town, I attended their performance. Despite a sliver of their shtick’s "surprise element" being spent in the documentary, I quite enjoyed them again.

What can you expect? Two excellent, classically trained musicians playing good music and pulling goofy gags. Sure, most of the humor is just plain silly, but you’ll definitely have a fun night out. Classical music and performance have built themselves a healthy culture of pomp and circumstance over the years, making the time ripe for this kind of satire. I & J take full advantage of the contrast between the staunch and the silly.

The show is clean for the most part, but the two aren't above a few blue innuendoes. At their most audience rousing, the dynamic duo forces pop music and classical melodies into the same space. "I will survive" made for a powerful encore (of many). Joo has a surprisingly smooth, jazz-swing crooner voice, and his Louie Armstrong impersonation will crack you up. Igudesman finds a sweet singing tone on his violin, and completely floors the crowd with his facial expressions and double-jointed pelvic, melody-driven, gyrations.

The acoustics for this show at the Carpenter Center were perfect (at least from our seats), the seating abundant (best spots for the early comers), and parking easy.

-- Books by Author/Illustrator Ross Anthony --