By Una Yarsky
The second annual fundraiser for Amidon-Bowen Elementary and Jefferson Middle schools’ music departments took place on January 9th at The Wharf’s Union Stage. The musical duo Urban Kites, consisting of former and current Southwest residents Terry Tuttle and James Yarsky, performed a setlist of twenty-four songs for Amidon-Bowen and Jefferson families and friends. Yarsky is a relative of the author.
The performance began with the Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night” and included songs with significant cultural impact across several genres. The duo performed a cover of “If I Were a Rich Man” from the musical Fiddler on the Roof, as well as more modern songs such as “Africa” by Toto. When asked what inspired the song selections for the performance, Tuttle stated that he and Yarsky wanted to focus on music throughout several decades in American culture, from Bob Dylan’s 1965 “Like A Rolling Stone,” Bill Withers’ 1972 hit “Lean on Me,” to “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish. Tuttle’s son Oliver, a former Amidon-Bowen student, performed a cover of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” with backup performers Marshall and Ned Millstone. The instrumentation for the evening included vocals, a nylon string classical guitar, a bass, and a resonator guitar.
Throughout the performance, photographs and art pieces that related to each song were projected behind the duo. Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” was projected on the back wall of the stage while the two performed “A Hard Day’s Night” as a tribute to the Beatles’ countless screaming fans. A Diego Rivera mosaic was projected during the Spanish-language songs on the setlist such as “La Bamba” and “Guantanamera.”
Tuttle believes that musical education is important. He stated that music is the “intersection of math, art, and science” and teaches young students important values such as confidence, shared responsibility, and teamwork. Yarsky hopes the performance inspires other students and parents and believes that “music is good medicine.” An audience member described the performance as “creative and fun” and praised the expansive setlist. The fundraiser drew in a considerable local crowd at Union Stage despite the cold weather.