Ridgefield Hosts The Motels & Annabella!


by John A. Wilcox



Bow Wow Wow and the Motels both made their marks in the 1980s. Both brought very distinct visions to hungry listeners. Both will be onstage at the Ridgefield Playhouse. First on the bill is the unforgettable Annabella Lwin from Bow Wow Wow. Her unique voice and unmistakable looks mesmerized MTV audiences as well as Billboard charts. The power punk pop of Bow Wow Wow was like sweet dynamite. As furious as it was bright and catchy. I Want Candy was everywhere!



Led by Martha Davis, the Motels mastered smoky tragic tales of love and loss and human drama. A perfect example is the timeless Suddenly Last Summer. I spoke with Martha Davis about the origins of the classic: Suddenly Last Summer was a strange song from the time that it got written. It was the only one that I am totally aware of being years in the making. I remember distinctly sitting in the back yard in Berkeley feeling the first Autumn wind. I was sitting enjoying the sun in the back yard. It was Summer, but then that wind came in. You could feel the end of Summer coming. Fall's on the way. At the same time I heard the ice cream truck go by and I thought "That's the last time I'm going to hear that this Summer." There was a finality about that moment. Years later, that crazy riff woke me up in the middle of the night. I'd already moved down to Los Angeles. All of a sudden it wakes me up at 3 AM, and the song came for it and I didn't connect it right at that point. It turns out it was that song from that moment, but representing a whole lot of other things too. As time goes by, Suddenly Last Summer takes on different meanings because it's a different time that's existed in my life. There's now different relationships and experiences that are related to that song. We all know that music and songs are time travelers and will take you to different times. What I was feeling in that finality was that loss of innocence that I had in that particular summer when I became a woman.



Davis is a songwriter of the highest order. We talked about the process: Basically, I sit down and let the muse have their way with me. The main thing is to stay out of the way. To not have intention. To see where it takes you. Only The Lonely was like that. I picked up my guitar and I was just sitting there. It was like "Here I am...Boom!" Nowadays, because I've been writing so long it's very much like that. We know what to do with each other. We have a pretty good understanding. I also asked Davis what the Ridgefield crowd can expect from the Motels. Davis related: You will hear Lucky Stars. This is it's official day coming out into the world. You'll get some of the songs from the new album The Last Few Beautiful Days. You'll get the old standards. If you haven't seen this band that I've been playing with for the last 14 years - we've been together longer than the original Motels were together, and that's for a very good reason. They're amazing. I love this band. Everything's pretty golden! This show is one you needn't think twice about. Pure satisfaction awaits!



The Motels & Annabella Lwin
Wednesday, November 1, 8 PM
The Ridgefield Playhouse
80 East Ridge
Ridgefield, CT 06877
203-438-5795
www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org

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