CARLYLE - Curtis Labelle performed in Carlyle on March 25 during his High on Pride Tour 2022 of Saskatchewan.
Tracy Hofos, the food and beverage manager of The Office Bar & Grill, provided the Observer with some personal insights.
“We were very impressed with the band’s performance,” said Hofos. “We had a good crowd in attendance and patrons appreciated their high energy brand of music. Labelle’s band is very polished, and the lyrics, guitar and piano playing was upbeat and infectious.”
Dianne Twietmeyer attended the performance and provided her assessment. “On Friday night I joined half a dozen friends at The Office Bar & Grill to have supper and be entertained by rock pianist Curtis Labelle and his band. For a few hours, at a very reasonable cover charge, we were treated to a mix of instantly recognizable original songs interspersed with an eclectic selection of pop-rock from the past 50 years.
“This was the 10th stop on Labelle’s High on Pride tour, but despite the obvious comparisons to Elton John, both in his flamboyant appearance and in his piano style, it was his ability to interpret strong female vocalists, such as Dolly Parton, Cher, The Pointer Sisters and Lady Gaga, that stood out for me.
A good time was had by all, whether dancing and singing along to bouncy and familiar fare or listening appreciatively as Curtis and his solid backing band delivered several of his more hard-driving originals. Thanks to The Office for booking this show. I’m glad I went.”
This was the first performance of a live band at the Office since 2019. Hofos added, “Like everyone else, our business has struggled through COVID since the spring of 2020. This past July and August, virus cases were appearing to go down and frankly we had a good summer.
“Unfortunately, the tightening of the rules complete with vaccination passports really affected our business from October 2021 until Valentine’s Day seven weeks ago. During that time, takeout meals accounted for a big part of our revenues. Now, in-house dining is on the rise and we are happy to see more and more of our familiar faces.”
Hofos and the owners of the Office Bar & Grill are very optimistic that COVID cases will continue to decline with no more restrictions needed. Additional entertainment is planned to be booked in the coming months.
Concluded Hofos: “The hospitality industry has been hurt by all of the medical restrictions, but we have survived, kept our doors open, and I honestly think that the worst is over. We are confident that everything will be back to normal by the summertime. Thank-you to all our customers for their unwavering loyalty and support during the past two years.”
