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I
Want Candye!
By Leslie Rosenberg
 When
I arrived at Jack Rose’s restaurant in midtown Manhattan at 10
o’clock on a recent Saturday night, I was shocked to find the
upstairs performance space nearly empty. The former stripper turned
singer Candye Kane was scheduled to go on in minutes, and I feared
that a lack of publicity would result in a poor turnout. To miss
her performance would be a cryin’ shame for anyone enamored of
swing and blues—this gal’s got pipes like a hotrod, revving full
throttle from the get go. Fortunately, my fears were soon allayed,
as a steady stream of tourists, locals and swing kids filled the
joint to capacity within the next half hour. Proof positive that
wherever she goes, Candye always draws a crowd.
I knew from her album covers that Candye was a large woman, but
she was bigger than I expected—buxom and full-bodied with a full,
round voice to match. The band kicked things off with two high-tempo
instrumentals, but it was Candye who set the tone for the night
as she launched into her trademark number, "200 Pounds of
Fun," of off her fourth CD, Swango (Sire). In her flapper
dress, fishnets, biker boots and red feather hat, she made it
clear that she doesn’t take herself too seriously. She’s lived
through some hard times, as expressed on her latest album, The
Toughest Girl Alive (Rounder), and she’s learned to keep things
light.
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| Photo
© Justice Howard |
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It
came as no surprise, then, that Candye camped it up on stage. She
was alternately giggly and sultry as she worked her way through
two hour-long sets that included everything from the gospel-tinged
"One More Day (Without Your Love)" to the Western Swing
song "I Left My Heart in Texas," originally recorded with
Big Sandy and the Fly-Rite Boys. During the bluesy "Wildcat
for Your Love," she displayed a girlish sex appeal, like a
teenager at a high school talent show toying with her very grown-up
urges. And after each song, she gleefully thanked all the dancers
burning up the floor in front of the stage, commenting at one point,
"I love to see everybody using their bodies in creative ways."
Her show has been described as "a revival meeting
in the parking lot of an x-rated bookstore," and
she is one performer best experienced live. The remainder
of her current tour takes her from Minneapolis to Phoenix
via San Diego this month. For more information or to order
her CD, visit www.candyekane.com.
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