AMBROSIA Review
Review of 8-23-03 Show at Casino Rama , Orillia, Ontario, Canada




Review By Lisa Mior

Photos By Lisa Mior

Song List
Nice, Nice, Very Nice
Mama Don’t Understand
You’re The Only Woman
Livin’ On My Own
Kamikaze
Hopes and Dreams
How Much I Feel
Time Waits For No One
Let Me Down Slow
Freak Show
In My Life
Life Beyond L.A.
Time Waits for No One
I Keep Holden On

Encore
Magical Mystery Tour
You’re The Biggest Part of Me

I had the great pleasure of attending the show of Ambrosia last night (August 23/03) in my hometown Orillia, Ontario at Casino Rama for the second time at this venue. Last year when I saw the band, it was part of Classic Hits with Gary WRIGHT and John FORD COLEY and this time, strictly Ambrosia played. The show was great (like that’s any surprise?), however I would be remiss if I did not mention my disappointment at the end of the show and I will explain this at the end of my review.

I went to the Casino early and donated a small sum of cash in the slot machines and then had a great prime rib dinner at St. Germaine’s restaurant with a cocktail (or two)! We went into the Entertainment Center just before 9pm and I managed to escape any line-ups and head right to the CD booth and purchase “Ambrosia-Live at The Galaxy”.

After being seated in great seats, we eagerly anticipated the show.

The band came on stage and their opening number was Nice, Nice, Very Nice. I have to admit that SHEM was missed from the lineup as I was memorized by his performance in last years show. Doug JACKSON did a great job on the electric guitar, but I am biased to SHEM and missed his great voice. The acoustic system was crystal clear making the sound great! After the bands opening number, Joe PUERTA introduced the next song “Mama Don’t Understand” stating this song is about Joe’s functionally challenged family. Next on the list Tollak OLLESTAD did a great performance of “You’re The Only Woman” and you could tell the crowd was really getting into it now. Tollak said to the crowd at the beginning of this song,”if we all wanted to get a little bit closer on this one, go right ahead” (At this point I noticed that a lot of elderly at Casino Rama must have to “tinkle” a lot because there seemed to be a lot of these folks creating a lot of traffic and not remaining in their seats and that was ANNOYING)!

Next came “Livin’ On My Own” from Ambrosia’s 1980’s One-Eighty Album. Following this Joe introduced the song “Kamikaze” which was from the One-Eighty Album as well. Joe said he wrote this song as a tribute to a friend of his who he grew up and this friend, who at the age of 5 or 6 could fly planes and later became an engineer on this album. Joe made mention of Doug JACKSON’S and his great guitar playing. Joe introduced the next song saying it doesn’t show up on any album and may be floating around on the Internet on certain websites. The song is called “Hopes and Dreams”. Joe said they had actually submitted this song to the Olympic Committee because they thought it had a potential message to people, although the committee didn’t select it.

Joe then announced they were going to let the “Maestro of Love” say a few words better known as Doug JACKSON. The song was “How Much I Feel” and Doug spoke in his Barry WHITE voice dedicating the song to all the young ladies in the crowd. Again, the fans really enjoyed this song known for its popularity. I looked around me at this point and noticed all the swaying in the seats and people were truly into this song.

Burleigh DRUMMOND spoke next and said he had heard that us folks up in Canada had been experiencing some trouble lately with our power (just in case anyone cares, Orillia was without power during the blackout for over 20 hours while Casino Rama ran their own generators and kept on operating). Burleigh said that the band and folks of California had been experiencing some power troubles as well, POWER OF AUTHORITY! Burleigh had no doubt that Arnold (SCHWARZENEGGER) is going to change everything (although he confessed he was going to vote for ‘that’ girl, the former ‘you-know-what queen’!!!) He said that this girl could bring a lot of good things to the table!

Burleigh introduced the members of the band next. On the harmonica, keyboard and vocals and back from his sabbatical in Italy, Mr. Tollak OLLESTAD. Burleigh asked Tollak if he was ‘anointed’ in Italy by the Pope and everyone laughed. Next he introduced on percussions and vocals, Mr. Ricky COSENTINO as “the pride of Sicily” and who has been loaned to Ambrosia from the Mafia family! Burleigh introduced Texas' own Douglas JACKSON on guitar and Christopher Reed NORTH on keyboard. (Burleigh said Christopher was having his OWN way once again with another organ on stage)! He introduced Joe Louis PUERTA as the heart and soul of Ambrosia who comes from a great family of Spanish bullfighters, the ‘torah adores’ of bass guitars.

Burleigh's introduction was told by himself as he explained back years ago in the early 50’s in Nevada, there was an area of Nevada where some experiments took place in cloning. Burleigh said a scientist mixed up a vial of Tommy SMOTHERS and a vial of STING and that is where he came from! In another experiment, a vial of Jimmy HENDRIX and a vial of LIBERACE and that is where PRINCE came from!! The crowd really laughed at this analogy.

Burleigh introduced the next song from their first album and one of their favorites “Time Waits For No One” (this is a song Alan PARSONS mixed for them and then went on to his own career and Ambrosia has never forgiven him since). Joe introduced the next song for those who like sorrow, misery and break up of relationships called “Let Me Down Slow” which is not found on any of their albums. The next song Joe said he wrote after watching an episode of Jerry SPRINGER called “Freak Show”. Following Freak Show, Joe said they were going to go into the mind of a very mysterious character and turned the mic over to Tollak. Tollak said this next song is on their latest live CD and written by Tollak called “In My Life” and it’s about finding faith.

Ricky COSENTINO sang the next song “Life Beyond L.A.” followed by the Tollak performing “I Keep Holding On” and that was the end of the regular show. The guys came back for a well-deserved encore and sang a song that was originally done by one of the bands favorite groups called “Magical Mystery Tour” and closed out with “You’re the Biggest Part of Me”

Tollak announced that Ambrosia would be around shortly after the show to sign autographs and this is where I come in. Having nerves of steel (Billie and Pat knew I was nervous about this part), I fought through the crowd, knocked over small children, climbed the highest mountains, swam through shark-infested waters, trenched through snake filled rain forests to get a personal conversation and pictures with Ambrosia. I lined up with all the fans for autographs with the intentions of letting Tollak know that I was there (this had been previously arranged via email between Tollak and Pat Boyette who was expecting me). Once it was my turn up with the members of the band, I did let Tollak know I was representing the ‘Travelers” and was attempting to do this review and would really like some pictures of the band and myself. Wow, Tollak was so nice and he was more than willing just as soon as the lineup of autograph seekers disappeared. I told the same story to Burleigh and Joe and they were more than accommodating. I stood off to the side with great anticipation of getting some great pictures only to be told by the Casino Rama Security Force that I would have to leave the Entertainment Center and could not wait around!!! I explained to security that I had permission from the band and was doing and review and this power hungry security guard bluntly informed me that he was not aware of any review and that I must vacant immediately. He also told me that the band would NOT ALLOW pictures!!! I said in my nice voice to this security officer, “could you go over to Tollak and ask him since he knows I am here and waiting for them to finish up?” Unfortunately this ‘less-than-nice’ security officer would not accommodate my pleas. I had to leave without saying goodbye or getting any group shots. If I were Ambrosia, I would think twice about playing at this venue again and that’s unfortunate since it’s the fans that want to see them. My apologies to the members of the band for doing a disappearing act, but it seems I did not have a choice. I did get some pictures of the guys signing autographs while waiting in line and hope that management of Ambrosia will write to the Casino on this power hungry security behavior as it should not of happened. It pretty much ruined the end of a great evening!!!

Thanks Again Ambrosia, I had a great time (up until the security part) and hope you find it in your hearts to return again one day.

That’s my story……

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