PHOTO/Zoe Lewis

Culture Vulture

Zoe Lewis: ‘Band in a Body’

 

By C.S. GILBERT

KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

 

Zoe Lewis, who completed her month’s residency at the Studios of Key West last week, is a multi-talented entertainer who was born in a village in southern England and is now based in Provincetown, Mass. On Nov. 22, she presented a fast-paced, rip-roaring concert of comedy and music that had the full house at Eaton Street Theater literally howling with laughter and cheering in affirmation.

Tagged “A Band in a Body,” Lewis is just that: She plays (with high skill) piano, guitar, ukulele, harmonica, washboard, bicycle bell and kazoo without the kazoo—only vocalization—occasionally several at once. (Did I miss anything?)

Her singing was excellent as well and she presented a full program of original songs. They were mostly humorous (When Snow White Said the F Word) but some were gently serious as well, as the song about seeking the house in southern France where her Paris-born mother summered as a child, or Eyelashes, a tribute to an aged but irrepressible friend.

Full disclosure: I’ve been a fan of Lewis since I was fortunate enough to stumble onto her very early act, a duo dubbed Lesbian Lounge Lizards, at a club in Provincetown probably 25 years ago. She was also a featured entertainer on several Olivia cruises we took over the years; I wrote about them in the late, lamented Celebrate! Key West weekly. While she’s a tad older now, her high energy and charisma have not flagged one bit. Her comedic timing, honed to a fine point, is probably even better.

As wide-ranging as her vocal and instrumental ability is the variety of genres in which she writes her music and lyrics: Serious to irreverent, salsa to folk to Broadway. She just puts on one hell of a show. I hope she likes Key West as much as Key West liked her and will perform at TSKW again.

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The community of local professional fine arts galleries continues to grow. Not too long after Sean Callahan’s whamo opening of his Dog Tired Studio at 1011 Whitehead St. last month (www.dogtiredstudio.net) 802-989-5910 came word (via a newspaper ad?) of Maggie Ruley’s new studio and gallery, Island Inspirations, at 933B Fleming, featuring “painting, pottery and local art.” Apologies if we missed the opening. Reach the gallery at 305-304-1013 or check out www.maggieruley.com.

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Funerals of Key West, a new first novel by longtime local Edgardo Alvarado-Vazquez, which was favorably reviewed by the Citizen’s Mandy Miles, is causing a little more excitement than befits a funeral. More than a novel, the book is a collection of short stories about the lives and deaths of a fictional Key West Family, the Zunigas, from late 19th century till today, augmented by poetry (successfully debuted at last month’s Poetry Guild), fictional Citizen news-clipping/reports at chapters’ ends (just a little repetitive—the news items sometimes provide little more than summaries, perhaps for emphasis) and a family tree. The author was encouraged and inspired by the Conch family history of his friend, the late, legendary and greatly lamented Lois Busto Kline and the book is a memorial tribute to her. It’s quite a tale. We’ve missed a couple of readings and signings already but there are sure to be more. Stay posted.

That’s all for now. Gotta fly!

 

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