By Lisa Morgan –
By the time you read this, you may already be late to the party! “What party, where?” you ask? Wherever THE ARRANGEMENTS are playing is where. It just so happens that this talented collection of musicians will be entertaining the proverbial and perhaps literal socks off of all those attending Coachella Valley Weekly’s Fall Mixer at the Westin Mission Hills Resort, this Thursday, September 27th from 6 to 10 pm.
It has always amazed me how much talent we have living here in the Coachella Valley. There’s no need to import talent from LA or elsewhere, especially with a band like The Arrangements to choose from. A nightclub owners dream, these guys deliver an arsenal of popular classic rock music with the kind of energy and drive that translates into entertained and dancing audiences everywhere they go. It’s obvious that they love what they’re doing and they do it extremely well and with the utmost in professionalism. As a matter of fact, they cut their interview with me short because break time was over. By the time I arrived at their gig at Palm Desert Country Club, the band had already been playing for an hour. Within my first 30 minutes they held my attention with perfect reproductions of classics like Stairway to Heaven by Led Zepplin, Sweet Child of Mine by Guns and Roses, Hot Blooded by Foreigner and Already Gone by the Eagles. There was little interruption between songs as they played them with energy and skill the way I remember and love hearing them. There was no official dance floor but the band had them up on their feet and dancing never the less. It was obvious these were all seasoned musicians complete with a very nice blend of vocal harmonies beautifully fattening up and filling out the background to whoever happened to be singing lead. This brings me to a very important detail about this band that puts them over the top when it comes to cover bands in my opinion.
Carrie Lennon: Yes the last name is what you think it is. Carrie, who sings lead for The Arrangements, is also kin to the very famous Lennon Sisters. While there is no question that Carrie comes from historically fabulous musical lineage, don’t for a minute assume that she sounds anything like them. While capable of singing as sweet as she wants to, this little lady carries a big voice, the kind they don’t teach or “develop” at Julliard or even your high school glee club. This kind of voice is born, not learned ~ a voice the likes of precious and unique artists such as Janis Joplin and Grace Slick. In no way does Carrie try to copy them; her voice is just naturally gritty, powerful and very much her own and strong enough to front a band with a strong repertoire of male and female classic rock. Bottom line, the girls got skills.
I think one of the coolest things about this band is none of them are trying to be or do anything they’re not. They just love to play and do so with natural skill. It’s not about them, it’s about the music and entertaining their audience. The sound is mixed perfectly so even though they do play loud (after all, this is rock and roll we’re talking about, not easy listening) they sound great and that’s all about a good audio mix and equipment.
The Arrangements are: Carrie Lennon on vocals, Mike Gustin on drums and vocals, Pat Mahon on guitar and vocals and Phil Franklin on bass and vocals. They have only been playing together for a couple of years, but you’d never know it by their cohesiveness and their rather large following. They’re easy to like, fun to watch and deliver an evening of music that will send you back to the time and place you first heard that song.
Here is my suggestion to you. Gather your friends and get down to the Westin Mission Hills Resort this Thursday, September 27 at 6 pm and hear them for yourself. You may want to RSVP at www.facebook.com/pages/Coachella-Valley-Weekly. Plan on a designated drive because not only will we be enjoying the music of The Arrangements, but for a measly $10 cover, we’ll be having hosted wine and beer, Crater Lake Vodka Cocktails, appetizers and door prizes until 10 pm. You can also check out The Arrangements at www.thearrangements.net or follow them on Facebook www.facebook.com/thearrangements and watch CV Weekly’s Club Crawler listings to see where they are taking the party next.
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