Larry Gatlin came to entertain at Suffolk art center

By Frank Roberts

Correspondent

The concert by Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers was a mix of sacred, secular and silly.

It was billed as a Christmas show, but was actually half a Christmas show. The first portion of the 90-minute - no intermission - offering Friday night had nothing to do with the holidays, but a lot to do with the musical legacy of Larry, Rudy and Steve - mostly Larry.

He's having a second honeymoon with Gatlin lovers, and it seems successful. At the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, the last concert of the season was a sellout.

Concertgoers enjoyed the simple presentation - no flashing lights, no smoke, no confetti, no video - and gave the stars several standing ovations. One reason for the satisfaction is the Larry Gatlin voice. It is still smooth, clear and distinctive. Said voice was involved, during hour No. 1, with such Gatlin hits as "I've Done Enough Dyin' Today," and "Houston."

Suffolk proved a good stop for the Gatlin gang.

They had a good time, as did the audience, almost all of whom were 50-plus. Anyone under the big 5-0 was well-hidden.

It was the kind of audience that appreciated the clean humor - jokes abounded - and music with no questionable lyrics. LG made a point of telling fans that's the Gatlin way.

There were the requisite patriotic moments, beginning with "America the Beautiful." The audience sang along, Larry Gatlin noting that a California audience was also asked to sing along.

"They didn't know the words," he said, then added: "It's good to be back in America."

There was more flag-waving - a salute to the men and women who served their country in uniform - and lots of standees.

There also was a salute of sorts to Larry Gatlin's good friend Johnny Cash.

It was a swinging song called: "Johnny Cash Is Dead and His House Burned Down" (which it did).

Strange, but probably something the man in black would have enjoyed. The audience sang along.

Sing-alongs and clap-alongs added to the upbeat mood of the concert, which took on a weird note as LG sang a song inspired by his 4-month-old granddaughter.

He had the audience join him in the gem she inspired, "Boogers in the Snot."

He took time to noted the popularity of country music. "It's known all over the world and in parts of Wisconsin."

Several times, he cut into his songs and asked that the house lights be turned up, giving him a chance to banter with his fans.

The night's highlights included a medley of sacred songs performed in a swing mode, as well as a medley of such familiar seasonal fare as "White Christmas" and "Winter Wonderland."

The major musical highlight was something of which there was not enough. The close Gatlin harmony. It was most impressive on some of the sacred songs.

So it was not all Christmas, but the songs and the humor did indeed bring "Joy To the World."