Phil Vassar wows sold-out audience at Lodge

Photo by Kelly Lopez

Country music star Phil Vassar played to over 300 Canyon Lakers at the Lodge Saturday night as part of the popular Concerts at the Lodge series. The crowd sang along and danced throughout the night, showing its enthusiasm and love for Phil’s music.

Phil opened the concert with the bluesy Black and Whites and continued wowing the crowd with hits like Carlene,  Another Day in Paradise and My Next Thirty Years. The acoustic concert was a mix of romantic ballads and upbeat melodies.

Phil seemed at home with the quaint Lodge venue. After coming onto stage and performing Black and Whites, he turned to the crowd and asked “what’d y’all wanna hear?” Phil enjoys playing in smaller venues, he said in an interview before the concert. Although he has played at the White House four times and has performed in shows for the U.S.O., he said he prefers to sing for small audiences, like he did Saturday in Canyon Lake.

“It’s more intimate,” Phil said. “You can talk to the folks.”

Although the concert was acoustic, it was far from calm or quiet. Phil pounded on the piano all night and was accompanied by guitarist Jeff Smith for several of his songs. Phil enjoys playing acoustically. “It’s the purest form of what we do”, he said.

Phil said he has always been headed down a musical path. He said he was a songwriter first, then he learned to play the piano and finally he started singing. Some of his early influences were the Eagles, Elton John, Joni Mitchell and Billy Joel. Those musical influences were evident throughout Saturday’s concert. The background music, for example, that played at the Lodge before the concert started was almost entirely by the Eagles, and Phil sang Piano Man by Billy Joel to wrap up the concert.

Phil seemed to love performing Saturday night just as much as his audience enjoyed hearing him. He often stood at his piano belting out songs while he pounded on the keys.

“What you get on stage,” Phil said, “is a culmination of everything you’ve been working on.”

He said he is “having more fun than ever” performing at this stage of his life. “Music is in my soul,” he said.

Kanan Road Band opened for Phil and set the stage for a night of fun, laughter and great music. Kanan Road Band is comprised of three brothers, Kanan, Kyle and Kory Cox. Kanan Road is a local country music band based out of Murrieta.

Producer of the concert series, Doug Schultz, said he has been trying to get Phil to play Canyon Lake for years. “We finally got it done,” he said.

“What a show. Phil Vassar was awesome!” Doug said.  “I received so many thanks and congrats on the concert from Canyon Lake residents.

“The show sold out two weeks out, and the Canyon Lake audience absolutely loved it! I received more compliments after this show than any other previous concert.”

The Concerts at the Lodge series will continue with its next concert on April 25 featuring the 1980s metal sensation, L.A. Guns. L.A. Guns was formed in 1983 by guitar player Tracii Guns and, then unknown singer, Axl Rose on lead vocals. The team of Guns and, former Girl singer, Phil Lewis have sold 6 1/2 million records, including 1988’s L.A. Guns and 1990’s Cocked and Loaded, both of which were certified Gold. The current lineup features founding member, and lead guitar player, Guns, who has reunited with Lewis on vocals, along with Shane Fitzgibbon on drums, Johnny Martin on bass and Ace Von Johnson on guitar. General Admission tickets to this concert are $32 and VIP admission is $52. Tickets and more details about this concert may be found online at www.clpoa.com/laguns.

Other upcoming concerts including classic rock group, The Babys, performing at the Canyon Lake Lodge on August 8 (www.clpoa.com/thebabys) and classic rock and Woodstock sensation, Canned Heat, on November 7 (www.clpoa.com/cannedheat).