Rainbow Girl Over the Moon with 5 Browns Under the Weather

Rainbow Girl and I recently scored when Grandma & Grandpa Cozy called up and informed us that they were taking us to see The 5 Brown's in concert at the local, beautifully restored downtown theatre. Having a peripheral knowledge of "The 5 Brown's", my eyes and ears perked up to their story.

All siblings from Utah. Nifty!
All classical pianists. That should help with piano lessons...
All trained at Juilliard. Whoah!




We were excited to have a special night with Grandma & Grandpa. While waiting for the big show over a month away, the media came alive with stories about the 5 Brown's that would turn me into the ogling drive-by lady in the Cadillac inching past a multiple vehicle accident with fatalities.

No one died, but in the course of a couple of weeks:
* The 5 Browns daughters (of which there are 3) filed charges against their papa for sexual abuse when they were younger
* Before his first appearance in court, the dad swerved his little Porsche off a canyon road in Salt Lake and went to the hospital with injuries (including his wife)
* Days later he appeared in court with cuts on his face, and pleaded guilty to the charges (his wife was still in the hospital)
* The next week he caused an accident when his beamer made an improper lane change

My first question is: Ew. Why does he have so many luxury cars?

And then: Wow, what a creep. Good for these girls to stand up for themselves!

So our concert marked the first performance since this catastrophe. The 5 Browns kept their touring schedule, they didn't gush about the details, and they thanked their fans for their support.



So we showed up and just look at our seats! Grandma Cozy got posh balcony seats with an amazing unobstructed view. The show was seriously amazing. You can see how their insanely big pianos are all formed into a puzzle so they can be in tune with each other. After the first number, Greg Brown introduced everyone and publically stated it was like coming home to play in Utah again. He specifically thanked all of their friends and fans for their support during this "difficult time in our family".

And then the show must have gone on. They were passionate and professional, wearing their own fashionable version of concert dress that included tweed jackets and sneakers, and rotating around the pianos with 5-somes, duos, trios, and solos.

I think one of the most touching numbers was when Melody Brown played the theme song from "To Kill A Mockingbird". What she said seemed to have layers of implication, especially considering their recent events with their dad. In a nutshell she said something along the lines of:

"I think this is the most honest piece I have ever heard. It seems to embody the story in To Kill a Mockingbird and the loss of innocence, but maintaining the faith that there is still good in the world despite that."

I'm pretty sure those were not her exact words, but it made me consider re-reading this awesome book or possibly naming this upcoming child Atticus. Most of all, it made my heart go out to this family with amazing talents, and a down-to-earth demeanor that insinuates that they will rise above this season and persevere. Of course, playing out your emotions on the piano should be great therapy as well.

At one point I found myself locked with my head sideways while I tried to follow what their hands were doing. If I closed my eyes, then it became a totally different experience. Crazy good were those little fingers dancing up and down those Steinways. Yikes!

The other highlight, was during the second encore, when Greg Brown sat down at the piano and sang this Coldplay song. Afterwards, all the siblings seemed quite emotional and hugged each other. It was touching to see their musical therapy play out on stage for us.

I love how the 5 Browns work hard to infuse a love of classical music in young people. And I LOVE that Grandma & Grandpa recognize my little Rainbow Girl's affinity for all things musical, and their support of this talent. Grandma Cozy even gave Rainbow Girl a journal specifically to record thoughts after all of her recitals and upcoming....choir concerts? plays? who knows!?



Thanks for an amazing night Grandma and Grandpa Cozy!