On the 11th of June, 2005, CSI: New York star Gary Sinise (Mac Taylor) performed with his Lt. Dan Band in Chicago to raise money for the Pentagon Memorial Fund. CSI Files contributor Mariel Keeran was present, and wrote the following report.

So there I am, a gawky thirteen or fourteen year old girl watching the TV mini-series, The Stand, for the first time. "Isn’t he cute?" I ask my cousin of the very manly Stu Redman. Now let’s fast-forward nearly ten years. Over this time, I've matured into a young woman who has gained a working knowledge of both music and theatre through my studies and, although I can still admire the looks of that man that played Stu Redman, I have come to appreciate his talent more than anything. So what's a proper Gary Sinise fan to do when she finds out that the Lt. Dan Band will be playing in Chicago, Illinois over the summer? Why, she finds a friend's floor to crash on and uses what is leftover from last semester's financial aid loan to buy her plane ticket!

And what a show it was! The Lt. Dan Band is best known for their work with USO (United Service Organizations) a program that is dedicated to helping boost the morale of the service men and women of America. This includes bringing recreation and entertainment to the troops, whether they are stationed in the country or overseas. However, the purpose of this particular Lt. Dan Band concert, Rock and Remember, on June 11, 2005 at Chicago's Park West venue was to gather funds for the Pentagon Memorial Fund, which was created to raise money to build and maintain the Pentagon Memorial in remembrance of those killed in the 9/11 attacks when flight 77 was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon. Money is being raised privately; the US government isn’t involved, although the fund certainly has its approval.

At the beginning of the concert, after watching several scenes of the band’s namesake from "Forrest Gump," the telltale sound of a synthesizer filled the room. Being a Who fan, as well as a fan of CSI: NY, it was only natural to get up and dance to "Baba O'Riley." The vocals for this song are actually quite demanding as the singer is expected to keep a steady tenor for the song's duration while also keeping a certain amount of grittiness in the voice to express the nature of the song. It's a skill that the male vocalist, Jeff Vezain, seems to have mastered quite well. Along with being a versatile singer (not only did he sing several of the classic rock tunes, but he also held his own through pop numbers like Santana's "Smooth" and pop-country hybrids like Lonestar's "Front Porch Looking In") he's also an accomplished dancer. Add all this in with the fact that I was able to speak with him after the concert and found that he's a genuinely nice guy, and you’ve got a top rate performer.

One of the female singers, Mari Anne Jayme, also proved herself to be quite the musician with her powerful belter mezzo-soprano voice. It was definitely a pleasure to listen to her sing songs like Aretha Franklin's "Natural Woman" (during which Jayme pulled up a service man to the stage and sang to him) and Evanescence's "Bring Me To Life." Not only was her voice very appealing to listen to, her whole stage presence was enough to bring a smile to one's face. She simply looked excited to be there and the enthusiasm she exuded was contagious.

The third singer, Gina Gonzalez, seemed to be a bit more limited in her abilities. Her rendition of Charlie Daniels' "Devil Went Down to Georgia" was set way too low and was thus lukewarm at best. However, that’s not to say she was bad. She's a very talented songwriter and when she played an original composition called "A Letter Home" (which is available to listen to on the "Lt. Dan Band's website") she shone. It was obvious in that moment that her talent is best showcased in a folky type setting with accompaniment on an acoustic guitar and maybe some mild percussion.

We were lucky enough to be treated to several Jimi Hendrix songs sung and played by Kimo Williams. Williams is one of those people whose reputation seems to precede him. He is a Viet Nam vet who has played music all his life, including during his time in the military when he formed a band to play for the troops. Getting to hear this man live (and playing Jimi, no less!) was nothing short of...amazing. The man is talented and, judging from what the Lt. Dan Band is all about in playing for USO tours, he’s very loyal. All in all it was an honor to have the chance to watch him perform.

As for Gary Sinise (yeah, you all were wondering when I’d get to him, weren't you?) what can I say about him that probably hasn't already been said a million times? The man's stage presence was electrifying in that the amount of energy he displayed was astonishing. If he's even half as animated on the set of CSI: NY as he was during this concert then it's no wonder that NY co-star Vanessa Ferlito admitted that she's often sidetracked by his abilities.

Admittedly, though, I’m a purist when it comes to classic rock and the thought of an actor having a cover band is enough to make me cringe. However, I feel that my expenditures for this trip were well worth it since the show certainly exceeded my expectations and especially since 100% of the ticket price was put towards the Memorial Fund. Which brings me to this: Gary Sinise is not just an actor or a musician, he's a man with a sense of social responsibility and the fact that he uses his position and skill to give what he can back to his country is admirable. Our troops are certainly lucky that he's teamed up with other like-minded and talented individuals to bring such an amazing piece of America to those who are in danger so far from home.

The Lt. Dan Band also brought along a guest musician for this show, a violinist by the name of Melanie Doane. Doane's most recent album, "You Are What You Love", is backed by the label Actorboy Records, an indie label that Gary Sinise started with Ted Dykstra. I have to admit that at first I wasn't too impressed with Melanie's skill. She played at the end of Baba O'Riley and, in a section where the music ought to "soar," her violin sounded a bit muddy, as though overshadowed by the rest of the music. However, she had another significant part in "Devil Went Down to Georgia" in which her talent was more adequately showcased.

The band also included husband and wife team, Danny and Beth Gottlieb, who played drums and percussion, respectively. At one point they melded into a lively duet and the smiles they shared between each other as they played let the audience know that these were two people who heartily enjoyed jamming together. Also, in the horn section, was Carol Williams on saxophone and Leon Allen filling in on trumpet.

It's been my experience that the better guitar players aren't always the ones who very obviously show off. No, it’s not the long, drawn out solos that make these types of guitarists special; instead it's the simplicity with which they perform their music, the way they occasionally add a signature touch to the piece they're playing. Ernie Denov certainly seems to know this and, if you weren't actively seeking him out, it would have been easy to miss him...until he walked out for his moments in the spotlight. Then, as the audience focused on him, it was easy to see just how intently he was focused on his guitar.

Finally, if you could drag your eyes away from the spectacle in front of you and let your gaze wander to the right, you'd see Ben Lewis on keyboards. While perhaps not as blatantly energetic as say, Jayme or Vezain, Lewis did exude his own brand of liveliness as he played. In fact, at one point several girls from the audience were pulled onstage to dance to "Lady Marmalade" and had feather boas put around their necks. When the song ended and the stage was cleared again, the audience looked up to find that someone had put their boa on Lewis. With a self-deprecating chuckle his face slid back into the "Aww, shucks" smile he’d had all evening. The next moment he got, the boa came off and was laid across his keyboard as decoration. It's musicians like Lewis that let the audience know it’s ok to interact with them, thus making the show that much more unique.

The show ended with "God Bless the USA" as service men were pulled from the audience to the stage. It was a touching moment, with several of the service men looking visibly moved by the display.

I found the show to be quality entertainment from skilled, enthusiastic musicians and so if you ever get a chance to catch the Lt. Dan Band in concert, don't pass it up! Of course, the only question left, now, is whether Mac Taylor will ever break out with some bass playing skills.

Photos courtesy of Carolina Rivera

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