AJ Croce!

 On September 21, 1973, singer songwriter Jim Croce was killed in a plane crash while touring. Croce in his short life had so many hits it's hard to remember them all. His son, AJ, or Adrian James Croce as he reveals, is keeping his father's music alive along with his own on tour. Backed by a tight band, background singers, and stories that keep one's attention, Croce plays a two-hour set of hits and deep cuts that seems like much less time.

Opening with You Don't Mess Around with Jim had the crowd at the Scott Recital Hall singing the chorus as enthusiastically as AJ asked for. Oh yeah, he asks you to sing along, he takes requests, he communicates with his band almost telepathically when the set list changes due to requests from the crowd. All the while as the songs go on, we see clips from the early 1970s on a big screen, almost like videos created for each song. All of us old hippies were in heaven hearing the music from that time and even earlier. Croce has a soft spot for the old bluesmen and for people like Ray Charles and honors them with tales and music.

At the end of the two hours, we get the huge hits, Bad Bad Leroy Brown, I've Got a Name (my personal favorite) and Time in a Bottle, which featured old home movies of Jim, his wife and AJs mom Ingrid (still alive at 77) and a two-year-old AJ cavorting at their home in Pennsylvania. I was a really sweet moment as Jim sung the song and then AJ took over halfway through. 

Jim Croce died at 30 years old. AJ Croce is 53 years old now and keeping this classic music alive. Power to him.

If you get a chance, go see him, it's worth it.