Fantasy Springs, Special Events Center
Indio, California
Saturday, March 14, 2009

Story and photographs by Pat Krause

To see more Pat Krause photographs of the Paul Anka concert, click here.

Paul Anka took command of the stage at the Fantay Springs Hotel Resort & Casino’s Special Events Center, Sat., March 14, to the screams of the crowd. He was backed by a 13-piece band that filled the theater like a full orchestra. Anka walked down the aisle, came down about to the seventh row of seats, began to walk from chair to chair and from one aisle to the next as the audience stood to make room for him. He sang and shook hands with many of his fans and then took the stage to tell about and then sing the first song he wrote, “Diana,” followed by another song he wrote at age 17, “Ecstasy.”

Anka reminisced about his great friend Bobby Darin and sang Darin’s classic “Mack the Knife” as a tribute to his late friend. Anka joked that another song he wrote became famous about the same time the Dead Sea was just “sick.”

Anka took the audience back and sang many more of his famous songs, while he got comfortable and loosened his tie. Anka shared that felt he was so fortunate to have been able to write songs for himself and many other artists. He told about the one commercial for Kodak that featured him. Kodak created a slideshow of Anka’s early years in show business, which was projected on the giant screens for the audience. The video showed photos of his five daughters, first each as a baby and as they are today. He sang "Times of Your Life" during the entire slideshow of photos and quipped that the commercial put all of his girls through college.

Anka said this was his second or third time at Fantasy Springs and that he was so glad to be back because of the great audiences. Anka brought the audience up to date on several things that had happened to him since he was here last. Anka confessed that he married Anna, a former Miss Sweden, on July 26, 2008, who just gave him his only son Ethan Paul. He said they were in the audience and came down to get them. He had his little son and stepdaughter come on stage with him. Anka had his shy little boy say hi to the crowd and then asked the audience stand up as he sang the Van Halen song, “Jump.” He had the audience clapping and jumping along with the song.
 
Anka remarked that this must be an “American Bandstand” crowd since they seemed to like the oldies.

He surprised the audience when he got down into the crowd again, danced with a tribal member guest and had one of the gentlemen in the audience sing into the microphone. Again Anka went into the crowd walked on chairs and greeted fans. Anka spent quite a while walking down the aisle and up the stairs for a bit, what a showman!

Anka had the fans sing along with him on several familiar songs. He told the audience that he wrote the song “She's a Lady” for Tom Jones and felt honored to have been asked to write the theme song for the movie "The Longest Day," which he sang in honor of all the men and women in the armed services.

The audience got to hear Anka sing some more of his famous songs, including “Puppy Love” and “Lonely Boy.” He mentioned he wrote song ”It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” for Buddy Holly before he was killed in a plane crash. The audience sang along to “Oh, Lonesome Me” and “Having Fun.” Anka even obliged someone in the crowd who asked for an Italian song, so he did just that, in Italian!

Anka showcased his skill as an artist when he played the piano for one song and then had a few of the band come down to play along with him while he played the guitar. He said it has been 51 years that he has been in the music business and he is still going strong. He released his four-box set CD spanning more than four decades of his music and his more recent work, “Classic Songs, My Way,” released in 2007.

I hope he comes back again to serenade his fans here in the Coachella Valley. It is obvious there are many Paul Anka fans here from the reception at the concert. Anka’s songs continue to have broad appeal.

Debbie and Alan Deitsch, seen to the left, saw Anka perform in Las Vegas 20 years ago.

Lawrence and Suzanne Barnes, shown on the right, thought about and planned coming to Paul Anka’s performance ever since Valentine’s Day.

Thank you Paul Anka for not forgetting your fans here in the Coachella Valley.

Thank you Fantasy Springs for bringing Anka back.

To see more Pat Krause photographs of the Paul Anka concert, click here.

For Paul Anka’s official Web site, click here.

For more about the movie, "The Longest Day," click here.

For more great entertainment at Fantasy Springs Casino Resort, click here.