“HEART OF GOLD” CONCERT REVIEW

By Amanda Lynn
Rolling Stone

Soon to be former Otter Julianne Francois (stage name) played before a standing room audience last Saturday at Redwood City’s Little Fox Theater. (editor's note: this venue is in foreclosure, the tables and chairs are gone so it was literally standing room).

The crowd was not to be disappointed.

Francois (married name Nolet) was the opening act for Pee Wee Herman. She brought her guitar and piano repertoire, guest musicians and effervescence personality to an excited crowd that included some beer drinking Otters.


The five foot six “I can only play the left side” singer had a mix of popular ballads, children songs and heavy duty hard rock except “Stairway to Heaven” and “Smoke on the Water” which she can’t play yet.

Her opening number, Heart of Gold, was an incredible rendition of singer/songwriter Neil Young’s only number one hit. Woodside local Young was in attendance and is seen here giving Jules his approval.

Her second song was a tribute to her teenage idol.


“The first guitar song I ever heard was by Jeanine Deckers, The Singing Nun,” recounted Francois. “I remember holding up the transistor radio to my ear and hearing “Dominique” and singing along.”

Dominique -nique -nique s'en allait tout simplement,
Routier, pauvre et chantant.
En tous chemins, en tous lieux,'
Il ne parle que du Bon Dieu,
Il ne parle que du Bon Dieu

Jules was accompanied on the piano by this cat:


Her third song took the crowd back to their younger days as first graders with this repetitive sing along:



No sooner had those lyrics been pounded into the audience’s head when this song started:



“I wanted to take the people back to a tranquil time in their lives,” recalled Jules. “I always found solace listening to my childhood record.”

Francois then introduced her band pictured here.

Bo Daly was on guitar while Jun Wei Bao played sax and Alan Nolet sang back up. Later on this quartet

performed these two songs with Jules.


After a brief intermission for beverages and food Francois took up her classical guitar and was joined on stage by some special guests. They played “Pop Goes the Weasel” and “This Old Man” where old-timer Tommy Muthig came on stage for this song and played the spoons.

Francois showed her diversity by going to the piano and knocking out some of these guys’
songs and also these guys.


The “Prince of Darkness” was brought in from back stage to the delight of the crowd and sang “I’m a Little Teapot” to the now inebriated rowdy gathering which included Ted Brown.

Her second to the last song “Jack Sprat” featured this banjo playing guest
singing to this backdrop.


By now the audience was out of control but Jules quieted them down with her final song of the night, her signature song
“Lady In Red”.

The after show poll affirmed that most people were there for headliner Herman’s yucks but came out of the theater blown away by Francois’ performance.

“I got there early so I could have a good standing room place for Pee Wee’s performance,” said Al K. Seltzer. “I’m so glad that I did. I saw the best concert of my life!”

San Mateo resident, Chip Munk said, “this concert brought me back to my childhood and did you see those hooters on the “cuchi-cuchi” lady Charo!”

“I was hoping to get Julianne’s CD of her music but there isn’t one,” said dejected Sawyer Dickey from nearby Menlo Park. “I did though, get one of her tour t-shirts in the lobby!”




This review: