Rollin’ on the river with Proud Mary

Paul Andersen, Enjoy!

BURBANK -- Que’s River Bottom may be nowhere near Nutbush city limits,

but that won’t keep this Burbank joint from jumping Friday evening when

locally based Proud Mary hits the stage at 9 p.m.

That is when Chantel Steinreich will once again channel the energy,

style and songs of Tina Turner as she fronts the band named for the song

that Entertainment Weekly readers picked as their No. 1 favorite classic

R&B; song.

John Fogerty’s classic song, originally recorded by his band,

Creedence Clearwater Revival, manages to evoke a feeling for a place (in

this instance, the rural South) that few songs have ever reached.

In the hands of the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, “Proud Mary” was given

a grits and gravy life that transcends formats and genres, an essence

that other artists point to and say, “that’s how you do it.”

Steinreich, originally from Brookshire, Texas, a small town outside of

Houston, always gravitated towards the Turner style.

“Oh, there are a lot of artists that I like,” she said over the phone

from her Burbank home, “but in terms of vocal and performance abilities,

Tina is definitely the tops.”

Around 14, after already gaining a solid background in dance,

Steinreich began singing in school choirs. Eventually realizing that it

is what she wanted to do with her life, Steinreich decided in 1990 to

move to Los Angeles to pursue a professional music career.

“Of course,” she now laughed, “everyone else is coming out here for a

career in show business. I came out here with a friend after a concert

tour we had been signed up for fell apart. We were new in town, with no

friends or family to speak of, and it got pretty discouraging.”

Though they got occasional singing jobs, the two friends often

competed with each other for the same work, and Steinreich stopped

singing for three years. During that time she took dance and theater

classes. Eventually, she began going to open mike nights at local clubs,

and soon she was singing again.

In 1994, she met John Steinreich at a church function. A keyboard

player and songwriter originally from New Jersey, the two soon began

performing together at weddings and parties. Eventually marrying in 1997,

she gives him credit for coming up with the Tina tribute idea.

“He always noticed that when he put her albums on, I would just lose

myself in her music,” she said. “He was already in another band, and I

didn’t want to ask him to help me, but when they broke up, we decided to

work together, and he pointed out that I always loved singing Tina’s

songs, so why not put together a show around her music?”

She agreed, and in October 1998 Proud Mary played their first show.

With an eight-piece band (they have three dancers that they can call

on for larger shows) featuring Chantel up front, their show is a powerful

emulation of a Tina Turner concert, with such hits as “Nutbush City

Limits,” “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” and, of course, “Proud Mary,”

as they follow Turner from the ‘60s to the ‘90s.

The two musicians are slowly introducing their own original material

into the revue, with hopes of moving away from being merely a tribute

band. But there will always be a touch of Turner in her music, Steinreich

says.

“After all,” she muses wistfully, “Tina’s quitting the road soon. I

hope to keep that type of performer, that nature of music, alive. Not

necessarily her, but that stage presence, that essence. That’s what we’re

really after.”

IF YOU GO:

WHO: Proud Mary.

WHAT: A tribute to the legendary Tina Turner.

WHEN: 9 p.m. Friday

WHERE: Que’s River Bottom, 4201 W. Olive Ave., Burbank.

TICKETS: $5 cover.

PHONE: 846-2343.

WEB SITE: www.zyworld.com/proudmary.