But, alas, I couldn't make it. I chose sleeping in the car and Mark managed to check out their set. Maybe Mark can write a review?
After more shut-eye, I made my way to the second show of the day, Retroheads (from Norway). I have two CDs by this band, "Retrospective" and "Introspective", both of which I really like. This has been one of my favorite new bands of the past couple years. For a change of pace, Mark and I watched their set from the balcony. It's a good and different view of the stage and the sound is just fine up there. It's also easier to see the drummer from up there.
Unfortunately, this "band" has not performed much together and that was obvious right from the git-go. The bass player is the main writer in the band and created much of the first two albums by himself. There was no denying the excitement this band felt being on stage but a foul-mouthed and excited lead singer brought great energy but it was over-the-top in an unprofessional way. He did a good job getting the audience psyched for their set but then talked too much and said goofy things. With a little tweaking though, I do think he could be a decent frontman. I think a lot of it had to do with nerves. You could just tell how nervous they all were.
Oh well, they still managed to play a few great songs or parts of songs but they also had some sound issues that detracted from their set. They started one song and the bass player appeared to have forgotten the words to the song, so they started the song over from the beginning. Ouch! But the show went on and they managed to keep the audience on their side. One of their best tracks had an unbelievably cool and unusual drum part played entirely on brushes!
With lots of practice I do think they could become a good live band but this was a poor and unprofessional performance. I was very disappointed since I really like their albums so much.
Onto a sure thing...Magic Pie. This band played the 1st slot last year and were so great on stage that ROSfest brought them back for a 3rd slot this year. Who knows? Maybe next year they will headline!
Some bands are just meant to be seen live and this band is one of them. With three guitars (two electric and one acoustic), bass, keyboard and drummer, this band provides a very full sound. Five of the six band members sing too! And can they play? As Dick Enberg would say, "Oh my!" These guys are all so talented and they play so well together. The high point for Mark and me is the lead guitarist who simply blows us away with his melodies and technically precise yet emotionally powerful playing. This guy can shred like the top tier guitarists in the world but his playing has great feel and emotion too. A simply stunning performance.
The bar had been set very high for the upcoming Spock's Beard set. Were they up to the task without Neal?!
Magic Pie Plays a Blistering Set
The Beard opened with the first track on the new album. "On a Perfect Day" has quite a bit of the sound we came to expect with Neal Morse-era SB and was a rousing opener indeed! After following this up with "In the Mouth of Madness" from possibly my favorite Beard album "Kindness of Strangers", Spock's Beard had already leapt over the high bar set by Magic Pie. It was clear.
But how was the drumming you might ask. If Nick is up front singing (and playing guitar and keyboards!), what was going on at the drum kit? Let me tell you that we witnessed one of the best drummers we've ever seen. Mark will attest to this. This guy was smaller than me with a similar bald look. My guess is that he weighed 140 lbs. How good could he be and how in the world could he be expected to play Nick's drums?
From the very beginning, I knew that we would not be disappointed. He nailed all the trademark fills with stunning aplomb. He was as quick as lightning and played so powerfully. My jaw was wide open and remained so throughout the show. I was speechless. And you knew that Nick would have to play some also and thankfully when we arrived at the venue we saw two drum kits set up. Holy crap! I haven't seen drumming like this since the Phil/Chester duets of old! These guys were really tight and it looked like they'd been playing together their entire lives.
As much as I love drums, I've never been a huge fan of the drum solo. It has to be pretty spectacular for me to enjoy it. But, drum duets are another beast entirely. Two drummers working together to create a conversation that inevitably has highs and lows, and loud and soft moments on floor toms or cymbals, can be a highlight of a concert. And Jimmy and Nick created such a highlight in this concert. I'm still shaking my head.
And the mood of the concert was varied from spectacular playing and some powerful emotional songs to the goofy antics of Ryo Okumoto. Ryo had the whole audience in hysterics when he did a little karaoke ditty in the craziest Japanese voice you can possibly imagine. It had to be pre-planned but it sure seemed spontaneous and was simply hilarious.
The guitarist, Alan Morse, has a new solo album out and the band was kind enough to let him play a track from it. The band ripped this track and it made me want to buy the album. Great guitar playing and a catchy melody. Alan's a quirky guy on stage and you never know what strange antic he will do next. But, his playing was extraordinary tonight and that was undeniable.
And how did Nick do as the frontman? He was better than I imagined possible. His voice was in great form and he was a professional showman and moved the band between tracks gracefully. He played some keyboards, guitar, drums and sang. He's an amazing talent and most importantly, his voice was just great!
And Ryo and Dave Meros (bass) were spectacular. For my money, Ryo is the most enjoyable to watch on stage (other than the drummers). He can go from quirky funny to virtuosic playing in a heartbeat.
The bulk of the show included tracks from the last two albums, "Octane" and their latest self-titled album. These songs are more straight-ahead rock than earlier Beard CDs but I think they have found a new identity now and it works, especially live. Heavy rockers including "Is this Love?" and "Surfing Down the Avalanche" were big and beautiful songs with unreal power.
These rockers were balanced with some gems from the past including "Thoughts, part 2" and "Crack the Big Sky" and then they ended the show with classics from so many years ago. "Walking on the Wind" was no doubt a highlight of the show for me as "Beware of Darkness" was the first album I ever heard from this band. The encore included a medley of songs from "The Light" including "The Water/Go the Way You Go".
Tonight, Spock's Beard impressed me a lot. I have liked this band for a long time now but incredibly I had never seen them perform live. I am here to report that they are still alive and well even without the genius talent of Neal Morse. If you ever get a chance to see them, just do it. You will not be disappointed. They shone tonight and let's hope they keep shining for many years to come. I have seen the light...
Ryo and a Tie-Dyed Alan Morse
(Thank you George and Tom for putting together a world class music festival for the deserving progressive rock community. Slainte Mhath!)
No comments:
Post a Comment