What a delightful way to have been able to finally meet ProgDirJim and Rog-Dot-Lee. The dinner with them and my wife Sallie was indeed scrumptous. Dinner prior to the concert, quite underwhelming. I think we would have done better at the Johnny Rockets we saw on the way back to the venue. Ah well.
The show was a very good one. And I concur pretty much with the other gentlemen. The importance of the date being their last night on the American Leg of the tour and it being recorded made it a very focused performance.
I felt the musicians were very focused, but I also think they were a little reserved. They held back, as Rog-dot noted, from making much contract or interaction with the audience. Steve Wilson even confessed to being very afraid of getting every lick just right even when "improvising" a solo. And he did, but as I said, I felt it was reserved.
Seeing Porcupine Tree for the first time (a year of firsts for me) showed a fuller dimension of their work to me. Fear of a Blank Planet is an extremely dark piece musically. With the added video they showed on stage it took on a even darker and bleak tone for me. The songs telling of lifes hopelessly lost in grief, drugs, fear, lothing and anger. Not what you would call "uplifting" music. It left me a little empty at the end.
As exemplified by the other reviews, the show was very professional, the musicians excellent, but as a 50 year old, I could not connect to that world and find it pleasing to my psyche. I left emptied by the tone and themes of the music. I can only say they are definately a Glass Half Empty band. But boy can they play their instruments well together. They are extremely talented.
I think, in the future, I will probably stick to their recordings where I can ignore the lyrics and just let the wonderful music waft over me. (To each their own, right.)
3 was quite a bit more passionate, as the opening act, but cliche. Heavy metal guitar and bass licks. I too liked their last song. The lead singer did do a flamenco style strumming/picking and it was a great sylistic change. A very good jam piece. The added percussion elements by the keyboardist were definately a welcome. Started to resemble Rusted Root just a little. These guys were also horsing around a lot. Must also have been last night syndrom. They had also just driven from Dallas, where they played the night before. They were throwing towels and bottles at each other. One finally spewing water all over the other.
Kind of fun, kind of immature. Man, am I getting too old for this? I hope not.
Well, time to go put the walker up.
