Dennis DeYoung: Live at the Hard Rock Vancouver (March 21, 2014)

On By Time LordIn Progarchy2 Comments

ddy1

A few days ago, I read the totally awesome review right here on Progarchy of the Dennis DeYoung show in Joliet, Illinois.

I soon realized that Dennis was bringing his show to Vancouver on March 21, 2014! (1981 was the last time he visited the city.)

But I was scheduled to see Yes in Vancouver on March 20. Would I also be able to make it to the DeYoung show?

Well, as it turns out, my wife and I had an amazing time at the Yes show, where we also met new Progarchy friend Paul Fitzgerald of See It Live Canada, who encouraged us to join him at the DeYoung show the next night.

So, in about as much time as it takes to say “SHOW ME THE WAY” we decided to hit the DeYoung show the next evening. After all, I had it on good authority from Progarchy’s Brian Morey that the show would be awesome.

And what can I say? Progarchy is truly here to show y’all the way. Because the show was incredible.

All the musicians were so insanely superb that the Styx songs were actually even more impressive live than on the original recordings, and how many times can you say that about a concert?

I mean, these guys were such pros that they even took in stride the odd technical difficulty, like wireless guitar frequencies suddenly dropping out, and didn’t miss a beat at all. Nothing could stop them from having fun on stage! They turned everything into an occasion for maximum musicality and celebratory joy.

As Brian wrote, DeYoung added a healthy dose of stand-up comedy to the evening, including various jokes about being 67 and yet still on stage acting like an 18-year old. Even all his stage moves had the right balance of self-deprecatory self-awareness and unfiltered joyousness. The amazing thing is that DeYoung is so mega-talented that his voice and keyboard chops are still in prime condition.

Paul captured some of the excitement with his photographs, a few of which I include in this post.

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Brian couldn’t recall the full set list in his excellent review, but thanks to the front-row Styx super-fan named “Chrystal Ball” (indeed, that is how she was introduced to me by Paul), I was able to take a photo of the set list given to her by the band at the end of the evening; here it is reproduced in full below:

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For me, the songs with the biggest emotional impact were “Show Me the Way” (which DeYoung dedicated to Canadians and Americans who serve in the military), and “Best of Times” (which seemed to be the show’s end, but to the crowd giving a standing ovation, DeYoung said that he would skip the silly ritual of going off-stage and pretending not to come back, and then they proceeded to launch right in to the two encore songs), and “Come Sail Away” (which was even more incredible in the prog-enhanced live version than on vinyl).

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But objectively it is hard to pick favorites from the set list, since every song played was a classic track now super-enhanced with live musical adrenaline. Watching the mega-talented axe-men August Zadra and Jimmy Leahey trade off guitar solos or even play in unison was a continual delight throughout the evening. Also, Zadra’s vocals were so incredible that they make that other entity touring under the name “Styx” look merely like a Larry Gowan cover band. I can’t imagine anything better than DeYoung’s show. (Although I guess I should admit that I actually do like the Cyclorama Styx album of 2003.)

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Also part of the touring team are Tom Sharpe on drums, John Blasucci on keyboards, “the Reverend” Craig Carter on bass guitar, and — last but certainly not least — Dennis’ wife Suzanne DeYoung on backing vocals. Married for 44 years, she is the real inspiration for the classic Styx song, “Babe.”

Don’t miss this show! A+ entertainment.

The Return of Kate Bush

On By Connor MullinIn progressive rock music3 Comments

katebush

Kate Bush, one of only a handful of female prog rock performers (and the best, in my humble opinion), is returning to the stage after a 35 year absence.  Bush, who catapulted to stardom at the young age of 19 thanks to her hit song Wuthering Heights, last played live in 1979.  There has been much speculation over the years as to why she has not done any tours, but the good news is that she is now finally getting back on the stage.  Unfortunately for Americans such as myself, she will only be playing a series of shows in London this upcoming August and September.  Here is an article from Time with more information: http://time.com/33156/kate-bush-live-shows-perform-concert/

Interview with Edgel Groves Jr. of Insideout Music (U.S.)

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock music1 Comment
Edge Groves, Jr., and Mike Haid on the Progressive Nation at Sea Cruise, 2014.
Edge Groves, Jr., and Mike Haid on the Progressive Nation at Sea Cruise, 2014.

Excellent and insightful interview with one of the foremost rising talents of the music industry, Edge Groves, Jr.  Enjoy.

http://www.rockbandsofla.com/inside-insideout-music/

Gazpacho Explains the New Album

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock music5 Comments

A note from Thomas Anderson

Hi all connoisseurs and lovers of different music! We are in the happy position of being able to offer you the chance of indulging in the guiltiest pleasure of all for music aficionados. You can now purchase the new Gazpacho album.

It is called Demon and it is a true fully fledged concept album.

Here is the official info on the album:

Demon is inspired by a conversation Thomas had with his father a few years ago where he spoke of a dark force moving through history. During the conversation his father recalled a business visit to Prague in the seventies where he visited the family of some of his hosts.

The family lived in an old apartment, recently renovated after a fire. In the debris, an old manuscript was found. The manuscript was written by a previous resident, for which no records existed other than that his rent had been pre-paid for many years.

Written over two years, the band have described Demon as the ‘most complicated and strange album Gazpacho has ever made’ and whether the manuscript is truly the work of an obsessed madman or an urban legend it has certainly provided the basis for an interesting twist on a concept album. The manuscript contained various ramblings and diagrams which formed the basis of a diary, of sorts, of the man. He claimed to have discovered the source of what he called an evil presence in the world.

This presence, ‘The Demon’, was an actual intelligent will, with no mercy and a desire for bad things to happen. The author wrote as if he had lived for thousands of years stalking this presence and the manuscript contains references to outdated branches of mathematics, pagan religions unknown to the present world and an eyewitness account of the bubonic plague. So crazed were the writings that the document was donated to the Strahov Library in Prague, where it was thought it would be of interest to students of psychiatry.

The thought of this mysterious figure that had lived through the ages, hunting the ‘Demon’, seemed like too good of an idea not to write about. Thomas presented the idea to the band who were just as inspired by the story, and with Jan Henrik, he started writing the lyrics based on what they thought the manuscript would reveal, drawing inspiration from previously ‘discovered’ diaries and manifests.

The story is told in four parts, ending with ‘Death Room’ which are the last words of the unfinished manuscript written just before the disappearance of the unknown writer.

We hope you enjoy it.

Love from all of us, Gazpacho

Rush Planning ‘Rarer’ Material for 41st Anniversary Tour

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock music1 Comment

rvkeeper's avatarrush vault

3042.f Alex says the band is planning to perform pieces that haven’t gotten much play over the years on a tour that’s in the works to celebrate the band’s 41 years making records.

Alex mentioned the tour in a March 20 Rolling Stone piece with Andy Greene, and says it’s likely to be fairly long and fan-focused.

“I think we’re probably going to lean towards making it a real sort of fan event, and really try to put something together that’s very pleasing for the fans across the board,” he says. “We want to try and play different material this time. I’ve always wanted to do some rarer Rush material, and this should be a good opportunity to do that. I also think it’s going to be a long tour.”

The band’s successful Clockwork Angels tour, which geerated about $36 million and was a top grossing tour, ended about 7 months…

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Holy Vernal Equinox! Arrivals today at Progarchy HQ.

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock musicLeave a comment

Photo on 3-21-14 at 12.47 PM #5

What a load of treasures to show up at Progarchy today.

  • Big Elf, INTO THE MAELSTROM (Insideout Music)
  • John Wesley (with Alex Lifeson), DISCONNECT (Insideout Music)
  • The Crimson Projekct, LIVE IN TOKYO (Insideout Music)
  • and, Gazpacho, DEMON (Kscope)

A huge thanks to Edgel Groves, Jr.!

P.S.  And, the sun is actually out and happy on this first official day of spring in Michigan.  Will wonders never cease!?!?

Yes: Live in Vancouver (March 20, 2014)

On By Time LordIn ProgarchyLeave a comment

yes-vancouver

I was at the amazing Yes show last night in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Note the Vancouver skyline outside the QE Theatre in the show poster above.)

The concert was superb! A dream come true!

An awesome display of guitars rotated through the hands of Steve Howe and Chris Squire and Jon Davison during the show. This was a revelation to me, because when I listen to the albums I have never imagined all the changing guitar models throughout the songs! It was so much fun to see this live.

My review and recollections will appear soon on Progarchy. In the meantime, here’s an excerpt from a Victoria newspaper about the preparations for the Canadian tour. Victoria was the first stop of the tour and Vancouver the second:

Esquimalt has been rehearsal headquarters for classic rock band Yes as it prepares for a cross-Canada concert tour that starts tonight in Victoria.

The British rock group, famous for the hits Roundabout, I’ve Seen All Good People and Owner of a Lonely Heart, rented the Archie Browning Sports Centre on Monday and Tuesday so that its eight-person crew could stage a dry run of the two-and-a-half-hour concert.

“They all live in different parts of the world, so they have to get together to jam,” said production manager Joe Comeau, who oversees the band’s stage show. “It’s a chance for the band to work through the kinks.”

It’s unusual for a touring act to have space on its schedule for a full-scale rehearsal even for a single day, let alone two. Days off are usually spent travelling instead of rehearsing, but these practices were necessary, Comeau said.

They come on the heels of a six-month layoff for Yes. Though it was time-intensive to set up the band’s gear, it gave everyone involved some peace of mind heading into a series of concerts. “It’s the longest break we’ve had in a long time,” Comeau said.

Various band members and Yes crew were in action Monday morning, but the curling rink at Archie Browning didn’t get into full swing until Tuesday, when drum, guitar and lighting techs began readying gear for the full band’s arrival.

Yes members Alan White (drums), Steve Howe (guitar), Chris Squire (bass), Jon Davison (vocals) and Geoff Downes (keyboards) were all present for a full practice by late afternoon Tuesday and ran through the concert in its entirety.

The real thing will be unveiled tonight during the band’s inaugural Victoria performance, the first of 10 dates in Canada on the Grammy-winning band’s Triple Album Tour. The band is scheduled to perform three records, The Yes Album (1971), Close to the Edge (1972) and Going for the One (1977), front-to-back tonight.

In an earlier interview with the Times Colonist, White preached the need to practice while in Greater Victoria.

Though various members have been with Yes since 1969, the band doesn’t like to leave anything to chance.

“You’ve got to tighten things up,” White said. “Some of these songs, we haven’t played for six months. We need to get in the mode.”

Joe Comeau strings Steve Howe’s 1955 Fender Telecaster for practice sessions by rock band Yes at Archie Browning Sports Centre in Esquimalt. by Mike Devlin, Times Colonist; Photo: Darren Stone.

Scandinavia: A Giant Of Heavy Music – An Introduction

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock musicLeave a comment

manofmuchmetal's avatar

I have often jokingly said that, when it comes to heavy metal and rock music, there is an area of the world that seems to punch above it’s weight and provide the metal community with an extraordinary amount of high quality music. Indeed, every time I mention it, my family roll their eyes, a non-verbal ‘yes, I know, you mention this all the time’. But actually, it is not a joke, far from it in fact.

I’m not talking about the USA or even the UK, even though both have undeniable importance within the scene as a whole. I’m not even referring to South America or continental Europe, encompassing the likes of Germany, Italy and France. Again, there is much to be said about these countries and their contribution to the metal cause but that’s not the focus of this post.

I am, of course, referring to Scandinavia.

Depending…

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On a Silver Salver: The Miracle of 1984, Part I

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock music3 Comments

As I mentioned yesterday (https://progarchy.com/2014/03/19/1994-a-pretty-good-year/), I thought 1994 was a “pretty good year” for music.  Thinking about 1994 made me think about 1984, and, methinks (don’t you hate it when writers use such pretentious words!  Ha), 1984 puts 1994 to shame.    In fact, it puts many, many years to shame.

As a product of midwestern America, Ronald Reagan will always dominate my main image and memory of 1984.  I write this nonpolitically. Whatever you thought of Reagan as a leader, the man wielded supernatural charisma.   He was, simply put, a presence.

But, other images emerge as well from 1984: movies such as 16 Candles, Red Dawn, and The Killing Fields.  Chernyanko becoming head of the Soviets.  Paul McCartney arrested for possession of pot.  The fall of AT&T.  The arrival of the first Macintosh.  What a year.

Beyond the above, I most remember the music.  What a year of greatness for those of us who love innovation and beauty in music.  So without further bloviation, I offer my favorites of that august year.

***

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Rush, Grace Under Pressure.  This is not only my favorite Rush album, it was and remains my favorite album of 1984.  I’ve written about this elsewhere,  but it’s worth noting again that I think Rush perfectly captured the tensions of that year: the horrors of the gulags; the destruction of the environment; the loss of a friend; and so on.

I hear the echoes, I learned your love for life
I feel the way that you would

***

Thomas-Dolby-The-Flat-Earth-523101

Thomas Dolby, The Flat Earth.  I’ve written about this album as well.  So brilliant.  As deep and as meaningful as Dolby’s first album was interesting and novel.

Suicide in the hills above old Hollywood
Is never gonna change the world

***

Ultravox_-_Lament

Ultravox, Lament.  My favorite Ultravox album?  Maybe.  As much as Rush captured the spirit of the year, so did Ultravox.  From the worry expressed in “White China” to the longing of “When the Time Comes,” Lament is a masterpiece.

Will you stand or fall, with your future in another’s hands
Will you stand or fall, when your life is not your own

***

talk talk it's my lifeTalk Talk, It’s My Life.  While this is certainly not Talk Talk’s best album, it is quite good.  In particular, Hollis reveals much of his genius in songwriting, whatever the “new wave” trappings of the song.  Underneath whatever flesh the band gave the music, the lyrics cry out with a poetic lamentation of both confusion and hope.

The dice decide my fate, that’s a shame
In these trembling hands my faith
Tells me to react, I don’t care
Maybe it’s unkind if I should change
A feeling that we share, it’s a shame

***

Simple_Minds-Sparkle_In_The_Rain-Frontal

Simple Minds, Sparkle in the Rain.  Again, while this isn’t the best Simple Minds had to offer, it was the last great gasp of the band before entering into an overwhelming celebrity.  Kerr’s Catholicism especially reveals itself in songs such “Book of Brilliant Things” and “East at Easter.”

 I thank you for the shadows
It takes two or three to make company
I thank you for the lightning that shoots up and sparkles in the rain