Tag: live

Devin Townsend live in concert

Devin Townsend and TesseracT, Live in Nashville, May 2, 2025

On By Bryan MoreyIn Heavy metal, progressive metal, progressive rockLeave a comment

Venue: Marathon Music Works, Nashville, TN

Tesseract, War of Being Tour, Part 2
Band: Daniel Tompkins (vocals), Acle Kahney (lead guitar), James Monteith (rhythm guitar), Amos Williams (bass), Jay Postones (drums)
Setlist (one hour): Natural Disaster, Of Mind – Nocturne, King, Sacrifice, Legion, War of Being, The Grey, Juno (with Concealing Fate Part 3: The Impossible outro)

Devin Townsend, Powernerd Tour
Band: Devin Townsend (vocals, lead guitar, theremin), Mike Keneally (rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Darby Todd (drums), James Leach (bass)
Setlist (~one hour fifty minutes): Powernerd, Love?, The Fluke, Lightworker, Dimensions, Aftermath, Deep Peace, By Your Command, Bastard, Why?, Gratitude, Almost Again, Truth, Kingdom
Encore: Ih-Ah! (Devin solo acoustic), Deadhead, Bad Devil

Talk about a power lineup. For me, anyways. This show was only on my radar for the last couple weeks when I first saw it when stumbling across Devin’s Powernerd tour. When I saw TesseracT were opening for him on part 2 of their War of Being tour, I was intrigued. I saw them on the first part of this tour back in 2023 in St. Louis, and they were phenomenal. I had never seen Devin live before, but I’ve really fallen into his music since 2019’s Empath. I didn’t buy the tickets until a couple days before because work has been so busy and I’ve been so tired, but when Devin announced early last week that after this tour he would be stepping back from regular touring, I figured I needed to go. Nashville is a little over an hour from me, so it’s an easy trip and can be back in my own bed the same night. Or in my case falling asleep on the couch at 1am with the dog barking at me for leaving her at home.

I left work a little early to go home and feed the hound before heading south early for some BBQ near the venue and to get a free parking spot on the street near the venue, Marathon Music Works. Marathon Motor Works was a brass-era automotive manufacturer in Nashville, active from 1909-1914. The buildings still stand all these years later, and one of them is the home of this deceptively large venue. It looks like a small club from the outside, but inside has a standing capacity of 1800. For being in what is essentially a large open warehouse, the sound quality was quite good. More on that later. Multiple discretely located bars and a hot dog stand round things out inside. The weather was a bit crap, so the venue opened the doors long before the stated 6:00pm doors open time, allowing people to line up in the vestibule area. They also offered free water at the bars and security handed out free water bottles in the interim between bands. I’ve never seen a concert venue do that before, and considering the inexpensive cost of the show ($43 plus ~$13 fee), I was pleasantly surprised. This was a great venue. Parking is limited, but there are a few paid lots nearby and street parking in the area if you show up early.

Tesseract

Beginning right on time, TesseracT take the stage to a largely Devin-focused crowd. While it seems most people haven’t heard of TesseracT before (to their shame), the band seems to impress all-around. They thoroughly impressed me, playing a strong setlist of some of their best tracks. Unsurprisingly they pull from their heavier output, with crunching riffs and Tompkins distorted vocals. As the first show of the tour, Tompkins wisely paced himself. Their songs require a lot from him, so he has to pick and choose which high notes to reach for and which to knock down a notch. He knows which ones to shoot for to really make the songs. His distorted vocals were always stellar, and his high notes never disappointed.

TesseracT playing live

I suppose you could say I was in the second row, standing right behind the folks leaning on the rail, off stage left (so, right side of the stage from the audience perspective). I had a great view of prog metal’s giant (literally – he looks like he’s 7 feet tall) James Monteith. When I saw them before, I was in the loft at that venue, which afforded a great overall view. This time it was nice to get a closer look at Monteith’s fingerwork. Their music is so complicated that often he was in the zone and focused on his fretwork. But he still took time to engage with the audience, even climbing on the little stool that Tompkins took more use of. Bassist Amos Williams also made several trips over from his side of the stage to engage a bit. Sadly Acle never wandered over to our side.

Watching the band up-close I was struck with how they really don’t get their power from a particular virtuosic player or excessively technical noodling, but rather from exquisitely tight riffs and technical polyrhythms. To stay in sync as well as they do is a remarkable accomplishment. While standing in line to get into the show, I saw a young dude with a t-shirt that asked, “Does it even djent?” TesseracT answered that question with a resounding YES. The heavy repetitive crunches, the stuttered drops, the thundering bass and drums – oh yes, it djents.

I brought earplugs as I usually do to shows like this. I found myself standing rather close to one of the stacks, although I was so close and it was hanging that I don’t think the full brunt of it was aimed at me. I could feel the bass though, but not in a makes you run to the bathroom way. I could actually feel my hair moving, and my pant legs had the signature quiver of a good subwoofer. With my earplugs in, I found it hard to hear some of the more dynamic elements, so I pulled them out for probably 60-70% of the entire show (both TesseracT and Devin). Taking them in and out may have been a bit awkward, but it worked out well and I left without the fuzzy head feeling. That’s a testament (ha!) to the sound engineer and whoever designed the sound system at the venue. There was no unpleasant distortion like I was expecting when I took the plugs out. The sound was clear and loud, but not overly loud. For it to sound so good when I was so close to the action was quite surprising.

TesseracT are a serious outfit and put on a serious show. Their stage is clean, and their lighting show it pristine, befitting the technical prowess present on stage. Tompkins had a serious demeanor, but he also clearly plays the role of the showman well, with precise movements on stage that mirror the riffs the band is playing. He had dark makeup on the upper part of his face (eyes up), fitting the aesthetic of War of Being. He talked to the crowd a little bit, at one point commenting that they opened for Devin fifteen years ago on his first solo headlining tour. That was probably one of their first tours as well, so it was cool to see them together again. Devin generously gave them an hour to play, which was a pleasant surprise. I figured they would have a 45 minute set, so when they played three songs more than I was expecting, I was thrilled. That was a switch from when I saw them headline in 2023, when they had two opening bands and only played an hour 15 minute headlining set. I enjoyed that show, but I was disappointed they didn’t play more. Here they played a little less than that but more than I expected, so I left very happy. All in perspective, I suppose. I look forward to seeing them live again someday.

Amos Williams Playing

I think they deserved more love than they got, although I saw a much longer line at their merch desk than there had been before the show started (Devin’s line was massive before the show), so hopefully they gained new fans. I, for one, bought my copy of the newly re-released CD of Concealing Fate before the show. It hasn’t been issued since it’s initial release, and it is darn near impossible to find, so it was great to pick up an overpriced copy at the merch desk.

Devin Townsend

Devin Townsend’s show is somewhat of a stark contrast to TesseracT’s, or to most other heavy metal or prog metal bands. Anyone who has seen Devin before or followed him at all could attest to that. I had never seen him live in-person before, and I was surprised at just how engaging he is with the crowd. And how much of a goof he is. He’s absolutely hilarious on top of being extremely talented. Right off the bat he came onstage without any kind of intro and started talking to the audience. He made it sound like there was some sort of issue with the intro music, but he may have been kidding. Whatever the issue was, he lightened the mood.

Devin Townsend playing live

This was obviously Devin’s crowd. TesseracT put on a fantastic show, but most of the people were there to see Devin, and it showed with the energy level once he took the stage. That energy was infectious, but truth be told I couldn’t sustain the energy myself for very long. I used up a lot of my energy in TesseracT’s show, but it has also been a long few weeks. After a few hours of standing, I found myself wishing I had brought along my roll-on Icy-Hot for my lower back, and my feet were killing me. That put a damper on my enjoyment of Devin’s set, but it didn’t impact how good his set was and how much fun it was to see him live.

Since this was the first show of the tour and he didn’t play his Powernerd material on his more recent European shows, it was the live debut for the two songs he played off his new record (“Powernerd” and “Gratitude”). The title track was a great way to start the show, getting the audience revved up right away. I was thrilled he followed it with a Strapping Young Lad song (“Love?”), one of my favorite SYL songs. I overheard some people before the show commenting on how Devin doesn’t play the Strapping stuff anymore, but they clearly haven’t been paying attention the last several years because he re-introduced some of that material to his live shows, including three songs at this show (“Love?”, “Aftermath,” and “Almost Again”).

This was a very balanced set displaying the many sides of Devin. His heavy side dominated with tracks like “Powernerd,” “Love?”, and “Kingdom,” but his softer and sometimes spacier sides showed themselves in “Lightworker,” “Why?”, and the impromptu acoustic version of “Ih-Ah!”. He said that particular track wasn’t actually on the setlist, and I saw he didn’t play it at last night’s show in Georgia.

Devin’s humor was sprinkled throughout, whether it be through his belching, forgetting lyrics to the new songs, his balls jokes, inappropriate maneuvers with the theremin, air humping behind the security guy, briefly twerking, or the way he knelt down and wistfully looked at Keneally as that master played a keyboard solo with one hand and played some guitar notes with the other. In talking with the audience, Devin brought up the weird feeling of playing live after having been cooped up in the studio for so long. He lets his fans in on how he’s feeling, which helps create a connection between fan and artist.

Devin Townsend kneels before Mike Keneally

I was over on the same side of the stage as Mike Keneally, and he was really fun to watch. He looks older than he is (he’s 63 but easily looks 70), which could be because of his borderline business-casual attire, in sharp contrast to both Devin’s hoody and the brutal riffs of much of the music. He was clearly having a blast, and watching him play those heavy Strapping riffs was hilarious. It is fitting that he’s playing with Devin now after playing a similar role for Frank Zappa many years ago; Devin reminds me a little of Zappa with his talent, quirkiness, and prodigious output.

The fun thing about this setlist is just how deep it is. Devin covered the length and breadth of his career. Despite the decades of music under his belt, his voice sounds as good as ever. From the operatic styling of “Why?” to the emotional distortion of “Deadhead,” Devin seemingly hasn’t aged a day. His voice really is a rare talent. Speaking of “Why?”, I’m so glad he played that. I love that song, and so did the crowd, judging by the unanimous sing-along that ensued. “Kingdom” is obviously always a hit, but I especially enjoyed hearing “Deadhead” live. It is probably my favorite Devin song, combining the best elements of his different styles. A perfect choice for an encore.

Encore

The show ended close to 11pm, with Devin giving us close to 2 hours of music – a surprise considering TesseracT played an hour. With Devin’s goofiness and chill personality the perfect balance to TesseracT’s seriousness and technical prowess, it was a stellar pairing, one I am glad I decided to go and see. They are only touring together for a couple weeks, so catch them if you can before they part ways on their respective tours.

hevydevy.com
www.tesseractband.co.uk

Big Big Train, Live at Sweetwater, Fort Wayne, IN, April 2, 2025

On By Bryan MoreyIn Big Big Train, progressive rock2 Comments

Band: Alberto Bravin (lead vocals, keyboards, guitar), Nick D’Virgilio (drums, vocals, acoustic guitar), Oskar Holldorff (keyboards, vocals), Clare Lindley (violin, vocals, keyboards, guitar), Rikard Sjöblom (guitars, keyboards, vocals), Gregory Spawton (bass, bass pedals, acoustic guitar/12-string), and Paul Mitchell (trumpet)

Setlist: Light Left in The Day, Oblivion, Beneath The Masts, Skates On, The Last English King, Transit of Venus, Miramare, Telling The Bees, Black With Ink, Last Eleven, Apollo
Encore: Love Is The Light

Paradoxically, there is perhaps no better time to take a break from work than when things are busy and overwhelming. They say when it rains, it pours. That seems to have had both a figurative and a literal meaning as of late. Work is overflowing with good and not so good, and it has been raining buckets across much of the American Midwest and South. Here in South Central Kentucky, we have had about 12 inches of rain over the last several days. Of course this rain had to come the week Big Big Train were playing their show at Sweetwater in Fort Wayne, Indiana. That wasn’t about to stop me, though. This concert had been one of the few things I was looking forward to over the last few months, and frankly I couldn’t wait.

Into my boat I sailed. Okay, land yacht. I drive an ’08 Mercury Grand Marquis. A 5 hour drive (made ten minutes longer than it needed to be due to my refusal to pay a $5.22 toll on I-65 across the Ohio River in Louisville) is merely a pleasant outing sitting in that living room on wheels. My first stop was to the vet to drop off my dog for an overnight stay. Sorry Éowyn. (I think she’s forgiven me since she’s half laying on me as I write this.) Big Big Train serenaded me the whole drive, beginning with The Likes of Us before going back to Ingenious Devices, Grimspound, The Second Brightest Star and I think some excerpts from Merchants of Light. The weather co-operated the entire drive, with only a light drizzle glazing my windshield in the last half hour. I could have done without the immense truck traffic, but it didn’t really slow me down much on the drive up.

Since I couldn’t check into my hotel until 4pm, I made the compulsory (for me, anyways) trip to Hyde Brothers books, one of my favorite used books stores. Their prices are good, and their selection is exemplary. Pick a topic and they have something to suit your needs. As usual when I visit, I spent too much money.

A trip to Fort Wayne for me isn’t complete without a stop at Portillo’s, which was a convenient 3 minute drive from the hotel. As a born and raised Chicagoan, Portillo’s has long been one of my favorites. They’re the king of fast food, since they’re actually quality. Italian beef (a Chicago favorite), hot dogs, burgers, fries, and exceptional chocolate cake and lemon cake. Since Illinois is an expensive cesspool, they have been expanding to places Illinoisans are fleeing to. Indiana is a popular spot for Illinois ex-pats.

After watering the local economy with my money, I headed over to Sweetwater. I got there early, allowing me some time to wander their magnificent retail store. I’m not a musician, but if I was, I’d be in heaven. They seemed to have everything, including a couple members of Big Big Train! I left Alberto and Rikard alone, though.

After that I made my way to the line, which was just beginning to form. Prog concerts are always a fun way to meet people, since we’re typically of like mind and they are one of the few places I can talk in-person with someone about my beloved progressive rock and not see eyes glaze over. I even met people who were familiar with Progarchy and had read my reviews over the years. Pretty neat!

I had paid for a general admission ticket between rows C-G, and due to my place early in line, I was able to snag a brilliant seat fourth row center. I believe this was two rows closer than my seat at last year’s show. As things got going, the next round of bad weather rolled in, although you wouldn’t know it from inside the theater. The dude who introduced the band, who started a little later than the advertised 7pm, perhaps giving a chance for latecomers to show up because of the weather, commented that the auditorium was Sweetwater’s designated safe space for storms, so the show would definitely go on. The auditorium never quite filled up, which I suspect was due to the rain. They are also playing shows outside Detroit and Chicago soon, which may have limited people who would have otherwise come from those areas. But since Nick works for Sweetwater as his day job, the venue makes a great warm-up show for a tour.

The band was met with applause as they entered the stage one by one. They opened with the instrumental “Light Left In The Day” (they left out Alberto’s opening vocals), a brilliant interlude to a show that leaned heavily on the band’s latest output. Alberto quickly showed he’s so much more than the band’s lead vocalist, playing some of the leading keyboard lines on this track. Paul Mitchell’s trumpet showed us we would be getting a full Big Big Train sound.

Continue reading “Big Big Train, Live at Sweetwater, Fort Wayne, IN, April 2, 2025” →

Live at Last – Big Big Train Rock The USA (Sweetwater, 3/1/24)

On By Bryan MoreyIn Big Big Train, progressive rock2 Comments

Big Big Train, Live at Sweetwater, Fort Wayne, IN, March 1, 2024
Band: Alberto Bravin (lead vocals, keyboards, guitar), Nick D’Virgilio (drums, vocals), Oskar Holldorff (keyboards, backing vocals), Clare Lindley (violin, vocals, keyboards, guitar), Rikard Sjöblom (guitars, keyboards, vocals) and Gregory Spawton (bass, bass pedals, acoustic guitar/12-string), and Cade Gotthardt (trumpet, keyboards)
Setlist: Folklore, The Connection Plan, The First Rebreather, The Florentine, Summoned By Bells, Mead Hall in Winter, Telling the Bees, East Coast Racer, A Boy in Darkness, Love is the Light, Apollo
Encore: Victorian Brickwork

I didn’t think I would ever see the day, but there I was Friday evening sitting sixth row center at Big Big Train’s first ever live show in America. It’s been a long time coming – 11 years for me. I discovered Big Big Train back in 2013 while in college in Hillsdale, MI, less than an hour and a half from Sweetwater in Fort Wayne, Indiana. But for this show I drove 5 hours from Bowling Green, Kentucky, where I just moved from Saint Louis, MO last Monday. A wild week, to be sure, but I wasn’t about to miss this show.

After a moderately expensive visit to Hyde Brothers books in Fort Wayne (a must visit for fans of used books), I made it to a local restaurant for a dinner meetup with folks from the Big Big Train Facebook group. Friend and fellow Progarchy editor Rick Krueger kindly invited me (as I’m not on bookface), and he even bought me dinner. Thanks Rick! After that, the group emigrated to the Sweetwater campus, a beautiful building with an intimate auditorium that seats around 260 people. At that size, there probably isn’t a bad seat in the place.

The show was general admission, but I found a fantastic seat about two seats left of center in the sixth row. My only complaint with my choice was Rikard ended up blocking my view of Greg most of the show, but Greg made his presence clearly known on the low end. Sonically speaking, it was a fantastic seat. Overall this may have been the best sounding rock concert I’ve attended. The volume was perfect, and distortion was minimal. At times some of the keyboards were a little low in the mix (not Oskar’s, but the keyboards Alberto periodically played). Other than that, it sounded great – a testament to Rob Aubrey’s important role in this band. I don’t remember the last show where I didn’t have to wear ear plugs.

The show got off to a rousing start with a more accessible number in “Folklore,” which was followed up by a more recent accessible track with “The Connection Plan” off 2022’s “Welcome to the Planet.” The prog came into the station with “The First Rebreather,” a welcome throwback to 2012’s “English Electric: Part One.” The energetic pieces were a great warmup to the slower, more contemplative classic. I think First Rebreather may have been the first BBT song I ever heard, making it extra special to hear it live.

New lead vocalist Alberto Bravin was a fiery storm of energy from the opening notes of the show, running onto the stage and firing up the crowd from the get-go on “Folklore.” He continued this energy throughout the night, with a particularly fun trip through the aisles of the venue with Nick D’Virgilio as they sang a vocal duet on “The Florentine.”

The setlist was replete with long tracks, including “A Mead Hall in Winter,” “East Coast Racer” and encore “Victorian Brickwork.” The instrumental passages highlighted the talent of this band, particularly the tightness of stalwarts Greg Spawton, Nick D’Virgilio, and Rikard Sjöblom. Nick didn’t miss a beat all night, with his intricate drumming a joy to witness on the audience’s right side of the stage. Greg’s Rickenbacker boomed, but his bass pedals shook the building. Rikard really shined for me in this show. His guitar solos were excellent, along with his work on the Hammond organ. He was clearly having a blast, as he always seems to be on the band’s live Blu-Rays. Considering he was playing parts for two guitarists, it was all the more impressive. Alberto picked up an electric (and acoustic) guitar at points, but Rikard took the lion’s share of the work, and he performed flawlessly.

Nick and Rikard had a touching tribute to David Longdon with their acoustic version of “Telling the Bees,” with Nick on lead vocals, demonstrating how versatile everyone in this band is. The duet gave the rest of the band a chance for a quick bathroom break before returning to steam their way through “East Coast Racer.” The highlight of the track had to be Alberto’s astonishing “She flies.” He carried the note far longer than I expected, and it was a very moving moment. Also moving was “A Boy in Darkness,” an unexpected choice from English Electric. Overall those albums were well represented at this show.

They only played one song from the new album – “Love is the Light” – but they really shined with it. It was great hearing Alberto sing at his most natural, and the song tastefully blends accessible lyrics with subtle complexity in the music. Alberto was truly in his element on this track, showing what a natural performer he is. Even if his interactions with the audience between songs were a little awkward (due to the slight language barrier, I think), once the music is playing, all of that falls away and he shines.

“Apollo” was a treat as an instrumental, and when Alberto wasn’t playing something, he was running around the auditorium with a tambourine (which I overheard someone in line say they saw him buy in the Sweetwater store earlier that day) stirring up the enraptured audience.

Instead of leaving the stage and coming back out for an encore, the band merely asked if we wanted a final song. They asked us what we thought they’d play, and people shouted out some requests. “The Underfall Yard” was heard clearly, and one enthusiastic fan wanted deep cut “The Wide Open Sea.” Neither request was granted, the band giving us “Victorian Brickwork” instead. I don’t think anyone complained about that choice. A fine way to end the show.

As the band’s first show of the tour, there were a couple expected hiccups. They weren’t playing at full strength, and thus everyone had to contribute in multiple ways. I only picked up on two noticeable mistakes, and I’m not even going to bother identifying them here because everyone was so professional and carried on so well that it isn’t worth pointing it out. For music this complicated, you’d be justified in expecting more mistakes, but instead they played incredibly well. I told Oskar when I met him after the show that he played really well, and he had big shoes to fill playing Danny Manners’ parts. He pointed out that he was essentially playing the parts of three people since the live band is normally much larger! So yeah, they played great.

As they’ve done at past shows, the band made themselves available to the fans out in the lobby after the show. After my long wait at the merch desk to pick up the new album on CD/BR as well as the reissue of David Longdon’s Wild River on CD, I was able to wait in shorter lines to meet and get photos with several of the band members. I was especially excited to meet Greg. His art and his support are a huge reason behind Progarchy’s existence, and his music and lyrics have been a major intellectual and artistic influence for me for over a decade now. It was an honor to meet him, as well as the other members of the band. It’s so cool that they are willing to meet people after the show. I’m sure it’s tedious for them, but it’s cool for us as fans. They were all so kind.

Me and Greg
Me and Alberto

I’d say Big Big Train’s first show in the US was a rousing success. Hopefully this short tour will be enough of a financial success for the band to warrant them coming back to America in the future – hopefully on a longer tour. I know I’d go see them again in a heartbeat.

Concert Review: TesseracT Live in St. Louis, 10/21/23

On By Bryan MoreyIn Heavy metal, progressive metal, progressive rockLeave a comment

TesseracT, Live at the Red Flag, St. Louis, MO, October 21, 2023
Opening acts: Alluvial and Intervals
TesseracT Setlist: Natural Disaster, Echoes, Of Mind – Nocturne, Dystopia, King, War of Being, Smile, The Arrow, Legion, The Grey, Juno
Encore: Concealing Fate Part 1: Acceptance, Concealing Fate Part 2: Deception

Hot off the heels of the release of their best album to date, TesseracT lit up St. Louis last night – quite literally. You’d be hard-pressed to find a band with a more interesting and atmospheric lighting setup. Between the strobes and the many light bars set up along the stage, the band creates a unique stage vibe with their light show. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

I’m a toddler TesseracT fan, having really only dug into them with the release of the brilliant livestream turned live album PORTALS in 2021. I’ve been aware of them since at least 2015 with the release of live album Odyssey. I would always give their records a chance, but at the time I didn’t really get it. I suppose the combination of my maturing tastes and the release of PORTALS perfectly coincided, and TesseracT have since become one of my favorite bands. I was very excited for the release of their latest album, War of Being (yes, I need to review it). With tickets pretty affordable, even for premium balcony seats at a small venue, I decided this show was not to be missed.

I hadn’t been to a show at the Red Flag before. It’s essentially a rectangular-shaped club with the stage on one of the long sides and a balcony on the back side and the left-hand short side. I got there early and was able to get a spot just to the left of the sound booth. I generally dislike these club-type shows because you have to stand for 4 hours, but the balcony had seats and a rail with a little table, so it was a super chill spot to watch the show, and the view was absolutely perfect.

The venue is in St. Louis’ midtown next to Saint Louis University. As such I figured there would be more options for food. Nope. The only two restaurants near the venue had stated closing times of 7pm on a Saturday, which is beyond lame, but even lamer was they were both closed by 6:15 because they sold out of food. So if you ever come to the Red Flag for food, don’t come hungry. Clearly I should have planned better, but come on. You expect food to be available near a concert venue on a weekend.

The guy behind me in line had a Soen shirt on, and after I had a run-in with a praying mantis that dropped onto me from the tree above, I struck up a conversation with him. Turns out he was from Chile in the US temporarily on business and had driven down from Milwaukee primarily to see Intervals, one of his favorite bands for a long time but that he had never had a chance to see. He also had a balcony ticket, so we hung out for the rest of the night chatting about prog and metal. It was great to meet you, Sebastion. I told him I always meet somebody cool at these prog concerts, and he commented about how chill prog and metal fans tend to be. I saw this in action when part of the crowd turned into a mosh pit multiple times during the night and every time someone fell down, the others in the pit immediately picked them up and made sure they were ok.

I was unfamiliar with both Alluvial and Intervals, but both put on solid performances. Alluvial could be described as more death metal, and as such I didn’t understand a single word of the vocals. But the band played heavy and tight and brought a solid energy to the room.

Intervals really surprised me. They are an all-instrumental melodic progressive metal band with some djent influences. They reminded me a lot of Polyphia. They played a blend of their old and new music, and even that reflected the changes Polyphia has made, with the older music being heavier and the newer far more technical. Intervals is the brainchild of lead guitarist Aaron Marshall, who can really shred. Sadly they had some tech issues multiple times. At one point, their entire sound went dead, so the drummer used it as a chance for an impromptu drum solo. Then during another song Marshall’s amp went dead. There wasn’t much he could do while his techs worked to fix it, so he played his solo anyways even though nobody could hear it. Despite the setbacks, they put on a solid show and are definitely worth checking out.

The stage was cleared for TesseracT, leaving them with a clean workspace, much appreciated I’m sure by the barefoot Amos Williams (bass). The stage setup featured a lineup of vertical light bars behind the band and several light boxes at the sides of the stage and around the drum kit. These were used to great effect throughout the set, along with the overhead lights and the smoke machine. Despite being a small stage, the clean layout and lighting made it seem much bigger.

The band jumped right into it with the first two tracks off their latest album, both of which are heavy and full of energy. These songs gave vocalist Dan Tompkins a great opportunity to show the range of his voice and the heavier edge that the new album has compared to their last few records.

Despite playing for only about one hour 15 minutes, the band played songs from every album, and every one was expertly performed and equally well received by the excited crowd. The band even got my lazy butt out of my balcony seat. The setlist on this tour includes “The Smile” and “The Arrow” played back-to-back for the first time. Those songs close off 2018’s Sonder, and they sounded fantastic live. That album also was well represented at the show with “King” and “Juno” getting played.

Some bands have musicians that stand out with flamboyant and virtuosic performances, but TesseracT’s members work together to create a wall of sound. The technicality is on full display when you watch the fingers of lead guitarist Acle Kahney, rhythm guitarist James Monteith (who looks like he’s 7 feet tall), and bassist Amos Williams. But they aren’t particularly showy about it – they let the music speak for itself. Williams is probably the most mobile of the band aside from Tompkins. Jay Postones is also a machine on the drums.

Due to the wall of sound style of production TesseracT uses, the band uses sequencers to fill out the background of their sound. The result is their live shows sound very similar to their albums, which is a win in my book.

The vocals are also heavily layered on the records, and you can hear those backing tracks in the live show too, which gives Tompkins some wiggle room if he isn’t feeling a particular note on a particular night. He easily has one of the best voices in the business. His range is impressive, and he has added new styles of distorted vocals on both the new album and in the live show. That was most pronounced on the tracks from the new album. My favorite is “Legion,” which I think may be my favorite TesseracT song overall. The performance certainly grabs your attention on the record, and it was equally impressive live. He hit some very high notes on that song, and the distorted vocals on the track are some of his best.

His banter with the crowd was also solid, giving him a firm command of the stage and the crowd. He mentioned the long five-year gap between albums, promising that it wouldn’t take that long for them to make a new album. He also hinted at a return to the US and St. Louis next year for another tour.

The light show certainly adds to TesseracT’s overall stage presence. If you’ve watched PORTALS or seen them live, you know what I’m talking about. The lighting often makes the band stand out as silhouettes, which furthers the idea of TesseracT’s sound coming from the whole rather than any one player. It can make it a little difficult to see clearly at times, but the total result is an impressive headbanging affair.

My only complaint would have to be with the length of the setlist. I definitely wanted more. Sure, it was a long night with two opening bands, but I really wanted to hear more from TesseracT. I was surprised to see how many people left after the band walked offstage after “Juno.” They gave it a minute or two before coming back on for an extremely heavy closer of “Concealing Fate” Parts 1 and 2. Even though it may have been short, it was a solid set. Every song was stellar, and the band played their heavier moments. With a longer set, I would expect some more extended atmospherics from the band, as we saw on PORTALS.

Overall I had a blast seeing TesseracT, as well as their openers Alluvial and Intervals. This was the first concert I’ve been to this year, and it didn’t disappoint. If you get a chance to see them on this tour, don’t miss it. The prices are reasonable, and the performance is stellar. They’re touring the western US and then the southern states over the next few weeks before traveling back to Europe for some shows in early 2014 and then a tour leg in Asia and Australia.

You can find upcoming tour dates at TesseracT’s website: https://www.tesseractband.co.uk

Live Again – Steve Hackett Plays St. Louis – 4/26/22

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rock6 Comments

Steve Hackett – Genesis Revisted – Seconds Out + More – Saint Louis, Missouri, April 26, 2022
Set 1: Clocks – The Angel of Mons, Held in the Shadows, Every Day, The Devil’s Cathedral, Shadow of the Hierophant (instrumental version)
Set 2: Squonk, Carpet Crawlers, Robbery, Assault & Battery, Afterglow, Firth of Fifth, I Know What I Like, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, The Musical Box (Closing Section), Supper’s Ready, Cinema Show, Aisle of Plenty
Encore: Dance on a Volcano, Drum Solo, Los Endos
Players: Steve Hackett, Nad Sylvan (vocals), Rob Townsend (all things blown), Roger King (keyboards), Jonas Reingold (bass, twelve string), Craig Blundell (drums)

I wasn’t planning on attending Steve Hackett’s show here in St. Louis at the River City Casino. For one I couldn’t really afford it, and two I didn’t want to buy tickets months ago since I wasn’t sure if I’d still be

River City Casino - Steve Hackett Show
Great view from the risers inside the River City Casino convention center

living in St. Louis. But a friend from church is a big prog fan, and I knew he was going. Monday night he told me he had a spare ticket, and he offered it to me! Well I sure as heck couldn’t turn that down. Thanks, Eric!

I haven’t been to a live concert since October 2019 when I saw Steve Hackett in Grand Rapids on his Selling England By the Pound tour (check out my review of that show). This tour features the same talented lineup. I have all of Hackett’s live albums from the past decade or so, and while I’ve only seen him in person with this current lineup, I think it’s the best he has had in the last decade of Genesis Revisited shows. Everyone plays so well together, and it’s clear they’re having a blast. They play like a proper band rather than touring musicians supporting a big name musician.

The band’s vibe together was quickly established in the short first set, which featured some excellent selections from Hackett’s solo career. If I had to pick five songs from his solo career for them to play, I couldn’t have picked a better set. “Clocks” was a great instrumental opener followed by “Held in the Shadows,” one of the best songs off Hackett’s most recent solo album, Surrender of Silence. Hackett’s vocals were so effortlessly smooth. This was followed up by a rousing rendition of “Every Day,” another classic from Spectral Mornings.

After that they played “The Devil’s Cathedral,” my favorite song off Surrender of Silence. Nad Sylvan was stellar on vocals, as he was the entire night. This song displays what this band can do when they make music together. I would love to hear an entire album of new music from this band, perhaps with Nad and Steve sharing lead vocals. The instrumental version of “Shadow of the Hierophant” followed – the greatest solo Hackett song that should’ve been a Genesis track. Genesis lost a lot when Hackett left. Sure they may have become the most popular pop rock band in the world, but they lost their soul.

After the intermission, the audience (which seemed to be pretty inebriated by this point – especially the four talkative blokes in front of me) was treated to the entirety of the Seconds Out setlist. Every song was brilliant. This band plays so well, and they do justice to the music. They take a few artistic liberties as they’ve done for several years now, but I think it adds to the sound. For instance some of the keyboard parts are either replaced or layered with Rob Townsend’s saxophone, and his saxophone replaces the flute in “Firth of Fifth.” He also plays Irish whistles on parts of “Supper’s Ready” instead of flute. In some ways these changes add to the music. 

Nad Sylvan really stole the show on “Carpet Crawlers.” Vocals dominate that track, with the music taking a bit of a back seat, and Nad rose to the occasion with a phenomenal rendition. Nad sang effortlessly on every song, hitting all the high notes with ease. He sounds a little more natural singing the Peter Gabriel songs, although he sounded great on everything. “Robbery, Assault & Battery” must be a very difficult song to sing, but he did a great job. The song shows the playful storytelling side of Genesis, which still remained after Gabriel left the band. I don’t think Hackett’s band has played that song live before, or at least not in the last decade, so fans who see him every tour will get to hear some “new” material.

Since they played all of Seconds Out, there was a fair bit of overlap with the music played at the last tour, which is fine by me since I love Selling England By the Pound. “Firth of Fifth” was exquisite as always. So good that I even pulled out my earplugs. I think that guitar solo is just about the best ever, and Hackett does such a great job with it in a live setting. No one can play it like he does. Roger King is an expert with the piano intro too, something Tony Banks gave up a long time ago.

And since I mentioned the earplugs, I’ll make a quick comment about that. I always bring earplugs to concerts since I never know how loud it’s going to be. Both Hackett shows I’ve been to have been fairly well mixed with reasonable sound levels and minimal distortion, which is good since this music deserves full dynamic range instead of distorted rock crunch. With that said, it was still a bit too loud for much of the concert for my comfort, so I was taking them in and out all night. That didn’t really bother me. I probably could have left them out without permanent damage, but I’d rather be safe than sorry when it comes to my hearing. My eyesight is bad enough – I don’t need to lose my hearing too.

Like on the original live Genesis album, Hackett’s band played the ending section of “The Musical Box,” which Nad nailed on vocals. The epic “Supper’s Ready” followed that, and I’m so happy that I got to see that played live. The band performed flawlessly. The music and lyrics carried me away, as all good music should. Sadly I was drawn out of it a little bit by the perpetual yapping from one particular inebriated bloke in front of me, but I found that the earplugs actually helped drown him out, which helped me focus on the music. It’s a shame to be drawn out of those special musical moments where you really feel a connection with the band.

Steve Hackett - Live

It’s no wonder Seconds Out is such a legendary live album. What a setlist! “Cinema Show” right after “Supper’s Ready” – it doesn’t get much better than that. The band deviated from that original setlist by adding “Aisle of Plenty” at the end of “Cinema Show.” The songs flow together, so it’s only natural to include “Aisle of Plenty,” which serves much the same purpose on Selling England as “Afterglow” does on Wind and Wuthering. It’s a cool down after an intense musical and lyrical journey.

Following that the band took their bows and left the stage to a standing ovation and thunderous roar. They were cheered for a couple minutes by the loudest encore cheer I think I’ve ever heard at a live show. It reminded me of some of the cheers I’ve heard on live prog albums recorded in Europe. It was great to hear that from an American audience in a relatively small venue. The band came back out and blew us away with “Dance on a Volcano” and “Los Endos.”

The real treat was Craig Blundell’s blistering drum solo between those two songs. Absolutely phenomenal. Drum solos can often be kind of boring, but Blundell’s solos are very… musical, if that makes sense. He grabs your attention and holds it. The speed at which he played was impressive, but he also adds in brilliant chops. It was one of my favorite parts of the evening. Even Jonas Reingold came back out on stage near the edge to watch his bandmate play. The bit of jazz-infused “Los Endos” made for an excellent final encore to a memorable musical night.

Much was made of Genesis’ final (supposedly) tour, especially their final show, which both Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett attended. I’m sure that attention was deserved, but I watched some clips on YouTube from those shows, and I’ll take Steve Hackett’s shows over the latest iteration of Genesis any day. There’s more energy, better musicians, and better vocals. The songs sound like the albums, and Hackett’s guitar is virtually unrepeatable. His tone is so unique, and his style of playing is unmatched.

Another plus is Hackett’s band is a who’s who of current prog names. I may never get to see the Flower Kings or the Tangent (Jonas Reingold), Frost* (Craig Blundell), or Nad Sylvan play his solo stuff, but I get to see them play legendary music with my favorite guitarist. It’s hard to beat that. The band also clearly enjoys what they are doing. Hackett was obviously having fun, and I saw Jonas playing air drums at one point in the show when he wasn’t playing for several seconds.

If you’ve been following Hackett’s live shows over the last decade, there may not be many surprises in this current setlist, but there doesn’t need to be. The music is phenomenal, and I’ll leave it at that. If he’s coming near you on this tour or the upcoming Foxtrot at 50 shows, definitely grab a ticket. Last night was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. 

http://www.hackettsongs.com/tour.html

Steve Hackett Live
Dancing on a Volcano

 

Concert Review: Riverside Rock Chicago – 5/19/2019

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rock5 Comments

Riverside, Live at the Chop Shop, Chicago, IL, May 19, 2019

Setlist: Acid Raid, Vale of Tears, Reality Dream I, Lament, Saturate Me (instrumental intro only), Out of Myself, Second Life Syndrome (first part only), Left Out, Guardian Angel, Lost (Why Should I Be Frightened By a Hat?), The Struggle for Survival, Egoist Hedonist (without third part, extended second part), Wasteland

Encore: O2 Panic Room, River Down Below

Last night I saw Riverside for the first time. If I can help it, it won’t be the last. Wow. You don’t really get an appreciation for how good these guys are until you see them live. For me, there wasn’t a single moment of disappointment during this show. From the setlist to the performance to the crowd, everything was exceptional. They deserve to be playing much larger venues here in the United States.

Contrive

The show opened with Australian heavy metal band, Contrive. Contrive are a two-man group comprised of identical twin brothers. Both were great, and the drummer was particularly exceptional. The guitarist was quite good too, mixing many different styles throughout their hour-long opening set, including a few seconds of Hackett-esque tones. Opening bands can be hit or miss, but they did a good job of warming up the crowd for Riverside. They even started a few minutes before the stated showtime, which was nice since the 8pm start time on a Sunday evening with work the next day was already a bit much.

I’ve never seen a road crew break down and get ready for the main attraction so quickly. Everything was already set up for Riverside, but they had to take down all the gear from Contrive – and they did that and got everything ready for Riverside in less than 10 minutes. It was entertaining just to watch that.

The Mighty Duda

Riverside didn’t waste any time getting into it, starting out with “Acid Rain” from Wasteland. Within seconds I learned something I had never realized about Riverside – Mariusz Duda’s bass drives the show. I originally thought the driving riff on “Acid Rain” was from a guitar. Nope. All bass. I didn’t realize he was that good. I had a blast watching him play the whole night. I’ve seen John Myung live (probably the most acclaimed bassist I’ve seen live), and I’d say that Duda’s performance matched or surpassed that. At some points during the show, he was strumming one of his three or four bass guitars. Who the heck does that? The mighty Duda, that’s who. Maybe this is old news to most of you who have been listening to them for years, but allow me as a relatively new fan (I didn’t start listening to them until after Piotr Grudziński passed away) to gush over how great Riverside is.

Continue reading “Concert Review: Riverside Rock Chicago – 5/19/2019” →

Days of Future Passed at 50: The Moody Blues, Live at Ravinia (6/30/17)

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rock3 Comments

For some reason, I’ve not delved into the Moody Blues during my relatively recent absorption of classic progressive rock. Over the past 5-10 years, I’ve come to know the music of Rush, Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull, Kansas, Styx, ELP, Pink Floyd, and many newer bands quite well, but I haven’t ventured much past “Nights in White Satin” in the Moody Blues catalog.

I’ve long believed that seeing a band live is a great way to become acquainted with their music. Seeing Kansas live many years ago was a great introduction to their music for me, and the same proved true for the music of Styx when I saw Dennis DeYoung live for the first time. Thus, when I saw that the Moody Blues were going to play at Ravinia in Highland Park, IL, this summer, I jumped at the chance. In the meantime, I prepared by listening to Days of Future Passed, as well as many of the band’s hits.

Continue reading “Days of Future Passed at 50: The Moody Blues, Live at Ravinia (6/30/17)” →

“We Come Together”: An excellent review of a Marillion Weekend

On By Gianna EIn progressive rock1 Comment

I came across this wonderful review of what attending a Marillion Weekend is like, when the band plays 3 nights in a row, each with a different setlist and theme.  It perfectly captures what it means to be a fan, and what a privilege it is to be at a Marillion live show (or three, if you’re lucky).  I wish I had written it myself.

“We Come Together”: Marillion Weekend in Łódż a Complete Triumph

Released Today: New John Bassett EP

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rockLeave a comment

“Live From The Byre” New John Bassett EP is released today!
You can hear it/get it now at
 https://johnbassett.bandcamp.com/album/live-from-the-byre

Its a 4 track EP, recorded in a derelict byre (cowshed) in County Sligo Ireland. It was recorded in one take using 3 microphones, 1 for vocals, 1 for guitar and 1 for ambient sounds such as the birds nesting in the roof, the wind outside and the door continually creaking. The songs featured on this are

1. Unearth (from John Bassett “Unearth”)
2. Nothing Sacred (from John Bassett “Unearth”)
3. Murder in a Small Town (from KingBathmat “Blue Sea, Black Heart”)
4. Brand New Crucifix (this song is about 20 years old and I don’t think its ever been available anywhere?)

John Bassett
http://arcademessiah.com/
https://arcademessiah.bandcamp.com/
facebook – https://www.facebook.com/arcademessiah
facebook group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/kingbathmat/

Best Live Release of 2016: Big Big Train’s STONE AND STEEL

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock3 Comments

IMG
EERBR001.

Retro-re-review of Big Big Train, STONE AND STEEL (EERBR001; English Electric, 2016).

Way back on the first day of April, 2016, I posted this:

https://progarchy.com/2016/04/01/the-incomparable-gift-of-excellence-big-big-trains-stone-and-steel/#more-19100

For the most part, the live studio versions performed on STONE AND STEEL are similar, but not identical to the original album versions.  It’s clear that the band encourages spontaneity in each musician.  Watching the band, I was happily surprised to see how many duties Manners and Poole (even Longdon plays keys briefly) share when it comes to the keyboards and just how much Gregory (my all-time favorite guitarist, along with Alex Lifeson) shares with Sjöblom.  Such sharing, of course, is nothing if not a sign of wisdom and charity, yet another example of why so many of us love this band.  Individual ego diminishes in proportion to the excellence manifested by the entire band.

Spawton, it must be noted, is clearly the sturdy pillar around which all revolves.  Though he’s off to the side and not in the limelight, his bass is strong, innovative, and warm.

My review was glowing, and there’s nothing in it I would change, even 9 months later.  When it comes to live releases in 2016, there have been a fair number of simply excellent ones.  Steve Hackett’s TOTAL EXPERIENCE, Aryeon’s THE THEATER EQUATION, Morse’s ALIVE AGAIN, and even BBT’s second live release of the year, A STONE’S THROW FROM THE LINE, each captured something unique about the musicians and the time period.

Continue reading “Best Live Release of 2016: Big Big Train’s STONE AND STEEL” →