4/25/09 - Five Peace Band @ Rose Theater, NYC

Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Christian McBride, Kenny Garrett & Brian Blade


Easily in my top 10 best shows of all time, this concert was nothing short of spectacular, proving to me yet again the duality of life and of music. The line-up alone would suggest an evening of virtuosic proportions but it went so far beyond that, shattering my expectations in the process. I know that a lot of times, when a "super-group" forms for a one-off show or tour, the results are often disappointing with musicians playing more as individuals rather than as a group. Polar opposite with this band. As a long-time McLaughlin fan, I was psyched to see him for the 2nd time...Corea, McBride and Garrett I already knew from reputation and recordings, but had never seen live before...and I'm embarrassed to say, drummer Brian Blade was a total unknown to me and in my mind, the designated "throw-away" member of the band heading into the performance that night.


Now...I'm not saying Corea wasn't brilliant, painting vast landscapes with a multitude of synth tones and his classic Rhodes-work...McLaughlin certainly played as blistering fast and as precise as I remembered him from a few years ago, perhaps an 1/8th step slower than his Mahavishnu days but certainly fiercely fluid enough to singe the eyebrows right off your face...McBride was a steady heartbeat on both electric and upright bass all night long…Garrett played with vigor, fearlessly coloring outside the lines when the situation called for it, making more than a few people in the audience visibly uncomfortable as he completely went for it on “Hymn for Andromeda” (i kept giggling)…both bassist and horn player living-up to their reputations and then some.

…but then there was Brian Blade…his pocket seemed so endlessly deep, I swore there was a magical factory at work in there manufacturing time. The next occasion that my watch breaks, I’m giving it to Blade as he seems to have some inert control over time itself and how to keep it. To say I became an instant fan would be a gross understatement.

This show tapped into that higher and bigger unknown, obtainable only in the rarest of instances, through methods of mystical, musical or chemical enhancement. As I exited the venue with my wife and best buddy in tow, walking into Columbus Circle Park to blow off some steam, an eerie and freakish silence had overcome us all. We were totally transfixed from the transportational performance, reeling from its effects much like the first wave of Hoffman’s bike ride. This is exactly what I’m looking for out of my live music experiences these days…to be moved – mentally, physically, spiritually…individually or all at once. No more nostalgia acts, souless arenas or overblown ticket prices to another show that refuses to show me something new, challanging or invigorating. To have been so musically underwhelmed and disappointed one night and then taken to unexpected interstellar plateaus the next seemed like good ol’ yin and yang havin’ fun with me yet again.

It's been too long!

Over a year and no posts from the inside of my head.


Here's a little re-cap because it's really been a fun year filled with plenty of live music and good times with friends...


04/24/09

I guess it all began with The Dead show @ Nassau Coliseum last April...just a few days after my last post here. This was and still remains, one of the most disappointing concert experiences of my life. Part of it was me...part of it was the scene - not just the one in the lot that day but the overall scene, in 3-D and on-line...and part of it was the music. For the first time ever, it seemed like a rehashed nostalgia act that was making a solid buck on reputation alone...tipping my hat to old Bill Burroughs, 'twas quite the musical naked lunch...I didn't like what was being fed to me at the end of my fork and I felt taken advantage of given what I paid for a ticket. Simultaneously, I was losing patience and interest with my regular digital hang-outs on-line too...with the music taking a backseat to back-slapping, megalomania and a veiled attempt at humor vies a vie obtuse and vulgar word choices. Now, I'm no Mormon and I've been known to crack an off-color joke or two...but when that persona becomes you, you're reduced to a shtick and not a person. And I'm sure that after 15+ years of solid, concentrated listing to all things GD and Garcia, it was high time for a break anyhow.


...I have tickets to the upcoming 6/26 Furthur show...it'll be the first time I’ve seen live GD tunes played since last April...I figure I should give it another shot...it'll be interesting with a adjusted perspective on things...I’ll post a review when the time comes.

...I'll have more reviews & adventures in a bit...