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Events and Reports - Spock´s Beard - A night with Spock´s Beard at BB King´s - May 10th 2006
Had the pleasure of seeing this great band live for the first time last week at BB King's in NYC.
Drummer Nick D'Virgilio has ably stepped up to the role of front-man following the departure of Neal Morse a few years back - Although he has the chops and presence to pull it off, there's an enormous "something" missing with Morse's absence. Anyone who has seen Neal perform can attest to his magnetic charm and undeniable spirit. The closest parallel is Phil Collins taking over for Gabriel, some of their most successful music may be yet to come but for the purists, the original can't be surpassed. But life goes on, right?
And speaking of Genesis, the band pulled off a well-received version of "Counting Out Time" from "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway". Very fitting and appropriate cover and they did it well.
I'm not going to bullshit my way around this, I only Own 2 Spock's Beard CDs and love them but I can't remember song titles so I have no idea exactly what they played or from what album but whatever they played showcased a band having a great time with each other and the well-behaved crowd. It's always weird going to a rock show where everyone is seated and claps politely between songs.
Spock's Beard has some pretty outstanding musicians including stand-in drummer- who managed to cover Nick while he was fronting the band and also stood his ground during a fantastic dual drum solo.
The sound at BB's can be pretty spotty and it took a little longer than one would hope for the mix to get dialed in but about halfway through the show, things really started to kick. I had my first $7 beer of the night and started to really enjoy the show but had a hard time flagging down a waiter for a menu (Prog makes me HUNGRY). When I finally got a staff member's attention he told me, "I thought you were in the band, I didn't want to bother you." Uh, yeah, that would be a fine trick. I'm in the band but I play my parts from a TABLE TWENTY FIVE FUCKING FEET FROM THE STAGE!!! David Blaine has nothing on me. I mean, don't get me wrong, I was flattered and went home to my girlfriend telling her how proud I was that I looked like a real musician but ? I mean really, ???!!
Well, that was funny but the real humour that night was from keyboardist Ryo- . This guy's reputation as a madman onstage is definitely well deserved. Animated and energetic, he plays keys with the ferocity of a Keith Emerson but adds a comedic side-show commentary that is completely goofy and light-hearted. "Some people call me R-EYE-O, but it's Rio, like the river. Yeah, Rio Di Japan-ero!" And the band had some fun complaining about his insistence on bringing his "resrie" speakers. (For you non-musicians a Leslie speaker is a heavy and cumbersome enclosure most often used on an organ and features rotating elements to give it its signature sound. Anyone who's had to move one doesn't ever want to see one again.)
Highpoints of the show were the previously mentioned drum solo, fantastic guitar solos and big fat Beach-Boy harmonies.
When the heck did Spock sport a beard anyway?
| | Written by Paul
Wednesday, August 2, 2006 |
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