Reviews

It started, of course,with the band Manbreak, and though the rest of the crowd didn't seem to enjoy or get into them very much, my friends and I actually thought they were quite good. They played a lot of screechy screamy songs. When they were finished, the crowd gave them a half-hearted applause, after which we unfortunately had approximately a half hour wait amid intermittent raindrops and gusts of wind. When Luscious Jackson came on though, it warmed up quickly, due to the hundreds of bodies being crushed together. Down in the pit, (which hadn't been too enthusiastic for Manbreak) things really started to heat up, particularly when the band did a beautiful version of "Naked Eye". Luscious Jackson had a good set, and I think the people really enjoyed them, but the crowd's energy was somewhat stifled because of their impatience to see the big guys : Live. We had another even longer wait for the band this time, which was particularly annoying for some, but I suppose Live just wanted to wait for the perfect atmosphere for the concert (always think of the fans, they are). When they finally came out, it was quite dark, but the beautiful lighting toned down the night a bit. The stage was perfect for the band, I thought, because you could easily see all the band members at any time, particularly because Chad Gracey was raised up on a platform that allowed the fan a wonderful view. More on the lighting : Whoever designed it, did a good job. Major notes were accentuated, lyrics were symmetrical with the light, everything clashed perfectly. I particularly liked the strobe effect they used during some of the songs. Speaking of the songs, here is the setlist (or at least what I can remember of it; everything is just kind of swirled into a night of overall entertainment). In no particular order : 'Rattlesnake', 'Lakini's Juice', 'Graze', 'Ghost', 'Unsheathed', 'Turn My Head', 'Heropsychodreamer', 'Freaks', 'The Dam at Otter Creek', 'Selling the Drama', 'I Alone', 'Iris', *New song*, 'Lightning Crashes', 'All Over You', 'Shit Towne', 'T.B.D.', 'White, Discussion'. 'Operation Spirit'. Ed said that the new song was the first time they had ever played it in front of people, so I hope to see it on disc in the future so I can say, "I was one of the first people to ever hear that song!" One of my favorite parts of the concert was when Ed left the stage for a bit (I think during Operation Spirit) and then came running back onstage wearing the purple boa and sequinned vest. Everyone just went nuts. We were crowdsurfing and moshing the whole time, and it was definitely the best concert of my life. Another highlight for me was I got a piece of one of Chad Gracey's drumsticks. Of course, that doesn't compare to my friend who just happened to find a guitar pick on the ground. I was extremely (hold that note) jealous! I closing, I just want to say how great Live is to their fans! Awesome concert! 1 - 5 rating: *****
TOM FARMER