i\'m really not sure how to go about saying what i\'m about to say...
i think it\'s safe to say i had pretty mixed expectations going in. this was, after all, my first show with chris on bass, and while it was only his second show ever with the band, he\'s filling some pretty big shoes, and i wanted to be impressed. i felt weird on the way to the show. i was going to see a band that i\'ve seen over 300 times before, but the feeling was completely different and unfamiliar. it was odd.
arrived on the early side, and unfortunately heard about Cult Of Personality before the show. it gave me a nice jaw drop > perma-grin segue, but i really, REALLY would have liked to have been surprised by it. turns out that didn\'t matter much. more on that later.
the first set was very good. i thought TPIR was a fun way to start things off, and to ease in a little bit before getting down to business with Tunage. it was excellent, and chris immediately got my attention. Escher\'s was strong, and i *REALLY* like The World Needs Us. slightly reworked from the sully\'s version, and better, imo. i\'m really looking forward to see where they take this song in the future. it\'s got potential to be quite the jam vehicle. Honey Butter was actually really nice to hear after its short hiatus. i walked into an empty bathroom at the beginning of The VT Song, and when i was done, the bathroom was full and there was a line at the door. guess everyone\'s got pretty much the same idea when it comes to the VT Song. heh.
i was quite satisfied with the first set, and really didn\'t need anymore convincing. i thought it was VERY good - not great, but a nice sign of things to come. i apparently had no idea what i was in for in the second set.
i love the inverted STL as a set opener. really gets things moving right away, and this one certainly didn\'t disappoint. yet another treat with The Sound - a new original written by adrian. too early for me to form a solid opinion of it, but i enjoyed it. "fun" was the first word that came to mind at the show.
enter Buquebus. exit any shred of doubt i may have had coming into the night. unbelievable. every time i thought they were peaking, they went higher. adrian completely owned it. seeing it unfold with Tangie and Caitlin next to me was surreal. the look on my face said it all. i couldn\'t form words to describe it, but those two knew exactly what i was thinking. i wanted to cry. i actually felt bad for liking it as much as i did. even though i *know* i can\'t think this way, i couldn\'t help but feel like i was almost being disloyal to ron in a way by enjoying it so much, and i kind of had a tough time coping with that.
but i was sold.
the melodica solo was fun, and the collective "awwwwww" from the audience when the tube thingy fell out of it was a nice touch. it was actually a really nice intro for Rust - a song which took on a whole new meaning for me last night. "why does something bad have to be so good? why does something good have to be so bad?" that is *exactly* how i felt after that Buquebus. ron\'s exit from the band was so bad, but what i\'m watching is SO good. *sigh*
Cult Of Personality. i knew it was coming, but i swear that didn\'t change a damn thing for me. as soon as Tim played the opening riff, i was completely rocking the fuck out. my neck is not happy about it today, but it was SO worth it. fantastic singalong throughout the entire song, and they really nailed it. PERFECT cover for this band, and a GREAT closer. wow. thank you.
the only thing i disliked about the show was the Ain\'t Wasting Time No More to lead off the encore. two straight covers was a little weird, as was going from Living Colour to the Allmans. and not for nothing, but Ain\'t Wasting Time No More and Jessica are like Cat Scratch Fever and Smoke On The Water - THEY\'RE THE SAME FUCKING SONG!!! except the Allmans wrote the same song twice. heh. i can totally do without the tune though.
Score was a great way to end the show, and kicked off with an awesome bass solo. Chris definitely impressed the shit out of me. there\'s absolutely no way to tell that this was only his second show with the band. they\'ve been practicing like crazy, and it\'s paying off big time. they sound like they\'ve been playing together for years.
it was difficult for me to not think about Ron. i was thinking about him all night, even as great as everything was. i guess i just need to come to terms with the fact that this IS The Breakfast. i\'m sure that\'s something that will get easier with time, but it\'s just a bit fresh still right now. i am extremely confident that the future is VERY bright for this group, and that Chris DeAngelis was absolutely *THE* man for the job.
welcome aboard, Chris. thank you.
