Mann Music Center Philly 6/25/04

[jimmy19029]

Luckily there were only a few occasional raindrops present. Unlike last week when the Doobies/Little Feat show here was almost flooded out. In fact it was all the better to cool things down making for a pleasant, rather than hot and stuffy, evening.
I ended up in the 15th row and there were lots of empty seats. The show only drew about 4-5 thousand out of a possible 12-13 thousand(I heard the Doobies show drew about the same amount) The people who bought cheaper lawnseats were all moved in to more expensive ones(the same thing happened when a friend and I bought lawn for Brian Wilson 4 years ago) Usually the other similar venue, the stingy Tweeter Center in Camden, just won't sell them at all if this happens, forcing one to buy the more pricey seats.
Nelson came onstage at 7:29 and opened their set with their biggest hit (Can't Live Without Your) Love & Affection(it was #1 in 1990. I remember it) The fact that they were being sold as teen pop idols didn't exactly make me pay all that close attention to them at the time. They've been trying to live that down ever since as they've continued to make music and put out albums since then.
It was just the two of them with acoustic guitars sans band and MAN these guys can sing some killer harmonies! Looks like their dad Rick was so influenced by his peers(including The Everly Brothers) that he had twin sons that are this generation's version of the Everlys. They spoke of their record mentor and how he told them that if a song didn't sound good with just a voice and acoustic guitar, throw it on the woodpile and start over again. I knew even before they mentioned his name(and not knowing all the details of their career) that they were speaking of my fellow hometowner, John Kalodner.
Of course, their first mentor, and best friend, was dad Rick Nelson who always told them that if they were serious about music, and really loved it, to write their own stuff. As tribute to him they've been(at their fans' request) performing some of their father's hits too. They told the story of Garden Party, how Rick came out and played his hits but got booed when he played Honky Tonk Woman at that infamous 1971 Madison Square Garden show. "They were expecting Little Ricky Nelson to walk off their TV set circa 1959" laughed Matthew who was the more outgoing of the two. Tommy Shaw of Styx joined them to play Garden Party. Gunnar didn't speak as much but was very personable as well. "Yeah, we got our hair cut", Matthew noted, referring to their early 90s long blonde tresses look. "But, I'm sure some of you have done the same in the last few years."
They talked about sending half a million free copies of After The Rain(this is the one I remember the most) to the soldiers during the first Gulf War and dedicated it to the guys and gals who were now over there.
After performing a newer song Just Once More(this was the highlight of their set IMO. These guys have KILLER voices and just NAIL you with those harmonies!) they were offstage by 8. I'd go see them again! They were that good!
I would've liked to have gone up to talk to them at length at the souvenir stand where they were doing a meet & greet but Frampton was right onstage, quick as a flash, 12 minutes later.
What can I say about Mr.Frampton? Is it really possible that every note or lick he plays is exciting and nothing is thrown away or wasted? YEP! That's a pretty accurate description! I've taken people to his shows who didn't really know his music and came away dazzled! Even the newer numbers, like Verge Of a Thing and Hour Of Need, were great.
He dedicated another new one, Not Forgotten, to former bandmate Bob Mayo, who passed away earlier this year(pictures of him were projected on the stage backdrop) and our forces fighting overseas. "See, we classic rockers can come up with good new tunes now and again. You liked it right"? Peter said. "Maybe we should vote in a congressman who'll get us a station to play our new stuff. AUGGH! Don't get me started about the F.C.C...." He let a 4 letter word slip out but quickly apologized when he saw all the little kids who'd come with their parents. "My new album is on sale as you leave. You will be checked as you enter your cars. If you don't have it you'll be fined", he laughed.
His current band has longtimer John Regan on bass, Shawn Frichter on drums, Blair Masters on keys and Gordon Kennedy on 2nd guitar and backup vocals. Peter introduced Gordon as "the guy who enabled Clapton to buy all those guitars" since Gordon was the one who wrote Clapton's Change The World. "I asked him, do you want to write with me? after hearing that", said Peter. Gordon smiled and put his thumb up and nodded vigorously.
He clowned with us showing us musical keychains that play his songs, then threw, or lauched them via projectile gun, into the audience.
I enjoyed hearing Lyin' from 1986. It had gotten alot of airplay here in Philly and it was hoped that it would be a big hit and put him back up there where he was. It didn't make Top 40 and it was sadly not to be. Of course the three biggies, Show Me The Way, Baby I Love Your Way and Do You Feel Like We Do were performed. I would've loved to hear my favorite, I'm In You, too. Ah well, maybe next time
Yes, a Frampton show, wheter he's playing to 5000 or 90,000(as he did at JFK back in the day!) is ALWAYS a good thing!

After a 20 minute break, Styx took over the stage appearing silhouetted at the top of a staircase on the stage backdrop. As they descended, Lawrence Gowan began to move "robotolike" as he walked down and across to his keyboards.
Blue Collar Man started things off. One With Everything from their latest album Cyclorama(from last year) was a SCORCHER, one of the evening's high points. Unexpectedly, Gowan launched into Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag and Tommy and JY began to square dance. It's apparent that these guys enjoy clowning around and want to give the more mixed(all ages) audience a more looser visual show so they'll laugh, talk about it and COME BACK AGAIN(unlike some of the shows we were used to in the 70s where many performers were careful not to do or say anything to harm their "serious" image)
Peter Frampton joined them to play Too Much Time On My Hands, then it was on to THE CYCLO MEDLEY! AHH, what I'd been waiting for!!!!!! Great to finally get to hear them do Put Me On(from Crystal Ball) even if it wasn't the whole song. I was surprised some song segments of the medley(cobbled together by current drummer Todd Sucherman) weren't longer. If you blinked you might miss one or two. But with 17-18 songs I guess they couldn't linger too long on any one. Still, it was great to hear. I'd been dying to catch it since I'd first heard it announced in show reviews here earlier this year.
I'm glad they've kept the newer ones in the set. I'd love to hear them do more. Captain America is a barnburner. Hopefully they'll put that one in too at some point.
Chuck Panozzo came out to guest on Fooling Yourself, Come Sail Away and Renegade. He looks alot healthier than he's been and moved around alot more, giving high fives to people in the front rows, etc.
"Look at the parking lot", yelled Tommy. It's fulla buses! Why don't y'all come to our next show in Manassas, Virginia with us"! He reminicsed affectionately about first joining Styx and getting in a station wagon with the tour manager and the Panozzo twins to head out on tour. "I was really psyched up. Then about a mile down the road, the twins got into a huge fist fight. I thought, Oh my God what have a gotten my self into"? he collapsed into laughter at the memory of it.
Lately it's become a ritual for women at rock concerts to pass their undergarments up to the stage again. Last night was no exception as P.F. and Styx accumulated quite a collection!
The regular set ended with Come Sail Away complete with mirror ball at back of stage and confetti falling into the audience at the end.
Great to see a lot of younger next generation fans at the show. Two girls in the row in front of us looked to be about 13 or 14 and knew the words to almost every song. They were dressed in denim jackets and pants and looked like girls I went to high school with(I dressed exactly the same way back then!)


Styx Set(9:52-11:30)
1. Blue Collar Man

2. The Grand Illusion

3. One With Everything

4. Lady

5. Too Much Time on my Hands

6. Snowblind

7. Maple Leaf Rag

8. More Love For the Money

9. Medley

a. Put Me On

b. Light Up

c. Mademoiselle

d. Heavy Metal Poisoning

e. Midnight Ride

f. Crystal Ball

g. Shooz

h. Queen of Spades

i. Great White Hope

j. Half-Penny, Two-Penny

k. Borrowed Time

l. Superstars

m. Mr. Roboto

n. Rockin' the Paradise

o. Castle Walls

p. Man in the Wilderness

q. Put Me On

r. The Grand Finale

10. These Are the Times

11. Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)

12. Miss America

13. Come Sail Away

ENCORES:

What I Say(tribute to Ray Charles)

Renegade



Peter Frampton set(8:12-9:29)

1. Verge of a Thing

2. Lyin'

3. Lines on my Face

4. I Need Ground

5. Show Me the Way

6. Not Forgotten

7. Hour of Need

8. I'll Give You Money

9. Nassau

10. Baby I Love Your Way

11. Do You Feel (Like We Do?)

12. Off the Hook


Nelson Set(7:29-8:00)

1. Love & Affection

2. More Than Ever

3. Cross My Broken Heart

4. After The Rain

5. Garden Party

6. High Enough(w/ Tommy Shaw, just the chorus)

7. Just Once More

[SuiteMadameBlue]

Jimmy,

Thanks for the review

When you heard bits from the Cyclorama, didn't you "crave" to hear more of the songs?

I'm starting to see younger and younger "kids" at these classic rock concerts. I think it's great to keep the music I grew up with alive. Most of these bands today put out one or two albums and then they're gone. Also most of "today's" music isn't that great. It's pretty sad.

Again, I'm glad to hear that you had a great time.

[jimmy19029]

Yes, I certainly did Suite Madame Blue. I agree with you about today's music. It really doesn't have much staying power and is kind of "here today gone tomorrow".

[classicstyxfan]

I wish most of it ( the new music that gets all of the airplay ) were gone today!

I wish a new generation of real Melodic Rock and Roll would take over, and bump alot of the crap we have today where it belongs......there is hope, if alot of the kids today are influinced by the groups form our era that are still out there, perhaps they will write new songs with that influince....

Meanwhile, I sound more like my Father every day !

[GaryS]

Great revue... but what were they wearing?

[kansas666]

I'm going to catch a couple of shows this summer. I really hope they include I am the Walrus and Manic Depression, a couple of songs they played in NY and at the Crossroads festival.