Re: Roger Concert in Vail

[NakedEye10@aol.com]

I wrote part of a review (below) before running out of time that day.  With 
no O&S up and running, I've been slack about getting back to it.  But now 
that John has asked and provided a mailing list, I thought I'd share.

I tried to take good notes for all of you who were unable to attend.  
Apologies for any errors.  It's tough to be taking notes in right in front of 
performers!

Best to All,

Lauren

I couldn't hack sitting in front of the computer to type it up at 3:30 am, 
but it's now tomorrow, and I'm just barely recovered enough from yesterday's 
"well worth the effort" adventure.

I'm still too tired to tell a proper story, so I'll stick to highlights.  

Before doors opened was a lovely, social gathering.  (Damn cold, but it could 
have been worse.)

Security handled themselves quite well, as did we.

We made it inside only to discover that the first four rows, 80% of the stage 
was reserved for Paul Mitchell and his friends.  So much for the expensive 
tix guaranteeing "the first 25 rows immediately in front of the stage."  
(Well, technically there were some side wing seats, so I guess they kept 
their literal word.)

Needless to say, we snatched up the front, wing seats.

The show itself was great.  It wasn't a Who show (or even a DST road show), 
but it was a very good show with a very good band.

Core Band was:
Simon on both acoustic and electric
Geoff Whitehorn on electric
Mark Clarke (sp?) on bass (Anyone know his connection?)
Ben Townshend on drums
Keith Levinson (sp?) on keys
Jamie Parks (sp?) on keys (Anyone know his connection?)

Everyone played with this core band.  When Nikki Lamborn was on stage, so was 
her keyboard player, Bean.

Rather than each featured artist playing a separate set with set breaks, the 
show was a fluid and cohesive shifting of featured performers.  Details as 
follows (assume most if not all of core band on all tracks):
+Roger
I Can't Explain
Substitute
Pinball Wizard

-Roger  + Nikki and Bean
Kashmir (Led Zep)
Mercedes-Benz (Joplin)
Piece of My Heart (Joplin)

- N & B  + Gary Brooker
Conquistador 
Another song???
Rock and Roll Music

- GB + PF
Show Me The Way (crowd rushes for the first time, Ben shines)
Take...???

-PF  + Rog
Behind Blue Eyes
The Kids Are Alright
You Better You Bet (Ben shines, again)

Supposed to be Nikki, but she wasn't around, so Simon was up with an a capella
The Way It Is (love that song)

+ NL & B
Stairway to Heaven 

- NL & B  + PF
Baby, I Love Your Way
Feel Like I Do (?)

PF + GB
Whiter Shade of Pale

- PF & GB  + Rog
Who Are You
WGFA

Rog stays, + everyone
Together We Stand (?)
Squeeze Box
See Me, Feel Me

Unplanned (?) Encore
My Generation (w/ everyone)

I think I got all of the above configurations right.  Feel free to correct 
me.  As for song titles, sorry, but I don't know Frampton or Brooker's 
material.  However, I do know that the *band* actually sounded best doing the 
cover / Frampton and Brooker stuff.

IMO, Geoff's a nice guy and one helluva guitar player, but he never seems 
suited to The Who.  However he was great on the other stuff.

On the Who material, it was a pale shadow of The Who, but a talented, 
cohesive band (in spite of limited rehearsal and altitude challenges).  It 
was definitely Roger and some not-The-Who band of comfortable regulars.

Ben and Mark did an adequate job of filling awfully big shoes.  I'd rank them 
both in the top 20% of players that I've seen (out of well over 500 concerts 
- intended to be high praise), but I can't say that Ben holds a candle to 
Zak, least of all Keith, and Mark's not even in the same conversation as 
John, but then again, Who is?

Damn, my window of time has closed.  More when I get the chance.

Lauren