On Friday I had the day off work so I was able to relax most of the day. A little after 5 pm I hit the road for Meleewaukay as the Algonquin refered to it. My buddy Sand lives in New Berlin but he and his gf were seeing a Metallica/Beatles fusion so I was Han Solo for this occasion. I typically park in the Marriott garage out of habit for Riverside/Pabst shows. This was my first time at Turner Hall. it was a few blocks away from where I parked across from the venue formerly known as the Bradley Center. The bar/seafood restaurant beneath Turner Hall reminded me of Cheers and Melville's. As a result of this arrangement the place smelled like fish despite the presence of several hundred hippies. I like old, funky venues like this. The balcony offered some really interesting vantage points. The crowd was young but I didn't have any negative encounters. I'd estimate this was about my 10th time seeing Lotus.
The show started a little before the announced 10 pm start time. After about an hour it became apparent they were playing one long set. Juggernaut > Contagion > Juggernaut was probably the highlight of the show for me. This was extremely energetic playing. Eats the Light is a new song from Lotus that I've really been enjoying. I was glad to see that one live. They executed a smooth segue between In the Bliss > Sunrain. I really enjoy Lotus' current sound. It's a great balance between the electro and rock elements. It was a frigid walk back to my vehicle. Quite the contrast from the 70 degree weather in STL the previous Friday. I enjoy these late night drives. I heard some Cheap Trick while driving back through Rockford. This show along with Panic the week before comprised my Cabin Fever Winter Tour 2016. I won't be doing any live music this spring. Now it's time to get back to work and make some money for summer.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
2/19/16 Widespread Panic @ Peabody Opera House - St. Louis, MO
Leading up to the Midwest run of the Widespread Panic winter tour I had been thinking of hitting up a show. The St. Louis made the most sense with it being closest and on a Friday. However, it was sold out. We are currently on hiatus at work so suddenly going to this show became more appealing if I could obtain a ticket. Fortunately I contacted my friend in Soulard, Ozzy. He and our buddy from Chicago Joel were going to the show and they would be able to help me out with the elusive ticket. The drive down was treacherous with winds gusting on I-74 like I've never seen. It made the drive stressful when otherwise it should have been smooth sailing on a sunny day with unseasonable temperatures that would reach the low 70s in St. Louis. Before the show we went to Hammerstone's in Soulard and had some dinner. We parked in the city lot across from the Scottrade Center which is adjacent to the Peabody Opera House. The park across the street was full of shakedown activity. Most glaringly was the gas scene. I talked to a guy I met at the Davenport, IA 4/20/00 show. It's only been 15 and a half years. We discussed the recent departure of Todd Nance. We waited for Joel to arrive with our tickets and it was somewhat embarrassing as families walked by to be associated with such brazen partying in public.
It turned out Joel was able to pull a few strings and behold we were in the front row Jimmy Herring side. Thanks again to Joel for helping with the ticket and Ozzy for the hospitality. I was a bit confused with the Papa Legba opener. It sounded to me a bit like Better Off at first. Porch Song was stand alone without its usual partner The Take Off. A lot of the first set was a bit too heavy for me. Three Candles made the set though. Followed by St. Louis which was obviously appropriate and Goin' Out West to finish out the first stanza. St. Louis > Goin' Out West perhaps a nod to the LA Rams. Jimmy was amazing. It was pretty neat to see JB operate from that vantage point. Duane kept the pace up more than his predecessor. I was a tad underwhelmed by Schools performance overall on the evening. We could barely hear Jojo.
Saint Ex is a tune I really enjoy but this was curious placement. Jack, Chilly, Last Straw was old school song selection. They played a decent jam after All Time Low which led into the Drums. Duane led the way with Sunny adding plenty of textures. When Schools joined them he tipped his hand pretty early regarding the segue into Angels on High. That was my first time seeing Panic play that ZZ Top combo. Jimmy crushed that portion. Flicker and North are not my favorite tunes. I did enjoy the pair of Vic Chestnut tunes to start off the encore. Sell Sell wrapped things up on a high energy note. This was a really fun experience but wasn't the greatest show. The venue was beautiful and was my first time visiting there. Rumors of the band taking a break beyond 2016 makes me wonder if the end of the road is near for Widespread Panic. This was my 91st time seeing them and I'm glad I went.
It turned out Joel was able to pull a few strings and behold we were in the front row Jimmy Herring side. Thanks again to Joel for helping with the ticket and Ozzy for the hospitality. I was a bit confused with the Papa Legba opener. It sounded to me a bit like Better Off at first. Porch Song was stand alone without its usual partner The Take Off. A lot of the first set was a bit too heavy for me. Three Candles made the set though. Followed by St. Louis which was obviously appropriate and Goin' Out West to finish out the first stanza. St. Louis > Goin' Out West perhaps a nod to the LA Rams. Jimmy was amazing. It was pretty neat to see JB operate from that vantage point. Duane kept the pace up more than his predecessor. I was a tad underwhelmed by Schools performance overall on the evening. We could barely hear Jojo.
Saint Ex is a tune I really enjoy but this was curious placement. Jack, Chilly, Last Straw was old school song selection. They played a decent jam after All Time Low which led into the Drums. Duane led the way with Sunny adding plenty of textures. When Schools joined them he tipped his hand pretty early regarding the segue into Angels on High. That was my first time seeing Panic play that ZZ Top combo. Jimmy crushed that portion. Flicker and North are not my favorite tunes. I did enjoy the pair of Vic Chestnut tunes to start off the encore. Sell Sell wrapped things up on a high energy note. This was a really fun experience but wasn't the greatest show. The venue was beautiful and was my first time visiting there. Rumors of the band taking a break beyond 2016 makes me wonder if the end of the road is near for Widespread Panic. This was my 91st time seeing them and I'm glad I went.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)