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Stoneface
First Love
4 Posts |
 Posted - 10/10/2004 : 03:22:18
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This show was so strong I had to register and post a review.
The Park West holds about 1000 people and is located in the Lincoln Park section of Chicago. Good place to see a show. Usually enough room to move around, easy to get a drink at one of four or five bars, clean, softly lit, long history of shows there, mostly an easy going vibe. Love played a Forever Changes show here in June of 2003.
Anyway, Love files onto stage around 8:30. I'm stunned to see Johnny Echols among them. People are cheering and Arthur Lee steps up to the mic. The first thing he says isn't Hello Chicago! or How Ya Doin out there? or 1234! , etc. but " Let me tell you about the manager of this place" in a tone that suggested the next thing he was going to say was **** the Park West, We're leaving. Lee went on to express his disgust with the management in several vague sentences, in the middle of which he snapped at an exuberant fan for making noise while he was talking. Fortunately he seemed to let the issue go as quickly as he had brought it up and channel any remaining frustration into the nights performance, which, as became quickly apparent, was going to be blistering.
They launched into A House Is Not A Motel as the opener. This song set a tone that was sustained the entire set, edgey, groovy, tight as a drum. Revving guitars and hard hitting drums. Echols played the entire show! The band was in what I'd call a protopunk mode and Arthur Lee sang with thrilling passion. My God, he was in such great voice last night! I saw them at the Forever Changes show here in 2003 and this actually felt like a different band they rocked so hard. Arthur never stopped moving, dipping and diving and thrusting toward the mic - playing guitar, harmonica, maracas, and tambourine. They were so tight, and many of the songs were subtly reinterpreted and extended. Signed D.C. must have been 10 - 12 minutes long with both Echols and Randle taking solo turns. Echols was really integrated well the entire show, and it seemed he took almost as many leads as Mike Randle. ****ing Brilliant!
I'm not sure if I can remember the entire setlist in order, but I think it was close to this:
1. A House Is Not A Motel
2. Alone Again, Or
3. Seven and Seven Is
4. Old Man
5. Bummer In The Summer
6. Signed D.C.
7. You Set The Scene
8. The Red Telephone
9. Orange Skies
10. You're Mind and We Belong Together
11. Live And Let Live
12. Singing Cowboy
encore
13. Little Red Book
14. Maybe The People Would Be The Times Or Between Clark And Hilldale
This show surpassed any expectations I could have had. They were so vital and on. Incredible momentum and groove through the entire show. I didn't expect Arthur to be so vital and passionate and strong of voice.
One last note. I didn't get the sense that The Zombies and Love get along very well. Neither band mentioned the other during their sets and there felt like an hour intermission between bands. Love came on first and left the place devastated. Quite a few people split before The Zombies came on. I'm quite fond of The Zombies and the Argent/Blunstone reunion, but the show they're doing right now cannot follow the type of power Arthur Lee laid down last night. Felt like we went to two different halls on the same evening, not a double bill. |
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LarryNYC
Fifth Love
USA
310 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2004 : 03:57:01
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| Hey many thanks for the post Stoneface, very interesting and encouraging. You obviously enjoyed the hell out of it all.Was it an even split between Zombie and Love fans would you say ? |
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Stoneface
First Love
4 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2004 : 04:38:38
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Hey Larrynyc.
My gut feeling is that it was not an even split. The Zombies definitely got a warm reception when they took the stage, but the crowd was thinner. The vibe was just very different. Although Love didn't play anything newer than Singing Cowboy, they did not come across as a nostalgia act. They rocked HARD with a real urgency under great lights and did not let up. The space between walking off stage and then returning for the encore felt like 30 seconds.
The Zombies, on the other hand, did not build any momentum or real excitement. They sounded good but the song order had you moving from someting like "A Rose For Emily" right into Argents "Hold Your Head Up". "Time Of The Season" was really poorly placed at like song #4 early in the set. A great deal of expositional talk between songs. Plus the stage lights were too low. My girlfriend dug Love but made us leave before the Zombies finished.
I did see Blunstone and Argent last year at the much smaller Abbey Pub here in Chicago and totally loved it. Blunstone's got such a great voice. |
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Old_Man
Old Love
United Kingdom
668 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2004 : 10:27:06
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I've just read your review Stoneface, early Sunday morning here in UK, and the vibe you describe passed straight on to me, it made my heart sing shall we say! Echols played the whole show? Fantastic. Wish I'd been there. After all the worry before the tour began this is music to everyones ears I'm sure and long may it continue. Thanks for posting.  |
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Gill
Fourth Love
United Kingdom
213 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2004 : 10:44:39
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Hi Stoneface
First of all welcome to the messageboard. Secondly. thanks for posting such an informative review. I think I'd defy anyone to be able to come on after Arthur has done one of his blistering sets and be able to come close. I suppose there are bands out there who could do it but I wouldn't have thought the Zombies would be one of them.
It's good to know the tour is going so well.
Love
Gill |
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JohnFPorcaro
Fourth Love
USA
168 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2004 : 13:17:10
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Thanks Stoneface for the reveiw.
Again, it sounds like the Arthur Lee we all know & LoVe. |
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Allan
Old Love
USA
560 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2004 : 13:30:30
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| Thank you Stoneface and welcome to the boards. I think in the beginning of the tour, Echols came out for a song or two. It seems the band has one purpose...and we are so fortunate to see this. |
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Park West, Chicago 10/8/2004
