Hammer In My Heart
Couldn't I Just Tell You
World Wide Epiphany
Photo by Jan Kessler
From the outside, The Metropol looked liked a rundown old factory (which maybe it was) but inside it was surprisingly modern with space age metallic floors and decor. There were some seats in front of the stage as well as a couple of balconies.
The trio came on very promptly at 8.00 and tonight Kasim was using a walking cane and stood through most of the concert! He seemed undecided as how to use the cane as sometimes he had it in his left hand and sometimes in his right! There were steps up to the stage which he had a bit of trouble negotiating but other than that he got around quite quickly. Kasim usually keeps the beat by tapping his left leg so I noticed tonight that he alternated between very gently taping his broken left foot and then keeping his weight on his right leg and bending his knee in time to the music! Kasim was also back to frequently changing the sound levels so he MUST be feeling better!
It was a good set list again tonight. I know that there are only about twenty different tracks that they play but sometimes the order Todd opts for works better than other nights. The opening song, I Hate My Frickin ISP, isn't usually recognised by people but they always get bopping after that! That song has really grow on me this tour but I still think that Yer Fast is the more commercial track off the CD. It always amazes me that Todd can get away with the line "Motel 6 squalor" as I'm sure that wouldn't be allowed in UK! I'm actually staying in one of those motels tonight to see if it's as bad as Todd makes out - it's not, other than I can't make a direct dial International phone call which is why this review is so late!
For the first time on this tour they played Fix Your Gaze followed by Black And White instead of their usual way of playing the tracks in the reverse order.
As I was standing on a low balcony by the side of Kasim's side of the stage I couldn't see him during # One Lowest Common Denominator as I think he probably sat down on Trey's raised drum kit (he doesn't sing during that track) behind a big bank of speakers.
We then had a great trio of Utopia tracks, Trapped (tonight the lighting guy picked up that it was Kasim singing quite early on!), There Goes My Inspiration and Love In Action. At the break in the latter song, Todd explained that there was a statistical possibility that it was possible to stop love in action but that it was so remote that they were going to continue singing "Can't Stop Love in Action" rather than "Might Stop Love in Action"!
Kasim had his nicotine break behind the bank of speakers rather than negotiating the steps again during Todd's Solo Spot (Todd went back to singing his usual two songs tonight).
When Kasim and Trey came back on stage, the trio played the Mystified Melody and then The Ikon back to back by which time three seperate guys around me were all raving on "how great the bass player is" (they didn't recognise him). Another guy asked his friend why he'd taken so long to introduce him to Todd's music!
When they went off before the first encore it occurred to me that they hadn't played the foot-breaking song Couldn't I Just Tell You but they came back on and played it straight after Hammer In My Heart. When they get to the part where Kasim broke his foot in Anaheim Todd always gives him a look and tonight Todd bravely started doing the scissor kicking so Kasim (foolishly?) joined in by hopping with his bad foot up in front of him! Fortunately he didn't fall over this time but it certainly didn't do my nerves much good!
Several people gave Todd more birthday presents tonight and once some people sang Happy Birthday again but it's obvious that he hates all that! Todd and then Kasim both signed a bald guy's head!