The Ikon
Open My Eyes
World Wide Epiphany
Well, my tickets said that the concert started at 8.00 but both TicketMaster and the board outside the venue said 9.00 so I arrived at 8.40 to hear Hit Me Like A Train being played! After a few moments panic and lots of bad language I realised that it was still the soundcheck! They started letting us in at 9.30 and I was told that the concert didn't actually start until 11.00 - rather late for someone like me who hasn't fully adjusted yet to American time!
The Canoe Place Inn was a large club with very friendly and helpful staff. In the foyer Ed, as ever, was demonstrating Patronet but now it's up and on-line and looks very impressive. Later he showed an on-line game on it that was based on the RA album cover but unfortunately I got there just in time to see Todd kill Kasim!
There was a long bar in which a guy was playing the keyboards before I found the disco area of the club where the band were due to play. When I arrived the DJ was playing The Dobbies Brothers "Listen to the Music" but it improved after that! The venue itself wasn't very full (maybe 300 people there) so everybody could just stand where they wanted and all got a great view!
The Power Trio came on promptly at 11.00. Maybe it was because there hasn't been a concert for almost four weeks or maybe it was because I was just in the right mood tonight but, whatever the reason, I thoroughly enjoyed this concert - it was one of my favourites of the tour! Okay, Todd played a few dodgy notes at times and the sound system wasn't perfect but it was just brilliant to see another concert of this great tour!
Todd was in great verbal form tonight and there was a lot of banter between him and Kasim. I think it was as early as after the end of I Hate My Frickin' ISP that Todd remarked that this was the tackiest stage that he'd seen! When they got to the foot-breaking part of Couldn't I Just Tell You, Todd looked straight at Kasim who was again emphatically shaking his head that NO WAY was he doing the scissor jumping tonight! Kasim was beardless and not plastered (okay, that's a weak joke that the Americans may not get!) and wore a T-shirt that I haven't seen him wear on stage before as it was the inevitable black but had raised seams around the shoulders that were of a dark colour. Kasim also was having trouble with his trousers tonight as he must have hoisted them up about fifteen times on stage!
Todd remarked that Kasim was so full of life as he'd had his plaster (cast) removed but said that he'd actually broken his back and hip but they put his foot in plaster so he didn't get too much sympathy! They played a great batch of Utopia songs starting with Trapped (during the first verse Todd was lit up but Kasim just had a subdued light on him unfortunately) before singing There Goes My Inspiration and Play This Game after which Kasim asked Todd if they could have their break then!
Todd had some trouble with his guitar during Cliche in his solo spot tonight. He then remarked that he'd got so fed up of reciting the Hawaiian War Chant story every night before Bang the Drum on the first leg of the tour so he just sang the song with virtually no intro! He had trouble hitting the notes in part of the "yodel" tonight.
The Utopia songs continued when Kasim and Trey came back on stage as they sang Hammer In My Heart and Love In Action. After they "did stop" during that song, Todd asked us why we were at the gig instead of watching him on the Letterman show! He then informed us that Dave Letterman had so enjoyed their performance that he'd leapt out of his chair and kissed Todd fully on the lips! They then sang the great Yer Fast before ending Love In Action.
Todd decided to take a request from the audience which was Secret Society and said that if we wanted to hear the sound properly we should stand at the back but if we wanted to see his "package" we should stand at the front! Todd also spoke at length (Kasim sat down at this point!) about something to do with the Republicans and Democrats but I'm afraid that I don't know American politics and I still struggle at times to understand Todd's accent!
All too soon for me they were into the Buffalo Grass and One World ending, tonight with the line "From New York to Hampton's"!
After Kasim and Trey left the stage (not to go to a dressing room but they went out of the door that lead to the car park!), Todd stayed to sign a few autographs. As he walked off stage he slid a long way down the slope so immediately a security guy was sent to remove the slope and leave some steps instead!
Our trio returned to play The Ikon to a lot of cheers. Tonight Kasim actually walked to the front and centre of the stage for his spotlight part. Unusually Kasim's part was longer than Trey's but this was because Trey cut his short - he didn't do the slow drumming part which sounds so good.
After the popular Open My Eyes and another return to the car park, they ended with World Wide Epiphany as always after an almost two hour concert!
Boy, it's great to have the trio playing together again....