There Were Fireworks

The elaborate stage set up was my first clue as to what the show was going to be like.  A positive or negative?  Genesis fans who took a walk during Hold On My Heart and Invisible Touch know what I'm talking about.

Comments

[almostinfamous]

sounds better than covering a political rally :)

[billy pilgrim]

You just go ahead and let er rip, BG.

I've already read quite a bit about the show, so there's not much that'll surprise me.

How'd you like Ripples?

[blue girl]

Hey BP! Ok, good. Here goes. I'll just ramble...DON'T READ THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT ANY BAD IMAGES IN YOUR MIND!

When we got to the arena and I saw that stage set up, I knew something was up. Why do they feel we need to be distracted? They've never had such a monstrosity before. The whole thing screamed:

SPONSORED BY BUDWEISER or VIAGRA!

Or something.

They seriously need to rethink those four opening songs. It started with a wimper, not a bang. I've been thinking about it today and the sound is not good at the stupid "Q" -- but, I don't think that was the main problem.

I think the *main* problem is that the show was bi-polar. They did some of the greatest old stuff they've got, but they did a ton of bubble gum, too. It was like this crazy balancing act and I really don't think they pulled it off.

It's not that they didn't sound good. They did. But, that level of passion that I love about their shows just wasn't there. Even though I give Phil a ton of credit for having the energy for a 2 1/2 hour performance, it kind of felt like they were phoning it in. Like they showed up to do their job, instead of performing to inspire their fans. Maybe it's their ages? Don't know.

Back to the bi-polar situation. There was so much difference between how complex some of the music was and how some of it was so poppy that I kind of felt like a ping pong ball. I didn't know how to feel! It didn't have a groove and it didn't feel comfortable.

And you know what? I felt like most of the crowd felt that way. It was like everyone was on the verge of really *wanting* to connect and it just wasn't happening.

Now, all that being said. We had fun. I was THRILLED, THRILLED, THRILLED to hear "I Know What I Like" live. Sounded great.

You know, UC said once over here that Genesis seems to have an epic sense of universal importance. And it does! But, it didn't feel that way last night. They played Ripples and Carpet Crawlers -- but how in the HECK can you feel that sense of universal importance in Carpet Crawlers after they schmuck their way through "I Can't Dance" while there are goofy sillouette graphics of them on that huge screen?

It just didn't go together.

And BP? When the fireworks went off? I was mad. So corny and not needed.

And speaking of corny and not needed...I DID buy a Genesis lapel pin that has these blinking red and blue lights. So, I was blinking all through the concert. That was kind of fun.

:)

[blue girl]

I'm just going to put your list, which of course was the set list exactly, in here so I don't have to keep going back to that old post. My favorite gumball song was "Throwing It All Away." I've never minded that one. Don't know why. I think it's because I like to sing it.

Behind The Lines / Duke’s End
Turn It On Again
No Son Of Mine
Land Of Confusion
In The Cage / The Cinema Show / Duke’s Travels
Afterglow
Hold On My Heart
Home By The Sea / Second Home By The Sea
Follow You Follow Me
Firth Of Fifth / I Know What I Like
Mama
Ripples
Throwing It All Away
Domino
Drum Duet
Los Endos
Tonight Tonight Tonight (intro)
Invisible Touch

I Can’t Dance
The Carpet Crawlers

[billy pilgrim]

wow. That's not what I expected to hear.

Now I'm going to be second guessing my ticket purchase all week. Well, half the week.

I see what you're saying though. But that's always been a problem in the latter days.

I can't see, though, how opening with "Behind The Lines" can't be a bang of an opening.

[billy pilgrim]

The guy from The Cleveland Plain Dealer seemed to feel the same way, although it's hard to tell with all the faux-biblical babble.

http://blog.cleveland.com/entertainment/2007/09/genesis_at_the_q_an_epic_strug.html

I mean, Genesis has a meaning outside religious.

[billy pilgrim]

http://blog.cleveland.com/entertainment/2007/09/genesis_at_the_q_an_epic_strug.html

Ooops. Muffed tha link.

[billy pilgrim]

Dang it. wordpress is not letting me do the whole link.

Here's a tinyurl

http://tinyurl.com/3bqazt

[blue girl]

Don't second guess. Just go and have fun. Remember, it could've just been the vibe of this show only. The Plain Dealer's review was mixed. Even called it "boring" in spots. I wouldn't say "boring" at all.

I'm listening to Behind the Lines right now. You know why I think it's a wimper? Because when it starts it feels like the "end" of a song and also all the notes are so high in that song. There's no anchor to it. Which happened a lot last night. It felt like -- there wasn't a lot of depth.

Wait! You know what else? I don't think they played ALL of Behind the Lines either now that I'm listening to it. I think they just played a little of it and then went into Turn It On Again....that could've been the wimpery part.

..but wait a minute, I don't understand
It's getting stronger, so grab my hand
Don't wanna leave you, don't wanna go
But I'm losing all control
Can't you see me? I'm slipping away
I can only stay if you've the will to keep me here

It is written in the book

Oh so many times since I've read those words
Just waiting to see you, can you see me?

Dang! They didn't play the whole thing! Why not?!

Oh. Also wanted to tell you. Chester T. looked like he was having a ball and seemed like he was really happy to be there.

Tony Banks was his Tony Bank-ish self. Never cracked a smile.

[blue girl]

Oh man! I CANNOT believe they didn't play ALL of Behind the Lines.

There you go. That was the problem right off the bat.

I would've really liked to have heard it all. I haven't listened to that song in years and years.

Shoot.

[billy pilgrim]

They play Afterglow. That's about all I need.

I wanted to have it sung at our wedding, but the singers didn't know it and I couldn't find sheet music. stupid singers, can't they figure it out from listening to it?

They've always had massive stage shows, though. It's kind of a natural progression from the Gabriel days. They probably had all this cool tech of the last fifteen years, and wanted to use it all.

Hell with it. I'm gonna watch daryl.

It would be funny in a sad way if, seeing two of my favorite bands in the space of a week, the more satisfying one would be the fifteen dollar ticket.

I mean, dollar for dollar, the Mekons already win, unless Genesis would play for five hours and play every song I wanted, when I wanted it to... and then had me up on stage to play with them on abacab.

[Jennifer]

But... Grizzled was wondering if it was a nipple-hardening experience... :)

[blue girl]

Um, Billy? I think we might be the same person. Are we?

Afterglow is such a great song.

I told the Skimmer last night that I needed to dress a little rock and roll just in case Phil spotted me in the audience and dragged me on stage to help him sing Afterglow.

:)

Also.

Today's our 18th anniversary. I was going to write about this today, but just didn't...

I didn't want just any old plain dumb wedding music in our wedding ceremony -- so I hired a harpist and she played.... Afterglow and You Have Your Own Special Way - in different parts of the ceremony. And then at the end, she played Follow You, Follow Me when we walked back down the aisle and out the church door.

Two funny things about that. I *did* find the sheet music and the harpist was stunned and scared to death. When I met with her, she was like, "But, but, but, but, but....I can't play these! I'm not that good!" And I was like...

"JUST LEARN 'EM!!!"

(Bridezilla!!)

Also, I never really got to hear any of it because THE STUPID VIDEO CAMER GUY FORGOT TO TURN THE SOUND ON HIS CAMERA! The entire night. Even for the wedding reception. Not only could I not hear the music from the ceremony, we can't hear all the funny things our friends were saying to us in the camera the whole evening. It's a totally silent video.

The dork!

Jennifer, does Grizzled like Genesis?

[blue girl]

Billy, do not worry about the show. It's going to be fine. I was telling The Skimmer earlier that now that I saw it once -- I'd really like to see it again -- just to *watch* it and really *listen* and get over my bad self.

The only shows left for us to see are in Chicago. We'd definitely do Columbus or Pittsburgh, but I think Chicago is pushing it.

Has Zelmo seen it yet? Get him over here!

[blue girl]

Blogzilla!!!!!

[billy pilgrim]

Zelmo's on wednesday, like the other cool people.

I was just the groom. I didn't have the kind of clout necessary to force people to play music I liked.

Congrats on 18 years. You'd be great at singing afterglow.

[billy pilgrim]

So now, my only goal will be to have a BETTER time than BG, then you can second-guess YOURSELF afterward, wondering what you missed....

[blue girl]

Now, that's the attitude to have!

Let's all hope that the boys take their Geritol Tuesday night and wake up in a rockin' mood on Wed.

RE my clout as Bridezilla....

I am going to be the mother of the groom. Talk about cloutless! It's gonna be total payback time. Like Jennifer said to me once, I'm going to have to stand silently off in some corner in my beige dress biting my lip.

But, I swear....if it's a cash bar at some VH Hall -- THEY'RE GONNA HEAR ALL ABOUT IT!

[Adorable Girlfriend]

Genesis is sooo 1992.

Happy Anniversary Blue Girl!

[billy pilgrim]

What's wrong with 1992?

Other than AG was 2 then.

[billy pilgrim]

BG, Zelmo says you must have been plastered

[blue girl]

Thanks, AG -- you little whippersnapper!

Is Zelmo scared to come over here? Tell him to get over here!

Let me just say that I'm so jealous that you have the concert ahead of you! The Skimmer's like, "Why?! You didn't like it!"

He just doesn't get it.

NO ONE UNDERSTANDS ME!!

I am critiquing it (how in the heck do you spell that?) down to its molecular level. I am obsessed and can't stop analyzing it.

I *really* want to see it again.

The last time I saw them, I went four straight nights.

I am going through major withdrawal over here.

Can you tell???????

/shaky hands.....

[blue girl]

I can't wait till Thurs so we can discuss, dissect and re-hash!

[billy pilgrim]

I didn't go to the last tour. I was worried it would be too heavy on the poppy material. Sound familiar?

The tour before, the Mama tour, I went to the Milwaukee show and then drove down to the Chicago show two days later.

Oddly enough, the Chicago show seemed...flat, to me. My girlfriend loved it though. I figured it was more sensory overload on my part, I couldn't respond appropriately any more.

[blue girl]

I need to look up their tour history. What tour would've been mid to late-80s? Mama? If so, that would be the time I went four straight nights.

Here's the deal -- although I am not into their bubblegum all that much -- I know every single word to every single one. So, I can't hate those songs all that much. I could live without them! Don't get me wrong! But, hate? Well, major dislike is more like it.

I *would not* go to a show that was ALL bubble gum. If I knew that's what it was going to be before hand.

My problem with the concert was the absolute impossibility of being able to properly balance the two styles in one show.

There are two kinds of Genesis fans.

The kind that thinks they're some sort of prophets.

And the kind that likes to dance to Invisible Touch.

Which are there more of? I have no idea. I'm guessing the former, but I could be wrong.

The Skimmer heard an interview with them where one of them said that they really wanted to start writing and playing pop. That there's a lot to be said for a well crafted pop song. Because when it's done right, it lives forever. Blah, blah, blah -- whatever.

But, the really interesting part of the interview (to me) that he heard was that before they started writing pop songs -- the only people in their audience would weird, stoned guys.

And they wanted girls to come and see them!

Of course, I would've been amongst the weird, stoned guys -- but, I can appreciate them wanting more girls there.

Sounds like a *really* sexist way to think. But, judging from all the be-bopping that I witnessed Sat night -- the girls were into Invisible Touch....

Too bad.

[Adorable Girlfriend]

There is nothing wrong with 1992, BP other than nobody wants to see anyone dressed from that era. Isn't that the year you lost. Oh nevermind. It's too easy.

[Adorable Girlfriend]

P.S. AG understands Blue Girl.

Afterall, we both urban assault Conservo-commie books at Barnes and Nobles before anyone catches us.

[Claire]

BG, I'm sorry the concert was a fabulous as you wanted. But I hope you have a great anniversary! And many more! xo!

[billy pilgrim]

I guess I went to the Invisible Touch tour also. That would have been 85 or 86. I went twice on the Mama tour, which would have been 83. My first was the abacab tour, 1981.

But I skipped the We Can't Dance tour. That's the one that Zelmo thinks is all hot shit.

[billy pilgrim]

An interesting note: I put together a '2007 tour' playlist to see how the show flows. Haven't listened to it yet but:

- in all the many live releases, every song they are playing has been released in a live version. Maybe I'll have to do the same playlist with studio versions.

-All of the album "Genesis Live: The Shorts" is represented on the current tour, except "That's all"

- It comes out to 2.3 hours. If the show is actually 2.5, we're getting robbed of 12 minutes! Just enough time for abacab, I think.

[billy pilgrim]

FYI, here's some notes from a fellow who was also at the Cleveland Show (Who to believe? Who, WHO?)

This was THE Genesis live experience that I had always dreamed about, but never thought I would be in the middle of it! I won't go through the setlist here, but would like to point out (as others have in another thread) that the boys had a heavier edge to them then they had on their previous tours. It was a side that I have heard on little bits of their playing on record like In That Quiet Earth & The Knife, but this was from another planet! Tony was up in the mix, which is the way it should be! It wouldn't be Genesis if he wasn't heard enough would it? And Mike's bass pedals shook the foundation of the Q! Daryl played a great Firth Of Fifth as well. Phil and Chester drummed like this was the Wind & Wuthering tour. They really didn't miss a beat!

One other surprise, I did not shed a tear at all that evening. It didn't feel like an old friend saying goodbye. It felt like a celebration! Well all got together to celebrate the music that has been a "soundtrack" for our lives and will continue to be for as long as we allow.

All I have left to say is, thank you Genesis for the show, thank you for the music, thank you for the legacy, and thank you for the memories! All of it will be with me for the rest of my life. And to borrow a quote from that wonderful outro song that was heard when we were leaving, "For these are the days of our lives, remember......"

[blue girl]

Where's the link? I wanna go talk to him.

[billy pilgrim]

umm, try this...

you might have to register with the Forum first....

http://www.genesis-music.com/members/community/mboard/index.php?topic=10888.0

Yeah, you straightn him out! Destroy his happy memory!!

[blue girl]

Who am I? Hillary Clinton? I'm not going to destroy him....I'm gonna go talk to him. See where he was sitting, etc.

I keep thinking -- if I had been sitting on the floor -- about the 10th row, I think I would've "heard" more than I did....

[blue girl]

I'm not going to pay $35 to join the Genesis Fan Club! Yeesh. What am I? Six?

I'll wait till tomorrow to see what you have to say for FREE.

And hopefully it'll be the exact opposite of what I had to say.

Have fun, Billy Pilgrim! Buy a blinking lapel pin! Then you take a close up shot of yours and I'll take a close up shot of mine and we'll post 'em as the "finale" to all this obsessive behavior!!

Blink. Blink.

[billy pilgrim]

Just a word of defense: When I joined, before the tour was announced, I don't think they charged to join.

So I'm at least seven.