So last night I got the chance to see Boston at Bethlehem's MusikFest. Jodi grew up there and still has family there, so this was a good opportunity for me to participate in a storied Pennsylvania tradition.
The show was great. Tom Scholz is a really under-rated guitarist. And for 65 years old, he looks fantastic. I guess there is something to this being a vegetarian. The band was made up of hired guns, except for Gary Pihl, who has been playing with Boaton since Third Stage. The other band members were adequate, but it really highlighted what is missed with Brad Delp being gone. Where Scholz is an under-rated guitarist (a damn good organ player to!) Brad Delp is one of the greatest vocalists ever. The current guys, David Victor (who looks like Tommy Shaw) and Tommy DeCarlo, had the chops but did not have the fire. That's no real knock on them. Brad Delp is a one of a kind vocalist.
For example, here's my favorite Boston tune, "A Man I'll Never Be."
Once you get past the overly-loud cheering at the beginning and stop marveling at the super-awesome 70s hairdos and 'staches you hear what a phenomenal singer Brad Delp was. Sadly he killed himself a couple years ago. A real bummer.
The set-list was as expected. "More Than A Feeling," "Foreplay/Long Time," "Smokin'," "Peace Of Mind," "Rock n Roll Band" (the perfect show opener), "Something About You," "Don't Look Back," "Feelin' Satisfied," "Party," "Used To Be Bad News," and maybe "It's Easy" from the first two records. I will agree with Jodi when she said there songs tend to sound the same. From the meh-album Walk On they did the title drag (with a long-ass organ solo) and "Surrender To Me."
My favorite Boston album is Third Stage and I was happy to hear that record well represented: "Amanda," "Cool The Engines," "We're Ready," "The Launch," "My Destination," and "To Be A Man."
The stage show was solid to. The guys with long hair are a bit cheesy, and the Tommy vocalist doesn't have much stage presence, but not bad for a guy who was discovered on MySpace. The drummer was very good. Evidently the bassist-role is sometimes filled by a 6-foot tall blonde named Kimberly Dahme. Too bad she wasn't there!!
So there it is. I guess Boston is easily pegged into the classic-rock-dinosaur-act hole. So be it. These are still classic songs. And admittedly it is not the same as that first video. But it's a close approximation. And it's cool to see a mad-genius like Tom Scholz do his thing.
It is still air guitar heaven. When I was a kid I air-guitared as a lefty, no idea why it just feels natural. I actually play my guitar right-handed, but Sunday night I happily reverted back to my 13-year-old self fake-fretting like a fool. Rock on!
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