Great gig. I drove up from San Diego (just under 1 hour if no traffic, Friday night took me two hours
I went with my friend Rodney who lives in nearby Irvine, so I didn't have to drive home afterwards.
It was great to meet the Mossy family before the show started. The Galaxy Theater is a weird place - buying a ticket gets you in the door, but doesn't get you a seat. You have to buy dinner to sit at a table, or they have some private rooms upstairs that you can rent. We went that route rather than stand at the bar. We shared the cost with a couple of guys we ran into - they may turn into moonies, as I passed on my Aural Moon "business" card. The view was very good, souond great, and not being crowded was well worth it.
Opening act was Tom Griesgraber - solo stick artist. He was, hands down, the best stick performer I've seen, and I've seen Tony Levin, Greg Howard, Sean Malone, etc. Tom was a master of using effects to achieve a guitarlike or keylike sound, and on a few songs used a Frippertronic like tape loop system to layer an incredible piece. He could accompany with either hand, and play dual melodies that were unbelievably complex. He also had a nice relaxed stage presence, and a subtle sense of humor. Very enjoyable, and I also bought his solo album. Look for it here soon. We also talked for awhile after the show, and he will probably be sending me those Agent 22 discs as well.
Steve started out solo, just he and his guitar. He was much more expressive verbally than at Nearfest - the acoustic set and theater environment seemed to relax him. He played a Genesis medley that was nice, as he "finished" each piece with a brief pause before running into the next - included Horizons, Unquiet Slumbers, After The Ordeal, and some Lamb selections.
His brother John joined on flute, and Roger King on keys. John's smaller flute (but bigger than a piccolo) had some weird attachment that allowed him to hold it vertically, like a clarinet. Never seen that before. The other flute was played traditionally. The orchestration was nicely done, with the flute subbing for what may have been keys or electric guitar on some songs. They played anice selection of older tunes, with a lot from Bay oF Kings, Jacuzzi from Defector, and the Voyage of the Acolyte selections Mossy mentioned. I was dissappointed nothing from Spectral Mornings, but a great show. Steve's guitar playing seemed to be in stellar form, and I got the feeling on some of the Genesis pieces he rearranged the guitar part slightly to be more complex. He's quite a classical guitarist. One bluesy piece was even enjoyable. The Satie selections were nice, and another change of pace.
What else? One of the lower key rock concerts I've been to, but very enjoyable. Worth seeing if he's in your area.
11-01-2005, 01:09 PM
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