| Subject: Pasco-A review |
Author:
Chip
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Date Posted: 17:27:23 03/14/06 Tue
In reply to:
Mike H
's message, "How was Pasco?" on 09:34:51 03/12/06 Sun
* I just want to add a correction to this..the drummer is Pat Torpey, not David Henderson.
Sue
Let me preface this review with the fact that I'm a
Knack fan of 27 years, and therefore probably lack
objectivity. I am, however, a professional musician
for over two decades, and feel qualified to judge a
performance.
The venue, The Trac, looked alot like an airplane
hangar, and therefore not well suited for live
concerts. (cement floor, hard surfaces everywhere.
Sound techs nightmare) The crowd looked to consist
mostly of people there to attend the Irish Games
festival being held at the building. An odd mix of
graying biker types, and working class folk. I'm sure
the majority of the folks remembered the monster hit
My Sharona, and perhaps Good Girls Don't. Beyond that
they looked like they were expecting a Molly Hatchet
reunion.
At 10pm sharp the cheesy local DJs introduced The
Knack, who plowed into "Pop Is Dead" off of the "Zoom"
album, The sound was crisp, and powerful. The band,
in their signature black pants and white shirts,
looked youthful and eager to put on a great show. I
looked around me to see this odd mix of people dancing
around with the kind of smile that only appears on
faces when they know they are in for something
special. The Knack-o-meter was pegged at "hot" and
stayed there as they counted right into "Baby Talks
Dirty". This was followed by a mix of songs from Get
The Knack, But The Little Girls Understand, Round
Trip, Serious Fun and Zoom. Highlights included "Good
Girls Don't", "Hard Way", "Rocket O' Love" and an
unexpected cover of "Tequila" which sequed into The
Doors cover "Break On Through To The Other Side".
Professionalism and a commitment to putting on a
good show was evident as even a songlist snafu did not
dampen the spirit of the band or crowd. As the
drummer clicked off what was supposed to be
"Heartbeat" Doug Fieger started playing "Siamese
Twins", after about 20 seconds of trying to get on the
same page, the band halted the music, had a good
laugh, with Fieger jokingly saying "Oh, the ride
home", and then kicked right back into "Heartbeat",
and then of course into "Siamese Twins". Some might
call it a clam, but for me it was a memorable moment
that drove home the point that The Knack is a real
band, playing real music, and anything might happen.
I feel that is a rarity in todays climate.
I appreciated the fact that throughout the show I
was about three feet away from Berton Averre and was
able to see played all those awesome guitar licks that
I've never been able to copy quite right.
Having lived my entire life in the north west, I've
waited a good 25 years for an opportunity to see what
I believe to be one of the finest bands of the rock
and roll era. I was not disappointed. Doug Fieger
has great vocal range, great rhythm guitar chops, and
stage presence up the gig. Prescott Niles lays down
bass that has flair, can define a song, yet never
sacrifices the bottom end. Berton Averre is the most
under-rated guitar player in pop music. He plays
riffs that are memorable, yet not cliched, and solos
that serve the song by being both lyrical and flashy.
The drummer, whom I believe to be David Henderson,
continues the tradition of Knack drummers, by being
powerful and putting accents in that keep the listener
on the edge of his seat, so to speak.
After the closing number, "Having A Rave Up", the
band treated fans to an autograph session and an
opportunity to meet them personally. I can't express
how much it meant to me to shake the hands of, and
thank the band that has produced music that continues
to move me. I was reduced to a knucklehead in the
face of it all and probably blurted out some
compliments they would expect out of drunken fool.
The only downside of the evening was that the
songlist did not include any material from their most
recent studio album "Normal As The Next Guy". Maybe
next time guys. Good Job!
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