Re: 2006 Rites of Spring Festival - Sunday Pie Tasting
Magic Freaking Pie......stunning!
What a band, what a performance! It was 1971 all over again...and I wish I was old enough to know it. They played all of the songs from Motions of Desire + a new song that was superior. They played almost two hours, running well over their allotment. I was hoping to hear four. They opened up with Motions of Desire, and nice song sung by keyboardist Gilbert Marshall. "Change", probably the finest song I've heard in 20 years, was third. The crowd was in rapture. What a chorus, what a song. Full Circle Poetry was the highlight, a song with a beautiful chorus reminiscent of early Chicago. I almost expected to see Bobby Lamm behind the stage.
Kim Stenberg is the guitarist and principal songwriter. His arrangements are incredible. I was told he is painfully shy, and writes the songs as he waits for his rides at his job (he is a driver in Norway). His guitar work is blistering, and while front and center, hides behind his shades and lets the two main singers, Allen Olsen and Eirik Hannsen take over. That was my only beef. Olsen held a guitar the whole time, played maybe 10 minutes, and fiddled with knobs and pedals when he wasn't singing. He sung brilliantly - he stood three feet away from the microphone a lot...closer he would have blown the doors off of the place, like the Cryptic Vision guy last year.
Hanssen was even more annoying. He held an acoustic and played a bit...but really added nothing by doing that. Another awesome voice, but when you're not playing,
GET THE F**K OFF THE STAGE.
The bass playing of Lars Peter Holstad was brilliant, but he was overshadowed by Hanssen. It was amusing duing "Change" where there's a brilliant acoustic passage, and I thought, he's not going to play that. Sure enough, he handed the guitar to Stenberg, who ripped through it. Then later Hannsen complained about the sound...Well my friend, the pro had no trouble with it.
But I severely nitpick. Nice guys, very moved by their reception. But the pleasure was all ours.
Oh and a rousing version of Hey Jude.....400 people singing...beautiful.
Last edited by Rick and Roll : 05-02-2006 at 06:33 PM.
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