[% META title = 'Tour Reviews' %]
Sons of Martinez
After Deep Purple educated the masses at Concord just a few short days ago (and, after reading the two reviews just posted for the Reno gig - I knew I should have gone), it was time to do it again only this time at the venue by the lake, Konocti Harbor.
First and foremost the subject of Don Airey: Much, Much better at the lake! It's amazing how one performance just a few days past another can yield exceptionally better results. As per the mix - there were no problems on this night. Don will grow into the role as time marches on and as he showed on this night he'll bring his own style into the mix and keep Deep Purple fresh and alive for the rest of this decade.
Dio opened the show and this time I got to witness the whole set. Great chops! However, as I mentioned in my Concord review the difference between bands like Dio and the Scorpions as compared to Deep Purple is a wide canyon of color, inventiveness and style. Deep Purple has created a unique genre that few can match. Again, no disrespect to Dio and the Scorpions but after seeing this show a second time the differences are stark and very revealing. For instance, I was delighted with Dio's performance in Concord but on second viewing the material staled (except for Ronnie's chops). The guitar solo and the drum solo were flat out awful. It's no wonder the punk bands revolted!!
Again, from the opening riffs of Fireball to the climatic Highway Star, Deep Purple took a lukewarm crowd and fired them up. I won't go over every song but I do want to let the lads know that Lazy kicked ass tonight. Much better than Concord.
I took my 20-year-old son who plays bass to the Concord show and he marvelled at how well they interacted and at how much genuine fun they have playing their music. It comes across fresh and alive and with so much enthusiasm. He wasn't a Roger Glover fan from listening to my records but after the show he couldn't stop talking about Roger's talent. He now places Roger with Chris Squire as bass players to admire and emulate.
I took my 13 and ten-year-old sons to the Konocti show and they were so taken with Purple that on our journey north to Redding they couldn't wait to throw Deep Purple into the car's cd player to show the old man their favorite songs from the show. Mind you, this is coming from two lads who usually can't stomach dad's music for any extended length of time. These two are died-in-the-wool 90s rockers with bands such as MXPX, Green Day, Goldfinger, Rancid, etc.
As I mentioned in my previous review it is my hope that the lads get their asses into the recording studio and deliver another gem. In the meantime thank you Deep Purple for the two shows that I saw and heard, and a big thanks for all the fantastic stuff that you have given me over the years - as you know, music is personal .
Best of luck. You guys are one of a kind.