Fantastic!
After sets by two local bands, Survivor and Ted Nugent, Purple strode onstage. It may have been 50 degrees but Purple warmed the crowd up! I have been a fan since 8 years of age and have been waiting to see Deep Purple. I knew they'd be NO disappointment!
They came on and rocked. They are without a doubt the hardest rocking band left from the 60's (The Rolling WHO?!). "Woman From Tokyo" kicked off the set in high gear. These guys wasted no time whatsoever! Ian looked great and was in fine form. He can still deliver those high notes and those "I thank yeeeeeeeeuuuuuuuuu's" perfectly! I love ya, Ian! As for the rest of the band, man, what a musical foundation!
I was delighted to hear "Ted The Mechanic", "Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming" and especially "Fools". No solo from maestro Steve, but that's alright... His playful intro to "Smoke On The Water" included snatches of "Purple Haze", "Stairway To Heaven", "Back In Black", "Sweet Home Alabama" (nice touch when considering who played next!) and "You Really Got Me" (Ian sang the verse too!). That was the set closer...
But what?! An encore... Hell yeah! What song? "Highway Star", "Speed King", "Black Night", "Space Truckin'"? Me and my brother were anxiously wondering (his first time to see Purple too!). Well, it turned out to be "Highway Star". My brother yelled "I was hoping for this one". So was I! Steve made his guitar rev up like the sound of a car. WOW!
What a show. OK, it was too short but they certainly took advantage of the time they had and in my opinion, left NOTHING for Skynyrd! I like them too but was ready to leave after Purple.
I look forward to seeing Purple again! These guys deserve Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame status! Purple, you guys are fantastic. Keep it up!
[ reviews | the highway star ]