DreamTheater/ELP/Deep Purple
PNC Bank Arts Center, August 6, 1998
by Karen Elizabeth Stober

Dream Theater is a very loud band, for sure. They are all accomplished musicians. Three of the members have degrees in music from Berklee. They will make out the best on this tour. Lots of people came away from their powerful, driving, fifty-five minute show as new fans, including me.

The weather was lovely for a mid summer evening in New Jersey. A light breeze with the sounds of Deep Purple punctuated with the occasional rumbling of Tarkus wafted through the parking lots. Much landscaping has been done at the Arts Center. Many of us took advantage of this and walked around the Vietnam War Memorial and checked out the nature and fitness trails being built. Picnic tables are hidden in the woods and offered many lush spots to look at photo albums. I carpooled with an email friend who flew in the night before from Japan just to see ELP. She and her friends followed the band around Japan and Europe last year. They've worked with ELP on some of their TV specials. So I had many unique photos to look at, including behind the scenes shots from Dresden, Germany, and other 1997 concerts in Europe, plus Japan tour shots, including the Tokyo train station and Carl in a shrine near Tokyo. Photo swap time. Got some great, funny inside stories, too.

I had a front row seat in front of Keith. The Modular Moog was festooned with brightly colored patch cords. There were many empty seats. Most people appeared to be there for Deep Purple. Many had never seen ELP before and I think ELP also will have a number of new fans. However, most people I spoke to considered ELP the weak point of the show. They don't have the power, volume, or the "du du du du" pounding, thunderous beat of Dream Theater and especially Deep Purple. ELP put on an excellent show. They are much lighter, tighter and virtuostic than the other two bands. ELP relies on musical talent and sensitivity instead of loud, pounding music and the volume overkill of the other two bands. I know, I was almost in front of the amps on the left side. Ray and Chuck Magnuski attended the show, also. Ray is sixteen and his Dad turned him onto ELP. One very happy ELP family, now spread over two generations. To quote Chuck, "I thought the show was great. too short but great. Ray was thrilled that they did Tarkus in it's entirety."

All the equipment was identical to the 1997 tour. The T-shirts for sale are almost all the same designs as last year. There was a black one with ELP embroidered on the pocket. All were in the $30 - $40 range. Embroidered baseball caps were $25. The two videos, 1973 Manticore Documentary and the 1977 Montreal, are priced at $30. I saw a number of Manticore Documentary videos bought but few Montreal. The Isle Of Wight CD was also for sale. ELP was the only band who did not have a program for sale. Like many others, I complained about how expensive the items were. I didn't buy a thing. I wish they had the Tarkus keyrings and autographed items, such as the tambourine, for sale, as they had in the past. Those were different.

"See The Show" began at 9:00PM and was over at 10:11PM, including the encore. Keith wore basic black with a spangly gold and black vest over it. His long sleeved see through shirt had wide vertical stripes of shiny gold running through it. Carl, with his skinhead 'do, was in his usual tight black pants with a black tank top, which he removed as he flexed his ample biceps during the drum solo. Greg was in solid black with a black T-shirt. Greg's electric guitar was set up and ready for him. Wow! Maybe they will do "Welcome Back" as it was originally done, with the guitar. But that was not to be.

They opened with a new piece that sounded like a fanfare. Lots of keyboard trumpet sounds. Segueing directly into "Welcome Back My Friends!" brought a rousing cheer from the audience, even the "Purple People". Keith played the guitar parts. Next was "Hoedown". What??!! Keith did the keyboard solo...on a harmonica! Upon putting the harmonica away he picks up the ribbon controller, stalks out to the center of the stage and man, did that thing throw flames and scream. What a riot to watch his expressions from the first row. I was near enough to the video camera so I could watch the extreme closeups of his hands and all.

"Touch And Go" was next, but there was no mention of dear, lost Cozy Powell. RIP, Cozy, we miss you. "Knife Edge" was next. Oh no, it's Creole Dance again. Keith started talking about 1976, "Toccata" and then he surprises us all by playing the 3rd Movement of his Piano Concerto, from Works I. This unexpected delight got a standing ovation from the ELP fans in the audience. Next was Greg's solo, "C'est La Vie". I'm sitting there, watching the darkness at the side of the stage, where Will Alexander and the roadies are. Quietly, I see Keith walk out, into the cloaked area behind the drumset, with an accordion and a beret! He emerged to a chuckle and cheers from the audience during the accordion solo. Some of the solo wasn't quite audible through the microphone.

The perennial favorite "Lucky Man" followed. Keith played the Moog solo on his General Music midi grand piano. Why didn't he play it on the big Moog next to him and make it authentic? The big Moog is just for show on this tour. All the sounds from the modular Moog are available at the touch of a button from one of the other synthesizers. Aw, but that's cheating, Keith.

Keith said that when they were setting up the songlist for this tour they decided they should try things they have not in the past. He described how the advanced technology and sophistication of today's musical hardware and software has made it possible for ELP to perform pieces they never could in the past. Many of us thought "Trilogy". Nope, it was a rocking rendition of "A Time And A Place".

Following "Time And A Place" was the complete "Tarkus" "Epitaph" was not performed, much to the dismay of many in the audience. Greg used his electric guitar for a few minutes. But it was a thrill to hear, for my first time, the entire "Tarkus". Now, if they could do the entire "Pictures" someday, bring back "Pirates" and then LOTS of new stuff.

The encore was "Fanfare For The Common Man" and "Rondo" which included the drum solo. No changes here. Carl takes his shirt off, throws his sticks and does the hit the tambourine and point routine. Very flashy, extravagant, energetic and funny. Lots of showmanship when it came to the cymbals. I wish he would bring back the rotating drum stand. Keith did not have organ so there was no organ surfing or knife act.

A great show that got a rousing, standing ovation from everybody, even the Purple People.

Deep Purple was PHENOMENAL. Like Keith, the lead singer, Ian Gillan, and the bassist, Roger Glover, constantly interact with the audience, talk, shake hands, give out guitar picks, sticks, etc.. They are very loud and thunderous.

Jon Lord hid behind his keyboard rig. He's the guy with the long white hair in a ponytail. I kept seeing flashbacks in my mind of a photo of him circa 1973 or so. He was pulling over a big Hammond. His very long, loose dark hair cascading like a waterfall, nearly brushing the floor of the stage. They got old! The little voice in my head, my muse, is telling me "ha ha ha you'll be there someday and soon. Not too much longer until YOU are fifty something, my dear." I could only see Jon from mid-chest up as the back of his keyboard arsenal was facing the audience. The people on the other side of the stage said they were amazed at how hard he worked throughout the entire concert. He hid behind dark sunglasses, too.

Deep Purple opened with "Hush", mid-way was "My Woman From Tokyo". The guitarist, Steve Morse, did this soft, lovely solo, relaxing everybody into a stupor then... THE chords that took over the World...du du du, du du dah du, du du du dudu..."Smoke On The Water". Everybody leapt to their feet, sang and even air guitared. They closed with "Highway Star". Several new pieces were performed too.

Mid-way through the second song bassist Roger Glover, who was in front of me, suddenly walks over, gets down on his knees and shakes all of our hands. He got mobbed and loved every second of it. The lead singer, Ian Gillan, constantly talks and makes eye contact with the front row of the audience, many times while balancing on one leg or swirling the mike stand around. He came over, looks right at me, and sings "I need her, I want her yeah yeah". He also sang a few lines of "My Woman From Tokyo" to me and the entire section near me was thrilled. He did that for many in the front row, too. Purple was constantly interacting like that with the audience. I also got a feeling that a well-dressed woman going batty, dancing and singing Purple songs is something that doesn't happen too often and they liked it very much.

Three phenomenal bands, a phenomenal location and a brilliant nearly full moon illuminating all of us. A positively poetically lovely Mid-Summer Eve's Dream.

Cheers!
Karen E. Stober

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