Friday night, November 16th, 2012, was ASIA time
again. It was the fifth such concert event
for me, the first being in the summer of 1983 when the band was at the peak of
their incredible success. A good time
was had by all, a mix of young and old in my posse. I had originally purchased
seven general admission tickets several months ago (reserved seating had
already been sold-out at the Granada Theater) with the idea that it would be me
and the boys plus three friends of theirs/mine.
As it turned out, the entourage changed somewhat due to unexpected
conflicts, so Bobbi, her workmate Nash, and Trey’s friend Declan joined the
Sinclair men for the evening.
I have always been excited to see a favorite band or
artist. I must admit though, that I was
not looking forward to the fact that I would have to stand throughout the
concert, although looking back, we had to stand on our chairs at Reunion Arena
back in ’83 to be able to see over the people in the aisles. Also, real life, or at least my perception of
such, had robbed my focus from the usual anticipation I might have otherwise
experienced. Pathetically, I woke up
this particular Friday morning in the same way I’ve come to expect over the
past few months, not really wanting to fully participate in much of anything
despite having to perform work and other responsibilities. At least I didn’t respond by curling into the
fetal position, although that might have felt reassuring. The next best thing
was a freshly recorded “That 70’s Show” as I sipped my morning coffee. Oddly enough, that goofy program has become a
cathartic release for me since late summer. The kids have actually caught me
laughing out loud when I presumed I was alone.
I had been in an emotional downturn, the proverbial waters of
my life disturbed. I had not decoded the
ripples that had unfolded into me positively (see Rock of Faith post). Many
years ago, there had been a drought of a different sort which affected the
quality of my musical life. Emerson Lake & Palmer (ELP) had called it quits
in 1978 during the onslaught of Punk and New-Wave fads. Although Keith, Greg and Carl quickly delved
into other musical projects such as films and solo albums, the magic was at
best difficult to recreate outside the original band. It wasn’t until 1982, when ASIA burst onto
the scene with their debut album, that I again had the opportunity to revel in
the success of progressive rock musicians.
Progressive rock veterans Carl Palmer (ELP), John Wetton (King Crimson,
UK, etc.), Geoff Downes (Buggles,Yes) and Steve Howe (Yes) had found a new way
to remain relevant in the new decade.
Their music had the precision and technique of prog rock, but was radio
and MTV friendly. I probably played that
first ASIA album as much as any, outside of maybe ELP’s Tarkus. Everyone knows “Heat
of the Moment”, “Only Time Will Tell” and “Sole Survivor”, but the last song on
the 1st side of the record was their most prog-like piece “Time
Again”. It remains one of my favorite
ASIA songs. I also finally had a viable
point of reference for discussing music with those unfamiliar with Prog. Outside of Greg Lake’s brief stint replacing
John Wetton in ASIA (ironic since Wetton followed Lake as King Crimson bassist
and vocalist), it wouldn’t be until 1986’s Emerson
Lake & Powell that I would be as excited about music.
In previous posts I’ve alluded to the spiritual essence of
music. Indeed, it seems vital for my
physical and mental well-being. Time and time again, I forget the importance of
nourishing my soul in this fashion. It
was time again for a trip to the Granada Theater. The logistics of transporting seven to Lower
Greenville via Central Expressway on a Friday night were daunting enough. Add the tasks of getting Mike from Sherman
and then picking up Danny from the H.S. after his basketball game in Flower
Mound. I took Trey, Declan and Nash
early enough that we could eat at Snuffers next door to the Granada. This has now become a tradition for us. Bobbi came later with the other two boys. The ride down was fun as I got to know Nash
and Declan. It seemed ironic that I was
having a fairly erudite political discussion with the 13-year old while
listening to Nash wax nostalgic. His heyday/teen years had been the early
eighties and of course ASIA was his favorite band. I enjoyed explaining the background of the
musicians and connections to all of my other favorite bands. Suddenly, I thought Mark must have been with us
(lol) as we were stuck in traffic and Nash needed an emergency pit stop. I jumped the curb just in time to get him to
a 7-11. I should now have plenty of
material for my own Flomax advertisement.
We finished eating and walked next door in time to see some
of the technicians doing final adjustments.
Nash, with childlike enthusiasm inquired whether the people on stage
were “anybody”. I kind of laughed and
said, “just techs and roadies”. Then I
believe I identified Geoff Downes’ keyboard tech as Will Alexander, a long-time
Keith Emerson tech and production collaborator. So yes, anyone who has
maintained Keith’s original Moog Synth, is “somebody”, at least to me:).
I was wishing that our newbies could have experienced the visual and musical
display by Keith using that Moog, sometimes referred to as “the world’s most
dangerous synth”. It was also at the
Granada in 2010, that we and other friends experienced plaster flaking from the
ceiling due to the subsonic sounds produced by the historic Moog. In retrospect, I don’t think Nash could have
connected that in any way to the popular sounds of his beloved ASIA.
The concert started as Bobbi and the boys were still sitting
on Central Expressway. I know Mike and
Danny were fretting and I hoped they’d be there soon. They arrived during the 3rd
song, a new one from the 2012 album XXX, and just before “Time Again”. Danny got to hear his other favorite “Ride
Easy” which has the feel of an English spy movie a la James Bond.
- Only Time Will Tell
- Wildest Dreams
- Face on the Bridge
- Time Again
- Tomorrow the World
- Ride Easy
- Steve Howe Solo
- I Know How You Feel (featuring John Wetton)
- Don’t Cry (featuring John Wetton)
- The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (featuring John Wetton)
- Cutting it Fine / Bolero (Geoff Downes Solo)
- Holy War
- Carl Palmer Solo
- An Extraordinary Life
- Here Comes the Feeling
- Open Your Eyes
- Sole Survivor
- Heat of the Moment
Steve Howe’s acoustic guitar solo was pleasing as always. My
favorite is “The Clap” from his Yes days.
At least for me, the tour de force
is Carl’s drum solo. I think I’ve seen
him about 15 times and it never disappoints.
Declan is a huge Rush and Neil Peart fan, but I knew once the still boyish looking 62-year old Palmer got it
going, that a new fan would be born. As mentioned, ASIA is less a
progressive band and not one like ELP or Rush where the drummer is prominently
on display, so it took a few buildup songs and the drum solo to win over our guests. The solo is much shorter, but every bit as
precise and entertaining as it has always been, complete with juggling sticks
and other fun tricks. He is not only one of the very best drummers ever,
in any genre, but a consummate showman. He is one of the few that are
able to carry-off the solo thing without losing people. After all, it
was he who most impressed my parents when they braved an ELP concert in the
seventies.
Due to the nature of general admission, our group was a bit
scattered. I was at the back leaning
against the wall while the rest were closer but amongst the crowed. Trey had commented earlier that he wished he didn’t
have to stand behind “Leo”, the Tommy Chong hippie character from the
aforementioned 70’s Show. I laughed, but
during the encores, some idiot lit one up.
Of course this used to be the norm, but now venues strictly prohibit
smoking of any kind. Bobbi then ran back
to inform me that our 13-year olds had just been offered a joint. Of course the
kids were more mature than the fool who tried to pass the funny cigarette. Bobbi is usually the one that has to calm me
down, but it was apparent that she wanted action. Seeing as the concert was nearing end, I didn’t
think a scene was warranted. It was somewhat
embarrassing however, to have that happen to a kid I’d been entrusted to
chaperone. I think Nash was having a
flashback about this time.
As the concert ended, I was back on my game, feeling alive
and interested in rehashing the performance as well as the historical
perspective and influence of progressive rock. It was also clear that these
guys really loved playing their music. I doubt any of them are in need of money
and here they are playing to some 300 people when they used to perform for tens
of thousands. ELP headlined the
California Jam in 1974 with a paid attendance of 250,000. Danny traded cars with Trey and Declan, so he
and I decided to play some related music for Nash on the trip home. Danny attached
his iPod to my stereo and cranked up some U.K. featuring John Wetton. You could see the confusion on Nash’s
face. He was obviously at a loss and
asked if the band were experimenting with certain noises. Danny and I were stunned because we thought
the songs were pretty normal in comparison to some we liked, and since the vocal
was by the same person he had just listened to at the concert, we thought he would
like it. We took it one step further and
really messed with him by playing some ELP, at which point, I felt sorry for him
and thanked him for being a good sport.
He wondered aloud whether he’d be able to sleep that night. I slept well for one of the few times in the
recent past and was heartened that everyone enjoyed the experience.
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