First of all, who doesn't like Boston? No matter your preferred genre of music, Boston is always nearby, out there on the edge of any genre and it always fits into whatever your playlist looks like. So why wouldn't anyone come to this show?
The sound is instantly identifiable, and that is no accident. Boston was made up of MIT guys who built their own studio, invented some of their own equipment and created something undeniably "Boston".
Long Time (surely you know the reference in the band name) has captured that unique sound. The guitar layers, the instantly recognized solos and the sometimes wild, sometimes barely there- keyboards are solid representations of the original work.
So those are the obvious points. What's not so obvious, to some maybe, might be the basslines, the drumming and the the vocal harmonies. All of those were on point as well. In short, it was excellent. All of it!
I think some people would be quick to say that maybe it doesn't sound exactly like the songs on the albums, and my answer to that is this: Live music is not studio produced, finalized and published music on hi-fi media. This sounded like Boston playing a live performance in my opinion. There's a difference; for any band.
The singer had a genuine spirit to him that felt very personal, he's not just "going through the motions" so to speak. He's authentic, passionate and involved with the crowd and his bandmates while on stage. Nice man off stage too from my brief encounter with him.
All of the other musicians were clearly skilled. I could call out each one individually, but I'd have same thing about each of them over and over: They're experts in their respective parts.
The band commented on the challenges of playing these songs and I have to agree with them- the technical aspects of achieving the "Boston sound" (across the board, not just one guy) along with the accurate song notes is a real nod to the members' musicianship. There's a reason there's not a Boston tribute band on every corner. There's also a reason this one has been around over a decade and has had actual members sit in with them before.
So, to the guys in the band, I say this:
Well done! I can't wait to see you again somewhere down the road.
I wish the crowd had more energy for you. I've seen this at all of the Win-River shows this year, most folks (not all, but a majority) seem content to just sit back, sip their drink and listen. I don't know if that's unique to Redding or not, but I always feel for the band, particular the vocalist who's always pushing for people to come up closer. *
*except for that "one guy". There's one at every show who's a little tipsy and practically climbs on the stage to get is horns right up in the members faces (while blocking everyone's view and ruining their photos and videos) ....augh! Anyhoo... that's a topic for another post.
Nice group of guys too, by the way.
You can find their website at: Long Time - A Tribute To The Band Boston (bostontribute.com) and their Facebook page is located at: Long Time: A Tribute to The Band Boston | Facebook
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