An Interesting Night at the Saban

I gave myself a week to think about it before writing my entry on the concert I saw last week. I did so because I wanted to make sure I wasn't just overreacting. I would hate to write an overly ecstatic entry about a concert I went to, come back to it later, and realize that I no longer felt the way I did when I originally wrote that entry. But now that it's been eight days, I think I can confidently write out exactly how I felt about last Saturday night. Last Saturday night, I saw Marillion for the first time. 

About ten months ago, I saw a notice on Ticketmaster that Marillion were going to be on tour in fall of 2016, and were making a stop in Beverly Hills. I heard Marillion for the first time when I was watching performances from the 2010 High Voltage Festival. I was mainly watching that to see ELP's final performance, but one other act caught my attention: it was this band called Marillion playing this song called "Neverland." I remember really liking that performance. I was particularly struck by how much feel seemed to be put into the music. That wasn't something I saw all the time, and it actually impressed me quite a bit. My dad and I were only mildly familiar with the band's discography, but we decided to check it out. Who knows? Maybe we'll become converts. The last ten months weren't full of an overwhelming amount of anticipation for this show, to be honest. I mean, I was sure it wasn't going to be horrible since I know many people who really love this band, but at the same time, I wasn't sure if I should expect anything spectacular. The last few shows I went to for bands that I didn't really know were not particularly enjoyable. For example, I saw Katatonia in 2012, and they bored me to death. Sorry to all you Katatonia fans, but I was struggling to not doze off at some points in that show, and that's saying something, considering that I was right up front and leaning on the stage. Blue Oyster Cult in 2014 was not that much better. So, long story short, I wasn't getting my hopes up for this.

Guys, this concert left me speechless. I came in not expecting much, and boy was I wrong to think that. It didn't take me long to realize that this is a severely underrated band. Of the 46 concerts that I have been to since 2010, I can't really remember the last time I went to a show for a band I didn't really know anything about, and left the venue feeling so refreshed and excited about what I just saw. If you were to ask me to name a band or artist off the top of my head who I felt played with such sincerity and passion, I would immediately say David Gilmour. Now, after seeing this show, I would probably be inclined to name these guys too. Everything from the music to the vocals to the visuals just won my attention. Steve Hogarth (affectionately called "h." by fans) is, to put it simply, freakin' awesome. He was so fun to watch and even more fun to listen to. It's not often that I see a singer perform a song rather than just sing it. It was very apparent to me that he meant every word he sang. Watching him really feel the music was such a joy. It reminded me a lot of why music is so important to me, and why I get joy out of attending live music events, especially prog music events. I talked to my dad on the way back from the show and he observed that h. had a stage presence that reminded him a little of Peter Gabriel in Genesis. Looking back, I think my dad has a point. Every song that was played was a musical journey. I can't remember the last time a concert went by so quickly. I think they played for about 2.5 hours, but it felt much shorter. That's what happens when I'm completely sucked in to the show. That's how I know that it was a great concert.

However, having said all of that, I do have one complaint. Steve Rothery was really hard to hear at some points in the show. There were actually some times where I didn't realize that he was actually playing a guitar solo, and that concerns me because I think he is a very underrated guitar player. His style and guitar tone reminds me a lot of David Gilmour's. Maybe it was because of where I was sitting (front row balcony), but I'm not sure. All I know is that I had a hard time hearing him. Now the rest of the band, I heard just fine. Mark Kelly, h., Ian Mosley, and Peter Trewavas all killed it. 

To sum it all up, I finally understand why everyone likes this band so much. There is a lot to enjoy about these guys. They definitely know how to connect with their fans, and that's something that I really look for when I discover a new band or artist. It's more than just going to a show and watching musicians play for 2+ hours. The worst thing a band can do is just be boring and not be fun or engaging at all. As I stated at the beginning of this entry, I've been to a few shows like that, and it's extremely painful to sit through. 

Overall, this was practically concert perfection. My expectations were more than exceeded. I was not bored at any point in this show. In fact, I was grinning for most of it. I think I can confidently say that this show was one of the best I have ever been to. Everything that I think makes up a good prog concert was present the entire time. It was engaging, fun, and truly remarkable. I hope it is not long before I see these guys again.

9.5/10