Creative Writing Paper about Marillion

The house lights fade away, and the expected aroma of weed fills the room as the crowd’s excitement builds. My dad and I exchange a look, as if to say, “Let’s do this!” I’m so glad to be sharing yet another concert with him, though tonight, we bond over our mutual lack of familiarity with this band called Marillion. Regardless, we’re always happy to share new experiences together. Where would I be without him?

Four members of the band enter. I don’t recognize any of them except Steve Rothery, the guitarist. They smile sweetly at the audience and take their places on stage. They seem so humble! The barely sold out room becomes overwhelmed by a wonderful soundscape that follows the G minor scale, a key that normally would unsettle a person. Instead, I’m unexpectedly overjoyed by the music that enters my ears. It reminds me of the beginning of a movie, one that is destined to become a favorite of mine, as I am instantly captivated by its mysterious, somewhat melancholic nature. I know there’s a fifth member of this band, but I don’t see him yet. I search the stage and finally, he comes out of the shadows. I know this is Steve Hogarth, affectionately called “H” by the band and by fans. He beams at the crowd, showcasing an absolutely adorable grin. How cute! He possesses the demeanor of a beloved family member that hasn’t been seen in ages.

The audience completely sinks into the music, barely noticing his entrance, although we’re happy to see him, and he’s happy to see us. I’m a bit too far away to see him clearly, but I can tell that he’s wearing an acoustic guitar. He joins in with the rest of the band and begins singing, and I’m instantly captivated by the melodies that sound through his microphone. It’s an exceptionally powerful voice, as it ranges from stronger than a scream to fainter than a whisper. “Why is nothing ever true? /You poor sods have only yourselves to blame.” I’m speechless.  I want him to sing for the rest of eternity.  As I watch him glide across the stage like a court jester, I can’t help but liken him to Peter Gabriel dressed in drag singing about flowers and lawnmowers. “H” moves lusciously, unlike any other human being I’ve ever watched. I’m delighted by his moves, as his body flies with such elegance and grace. The audience remains in respectful silence as the band places tender loving care into each note played.

But, it’s not just “H’s” voice that causes my thoughts to wander. I’m also fascinated by the content of the lyrics. I can tell they’re of a political nature, but they’re amazingly relevant and universal. I hear “H” vocalize his most personal thoughts.  One particular line resonates with me and haunts me to this day. I can still hear “H” serenading my thoughts as if he were a siren calling to a ship: “Fuck everyone and run.” It’s sung in such a way that is not angry but, rather, sorrowful and helpless, a call to attention. I, along with the rest of the moved crowd, give this band a much-needed standing ovation.

“H” suddenly vanishes from the stage, only to return shortly in a long-sleeved white top, the cuffs undone, the buttons clearly uneven. He blushes like a schoolgirl, showing no shame in his improper dress code. The band breaks into song once more for an encore, playing with far more sincerity. “H” sings to the universe, falling to the floor as delicately as the first snowflakes of winter. He’s overwhelmed by the power of his own lyrics: “But when you’re gone/I never land/In Neverland.” At this point, the entire band is playing to all beings, both human and divine. The song has a soul of its own. Every note and melody allows it to breath. Before I know it, the music fades away, swallowed by the roar of the thrilled audience. The end of their set comes as alarmingly as a deer in headlights. Before I know it, I’m back on Earth. I look at my dad once more, but no words need to be said.  The band takes a final bow, and then they’re gone, out of my life, just before I can land in Neverland. I wonder to myself: Where have you been all my life?

Week 5 update

Hi everyone! Sorry, no posts in January. It was a pretty busy month for me. I drove back to school on January 9 and started classes again. I'm taking three this quarter: intro to creative writing, intro to American literature, and a writing workshop. Lots of writing to do for those classes, so the blog had to take a bit of a back seat. Any way, I wanted to update you all on what I've been up to. First off, I've thought about it for a while and I've decided to bump my star rating for the ARW show down to a 6 instead of my previous rating of 7. The more I think about that show, the more disappointed I become with it.

Second, I have been to three concerts so far this year, and I thought I would talk about each of them for a little bit. First I saw Eric Johnson. I got those tickets as a Christmas gift. I was pretty excied, because I had been wanting to see a full concert of his since seeing him with Experience Hendrix in 2010. Yes, I hadn't seen him since my very first concert ever. He played at The Rose in Pasadena, a venue apparently under the same ownership as the Canyon Club in Agoura and the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. It was a pretty nice venue, but the show itself.......meh. When we got to the venue, that was where we learned that this was in fact an ACOUSTIC Eric Johnson show, which disappointed us right off the bat. I was hoping to hear some blues guitar! Not only that, he was apparently recovering from an illness, so he didn't have much energy on stage. Also, the audience was pretty obnoxious. Lots of drunk, insufferable patrons clapping really loudly and shouting things at him. I could tell it was really getting on his nerves at some point. I didn't blame him one bit. It got on my nerves too. Overall, I'm giving this show a 5/10. Not horrible, but definitely could have been a lot better. It had a lot of potential, but in the end, it didn't quite get there.

Next I saw something much better: Stick Men, the trio featuring Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, and Markus Reuter. They played at the Canyon Club, a nice local drive for me. Not the best venue, but it was a much more interesting show. I sat directly in front of Tony Levin, and in the end was given a setlist, which I got signed by all of them. Pat hinted during the show that King Crimson would be playing at the Greek Theatre in May or June. I hope I can make that show, as I have quite a few things going on during that time. Overall, this show was a lot of fun and I hope to see King Crimson when they come back this summer. 7/10.

Third, I saw Tom Chaplin of Keane on Thursday at the El Rey Theatre. I hadn't been to that venue in about 4 and a half years. The last time I came there was for Katatonia in 2012. So far, this is my favorite concert of the year. I'm a huge Keane fan so it was a cool opportunity for me. As usual, I was right up front in the general admission crowd. I tend to have good luck with general admission. Being only 5'4, I can't really afford to NOT be up front. Anyway, Tom put on a great show with lots of energy and a great set list. Most of the songs I knew, but there were a few rarities that I did not recognize. My only complaints really are about the sound. The piano was very hard to hear at times and the drums were way too loud, at least from where I was standing. 8/10

My Marillion endeavor continues. Since January I have been adding more to my collection. I got vinyl copies of Fugazi, A Sunday Night Above the Rain, and most recently, Script for a Jester's Tear. I'm very much looking forward to hearing all of these. I figured I would get the rest of the Fish albums first since there's only 4 of them.

New Year's Message

Alright proggers! Another year has come and gone. I am using the final hour of 2016 to write this message to all of you. This was a terrific year for concerts in particular. This year, my dream to see David Gilmour was fulfilled. Along with that, I made some important new musical discoveries, the main one being Marillion. It's only been a little over two months since my first time seeing them, and I already feel very strongly about them. I look forward to spending 2017 discovering the rest of their music. I think I will make a strong effort to show them to other people in my life who may not be so familiar with them. I feel like they are a band that people just need to at least be aware of. I feel a solemn duty to make sure that their talent isn't overlooked.

As for the rest of you, I know that this year was tough for some of you. 2016 had its share of setbacks for me, particularly the loss of Greg Lake and Keith Emerson. As devastated as I am by these losses, I also know that no one is destined to live forever, and that our time on this earth is finite. Unfortunately, if there's one thing I've learned in life, it's that you're going to have some years where it seems like all hope is lost and that things can't get any worse. I've had a few years like that, but when I think about it, I eventually got through those tough times, and I'm still here today. Even though things may seem hopeless at times, just know that you WILL get through them. Hang on to the people and things in your life that matter to you. Keep them close and don't take a single one of them for granted. That is the main lesson I took away from this year. 

I gained lots of new members on ProgBook this year, and I'm really excited for that. Thank you so much to everyone for all your support. Your enthusiasm for prog and for music in general is what inspires me to keep this group and this blog active. I hope you all have a very happy and safe 2017 full of music and memories. :)

 - J Michelle

Greg Lake Journal Entry

The entry you are about to read is an account of my experience of seeing Greg Lake's Songs of a Lifetime show on May 18, 2012 at the Orpheum Theatre in LA. It was taken directly from the journal I filled out throughout 2012, when I was 15. Since Greg's passing, I have felt the need to share my experience of him with as many people as possible. You have heard my thoughts on that evening as I look back on that night from 4 years ago, approaching 5. Now,  I think you should hear my thoughts on that evening from when I was 15. Some of the words in this entry have been removed, but for the most part, I have typed it out exactly as it was written four years ago. Yes, I know some of the grammar and spelling is a bit off, but cut me some slack. I was only 15. Typing this entry out was very emotional for me, especially the last two lines of it. I hope you enjoy it:

I cannot state the time for this entry because today is the 20th. This was a very bust weekend. School was busy, but I much to look forward to this night. I was going to meet with some good music buddies for dinner at a small Brazilian restaurant with my Dad, and then we would head over to the Orpheum Theatre to see Greg Lake. The restaurant was called "Wood Spoon," but you did not have to guess too hard on that, for there was a large wooden spoon set in place of the restaurant's name outside the building. Had some chicken, Brazilian rice, and fried bananas for dinner, and Coca-Cola imported from Mexico to drink. Mexican coke has a softer texture than American, but still tasted great. The whole meal was great. My good friend Bill arrived late due to heavy traffic coming down from Bishop, so he had no time to eat. With him, was his brother Richard, and a box of caps he had customized to have the logo of his Friday night radio show on the front. Mine fit perfectly, fortunately. Finally, my excitement for the show was too great, so Dad and my buddies paid the bill and we walked to the Orpheum. I had a nice talk with my friend Xhana on the way down there. I told her about my ordeals with adults on John Wetton's guestbook, and the anger I felt from it. Apparently, her high school experience matches perfectly with my current one, since she felt like an outcast due to the music she liked, but in the end, everyone she met after high school accepted her for who she was. Once we arrived, we picked up our tickets and VIP aftershow stickers from the will-call box... Dad and I had seats near the aisle in the sixth row, a wonderful view. 

The show started about a half hour late, approximately 8:30 pm, but it was lovely. Greg came out after an intro of the song "Power" by Kanye West, which features a sample of Greg's vocals on a King Crimson track called, "21st Century Schizoid Man." I must say he looked a lot healthier than he did two years ago, and his voice was taken well cared of. His choice of songs was very impressive, for he included not just Emerson, Lake, and Palmer songs, but also King Crimson songs and covers of songs by artists who greatly influenced him, like Elvis Presley and The Beatles. Throughout the show, he told wonderful stories about some of the biggest experiences of his life, from seeing Elvis in concert, to getting his first guitar after gaining interest from playing with a friend's one-string guitar. Sadly, though, after a 20-minute intermission, a man sitting behind me would not let me ask a question at a point during the Q&A session because he "was next." He had also complained to me and this poor woman in front of me that we were using flash photography, which we were not. It wasn't fair. I wanted to ask Greg why the ELP album "Trilogy" is special to him, for I had heard him mention its importance to him in various interviews. The rest of the show went by, and before I knew it, it was time for the aftershow.

I was led into the concession room with Dad, Bill, Xhana, my new buddies Victor (JJ) and Rebecca, and the others attending, where we were told to wait. There were several VIP packages with different features included, so we ended up having to wait for two hours, making it after midnight when we finally came out to meet Greg. During those two hours, I had nice conversations with Tony Ortiz, a longtime friend of ELP, who gladly took a picture with Bill and me. After that, I spoke for a bit with Ron Lyon, the man who took our picture, a d he showed interest in seeing my YouTube videos upon learning that I was a guitar player. I have yet to hear from him on that. He gave me his card so that I could email him for the pictures of me with Bill and Tony. The Meet and Greet was outside for some reason, but well worth it. Everyone with laminants went first, so a little more waiting was needed. Finally, after Bill had a nice talk and picture with Greg, it was my turn. After I set y sweater on the steps (which turned out to be a bad idea since ti was cold), I heard the photographer introduce Dad and I. Greg shook my Dad's hand and then, as he went to shake mine, I held out my arms, and the dream I had had for the past five months had been fulfilled: I hugged Greg Lake. He and I embraced each other, and everything felt alright. He wondered how someone my age could be interested in his music, which I responded with the statement that I have been a fan since I was 12. He blushed and began to mention "this girl with amazing talent called Rachel Flowers." I told him I knew exactly what he was talking about and had seen her perform. We talked about the message I left on his website when I was 13, which he remembered  after thinking for a bit, and then he signed my Tarkus CD with: "To Michelle. Love, Greg Lake, XXX." I tried to hide my shivers, but he saw that I was cold and expressed concern, but I assured him that I'd be fine. He then gave me a thin guitar pick, one side having the ELP logo, and the other having his own logo. I thanked him, and after the pictures, gave him a huge hug. He blessed me, and expressed his appreciation for my attendance. I told him it was the least I could do. I smiled the whole way home. That pick is safe with the pick Steven Wilson gave me last year. I hope to see Greg again. He is so special to me.

Greg Lake

When I was 12 years old, back in 2009, my guitar teacher introduced me to the band Pink Floyd. That band marked the start of a musical journey that has made me the music fan I am today. My dad saw how much I enjoyed the music of Floyd, so he decided to encourage me to check out more bands that fell under this genre called “progressive rock.” One day he called me into his office. He sat me down and put on a song called “C’est La Vie,” by this band called Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, or ELP. Instantly, I fell in love with every aspect of that song, particularly the vocals. I learned that the name of that singer was Greg Lake. I was struck by the uniqueness of his voice, and it became very obvious to me that it was a voice you could not mistake for any other. I decided to look further into this band and, soon enough, discovered albums like Tarkus and Trilogy. I was hooked. I could not get enough of their music. I had never heard of a successful band dominated by keyboards. Early the next year, I learned that Greg Lake and Keith Emerson were going to be performing at my now favorite concert venue, the Orpheum Theatre. It was an opportunity we could not pass up, so we went for it. That night proved to be a game changer for me, not just musically, but personally as well. A few people who were at that show are now good friends of mine, though we discovered each other on Facebook. The show was unique to me because it was a chance for me to get to hear Keith and Greg talk about their experiences over the years. It was a joy getting to hear them perform and speak, but I was particularly excited to see Greg. I had developed a soft spot for him and felt a sense of warmth and ingenuity whenever he spoke. After that night, I had developed a dream of someday meeting him.  In the summer of 2010, my musical soundtrack was devoted entirely to ELP. It seemed as though I could not get through an entire day without playing the Tarkus suite or Brain Salad Surgery. In October of that year, I found Greg’s website and his Q &A page. Because we had balcony seats for Keith and Greg’s show, I was not able to ask him a question during the Q&A portion of the show, so I felt I would take a chance and see if he would answer. I wasn’t getting my hopes up though, since I figured he had a lot of questions from people. But then, one day, I got an unexpected surprise: he replied. It went like this:

Question

Hello Greg. I am a 13 year old girl who has been playing guitar for almost two years and am greatly influenced by your music. Getting the chance to see you and Keith in concert on your recent tour was very important to me and a night I will never forget. I wanted the opportunity to ask you a question during the Q&A part of the show but sadly could not because I was located on the upper level. My question was: What was your inspiration for Tarkus (my favorite ELP album)?

Answer

Dear friend,

Firstly I am most impressed that at such a young age you are able to appreciate and enjoy such a complex piece of music as Tarkus. The initial inspiration for this record came from the music that Keith had written. Following on from this I wrote various songs and worked together with Keith and Carl as a producer to create the record you now hear. Tarkus has been the backbone performance piece for ELP for almost four decades now and has certainly stood the test of time. It is one of the best examples of the musical genius of Keith Emerson as a composer and of the band ELP working and performing together at the very top of their game.

Thank you for you interest and support and next time you come along to see a show just make sure you write to Eileen at this website in advance, ( with your name) and she will arrange for you to come back stage and I will introduce you to Keith and you can ask him about the piece personally.

Best wishes,

Greg.

(Oct-09-10)

I couldn’t believe it. Greg Lake had answered MY question. It totally made my night, and I had developed a new appreciation for him. After that, I was determined to meet him. At the end of 2011, a devastating year for me, I received some happy news: Greg would be coming to the US in spring of 2012 with a tour called Songs of a Lifetime. Now is my chance, I thought. I immediately contacted Eileen and showed her the transcript of my exchange with Greg. She replied that she would be happy to help me out. We scored sixth row seats for his show on May 18, 2012 at the Orpheum. I was also thrilled to hear that some of my best music friends were also going to be attending.

May 18, 2012 remains today as one of the best nights of my life. That night, I, along with my dad and good friends, got to hear stories from a voice that contained so much wisdom and a lifetime of experience. That same night, at 15 years old, my dream to meet Greg was realized. We waited about 2 hours for him, so by the time he came out, it was well after midnight. However, I will never forget the love, warmth and generosity he showed my friends and me. Even though it was 12:30 am and quite cold outside, he kept on smiling and made sure he met everyone.  For a precious 5 minutes, I was able to talk to Greg as a person. That is something that I would never forget.

I knew that, one day, I would have to write this entry. I knew one day, I would wake up to the news that Greg was no longer with us. This has to be the most difficult entry I have ever written, because I was fortunate enough to experience Greg as more than just a musician. I was able to see what he was like as a person, as another human being. Meeting him remains one of the highlights of my life, and I will always remember the big hug he gave me before and after our conversation. It is bittersweet to be writing this, since the last thing he told me was that we would see each other again someday. I cry at the realization that there is no possibility of that now. I also cry at the realization that I will never know the answer to why Trilogy was his most cherished ELP album. To be honest, in spite of everything bad that is going on in the world, I always took comfort in knowing that Greg was still with us. If anything bad ever happened, I always told myself, “Well, it’s not all bad. Greg Lake is still alive.” I realize that the days of me saying such a thing are over now.

Grief is a feeling that I have grown to be very familiar with in the last 5 years. In that time, I have experienced the loss of family, friends, and certain musicians that I looked up to. I guess it’s the price I pay for loving these older rock bands as much as I do. I get less time to enjoy them while they are still here. However, at the same time, I am eternally grateful to have been able to see many of them perform live. The Emerson and Lake show as well as the Songs of a Lifetime are now very special memories for me. I will always remember the love, warmth, and grace Greg put into each song, and each lyric. I will always remember the fact that his music managed to bring so many people into my life. Through his music, we connected with one another and formed some truly special bonds that I hold dear to me. That is what continuously blows me away about the power of music.

Today had me thinking of the famous ELP line, “Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends.” To me, the show truly will never end, as long as the music continues to be played. The same can be said about Bowie, Prince, Chris Squire, Keith, and all the other musicians that have left us, or who eventually will leave us. The artist may be gone, but the art lives on forever.

Rest in eternal peace, Greg. There will truly never be another one like you. I will never forget you.

Love,

J Michelle

ARW

Don't worry. I'm not going to talk about Marillion in this post. Ok, maybe I will just a little, but in short, I'm still reeling from that show even though it's been a little over a month now since that fateful night. I'm going to try to write this entry while F.E.A.R. plays on my turntable.

In this post, I'm going to talk about the most anticipated prog act of the year that I finally saw last night: Anderson, Wakeman and Rabin. Like many people, I was super excited for this show. There had been talk about these guys coming together over the last two or three years. They kept hinting at a possible album or tour but nothing ever became official until earlier this year. When tickets went on sale for their show at the Orpheum, my most beloved concert venue, the first thing we determined was that floor seats were out of the question because of their outrageous prices. Sorry, but $700+ a ticket isn't happening. Instead, we settled for balcony seats. We weren't concerned though. We have never had a bad experience at the Orpheum in terms of sound quality or ability to view the stage. As far as we're concerned, there's no such thing as a bad seat at the Orpheum.

Anyway, we waited about 8 months for this show, about the same amount of time we had to wait to see David Gilmour. During that time, there was much speculation from people on Facebook as to what this show was going to be like. Many people had different ideas of what king of show we would get. Some expected it to be just Jon, Rick, and Trevor. Some expected many additional musicians to be on stage with them. As for me personally, I was expecting it to simply be different from the shows that the current Yes lineup was putting on. I anticipated a creative setlist, great attention to the musicianship of Rick and Trevor, and interesting visuals. From how much hype this project was getting, this concert should be excellent. Was it excellent?

No.

Now, it wasn't a bad concert. However, thinking about how good it could have been depresses me to some extent. I think the place where it suffered the most was simply not being creative enough with the setlist. When you have the talents of Rick Wakeman and Trevor Rabin, I would think you would make an extra strong effort to pick songs where their abilities shine the most. I was really hoping to hear some longer pieces of music like "Close to the Edge," or even anything off of albums like Relayer. I will give Trevor props for not trying to be like Steve Howe, but I think he could have handled those longer pieces. Now there were some really big moments in this show. There were songs that I loved hearing. I loved that they played songs like "Changes" and "Hold On." There were times where I really perked up and was really impressed with what I was hearing. But those were few. For the most part, I have to say that I was sitting in my seat wishing for something different to come up. The majority of the setlist was made up of all the same songs we've heard time and time again with Yes, like "Perpetual Change," "Heart of the Sunrise," and even "Owner of a Lonely Heart."

Another part that really disappointed me was how seemingly underrepresented Rick was. Pointing him out to the audience after every song doesn't count as representation to me. To me, their song choices were not the ones that showed off Rick's talents the best. I think Trevor actually got more attention than Rick did and, sometimes, even more than Jon did. I like Trevor, but Rick was the one I was actually the most excited to see live. He got some solo time, but those times were very brief. I actually wouldn't have minded hearing him play something off The Six Wives of Henry VIII or Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

So overall, this was a pretty good concert, but I'm struck by how underwhelming it was, especially considering how talked about this project was and how hyped it was. Knowing how talented these guys are, I was definitely expecting more. Did they deliver? Eventually, yes, but by that time the show was more than halfway done. I think the only point where I was truly sucked into the show was during "Awaken." To put it simply, I liked this show, but in the end I think it could have been a lot better. I would think that, for a show as unique as this, there would be a strong effort made to do a show that separates them from what the current Yes lineup is doing these days, especially because we don't know how much longer these guys will be touring.

7/10

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