anguyen92 wrote:
Ok I think my ears could be playing tricks but I think they are rehearsing Indoctrination what I can hear outside.
They were! We weren't let inside for soundcheck until that was done. Looks like they are prepping it for the next leg of dates, or maybe Spokane, as they seem to drop some stuff into Spokane (One By One in 2007, Words Darker Than Their Wings in 2017) dates that they don't play much.
Well, what a difference a day off makes. As I said in my previous post about the Stateline/Lake Tahoe gig, I could tell Myles was recovering from something. But let me tell you, he recovered completely to my ears on Sunday night at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco.
You could tell in soundcheck that Myles' voice was in prime form. He had a power to his voice that just wasn't there on Friday. I'll get to all that more as I talk about the show. But I turned to my wife and said "it's already leaps and bounds better" and she nodded in agreement during the soundcheck of "Cry of Achilles." As mentioned above, they did "Indoctrination," along with "Cry of Achilles," "Forever Falling" and "Wouldn't You Rather" during soundcheck, although they didn't let the VIP folks into the room until Indoctrination was done.
The show itself was a solid 90 minutes, with One Life starting promptly at 9:00 p.m., and the band finishing up just past 10:30 p.m. The setlist was the same as the 2/17 gig in Denver, so I finally got to see "Native Son," and it was great. Now I see what Myles was talking about in interviews about that song, and playing/singing it at the same time. You could tell the guitar part he was doing was a little more complicated and he had to really get the timing down to nail the vocals and what he was playing. Great stuff.
The whole set was energetic. Myles came out with a ton of energy from the get-go. He was way more engaging with the crowd, and it became very obvious the last couple of shows he was recovering from something. Because in San Francisco, he was the Myles I remembered from Spokane 2017 and San Fran 2014 - getting into the show, moving around, talking more, and it just seemed a lot easier for him in comparison to the other night in Tahoe. The crowd helped too. I'm usually very critical of the lame crowds I've witnessed in California (I'm a New York/Long Island native). Not true every time I've seen Alter Bridge in San Fran (2011, 2014, 2020). For a Sunday night, the crowd was INTO it, and Myles mentioned it a couple of times. Again, he had a ton of energy, sang with some great power, etc. He hit notes, but obviously, was not holding them for eons (like he did in Spokane 2017, which was the last show of the tour, so I get it). But those of you seeing AB this week, prime Myles awaits you!
Mark, Brian, and Flip were also feeling good and really into it. The crowd loved Mark's lead vocals in "Forever Falling," and B Marsh was really more active on stage, engaging with people, hamming it up a bit, much more than I remember him doing that in the past. They looked to be in a dynamite mood and it showed.
We all know how good Mark is as a guitarist, but man, each time I see the guy, it seems like he continues to get better. I know he's obsessed with his instrument, and it really shines through. It always seems he gets better and better with each successive tour. And speaking of guitars, love that Myles had a little solo bit prior to one of the songs (I am forgetting which one). Really shows his more jazz/blues-based style.
Highlights for me were Native Son, Cry of Achilles, In Loving Memory (acoustic), Forever Falling, and I really got into Ghosts of Days Gone By (not normally one that I put up there with my favorites). I can't speak highly enough of the performance by AB last night. They killed it, and the new material slayed. So happy we got five songs from Walk the Sky last night. One day, I hope I'll get to see the title track and Dying Light.
One thing my wife was wondering was why Mark doesn't sing the harmony parts on some of the new songs, particularly the chorus of "Pay No Mind." On the record, Myles harmonizes with himself, but live, obviously Mark does the harmonies. But while he does on a lot of the older material, he doesn't on the new stuff. She was going to ask him, but we didn't really get a chance with the way the meet and greet is set up.
In what was a change to us, the whole structure of the M&Gs now is different. We've gone three times now (2014, 2017, 2020), and I'm pretty sure we're done at this point. Let me be clear, Helen, who is in charge of things, does a WONDERFUL job communicating and getting people where they need to be. She's funny, engaging, and takes care of things. But unlike in 2014 when I got a couple of LPs signed, and 2017 when I got two tour posters (an AB III one, and one from the Royal Albert Hall gig) signed, they were very clear that the band WOULD NOT be signing anything, at all. It was emailed out, it was announced while we were waiting, etc. I understand the policy change. Simply put, I remember people bringing in STACKS of shit in the past, and it was ridiculous. So while a bummer, I got it.
I guess where my frustration was (again, not Helen or the band, just the policy) is that the way the thing is set up now, you have absolutely no time to ask them questions. Almost zero. The three of us were herded into the photo line. We waited, got to the band, each took one, and got a family photo with the band (thanks Helen). But in years past, we were able to ask a question or two. NO CHANCE at this point. You're herded quickly through the line. That really bummed us out. I was able to say hello, and then the pic, and literally as we're being ushered out, I was able to tell the guys that we loved the new record, and asked Mark if they could do "Dying Light" that night (he said "aw, man, we didn't rehearse it today.") and that was it. I mean, smiles and hellos, but boom, picture and you're out, and you're handed a pre-signed nice tour poster (it really is nice) as you walk out the door.
Obviously, this was our third time, and I've gotten enough signed stuff. But the value of spending $175 for me is the conversation time (two minutes to ask a few questions to the guys would have been fine) the soundcheck, and getting an odd item signed like an old show flier or something. I mean, Flip tossed me a drum stick Friday night, I brought it just on the off chance he'd sign it, but I was told "NO SIGNING" the moment it was seen by staff, so I told him that I caught it and we took a picture with it (me and the band). But the policy change, and just the way the set up is now, my fam and I just don't think the cost justifies what you get at this point. It needs to be a smaller, more personal experience.
Anyway, I don't want that to come off as negative or me really having a bad time -- we didn't. We had a blast. I just wanted to get that out there for those who are planning to do VIP at an upcoming show, so they know what to expect. The soundcheck is always a blast though. Appreciate them letting you take all the pics and vids you want, and doing that.
The whole weekend was a lot of fun, and it was nice to see two shows in a row, with some different songs played, and Myles capping it off with a great vocal performance. So thrilled I got to see "Native Son" live, and my wife, daughter and I could all do it together. Been an AB hardcore since the debut record, and this was my seventh time seeing Alter Bridge (first being Spokane 2007 on the Blackbird tour), and I can]t wait for more. They just keep seeming to get tighter.
Here is some video from the San Fran show:
Clint Lowery - God Bless the Renegades -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC1ejcbEK4A
Alter Bridge - Native Son -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA-SIax6zGA
Alter Bridge - In Loving Memory -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8JB8sy00M8
Alter Bridge - Forever Falling (soundcheck) -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2gM3wl6TWs
Alter Bridge - Cry of Achilles -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aWHiJ3_3Fg
Alter Bridge - Godspeed -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_unCs0L9hY
Hope those going to the LA gig tonight have a ton of fun. Those of you into merch, get there early - the California-only shirts (the ones they allotted for San Fran) sold out quickly. My guess is they'll have 70-something for tonight.
