Procol Harum at Harrisburg PA, USA
4 November
2010 • Martin Brynildsen for BtP
Caught the show at the Forum last night. It's
part of the Arts and Science Centre in the State Capital Complex. No food!
For us, the food was supplied by Gary and the guys.
Shine
on Brightly began their night. I sensed that between the 'one note' on
the chorus and Gary's work, there was some disparity in the tuning.
Homburg was well done, and things came together. Wall Street Blues
and The Idol were terrific, and of course were solid platforms
for Geoff's wonderful work. He's such a joy to watch and listen to, for he
obviously loves to play. A Dream in Ev'ry Home served as a pleasant
break, and was well done by the book. Simple Sister, The VIP Room,
and Kaleidoscope rocked !!
The highlights of the night here were
Strangers in Space, Juicy John Pink, and Barnyard Story. Strangers
took the evening into a big change. The band seemed to reach for the
stars (on the ceiling!) musically. There was a wonderful blend of
characters, mixing perfectly and guiding us along. There was great
communication here, and Geoff, Matt, and Josh were marvellous! As this trip
ended, all in the crowd were stunned by the complete, ethereal, lovely
performance.
Juicy
John Pink quickly became a heavy blues number, and was fun because of
the great mix and fun the band were having with it.
Barnyard Story was a knockout! Of
course it started with Gary's desperate thoughts, eventually carried, by the
music, into classical territory. I for one was expecting it to end gently
after the final lines; however, at that point (even silent for a moment) we
were struck by a thundrous instrumental break, carrying us through the chord
changes as all cut loose. This hit like a stick of dynamite, finally letting
us down gently, where Gary was allowed his final sombre statement once more.
The encores were magnificently played. A
Salty Dog was uplifting. Conquistador gave Josh the opportunity
to rumble, and he was all over his instruments.
Finally, A Whiter Shade of Pale was well
played, by the book. During the preceding number, it appeared that Geoff
suddenly lost much of the sound of his range, and unfortunately lost much of
his voice. At this point, a few tech problems here and there were
academic. Everyone was pleased with a great effort from a great band.