Nearfest 2007

Very good review!
I wish I was there...
Maybe in 2008 I might lose my mind and go there!

Heptade wrote: Dude, I can understand your reaction to the live aspect, but Robert Rich's music is awesome!

Just not my thing. I've never understood focusing on something that was intended to be in the background.

Edited by bhikkhu - June 27 2007 at 18:13

HT, I'm thrilled to hear how great IZZ was - you have no idea how bummed I am that I couldn't get over to see them (seeing as I live in eastern Pennsylvania!  ).  The band (as well as Laura Meade's solo offering which is fantastic) are probably my favorite artists at the moment, prog or otherwise.  Their website says they are now headed into the studio so expect more great things from this incredible band.

nice review.

^^^That would be awesome Assaf. I do have some more pictures, but I posted the best ones.

Wow, that sounds awesome! I wish I could have been there. I would have had a great time.

Well, that's the end, but I do have a few more more thoughts. The tech crew really needs some help. If they did have a communication system, I don't think they were using it. I think it was a mistake to Have Hawkwind headlining opposite Magma. That would be like putting Gary Puckett and the Union Gap up against the Beatles. Izz comes out as the breakthrough darlings. Keep an eye on them. The same goes for Indukti. I am very interested to see what they do on their next album. Hawkwind was a letdown, but not that severe. Pure Reason Revolution, on the other hand, should be ashamed of their performance.

But, it was all a great experience. I also met a couple of lesser known artists. The Frogg Cafe guys were cool, and I will be spinning their stuff soon. I also got to know Tim Boney, from a new band called Contrarian (We will probably be adding them soon). The couple sitting next to me were also from Michigan (Lansing, not too far away), and fun to be at a concert with. There was a New Jersey couple behind me that were very interesting to talk to before and after the shows (Has a copy of "Felona e Serona" in English, and great Gentle Giant connections too ). Loads of fun, and I will probably become a regular attendee.

And now, for the finale, from France, please welcome MAGMA!

Now, I had no doubt that this was going to be good, but WOW! This was one heck of a show. The vocalists were all great. I think the bass player must need to replace his fingers after every show. I have never seen anyone use a violin bow on a xylophone before. Then we come to Christian. He may be older, and a bit flabbier, but the man has not lost anything. He is an absolute maniac on the drums, and his voice is as weirdly beautiful as ever. For one of the encores he came out front to sing. A special treat was the performance of the nearly (finally) completed "Emehnteht-Re" piece. This show was worth the price of the whole weekend. I can honestly say it was one of the best concerts I have ever seen. I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity.











Magma blows away all others!

"The Dark Third" was one of my top five for 2006, so I was really looking forward to Pure Reason Revolution. After holding the house an extra half hour for an extended sound check, we were finally let into the theater. They opened with some recorded sounds, and said a very brief hello. They then kicked right into it, jamming hard. Right off I realized that you could barely hear Chloe Alper's vocals. That sucks, because she has a great voice. They continued to play heavy, and showed little of the nuance that made them so appealing to me. Halfway through the show, they abruptly left the stage. A bewildered audience stood up to clap, and then they walked back on. They continued with the pounding metal extravaganza, with only a few mellower moments. They used a lot of prerecorded stuff, that frankly never worked that well, and hardly acknowledged the audience. They get my vote for biggest disappointment.

For the obligatory Italian segment, La Maschera Di Cera took the stage. I don't envy them having to follow Indukti, but they gave it their all. This was like the prog shows of old. Fabulous musicianship, varying moods, tasty mellotron, flute, and a singer with a strong theatric sensibility. You could sense the Genesis and KC influence. They are a true renaissance band as they use classic instrumentation. Yet, they don't sound exclusively retro. Great show.