Wonderous Stories
BB Kings, NYC
March 22, 2006

Wonderous Stories is a cover band in the NYC area.  Although not strictly a "prog" cover band, their focus is nevertheless to keep prog, proto-prog and quasi-prog alive and well.  And since there are so few bands doing that, I feel it is important to "support" any band that does.

The members of Wonderous Stories are all excellent musicians, most of them multi-instrumental, and all of whom sing.  Kenny Forgione (guitars, bass), Tommy Williams (guitars, bass, keys), Kevin McCann (guitar, bass), Mark Bonder (keys), Chris Clark (keys) and Ricky Martinez (drums) have been playing together since 1997, though the band has been playing under the name Wonderous Stories since 1995.  (Mr. Clark did not appear at this gig).  They often play entire albums or album sides, from The Beatles to Yes to The Who to Genesis.  However, as Mr. Forgione says, "Unless we're playing a full album...we never come in with a set list and we basically never know what we will be playing that night."  And by the way, the band never rehearses - though you would be hard-pressed to tell that from the often frighteningly tight arrangements of often very difficult material.

At this gig  -in which they filled in last minute for Kansas, who cancelled due to illness - they opened with four cuts from Magical Mystery Tour: a sparkling rendition of the title track; a stunning version of I Am the Walrus, complete with all the sound effects, and the guys doing all the overlapping voices at the end; a happily jaunty Your Mother Should Know; and an appropriately spacy Strawberry Fields.  Williams does a wonderful (even occasionally perfect) McCartney, and although Forgione does not sound like Lennon, his heart is definitely in the right place.  After this, Mr. Bonder took over for a nicely funky rendition of Elton John's Honky Cat.

Folllwing this, Wonderous Stories truly showed their roots, with an absolutely flawless version of Starship Trooper.  They were joined for this by vocalist Laura Press, whose voice is a perfect - and I mean perfect - female equivalent of Jon Anderson: close your eyes and you would not have been able to tell the difference.  The band was as a tight as can be and, during the final guitar solo, they broke into the end of Free Bird (which somehow fit perfectly!), eventually finding their way back to the end of the original song.  It was the kind of free-wheeling moment that makes Wonderous Stories a joy to watch and listen to.

After this, it was a somewhat slowed down rendition of Genesis' Turn It On Again, with Mr. Forgione in fine Collins voice.  Then it was back to prog with a neatly performed version of the title cut of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, for which they were joined by the very talented Harold Skeete on bass.  Following this was an enthusiastically-received (and deservedly so) rendition of Elton's Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, followed by a equally well-received rendition of the title track from Madman Across the Water.  Prior to playing the latter, Mr. Forgione claimed that it was only the second time they were doing so.  Again, you would never have been able to tell, given the tightness of the arrangement.

The band then did one of their signature pieces, the Overture (and part of the first side) from Tommy.  This is the second time I had heard them play this, and it was even better this time.  It is hard to describe just how tight and perfect these guys can be, but if you ever see them, beg them to play this.  They followed this up with a version of Won't Get Fooled Again that truly gave The Who a run for its own money.  With Mr. Bonder playing the immediately recognizable keyboard part, Mr. Williams (electric) and Mr. McCann (acoustic) doing their best Pete Townsends, and Mr. Martinez channeling Keith Moon (which he did equally well in the Tommy Overture), this was the best cover of The Who I have ever heard (and I have heard many).

The band ended their set with a superb rendition of Roundabout, with Ms. Press re-joining the band on vocals and Mr. Skeete re-joining on bass.

The band focuses less on technical perfection (though they don't skimp, by any means) than on simply having fun and giving the audience a great show.  And they do that in spades.  Given that this was literally a last-minute gig - and thus the audience was a bit smaller than usual (though perhaps all the more enthusiastic for that reason) - the band was extremely loose, bantering with each other and the audience, and keeping the whole thing informal - almost like a private gig for a couple hundred of their best friends.  And when these guys have fun, it's incredibly contagious.

Although I had seen Wonderous Stories once before - a gig at which they played much more prog material (Genesis, Yes, ELP, Floyd, UK) - I was not nearly as impressed by that gig, which I felt was somewhat "lazy"; like they were "going through the motions" rather than "performing" (though, that said, they were still amazing, given how few bands do what they do).  Perhaps it was the overall "looseness" of this gig that allowed them to simply have fun and "perform."

In sum, if you live in the NYC area, you owe it to yourself to see the band.  They play fairly regularly at a few places on Long Island, and have been playing more often in Manhattan, especially at BB Kings.  There are simply too few bands who care enough about prog and proto-prog, so, as I noted, it is critical to support those who do.  And when they are as good - and fun - as Wonderous Stories, you will find that your support is all the more freely and happily given.

If you want to learn more about Wonderous Stories, go to their website:

http://www.wonderous-stories.com - www.wonderous-stories.com

Peace.

  "...like a private gig for a couple hundred of their best friends.  And when these guys have fun, it's incredibly contagious."

   I was at this gig last night and I totally agree, maani ! Not only does Wonderous Stories have "contagious fun", but they make some pretty awesome music, too. Add in the cozy feel of a more intimate, well-lit venue and these guys rock your socks off, giving the WHO a run for the money.

  I spoke with several groups of disappointed Kansas fans who didn't know about the cancellation til they arrived. After the first few Magical Mystery Tour songs by Wonderous, their disappointment faded rapidly, and some seemed totally amazed by the technical skill and stage presence of the band who had filled in!

  Glad to see, maani, that you recognized the talent and power of Laura Press. She's the band's secret weapon and should not be missed when she gets up there to join in. Ditto Harold Skeet as guest bassist. Also wholeheartedly agree that a prog rock cover band this innately talented (without rehearsals??!!) deserves our "freely" and "happily given" support whenever we have the opportunity. Kansas' misfortune was our turn of luck as far as I'm concerned when it came to this last-minute gig by Wonderous Stories!! 

All:

Thanks for your comments.  Mr. Forgione had e-mailed me to remind me re Mr. Skeete, an oversight I regret and have corrected.  Similarly, I have corrected that it was Mr. McCann, not Mr. Forgione, who played acoustic guitar on Won't Get Fooled Again: Mr. Forgione played the amazing Townsend acoustic work on the Tommy Overture.

Peace.