Neal Morse Band: The Center Theater, Whittier, California, USA, 21 January 2017
Patrick McAfee
There is a fact that many modern prog artists don't get enough credit for. The original prog musicians from the 70s wrote and recorded their most highly regarded material when they were young and in a reasonably short window of time. Later albums did not receive the acclaim of their earlier works with fans or critics. It is hard to identify a classic prog band that this doesn't apply to. The reasons are multi-faceted but could have a lot to do with them needing to conform to the demands of major record labels. Whatever the reason, several modern prog artists seem to be more successfully prolific throughout their careers. Neal Morse is a textbook example of this.
It has been over 20 years since Neal and Spock's Beard made their mark on the prog scene with their debut album The Light. Since that time, Neal has continued to release compelling music at a regular pace. Though some argue that his output can be repetitive, a close look indicates significant variety and absolute quality. It is still quite amazing though, that at 56 years of age, he has received some of the best reviews of his career for The Similitude Of A Dream. It is the second release by The Neal Morse Band, a collaboration that has really clicked. The Road Called Home Tour supporting the album arrived to a sold-out show at the Center Theater in Whittier, California. This setting has seen many a great CalProg shows courtesy of Papa J Harrel.
It was well publicized that the bulk of this concert would be a full performance of the new concept album. There is always a risk with doing this. Certain moments might not carry well into live performance and there is also the chance that some audience members won't know the material. Neither of these risks proved to be issues as The Similitude Of A Dream was met with one of the most enthusiastic responses that I have ever seen from a Neal Morse crowd.
Audience participation is often a tough sell at a prog concert, but consistent clapping along and head bobbing could be seen throughout the show. This reaction was well-earned, as the band performed this complex work with complete gusto. In fact, I have never seen Neal quite so actively jumping around the stage.
The Neal Morse band itself couldn't be better. Mike Portnoy's and Randy George's talents were established long ago, but Eric Gillette and Bill Hubauer are two of the brightest prog rock discoveries in recent years.
From the beginning, it was apparent that this would be a different Neal Morse show. Donning costumes as well as utilizing flash-light effects, Neal did his best Peter Gabriel impression. This added another element of intrigue to the overall performance. Though the entire epic worked well in a live setting, there were some highlights.
The Similitude Of A Dream is one of the harder rocking Morse albums and songs like City Of Destruction, Draw The Line, So Far Gone, Slave To Your Mind, The Man In The Iron Cage and The Battle displayed an energy that was palpable. The quieter moments were equally effective though.
From the captivating Makes No Sense, the Beatlesque Ways Of A Fool, the catchy Shortcut To Salvation, to the harmonies of Freedom Song, there wasn't a fault note to be found.
The closing sections of Neal's epics usually play well in a live setting and Broken Sky / Long Day was no exception. Emotional and stirring, this close to the main set was stunning. The response from the audience was deservedly enthusiastic.
The encores consisted of more recent material, but any lack of nostalgia was made up for by sheer energy. During Momentum, Neal ran though the audience high fiving and hugging fans. Probably the biggest surprise of the setlist, Agenda, from the previous Neal Morse Band album was fantastic and the evening ended with a rousing performance of The Call. A perfect close to a memorable evening of music. This was perhaps the best Neal Morse show I have ever seen. It is well known that the band is very proud of The Similitude of a Dream and that confidence in the material showed in their performance. Powerful, energetic and moving in equal measures, this was a concert to remember.
Long Day Overture The Dream City Of Destruction We Have Got To Go Makes No Sense Draw The Line The Slough Back To The City The Ways Of A Fool So Far Gone Breath Of Angels Slave To Your Mind Shortcut To Salvation The Man In The Iron Cage The Road Called Home Sloth Freedom Song I'm Running The Mask Confrontation The Battle Broken Sky /Long Day (Reprise)
Momentum Agenda The Call
