The British band The Pineapple Thief recently played what was, in my opinion, one of the best progressive rock shows of the year and I am still incredulous to what I able to witness along with a couple hundred more people at the always accommodating Corona Theatre.
The sound that the group put out was the perfect fit for the crowd and venue. Faces of different backgrounds, old and young, fathers and daughters, with their Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree and King Crimson t-shirts gathered around the stage to be enthralled by a great band, that not only keeps putting out great albums for more than 20 years but also keeps a very cohesive and powerful sound when on stage.
Having recently released their live album Hold Our Fire, the ensemble lived up to its reputation right from the start, having not only delivered a powerful entrance but also following it with great candor and rapport with the crowd. Bruce Soord in basic French won the public over and spoke about the songs, the band and the city, making many laugh and applaud at his diplomatic efforts to “do as when in Rome”.
Song after song the crowd became more excited as familiar tunes from previous albums started to play as if they were just released a few weeks ago. Nothing was left to be desired after the almost two-hour show provided enough music to savour in our memories until their next return.
At the beginning, I was most excited to see the drummer Gavin Harrison play again after having recently finished his tour with King Crimson. In my opinion, he’s one of the best drummers playing nowadays and having a chance to listen to him again this year was an opportunity I couldn’t miss. But after the show was over I left wanting to listen more from the other members of the band, the mastery and creativity displayed by the guitars, bass and keyboard piqued my curiosity enough for me to seek out their solo projects and their other bands, and this I have found to be one of the best ways to discover better music in an age (my age) were I am less prone to open up to new music and just stick to old bands.
A midweek show on during a cold fall night did not represent an obstacle to those of us willing to encourage good and timeless music. And yes, the old cliche is still valid, “we are in good hands”.
Review – Ricardo D. Flores
Photos – Dave Jdb Gogan
