Really, it feels like I am going through withdrawals. The moment the show was over I remember saying: "I want to do that all over again." The ecstasy experienced from being witness to such amazing music played by such amazing people was as good as any drug, I'm quite sure. And I'm needing another fix.
Adding to the awesomeness of the show was the fact that I was front row. Being front row center was an amazing experience, and the sound/acoustics at Berklee were perfection. Every nuance could be heard. Being so close also afforded me the luxury of picking up on the little details - interactions between band members, funny little things they do to amuse each other: at one point I looked over at Marco Minnemann to find him using a shaker in one hand and a roll of toilet paper in the other! When the blue screen/curtain went up it was right at our feet, and when it came down we prretty much had to swim out of it. Also I reveled in the unobstructed view of everything, not having to shift to see around someone's head, etc. And the crowd was extremely respectful as far as paying attention and not chatting during the performance, which is a huge pet peeve of mine. There was one douche that had to yell out during a quiet part in Raider II, after Steven Wilson specifically asked to the crowd to please keep silent. Thankfully, that was it for the rest of the night.
Despite the one douche, the crowd was awesome, and SW must have picked up on that because he seemed extremely chatty - he went on a bit of a rant about how it's not a bad thing to make music that others consider pretentious, and encouraged everyone to in fact, be pretentious. He exclaimed that he thought Nirvana was one of the worst things to happen to modern music and made his point very clear: be pretentious!
Moving on to the important stuff - the music. From the moment they opened up with Luminol I was blasted off into.....Nirvana (see what I did there?) I literally could not wipe the smile off my face. Steven Wilson's band is one of the tightest, best sounding bands I have ever heard. They work so well with one another, and they are having fun - two key ingredients in great live performances. Guthrie Govan continually melted my face off and proved that he is hands down one of the best guitarists living today. When he took his solo on Drive Home I was transported off into another dimension...it was euphoric, really the only way I can describe it..the only way I can describe the whole show. I was mesmerized watching Guthrie switch so effortlessly between playing techniques and styles - I really feel privileged to have seen him perform.
Adam Holzman was amazing to watch. The piano solos he took were absolutely gorgeous. He is such an accomplished player that I'm ashamed I had never heard of him (and Guthrie for that matter) before Steven Wilson brought them on.
And then of course, Nick Beggs was incredibly entertaining to watch and his vocals are angelic. His bass tone was so powerful I felt it pumping right through me. He really adds a great dynamic to the band. Marco Minnemann was a beast, He has so much energy and is so ridiculously good I can confidently say he is just as talented as Gavin Harrison and/or Neil Peart and/or Danny Carey and/or Carter Beauford (though Marco has a very unique style all his own). Theo Travis was a pleasure to listen to as well...I was continually floored by the amount of talent gathered on one stage.
Last but not least was Steven Wilson. Flawless. Everything he does is flawless. I was enraptured by his every move, his every breath. Watching him pace around to the music, with all his quirky little hand gestures, rip a solo on the guitar, sit and play piano - all of it, it was all sublime and perfect. At one point he said he didn't consider himself a musician. I have heard him say that before and I think it's ridiculous. He can shred on guitar, he can play piano beautifully, and he writes the most amazing music my ears have ever heard. And for that night, in those hours, as I sang along softly to every song, or rocked out as hard as I could to every beat, or gazed appreciatively around the stage at every member - I was perfectly, deeply, immensely happy. I had to take a deep breath at the end of every song, because each performance had taken me on an emotional journey. By the time "The Raven That Refused To Sing" started I didn't know what I was going to do...I started to sing with him (quietly, as I did with every song) but by the time I got to "Sing to me raven, I miss her so much" my voice cracked and I got a lump in my throat, and I had to try hard not burst out sobbing. So I took it all in through a veil of teary eyes, and once again reached euphoria.
When the opening notes to one of my very favorite songs "Remainder the Black Dog" started during the encore, I remember yelling out "oh!" in delighted surprise - I was even more surprised when during what I always refer to as the "Zappa part" of the song, Steven Wilson walked right up to the edge of the stage where I stood, and looked down and smiled at me. It happened. I had a Zappa shirt on...was that why? Did he too notice the "Zappa part" of the song and come over to acknowledge that with me? I'll never know. But that's the explanation I will always believe.
One last thing that was fun and unusual during the encore was a quick version of Luminol that was played in "The Shaggs style." Steven asked if the crowd had ever heard of The Shaggs, then went on to explain that they were an all girl band from New Hampshire that formed in the late 60's. They had a very...let's say...unique playing style. When I researched the band and listened to some of their songs, they are very strange indeed. Weird time and rhythm, and very weird singing. Apparently Frank Zappa sang their praises, even going so far as to say they were better than the Beatles. Haha! So, Steven Wilson and band did a rather interesting couple of minutes of Luminol - bizarre but delightful and funny.
When the band left the stage I refused to believe that the show was over. I remained by the stage, watching the room slowly empty until I had to face the facts. Still high from the performance, I left Berklee. The feeling the next day was similar to the day after Christmas as a child...all that anticipation and excitement leading up to a spectacular day...and then it's over. Hopefully, like Christmas, it won't be long before I get to experience the genius of Steven Wilson and his talented band again.
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