Ethel, Todd and Joe in Amsterdam Carr⁄ 11 - 06 - 2005
There's something odd about this gig. Great names, great music, great audience and some greatest hits. But only at the end of the concert there's synergy.
Okay, Joe is a great singer/pianoplayer, has a good voice and - very important - has a lot of (European) hitsingles. And the Amsterdam audience likes them (the songs) en him (the guy) very much. But it's a bit to easy, to middle of the road, to common to impress, to predictable. Less tension/excitement.
Ethel, Todd and Joe in Amsterdam Carré 11 – 06 - 2005
Okay, Ethel is a classic rock ensemble. They start with a "heavy metal look/sound a like" mini-gig. Ever heard of Apocalyptica, the Scandinavian classic rockers who sound like Metallica? This is the lighter New York-version with humour. And with a very impressive climax: a gospel & blues song in a way you never have heard.
(to be continued)
Okay, Todd has charisma, humour and a fistful of in crowd hits on the European continent. And he is very courageous. Playing the heavy-song Black and white for a Joe Jackson-audience is asking for some trouble. Combined with a not so strong voice and not so strong guitar playing this could have been a real disaster. And it was… at the start of the Todd – Hello it’s me – Rundgren-show. Fortunately he sang the very humorous Bang on the ukulele/drum , so part of the Jackson-audience accepted his extravert way of performing. And after a tremendous Pretending to care (with Ethel) he got the applause he (partly) deserved.
Okay, there was the end of the concert. The Rundgren-Jackson-Ethel-all-star-band started rocking for elderly people and scored with a Beatles easy tune. And the show went on with Soul brother and Stood up (great Ethel back up arrangement!). But, Soul Brothers Joe & Todd…. Why did you wait so long? It could have been a night to remember. Now, it was dust in the wind. And a very tough evening for both fan groups. Loving you is a dirty job, but we did it!
End of this review. We’ll be back the next day/gig.
Ciao from Holland,
Herman Roovers
hroovers@kabelfoon.nl