Others have very ably described the set lists, which guitar Todd played when, and how often his pants needed adjustment, but I have a few other thoughts to add:
- The title of the concert is "A Walk Down Abbey Road: A Tribute to the Beatles." That is exactly what it was. I don't understand why so many reviewers are saying that the music does not sound enough like the Beatles, or sound too much like the Beatles, or not have enough of the ensemble's own material, or have too much of the ensemble's own material, or whatever! It was a Tribute to the Beatles. It was wonderfully executed. It was Big Fun.
- The funniest line of the evening was Todd saying "I have ribs on my fingers!" after one of his searing guitar licks--a delightful Taste of Chicago twist to a classic White Album moment! I'm glad, for aesthetic reasons, that he did not favor Eli's cheesecake, because the thought of that would be much less lyrical.
- I was very happy that the crowd was not a "drunk crowd" acting like it's Spring Break in college. It is never a good idea to mix spirits, and, in my opinion, good music has too much of its own spirit to mess up with drugs and alcohol.
- I am deeply offended by the many reviewers who seem to feel it's okay (or even funny) to talk about Ann Wilson's physical dimensions. Ann wasn't on stage to peddle flesh--she was there to sing and she did a great job of it!
- I've hardly missed a Todd performance in the Chicago area for the past 30 years, so I cheerfully acknowledge my own bias, but Todd was the glue that held the show together. I'm not sure how successful the tour would be without Todd's soulfulness, spirit, and showmanship. But without a doubt, Wilson was a wonderful surprise (and I was happy to remember all the words to songs I haven't even thought about in decades), Entwistle was amazing on the bass, Parsons was fun to watch, and Pack and the others were energetic and skillful.
- I'd love to see this ensemble get their collective butts into a studio to record this whole thing!
