Power Trio it was!

The show opened strong with I Hate my Frickin' ISP. Then the selections intermittently transitioned back and forth between the old and the new. A healthy dose from "Oops! Wrong Planet" and "Faithful". I don't remember the exact order but the set included: Love of the Common Man, Love in Action, Black and White, and Trapped. All among my favorites but this night I especially enjoyed Trapped! Todd and Kasim were good as ever together. Their synergy was inspired. And Trey's drumming was solid. The set also included: Couldn't I Just Tell You, Secret Society, There Goes My Inspiration & Yer Fast. Somewhere there, the delayed ending of LIA was thrown in with levity. A number of guitar changes kept the atmosphere changing. A fresh Hawaiian-sounding rendition of Bang the Drum was delivered via Ukulele, with audience participation. And we were even treated to Tiny Demons.

This show was in fact more than just a power trio. It was as much Utopia as it was TR-I. And the introduction of special guest Jesse Gress brought another dimension to the show. Todd and he wailed on their guitars together, occasionally trading the lead. From where I was standing (about 2/3 of the way back - maybe thirty feet - on the crowded floor, off to the right side) the acoustics weren't perfect. But I can't complain. The sound was very good, especially when I tweaked my ears with my outwardly-cupped hands. It sounded sweet.

Todd kept going back to the green guitar (I don't know too much about guitars, but I think it's a stratocaster - with a whammy bar). What ever kind it is, Todd produces phenomenal sound with it. Number One Lowest Common Denominator was awesome. Todd's guitar was sizzling. I think Jesse had the same kind of guitar, and complemented him nicely. The quartet also handed out more Utopia, notably vibrant renditions of Hammer in My Heart and One World. Yer Fast was cool. Fix Your Gaze, Mystified & Buffalo Grass completed the set (songs not necessarily mentioned in any particular order and I may have missed one or two here or there).

The encore was fabulous. It started with a mesmerizing medley from The Ikon , that included a nice round of solos. This, was followed by Open My Eyes. A flash-(way)-back and sounding ever so good. World Wide Epiphany was typical of the night - a superb performance, with both the band and the audience really into it!.

Altogether the show was fantastic. The venue - a new one for me - was fine. NYC is a great place for the TR faithful. And the band was appreciative, giving us every bit of what they had in them that night. I'm not saying it was perfect. Todd apologized about having blown out his voice the night before during some radio party. A few times you could hear him strain. But mostly the vocals were there. Finally, not only did I get a great show, but I also got a souvenir. TR had been flipping out picks all night but I didn't even consider I was close enough. But rather late in the show, I saw him give one a good flip. When I felt something gently hit near my eye, I simply held out my open hand palm up, chest high, and a pick landed right there. Pretty cool.