I have to be honest. Even though four of us made the trip from St. Louis to Tunica, MS to take in the Road Rage tour, my expectations were low. It was the opening show of the tour after all, and one should expect technical/human error. What a dope I was. Aside from a hiccup on the opening line of Hello Again, the band performed like they'd been doing this for a long, long time and still loved the opportunity to play. The musicians blended well and were genuinely enjoying themselves, the vocals were awesome, and the band rocked liked a locomotive that knew exactly where it was going. We were treated to many Cars gems, as fresh as when they were new. Todd's singing was crisp and his voice in fine form. Elliot Easton is a masterful guitarist and watching him play was worth the price of admission alone. Todd and his band mates gave us moments to remember with tight renditions of I Saw the Light, Black Maria, Bang the Drum, and my favorite of the evening, Open My Eyes. The New Cars version of "time travel", as Todd put it, was fun indeed.
Enough said except The New Cars were only half of the evening's entertainment. Blondie is another story that needs to be told by someone better qualified than me. They rocked hard as well and either band could carry this tour by themselves. To say I was impressed/blown away by them is the understatement of the year. Special mention of drummer Clem Burke has to be made, the man is phenomenal.
Opening show glitches? Forget it. I'm envious of those about to see the show, you lucky bastards!
RS
