I liked this show a lot. But not to be pegged as a Something/Anything purist, we saw the State show 3 months ago in Chicago and loved that show too. From the start with Real Man ( pay attention son ) to the end, with A Dream Goes On Forever ( for my daughter ), and with spectrum differences of Hawking to Drive ( for me ) in the middle - it was a sweet treat. Sure this was a knockoff of the greatest hits tour from 2011. But on this occasion, it was the sincerest performance of his older tunes I have ever witnessed. Todd seemed very intuitive, healthy, comfortable, and came off once again as the inspirational icon he is. His voice was perhaps a bit dry from a recent overseas trip. But he was strong as ever; not only vocally but physically as well, when he wasn't sitting down he never stopped moving from one side of the stage to the next. And he was still very animated even when he did take his stool center stage for the middle portion of the show. Many times I have witnessed grumbling in the seats next to mine, but none this evening. Seemed like the traditional favorite songs of the past matched this crowd's well behaved persona spot on. Most of you reading this already know the well rounded set list. Impressive lyrics, the guitar playing ( which he really seemed to enjoy ), versatility and loyalty of the band.
We sat straight across from Prairie in the front balcony.....a large scope of talent he possess, as do all the members we have come to love over the years. The Pabst theater was a perfect fit for this tour. The architecture is unbelievably exquisite. We're passing on Chicago tonight and tomorrow, but headed to the Akron symphony gig and then to Kent State for the weekend. I proclaim to the kids that we are witnessing history here, savor this time attending four shows in a year, and three different genre incarnations to boot. No other artist can match. Catch this very polished nostalgia tour while you can.
