David Clarke

Saturday, February 4, 2017 7:14 PM

The band took the stage just after 9pm and played for about 2 hours. Following is the set list:
• Young Persons Guide To The Orchestra (recorded intro)
• Machine Messiah
• White Car
• Does It Really Happen?
• Into The Lens
• Run Through The Light
• Tempus Fugit
• Going for the One
• And You And I
• Heart of the Sunrise
• The Revealing Science Of God
• Leaves Of Green
• Ritual
• Roundabout (encore)
Alan White performed on "Machine Messiah". Jay Schellen then took over on drums. Alan came back as principal drummer on "Ritual" and "Roundabout", with Jay assisting on percussion on these tunes. It was great to see Alan again after his recent absence due to back surgery. He took it easy, as you might expect, but still did a solid job. Jay is a great understudy for Alan, and will hopefully be considered as a replacement whenever Alan decides to take emeritus status.
The band had a solid performance considering it was opening night on the tour. There were some sound mix problems at times, which seemed to perturb Steve. However, the crowd was enthusiastic and probably didn't notice these, given the band's energy level. Billy continues to do an amazing job channeling Chris Squire, with HoTS being the most recent demonstration. The Drama material shows Geoff at his best, and works very well in this reviewer's opinion. All in all, a most enjoyable show!