Boston
First Council Casino
Newkirk, Oklahoma
July 13, 2012
By Jeb Wright
Set List:
Rock and Roll Band | Smokin’ | Feelin’ Satisfied | Peace of Mind | Cool the Engines | Surrender to Me | Don’t Look Back | Something About You | Amanda | We’re Ready | The Launch | More Than a Feeling | My Destination | A New World | To Be a Man | Walk On | Foreplay/Long Time
Encore:
Used to Bad News | Party
Boston may not be used to playing casino gigs in a little town like Newkirk, Oklahoma, but when they arrived to a sold out house, and heard the crowd raise the roof with their boisterous cheering after every song, they may just get used to the idea.
From the opening notes of “Rock and Roll Band” to the final bashing chords of “Party” the crowd stayed on their feet, clapping, hooping, hollering and singing along to the classic songs of Boston.
The band put their heart and soul into the gig, and while they had to cut down on their light show, and were not able to put up their video screens, due to the size of the venue, the intimate setting allowed the band to connect, personally, with all of those in attendance.
Boston creator, founder, songwriter, producer, engineer, keyboardist and guitarist, Tom Scholz, has put together a version of the band that may just be the best live lineup the group has ever known.
Faced with replacing the iconic Brad Delp, after his death in 2007, Scholz and his wife, Kim, discovered Tommy DeCarlo on YouTube. Over the past several years, DeCarlo has honed his craft and taken all of the advice his mentor, Scholz, has given him. He is no longer a guy working at Home Depot who sounds like Brad Delp, he is the lead vocalist of Boston and he pays homage to the lost icon every night with his spot on performances. Delp was a one of kind singer, so expecting DeCarlo to be able to shoulder the entire burden is not fair. Enter David Victor, fresh from a Boston tribute band and the rest of the package is complete.
Victor can hit the high note, play guitar, and he is fun to watch on stage. The three guitar attack of Scholz, Victor and long time lead guitarist, Gary Pihl, allows Boston to recreate all of the sounds off all of their classic albums.
New bass player, Tracy Ferrie, is very talented and grooves extremely well with drummer, Curly Smith. Boston, the one time band that was criticized for not being able to pull of their sound live, is totally kicking ass and taking names in concert in 2012.
The set list was heavily favored to the band’s third album, Third Stage, which was exciting, as the band had not performed several of these tunes in years. Representing the album were “Cool the Engines,” “Amanda,” “The Launch,” “My Destination,” “We’re Ready,” “A New World” and “To Be a Man.” The band even brought out two songs from 1994’s Walk On in “Surrender to Me” and the title track, which turned into a huge progressive, hard rocking jam and was one of the musical highlights of the evening.
Of course, the eponymous debut was well represented with “Rock & Roll Band,” “Smokin’,” “Peace of Mind,” “Something About You,” “More Than a Feeling” and the set closing classic “Foreplay/Long Time.” The bands second album was represented in the main set with the title track, “Don’t Look Back” and “Feelin’ Satisfied” and in the two song encore with “Used to Bad News” and “Party.”
Boston will remain on the road throughout the summer before returning to the studio where Scholz is well into creating the new Boston album.
While he admitted to this writer, after the show, that the album was “almost done” and “hopes to be released by next summer,” this is Boston we’re talking about. Let’s just hope next summer does not turn into next decade, as this band is truly smokin’.
If the new music has as much power and passion as the songs played in Newkirk, Oklahoma, this Friday the 13th, then Boston fans will be lining up in droves to purchase the album.
Keep up to date with all things Boston by visiting www.bandboston.com
