Last night, Genesis filled the HP Pavilion in San Jose with their unique sound, ranging from old classics to (relatively) new hits, with a stage that dazzled, humorous anecdotes and some intriguing depth. It was one of those occasions where the audience all felt at home, led by Phil Collins, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Chester Thompson and Daryl Streumer. Over the past couple of years, I've been going to see all of the classic rock masters I can, and Genesis - as would be expected - did not disappoint.
Wikipedia describes them well, noting that they "incorporate complex song structures and elaborate instrumentation." I wouldn't send a Britney Spears fan to a Genesis concert, at least not without the proper introduction. While they have excellent melodies and simple themes in some songs, the richness of their music lies much deeper. Genesis has a bit of magic in the space of their songs, for a split second when they all stop playing, before they enter back in unison, following another glistening theme through to where one wouldn't necessarily expect the music to go. In that space, and then again when they change time signatures and reposition themselves, is brilliance.
The show included, toward the end, one of the most amazing percussion duets I've ever seen. The simplicity mixed with complexity is one place where Genesis excels, and their dual drummers, Phil Collins and Chester Thompson, played together on what looked like a bar stool, then following to their parallel drum sets toward the end of the show. I've seen Neal Peart, Ray Cooper, and Stuart Copeland - some of the best - and these two created a new art form when paired together.
"Domino", one of my all-time favorite songs, they saved until near the end of the show, threading its themes together much like the songs selected for the concert. It was a good choice to save until the end, after the room and the crowd had warmed up, allowing the music to peak the sound system, usually limited by the acoustics of the arena, but as the Mercury News review noted, taking on a surprisingly good sound.
From where I sat, toward the rear of the floor, the audience seemed to be enjoying both the old and new songs. While it may have seemed on the surface that the older compositions didn't receive the same appreciation, I beg to differ - those who appreciate complex sound and classic rock had a ball and while there was some stark contrast between those songs and newer ones, I thought they did an bang-up job lacing them together and performing with style.
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