Rick's OFFICIAL Genesis Review 9-9-07

It is now time for me to give my $.02 about one of the greatest shows that I have ever seen. From my personal perspective, the show was the reversal of a lot of bad luck that has been happening to me this summer.. It had been 15 years since I had seen this band.. I was ready..

The show started off with the beginning of the suite from the 1980 album "Duke." I was blown away with the absolutlely GINORMOUS vid screen behind the guys. It was the width of the rink, and about 30 feet high. I was amazed at Phil's playing.. He hadn't played this much on a Genesis tour since the late '70's. After going through "Duke's End," Phil comes up for the title track of the tour, "Turn It On Again." Not missing a beat, the giant screen has giant clocks on it, a tell tale sign of the 1991 hit, "No Son of Mine." I did notice that the keys for some of the songs were played a bit lower than in previous years, probably because Phil has gotten up there in years, and has mellowed his tone a bit. When the puppets from the video, "Land Of Confusion" came up, I thought the 20 something girl next to me was going to soil herself.

After Phil banters with the audience for a bit, and stops for some pictures, the line of the night was uttered, "Is the anybody old here, besides us?" The band then goes into an "Old Medley" staring with "In The Cage" from the double album "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway." The visuals were, well, a man in a cage.. The 20 something asked, "Why won't they sing I Can't Dance Now?" I now remembered why I went stag.. After going through sections of "The Cinema Show" and "Duke's Travels," they ended the set with probably, IMHO, their best track, "Afterglow" from "Wind and the Wuthering."

Now, following these great songs with, "Hold On My Heart," was, from a purely musical and physical sense, smart, I thought they could have picked a better slow song. This lead to Phil's favorite part of a show.

AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION TIME!!!!

With the raising of the hands, and the calling of the (Pittsburgh) Spirits.. "Home By The Sea/Second Home By the Sea" was performed. Mike Rutherford started the riff to "Follow You, Follow Me" and Phil retreated to the Drum kit, with headset mike on his now bald head. The visuals that came on the screen were animations from some of their album covers, namely "Duke; Trick of the Tail; We Can't Dance; and Nursery Cryme." I then had my moment.. the 20 something asked ME to give her a hug.. (I now remembered again why I went stag.. )

Phil stayed behind the kit for the instrumental section of "A Firth of Fifth," which led to "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe). During the interlude, Phil does his trademark "Tamborine Dance" (Who said Phil can't dance!) If you haven't seen it, check it out on YouTube.. The Band then goes into "Mama," a six and a half minute song about, of all things, prostitutes, which lead Phil to say afterwards, "I'd like to appologize for the disgusting meaning of that song, and we would like to take you all to a place of innocence, where the Bluegirls all go.." And with that, they go into the song "Ripples" complete with dual 12 strings played by Mike and Daryl Stuermer, and incredible piano playing by the incompreble Tony Banks.

Again, slow song alert.. Could have played "Man On The Corner" or "Your Own Special Way", but at least it wasn't "In Too Deep." Phil did get the crowd some camera time with "Throwing It All Away." (Sounded like the theme song for the Cleveland Browns earlier that day) which lead to..


AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION TIME!!!! PART II!!!!!


With that, Phil goes into "The Domino Prinicple" and more photographs for the scrapbook, and right into "Domino" You guessed it, visuals were of.. Dominos, although they had a close-up of Phil with a 5:00 shadow, and no hair.. Not his best look..

Phil and tour drummer Chester Thompson go to the middle of the drum riser and start the new version of the "Drum Duet" on stools. (btw, this is how Phil and Chester write the Duet every tour.) After a long, but cool duet, they make their way to their kits to finish off their duel, and into "Los Endos."

The screen lights up for "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" and go through the first half of the song and into, "Invisible Touch." Again, the 28 year old.. (I finally got to find out her name is Michele, she's 28 and only seen Genesis on VH1. And no, she's never heard of Donnie either..) squealled with delight and landed on my chest. As they finish up the set, she says.. "What, no I Can't Dance?" Just then the drum mcahine kicks in.. More squealing, more smiling.. and a big hug for the big guy.. (Did I mention that this is why I like going to shows like this stag??)

To end the evening's festivities, Phil introduces another song from "The Lamb," "The Carpet Crawlers." He interjects that it is a very meaningful song to the band, and also talks about their first show in Pittsburgh in 1973 at the Alpine Arena? (O.K.. I wasn't even born then.. someone give a man a hand with this one..) Mixed with tears of joy, and the phone number and email of Michele, who was brought to the concert by her brother and his wife to get her out of the house from being broken up six months prior..(Sounds vaugely familiar) I wipe the tears from my eyes, and walk to the stage with my tag around my neck, and my soul rejuvenated..

Here's the Setlist
Behind The Lines / Duke’s End
Turn It On Again
No Son Of Mine
Land Of Confusion
In The Cage /
The Cinema Show / Duke’s Travels
Afterglow
Hold On My Heart
Home By The Sea
Follow You, Follow Me
Firth Of Fifth / I Know What I Like
Mama
Ripples
Throwing It All Away
Domino
Drum Duet
Los Endos
Tonight Tonight Tonight (intro)
Invisible Touch

I Can’t Dance
The Carpet Crawlers