Nektar 2020 Poster
Nektar Setlist
Band Members Tour Dates
MAR 5 Wildey Theatre Edwardsville, IL
MAR 6 Wildey Theatre Edwardsville, IL MAR 7 Wildey Theatre Edwardsville, IL MAR 8 George's Majestic Lounge Fayetteville, AR MAY 13 My Father's Place at The Roslyn Hotel Roslyn, NY MAY 15 Bearsville Theater Woodstock, NY MAY 16 Roxy & Dukes Roadhouse Dunellen, NJ JUN 6 Columbia City Theater Seattle, WA JUN 8 Yoshi's Oakland Oakland, CA JUN 9 Mystic Theater Petaluma, CA JUN 15 Crescent Ballroom Phoenix, AZ Read More
|
Man had landed on the moon, Woodstock took over Yasgur’s farm in upstate NY, Vietnam continued to rage on, and four Englishman who had met at the famed Star Club in Hamburg a year prior, had re-convened in the city in 1969 to begin one of the most influential progressive bands in rock history--
Fifty-one years later as a band, Nektar returned to Kansas City (for maybe their first show since 1977 at Memorial Hall) for a career-spanning performance at recordBar. Over the five decades, lineups have predictably changed, with a few members passing away (including notably original guitar player/vocalist Roye Albrighton in 2016) and a split which finds two versions of the band currently in action.
Thankfully, the version touring the US in support of a brand new album, The Other Side (on Esoteric Antenna Records) is the more authentic roster featuring three original and two former members, and one new member, as well the returning Mick Brockett who handled the unique liquid light show which distinguished Nektar in the live setting and who has also contributed to their lyric writing.
With no opening act or intermission, the band began its 110min opening set with the 18 min side one of ‘Recycled’. From the 1975 album of the same name, it’s a sci-fi tinged concept piece concerned with environmental issues (still a very relevant issue today) and coincidentally, the album has also just been reissued this week on limited vinyl by Purple Pyramid.
Guitar/vocalist Ryche Chlanda was out front, alongside original bassist Derek "Mo" Moore with bassist Dembo and new keyboardist Scott framing them on the stage corners, and veteran drummer Howden holding it down on his kit alongside background vocalist Costello.
Following the first selection, Moore tried to recall his last time in the area, and thought it may have been a late-70’s appearance at “the old Soldiers and Sailors Hall”, the more formal name of KCKS’ Memorial Hall, which drew audible gasps from a few in the crowd not realizing it had been long.
The past would merge with the present as an epic medley blending two early 70’s songs, ‘Dream Nebula’ and ‘Roundabout/It’s All in the Mind’ matched together seamlessly with ‘Drifting’ from the new album, all enhanced by Brockett’s psychedelic graphics and patterns moving in and out across the venue’s back wall, and the wah-wah wails of Chlanda’s adept guitar work. “Any musicians out there, that was in 9/8 or 3/4/4/4, so if you couldn’t tap your foot, that’s why”, Moore remarked about the complex arrangements and chord changes.
‘Devil’s Door’ was a song first composed in Detroit in the mid-70’s but recently revived by the band after original guitarist Albrighton died (using his sampled riff as the song intro), and the track was dedicated to his memory, as lighting specialist Brockett visually weaved images of him amongst his abstract patterns and shapes.
1973’s Remember the Future, the band’s fourth album was their US breakthrough, borne from a long and furious studio session, and was what brought them to these shores to tour as support for Frank Zappa. Fans of the seminal album were thrilled to hear side one (four continuous songs) played in its entirety (sadly, no side two though, which has been played on a few other dates).
Things moved again forward to the 21st century with the spanning ‘Love Is/The Other Side’, a musical journey that allowed Scott to flex his skills on keys, playing deftly off of Chlanda’s innovative chords. The new ‘SkyWriter’ which starts with a complex Howden stick tapping intro, actually has its roots from 1978 when Chlanda was first in the band, with the track originally called ‘Sky Pilot’.
The main set would end with selections from 1972’s A Tab in the Ocean, the band’s second album and a medley mixing ‘Crying in the Dark’ and ‘King of Twilight’ from the record, something Iron Maiden would cover in 1984 as a b-side to their ‘Aces High’ single.
Maybe because they’ve been at it too long, but there was no need to bow, head back stage and return after several minutes of sustained clapping, so the encore began straight away with 1974’s circus-themed rocker ‘Fidgety Queen’. The band ended things with 1973’s ‘Good Day’ best known on the ...Sound Like This album where a few days of live jamming in front of a handful of friends was captured to tape.
“I wish you good day, Good day to you now, I'm gonna leave you forever” Chlanda sang but from the enthusiastic reception and standing ovation, Kansas City hopes Nektar hasn’t left forever (or another forty years), before they return to town again.
(click on any photo below to enlarge and see full image)
Nektar at recordBar, Kansas City MO (04 Mar 2020) |
Recent Comments