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November
14th, 2003 Setlist & Reviews
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| Concert Setlist |
1)  The Beauty Of Gray
2) All Over You
3) Selling The Drama
4) Turn My Head
5) The Dolphin's Cry
6) Run To The Water
7) I Alone
8) Run Away
9) Lightning Crashes
10) Heaven
11) Overcome
* All songs were performed acoustically by Ed |
| Review by Albert
(MountainHiker82) of Arizona |
At about four in the afternoon (three
hours before showtime) Ed did an interview down at the KZON 101.5 studios. The DJs
mentioned that capacity at the venue was just over 1,000 people, which had me really
worried that we might not be able to get in because the station has a pretty significant
following in the Phoenix area. Furthermore, a friend mentioned later in the day that
not only was KZON promoting the show, but so was KDKB. He said we'd better be down
there early or else we might not make it. I started to panic a little bit.
My girlfriend and I got to the venue at about 6:15 and were greeted by a long, loooong
line. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that when we first waited at the end of
that line, we were literally 1/4 mile from the gates. Plus, it was getting cold outside
and we had just walked quite a ways from where we parked. After a 45 minute wait,
we did get in (thankfully) just after Shawn Johnson took the stage. Our first two
tasks were to 1) find the restrooms, which were a welcome sight after waiting all
that time in line, and 2) get in the beer line, which we decided wasn't even worth
it. I believe my exact words were: "We'll be 20 minutes older and four dollars
poorer for one Budweiser, when later tonight, we could get them cheaper and with
less of a wait. Let's go watch the opener." (Lindsay agreed with me at that
point, so we approached the stage.)
It was at this juncture that I realized my disappointment with the selection of the
venue. The stage was not inside the Library Bar and Grill, nor was it near the patio,
or even anywhere with places to sit. Rather, the stage was merely at the end of the
parking lot, with plenty of asphalt but no place get comfortable. Plus, the on-stage
lighting wasn't too tremendous, so it was relatively difficult to see the artist.
But despite all the inconveniences, there still was the music. Besides, I was actually
going to see Ed Kowalcyzk in person for the first time, which I knew was more than
worth it.
Shawn Johnson played an excellent 30-minute set. Hearing his recordings doesn't do
him justice; it's his live show that really sets him apart from the other run-of-the-mill
local artists. He has a beautiful singing voice and great range, and he's even a
dynamo on the guitar (sometimes he would break into an impromptu solo and ham it
up for the crowd). Shawn also has a very interesting sense of humor and talked to
the crowd quite a bit. Near the end of the set, he tossed some souvenirs to the concertgoers,
including various t-shirts and a thong for a very lucky lady. The audience was very
receptive to him and seemed to enjoy his talent.
Carl Bell and Brett Scallions of Fuel took the stage just after 8 pm. As they entered,
they joked that they were "the better half" of the band, and informed everyone
that they didn't even have a setlist planned and were just "going to fuck around".
Nonetheless, they played a very entertaining set, which included songs such as "Sunburn",
"Falls On Me", and a very interesting rendition of Elton John's "Rocketman"
with Carl Bell singing the lead vocals. (I'm not completely familiar with Fuel, so
I didn't recognize every song they sang. Sorry I couldn't provide a setlist to you
Fuelies out there.) The only downside to Fuel's set was that Brett's voice seemed
a little raspy, which I think could have been due to the chilly temperatures. Regardless,
Lindsay and I agreed that they were alot of fun to watch and we wished they had played
longer than the half-hour they were given.
Ed came out to a raucous reception just after 9 pm and opened the set with "The
Beauty of Gray". His voice was absolutely amazing- he hit every note perfectly
and with incredible clarity. The fans often sung along to the most popular songs
in the set, such as "I Alone", "Lightning Crashes", and "Heaven".
One fan kept yelling for him to perform "Shit Towne", to which he replied,
"Dude, I'm up here with a regular microphone and a piece of wood in my hands.
I'd need some distortion and alot more PA. But we'll see how drunk I get." Another
light moment included a goof-up at the end of "All Over You", when he botched
a few chords and made an "oops" face at the crowd. Ed did a good job of
covering the different eras of Live's history by performing at least one song from
each album. He closed the show with "Overcome", after which I noticed some
people in tears. Ed did mention that the song seemed to be healing for those affected
by the terrorist attacks, and dedicated it to those who perished in Iraq, both soldier
and civilian. The audience responded to Ed's departure with enthusiastic cheers.
After the show ended and the drunks began to disperse a bit, Lindsay and I nudged
our way toward the right side of the stage to make an attempt to meet Ed. My three
goals for the night were to: 1) shake his hand and introduce myself; 2) get my Birds
of Pray album signed; and 3) get a picture with him to show off to all my cronies
at the FOL message board. After about 15 minutes, with my back and knees getting
increasingly sore and hopes getting bleaker, I decided to make a dash for the other
side of the stage, where I saw him signing for the fans. I did get right up to him
(about 3 feet away), but to my complete disgust, there was a starstruck female fan
who literally shoved her way in, kissed him on the cheek, all the while blabbering
something about, "Ed, you're such an inspiration, I love you, can I get a picture,
blah, blah, blah". I could tell that he immediately started to get nervous and
backed off a bit, so I all could manage to do was hand my BoP liner notes to him,
which he signed (not even bothering to make eye contact with me) and handed back.
There were a few other fans requesting pictures with him, so he said "Yeah,
hold on, I'll come back around in a bit, once my buddy gets here" (I still don't
know that meant). Apparently, Ed equated "I'll come back around" with "I'm
going to get the hell out of here the first chance I get", because I never saw
him again. I was a little sad he didn't acknowledge me because I wanted to tell him
I've been buying his albums since before I was a teenager, and ask, could I get picture
with you in return for all the years I've loved your music and supported you? But,
alas, it wasn't meant to be, so I was ultimately happy with just the autograph and
the mere fact that I got so close to him. Maybe next time he comes to Arizona I'll
get that photo (although I'd really like one with Taylor because he's my favorite).
Overall, I really enjoyed the experience and was content with the fact that I ended
my decade-long drought of hearing Live's music in person. I hope he brings the entire
crew for the next show in Phoenix- maybe I'll get that meet-and-greet session I've
been wishing for.
QUOTES:
Shawn Johnson
-To a man in the crowd, after tossing out a Shawn Johnson thong to the ladies: "Dude,
I know you didn't just didn't grab that thong."
-During the middle of the show: "I'd like to thank KZON for gettin' my ass up
here to play for y'all."
Fuel
"Beer Me!" -Brett
"Brett, I think that girl over there knows something personal about you that
most of us don't know" -Carl "Was it positive or negative?" "Oh,
it's super positive." "Oh, cool. Thanks."
"(Singing) I'm going straight to hell/Just like my momma said/I'm goin' straight
to hell...just kidding, we don't know that song. We can fuck off with the best of
them"-Brett
"Goddamn, there's alot of people here!" -Brett
Ed Kowalcyzk
"We're in Phoenix, but this is Tempe, right?...Ah, it's all the desert anyway."
"(Singing The Dolphin's Cry) This Phoenix rises up from the ground...(crowd
cheers) huh huh, yeah, Phoenix!"
"It would be really interesting if I could say that the other three members
of Live were off at rehab right now, but they're not. (Pause, crowd laughs) Okay,
they really are. (Crowd cheers) No, they're not. (Crowd laughs again.)"
"Goddammit, that feedback is killin' me! Sorry, are there any kids in the audience?" |
| Review by Shay
of Tucson, Arizona |
It was a good time indeed. Outdoor
venue in downtown Tempe. Whole lot of people there. It was the CD release party for
a local radio staion, KZON. The put out a CD collection of artists they play on their
station every year. This year's features among other songs Heaven.
Fuel (or should I say half of Fuel. It was Brett and Carl playing acoustic) were
great. They were just making up the set list as they went along and pulled out some
old stuff from their catalog and covered Elton John's Rocketman and Zeppelin's Going
to California (one of my favorite Zep tunes). This was my first live Fuel experience
and I was impressed. They are very talented and know how to put on a great show.
Ed was up next and he played and sang really well. He seemed to be in really good
spirits (all smiles) and just really enjoying the show. He joked that the other members
of the band weren't there because they were in rehab, which of course they weren't,
but he thought that Tempe was as good as any place to start nasty rumors lol. He
also confirmed what most have already guessed that Run Away will be the next single
from Birds of Pray. |
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