Concert Review: Shadows grow so long before my eyes..

The year was 1976,  gasoline cost 60 cents a gallon,  Elvis was still alive, our nation was bicentennially old, a fruit company was formed called, "Apple"  and a long haired, thirty-something rocker  decided to cut a live album...and 35 years later he's still showing us the way.

A booming voice resonated throughout the State Theater in Minneapolis this past Friday night leaving me to wonder, "What the...?!  "Am I at the right show?"  "Was that the voice of Captain Kirk, TJ Hooker and Denny Crane?"   I couldn't figure out why William Shatner would emcee a Frampton concert.  Now full disclosure, Shatner wasn't actually there, no. Just a recording. Although quite funny it did seem a bit odd. So I instilled the talents of my research staff made up of one ( yes, me) and found that Frampton is playing on Shatner's next album, called, Seeking Major Tom due out soon. Go Figure.

Sixty-one year old Peter Frampton played through the Frampton Comes Alive album, mixing the track order up a bit to keep us on our toes and humorously doing so, took a 20 minute intermission, then dove deeper into his repertoire of instrumentals and allowed us to feast on a little Humble Pie.

Throughout the show Frampton engaged the audience in a sing along, stepping back from the mic on occasion to join him on "Baby, I Love your Way" and others but did disappointedly remind us that "Jumpin' Jack Flash" is best left up to Mick and the Boys.

The guitar solos between Frampton and Adam Lester were truly remarkable and lasted for just the right moment,  accompanied by bass player Stanley Sheldon who has performed with Frampton since the  LIVE Album, drummer Rob Wojciechowski and local Rob Arthur on the keyboard and guitar made it an electric performance!

 While his voice may not be what it once was three decades ago ( you couldn't really tell) , that famous talk box came out in full force during, "Do You Feel Like We Do"  as we watched his  words transform into lights like an over sized EKG heart monitor letting us know he wasn't dead yet!

Plucking at our heart strings, while tugging at his guitar strings, Frampton ended the night with a beautiful, stirring rendition, of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".

Set List:

 Something's Happening

 Doobie Wah

 Lines on My Face

 Show Me the Way

 It's a Plain Shame

 Wind of Change

 Penny for Your Thoughts

 All I Want To Be (Is by Your Side)

 Baby, I Love Your Way

 I Wanna Go to the Sun

 (I'll Give You) Money

 Do You Feel Like We Do

 Shine On

 Jumpin Jack Flash ( Cover - Rolling Stones)

Intermission

 Asleep At The Wheel( from Thank You Mr. Churchill)

 Restraint

 Float

 Boot It Up

 Double Nickels

 Four Day Creep

 Off the Hook

 Black Hole Sun (Cover -Soundgarden)

Encore

While My Guitar Gently Weeps (written by George Harrison)