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June 29th
and 30th 2002.
Patriots Theater, The War Memorial, Trenton, New Jersey
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Day One:
La Torre dell’Alchimista
Miriodor
Isildurs Bane
Echolyn
Nektar
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Day Two:
Spaced Out
Gerard
Enchant
Caravan
Steve Hackett
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Special Guest Artist: Roger Dean
By: Capt MDA |
So where do I begin? As one who has been to each of the
previous North East Art Rock Festivals, this one ranks as the best of the best to
this listener.
While not every band was “my cup of tea” (I know, a totally
lame phrase but hey, I’m just such a “PC” kind of guy), the vibe and feel of the
entire weekend stood head and shoulders above the previous NF weekends.
So much so that I’m not sure
Rob and Chad can top themselves,
but I know for sure they will try.
So my lovely wife, JoAnn, and I leave Charlotte on Friday
morning in a convoy of other “ProgHeads”. We had the ‘Bama gang in tow along with
other NC locals who also have a love of great progressive rock music.
I will say this, next year I absolutely refuse to drive up I-95
to Trenton. The traffic from Richmond, VA all the way until you hit I-295 around
Philly was some of the worst I’d ever driven in.
On the return trip, Jo and I headed west and took I-81 to I-77
to get home, and cut off several hours of drive time.
Along with “how do people drive in this mess everyday” traffic,
one of our convoy of vehicles tossed its transmission just across the Delaware
River. It was right at midnight before we made it to the hotel in Trenton.
Not to be a total waste of time, we headed to the overcrowded
bar to enjoy a brief bit of imbibing and serious socializing prior to a
well-deserved bit of sleep. That is something that would elude many of us the
remainder of the weekend.
Of all the things that NEARFest is, one of the most important
right behind the music, is getting up with old and new friends. This event, like
all the Prog Music festivals my wife and I attend, is very much like a family
reunion. The exception is that YOU REALLY WANT TO SEE these family members.
Rob and Chad do an excellent job of planning each NF, and each
year things get better and better. The added large tent outside the venue allowed
for shade and a place to rest between bands and food breaks. Rob has already
addressed some of the minor issues about food costs, lack of adult beverages, and
the ever-present police, so I’m not even going to discuss those really minor
inconveniences. Besides, with your hotel room right next door, you always had
plenty of time to go back there for refreshments.
Rob has assured us all that these minor issues will be
resolved for NF 2K3.
On with the music reviews:
First up was
La Torre dell’Alchimista.
 From Italy, this was one of the bands I had come to see. They
have a very fluid style that begs the listener to simply relax and listen. Not that
this band would put you to sleep, just the opposite. But their strong combination
of keyboards, flute, clarinet, guitar, bass, drums and ethereal vocals placed them
head and shoulders above many other modern day Italian bands.
From the opening notes, they moved and grooved with flowing
sounds feeding a wanting and waiting vibrant crowd. Mellow does describe their
overall sound but does not properly define the mood they created on stage.
I was entranced by both the clarinet and flute each time they
soloed or filled the soundscape. But Davide Donadoni, the exceptional bass player,
commanded the stage and it was his guidance and leadership that lead La Torre
dell’Alchimista through a delightful opening set.
The second band to take the stage was an electric group of
excellent musicians from Canada named Miriodor.
This was the one band I had not heard one note of their music
and the one band that kept me constantly asking myself ’why’? Why do I want to get
up and leave? Why do I stay in my seat? Why do they know exactly how far to push
my listening envelope? Why? Why? Why?
 This band complete with violin, flute, keyboards, clarinet,
guitar, bass, percussion, sax, and of course drums, would push my ability to listen
to the very breaking point. A cacophony of sound, noise, and antics that was so in
your face. Then, as if they knew exactly where the audiences (or maybe my own)
tolerance level ended, would fall back into a major groove that you could float an
aircraft carrier through.
I’d find myself going, “Is there not one bit of rhythm in this
at all?” Then suddenly I realized that I was keeping time on my air kick bass
drum.
I liked, not loved this band. They are consummate musicians
who have a command and deep understanding of the nuances of their varied
instruments. For fans of RIO styled music, this just may be your “cup of tea”.
After one of those wonderful “pauses that refresh” trips back
to the cooler in the hotel room, it was time to head back to the War Memorial for
one of the bands I was very interested to check out.
I was only briefly exposed to
Isildurs Bane (pronounced Eye Sil
Durs Bane) and was very interested in how they would pull off their complex sound
live.
 I was not disappointed. I found myself comparing them to the
most excellent band After Crying meets Kopecky. A broad-brush approach using
classical elements, traditional symphonic elements, AND a powerful metal sound
currently made increasingly popular by those wonderful Kopecky brothers. The only area that I did not truly like was the vocals. To my
way of thinking, the vocals simply took too much away rather than adding to this
most wonderful bands sound.
All in all, it was an excellent performance. Powerful “rock
styled riffs” mixed with symphonic orchestration coupled with top-notch
musicianship.
…And then there was
Echolyn.
I’ve tried very hard to like this band. And to their credit
they put on a very good show at NEARFest 2K2.
They played the songs I had anticipated they would play.
Choosing pretty much the best selections from; Suffocating the Bloom, As the World,
and Cowboy Poems Free.
 The guys were tight and precise almost as if they had never
stopped touring and playing. You’ve got to love the quality of this bands playing.
And Ray Weston has a voice that demands to be heard by one and all.
Still… they
just worked no magic on me this day. As their set was concluding, I kept wondering if they were
going to play anything from their new CD, Mei. Having heard nothing of, or about
this new release, I was totally unaware that Mei was simply one long song.
As they
kicked into the opening salvo from Mei, I was suddenly sitting on the edge of my
seat. Is this the same band that had just been playing? To my ears, the song
structure, the feeling, and the overall attitude, was very different from all their
previous work.
 I was caught up in each and every progression of Mei. I could
sense the music flow, even ebbing back and forth like gentle waves softly caressing
the beach on one of the Florida Key Islands. Mei would slowly build as if to say
“Watch out, here we come” and ultimately would break out into a full-blown rock and
roll romp, only to gently return to where they had just been.
At times I felt the music should have ended, yet I kept my mind
focused and could “get” what they were trying to do and say.
I came away from their set feeling good and cleansed. I, in
fact, have enjoyed Mei even more since purchasing it at NF and listening quietly at
home. I hope there is much more to come from these guys. Not my favorite by far,
but clearly a band that deserves the worldwide praise they have achieved in their
short career thus far.
Dinner break was a comedy of errors for me. Not nearly hungry
enough to justify paying $20 for a just so so dinner buffet, yet far too hungry for
a bag of chips and a soft drink. So, we skipped the food entirely and went to the
hotel room to “properly prepare” for the Saturday headliner……NEKTAR!
I had never had an opportunity to see this band before, even
though I have been a serious fan since 1972. Seems they never toured in the
southern states for some reason!
 I had “partied” to every one of their CD’s (well actually LP’s
back then) and when reading of their show, lights included, I could only dream of
what such a musical adventure would be like. This old hippie was so totally blown
away by them I only wish I could take a time machine and head back to some of those
shows in the NY, PA, NJ area circa 1974 thru 1978.
They played every single song I wanted to hear. Selections
from A Tab in the Ocean, Sounds Like This, Remember the Future, Down to Earth,
Recycled, etc. I was in total musical heaven.
While Mick Brockett’s Light Show may not have been “like it
was” way back when, it certainly blew me away.
Yes, Roye could not hit all the “notes” exactly, thus the
addition of two female singers that in no way distracted me from the music.
 I have got to tell you all, the energy and power these “old
farts” played with made me damn proud to be 50 years old on January 1st,
2003. They rocked my world; they picked me up and placed me squarely in the reefs
of space. The lights and film told an intricate story of love, passion,
forgiveness, and salvation. They played with very tight precision and held my
attention in their hands as if I was the only one in the audience where as to drop
me would have meant certain death.
After their third encore (and the laughable “redo” just for the
DVD being made), I did not want the music to stop. Could it please go on forever,
please? Give us just one more song, please? Just for me?
Alas, that was not to be but meeting and greeting the band and
closing down the bar sometime around 3:00 am seemed to be enough for one night.
If I never get to see one more concert in my life, I can die a
complete soul. Should the Great Cosmic decide it is time for me to move on to
‘other’ things, fine. I’ve seen the past and I will certainly always Remember The
Future….
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