North Tonawanda 11/27/18

[aleuzzi]

So, I went to the LB show at the Royale Theatre in North Tonawanda. Here are some of my reactions.

The theatre is a lovely place--small, intimate, historic. I got a good vibe from it. I missed my meet-and-greet but heard that it was rather rushed. I was oddly okay with getting the wrong time and that didn't ruin the evening. Unfortunately, some of the people around us in the front rows were happy to talk during even the quietest moments of the show.

The opening act was incredible--J.S. Ondara, a Kenyan-born folk singer with a lovely voice. His songs were memorable and catchy. And his self-deprecating personality was charming.

When Lindsey took the stage, people went mad. I could see the audience very much wanted his solo tour to succeed. I was surprised at how strong his voice sounded on all of the live performances. I say "live" because, in the tradition of recent LB concerts, many of the tunes were played over a pre-taped backing track. We all knew he'd do this. Sometimes, it was subtle, other times embarrassingly obvious. What's so odd is that appears it wasn't necessary. Anytime Lindsey and the band played live, they sounded strong and inspired. And the acoustic set in the center of the show, where Lindsey played alone on the stage, was the best moment. (BTW: I had given up on "Never Going Back Again" years ago. But his performance of it at the Royale was so poignant and moving.)

The first several songs were catchy and engaging. I was also surprised at how good "Slow Dancing" sounded. Other highlights were "Tusk" and "I'm So Afraid" both of which sounded surprisingly fresh even though he's been doing both for years. "Down on Rodeo" was a treat. And "Treason" was an apt closer.

A few random notes: Lindsey's extensive barking at the end of "Holiday Road" (an otherwise embarrassing karaoke performance) was so odd and hilarious I wish he and his bandmates would continue barking for another few minutes. It could have become a sort of performance art! During "Soul Drifter" Lindsey made this hilarious gesture where he placed his hands on his face that I guess was supposed to communicate how affected he was by his own music but instead looked as campy as a drag queen miming rapture.

During GYOW, Lindsey really opened up and smiled a lot. He interacted warmly with the crowd and let whoever's hands could reach touch his guitar.

The band intros were a bit long but it's clear he cares about his teammates.

According to Lindsey, Brett Tuggle knows where the bodies are buried.

Fleetwood Mac was not mentioned once though several people from the audience yelled out hostile comments about the band.