Dave Bryce Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Clonk Steve Morse Neil Morse Dave LaRue Casey MacPherson Mike Portnoy Dregs meets Transatlantic, and then some. Saw them last night - killer show. Small venue, no bells and whistles - just a great band playing great music for a very appreciate crowd. See 'em if you can. The record is excellent as well. dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Clonk Steve Morse Neil Morse Dave LaRue Casey MacPherson Mike Portnoy Dregs meets Transatlantic, and then some. Saw them last night - killer show. Small venue, no bells and whistles - just a great band playing great music for a very appreciate crowd. See 'em if you can. The record is excellent as well. dB The record is dead on,- I love it ! They are here on sunday and I hope I can make it to the event. A.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted September 5, 2012 Author Share Posted September 5, 2012 They are here on sunday and I hope I can make it to the event. Do it. You won't regret it. Man, they were good..... dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffLearman Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Steve Morse is a force of nature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Steve Morse is a force of nature. His guitar work on this record is killer, especially also in the sideline and fills department. But I was also surprised by the excellent harmony vocals present on the record, so it would be worth to go just checking out if they nail that live . A.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted September 5, 2012 Author Share Posted September 5, 2012 The guy who steals the show? Casey MacPherson. Seriously....his voice, playing and energy are really surprising...and a lot of the songwriting is clearly his. The way he and Neil Morse sing together live is as good as the record, if not better.... and MAN, Dave LaRue and Mike Portnoy are a kickin' rhythm section. They do the Dregs song "Odyssey", and just totally kill it. dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Klopmeyer Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Awesome. I'll check them out. Marketing Communications for MI/Pro Audio My solo music and stuff They Stole My Crayon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomkeen Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 I like their album, though I think Transatlantic is much more interesting. It took me a while to get into the album, but I know like it very much. Especially love Blue Ocean. I find the lyrics to be kinda odd at times though... Would love to see them live, I was pleasantly surprised by Casey's voice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarkus Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Has Portnoy toned down his gobbing? [video:youtube] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonysounds Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 I like Transatlantic, but I and my compatriots walked out during their show in Chicago. Ive seen Neal Morse with Spocks Beard, another band I liked, and something about both bands live just.I dont know, rubbed me the wrong way. I want to like T-lantic and the Beard, as they embody the things I like most about prog (structure, melody, chorale vocals, counterpoint) that most modern prog seems to have forgotten about, but live, between Portnoys non-stop gobbing on the stage, and Morses borderline zealotry.I wish I could put my finger on it, but it was really something that bothered me on a molecular level. Still want to hear this incarnations music. Hitting "Play" does NOT constitute live performance. -Me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonysounds Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Ha! Tarkus and I hit REPLY at the same time! The spitting is just barbaric. Hitting "Play" does NOT constitute live performance. -Me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 The guy who steals the show? Casey MacPherson. Seriously....his voice, playing and energy are really surprising...and a lot of the songwriting is clearly his. The way he and Neil Morse sing together live is as good as the record, if not better.... and MAN, Dave LaRue and Mike Portnoy are a kickin' rhythm section. They do the Dregs song "Odyssey", and just totally kill it. dB Now I can´t wait ... A.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timwat Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 I feel your comments on Transatlantic, Tony, as I've grown less and less interested in that band with each successive release. Flying Colors, on the other hand, blew past all my expectations. Maybe because it sounds to my ears that Steve Morse is far more dominant in this band than other guitar players in Neal's projects. Also, the songwriting doesn't strike me as primarily a "Neal" thing, much as I like Neal's writing. Perhaps it's more of the Casy MacPherson influence db is alluding to in their live show? Anyway, can't speak about live show since I'm here in NorCal, but the FC release has been in semi-regular rotation on my iPod since purchase. It really did not turn out as "yet another Neal plus sidemen" project, but a songwriting-centric rock project with prog sensibilities...at least IMO. .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tusker Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Awesome lineup. They are in NYC tomorrow and I thought of giving up on my other plans and just driving down. I am going to get the CD instead. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iconoclast Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 I was there last night in Torrance. Great show. If you can still get tickets and you're a fan of any of their various collaborative efforts, you'll love it. Steve played his EBMM serial #1 all night. Neal Morse is evidently a soft synth fan...and still used X stands (now I don't feel so bad). They play the entire Flying Colors albumn (almost in order) and throw in some Dreggs, Spock's Beard, Dream Theater, and Endochine tunes. I flew from Phoenix to LAX for the show and am glad I did. You want me to start this song too slow or too fast? Forte7, Nord Stage 3, XK3c, OB-6, Arturia Collection, Mainstage, MotionSound KBR3D. A bunch of MusicMan Guitars, Line6 stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iconoclast Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 For anyone else who was there, did you think the mix was killing the midrange with low end? Both bands I had trouble pulling the guitar out of the mix unless they were soloing. Neal's keys weren't hardly audible for the first couple of songs. I really thought it was the soundman or the room as both bands seemed to suffer from a boomy bassiness. You want me to start this song too slow or too fast? Forte7, Nord Stage 3, XK3c, OB-6, Arturia Collection, Mainstage, MotionSound KBR3D. A bunch of MusicMan Guitars, Line6 stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted September 5, 2012 Author Share Posted September 5, 2012 Yeah, the mix was a bit bassy...but then again, I was sitting on the side that was pretty much in front of LaRue's amp and Portnoy's drums, so it was hard to tell..... dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Neal Morse is evidently a soft synth fan... Not only,- he´s still a Yamaha endorsee and owns Hammond and Minimoog Voyager p.ex.. I think, when it comes to touring/traveling worldwide, meanwhile most keyboardplayers try to make everything as portable as it can be,- and make compromises. Less luggage, less logistics, less costs. Did you recognize what he used ? Receptor, laptop, rackmount computer ? Which keys ? and still used X stands (now I don't feel so bad). Possibly "what the local promoter provides" according to their tour rider,- and X-stands you´d find elsewhere in the world. A.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted September 5, 2012 Author Share Posted September 5, 2012 I couldn't see Morse's main controller, but his other keyboard was a VK-7. dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iconoclast Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 My keyboard recce is poor but the other one was a Kurzweil and he had a Apple MacBook. The mix was the same on Steve's side of the room too. You want me to start this song too slow or too fast? Forte7, Nord Stage 3, XK3c, OB-6, Arturia Collection, Mainstage, MotionSound KBR3D. A bunch of MusicMan Guitars, Line6 stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonglow Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 I like Transatlantic, but I and my compatriots walked out during their show in Chicago. Ive seen Neal Morse with Spocks Beard, another band I liked, and something about both bands live just.I dont know, rubbed me the wrong way. I want to like T-lantic and the Beard, as they embody the things I like most about prog (structure, melody, chorale vocals, counterpoint) that most modern prog seems to have forgotten about, but live, between Portnoys non-stop gobbing on the stage, and Morses borderline zealotry.I wish I could put my finger on it, but it was really something that bothered me on a molecular level. Still want to hear this incarnations music. +1 As one of the aforementioned compatriots, I agree with everything above. That and the folks sitting in front of us who yelled at us for talking too loudly.... Hearing the VK-7 (or software, perhaps) played simultaneously through the leslie sim and the real leslie on stage only expedited our exit. It sure as hell sounded like it anyhow....which is where the people sitting in front of us probably thought we were from. "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 I couldn't see Morse's main controller, but his other keyboard was a VK-7. dB Just got a call I´m on the guest list on sunday, so I´ll come up w/ a report. A.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomkeen Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 He uses a CME controller on the Transatlantic tours.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 He uses a CME controller on the Transatlantic tours.. Well, I´m just back home from the gig. I have to thank Dave/OP for starting this thread, otherwise I had missed this concert. These guys are a great live band, I enjoyed every minute and they did too. Neil Morse played a Kurzweil SP4-7 and the organ clone which I assume was the VK-7 Dave mentioned. For me, it was too dark to recognize the clone exactly because he played both keys in L configuration. Macbook in addition. His sounds (these I was able to hear) worked pretty well in the band context. I couldn´t recognize which software he ran on the Macbook, but in the middle of the gig he had a glitch when he went over from the organ and wanted to start a synth solo on the SP4-7 controller. It seemed, MIDI controller data wasn´t reset and there was full modulation on the notes he played. Being unable to kill that, he went back to the organ and freaked out there. All the lead vocals as also the backing vocals were nearly perfect,- I´d say as perfect as it can be without using backing tracks or autotune s**t. Steve Morse was as tastefull and precise as always and he had a wonderfull tone. Drums and Bass killed. For me, it was the 1st time I saw Dave LaRue live and it was impressing. But I also recognized, the soundman loved bass and bassdrum, which for my taste were too loud in the overall mix and for that music. I´m pretty sure the bass came loud from the stage as well, 2 Ampeg SVT 8x10" cabs ... As a result, warm and soft keyboard sounds as well as some of the dull sounds like e-pianos were partially not present in the mix,- not all the time but sometimes. I wondered if this was THEIR soundman for the tour because he forgot to boost some of the guitar solos when these started. I had the impression the soundman didn´t know the tunes very well and the friends I had w/ me had the same impression. OTOH, that was their 3rd gig and there´s time for improvements. These band also has excellent humour and there was very good communication w/ the audience, many jokes and good vibes. The venue is for ~ 1200 people and it wasn´t sold out, but all who were there stayed ´til the very end,- and they wanted more and more,- but it seemed the band ran our of tunes. Especially for McPherson, it was the very 1st time being in europe and he liked it. Portnoy tried to teach him the 1st dirty german words, so he should say "Fick Dich in´s Knie" to the audience, which means freely translated "f**k yourself". Well,- he didn´t know that and tried for several times to handle the pronounciation which was very funny. I think they hang out on the Reeperbahn/St.Pauli now ... When I visit concerts, I´m normally bored after 1 hr or so latest, but I wasn´t, watching and listening to this band. You see they have big fun playing. No one sticks out as the very best in the band or being the weakest, they are all on par. Last but not least, I want to mention the support act "Beardfish" who did a really good job as well. They did it so good the audience wanted encore but being a support band w/ limited time, that wasn´t possible. Creditable,- Flying Colors soundcrew made ´em sound good as well. I was surprised they had their own merch booth too. Their shouter was their keyboardplayer, being set up in the middle of the stage and playing a Nord rig,- Nord Elektro4 on top and C1 or C2 bottom keyboard. Good voice, good band and some interesting Zappa type instrumental arrangement bits in between. The organ roared, I was surprised, but the additional sounds coming from Elektro4 were thin, incl. e-pianos. Cool concert, great evening. A.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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