Beyond the Other Side: Moody Blues' Review

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Moody Blues' Review

Wednesday - September 2, 2009

This is the last of the pictures and reviews from our trip to Cincinnati. We saw the Moody Blues on Saturday - August 29 at Riverbend. I opted to "use" Bill's review he posted about the concert. I have to say he was more familiar with the songs than I was. I did recognize some of them. I enjoyed the concert very much, and we had fantastic seats.

These are the words of Bill:
The show was in the much smaller (4,400 seats) PNC Pavillion at Riverbend. It was probably 90-95% full. The weather was fantastic. Temps in low 70's and no humidity. We had 3rd row seats in the center (orchestra pit). Got them from Stub Hub and paid too much, but I really wanted to be close for this one. I have only done that for three other concerts, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, and Gordon Lightfoot. Guess that will show you how far up my list the Moodies are. Again the stage was nothing special, and the lighting was adequate. You could tell it was a show about the music. However, they did you a screen behind the band to show live shots interspersed with videos from the past.

From our seats we were never more than 12-15 feet from Justin Hayward who stayed at the mic in the center most of the time. John Lodge was just off to our right about 20-25 feet. Graeme Edge was on a riser at the back of the stage. He had to have help to get up and down the steps, (or he just wanted to hold a pretty woman's hand:) She was the person who took Ray Thomas' place when he retired. There was another woman on keyboard, but they stayed in the background. There were two sets of drummers. I read somewhere that Graeme couldn't keep up now, don't know. Seemed fine to me. Justin and John still have their voices, but they may be saving them and that's why the show was a little under 2 hours. Graeme's voice on his recitations was not quite as full and deep as it use to be, but was still good.

Overall, the music was really all a Moody's fan could have wanted. They sang mostly hits and old songs, and made everyone feel good. Justin did mention one song that they had dusted off and were doing this summer. He said they hadn't done it live since the Isle of Wight in 1970, "Lunch Break:Peak Hour." John Lodge said on the Isle of Wight DVD, (I got one at the concert) that he felt they were better now than 40 years ago. I listened on line to some of the tracks from them and he may be right. They were near perfect that night in Cincinnati.
I have had trouble coming up with this setlist because songs I wanted to hear, have heard on CD, or just locked in my mind are jumbled up, but here goes;

These I know for sure;
Tuesday Afternoon
Lean on Me (Tonight)
Never Comes the Day
Steppin' in a Slide Zone
The Voice
I Know You're Out There Somewhere
The Story in Your Eyes
Isn't Life Strange
The Other Side of Life
Higher and Higher
Are You Sitting Comfortably?
I'm Just a Singer (in a Rock n Roll Band)
Nights in White Satin
Question?Your Wildest Dreams
GypsyThe Dream
New Horizons
Ride My See SawMaybe??
When You're a Free Man
Melancholy Man

Notable songs I would have liked to have heard;
For My LadyGo Now
Lovely to see You Again
Dear Diary
Lazy Day
Have You Heard
Lost in a Lost World

Saturday - August 29, 2009