Date of concert: Friday October 15, 2010
America delivered a solid show. There was no opener. America's always been one of those 70s folk-rock bands that has been viewed as pretty inconsequential. I have to agree that none of their music was particulary revolutionary, but that doesn't mean that the show didn't have a lot of solid music and hits.
They opened with "Tin Man" and the sound was awfully quiet. The vocals were buried. They then played "You Can Do Magic" and the sound was still muffled. An audience member yelled "Turn up the vocals!" and the sound was adjusted to an almost perfect level, and it became easier to focus on the music.
The setlist was pretty much what you would expect, but that's not a bad thing. Some of America's weak songs are very weak, but their solid hits are classics for a reason. Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley voices have both held up very well over they years and are both still in great shape. The screen behind them played vintage clips and montages. This show being part of their 40th anniversary tour, the show was a little more focused than a few of their recent recorded performances I've seen. "Chasing The Rainbow" from their most recent album Here and Now was a great song, evoking a great 70s feel.
The encore started with a blues number that I can't seem to remember the title of and, of course, "A Horse With No Name" during which the band was joined by Chris Collingwood and Brian Young from Fountains of Wayne. Given that they helped produce America's last album and live in the area, I figured they might make an appearance.
Overall a very pleasant show. America gave a solid performance as I've heard they always do. Not a lot of surprises, but good musicianship. It's a band that if you like them, you should see at least once. And "Sister Golden Hair" is still one of the best feel-good songs of all time:
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