It
was sunny and 70 degrees as I left the house this
past Wednesday evening. My wife came home early to
tackle the 3rd grade homework responsibilities, so
I got to drive to the night's Wishbone Ash concert
in the convertible instead of the Chevy kid bus that
usually calls my name. Just like the car I drove to
the show, my taste for Ash music had changed on this
evening as well. My usual serving of the classic "Argus"
to get pumped for the show was abandoned for the latest
release, "Clan Destiny." I kinda felt like
I had left my wife for another woman, or I had just
jumped off the towering Chicago skyscraper I could
see in the distance. I knew that flying down the interstate
with the top down and "Blowin' Free" kissing
the wind as I sailed was not going to happen tonight,
but rather I was looking forward to "Surfin'
A Slow Wave" to this one; and as I hit the pavement
of I-355 North at 5:00 on a weekday, a "slow
wave" is exactly what I got. I had plenty of
time to "make love" to "Clan Destiny"
as I rode the wave of glimmering automobiles to the
venue. I must tell you, "Surfin' A Slow Wave,"
"The Raven," and the rest of "Clan
Destiny" was a wonderful passenger to have as
the sun started to set and the night came down. I
had left my Wishbone Ash "security blanket"
at home, and I was going to be alright.
As I made my way into the club, I was quickly greeted
by one of the cute young barmaids that was feverishly
racing around. As I told her that I was craving an
ice cold bottle of beer after my long drive, she asked
me if I would like a "Lite." I insisted
on my usual calorie-filled domestic brew; I wasn't
ready to take on yet another "mistress"
tonight. At this point I was ready to accept whatever
the legendary Wishbone Ash was set to throw my way.
It was seconds before showtime as the lights went
down. As the silhouettes of Bob Skeat, Muddy Manninen,
Ray Weston, and the great Andy Powell moved about
and positioned themselves in the darkness, many questions
rolled through my head. How much of the set would
be from "Clan Destiny?" Would guitarist
Muddy Manninen be settled in and comfortable with
his role beside Andy Powell? Would I be hearing something
I've never heard done live before? All of these questions
and more were about to be solved and I was excited
to hear the answers. As the band synched up to deliver
the first note of "Outward Bound," the lights
ignited with color and another Wishbone Ash experience
was about to be had.
As "Outward Bound" wound down, and Andy
Powell asked the crowd how they were doing, the deep
roar that followed sparked a thought. I was standing
in the middle of a fraternity; a musical brotherhood
of passionate Wishbone Ash fans. There were so many
familiar faces; faces that I have seen again and again
at Wishbone Ash concerts. The love and the loyalty
among this brotherhood of Ash fans is beyond compare.
Never has there been a flock of devotees like the
Ash fanbase. The regulars were extremely receptive to the new sounds of "Slime Time" as they were delivered before the classic "Argus" tracks, "The King Will Come" and "Warrior."
The two generations of Ash songs stood side-by-side,
arm-in-arm, each with a tremendous amount of valor.
And this was one of these evenings where anything
was going to sound great. With Manninen taking on
a considerably larger amount of solos, the question
of his capabilities was finally put to rest. His more
"patient," bluesy style has been in question
since the absence of the brilliant Ben Granfelt, but
tonight was proof that he was settling into his role
with a fire and confidence that so many have been
waiting for. He had played just about every lead part
in the set so far, and was nothing short of spectacular
doing so. As the band launched into "Healing
Ground," one of the standout tunes from their
latest "Clan Destiny" disc, once again the
fellowship between the old and the new was harmonious.
On top of being an extraordinarily tight night musically,
this night would find the band performing an odd set
that spanned their entire history. In the past, the
set list was packed with the "sure thing"
songs; songs that have been adored by fans for decades;
many of them plucked from the first four records of
the band's extensive catalog. Songs like "Throw
Down The Sword," "The Pilgrim," "Rock-N-Roll
Widow," and "Jailbait" were all regulars
in the typical Wishbone Ash set list in the past.
Tonight, those songs would not be played. Instead,
we heard songs like the politically charged "Underground,"
and the progressive majesty of "Tales Of The
Wise." Of course, some of the early staples were
included ("Phoenix," "Blowin' Free,"
"Ballad Of The Beacon," etc.), but I think
the set list served as a message to Ash fans everywhere.
A message that reads, this is not a band dependant
on only its classic material, but a band that has
the confidence to play any of its songs and still
be a successful live act. With "Why Don't We"
and "Master Of Disguise" being powerful
statements of their confidence, they nailed the tunes
with an intensity and power that I rarely see in a
live act. The band was on fire tonight, and each and
every track was sharp enough to shave away any stubble
from the face of doubt. This was Wishbone Ash 2006,
and they proved that they belong in this decade as
much as they belonged in the 70's, 80's, and 90's.
So as I drove away from the small club that housed
this inferno of perfectly aged musical wine, I realized
that I wasn't the only one who had jumped off of a
building tonight. Ash seemed to have left Lady "Argus"
and the classic catalog home alone tonight as well.
And it turns out that we not only landed on our feet
after this enormous leap of faith, but we hit the
ground running.
Set
List
Outward
Bound / Slime Time / The King Will Come / Warrior
/ Healing Ground / Why Don't We /
Underground / Dreams Outta Dust / Master Of Disguise
/ Tales Of The Wise / Hard Times
Living Proof / Phoenix
Encores
Ballad
Of The Beacon / Blowin' Free
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