my friday feeling

It's 2 in the morning and I have to get up tomorrow and go to work. But I just had to pop in and say Jethro Tull (or the Ian Anderson band since none of the other Tull members came) ROCKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I honestly didn't expect his replacement band (Florian Ophale: guitars, James Duncan: Drums, David Didier: bass, something O'Hara: keyboards) to keep up with Anderson, but they did. And they did it oh-so-gloriously well. The man himself was on fire. Honestly you couldn't have watched him yesterday and figured out that he's way over fifty. Brilliant. Absolutely fucking brilliant.

P.S. I covered for work of course. It's out in tomorrow's daily. For those not in town and wanting to read it, please post comment and I will put up link here.

P.p.s. Update: I got one request asking for the piece. So here it is. It's the original because the final version lost a lot of its weight to fit space

A great Friday feeling
There were questions that popped up when the Jethro Tull buzz first began in Bangalore. Would an aging Ian Anderson live up to the expectations of a crowd thirsting for the flautist of two decades ago? How could he hope to do so without the legendary Martin Barre, Doane Perry and Andrew Giddings?
These questions continued to ring in one's mind as the opening act, Bangalore-band Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ) occupied the stage. Incidentally, TAAQ celebrated their 10-year anniversary with a rocking set and a solid groove; the exception being vocalist David Pascal who wasn't able to manage the vocal character and depth of guitarist Bruce Lee Mani.
Then, Jethro Tull took stage, and as Anderson's flute rang out with the first notes of "My Sunday Feeling" from the debut album This Was, all doubt was put to rest. Flowing through a versatile collection that ranged from the oddly-timed "Eurology" from his solo album Rupi's Dance to the ever-loved solid-grooved "Cross-Eyed Mary" from Aqualung. The concert had it all -- the trademark Celtic mythology, the whimsical trilling flute, the occasional shredding guitar solo and the only accordion in the world that managed to sound cool. Whether keenly wailing through a moving solo or happily skipping along through the folksy numbers, Anderson had the crowd enthralled like few can manage.
But that was just the tip of the iceberg. After all, Anderson is musician, showman, comedian and philosopher all rolled into one. Thus there were the hilarious asides about Eurology, the study of wee-wee stuff; the advantages of borrowing from dead composers who can't claim royalties; and Mozart being a sideshow freak for all the parents in Europe.
There were a number of high points in the concert. The legendary "Thick as a Brick" and the masterful "Budapest" were full shows in themselves, magnum opi that would complete the experience without one other note. The Bach-inspired, slick and jazzy "Bouree" managed to resurrect a long-dead composer to a crowd in the here and now that might not even know his full name. "Aqualung" and "Locomotive Breath" ripped through the crowd with a powerful familiarity that few other hits have produced. The personal defining moment, however, was "Moz Art", a dedication to the legendary composer. Anderson borrows his most familiar compositions and creates a fantasy that even Mozart cannot complain about.
It was clear that Anderson had grown old, and that he missed his long-time compatriots on stage. However, if this is the aging rocker living in the past, then that is a past one could give an arm and a leg to live in.