Well, I'm happy to say that I am off to see The Musical Box at the Ridgefield Playhouse this Sunday. It's a great venue where I have been lucky to see the DTB, GA, DB & GS, and Les Brers, so it has powerful vibes for me.
The Musical Box are re-creating Genesis' 1973 "Selling England by the Pound" tour, some of my favorite Genesis music, and they are throwing in a 25-minute encore of music from "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" just to give us a bonus. Nice treat!!
I think realistically that they have many fans who, like me, have seen them numerous times, so they are wise to offer something that provides a change-up or bonus. As a tribute band committed to accurate reproductions of specific tours, they have boxed themselves into a certain corner; how many times will a fan go to see the exact same show?
They do rotate tours, but they have been around for quite a while, so I have seen this particular concert a few times already. However, it is done very well, and I am taking my son for the first time, so I'm psyched.
Oddly enough, more than once, they have come around at about the same time that Steve Hackett, the Genesis guitarist who has been playing a decent amount of the Genesis back catalogue, has also been around. For example, I just saw him only a month ago. This also happened the last time that they both toured, as I recall. The Musical Box is actually such a good tribute band that a person could be justified in debating whether to go see the original Genesis member Steve Hackett or to go see the tribute band! This is particularly true if you are less fond of his solo material.
I'm glad that I'm seeing both. I do like his solo material. I also love that he turns his guitar up, whereas his playing was somewhat low in the Genesis mix and thus the tribute band has their guitarist low in the mix. I also like that he does some improvs and some revision of the old stuff, whereas the tribute band plays it note for note. Hackett has only gotten better as a guitarist, and it is a treat to see a musician of his caliber live.
I know what I like, and I like what I know, and what I know is that I'll be very happy this Sunday night.
lucky you,sounds like a great show.
I still remember clear as day the 1st time ever seeing Peter Gabriel and Genisis in this tiny venue sitting on the floor in the font row.The sounds & melatron rotating off the walls filling the auditorium & Gabriel peering down at us with his lit up eyes in one of his many costume changes.
His "reach out and touch me,touch me" was just that with his hands reaching out literally a foot away from us,staring right thru us.
It was a totally different style for N American audiences and just an exhilerating experience from start to finish.Something we all talked about for a month or 2 after the show.
Every show Genisis played back then was so exciting and different up until Lamb..which at the time,was controversial-critics had a hayday & I guess Peter left shortly after. Sounds like Musical Box captures that early period very well,I'd love to see them and relive it all again.
Alice Cooper did costume changes at that time too but was much heavier in sound & theatrics and different than Genisis. Enjoy the show,I'm sure you will!!
[Edited on 3/25/2018 by bettyhynes]
Thanks bettyhynes. Definitely see this band if you can. They actually got the costumes and slides and much of their stage show from Genesis themselves - the actual equipment - and Phil Collins and Steve Hackett have sit in with them.
