Letters To The Editor

Boston concert one amazing performance

Your opinion notice says to comment on reviews appearing in your pages. If I may, I would like to comment on one that did not, but certainly deserved to. The July 23 Boston concert at The Gorge was really outstanding. I write music reviews in a little magazine up north, so, what the hey, I’ll review it for you:

Dinosaurs are big business. Whether it’s Jurassic Park or Page & Plant and the Stones, just when you think the big beast is finally extinct, there it comes, lumbering around the corner. One might be tempted to lump the ancient rock group Boston in this category, but the multi-platinum beast proved to be a stellar live experience at The Gorge.

The real story was veteran mega-vocalist Brad Delp. Conspicuously absent from the group’s latest studio offering, “Walk On,” Delp graciously introduced co-vocalist Fran Cosmo as “the guy who will be singing all those difficult high parts.” (I defy you to find another singer on the planet who would call attention to his aging pipes in front of thousands of people in the interest of musical integrity.) The instrumental backing on famous numbers like “Don’t Look Back” and “More Than a Feeling” was crisp and seamless, but the vocal mix fell victim to a brutally unbalanced engineering job on the part of the soundman that night.

Delp wasted no time in compensating for the sound problems, though, supercharging the band’s performance with soaring vocals that most singers half his age couldn’t match. As the sun set behind the stage and Boston’s trademark starship prop thundered to life amidst Tom Sholz’ pipe organ frenzy, the band was clearly following Delp’s lead, meeting any sonic difficulties with pure rock force.

By the end of the concert, the audience was a roar that brought Boston back for two sets of encores. Taking the stage for the final time, arms outstretched in appreciation and disbelief, Delp thanked the crowd and added: “We don’t get around very often, so let’s make an evening of it!” The show closed with Boston bringing the house down on “Smokin” as Delp hit every note and probably quite a few that weren’t even in the original version while guitarist Gary Pihl and drummer Curley Smith blew the doors off the song rhythmically. If Brad Delp has any doubts in his abilities at this point, he had about 8,000 ecstatic Boston fans in front of him to tell him otherwise, and that he still has a lot of room to walk on with this behemoth of a band.

Thanks for the opportunity to voice an opinion of an amazing performance! Michael Pickett Colville

Collective Soul deserved better review

The recent review (Aug. 2) concerning the Collective Soul concert can be considered the worst bit of journalism from our newspaper in a long while. Mr. (Joe) Ehrbar’s off-the-wall and inaccurate comments about a cutting-edge band with an original sound need to be held in check.

First off, the opener, Rusty, can be considered a good band, but nothing to rave about like the news correspondent did. Its sound was indicative of a grunge stereotype with lots of screaming, thrashing guitar and little enunciation.

As for Collective Soul, the written opinion in the paper is outrageous. The band put on a diehard performance with excellent vocals and a true, clear sound that caused several standing ovations after the popular singles. Lead singer Ed Rowlins’ graciousness toward the audience was also commendable.

As for the instrument changes between songs, every musician has a preference, and it is the band’s prerogative to make such a change. This was not a distraction, nor did it slow down the show.

A word of advice for Mr. Ehrbar: If Collective Soul had such a bad performance, why the call for an encore and the standing ovations?

And a final word of advice for the entertainment editor: Please find a new concert correspondent. Jim Rosenquist Spokane