Frampton Shows Them The Way

Peter Frampton, Eric Stuart Saturday, Aug. 14, The Festival At Sandpoint, Memorial Field

When Peter Frampton belted out the line from his 1976 hit “Do You Feel Like We Do?” the crowd at Saturday night’s Festival at Sandpoint really didn’t need to answer that question.

The obvious answer was `yes.’

With a set that ranged from revved-up rockers to cool ballads, Frampton gave the North Idaho crowd a tour through his 30-year career and his many guitar talents.

In response, the crowd waved hands in the air and sang along to the guitar master’s familiar hits. They boogied down to “Show Me The Way” and those crammed in front of the stage swayed in unison to “Baby, I Love Your Way.” “You rock!” shouted one fan. “No, you rock!” Frampton called back.

And while there was a certain nostalgia factor that helped make this concert a success, Frampton still has the chops to back up such adulation. He certainly packed the show with enough dazzling guitar solos and awe-inspiring riffs to send the man playing air guitar next to me into a state of bliss.

Frampton opened the set with “Something’s Happened,” a rousing rocker that seemed to overpower his voice. In fact, it took Frampton a number of songs before his voice really kicked in.

“Lines On My Face” floated moody and melancholy, matching the deep blue and purple lights that bathed the stage. During a sprightly instrumental, Frampton stood on stage alone, deftly picking and strumming his acoustic guitar.

It wasn’t until the end of the set and during his encore that Frampton and his three band members really let lose with their most intense selections. “Can’t Take That Away” was a superb blues burner and “Do You Feel Like We Do” turned into a romping epic-length jam complete with robotic-like effects created through an electric voice box.

Frampton may have lost that crown of golden ringlets seen on the famed cover photo for “Frampton Comes Alive,” but the 49-year-old still retains his boyish charm. He teased an audience member who was holding a cell phone up for a friend on the other end to listen. “Shouldn’t he have to buy another ticket?”

Quoting movie character Austin Powers, the former heart-throb spoke into the voice box and asked the crowd: “Do I make you horny, baby.”

Well, I don’t know about that, but you certainly make me want to give your concert a good review.

The Eric Stuart Band opened the show with a brand of 70-referential rock that was well-enough executed. Still, these songs - packed with cliched classic rock profundities such as “a little rock and roll is good for your soul” and “don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time” - came off with all the originality of a cover band.

Perhaps a little bit more time touring with the classic rock master will show them the way.