Jones Beach and AC Shows

Jones Beach, July 22, 2000

It was a beautiful July night, a gentle breeze, a view of the ocean and the Moody Blues... and yet I felt unsatisfied at the end of the show.
First there was a problem with Justin's microphone cutting in and out. Then it seemed to me that early in the show Justin was struggling a bit with his voice. The overall pace of the show just seemed kind of slow and the lighting wasn't terribly interesting. The band didn't really seem to kick it into gear until the last four of five songs. It's not that it was a bad performance, it was just kind of lackluster.
The audience wasn't terribly enthusiastic. I was sitting in the upper part of the orchestra section and with the exception of maybe the first ten rows, the crowd just didn't seem to be into it. I've gotten used to the audience yelling and being on its feet for a good part of the show and it just wasn't happening this night. They really didn't come alive until the band launched into "I'm Just A Singer" (In a Rock n' Roll Band.)
While the show ended on a high note, I left feeling unsatisfied.

The Tropicana AC, August 5, 2000
By contrast, the show at the Tropicana was definitely better. The theater was very comfortable with good sightlines. The sound was excellent although I thought they could have gone easier on the bass (the place was shakin'!) The light show was beautiful and perfectly complemented the music.
The band seemed more relaxed and they looked like they were enjoying themselves more. The songs from the new album sounded wonderful; Justin's voice was much stronger and John was really working the stage. At one point, Graeme joked with the audience before his recitation of "Nothing Changes", quipping that it's a poet's dream having a captive audience. The crowd was definitely into it; through much of the second half of the show they were on their feet.
All in all, the Tropicana show was well worth the 5 1/2 hour trip.

Andrea

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