PETER FRAMPTON
@
ARTPARK
JUNE 28, 2011
WHAT CAN STILL BE SAID ABOUT PETER FRAMPTON, THE LEGENDARY GUITAR PLAYER WHO IS ON A 35-YEAR ANNIVERSARY TOUR IN RETROSPECT OF HIS FAMOUS LIVE ALBUM FRAMPTON COMES ALIVE. ANTICIPATION FOR THE SHOW BEGAN WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT FRAMPTON WOULD BE BRINGING HIS CHOPS TO THE VENUE IN LEWISTON, NEW YORK AND CULMINATED WHEN HE RENDERED HIS FIRST GUITAR LICK LIVE AT THE SHOW.
HIS FINGERS WERE ON FIRE AS HE DOVE HEAD FIRST INTO THE SONGS THAT MADE THE ALBUM FAMOUS. LOOKING BACK FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE AUDIENCE IT WAS HARD TO TELL HOW MANY PEOPLE HAD ARRIVED UNTIL WHILE WALKING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE STAGE. TO THE TOP OF THE GROUND LEVEL, IT WAS CLEAR THIS MAN CAN PACK THE HOUSE. THE CHAIRS WERE LINED UP EVEN IN PLACES THAT HAD NO VIEW TO THE LARGE SCREENS THAT ARE NOT WELL PLACED BUT THEY DO EXTEND THE AUDIENCE. THE DOWNWARD SLOPE AT THE BACK OF THE MAIN SEATING AREA LEAVES MOST UNABLE TO SEE THE STAGE EVEN WITH THE BENEFIT OF THE SCREENS BECAUSE OF THE ANGLE OF THOSE SCREENS.
THAT DID NOT STOP PETER FRAMPTON FROM REELING IN THE LARGE AUDIENCE IN THE BACK BY GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD. IT IS CLEAR THAT HE LOVES TO PLAY AND WANTS THE FANS TO HAVE AS MUCH FUN WATCHING AS HE DOES PLAYING. A BIT OF TIME WAS SPENT EXPLAINING TO THE CROWD WHY THE SONGS WERE PLACED IN THE ORDER FOR THE FINAL RELEASE. FRAMPTON'S HANDS WERE TIED BACK IN THE DAY OF VINYL WHEN THERE WAS LIMITED SPACE PER SIDE, CAUSING A JUDGEMENT CALL TO BE MADE. HE BANTERED WITH AN AUDIENCE MEMBER WHEN AFTER BREAKING DOWN THE SCENARIO THE FAN CLAIMED HE WAS NOT PLAYING THE ALBUM IN THE CORRECT ORDER. PETER FRAMPTON HAS A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR AND SEEMS TO THRIVE ON THE INTERACTION HE RECEIVES FROM THE AUDIENCE.
ANYWAY YOU SLICE IT, FRAMPTON CAME TO PERFORM, PREPARING TO GIVE THE AUDIENCE A GREAT SHOW. HE WAS ON FIRE DURING THE FUNKY "DOOBIE WAH", JUST BEWILDERING THE CROWD WHILE PREPARING THEM FOR FOR ONE OF THE THREE BEST TRACKS FROM FRAMPTON COMES ALIVE. "SHOW ME THE WAY" BROUGHT THE CROWD FROM THE BACK, FLOODING TO THE STAGE. THE FLOOR AREA BECAME A SARDINE CAN AS EVERYONE WAS STANDING, SURROUNDED AND CRUSHED UP AGAINST THEIR FELLOW PATRONS. FEW CAME OUT OF THE FLOOR AREA WHILE THE FLOW IN WAS TREMENDOUS.
ILL SAVE MY RANT ABOUT SECURITY OR LACK THERE OF IT UNLESS SOMEONE TRIES TO ENTER PAID (YES PAID AREAS) OR TAKE PICTURES FOR MY GRIPE THIS SUNDAY. SPEAKING OF PICTURES, FRAMPTON CALLED OUT ONE OF THE CSC SECURITY OFFICERS WHO HAD BEGUN A VERBAL ASSAULT ON A FAN WHO WAS TAKING PICTURES OF THE PERFORMANCE. NOT TO BE DISRESPECTFUL OF THE FANS WHO CAME TO SEE THE SHOW, PETER WAITED UNTIL THE COMPLETION OF THE SONG BEFORE REPRIMANDING HIM FOR TAKING THE FUN OUT OF THE SHOW. THE CROWD WENT CRAZY WITH HOOTS TO FRAMPTON AND BOOS TO THE SECURITY. ONCE THE CROWD SETTLED DOWN HE WENT RIGHT BACK INTO THE MUSIC GIVING THE CROWD EVERYTHING THEY CAME TO SEE.
THE 61 YEAR OLD PERFORMER DID NOT LET THE CROWD DOWN AS HE CRUISED THROUGH THE SET LIST. THE FEEL WAS RELAXED AS HE MOVED INTO "BABY, I LOVE YOUR WAY" ASKING THE CROWD TO PLEASE NOT POST ANOTHER LIVE VERSION OF THE SONG TO 'YOUTUBE' AS THE SITE IS OVERWHELMED WITH UNLIMITED VIDEO. NOT MISSING A BEAT HE SEEMS TO TAKE THE BAND TO ANOTHER LEVEL WHEN "I WANNA GO TO THE SUN" OPENED UP THE SET FOR ONE OF THE LONGER SONGS.
THE ATMOSPHERE WAS ELECTRIFYING BUT SOME OF THE YOUNGER CROWD WHO MAY HAVE BEEN THERE ALONG SIDE THEIR PARENTS SEEMED UNAFFECTED BY WHAT THEY WERE SEEING. STILL, MANY OLD AND YOUNG COULD BE SEEN WALKING UP AND DOWN THE ISLES LIP-SYNCING OR LITERALLY SINGING THE WORDS OUT LOUD. IT IS AN ENJOYABLE SIGHT TO KNOW THAT SONGS OF THE PAST ARE ALIVE IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THE YOUNG.
THE GREATEST THING THAT EVERYONE COULD WALK AWAY WITH IS THAT REAL GUITAR PLAYERS WHO DO MORE THAN STRUM THEIR WAY TO THE TOP OF THE MARKET STILL EXIST. THE ONLY HOPE IS THAT MAYBE SOMEWHERE IN THE CROWD THERE LAY DORMANT A FEW POTENTIAL GUITAR PLAYERS WHO CAN BE INSPIRED BY WHAT THEY SAW. MOST GUITAR PLAYERS COMING UP ARE TOO BUSY WATCHING THEMSELVES IN THE MIRROR CRITIQUING THERE FORM AND NOT CONCENTRATING ON THE SOUND AND FINGERING THAT WILL MAKE THEM BETTER PLAYERS.
PETER FRAMPTON PUT ALL HIS ENERGY INTO GIVING THE PEOPLE THE GREATEST SHOW AND SURELY NO ONE WALKED AWAY FEELING ANYTHING ELSE. THE NEWS CREWS BEING EVER FASHIONABLY LATE MUST HAVE FOUND IT INCREDIBLY EXHAUSTING TO PLOW THROUGH THE CROWD TO TAKE SOME VIDEO FOR A SMALL SEGMENT ON THE LATE LIVE NEWS. NO MATTER WHEN THEY ROLLED FILM PETER WAS LIGHTING UP THE AIRWAVES IN COMPLETE ROCK 'N' ROLL FASHION.
RUSTY
6/28/11
