[ d e e p P u r . p l e ) The Highway Star

REVIEW - Aug 22 in Chicago

Great show. The World Music Theater is a pretty big venue but it didn't draw the kind of crowds Pine Knob (Aug 15) did. My brother in Chicago got me 10th row center stage VIP seats...VIP entrance...VIP bathrooms, hehe...never had the pleasure before. :-) So I came equipped with a video camera as well as a point and shoot camera. Never really expected to smuggle them in, but what do you know, I did! Heh Heh. Got 25 minutes of the show recorded on my Hi-8 20x zoom Cannon ES-2000 video camera. BUT, I could kick myself for not recharging my batteries the night before...my batteries ran out. :-( I was a little apprehensive about Morse spotting me right in front of him and telling me "STOP!"...but I guess he was too busy having fun to see me.

DT started about 10 minutes early. The sound balancing was really good compared to Detroit. Great band! ELP was flawless as usual.

Purple came on with Ted the Mechanic instead of Hush (which they dropped)...a pleasant surprise to me 'cause they dropped Ted in Detroit. Gillan was in fine form during the begining of the show, but I thought he started straining himself halfway through. When I compare the Aug 15th show with this one I think the overall band performance was better here, but Gillan, in spite of his ailing throat was better in Detroit...IMHO. I think they turned up the sound or reduced his vocals somewhere in between. I was a little disappointed that they played only one number (HS) for their encore.

But overall, I repeat, a great show and always a pleasure to watch my favorite band. Always!

Amit Roy
Rom to my friends on the IRC


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