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February
23rd, 2004 Setlist & Reviews
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| Concert Setlist |
1)  I Alone
2) Run Away
3) The Dolphin's Cry
4) Lightning Crashes
5) Heaven
* All songs were performed acoustically by Ed |
| Review by Michele
Ulsohn of St. Louis, Missouri |
(This review originally appeared on
the "Playback St. Louis" website)...
Ed Kowalczyk
Vic and Trishís Acoustic Anniversary
Blueberry Hill Duck Room, February 23, 2004
One way of making an anniversary party a very special event is to enlist the talents
of a special guest, such a musician who could play solo acoustic version of his well-known
band's many hit songs. This theory was the basic premise behind the recent FM 101
The River-sponsored live-broadcast show at Blueberry Hill's Duck Room, which was
a free ticket giveaway event that celebrated the one-year anniversary of the station's
morning show, hosted by DJ personalities Vic Porcelli and Trish Gazelle. The special
guest that served as both the party's entertainment and focal point was none other
than Ed Kowalczyk, lead singer and songwriter of the modern rock band Live.
Following a brief, praise-filled introduction by Porcelli, Kowalczyk-dressed casually
in a black T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers and still sporting the shaven-head look he's
had for several years-sat himself and his acoustic guitar down on a chair in the
center of the stage. What took place over the next 60 minutes was a show made up
of three alternating segments: a question-and-answer session between Kowalczyk and
about 10 pre-selected audience members, commentary from both Porcelli and Gazelle
(who were seated at a table on stage right), and Kowalczyk performing a way-too-short
list of songs.
Each of that list's five songs ("I Alone," "Runaway," "Dolphin's
Cry," "Lightning Crashes," "Heaven") were well-played but
lacked the passionate and dynamic performance level that Kowalczyk has, in the past,
proven himself quite capable of giving. Granted, a solo acoustic situation shouldn't
be compared to a full-blown concert with a complete band lineup, but it still sounded
as if Kowalczyk just wasnít "feeling" the songs, at least not in a noticeable
way. The fact that the room was only a bit more than half-full might have been a
contributing factor, considering that Kowalczyk is used to playing much larger clubs
tightly packed with people.
The questions posed by audience members were rather standard and predictable ("Who
are your influences?" "How did you decide on your band's name?"),
yet thankfully, Kowalczyk's responses were thoughtful and often clever and witty
enough to prevent the somewhat tiresome and time-consuming question/answer segments
of the show from becoming dull and generally uninteresting.
After the exactly 60-minute long show, Kowalczyk went out into the audience for conversation,
autograph-signing, and photos, proving just how personable and un-rockstar-like he
truly is. Although more songs and less talk would have made this event more enjoyable
for the concert-lovers among us, the fact remains that this was an anniversary party,
and wasn't supposed to feel like a concert. Despite the show's shortcomings, The
River should be commended for giving thanks to its listeners by hosting a free event
such as this in the first place. |
| Review by Michele
Ulsohn of St. Louis, Missouri |
(This review originally appeared on
"Peteshead.com)...
So I went down to Blueberry Hill and got to see an acoustic performance from Ed Kowalczyk
(Lead Singer from the band LIVE). It was an excellent show. There were less than
100 people there so it was very intimate. We got to sit right in the front row. You
couldn't buy tickets my friend won them through 101.1 FM The River. We all got to
ask questions from him in between songs. I was the first person to ask a question.
I asked him who his musical influences were. He answered that it was U2. Funny that
they are my musical inspiration as well. After the show I got him to autograph my
ticket. The best part was that the whole show was broadcasted on 101.1 FM the River.
I noticed that the D.J.'s Vic Porcelli & Trish Gazall both smoked about 100 cigerettes,
the Marlboro Red's it was like a fog machine coming from the table where they were
broadcasting fun. I would think that it would hurt their voice from broadcasting.
But they probably drink a lot of water. |
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