Show at the "Magic Bag", Detroit, on March 9th, 2006:

TEN YEARS AFTER OFF TO A GREAT START
ROCKIN' THE
U.S.A.

 

TONIGHT'S  

TEN YEARS
AFTER


SHOW 
IS COMPLETELY
SOLD OUT

NOT ONE MORE
NOT TWO MORE
ZERO
ZILCH
  NONE  

PLEASE DON’T ASK !

                  THANKS

 

         

TYA Concert Review by Jim Harris          

  Anyone showing up last night for Ten Year’s After concert hoping to pick up a ticket a few hours before the show found the above sign in place of the ticket attendant.  Obviously tired of being harassed for tickets, he took the time to type up the brief statement and found refuge somewhere inside the Magic Bag Theatre in Ferndale , MI .   The excitement was in the air, not only was TYA making a return to the Motor City, 30 plus years after their famous concert’s at such large venue’s as Cobo Hall, but tonight would be the first  US date on TYA’s current tour.  Less than a week earlier, TYA had performed in Denmark , and packed their bag’s for a return to the States.

 It was a weird weather day for winter weary Detroit folks, temp’s climbed to close to 60 degrees but a steady rain kept the fan’s waiting in line huddled against the overhang’s of the theatre and the buildings nearby before the show.

 Inside, it was warm and dry, and local Detroit band the Mugg’s opened up with a furious and well received performance.  The crowd enjoyed their performance, and several times the band commented about how honored they were to be opening up for their idol’s.

 Just about 10:00pm on the dot the band we had all come to see was introduced to the crowd.  Lead singer and guitar player Joe Gooch was full of quick smiles as quite a few fan’s yelled out “Allright Joe”.  Then, school began, and we students of the science known as rock n roll were treated to some badly needed continuing education as the band launched into the show.  By the time they settled into Hear Me Calling, the third song of the night, the crowd was full of friends of many years turning to each other and knowingly nodding their heads.  “These guy’s still had it”, the nod’s were saying.  Maybe we still had it.  The band  not only had” it,” but the audiences’ complete attention over the next two hours.  The band mixed the new with the old seamlessly, and I am sure many fan’s were thinking the same thing as me, which was, “ I need to get their last couple of albums!”. 

 The band was in a great mood, and their play showed it.  Leo had a smile on his face throughout the show, and his showdown’s with Joe brought the crowd to their feet.  This kind Englishman’s torrid play on the bass brought the memory of John Entwisle to mind at one point, and I wondered if they knew each other very well.

 Fan’s were taken back to 1970 and the Isle of Wright Concert that was made famous by the album and video.  Made less than a year to Woodstock , some of the same big names got together again, including a guy named Hendrix and a madman drum player named Moon.  “I Can’t Keep From Cryin, Sometimes”, was clearly the favorite of many fan’s.  Another ovation was heard when Joe grabbed the acoustic and launched into “I’d Like to Change the World”.   We still didn’t know what to do for sure, but for one night the star’s were aligned and time travel was possible.  I was not a 42 year old guy who had to be at work sitting in a cubicle the next morning at 7:30am sharp, I was a kid out in my backyard and the sun was shining and Cricklewood Green was blasting through my screen windows that hid behind them my $45 Kmart Stereo.  

As Leo introduced the band during the show, he acknowledge a young man who had some big shoe’s to fill, and at that time the crowd gave a huge round of applause for Joe.  There was probably no one in the audience who would not have loved to see Alvin join his 3 fellow members of TYA last night.  Yet by the 45 second mark of the first song, it was clear that everyone in the audience had fallen in love with a new guitar hero, and were thankful the band loved their music and their fan’s enough to take to the road with him.  He was fast, clean, soulful, and his voice matched very well with the older songs as well as some of the newer stuff that he has recorded with the band.

 Chick was a rock all night, at times doing everything but dance on his organ.  Elbows and fingers were flying, and you could see how much fun he was having, and at the great reception the audience was giving him back.

 Ric was in the back of the stage, but at the forefront of almost every song.  He gave the rest of the guy’s such much needed rest halfway through the show when he launched into The Hobbit, his extra gift to the crowd. 

 The band invited everyone to stay after the show, as the band would come down and mingle, sign autographs, and get caught up with the motor city.   About that point Joe mumbled, “UH, I wonder what song we could play next”, and suddenly we were at Woodstock watching the band’s anthem “I’m Going Home”. 

  Detroit is better than I thought”, said an honest Joe Gooch at one point during the show.  “I hope I can come back and see you all again”.    Joe, you and TYA are even better than we thought, remembered, and hoped to see.  So let’s call it even!

 

Jim Harris

Macomb Twp , MI  

Magic TYA at "Magic Bag"