Well, we made it to Rutherford, New Jersey, and were looking forward to a weekend of intense progressive music. As I have done in years prior, I will be providing next-day blog posts for each day I attend ProgStock. I’m here with Cedric Hendrix, and we will try to share our experience with you, dear reader, to the best of our abilities! The first night was the pre-show, which featured Abacab, a truly fantastic Genesis cover band, playing some of their proggiest tunes, and also an event called Last Call Live, where festival attendees participate by playing their own sets.
The Venue
In previous years, I attended Progstock in Rahway, New Jersey at the UCPAC. For the last little bit, it’s been in Rutherford, New Jersey at the Williams Center. There are several different stages and spaces within the Williams Center(such as Spring Hall, Black Box Theater, and the Rivoli), and each of the stages will be utilized during ProgStock for various purposes- not just concerts but Q&A, Meet and Greets, and more intimate concerts. It seems like a cool venue, and I look forward to experiencing the festival in this new setting.
I arrived to the show a bit late due to some plane delays, but as soon as I rolled in, Abacab was halfway through “In The Cage”, playing a near perfect rendition. It felt like I was interrupting religious communion at Prog Church. I crept in, hunched over as to not block anyone’s view, and found my little spot in the corner to type away my notes as I watched.
We were treated to faithful covers of several Genesis eras, including a surprise for organizer Ann Rinaldi- a rousing version of “Abacab”. Also, as one of those Duke fans that they spoke of (they said, as far as Genesis goes, everyone has a Phil Collins album and a Peter Gabriel album they love), I’m so glad they played “Cul de Sac”. I’d never seen that tune live, and it is a dramatic undertaking. Every member of Abacab nailed their performances, from the soaring vocals to the monstrous rhythm section of bass and drums, to the glimmering keyboard work. It was thrilling to see these songs played live, and you could feel the love that the band had for these tunes, both in their enthusiasm and their commentary between songs.
These guys had a few tricks up their sleeves. First of the night was guest drums on “Burning Rope”, provided by Gregg Bendian (who has played with everyone from Mahavishnu Orchestra to Nels Cline to Pat Metheny). The tom-heavy song selection made a lot of sense for such a skilled drummer/percussionist. Gregg handled those 32nd note fills masterfully and honored Phil in a major way. In what was one of the most anticipated moves of the night, the legendary Mike Keneally joined the band onstage for a brilliant take on “Selling England by the Pound”, which Mike even sang a little. It was a definite thrill to see Mike play Steve Hackett’s parts during that bonkers end-section of “Selling England”, and there was palpable excitement that carried on through the final glimmery, ethereal notes of the song.
And, of course, they closed with all 23+ minutes of the classic epic, “Supper’s Ready”. I mean, it’s absolutely the right crowd for it. It was brilliant. Nice job, gentleman. They closed with “Carpet Crawlers” and even if I didn’t see any lighters, it was a “raise the lighters” moment.
Last Call Live started around 10 or so. For the uninitiated, one unique thing about ProgStock and other progressive rock festival events is the abundance of musicians you’ll find in the audience. It certainly feels like it would place a lot of pressure on the musicians onstage, especially for a cover band playing beloved songs of audience members. So, Last Call Live is an opportunity for festival attendees to play whatever music they’d like in a full band setup. Before I left around 11:30 or so, I had heard lovely renderings of “Red Rain” by Peter Gabriel, “Devil’s Got My Throat” by Spock’s Beard, and I think I even heard “More Than A Feeling” by Boston as I was leaving- which, that’s a hell of a song to sing and play! Last Call Live is a very fun idea and it really reflects the general vibe of the festival- supportive, enthusiastic, and joyful.
That wraps up the pre-show. Looking forward to seeing some incredible bands on Day 1!
Proglodytes 