{"id":1017,"date":"2011-04-29T20:00:28","date_gmt":"2011-04-29T20:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/216.71.127.204\/wordpress\/?p=1017"},"modified":"2015-10-13T20:44:08","modified_gmt":"2015-10-13T20:44:08","slug":"the-moody-blues-woodlands-pavilion-woodlands-tx","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/2011\/04\/29\/the-moody-blues-woodlands-pavilion-woodlands-tx\/","title":{"rendered":"The Moody Blues – Woodlands Pavilion – Woodlands, TX"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
Written by Michael Pittman<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apr 29, 2011 at 08:00 PM<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"\"\u201cI just turned 70! How in the bloody hell did that happen?\u201d Graeme Edge asked just before he did a jig during the 2nd<\/sup> act of the show at Woodlands Pavilion. Well Graeme, I\u2019d say being Moody Blues\u2019 drummer since 1964 has done you well and your band is still one of the most innovative, timeless bands to emerge from an era that saw so much happen so fast. Is it really true the band was named for a brewery though?? Classic!<\/p>\n

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Anyway..just as I expected they would, the Moody Blues turned in an amazing performance in front of a nearly sold-out, reserve-seat-only house on an evening with weather just this side of perfect. It wasn\u2019t just the music, though that would have been enough, it was the total show. They\u2019ve always had a keen technical streak built in to the music, so it was natural to see the careful attention paid to the lighting and the sound; both of which were amazing. It probably would have been totally impractical, but I would have loved to hear that Mellotron again on strings. If you\u2019re not familiar, the Mellotron was a forerunner of today\u2019s music synthesizer and was an unstable beast, but when it worked, it put the sound of orchestral strings in the hands of the keyboardist. 1967\u2019s Days of Future Passed saw Mike Pinder bring home that hypnotic orchestral Mellotron sound and in a huge way established the sound of the Moody Blues.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Any band that\u2019s been around as long as Moody Blues has seen personnel changes, but since founding member and flautist Ray Thomas retired in 2002, the band has pretty much stabilized with original members Justin Hayward on guitar, John Lodge on bass and Graeme Edge on drums. Veteran members Julie Ragins on keyboard\/vocals, Gordon Marshall on drums and Norda Mullen on flute\/vocals\/percussion gave stunning performances as did the newest addition Alan Hewitt on keyboard and vocals.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You may already know I get to do my own photos which means I\u2019m usually down front shooting. The lights went down, the crowd caught their collective breath, I checked my camera one last time for The Voice. The slow build of lights and sounds til suddenly you felt that irresistible rhythm and we were on our way. The soft-spoken Day We Meet Again gave way to The Slide Zone. Act 1 carried on through Tuesday Afternoon, I know You\u2019re Out There Somewhere and as Story in Your Eyes trailed away the curtain fell and\u2026and\u2026.silence. Then with a hush everyone looked up and around, then slowly got on with intermission.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Act 2 began some 30 minutes later with Wildest Dreams and we were right back\u2026there. Graeme Edge came down front and took the lead on Higher and Higher. Happy Birthday Graeme\u2026you lived through the sixties twice! In the next hour it was like a best of the best with Late Lament\/Nights In White Satin, Singer in a Rock & Roll Band, Are You Sitting Comfortably. The encore was Ride My See Saw\u2026.need I say more??<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

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This was to me and amazing show. I\u2019ll date myself when I say that these are some of my favorite songs as I grew up, but yanno\u2026I\u2019m proud of it. Good music is just plain good music..right? And this is a band that\u2019s still on top of their game. MB was always urging us to explore ourselves, to stretch ourselves in a way few others did. They didn\u2019t peak too soon\u2026ever.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Act 1.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1. The Voice<\/p>\n

2. Day We Meet Again<\/p>\n

3. Slide Zone<\/p>\n

4. Gypsy<\/p>\n

5. Tuesday Afternoon<\/p>\n

6. Lean on Me Tonight<\/p>\n

7. Meanwhile<\/p>\n

8. Peak Hour<\/p>\n

9. I Know You\u2019re Out There Somewhere<\/p>\n

10. Story in Your Eyes<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Act 2.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

11. Wildest Dreams<\/p>\n

12. Isn\u2019t Life Strange<\/p>\n

13. The Other Side of Life<\/p>\n

14. Driftwood<\/p>\n

15. Higher and Higher<\/p>\n

16. Are You Sitting Comfortably?<\/p>\n

17. Singer in a Rock & Roll Band<\/p>\n

18. Late Lament<\/p>\n

19. Nights in White Satin<\/p>\n

20. Question<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Encore<\/p>\n

21. Ride My See Saw<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Michael Pittman Apr 29, 2011 at 08:00 PM \u201cI just turned 70! How in the bloody hell did that happen?\u201d Graeme Edge asked just before he did a jig during the 2nd act of the show at Woodlands Pavilion. Well Graeme, I\u2019d say being Moody Blues\u2019 drummer since 1964 has done you well… <\/p>\n

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