Nearfest 08 -> Sunday : echolyn

echolyn's Suffocating The Bloom is one of my favorite albums of all times, one of the best albums of nineties Prog. Brett Kull's unique guitar tones--Chris Buzby's colorful keys--Paul Ramsey's jawdropping drumming--Tom Hyatt's fantastic bass--all exemplified Americanized Prog at its best. Counterpoint galore! And let's not leave out Ray Weston's dynamic vocal range, and how well it harmonizes with Brett's voice.

Their commercial follow up, As The World, pales in comparison, but it does have its moments of glory. Unfortunately, after their breakup and reunion, I was never able to get into their later music. Perhaps a little too close to 'modern/alt' rock for my taste.
At Nearfest, I don't think they were able to measure up to their studio sound. However, it could've been where I sat--up in the balcony again, in the last row. Sometimes the vocals were muddled below the mix and Ray and Brett did not seem to harmonize.
Still, Entry 11.19.03 was pretty good. The line " The mail was late again today" always gets to me.

Nearfest 08 -> Sunday : Radio Massacre International

I thought I'd like Radio Massacre International. A mix of rock and electronic music sounded intriguing. I do love Jean Michael Jarre, Kitaro, and when I'm in the mood ambient. But perhaps, I wasn't in the mood that day. I love sonic exploration, but sometimes I need a composition to latch onto. They started off guitar/bass/drums--so far, so good. Then the drummer and bassist both left to fiddle with their sequencers. And for the most part, that's what the set consisted of--sequencers and guitar meanderings. Even when they had a couple guests, it did not seem to add much. The poor violinist seemed rather lost at times.

I nodded off for a minute here and there. But, at least, I awoke refreshed…

Nearfest 08 -> Sunday : Mörglbl

Chris Godin showed himself a grandmaster of guitar, a mix of Steve Vai meets Alan Holdsworth meets Jan Akkerman. Six string bassist Ivan Rougny and drummer Aurelien Ouzoulias were up to par as well. While my attention drifted during some songs, their piece Tapas Nocturne was one of the best of the weekend.

Their musicianship is topnotch, but it is their humor and congeniality that won my heart. Mörglbl shatters all those stupid stereotypes about rude Frenchmen. Ties and bare feet--that sums them up perfectly.

Nearfest 08 -> Saturday : Liquid Tension Experiment

Though I have their first album, I wasn't aware that Liquid Tension Experiment were considered prog metal. Seeing them live, there's no doubt. I'm not a big fan of prog metal in general, but they are an exception. Hands down, Tony Levin was the best bass player at Nearfest--no surprise there. And, of course, if you're a drummer, Mike Portnoy needed no introduction. John Petrucci played heavy licks with technical finesse, but also revealed a softer side. Jordan Rudess only played on ONE keyboard that swiveled 360, but he was outstanding.

My attention did start to drift after a while. If they used the heavier elements sparingly, their compositions and improv would stand out more. The music would have more power. However, at the end, it was their take on Rhapsody In Blue that won me over. If George Gershwin was rolling in his grave--he was rocking'n'rolling. Move over Gershwin and give Bernstein the news...

Nearfest 08 -> Saturday : Peter Hammill

Of course, Peter Hammill has been very influential on music in general, and his group Van Der Graaf Generator is a prog giant. So it was an honor to finally see him live.

He sang and played "unplugged", just him and his piano, and on occasion his guitar. As in VDGG, he has his trademark dynamics punctuated with distinctive pauses. Seeing him distilled from VDGG was interesting for a while, but then I began to crave the more rounded experience that his group brings. Perhaps, one day...

Nearfest 08 -> Saturday : Discipline

I first saw Discipline at my first prog fest, Progday 95. Since then, I've seen them throughout the years and their brand of neo-prog gradually grew on me. At times, Matthew Parmenter channel's Peter Hammill/Fish. Jon Bouda reminds me of Steve Rothery--only more technically proficient. Mathew Kennedy and Paul Dzendzel provide solid and interesting bass and drums. Their album Unfolded Like Staircase represents the best of American neo-prog.

They played, among other pieces, Crutches, Into the Dream, and of course, Cantov IV--all their best works. In fact, I still have Crutches going around and around in my head.

Nearfest 08 -> Saturday : Koenji Hyakkei

A veteran of Salma Mammas Manna, Yoshida Tatsuya's drums were blazing. Yabuki Taku's keys were awesome. Samamoto Kengo was no Jannick Top, but he knew how to play the bass. Komori Keiko's reeds provided the finishing touch. In all, the musicianship was top notch.

It was terrible.

While Nami Sagara proved she could sing well within human ranges, albeit operatically, most of her vocals were too high pitched. This group wears their Magma influences on their sleeves, and that's just fine with me. However, they took all the worst vocal aspects from MDK--the screechy section--and stretched it out for two hours. It was cringe worthy. As much as the musicianship and composition was a big plus, the vocals were a far, far bigger minus.