Traveler journeys to Detroit, leaves behind unforgettable show

As I stood inches away from the fat man himself at The State Theatre, I realized why Blues Traveler is not just a good band, but a great band.

Popper, who leads the band on vocals, Chan Kinchla on guitar, Brendan Hill on drums and Bob Sheehan on bass make up the barroom ragamuffins. The band that once was a New York City maybe-so is now coming off a stint of opening for The Rolling Stones and the release of its new album "Straight On Till Morning."

John Popper delighted the crowd with not only his stage banter, but his amazing ability to play harmonica and pull his three other bandmates together.

The show actually benefited from the Detroit venue, and not Hill Auditorium, where Blues Traveler has played a number of shows in the past. Looking around, it seemed as if this were a Ted Nugent show, not a so-called suburban, white-baseball-hat-kid band.

Toughed-skin enthusiasm could be felt from both the four on-stage and the eclectic crowd. The fight that developed in front of the stage during the first set added flavor and excitement, as well as that dangerous element that made me feel happy I was in Detroit seeing a rock band.

The foursome seemed to play off the older, mature audience, as the long, enduring show was a non-stop, cigarette-smoking romp that left my legs feeling like mushy potatoes and my throat as dry as Popper's wit.

Admittedly, until "Go Outside and Drive," the performance was off to a blah beginning. But once Kinchla began those gorgeous notes, I, along with a few thousand others in attendance, knew it was time to get serious. During this song, it became obvious even to casual observer that Popper keeps inside his mouth a parakeet, a bag of marshmallows and an experienced wood-chipping machine.

Simply dumfounded with his virtuosity, the crowd seemed taken aback and panting for more at the same time.

More they got, as the legendary "Mountains Win Again" from BT's hit album "Four" came out eventually and sounded decidedly different from its studio counterpart. The hard-blues influence can't be felt on all of Traveler's album efforts - not the case Sunday evening.

"Brother John," was a constant theme throughout the first set, as it was teased throughout and sandwiched nearly four songs, including the rare gem, "Optimistic Thought." Just when the crowd seemed to forget about the "Brother John" that was played probably 30 minutes earlier, Popper brought everything back in perspective, singing along with the masses.

REVIEW
	Blues Traveler State Theatre, Detroit Nov. 23, 1997

Another highlight of the set was the incredible "Mulling It Over." True, a common BT tune live, but Sunday's excerpt seemed a step above the norm. Each member had his own moment in the spotlight, as Popper would turn to each member give the signal for soloing.

Hill, Sheehan and Kinchla obliged, and as a result, "Mulling It Over" became the most cohesive effort of the band during the first set.

As the first set was characterized by more groovy jams, sing-alongs and dance favorites, such as "Run Around," the second was less commercial, more back-to-the-roots playing.

The band members addressed the crowd as they emerged from behind the stage, explaining that Detroit "has always been good to us."

For the city's support, out came the acoustic instruments and the appropriate bar.>>>.stools. The foursome played four songs in this media, beginning with a never-before-heard-in-acoustic "Life Is."

The concert favorite, "Imagine," was up next, setting the tone for the first part of the set as a mellow, put-your-arms-around-your-girlfriend moment that the crowd loved.

Blues Traveler played a great show Sunday in Detroit.

The acoustic "100 Years" was a personal favorite of mine, as the gentle twang of the acoustic guitars and basses made my eyes nearly droopy.

The wake-up call began soon enough, when the acoustic stuff was taken away and the real metal reappeared.

This very long second set absolutely went through the ceiling. New tunes were sprinkled in here and there, such as "Carolina Blues" and "Canadian Rose," both off "Straight On Till Morning".

A fiery "Johnny and the Devil" and "New York Prophesy" showcased Blues Traveler's ability to play above the average jam formula of intermittent guitar solos and average bass lines.

Kinchla, back with shorter hair, danced around stage for the entire set, making goofy faces but allowing his guitar to speak for itself.

Popper and Kinchla seemed to complement each other quite well, something I've never seen them do as well before. Frequently the two would stare at each other's eyes, not instruments, to concentrate on the beat.

This performance was almost too much. The only down-side was the "Hook" encore that bled with radio-commercialism. Many were hoping for an epic "Crystal Flame" that never came.

The show solidified BT's place on my top 10 list of favorite bands, and definitely should not be missed the next time the band plays in Ann Arbor or Detroit.

11-26-97