Review and Photos by Fred Kuhlman
Promoter: Danny Zelisko Presents (https://www.dannyzeliskopresents.com/ )
Venue: Celebrity Theatre (https://celebritytheatre.com/ )
Date: Tuesday July 25th, 2023
Tour: Days Of Future Passed
In the 60s their were many great British rock bands. However, if you only got to listen to AM radio in the states, then you probably never heard of The Moody Blues. Most of their songs were too long for AM radio (> 3:20 minutes). Also, bands like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who & the Kinks dominated the airwaves. If you were lucky enough to have FM radio, then you probably got to hear Pink Floyd, MC5, Jethro Tull, Captain Beefheart and The Moody Blues.
Days of Future Passed was never intended to be a major release for The Moody Blues. Instead, it was a demonstration project by Decca (record Company) to test out and promote their new musical process called Deram. The album was initially to be promoted as a Classical LP with some rock music interlaced. The album was to show that an orchestra recording and a Rock band’s music could be mixed together. It was also to show off the new recording technology that Decca wanted to promote.
The orchestra and The Moody Blues never recorded together, but their separate recordings were mixed in the studio. After hearing the finally cut of the LP, the members of The Moody Blues and Decca representees realized they had produced something very special. The album was finally released in 1967 under The Moody Blues banner. In 1972, “Nights In White Satin” finally became a top ten hit in the US.
I first heard the album in 1969 while listening to a FM rock station out of Detroit. Every Sunday night the station would play an entire album without commercial breaks. This was my first introduction to The Moody Blues and I became an instant fan. It wasn’t until 1979 when I got to see them live. Unfortunately, only 3 of the members of the band from 1967 are still alive, Mike Pinder, Justin Hayward & John Lodge. Both Justin & John are still touring (separately) performing the songs from the vast Moody Blues collection. After being snubbed for many years, finally in 2018, The Moody Blues were induced into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
For a lot of people, they remember the 2 big songs from the album, Days of Future Passed. These are “Tuesday Afternoon” & “Nights In White Satin”. But in reality, these songs were never called out in the original list of songs for the album, but only parts of the overall parts of the day.
John Lodge and the band broke the concert into 2 sets. The first set were songs from different album The Moody Blues created over their 30 plus years. The second set was the entire album, Days Of Future Passed.
The show started with the very up-tempo song, “Steppin’ in a Slide Zone”. It was followed by a song that Justin and John did for their Blue Jays album, “Saved by the Music”. Probably the audience (and my) favorite song of this set was “Legend of The Mind”. A psychedelic trip with the legendary LSD king, Timothy Leary. They ended the first set with “I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)”.
The second set opened with “The Day Begins” which is an orchestral presentation. It filled the venue and encompassed the audience in an envelope of serenity and peace with an uplifting presence of a new beginning. Then on the screen appeared Graeme Edge as he spoke the words of the coming of a new day. Finally, we get the band performing “Dawn Is a Feeling”. When they got to “Tuesday Afternoon”, Jon Davison (singer for Steve Howe’s YES) came out to sing the lead vocals. Finally, we get to the big hit of the album, “Nights In White Satin”. Again, Jon Davison came out to sing. The set (and album) ends with Graeme Edge again speaking the final lament, “The Night”.
John’s 10,000 Light Years Band consists of keyboardist and longtime friend Alan Hewitt, drummer Billy Ashbaugh, guitarist Duffy King, Jason Charboneau on cello and vocalist Jon Davison.
I never got to see the band perform this album in concert. I have seen and own the Blu-Ray of the50th Anniversary concert of the album recorded at the Sony Centre For The Performing Arts in Toronto in 2017. I would highly recommend this Blu-Ray for the sound quality of the 5.1 is amazing.
As for this John and his bands performance, all I can say is it is a must see show if you love classic progressive rock music or The Moody Blues music. I saw John and his band in 2019 when they were part of The Royal Affair tour. They only got to perform for about 40 minutes during that tour. But on this tour, they perform for almost 2 hours and you get to hear more great music performed by some fantastic musicians.
Hopefully you got to see one of John’s shows on this tour. I would like to thank Danny Zelisko for promoting John and his band at multiple locations in the US. I would also like to thank Danny Zelisko Presents and John Lodge for auctioning off a signed bass guitar. All of the money raised went to St. Mary’s Food Bank here in Phoenix which helps feed the needy of the greater Phoenix area.
John Lodge’s social media sites
Website: https://www.johnlodge.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnlodgemusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnlodgemusic/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JohnLodgemusic/about
Photos by Fred Kuhlman 2023, All Rights Reserved
Concert Setlist:
Set 1:
Steppin’ in a Slide Zone
Saved by the Music
Nervous
Legend of a Mind
One More Time to Live
Gemini Dream
Isn’t Life Strange
I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)
Set 2: Days of Future Passed
The Day Begins: The Day Begins/Morning Glory
Dawn Is a Feeling
Another Morning
Peak Hour
Tuesday Afternoon (with Jon Davison)
(Evening) Time to Get Away
The Sunset
Twilight Time
Nights in White Satin (with Jon Davison)
Late Lament
Encore:
Ride My See-Saw (with Jon Davison)
