Review by Val Tapia
Photos by Fred Kuhlman
Promoter: Danny Zelisko Presents (https://dzplive.com/ )
Venue: Celebrity Theatre (https://celebritytheatre.com/ )
Date: Tuesday November 11th, 2025
Tour: Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights & Solo Tour
One thing is certain when you attend a show by a progressive rock act. It’s the vast number of t-shirts you’ll see worn by fans of their favorite prog bands. Not to mention all the stories I overhear during intermission of people talking about the shows they’ve seen— over the course of five decades in some cases.
It was a pretty strong turnout for guitarist Steve Hackett, who brought his Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights & Solo tour to Celebrity Theatre on Tuesday November 11th. Whether you’re talking about his work with Genesis or his prolific solo catalog, Hackett shows no signs of slowing down. As a result, he still has a fiercely loyal following after five decades in rock.
To his credit, at 75 years young, Hackett still prides himself on performing a long set for his fans. Commencing his 20-song, (nearly) 3-hour show with “People Of The Smoke” (from 2024’s The Circus and the Nightwhale), Hackett and band were off to the races.
Before I go any further, Hackett’s extraordinary band included keyboardist Roger King, lead vocalist Nad Sylvan, bassist Jonas Reingold, drummer Nick D’Virgilio and Rob Townsend on saxophone, flute, additional keyboards and percussion.
Personally, I’ve always loved the “Evening With…” format of a live show, which is exactly what this was. Given that, Hackett performed two sets (with a 20-minute intermission) for the roughly 1000 ecstatic fans in attendance. Set 1 was around 55 minutes and consisted of Hackett’s solo material, while the second set was roughly 95 minutes and nothing but 70s Genesis. More on that shortly.
Newer tunes like “Circo Inferno” and “These Passing Clouds” went over surprisingly well. It really speaks to Hackett’s desire to keep creating new music for as long as he can. On his own terms.
During intermission, a fan sitting directly behind me said he was surprised that the band unearthed “Every Day” (from 1979’s Spectral Mornings). Likewise, another fan in front of me said he was glad (and seemingly shocked) to hear “A Tower Struck Down” (from 1975’s Voyage Of The Acolyte, Hackett’s first solo album while still a member of Genesis).
Speaking of Voyage Of The Acolyte, the first set concluded with a condensed version of “Shadow Of The Hierophant”. Despite that, it received one of three standing ovations that the band would earn before the night was over. It’s cool to see that Hackett has carved out a solo career that can be judged on its own merits— record sales be damned. Artistic integrity first!
After a well-deserved 20-minute break, it was time for the band’s second set which consisted of about nine songs from Genesis’ seminal 1975 album The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. Needless to say, the keyboard intro to the title track got everyone out of their seats.
To my ears, “Fly On A Windshield” has a David Gilmour bent to it. It’s arguably even more present on a song like the instrumental “Hairless Heart”, which pretty much brought the roof down of the Celebrity.
Funny thing about “Lillywhite Lilith” was the fact that Sylvan’s vocals resemble both Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins. And yet, it’s not a deliberate imitation, which really speaks to his ability to pull off such challenging material credibly. I imagine that’s not easy to pull off, yet he did. Respectably I might add.
It should be said that Hackett is the only member of Genesis who has kept that band’s first decade of music alive on tour. Just as importantly, it’s not merely an exercise in cheap nostalgia either. He’s found a way to celebrate the past while clearly wanting to move forward as a viable artist in 2025 as well. Simply put, this really is the best of both worlds for a musician of Hackett’s caliber.
Closing out the second set with “a short song” (as Hackett jokingly referred to) called “Supper’s Ready” was in many ways the defining “prog” moment of the night. In point of fact, it’s the longest song that Genesis ever recorded. I suppose that 23 minutes wasn’t long enough for Hackett’s band though. Therefore, according to my cell phone clock, this version ended up being 28 minutes. Now that’s what I call “prog” good readers.
The night came to a more than satisfying conclusion with two more Genesis classics, “Firth Of Fifth” and “Los Endos”, respectively. All in all, it was a stellar performance that many a prog rock fan can appreciate.
The final verdict? 4.5 out of five stars.
Special Note By Editor: Just over 1 year ago Steve Hackett was to perform at the Celebrity Theatre. About 30 minutes prior to getting on stage, he had a medical issue and was taken to the hospital. The concert was cancelled. Tonight, Steve indicated that the issue was a reaction to some new medication he was taking. Luckily, he was ok. We all wish Steve the best and hope that the rest of this tour goes off well.
Steve Hackett’s Social Media sites:
Website: https://www.hackettsongs.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevehackettofficial/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevehackettofficial/
Photos © Fred Kuhlman 2025, All Rights Reserved
Steve Hackett set list:
Set 1 (55 minutes):
People Of The Smoke
Circo Inferno
These Passing Clouds
The Devil’s Cathedral
Every Day
A Tower Struck Down
Camino Royal
Shadow Of The Hierophant
20-minute intermission
Set 2 (95 minutes):
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
Fly On A Windshield
Broadway Melody Of 1974
Hairless Heart
Carpet Crawlers
The Chamber Of 32 Doors
Lilywhite Lilith
The Lamia
It
Supper’s Ready
Encore:
Firth Of Fifth
Los Endos
