Live Report: The Choir – Magnolia, TX 10-6-2012

This was my first house concert – those hosting the show were more than gracious to admit strangers like me.  With this being the third night on this short Fall tour, it seemed so fitting that the The Choir had thus far played in a church, a bar, and now somebody’s backyard.

This concert was the full lineup: Derri Daugherty, Steve Hindalong, Tim Chandler and Dan Michaels playing sax and lyricon (who we were lucky enough to have because he was only able to play part of the tour).  The band occupied the back patio as a stage but that didn’t deter them from putting together a full electric two-hour set opening with the first four songs from the 1988 release Chase the Kangaroo.  After skipping ahead to the song “Chase the Kangaroo,” the guys broke off from their usual presentation of that entire album to spend more time on songs from their new release The Loudest Sound Ever Heard.

One thing that was so evident was how timeless The Choir’s musical library is.  While songs like “Consider,” “Sad Face,” and “Circle Slide” were true to their original recordings, they didn’t sound at all like they were 25 years old. The transition from those songs to more recent releases like “Taking the Universe In,” “Strange Girl,” and “Burning Like the Midnight Sun” was seamless.

A fair portion of the audience seemed to be getting their first exposure to The Choir, yet the songs seemed to connect well enough that the two hour set really wasn’t long enough.   I still had my list of personal favorites that I would have liked to hear but I know that when you’ve been cranking out great music for nearly thirty years there is going to be some picking and choosing when it comes to making up a set list.

One of the best parts of a house show is the opportunity to visit with the band following the concert. The guys were more than happy to hang out and meet new friends and reminisce with old fans.

The Choir is continuing to tour as they have dates currently scheduled through November.  Also, their 2012 release The Loudest Sound Ever Heard is currently available at their website www.thechoir.net.

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