Jethro Tull live!

Jethro Tull
Rialto Square Theatre, Joliet
Saturday, October 13, 2007

Prior to Jethro Tull’s sold-out performance at the ornate and acoustically complimentary Rialto Square Theatre, an announcement was made stating whistling, shouting, and even drinking at any point during the concert would be completely inappropriate. At first, the list of regulations was meant with defiant screams (and a handful of boos), setting an instantly pretentious tone on the part of Ian Anderson and company. While self-indulgence would certainly creep its way into the two hour show, the proclamation actually proved beneficial in relation to the first set, which revolved around semi-acoustic selections, a handful of instrumentals, and quieter tracks from the group’s expansive mix of folk, jazz, classic, and progressive rock.

After Anderson’s short bursts on the harmonica alongside guitarist Martin Barre (whose membership dates back to 1969) on “Some Day the Sun Won’t Shine For You,” the remainder of the band joined in for a quaint and warm rendition of “Living In The Past.” Following the tender treatment of that radio staple, the famed frontman unveiled an underlying sense of humor during an introduction for the brand new instrumental “The Donkey And The Drum” (inspired by English pub crawls and wrapped around his flute playing). “This one will be on our next studio CD,” he offered before adding, “but that one won’t be out until 2012” (alluding to the extreme break the band generally takes between albums these days).

Though the last proper project the band recorded was 1999’s J-Tull Dot Com (outside of a 2003 Christmas collection), the current tour supports the August CD/DVD collection Live At Montreux 2003 (Eagle). This particular show mirrored that set list to a certain degree, particularly the slower format up front (which also included “Fat Man” and “Bouree”) followed by a much more electrifying plugged-in portion. Tull revved up its engines early in the second half, such as the early inclusion of “Sweet Dream,” which scooted with prog-oriented percussion, slicing guitars, and Anderson’s surreal storytelling.

Yet the aforementioned shades of indulgence also crept in during this segment, such as the several-minute flute-induced introduction to “Aqualung” (which would’ve done just fine simply left to its aggressive, classic rock format), along with the instrumentally proficient but equally long-winded jam session “My God.” “Budapest” served as the finale to the second half, showcasing Anderson’s additional versatility between vocals, flute, and acoustic guitar, but again required a hearty dose of patience, in spite of the note-for-note perfection.

The sole encore consisted of the much more commercially minded “Locomotive Breath,” which drew considerable cheers and hollering, (despite the evening’s earlier scolding). But Anderson and his mates didn’t seem to mind by that point, truly savoring each iconic guitar lick and pounding of the piano keys. As Tull took its final bow, it was evident members still have the precise chops and deft knack for seamless fusion of seemingly incongruent genres. Now they just need to trim the fat during concerts and make good on Anderson’s promise of new material.

— Andy Argyrakis

Category: Live Reviews, Weekly