4 A's all the all the way around to last nights ALTER BRIDGE - ANOTHER ANIMAL show at the BIG EASY (Spokane). Myles did not let us down including several hometown references "there's a lot of Spokane in our new CD, I love Manito this time of year..." and a tribute to Musicworld's / Guitar Shop's Mark Morris, the driving inspiration behind the sole-searching "Blackbird" song moved us to an emotionally charged yet totally rocking performance from the first pounding opening chords "Ties that bind" to the last reprises of a sold-out crowd singing along to RISE TODAY. There wasn't a place to stand, yet all the seats were empty.... It was very moving. Tremonti, Marshall and "Flip" were super-charged with energy, and played a solid barrage for two-hours of true-to-the-CD ALTER BRIDGE HITS and select favorites, some added on-stage to the set list just for us! Extremely TIGHT, never stopping for a break, and playing to the crowd, it will be a show we shall always remember. Another Animal's "Whitt" stepped in for "Whole Lotta Rosie" giving Myles a chance to don the knickers and kick some serious former-Spokane Axe-manship. Another Animal had ALREADY proven their game was 'A'
with a solid set before Alter Bridge, although, at times "Black Coffee Blues" we felt like perhaps we were the only ones who had studied the CD and were familiar enough to sing along while the crowd maintained their interest sure enough, perhaps they need to go get that CD! (see our previous BLOG entry on the A.A. disk here in the PIT STOP just so I can say we saw 'em coming, this is band that is grateful to play and well worth the performance be it opening for A B or alone onstage as a headliner at some future point! Stay tuned on THIS one....
Also props to Michael Tremonti, the "man behind the band" Alter Bridge, who gets them there and kind of runs the show behind the scenes. He does a great job as the un-sung fifth Bridge, and really has his hands full yet keeps it real, and everyone was very nice to our grand prize winners and those who got to "race the bands" at the Homeboy-Half mile at Fast-Kart, earlier in the day. (Mrs. Tremonti, did in fact kick my butt with a quality pass on the inside late in the race sending me back a lap, but I had a very loose cart and started last, so I held my ground fairly well.. I was just playing "Kyle Petty" in this race, sitting back in the pack and just collecting points.) Special thanks to Robby and Tony, great racers too, shaving 3 tenths of a second off my personal best-track time (00:23.38).
But the REAL winners were everyone who got to run, what a great bunch of folks, it's easy to see why they all continue to work and play so well together. A tight knit family of respected and experienced rockers, good luck on the rest of the tour and may you continue to be so strong together. See you again, and hopefully REAL soon.
-=GS=-