What would you get if you combined a guitar player with a bass guitar, a drummer, a percussionist and a lead singer plus a horn section consisting of a trombone, a trumpet and a french horn, plus 3 keyboard players, a violinist, a harp, and tambourine player and, to top it all off, 9 choral singers? (For those of you too lazy to do the math that’s 23 band members.) Wait! - before you answer - dress them in white choir robes (shoes optional) and make sure they bounce around on the stage like maniacs.
Their curator calls the ‘Hair meets the Flaming Lips.’ They call themselves Polyphonic Spree. GF and I have yet another title – we call them the worst opening act we’ve ever seen. In GF’s case, they displaced Wang Chung on her list of worst opening acts (they opened for the Cars – her very first concert). In my case it was Yngwie Malmsteen (don’t ask). Perhaps we were just disappointed. We wanted to like them and they’ve received good reviews. But, despite the lineup, there was no anticipated “Wall of Sound,” just a cacophony of, well, cacophony. Fortunately, they didn’t play too long and the real reason we went to the Wachovia Center last night took the stage around 9:00.
And all I really know to say is: Wow! I’ve never been a big Bowie fan. I’m more of a drive-by Bowie fan. I can appreciate his music, but I like him only in small doses doing mainly his hits (yes, even the 80’s sell-out stuff). But last night I was converted. And GF is happy as she’s a huge Bowie fan. If Bowie is in your neighborhood, check him out. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Just don’t be in a hurry to catch the opening act…