4/9/05 Revolution Hall, Troy, NY

Setlist (courtesy donnabase.com)
Movin' On, Ancient Arms, Don't Go Down, Rock Of Ages, Positive Friction, I Don't Need A Riddle, Mr. King, Blue Sky, Killing A Man, Living In Babylon, Everyday, In The Summertime,* Funkyside, Family Picture, Pancho & Lefty, 40 Days & 40 Nights, No Place Like The Right Time, It's The Call
Encore: Give Me Just A Little Time, Come To Life, I Wish You Love, Standing Room

*instrumental, first time covered (Mungo Jerry song)

By David Grace

The band was about to go on. (You can usually tell it's time if you see Tom running into the venue.) Laura and I grabbed a beer and went straight to Kathy's side in the front, where we stayed the entire time. The dance was awesome and the vibe was unbelievable...it came from both the band and the audience. You could tell that Jeb felt it, too, and Bill and Kathy.

Tara just beams energy and youth and goddess power, so much too. She was all smiles and sexy engaging with the audience (in my opinion). The difference really seems to be in relenting to the positive feeling that results from all the energy (emanating from everywhere). Seriously, in my humble opinion, Tara has always played with incredible intensity and vitality, but it often seemed to my eyes like it was work. NOW it seems effortless, it doesn't seem like this is a job but rather a pleasure. The difference has an exponential impact outwards to the audience AND the band, too.

From MY point of view (because I go to a lot of shows), Kathy has been stepping up Vocally, with harmonies, with solos, and duos with Jeb for quite some time--back to last spring Shakori or further). I present that her music (as well as Tom's) does not fare well in soundboard recordings. That's my opinion because many people review shows in retrospect...based on the recording, which I believe is often different, or not as good as live).

The show started with Movin' On, and I was really hoping they would start with a more active song. I wanted Standing Room, to tell the Truth, but Movin' On was good this night and you could tell right away that the energy for THIS night was going to be higher than the last. There were a lot of people in the audience SINGING and feeling the love.

Ancient Arms. Don't Go Down which is now a LOT more upbeat, and Jeb does the little dance with his jam. Tara added her vocals...a lot different than the first time, when she left the stage during the song. The audience sang some during this one and it was like a big group hug (to me) of power and unity and you ain't alone sorta stuff.

I Don't Need a Riddle...good spring love song and sweet. Mr. King. Sweet jam in Blue Sky. Living in Babylon, which seems to invoke Babylon like energy and wild abandon? Everyday...the fun In The Summertime with accent on the accordion and the power of Zydeco to make it summertime even in winter (maybe...just my interpretation).

Funky side, man it was a GREAT Funkyside ...maybe I just needed that song. Pancho and Lefty, good effort to play this song. No Place...

Very SOMBER feeling from It's The Call. Very sobering, indeed. I'm glad they play this song and I have often herd bad reaction from this song. Along the lines of "It's not happy like their other tunes, what a bummer, too slow, not perfect..." Yet the message IS clear and perfect. Everyone around me was just looking with glossy eyes at the band. The song forces things to the top of your mind that we would rather file away or let someone else deal with.

The encore was interesting. Gimme Just a Little Time was prolly the planned song there. I think Come to Life may have been inspired by the great Troy crowd vibe and the spectacular weather for both days. Finally it seems that maybe the spring has arrived in the north after such a snowy winter. I Wish You Love seemed Tara's choice to send us off. And then Standing Room...YES YES YES...first time this year... everyone sang...never before played as a show-closer...and the song I've secretly wanted to hear as an opener since the Keys, but never mentioned this to the band.