Bush and LIVE with special guests Our Lady Peace
The ALT-imate Tour The Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater|
Wantagh, NY
August 29, 2019
On Thursday, August 29th Bush and LIVE along with opening act Our Lady Peace celebrated the 25th anniversary of their breakthrough albums (Bush’s Sixteen Stone and Live’s Throwing Copper) when The Alt-imate Tour made a stop at The Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater. The three bands’ performances were electrifying. The crowd was elated as each band performed powerful sets that turned back the clocks to the ‘90s and transported the fans back in time.
The evening began with a dose of Canadian Alt-Rock as Our Lady Peace took the stage. The band rocked and was clearly having a good time as it delivered a stellar and strong but unfortunately short seven-song set featuring its best loved tunes: “Innocent,” “Superman’s Dead,” “Clumsy” and the set-closer “Starseed” as well as “Drop Me In The Water,” and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs cover “Maps.”
On this evening, Bush was considered the headliner and LIVE took the stage following Our Lady Peace. The multi-platinum band from PA (Ed Kowalczyk on vocals and guitar, Chad Taylor on guitar, Patrick Dahlheimer on bass and Chad Gracey on drums) has sold over 22 million albums across the globe—two of which (Throwing Copper and Secret Samadhi) went to number 1. Clearly this is not an opening band.
When LIVE along with their touring musicians took the stage and launched into one of its greatest tunes, “All Over You” the fans rose to their feet and sang along. The evening’s set touched on all facets of the band’s career while adding a few well chosen covers (R.E.M.’s powerful yet poppy “Losing My Religion” and a stellar version of the Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black”). During both covers, the audience members joined the band singing along while dancing in the aisles. Other highlights of the rockin’ set included: “Selling The Drama,” “Shit Towne,” “The Dolphin’s Cry” and “I Alone.” Kowalczyk was all over the stage commanding it as only a seasoned frontman can. The set ended with a quartet of the band’s “classic” tunes: “White Discussion.” “Heaven” (featuring Kowalczyk solo on acoustic guitar), “Turn My Head” (with Kowalczyk solo on acoustic guitar and Taylor chiming in at the end on electric guitar) and the finale “Lightning Crashes” (from Throwing Copper and what is widely considered the band’s biggest hit). LIVE proved that even after 25 years, it was still a rockin’ band with a lot to offer.
After a short intermission, the members of Bush along with lead singer/guitarist Gavin Rossdale appeared and kicked off its set with “Machinehead.” Rossdale and his cohorts delivered a steady stream of some of the band’s biggest hits, including “Everything Zen,” “Body,” “The Disease of the Dancing Cats,” “Bullet Holes” and an amazing version of “Little Things” (during which Rossdale went into the crowd and visited each level of the arena while never missing a note and finishing the tune singing from the upper deck). This was another instance in which Rossdale proved that he is a consummate showman and an extraordinary frontman. He ran through the crowd pausing for hi-fives and to take selfies with fans providing the faithful with their own one-of-a-kind personal meet-and-greet photo opportunity. The singer has an innate, inborn, intrinsic, instinctive and natural ability to grab the audience’s attention and hold on until both he and the crowd are exhausted. As Rossdale toured the arena, the audience members rose to their feet and stayed there throughout the remainder of the performance while singing along to dancing to “Glycerine” and a classic version of the evening’s final song, “Comedown.”
Bush can clearly still bring it, delivering a high-energy performance that treats its diehard fans as well as new followers to a rock spectacle that has to be seen to be believed. The normally jaded New York audience was enraptured by Rossdale’s magnetic personality and his musicianship.
The three bands delivered a rock show that while short on time was long on amazing times. If there was any justice, each band would have been allowed to deliver full 20-song sets. The audience members and the band members would have most likely been drained and in need of a transfusion at the end, but what a show that would have been. As it was, the fans in attendance were treated to an amazing and fantastic alternative rock extravaganza.
Photos by Christine Connallon
OUR LADY PEACE:
LIVE:
BUSH:
