Review by Andrew Bansal, photos by Brad Worsham
February 22nd 2015, Saban Theatre, Beverly Hills CA: Los Angeles hard rock giants Mr. Big, arguably the world’s most talented group of musicians, have been on an unstoppable journey ever since the original members reuinted in 2009, releasing two excellent studio albums and touring the world several times over in the subsequent five-year period. Their latest full-length effort ‘The Stories We Could Tell’ was released in 2014, and as expected, the band embarked on a tour to present it on stages worldwide. Despite them still calling Los Angeles their hometown for all intents and purposes, a Mr. Big show in this city is somewhat of a rarity. But, the band announced an eagerly awaited homecoming show in Beverly Hills, to bring an end to their current touring run. For Mr. Big fans and hard rock/heavy metal enthusiasts, the Saban Theatre was where the stars had descended upon, this was the stage on which all fireworks would be lit and acknowledgement speeches would be made, on Oscar night in rainy Los Angeles.
Doors opened at 6 PM, and the all-seated venue steadily got filled as ticket holders trickled in. At 7:15, local all-intrumental trio Mammoth, winners of a battle-of-the-bands contest organized by Musicians Institute, took the stage for a 30-minute set and turned out to be the only noteworthy opening act of the evening. Mammoth impressed one and all with their exhibition of skill, playing music stylistically ranging from dreamy melodic passages to heavy, proggy segments. Los Angeles has had a rich recent history of progressive musicians and groups, and Mammoth sound like they’re poised to join the lineage. Fans of instrumental prog, keep your eyes and ears peeled for great things from this band in the years to come.
Check out mor photos of Mammoth using the slideshow below. To access their downloadable versions and/or to view them on a non-Flash device, click here:
Promptly at 9 PM, the four members of Mr. Big appeared on stage, taking position in front of a backdrop showing their logo sufficiently giant in size to befit the band’s name. For the next two hours and 15 minutes, Mr. Big clearly looked and sounded like being on a mission to deliver the finest show their fans had ever seen from the band, and everyone in attendance would perhaps agree that they succeeded in doing so. They not only presented well-selected material from the latest album, but also included a few tunes from the 2011 release ‘What If’ which remains strong in memory as a mighty fine comeback. Of course, the set had its fair share of older classics, as well as cover tunes that showcased the band’s musical influences and inspirations. It was a comprehensive representation of the band’s repertoire, and the audience loved every moment of it.
Besides the songs themselves, there were duels and solos, an important component of the live Mr. Big experience. Monster musicians Billy Sheehan on bass and Paul Gilbert on guitar indulged in a duel early in the set and both got their individual moments in the spotlight later on. Sheehan puts not just bassists but even guitarists to shame with his bass wizardry, and his style of bass play should definitely come with a ‘do not try this at home’ warning, because any other bassist attempting to imitate Sheehan would bend his or her instrument permanently out of shape and tune within merely half a song. On the other side of the stage, Paul Gilbert stands tall as possibly the only guitarist capable of matching Sheehan’s prowess. The ease with which Gilbert switches from playing million notes-per-minute solos to holding basic three-chord jams is the most incredible aspect of his musicianship and remains unparalleled. And as always, his range of facial expressions accompanied his playing last night and there were the obligatory teeth solos from him. Both Sheehan and Gilbert let their singing take foreground during the slower, mellow songs, and the strength of the vocal harmony in this band is second to none. Talking of vocals, frontman Eric Martin is certainly never one to be overshadowed, and delivered a fantastic performance, doing justice to every song in the set.
On drums, filling in for Pat Torpey who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease last year, was Matt Starr, and he did a stellar job. In the Los Angeles rock/metal community, Starr has earned a reputation of being able to play drums to literally everything, and he handled Mr. Big drum duties with effortless ease. But making a triumphant return here, amidst unending roars of delight from the fans, was Pat Torpey himself. He played drums on only a few songs but remained on stage for the majority of the set even when he wasn’t on the kit, as he played tambourines and provided yet another layer of backing vocals, lending further riches to Mr. Big’s already powerful sound. His best moment came during the encore when he sang lead vocals on a great rendition of Judas Priest’s ‘Livin After Midnight’, for which all members switched instruments, Eric Martin donning the bass, Billy Sheehan and Matt Starr on guitar, and Paul Gilbert on drums. Getting back to their respective instruments, they played two more songs, fittingly ending the set with a cover of Free’s ‘Mr. Big’, a song after which the band was named in the first place. And to perfectly coincide with the occasion, before the five members of Mr. Big said their final goodbyes, Billy Sheehan addressed the audience in a manner very much skin to that of an Oscar award acceptance speech.
With a phenomenal display of musicianship that presented to the grateful audience a smoothly flowing blend of rock and metal expertly decorated with ingredients of shred, funk, groove, glam, melody and harmony, Mr. Big have laid down the marker with what could potentially be the most spectacular performance of the year.
Check out more photos of Mr. Big using the slideshow below. To access their downloadable versions and/or to view them on a non-Flash device, click here:
Set List:
01. Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy (The Electric Drill Song)
02. Gotta Love the Ride
03. American Beauty
04. Undertow
05. Paul Gilbert-Billy Sheehan bass/guitar duel
06. Alive And Kickin’
07. I Forget to Breathe
08. Take Cover
09. Green-Tinted Sixties Mind
10. Out of the Underground
11. Paul Gilbert guitar solo
12. The Monster in Me
13. Rock & Roll Over
14. As Far as I Can See
15. Wild World (Cat Stevens cover)
16. East/West
17. Just Take My Heart
18. Fragile
19. Around the World
20. Billy Sheehan bass solo
21. Addicted to That Rush
Encore:
22. To Be With You
23. Colorado Bulldog
24. Livin’ After Midnight (Judas Priest cover, played w/ all members switching instruments)
25. The Light of Day
26. Mr. Big (Free cover)