News, Sports, Jobs, Community Information - The Express

The Soundtrack to My Life

POSTED:Wed, September 3, 2008 @ 9:20PM

Print | Email | Read comments | Post a comment

Hybrid Ice Rocks Floating Stage

Blog Links

» Hybrid Ice Official Website » Hybrid Ice on MySpace

Hybrid Ice exploded on the floating stage Monday night, closing the Labor Day Regatta with a bang of rock and roll. The band ripped through their thirty-five-song set list, covering old classics and fan favorites with the energy of a freight train—which quickly spread through the over-flowing crowd in the stands and boats.

Behind the band, the back-drop of pontoon boats, speed boats, canoes and kayaks, coupled with clear blue skies and lush green mountains, created a unique ambience found only in the amphitheater for the floating stage—officially closing the summer with the last bash of the season.

The band started the set with “On We Go,” “Never Comin’ Back,” “Looking Glass,” and “Scars On My Heart,” all tunes from their 1982 self-titled debut record and 1988 release No Rules, enticing those who were fans from long ago to take a listen and think back to a time gone by.

“Never Been Any Reason,” a Head East cover, quickly got both the audience and the band charged as fans began to dance in front of the stage and from their seats. During the chorus, keyboardist Robert Richardson tapped his red chucks, and grinned at his band mates, as they all sang, “Bring a good feeling / Ain’t had in such a long time.”

Jeff Willoughby gave his all for a Jethro Tull tune, “Locomotive Breath,” taking the stance of a line-backer as he sang with the same power and energy he conjured over twenty-five years ago. He whipped a flute out from behind a speaker, pointed it at the boaters, twirled it like a baton, playfully shot it like a gun, and finally gave it his breath—seducing his audience with his magical instrument and bringing the song to its peak as the enthusiastic throng cheered for more.

The boys then launched into a six-song Styx medley, each song flowing into the next. Rusty Foulke took the lead on “Crystal Ball” with his acoustic twelve-string enriching the song and segueing into the crowd-favorite power ballad, “Lady.” This time around, Chris Alburger took the lead in his own unique falsetto, hitting every note perfectly.

“Renegade” was a stand-out among the medley, as Rick Klinger joined Richardson, Alburger, and Foulke to create a perfect four-part harmony, singing the familiar, “Oh Mama I’m in fear of my life from the long arm of the law…” building the song to a potent crescendo of vocals and instrumentals, creating a resonant sound throughout the stadium.

Richardson left his keyboard for the drums, allowing Klinger to step out to channel his best Bon Scott, singing lead on “Sin City.” After the first verse and chorus, he encouraged the audience to “stand up and do this,” as he launched into a tap dance across the wooden stage, exclaiming, “I feel better now!” During the second verse, Klinger’s voice echoed through the mountains as he sang, “Rich man / Poor man / Beggar Man / Thief / Ain’t got a hope in Hell / That’s my belief.”

The camaraderie between all band members was evident as they joked with one another between songs, entertaining the audience with banter over fake birthdays, false starts (“Do you need a guitar pick to sing?”) and a group meeting over “lottery tickets.”

During their rendition of Boston’s “Long Time,” the party-goers on the army of boats pulled out multiple colored water noodles and waved them to the beat of the song as the audience in the stands clapped to the beat.

Even when it wasn’t Richardson’s turn to sing lead, for example, during a cover of The Who’s “Baba O’Riley,” he could be seen mouthing the words and bopping around behind the keyboards, visibly enjoying the music. Alburger could be seen smiling behind his guitar, taking in the loving vibes of both the fans and his band-mates.

The band cut right into a seamless flow of sixteen songs as if they were one great memory of the past. They sang everything from Aerosmith to Led Zeppelin to David Bowie and Guns N’ Roses.

Before Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” Richardson took a big gulp of water, walked on the catwalk with his microphone, and spit the water out of his mouth, creating a waterfall toward the front row of fans, who in turn screamed back in reverent approval.

Throughout the evening, the band took turns singing lead. During “Good Times Bad Times,” Richardson stepped away from the keys as he sang lead, prancing back and forth on the swaying catwalk, inviting the audience to get up and move. Foulke then ripped through a mesmerizing guitar solo, and at once he and Richardson became reminiscent of the powerful duo of Page and Plant.

The only disappointment of the show was the absence of a chance to preview at least a couple of the new songs that the band has been working on in the studio.

Hybrid Ice closed the show with their best-known song, “Magdelene,” with the distinctive voice of Alburger singing lead, giving the band a chance to truly shine in their own right on stage.

As the crowd began to disperse, they were left with ringing ears and the memories of their favorite songs coming to life before them—the stage rocking in the dark water, the boom of music, and the image of a band having the time of their life putting on a one-of-a-kind rock and roll show.

Share: