My buddy was meticulous in planning. He bought the tickets six months in advance. We were front and center for the show thanks to his hard work. A car length from the legend himself. I could see the mastery of his guitar work throughout the night.
We also were lucky enough to get VIP tickets. Not only was I going to the concert, I was going to meet one of my childhood heroes from Genesis. As the concert neared, I realized something special was brewing. This was the last concert in North America. There was a philharmonic orchestra which in the past brought many magical memories. And, the band seemed really excited about this show. A few weeks before the show, social media posts hinted it was going to be epic. One member called it, "The Big One."
This concert was "The Big One." It has taken me a week to even write about my experience. This was not like the previous performances on this tour. Steve and his band revisited Genesis thoroughly. He only played 3 solo songs. The audience was treated to many songs from the past. The orchestra, like the fans were truly involved in this magical night. Supper's Ready was incredible. We were treated to the Musical Box and Afterglow plus many more favorites from the is time period.
Nad was an amazing vocalist. His range live was much better than anything I had heard on YouTube. He can sing Peter and Phil's contributions to the band, which is no easy task. Gary O'Toole was an amazing drummer, and to hear him sing Blood On The Rooftops, which was never performed live would give anyone goosebumps The song was one of the greatest songs ever written by Genesis in Steve's opinion, and I could not agree more. Hauntingly good!
Nick Beggs is a great bassist. He covers the Rutherford contributions with great class. Rob Townsend plays the Gabriel era sound with haunting control of the flute and percussion. He also plays the sax in some songs which I truly liked. The keyboards were played by Roger King and represented the Banks era of music with strong solos that only Genesis fans could expect.The highlight of the night however was Steve Hackett. He, like the other members of Genesis is in a league of his own. His presence is all about the music. There was very little talking between songs which is different from Phil and Peter. He rolls with the music. You will see a grin or smile of enjoyment with each song. He loves the music and truly educates the audience how many of the signature pieces we may have thought were Tony's contributions were truly his. The sounds he makes on his guitar is truly unique and great to witness. It captivates the audience. All you hear is the history of Genesis. The audience quickly becomes polite and applauds only during breaks in the music, often to standing ovations.
Meeting Steve Hackett after the show allowed me to get to know the person. Humble and kind, Steve is all about Genesis. His solo career and albums are amazing, however he shared with us that Genesis has special meaning to him. He cherishes the time from 71-77. What surprised me the most is he gushes over Wind and Wuthering as the best album of the entire catalog. His take is that this album was the best marriage between classical and rock music that was ever produced. He felt it was their greatest work, and I agree with his assessment.
That night in Buffalo is one of those special nights that Genesis fans will talk about for years. The response on Social Media was so strong after the performance. All of the fan forums were a buzz with excitement. I felt lucky to be part of this special night. If Steve comes back next year for another performance, I am sure the show will be sold out quickly. The love if Genesis with the backing of a full orchestra makes for an epic night. This is the magic of Genesis. I am so thankful that Steve honors this era of Genesis.
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