it was pretty obvious that joe was very sick that night, and i was really impressed by how much energy he put into playing and jumping around the stage like he always does. this is probably my 7th show, and i've never heard the band sound so good. but most of all, the setlist was SO good. it was better than anything i could have come up with! moroccan sunset, strange, bamboo, searching, sleepwalk, lords of karma and war. huge hits! my favorite part of the show was watching the band jam--not playing what was on the records. it is always really enjoyable to see musicians you love improvise--you can see their musical brilliance at work. i am not sure what the reviewer before me heard, but the mix was quite excellent. i could hear each band member really clearly, and jeff's set sounded fantastic. i like the new paiste cymbals--he must have dropped the zildjians for some reason. the snare sounded fantastic as well. the auxiliary snare on morroccan was awesome. i was hoping for a drum and bass solo like last tour, but no big deal. once again props to joe for playing while sick--it was probably this show and the one after where he worked so hard that it suppressed his system and caused him to get pneumonia--i just really hope he can make a full recovery, because i don't think any one of us wants joe to be compromised in the future. just take it slow and gain all your energy back before you hit the road again!

-marsh

Joe, you sweet, sweet man....what an awesome show you did despite your illness..and on top of that to still do the meet and greet for us platinum folks...you went above and beyond what most people would do. I don't know how you managed, but you have something deep inside that's very special and rare.

We were right up front and the mix wasn't as good as it would have been had we been farther back, but to see Joe and the guys that close is so worth it. Joe could have rushed through the songs to get the night over with, but instead he did some incredible improvs. Out of everything my son and I have seen or heard, between live concerts and DVD's, this was the best (until the show on the 27th!). It's hard to understand how someone with such massive talent can get any better or top what they've already done, but Joe does it again and again with style, grace, finesse...and makes it look so "easy"!!

The platinum tickets were awesome.. not only did we get the backstage tour and photos in front of Jeff's drums (I think Jeff is in our picture..thanks Jeff!!) we got to hang out for sound check which was way cool. John Iverson was our "tour guide" and said that it's pretty rare to be part of the sound check, so thanks very much for that! And John, thanks for all you did to take care of us and see we had a good experience..you are terrific!! Meeting Joe is an experience that is hard to put into words...on stage he seems to be a monster, about "10 feet" tall and so impressive, but very personable. You worry about what to say and how to act when you meet him....we got pretty nervous! Once he's off stage and you meet and talk with him a bit, you realize just how wonderful a person he really is, so calm, truly appreciative of his fans, humble and about 100 feet tall in my eyes! And he should have been heading home to bed to rest since he was so ill instead of spending time with us, but that seems to be the kind of person Joe is, very caring.

The set list was great, a mix of older and new stuff..the only thing better would be a concert of every single song Joe has ever done, mixed with improvs..that would be hours of pure bliss!

Jeff, you are waaaay cool and such an awesome drummer. We got to shake hands outside the venue before the show (yeah, one of the left-handed shakers!!) and every time I looked at you during the show it was easy to see you were really enjoying yourself!

Matt, you are such a funny guy, and so personable! You crack me up! I love that you interact as you do with the fans, makes for an even better night. Your playing is awesome...and you sure look like you're having fun up there! (Duh, you guys have one of the best jobs in the whole world!!)

Galen, an awesome player as well, just a little more reserved which is part of your charm! Not to make you blush, but you are quite the cutie!! You and Matt seem to really enjoy your friendship and time together on stage, which is so great to see! Really enjoyed seeing and hearing you play!

The tech crew keeps very busy taking care of the equipment and they do a phenomenal job...thanks guys for all you do to make things run as smoothly as possible.

So, Joe, Jeff, Matt, Galen, awesome performance...you guys get better and better the longer you play together, if that's even possible. Thanks for a great night, looking forward to many more! If I could give a higher rank than 10, I would!