Next scene, Malibu Jack's/Hideaway in St. Catharines. More people there than at the Viper several years before.
When I went to the show, I didn't know what to expect because of the time lapse. I heard "Closet" on 97.7 Hitz FM the week before and recognized it as an old song redone. I was really excited to see what had changed and what hadn't. Well, wasn't I blown away?!. Their show was so good. If you have the CD, go see them in concert. They're better live than in the studio. Which is totally out of the norm. Most bands/groups, have to work to sound better live because they don't have the producer tweaking vocals and guitars etc, Great Beyond does not have to work at it.
From the moment Rolly Arseneau walked out on stage and picked up his bass to the very last thread of sound, I sat there dumbfounded. I couldn't believe the way their stage show had changed. The set started out with the instrumental CrackerHead. The members came on stage one at a time, first Rolly, Ted, Ange and then frontman Rick Legacy. They played for a bit then kicked into high gear with Face Down.
The entire show was kick ass. Non-stop movement throughout the set. Rolly and Ange stomped around the stage, Ted going nuts on the drums in behind and Legacy rockin' it out on the guitar.
Surprisingly, the guys were slapped onto the bill at RiverFest in Port Dalhousie. Riverfest is a show put on by 101.1 The River in Niagara Falls. Anyone that listens to 101 knows they sure as hell don't play Great Beyond. For those of you that don't know The River, they play more along the lines of Phil Collins and The BareNakedLadies.
Nonetheless, they performed. I was a little concerned, as was Legacy, about the audience. They listened to the River, that's why they were there right? Earlier on in the afternoon, there were people just milling about drinking beer and not really paying attention to the band on stage. But when Great Beyond got up there, people started moving closer, and actually listening to them. They won over the crowd, within the first song or two. It was great! One kid in particular, who can-not go unmentioned, was spazzing out (Korn like) stage front. Apparently he liked the band, and he provided great entertainment to all.
When all is said and done, Great Beyond have deffinately matured since their CrackerHead days, they now have their own, stable style, that is sure to last.
-ELC 2000-
