Concert review: An Evening with Ian Anderson at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater (with setlist)

The night was divided into two sets separated by a brief intermission. Anderson's charm and personality were the real highlight of the evening though. Each of the night's selections were preceded by lengthy spoken intros that amused and entertained the crowd. Anderson spoke in a tone similar to a overzealous seer or circus barker which added more color and enthusiasm to each story he recounted. Whether speaking of his farms in England, his wife or his love of classical music (and Bach in particular), Anderson successfully displayed his craft he's so carefully honed for the better part of four decades as a musician and performer. The evening relied heavily on Jethro Tull material with very few selections being chosen from the solo recordings Anderson has released throughout the years. Except for "In The Grip Of Stronger Stuff" and a tune that was so new, it hadn't even been titled yet, the nights setlist consisted mostly of Jethro Tull material. Some obscurities ("Up To Me", "Nursie") and some more well-known tunes ("Life's A Long Song", "Budapest") helped to balance out the evening's selections and ultimately pleased everyone in attendance from the casual fans to the die-hard ones.

Careful to surround himself with stellar musicians, Anderson is currently supported by an amazing band on this tour as a solo artist. Bassist David Goodier, Keyboardist and accordion player John O'Hara and drummer Scott Hammond were obviously hand-picked by Anderson. All three band members showed an incredible amount of expertise, versatility and sheer talent. This is not a band of slouches; I'd have to guess that these men are all classically trained and bred. Their musicianship is as unparalleled as it is jaw-dropping. And speaking of jaws dropping, lead guitarist Florian Ophale, the youngster of the band (his bio lists him as born in 1983; well after the heyday of Jethro Tull had come and gone), was the real show-stopper of the evening. The young phenom effortlessly shifted from intricate Tull tunes to a spotlight solo of flamenco style playing on acoustic guitar to a red hot electric reading of Bach's "Prelude in C Minor". Understandably, the reaction Ophale received throughout the night was deafening.

The evening ended with yet another Jethro Tull classic, "Locomotive Breath." And, again, the unlikely yet undeniable allure and magnetism of Jethro Tull, and more specifically of Ian Anderson, was more than obvious to the mostly middle-aged audience. I suppose as long as there's a demand for an enchanting, engaging, story-telling rock 'n' roll flute player, Anderson will continue to write, record and release his own brand of jazz-influenced folk rock and a willing audience will be there to cheer him on.

Set List:

Life's A Long Song

Up To Me

Nursie

In The Grip Of Stonger Stuff

Set Aside

Hare In The Wine Cup

Wond'ring Again

Adantino

Adrift and Dumbfounded

Hare That Lost His Spectacles

Bach Prelude In C Minor

-intermission-

Bouree

new song-as yet untitled

Thick As A Brick

jam/solos

A Change Of Horses

Budapest

Aqualung

encore:

Locomotive Breath