Concert held at Muskegon Summer Celebration, at Heritage Landing in Muskegon, Michigan
I've been a fan of Toto since first hearing their debut release in 1978. However, I lost touch with the band during the 1980s and 1990s. I knew they continued to release recordings, but wasn't hearing much about them. The band got much more support in Europe and overseas, so they spent most of their time outside the USA. In 2005, I started hearing about how their new release was going to be fantastic. Once released, I was reading many positive reviews. I decided it was time to "special order" the new CD, since no store was carrying it "on the shelf". While placing the order, I was told that the band was coming to the area. After hearing the amazing CD called "Falling In Between", I knew I had to catch this concert.
The Friday evening was sunny, comfortable, and the outdoor festival stage is right along Lake Michigan (great sunset viewing).
Opening the evening was classic rock icon Eddie Money. Having seen Eddie Money the prior year, I didn't expect to see much new. I wasn't surprised with the opener of "Two Tickets To Paradise", and Eddie continued the evening with a steady stream of mostly hits. The show wasn't much different than the prior year. Pretty much "working class" rock and roll, performed with energy and a fairly solid band. No complaints, but no real highlights either. At least Eddie is consistent.
After a brief intermission, Toto took the stage opening with the title track from the new CD. This is a progressive rock type tune, with the added moments of classic Toto chords structures and harmonies. The band sounded great, and appeared to be enjoying themselves. The touring band included a second guitarist/vocalist, to help cover some of the high vocal harmonies, as well as rhythm guitar. Bobby Kimball's lead vocals sounded very good, even on the older material. Steve Lukather was a master of the "tasty" guitar solo, never getting too "flashy". Toto keyboardist/songwriter David Paich no longer tours with the band, but the addition of new keyboardist Greg Phillinganes covered what was needed for the performance. Although I'm sure David's presence would have added to the evening, he wasn't noticeably missed from the live performance. There was no question that this band was definitely about the musicianship, and less about the showmanship. I noticed a portion of the crowd seemed to be leaving during the set, and I believe this was because Toto wasn't giving the "rock show" type performance that Eddie Money had. However, for those who stuck around for Toto, we were treated to an evening of music covering of 25 years of Toto. A new opening for the hit "Rosanna" offered some unique and pleasant vocal harmonies, before melting into the traditional version. "Hold The Line" sounded as powerful as it did in 1978, and "I'll Be Over You" sounded simply beautiful. Rarely will you get a chance to see this much musical and vocal talent on a single stage, all working together in a single band. Very solid.
There was very little to complain about, and I was surprised with how good a turnout the concert had. I'm hoping the band was happy with the support.
I would highly recommend catching this newly revived Toto, as they are one of the best live acts performing today. Great performance.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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