Full image gallery @ http://thescenestar.typepad.com/photography/thom-yorke.html
During the Amnesiac tour Radiohead were well into their transitional period of being acknowledged as an "art rock" band (whatever that means). Almost ten years later, they continue to keep the momentum in a constant stride that somehow manages to retain an original quality to their sound. Much of that magic can be attributed to the nucleus of the band, Thom Yorke an all around well composed and diverse musician. The rest of Radiohead have blatantly admitted in the past that Thom could easily go off on his own, to be a one-man band.
Not a single seat empty at the Orpheum Theater on a surprisingly cold Sunday night in downtown L.A. Upon stage entry, Thom and company were greeted with a roaring standing ovation to which he gladly accepted before retreating to the piano for the first song "The Eraser". In this rare chemistry setup, his accomplices on stage included- Red Hot Chili Peppers favorite Flea on bass, Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M.) on drums, Mauro Refosco (David Byrne, Bebel Gilberto) on percussion, Radiohead/Yorke/Air producer Nigel Godrich on guitar/synths/laptop/backing vocals.
The set closed out with new album tracks "The Hollow Earth" and "Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses" which unleashed a percussion assault on the bright eyed Orpheum audience. Needless to say the night delivered an unforgettable promise that can still heard for days to come.
In the back of my mind I couldn't help but compare and contrast Thom vs. Radiohead, but I realized they are apples and oranges and need to be observed in their own separate spheres for both of their great qualities. On the ride home my brother randomly yelled out "that show was better than Radiohaead!" lol!
Before and during the gig, the butterflies were overly abundant while shooting. Given the nature of this unique event I couldn't help but over analyze the added pressure. Buy hey! I think it went rather well over all...
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