Extreme

Fox Theater, Ledyard, CT
July 2nd, 2006

For those waiting patiently for an Extreme reunion, the band finally relented for a trio of East Coast gigs, all circulating in and around their hometown of Boston. Night number three found them in Eastern Connecticut’s Foxwoods Casino. Like they never left, the band was in surprisingly fine form; Gary proving he is the epitome of a timeless front man, with Nuno filling the role of guitar god resurrected. It was a glorious evening to behold. Fans; some who traveled from across the globe, got to again witness the high-energy band they fell in love with so long ago.

With the original line–up intact, the boys proceeded to tear through a career-spanning 135 minute set, touching on all four studio albums and making sure to play all the hits (“More Than Words”, “Decadence Dance”, “Hole Hearted”) as well as a generous helping of fan favorites (“It’s A Monster”, “Play With Me”). Even Mike Mangini (their second drummer from the “Waiting For The Punchline” CD) was invited along for the ride, being brought up for a pair of tunes (yet surprisingly, not the ones he originally played on??). A nice touch anyway, and one I’m sure some fans appreciated.

From the opening montage of early tour footage shown overhead to the ringing feedback of the final chords, it was obvious the band has an undeniable chemistry with each other. Gary danced, posed, and sang his ass off, exactly how I remember seeing him 20 years ago. He seems to be in as good a shape as ever; never tiring, even running through the audience like a man half his age. This band is truly his element, his last 10 years of career choices never as satisfying. His voice sounded as good as you remembered, there was no struggling or having to compensate for anything difficult. All the while, Nuno’s world class shredding left his army of followers captivated, devouring every note that they’ve waited so long to hear. A Nuno appearance is a rare thing these days, and all the guitarists in the house weren’t about to miss a second of it.

It was obvious from the audience that both the band and the crowd were having a great time. The intimacy and energy of the small venue atmosphere made for a memorable experience for all involved. An evening of smiles and jokes and camaraderie, it would truly be a shame for this not to continue. As Nuno quipped from the stage, “Extreme’s schedule is 3 days on and 20 years off.” Hopefully, someone can convince him otherwise.

Official Extreme website: http://www.cherone.com