This show was a very special evening, and one could tell this from the moment Alan Parsons walked out and introduced the evening’s special guest, David Pack, one time leader of Ambrosia. Rarely appearing live, I saw him in an almost secret performance with Ambrosia last year. Amazing as that show was, the supposed Ambrosia reunion declared that night never came to pass; lucky for us David Pack still feels like singing some of his old tunes. With a surprise opener of The Who’s “Pinball Wizard,” he and percussionist Mario Monaco had the crowd singing along immediately. David, alternating on keyboards and guitar, proved himself to be more than the amazing vocalist we all know him as on songs such as “You’re The Biggest Part of Me,” and “Holding On To Yesterday,” true classics that stand the test of time. A new tune from his upcoming January release, “Don’t Jump,” had a flamenco-ish flair with an amazing, powerful lead guitar lick to boot. Something to look forward too, and an amazing surprise to get the evening’s festivities under way.

The Alan Parsons Project, now a slick tight unit of five, played over two hours of solid rock and roll, with the infamous Parsons ethereal twist thrown in. Their two unbelievable sets spanned Parsons’ long career (he started as an engineer, having worked on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon, as well as Ambrosia’s first disc), and covered a wide variety of material. With tunes from virtually every Project album, Parsons and Co. managed to keep a smile on everyone’s face. If you happened to be unfamiliar with a particular song, wait a minute, they’d be coming up with a recognizable one momentarily. Hits like “Stereotomy” and “Games People Play” were speckled with a good portion of his new album, The Time Machine, finally out on Miramar Records domestically.

Highlights included a few tracks from what many consider to be their best work, Tales of Mystery and Imagination. “To One In Paradise” and “The System of Dr. Tarr & Professor Feather” were as amazing live as one could possibly hope for; “Paradise” being sweet and subtle, while “Dr. Tarr” almost blew the roof off the joint! The appearance of David Pack, not on any of the tracks from ...Imagination that he originally sang on, but on “Games People Play,” was an extra added bonus to an already wonderful evening of music. It’s too bad David didn’t know all the words and had to sing from a cheat sheet.

Amazing guitar work, quirky keyboards (by a very young and very orange-headed, funny gentleman), and tight percussion made this unit a band to be reckoned with. They performed an extreme array of styles with gusto and the experience that only comes from playing together live. Parson’s own keyboards were delicate and intricate, often taking second stage to the other members of the band. However you define it, Alan Parsons runs one tight ship, and this fine show was evidence of that.
Alan Parsons Project

Irving Plaza

(New York, NY)

review and photosbyj bloomrosen
David Pack