It only got two stars

[jjmannford]

because it did not have subtitles...... Oh sorry you want a review of the Nearfest apperance



Awesome show!

Setlist was
(dont quote the order, I know I screwed that up, and Doug already told us, so what the hell good am I)

At Death's Door
Paint the Picture
Under the Sun
Under Fire (New One - Awesome)
My Enemy
Prognosis (New Instrumental - Heavy)
Broken
Seeds of Hate (New - Don't remember too much about it, but like always it takes a few listens to let it sink in with Enchant music)
Follow the Sun (Balladesque with a great sweeping gtr solo)
Enchanted
Below Zero (KICKED MAJOR ARSE)

They had some sound problems like every other band at NEARFEST. Ted vocals, and Sean's drums were a little low in the mix but not too bad and Ed's bass pedals were
toast. Everyone was pretty much on top of their game, but they are all maestros so you wouldnt expect anything less. Sean fits into Paul's shoes nicely, and adds perhaps more with an emphasis on the rock groove (Nothing against Paul b/c he is great too). And Mark gets the medal of honor for learning the key parts on short notice, and making the great show possible. Cant forget that Ted's presong banter was pretty funny, but some of the crowd are just too damn serious to freakin laugh!!!

Enchant probably did not fit the profile of a typical Nearfest band, so some people left during the performance, but the fans that stayed really praised their performance. A lot of people who were clueless about the band beforehand were "Enchanted" (excuse the pun) and are now converts. Unfortunately Enchant could not capitalize on this which I will get to later. I had a seat in the back, and some Progsnob 8o behind me kept bitching about Enchant's music not having
a mellotron sound or one of the 50 other criteria for him to like a band , so I bolted to the front in an empty seat right near Doug THE GTR GOD.

Once the show ended, the guys were gracious enough to take pictures and sign their John Hancocks to CDs, posters, and a cardboard box. I alluded before that they could have cashed in b/c of the excellent show, but one small problem occurred. Oh nothing, just Blink and the
Blueprint remastered got stopped in customs in Tenneessee. Not a big deal, just about 500 or so sales of the new discs while the coals were still hot. Charlie Brown said it best "UUUUGGGGHHH"

Thats about it. I shared some dinner and beers with the guys. Laughs about LURDs (definition - the friend of John Cusack and Anthony Michael Hall in 16 candles), Special Waitors, and especially Non-Self Cleaning Items. I also got to be a roadie for an hour, but after I hit Doug's $3000 gtr (in the case thankful) on the hotel door, I think sitting at work, forgetting to read the memo on the cover letters, and doing absolutely nothing that resembles real work is my calling.

Cheers and plenty of beers
Jim

 

[lenroberto]

Jim-

Thanks for taking the time to write a review- much
appreciated. Wish I could have made it there but praying for an East Coast appearance someday soon.

Sucks about the new CD- wish there was a way to order one of those 500 copies! I am going to call my local store and ask them to make damn sure there is a copy in the store on July 23rd for me!

Len

 

[Jared]

Well, I'm incredibly jealous that you got to see Enchant live, regardless of technical problems or dumbass customs problems.

And, you got to hear some of Blink... which rules!

Maybe someday they'll come up to Toronto for a concert...

...maybe with native Torontonians, Rush?

 

[JavieRx]

sorry to hear they as well as the other bands had sound problems, i agree with you that Enchant compared to the other bands who played at nearfest are way too different, most of the bands who played there were somewhat seasoned like steve nektar, caravan, miriodor and isildurs bane who cater to fans of 70's - style symphonic prog, don't know about the other bands also on hand, but despite the fact that echolyn is still somewhat a young band debuting around 95' or so, their style of music is no different...instead, Enchant would fit in nicely if they played a festival with bands such as King's X, Tiles, Fates, Dream Theater, Geddy Lee's band and geoff tate's band who are currently touring...

 

[Douglas A Ott]

It's Lurp by the way, not Lurd. But your definition was pretty good. The real definition is: a lurking nerd. 8o

I was just glad to be able to play...anywhere! It had been 4 years since our last gig and I'd say we were operating at about 75%. Not getting a sound check due to technical problems with the bass rig and bass pedals didn't help matters. But we overcame and did our best.

I didn't know this at the time and I we were pretty bummed out, to find out later, that one of the reasons the hall was at less than capacity was that Nektar were in the lobby having a meet and greet during our performance. Not the greatest timing I'd say!
It wasn't their fault, they started at 2 PM and it ran into overtime. But, just our luck, eh?

Thanks to all who came and gave us the time of day! Although we are not the artsy or symphonic style that I think a lot of people came to see, we appreciated those who gave our music a chance.

We'd especially would like to thank Rob and Chad, who run Nearfest, for giving us the opportunity and where with all, to play the show...we will never forget the experience and the many friendly faces we met during the weekend. You guys rule!!

We have been talking about doing a live chat with the band and wanted to know if there would actually be any interest from the fans? A chance to ask any questions that might be on your mind. Let us know and we might schedule something this month.

Talk with you all later,


Doug

 

[lenroberto]

Doug-

I'll chime in and say I would love to participate in a live chat with you guys. Perhaps it would be best to have all those interested submit some questions beforehand so you can have soome idea of what's coming and to gauge the volume you can expect. Just a thought...

I'm in- just tell me when...

Len

 

[Sean Flanegan]

Hello all!

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who came to check out the show, and for those who were there in spirit! We had a great time the whole weekend, but for me, the highlight was being able to meet everyone after the show. It was so great to be able to see everyone, and chat about music and the band. Wanted to also thank everyone for being so supportive of my situation, being the new guy and all. I was a little anxious for the 'first gig', but you made me feel like I was a lifetime member

I also want to mention how lucky we were to have Mark Blasquez with us. Not only did he learn the set list in about 3 weeks, but he is a class act, and a riot!! thanx Mark

We do apologize for not having 'Blink' and the BPotW remaster. Darn shipping problems... But we had posters!! New artwork is pretty cool!

Great to meet you Jim (fun at the bar, Doug is hilarious, huh..) We will see you soon...

Thanks Rob and Chad for putting on such a great event, we were honored to be there.

Sean

 

[NoRehearsal]

Hello everybody. Let me apologize in advance, as this will probably be a long post. Everybody's comments here who were at Nearfest are right on the money. I've got a few things I need to say too.

First, Enchant's performance was excellent in spite of sound problems which all bands except Steve Hackett had. The vocals were great (always the first thing I notice because so many singers can't do it live). It was unfortunate that some of the lower-key notes were hard to hear because of the mix, but the higher ones were very clear and Ted hit every one perfectly. The band was extremely tight, and I loved the show. The talent of every member was even more obvious than on albums. And the new songs were excellent - can't wait to buy Blink of an Eye. I bought the J9orD10 digipack just to give some support even though i already have the original (it was worth it for the great liner notes). Second, it was great talking to the guys from Enchant. I've never seen a band where every member is so down-to-earth and just cool people (and thanks again for the shirt Ed!). Even if the seats were not full, it was obvious that Enchant gained alot of new fans from the people coming up after the set.

I do not like to talk negatively about specific bands, so I hope this doesn't sound too bad, but who is Nektar? I am in my late 30's and never heard of them, but they were treated like it was a reunion of Pink Floyd, Genesis or Kansas (oh, guess they're still together- why arent they playing Nearfest?). They were tight, especially for a band that hadn't played together in 20 years, but their music to me was very cliche with long 60's type psychadelic instrumental passages. They were signing stuff during Enchant's show, and I thought this was very inappropriate. Somebody should have stopped it while Enchant was playing. All the members of Enchant showed total class during this whole situation.

Finally, I hope shows like this will become more balanced in the future. Nearfest focused on bands that perform mostly abstract instrumentals with not much (or any) melody. While I can appreciate that there are people who like this music, there are many other more melodic bands whose music could also be considered "art rock", and many fans who appreciate them. I was relieved when Enchant finally came on and played some songs with melodies and vocals. Steve Hackett was another high point for me.. he was great, and had a very talented band with him. Great song selection as well. I also enjoyed Echolyn's set.

Hope I didn't do too much venting. Just alot of music I like is considered not commercial enough, and now I've gone to a show where it's not progressive enough. Maybe we need a "Good Original Music Fest".

 

[JavieRx]

that would be awesome doug

 

[Mike Davies]

Just wanted to add my appreciation for Enchant's performance at the festival. I was over from England with a friend for a holiday & attending NEARfest.

I only discovered Enchant fairly recently & didn't have all of the albums, so it was good to hear stuff from all of them. Also thanks to Doug for the chat afterwards & to him, Ted & Ed for signing the copy of A Blueprint of the World that I bought.

Neither of us are typical prog fans as such & we both found some of the bands' music a bit difficult to get into. Enchant were definitely a bit of a relief on the Sunday after 2 such bands. I think there was some reasonable variation in styles of music between the bands, but there is a tendency for NEARfest not to go for the more melodic song-based type of prog bands. I also enjoyed Echolyn, Caravan and Steve Hackett & quite liked La Torre dell' Alchimista.

I'm 40 and I had never heard of Nektar either, even though they are also English, and was surprised with the welcome they got as returning heroes. Pretty much agree with your comments about them - tight & powerful, but oh so dated!

Have you guys ever played in England? Are you likely to in future? I'd definitely go & see you.

 

[MrAnnieHaslam]

hi..I have alot to say..and I have coming photos soon which I'll try and post a link once I have them online.

1st I just want to say how much of a thrill it was to chat and meet the guys for over an hour. being a longtime fan..I had gone to NF the past 2 yrs and enjoyed it alot..but this yr I was thinking of not going due to $ and few other reasons but when Enchant got announced..I couldn't pass the chance up..

I thought their set was very good..a few songs her or there might have been cool to add but with time constrainst and new material as well as the lineup changes it was understandable (I still would have loved for "Lizard" to have come in unexpectedly when Ted asked the crowd and i yelled it out when asking for 1 song off Break..hehe)

I thought Mark did great aside from 1 or 2 minor sound issues..and then learning he's a guitarist in a different band 1st and foremost it was incredible for him to fill in for them. And he was a really cool guy to meet afterwards.

The cd thing may have been the only part that hurt alot..maybe b/c it would have been great to have it signed and also have it available to play a song or 2 on myu next radio show on the 19th (although Kansas is playing a free concert in town in Minneapolis..like my friend did for Vanilla Fudge last night who did a free concert also, I may try and have them come to the station afterwards to do discussion on air at midnight since its the same day as my next show..but I'd bet I'd still beable to squeeze in a song or 2 from BOAE anyway )

I want to thank all the guys for letting me record radio IDS for my show, and doing some discussion on the tape about the band and music. Sean was totally cool..he even pointed out the Zero Hour connection to me?..anychance you might be checking out ProgPower in Atlanta in Nov?..Pain Of Salvation is playing there as well btw...

I hope alot of people have caought onto to you guys from the NF show..alot of the reviews have been mixed from other discussion groups...a few very postive...some luke warm..some say the beginning of the set was kinda slow but by the end thye were very pleased/impressed..some said it was not their cup of tea..others gave an 80's Kansas comparison..o well...can't win them all..but hopefully winning some if maybe alot helped..and as far as live shows..I think ted mentioned touring maybe..with another InsideOut band..maybe Matsermind..that would be a hell of a show if it happened..I would travel again to see u guys..esp Milwaukee or Chicago if no MN show could happen..and do my best to promote the show on KFAI (hopefully more than once a month soon) and through email lists (I'm networking as i mentioned on the cd I gave Doug).

I thought chatting with Ed was neat..didn't know he was into alot of fusion and all the other kind stuff he listens too..too bad we never took antoher photo with him b/c he was downstairs having a beer.

Doug and Ted were both really cool too..they even signed the tribute cds i had..I really liked the story Doug told me about Mettle Man at Benignus house with the video (I need to rent that now!..hehe)..I think I will play that on my radio sometime in the next few months with Mettle Man the song.

well all in all it was an incredible exp seeing you guys play live..the new material sounds great..Ed is right how you guys are getting better, more diverse, and less restrictive to the "prog" sound..more and more..can't wait to hear BOAE (any chance I could send you a check early Doug to get a copy for my show on the 19th?)

NF was overall very good..I enjoyed Gerard, Miriodor, and Echolyn most..Hackett was great too..a bit more crowded than I would hope but i knew that going in. I hope Rob and HCad consider booking 1 or 2 more heavier prog acts in the future with Enchant's success. Maybe Xen???..never know

were the band at Joe's on sat night for Mastermind?..heard they were but when I got there with 5 min left I didn't see them..someone said they were..too bad I missed them if they were..it was neat to meet Matsermind after that show though.

What did the Enchant guys think of some of the other bands at NF?..Hackett?..just curious

thanx again will post pic links ocne they come in soon

Kyle

 

[Marcel]

I would very much appreciate a live chat with one of you guys from the band. I'm developing a new Prog website in Brazil and certainly we have a LOT to ask.

About the show, I want to ask something right now : As you may know, you guys have a number of international fans that unfortunately will never be able to see a live performance from Enchant. What we really want to know is if there is any chance that you will release some live album someday....

 

[Sean Flanegan]

Some more thoughts on the fest....and response to some questions...

Mike Davies, NoRehearsal (you were in the Kings X shirt right?), and Kyle,

THanks all for the kind words about the set, we had a great time!!

In regards to the other acts at Nearfest, I only got to see bits and pieces of most performances, because we were dealing with our gear backstage, interviews, and so on. However, I did catch the beginning of...

Echolyn (Really cool, I have the 'As the World' album) and was excitied that they opened with a song I was familiar with...

Missed Miriodor, Ilslidurs Bane, Caravan, and L'Torre de Alchamista(sp?).

Nektar was great. Wasn't familiar with there music, but got a cool vibe from them. What I saw reminded me of Moody Blue's, Floyd, Yes era. Great sound.

Checked out some Spaced Out... Crazy tight instrumental fusion. Awesome guitarist and bass player, and the drummer was really dynamic, cool ghost notes all over the place.

Checked out some Girard as well... also very tight. Reminded me of a darker, instrumental version of UK. The drummer was great, and reminded me of Bozzio (2 china cymbals up front for double kick fills). They were great guys as well, very kind. We road with them back to the airport on Monday morning, as well as some of the Caravan guys.

I REALLY enjoyed Hackett though. As a long time Genesis nut, hearing Hackett play some of those old tunes instrumental sections was great(Watcher of the skys, Firth of Fifth, Some sections of the Lamb). I am also a big fan of his 'Guitar Noir' album and was hoping for 'Little America' . I was in and out of the venue during his set, taking care of stuff, so I may have missed it.

Kyle, in regards to Prog Power, we are hoping to at least make a presence there, with a booth or something. I would love to see those bands and hang with Troy, Jasun, and Mikey (Zero Hour). I actually just saw them yesterday to catch up. They are doing great and looking forward to Prog Power.

talk soon...

sean

 

[towersofavarice]

if you guys go to Progpower . I should be there to, so it should rule. And, yes, being DJ Zerohour, I can't wait to see Zero Hour and listen to a couple new songs they are supposed to play . Anyways, Nearfest sounded great, but too bad I couldn't make it. Good post Sean .


www.seismicradio.com

 

[Ed Platt]

Well I just want to say thanks as well to all of you who attended and where just so incredibly cool! And to all that were there is spirit as well!

There has been some great stuff posted on this Chain that Jim started. The feedback has been amazing and so are all of you! the best? It was not the easiest gig, and not without some bumps in the road for sure!

However when we walked off the stage and met everyone in the hallway that was the highpoint! We were all really happy to meet everyone! That was incredible! That made us feel really good!

So there is quite a bit here to respond too for now thanks so much to all of you for being so supportive and making this so worth it!

Ed