I was at the Chicago show with PP regulars Jeremy and Sarah Hallum. I am bummed that there were so many other forum regulars there that I did not get to meet.
I will say that while RS1 and 2 have not really grabbed my attention (I like RS2 better, though), hearing those songs live - like To the Shoreline - elevated them to a higher level for me than the CDs alone.
Daniel came out strong, but as the show went on, it was clear he was barely on his feet - I was worried about the guy! But he stuck it out, and that "house lights on and no sound" encore was quite a moment. He has my respect now and ever more.
(Side note on illness - Paul Kilkenny, the drummer for Mindwarp Chamber, posted on Facebook the next day that he thinks he caught a cold from the changing weather. I hope he didn't catch something from being backstage at the show!)
Bryan, I wish you had time to come out and mingle, but you were clearly busy helping with stage & tech stuff. You're one of the people I feel I know from this forum, but who I've never actually met.
Ken
Here's what I'll say about PoS live:
EVERYONE in my band likes them after seeing their first show. But not too many of us liked their studio work. Example: No Way. We listen to the studio version - the old-school 70's feel and production sound - and think, "This stuff sounds kinda wimpy." Then they play it live, with TRUCK LOADS more energy power and emotion!
So you may not like their recent albums. But you will LOVE how they translate to the stage. So much more worth it. I can now APPRECIATE their albums because I seen them perform those songs live. Kinda backwards, I know, but that's how it happened! No other way to explain it, really.
And yes, sorry Ken, I didn't even get a chance to be at the merch table to sign autographs for most of this tour. That Chicago show, we were running behind so much with tech problems (like Pete's keyboard rig sending out MASSIVE 60-cycle hum, which never happened on any of the other stages before that show) that Scott had to bring backstage a fistful of albums so I could sign them. Just too busy.
Hell, I'm just happy to come out of Chicago alive, after fucking around with those HELLA-UNSAFE power quad-boxes that were the reason PoS's first song got botched. Daniel's pedalboard died when the power plug wiggled juuuuuuust enough in that quad-box to disconnect it. Lesson learned: make some quad-boxes with really long cables, so we NEVER have to rely on the house's power supplies.
Hell... should be in the tour contract. If your stage quad-boxes are the cause of electrical problems during the show, I KEEEL YOU!!!!
Oh well. Ken, we'll have to share a beer in Hotlanta!