Ian Anderson at the Vic Theater, Chicago
What do Gord and Ian Anderson have in common? Well, one was born in Canada, the other in Scotland. One's main instruments are the 12 and 6 string guitar, the other the 6 string and flute. Oh, and both are master singer-songwriters. I've seen Gord three times, in '76, '95 and '96, but had never had the chace to see either Ian solo or Tull till Wednesday, October 8th at the Vic Theater in Chicago. Boy what a great 2 plus hours.
Ian likes to take off on his own every now and then and visit us Yanks. The Vic is a smallish
theater, say 2500 or so. It seems Ian likes intimate venues sans the rest of the boys that make up Jethro Tull.It It fits him fine. He walked out and began with "Dun Ringill" off the Stromwatch album with just young guitar virtuoso Florian Ophale, from Germany. This kid's amazing! He has acoustically channeled Martin Barre to a "t". And Ian let him have the stage alone for a few minutes to give us a full fledged flaminco set. Ian also brought out viola virtuoso Mina Basso, a young gifted musican who just got a fellowship to Carnege Hall.
She joined in several Anderson/Tull pieces and joined Ian in a heavly Middle Eastern/Indian set of numbers from Ian's "Divinities" album. Yes, there was "Mother Goose", "Locomotive Breath", "Aqualung", but done in a new light. Slightly reworked. And it did work. What a ..night of memories, new songs, intelligent conversation, and incredible musicianship by a talented group of musicians. If Ian is coming to a city near you, by all means, go see him, if he's meant anything at all to you in the last 41 years.
Well don, Ian.
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