reCAP :: Peter Frampton :: 2016.06.01
Arriving at the Capitol Theater this past Wednesday evening I felt as though I had stumbled into a class reunion. Old friends gathering together eager with anticipation to relive if just for a couple of hours how they felt back in 1976 when they first saw Peter Frampton perform one of the best selling live albums of all time; Frampton Comes Alive! Walking to find my seat Aretha Franklin’s “Rock Steady” is playing overhead, nothing better than the queen of soul to get people in the mood. Heads are bobbing, couples are dancing to and from the bar and then it happens; Frampton and his three band mates take the stage, hands are in the air and no one in the theater is sitting down as they start right into the title track “Something’s Happening”.
Peter Frampton opens his mouth and I am transported to another era, it is absolutely electrifying. He doesn’t miss a step working the entirety of the stage and engaging with the crowd, the show has only just started and people are already dancing in the aisles. Going into this concert I was curious to know what songs Frampton would be covering, given the number of musical collaborations he has had throughout the course of his career. My question is answered quickly as David Bowies “Rebel Rebel” blasts throughout the Cap. The rest of the first set includes hits like “Doobie Wah” “It’s A Plain Shame” and the very moving “Lines On My Face”. He takes a bow, I am assuming the first set is over but I am wrong… and just like that those infamous first chords of “Show Me The Way’’ are ringing all around me. I am watching Peter Frampton use his talk box on stage, and I can’t believe this is happening to me; you better believe that pun was intended. It is important to note how in sync the band is with one another, there are only four men on stage but with the sound they are producing if you close your eyes it is as if there are double the amount of musicians up there. Frampton exudes joy, it is apparent that he is happy to be playing this hit tune even after 40 years.
The show is intimate and Frampton speaks to the crowd often, telling stories about working with late friend George Harrison on the legendary All Things Must Pass album, or joking about how the Academy of Arts and Sciences engraved a typo on his Grammy Award. Frampton received that Grammy in 2007 for the album Fingerprints, Best Pop Instrumental Album. Off that album the band plays the very funky “Boot It Up” which was right up The Capitol Theatre’s alley along with a cover of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” using the talk box, but only for the chorus. There is no one that can emulate Chris Cornell’s voice but Peter Frampton’s insane guitar playing skills along with the talk box make for one hell of a hypnotizing and mind blowing performance, you don’t even miss Cornell…not even for a second.
He covers Buddy Holly’s “Peggy Sue” in a small acoustic set on a clone guitar of Holly’s late J 45 and explains it was the first song he ever performed live, along with “Hummingbird In A Box” written about his grandfather. I am getting to know Peter Frampton and I like it. Love is in the air as the crowd sings every single word to “All I Want To Be (Is By Your Side)” and of course “Baby I Love Your Way”. Fans are walking up to the stage and slapping it as if to say “You get me Peter!! And I get YOU!!” strumming away he smiles and nods and they politely go back to their seats; phenomenal stuff.
The night capped off with a four song encore including “I Wanna Go To The Sun” jam-packed with uplifting guitar and keyboard solos, an ode to his friend George Harrison with “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” an Ida Cox cover of “Four Day Creep” with keyboardist Rob Arthur and second guitarist Adam Lester taking turns with lead vocals and naturally “Do You Feel Like We Do?” We feel you Peter just as much as we did 40 years ago.
