By MIKE CHAIKEN
EDITIONS EDITOR
A technical glitch at last Friday night’s concert by The Band Perry actually turned out to be a blessing.
It showed what great entertainers the three siblings are.
Like many bands in concert these days, The Band Perry’s stage set includes a giant video screen behind the performers. These screens are great for all sorts of special lighting effects as well as providing videos that help set the mood.
But after the first couple of songs at the Mohegan Sun Arena, something happened.
The screen stopped working as intended.
From my seat, I saw a crew person replacing one panel on the screen, apparently, to get the electronic gadget to function again. But it was to no avail because every time the panel was invoked it gave off all sorts of wonky visuals, which were clearly not part of the plan.
The focus had no choice but to shift from the flash to the music. And The Band Perry and their backing band delivered.
The three siblings— Kimberly, Neil, and Reid Perry— are Energizer bunnies on stage. They were constantly in motion as they zipped from one side of the stage to another—taking full advantage of the expanse. Every chance the Band Perry got, the siblings also interacted with the crowd, drawing the audience into the show, giving them a stake in their own enjoyment.
The Band Perry also was a perky, positive, and joyful trio.
The three—all photogenic, pretty, and handsome—easily could rely on their good looks on stage. But they also demonstrated they’re great musicians. Kimberly’s voice is strong, and full of emotions. And Reid and Neil demonstrated their fabulous skills on their instruments—and strong vocal chops as well.
Although they arose from the country market, The Band Perry also clearly knows how to rock when they need to rock. But when they shift to ballads, their country roots show as they exhibit their ability to be tender.
The Band Perry got the crowd excited with their own songs, such as “Hip to My Heart,” “If I Die Young,” “You Lie,” “Chainsaw,” “Done,” and their latest single, “Live Forever.”
But they also demonstrated their own love for music in all of its forms.
Who would have thought the band who sang the sweet “If I Die Young” would take on Queen’s “Fat-Bottomed Girls”? And they did a great job with it.
Another moment that caused everyone to smile was an ingenious medley of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by the Eurythmics, “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley, and “SexyBack” by Justin Timberlake.
In addition, The Band Perry did a lovely turn covering, Glen Campbell’s “Gentle on my Mind” and Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”
Yes, the tech geek dimension of The Band Perry’s show failed in Uncasville. But The Band Perry demonstrated why great entertainers don’t need the gadgets and gimmicks to thrill an audience.
I give The Band Perry at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Sept. 25 four out of four stars.d
EDITIONS EDITOR
A technical glitch at last Friday night’s concert by The Band Perry actually turned out to be a blessing.
It showed what great entertainers the three siblings are.
Like many bands in concert these days, The Band Perry’s stage set includes a giant video screen behind the performers. These screens are great for all sorts of special lighting effects as well as providing videos that help set the mood.
But after the first couple of songs at the Mohegan Sun Arena, something happened.
The screen stopped working as intended.
From my seat, I saw a crew person replacing one panel on the screen, apparently, to get the electronic gadget to function again. But it was to no avail because every time the panel was invoked it gave off all sorts of wonky visuals, which were clearly not part of the plan.
The focus had no choice but to shift from the flash to the music. And The Band Perry and their backing band delivered.
The three siblings— Kimberly, Neil, and Reid Perry— are Energizer bunnies on stage. They were constantly in motion as they zipped from one side of the stage to another—taking full advantage of the expanse. Every chance the Band Perry got, the siblings also interacted with the crowd, drawing the audience into the show, giving them a stake in their own enjoyment.
The Band Perry also was a perky, positive, and joyful trio.
The three—all photogenic, pretty, and handsome—easily could rely on their good looks on stage. But they also demonstrated they’re great musicians. Kimberly’s voice is strong, and full of emotions. And Reid and Neil demonstrated their fabulous skills on their instruments—and strong vocal chops as well.
Although they arose from the country market, The Band Perry also clearly knows how to rock when they need to rock. But when they shift to ballads, their country roots show as they exhibit their ability to be tender.
The Band Perry got the crowd excited with their own songs, such as “Hip to My Heart,” “If I Die Young,” “You Lie,” “Chainsaw,” “Done,” and their latest single, “Live Forever.”
But they also demonstrated their own love for music in all of its forms.
Who would have thought the band who sang the sweet “If I Die Young” would take on Queen’s “Fat-Bottomed Girls”? And they did a great job with it.
Another moment that caused everyone to smile was an ingenious medley of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by the Eurythmics, “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley, and “SexyBack” by Justin Timberlake.
In addition, The Band Perry did a lovely turn covering, Glen Campbell’s “Gentle on my Mind” and Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”
Yes, the tech geek dimension of The Band Perry’s show failed in Uncasville. But The Band Perry demonstrated why great entertainers don’t need the gadgets and gimmicks to thrill an audience.
I give The Band Perry at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Sept. 25 four out of four stars.d
PHOTOS by MIKE CHAIKEN
