Ok I've got to speak up about something that's been driving me crazy.
I've been off this board awhile due to technical difficulties so I spent some time today catching up on my reading. Came across a few threads about the Soaring eagle show and a couple about how the band was so much better live back in the SWW and NJ era than they are now.
I am a long time Bj fan and back in the day I was a live show follower. I've seen this band as of last Sun 99 times in 21 years, and about half of those shows were during SWW and NJ.
heres what bugs me. All the complaints about how Jon's voice isn't as good ( no he can't hit the high notes anymore). Let me tell you there were some pretty awful shows on those two tours. Nights where Jon couldn't sing at all, where his voice was a rasp and nothing else, when Dave and Richie were singing for him. nights when the band were drunk on stage and played like crap. Nights toward the end of NJ where Jon was so exhausted he couldn't hardly stand up.
Now don't get me wrong there were alot more great nights and shows than bad ones but they did happen.
Alot of you seem to have put this time on a pedastal. It was "their' time in the sun no doubt, but in truth I have seen more cosistently good shows from this band since KTF when they started to figure out how to pace themselves a bit.
Jon doesn't wail songs out like he used to, he learned that if he wanted to get through a tour he had to dial it back a bit. Are there off nights?? Absolutely, I saw one last Sun. Jon was off for whatever reason, Richie struggled for whatever reason, it happens.
This band is still one of the most consistently great live bands I've ever seen. I've nevr been afraid to put up my money and go see them play.