Enoch, Enoch. Who's there? Roger Hodgson
by yjloiselle on 2016-11-21River Cree Resort & Casino - EnochRating: 4 out of 5Supertramp co-founder Roger Hodgson (with band) seems to be getting better and better as time goes by. I remember seeing him alone with sax player Aaron at Capitol X in Edmonton in 2006. Thank god the weather cooperated! It was an outdoor performance, and very intimate. I couldn't for the life of me understand why he wasn't with a full band. Money must surely have played a role in this mostly forgotten gem of a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who penned some of the world's most unmistakeable anthems of our lives.
I saw him again in March of 2011at the River Cree. The venue was absolutely atrocious. Walking through a cloud of cigarette smoke to get to the dome tent on asphalt and very small poor-quality folding seats in the middle of winter was less than any standard performance venue. The lack of risers means that no one gets a chance to see adequately, especially if you're short. I was impressed, if only because there was a full band, but the venue left much to be desired.
Last night's concert showed a marked improvement with regards to not only the venue, and Roger is still in fine form. Sure, at 66, singing those near-soprano vocals are a great challenge, but he pulls them off very well, thanks to Aaron's help, for some parts. He also seemed to be very much at ease with the crowd, this time, chatting us up every once in a while.
The 2-hour show was superbly executed by all four of his band mates, with Roger playing piano/keyboard, his classic Guild 12-string, and finally, his incredible electric guitar playing was exquisite, as demonstrated in School and Had a Dream from his first solo album after leaving Rick Davies and the original band behind.
Even though I was in the 8th row, the 2 wide screens made for excellent viewing throughout the venue. This was a marked improvement since the previous dome was torn down. The only thing to improve would be to see Roger perform at The Winspear.
Thank you so much, Roger, for an incredible 2-hour performance. Won't you please play Know Who You Are, next time?