The Tubes Highlights
“The Tubes are a San Francisco-based rock band. Their eponymous 1975 debut album included the single "White Punks on Dope," while their 1983 single "She's a Beauty" was a top-10 U.S. hit and its music video was frequently played in the early days of MTV. The band also performed in the 1980 film Xanadu, singing the rock portion of the cross-genre song "Dancin'" opposite a big band", according to Wikipedia. The band dropped into the Greenwich Odeum on November 3, 2022 on their Outside Inside Tour, playing the album cut for cut and adding some bonus gems.
The lead singer, John “Fee” Waybill remains the original front man with Roger Steen on guitar, Prairie Prince on Drums, Rick Anderson on bass and the newest addition of David Medd on keys.
The band covered all of their hits with huge audience response on call and response receiving a “very well done” from Waybill. The show was a show with excellent musicianship throughout and introducing many different characters portrayed by Waybill with different attire for each delivery. The program began in top hat and tails offering “What Do You Want From Life” then losing the hat and jacket for the next piece. This then morphed into losing the shirt AND trousers to present a full frontal leopard leotard ala Fred Flintstone. The crowd responded as desired and the program moved along with Waybill doing his answer to the punk scene in full leather, shades and greased back hair. Right on cue, Waybill lost the jacket displaying his 72 year old belly and donned a face mask not unlike those seen at Mardi Gras and with house and stage lights fully extinguished narrated the lyrics while pointing a high intensity flashlight at himself. Everyone soaked up the somewhat unusual display as being full on par for the course Tubes.
The band picked up for an extended instrumental very reminiscent of mid 80s sound largely owed to the keyboard synth work. The band was tight! The big point of the show visually now came into view as a woman in a nurse’s outfit helped to escort the singer to the stage. Waybill as the character Quay Lewd needs a little help as the elevated elevator boots he wears are nearly 2 feet high and leave little margin for error at 72, even as a younger man. (As an aside, I learned that he had broken a leg on stage decades earlier - I wonder if the boots were involved)?
The crowd offered a standing O for this concluding performance of White Punks on Dope and the band waved good-bye. The very spirited audience of nearly sell out capacity would not have it and the band returned for an encore. They offered up a Beatles cover of I Saw her Standing There with their own rhythmic accents giving it the Tubes signature. They rolled into Talk to Ya Later as they wound down the set.
The band then graciously met guests in the lobby for meet and greet and reminiscing. The Tubes offered thanks to the Greenwich Odeum as this return visit again proved to be a huge smash. I too offer a huge thank you to the folks at the Odeum who make me very welcome. Also, in a world that has been reduced to photo access only during the first 3 songs, I am indebted to The Tubes for affording full access of the evening. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
I encourage folks to consider getting out and enjoying live music. The Greenwich Odeum is a lovely small theater where the sound is always great and the entertainment lineup never disappoints. Cheers!
Read MoreThe lead singer, John “Fee” Waybill remains the original front man with Roger Steen on guitar, Prairie Prince on Drums, Rick Anderson on bass and the newest addition of David Medd on keys.
The band covered all of their hits with huge audience response on call and response receiving a “very well done” from Waybill. The show was a show with excellent musicianship throughout and introducing many different characters portrayed by Waybill with different attire for each delivery. The program began in top hat and tails offering “What Do You Want From Life” then losing the hat and jacket for the next piece. This then morphed into losing the shirt AND trousers to present a full frontal leopard leotard ala Fred Flintstone. The crowd responded as desired and the program moved along with Waybill doing his answer to the punk scene in full leather, shades and greased back hair. Right on cue, Waybill lost the jacket displaying his 72 year old belly and donned a face mask not unlike those seen at Mardi Gras and with house and stage lights fully extinguished narrated the lyrics while pointing a high intensity flashlight at himself. Everyone soaked up the somewhat unusual display as being full on par for the course Tubes.
The band picked up for an extended instrumental very reminiscent of mid 80s sound largely owed to the keyboard synth work. The band was tight! The big point of the show visually now came into view as a woman in a nurse’s outfit helped to escort the singer to the stage. Waybill as the character Quay Lewd needs a little help as the elevated elevator boots he wears are nearly 2 feet high and leave little margin for error at 72, even as a younger man. (As an aside, I learned that he had broken a leg on stage decades earlier - I wonder if the boots were involved)?
The crowd offered a standing O for this concluding performance of White Punks on Dope and the band waved good-bye. The very spirited audience of nearly sell out capacity would not have it and the band returned for an encore. They offered up a Beatles cover of I Saw her Standing There with their own rhythmic accents giving it the Tubes signature. They rolled into Talk to Ya Later as they wound down the set.
The band then graciously met guests in the lobby for meet and greet and reminiscing. The Tubes offered thanks to the Greenwich Odeum as this return visit again proved to be a huge smash. I too offer a huge thank you to the folks at the Odeum who make me very welcome. Also, in a world that has been reduced to photo access only during the first 3 songs, I am indebted to The Tubes for affording full access of the evening. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
I encourage folks to consider getting out and enjoying live music. The Greenwich Odeum is a lovely small theater where the sound is always great and the entertainment lineup never disappoints. Cheers!
