Blackfield's music is a mellower, more melancholic, pop-rock version of Porcupine Tree. I am a bigger fan of PT's heavier, more progressive style, but each band satisfies a different itch. They are like the difference between Led Zeppelin and Robert Plant's solo material. Both have a familiar ring, but they are sonically world's apart. You are not likely to hear any Blackfield songs played at an NHL arena to pump up the home team. We'll leave that for AC/DC.

Geffen shares songwriting credits nearly equally with Wilson, and his lyrics are notably darker, and often depressing. I am not the biggest fan of his vocals either, which are heavily accented and very dramatic. Of the songs he sings lead on, they really take some getting used to, but he and Wilson's vocals sound absolutely amazing when harmonized together, and that is what really gives Blackfield their unique sound.

Geffen wears some garish, silver glitter eye shadow throughout the show, and by the end of the set he had also stripped off his shirt to reveal a scrawny, pasty, torso that only his most dedicated fans could appreciate. I don't know what Geffen's normal trip is, but someone needs to tell him that he is in Blackfield now, not My Chemical F'ing Romance.

The setlist covers all but four songs from the two Blackfield albums, and also features an unexpected cover of Alanis Morissette's "Thank You". Wilson sings this one accompanied only by Geffen on piano, and his vocals were some of the most poignant and powerful I have heard out of him. He truly makes the song his own, and it ends up being a surprising highlight of the show.

The set alternates effectively between rockers like "Once", "Epidemic", and "Open Mind", and some of the most gorgeous ballads you will ever hear, a few of my favorites being "Someday", "1,000 People", and "My Gift Of Silence". In a rather strange move, they reprised the open number, "Once", during the encore, before closing the show with a stunning "Cloudy Now". I guess it was cool for those who showed up late - or really, really, like the song.

The songs sound heavier and slightly less refined live, but still maintain all of the delicate nuances and lush harmonies that you experience on the albums. I found most of these performances to sound better than the original album versions, which is also often the case with Porcupine Tree.