In all seriousness, their show was very good, definitely not perfect, but very good. I must admit that this particular night I was not in full-on "critic mode," but it is nearly impossible to shut that side down completely, nor would I want to. This being the case, I definitely have some thoughts on the performance.

Where to start? I know! Let's begin with the individual performances. I'll start with the new guy.

The latest member of Audible Thought is Nick King, bass player. Before the set I introduced myself to him, nice guy, rather quiet. He may be quiet, but he lets his bass do a lot of talking for him. It is hard to talk about any bass player for the group without some sort comparison or reference to their original player, Jim Norton. Now, Jim is an amazing player and I cannot say enough about his ability, but hearing Nick's contribution to the evolution of Audible Thought's sound, I cannot say that Jim's absence is missed.

Nick plays much lower than Jim does, and his style is not as lead oriented as Jim's. What does this mean to Audible Thought? A lot, with plenty of potential the longer they are together. He fills out their sound a lot more, makes them heavier, and helps make Ryan's solos stand out better. Nick is a solid performer whose contributions are already being felt by the band.

Next up is their next newest member, Mike Doyle on drums. There is not a lot that can be said. He is a solid drummer who knows his way around a kit, and offers a lot more to the band than their prior stick man. He plays with great intensity, has good timing, and, like Nick, thickens the sound and adds to that sense of heaviness that they had previously lacked.

Working my way down the line I now land on Ryan Cady. Here is a guy who adds a special sense of life to the stage (or floor, as the case is with the Frog). He displays considerable skill with a guitar, playing catchy riffs and ripping through solos. Yes, a guitar player who still plays solos. I tell you, it is nice to see someone shred once in awhile. It seemed that the prevalence of lead playing has diminished ever since the dawn of the Grunge era.

Finally, there is one member left, Lou West, vocalist extraordinaire. The guy has definitely improved over the years I have seen him perform. He may not have large range, but he doesn't need it. He is a solid hard rock singer with a clean voice who knows how to let out a growl every once in awhile. His voice is stronger, his ability as a front man has improved, and he is definitely passionate about what he does.