Aqualung, on the other hand, was given its due this night, transcending the monotony of predictability. Tull’s homage to “the snotted one” kept the show as fresh as their renditions of most of its 11 songs. Anderson's Behind the Music bon mots added a witty, self-effacing element to many of the featured tracks.
Instead of opting for a boring song-by-song linearity, the band’s approach of interspersing Aqualung pieces in no particular order throughout the night kept the evening fresh. “Mother Goose” benefited from the revisitation as did guitarist Martin Barre’s riff-heavy version of “Cross Eyed Mary;” second-set opener, the non-snotted “Songs from the Wood,” seemed even more invigorated, possibly because it wasn’t expected.
The set closer, the title track, and the aforementioned “Locomotive” encore were the only non-surprises, as most of Aqualung had been performed up to this point. While the whole show seemed spry, these two songs in particular were especially rejuvenated with the stamina, smoothness, and focus that can only come with age, experience, humour, and a "colonoscopic" point of view.
Setlist:
Living In The Past
Beggar's Farm
Thick As A Brick
Up To Me
Cheap Day Return
Mother Goose
Wond'ring Aloud
Farm On The Freeway
Bouree
INTERMISSION
Songs From The Wood
Hymn 43
Cross-Eyed Mary
My God
Budapest
Aqualung
ENCORE
Locomotive Breath / Teacher (snippet)
—Chris "Gutter" Rose
Article comments
1 - Jon Sobel
Great to hear that these guys can still work it. Tull never stopped being one of my favorite groups even after all these years.
2 - Chris Petty
Catch these fellows every time the hit Atlanta. SOOO disappointed there not here for this tour. Still GREAT!
3 - Allhumanparts
Only disappointment was the apparently permanent damage done many years ago to Ian Anderson's vocal cords. He struggles to find most of the notes now, but is still a strong frontman with much of the same manic energy that made the shows so much fun in their heyday. And the vocal cord issues had no effect on his trademark flute work.