So essentially, if you like Pendragon's The Jewel album, or simply have a taste for some fine neo-progressive rock, you are going to love this DVD. Not only are the songs fantastic, but the band exudes enough genuine energy and passion during the performance to make you feel like you are watching something truly special. Watch the emotion as Barrett welcomes his old friend and band co-founder Julian Baker to the stage to perform some marvelously updated versions of the Pendragon classics "Dark Summer's Day" and "Circus" to close out the main set. Since leaving Pendragon, Baker has become an accomplished saxophone player and Barrett was willing to let him jazz up a few of the old tunes with his excellent playing.
Highlights of the show were numerous, but the the gloriously heavy "Armageddon" was certainly a show stopper. "Alaska" was one of the most majestic ballads I have heard in a long time, and Barrett really shows off his full range of amazing guitar styles on this one. The second and final encore began with a intimate jazzy rendition of the Kowtow epic "2AM", which again featured some marvelous sax work from Julian Baker. During the performance, Barrett climbs down into the front row of the theater and sings amongst all of the thrilled fans. For the "final" finale the entire group of musicians who appeared throughout the night all take the stage together to turn in a fast and rollicking performance of "Stan and Ollie", which had the crowd in a frenzy, and left them cheering wildly for more.
Metal Mind Productions has hit another home run with this outstanding DVD. The overall production quality is nearly perfect. The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track sounds crisp and the instruments are all well balanced in the mix. An excellent Dolby stereo track is also included for those without a surround setup. The video is very sharp and colorful, and the camera work was some of the best I have ever seen. The Wyspianski Theatre looks like an incredible venue to catch a concert in, offering three different seating levels that nearly surround the stage and put you almost within touching distance of the band. The camera crew brilliantly captures the performance, offering up amazing angles of the stage show as they routinely pan backwards to reveal the whole stage and soak in the wonderful atmosphere of the entire theatre, while never missing any of the key solos and events happening onstage with spot-on close-ups.
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