Fan Reviews and setlists for Living Colour 2003 Collideoscope Tour
from the Living Colour Network messageboard
11/08/03 Canopy Club - Urbana,Illinois
Local band Temple of Low Men opened this earlier than usual show promptly at 7:30. I hadn't seen them before,and I was moderately impressed.

Living Colour started soon after at around 8:30 or so, to a smallish crowd of around 300. (My wild guess.) Here is the set, to the best of my memory. My apologies for the unknowns, I don't have Collideoscope yet, so I was unclear on a couple of the new songs. (I know, I know, boo hiss on me.)

Funny Vibe
A ? of When
Operation Mind Control
Go Away
In Your Name
(Ignorance is Bliss)
Cult of Personality
Flying
Sacred Ground
(Nothingness)
Type
This is the Life
Times Up
Love Rears Its Ugly Head

I think they had planned on playing another song after Love Rears Its Ugly Head, but the club shut them down due to time constraints. I didn't get a glimpse of the written set list, so I don't know what the last song would have been.

This was the first time I had seen Living Colour since seeing them open for the Stones in St. Louis in 1989. It's rather hard comparing this performance to that one, with the circumastances being so different. Naturally, I preferred the more intimate atmosphere. I thought the band sounded really tight last night, and the acoustics in the Canopy Club are decent. It would have been nice for the band's sake if more people had shown up, but from a fan's point of view it was nice being able to get close to the stage without any trouble.

I was able to get autographs from Corey, Vernon and Will after the show out by the bus. It was nice of them to stop in the freezing cold to briefly chat with fans.
*thanks Double T and SG Jeremaya

11/9/2003 Magic Bag, Ferndale, MI
Simply put, this was a great concert. Vernon Reid's guitar work was as good as I've ever seen him play--notes showered down on the audience with the intensity of a severe hail storm. When he was in the midst of the fury of his guitar solos, Vernon seemed to reach an almost trance-like state--it was very intense to watch. The rest of the band was excellent too, of course. Will and Doug each had their moments for solos and improvisation; the rest of the time they provided the rock-solid foundation for the music we know as Living Colour. Corey's singing was great as always.

This concert reaffirmed why I love Living Colour. I think part of why it really affected me was the venue that they played in--a small hole-in-the-wall club known as the Magic Bag. This was by far the smallest venue I've seen them in. Even people in the back row were not that far from the stage. Since they doors opened at 8:00 on a Sunday night, the attendance was a bit lower than it could have been--however, this was great for those of us who did show up because it made it easier to see the band in the standing-room-only conditions. All of this made it a really intimate, personal concert.

I was glad to see them again--I haven't seen them for over a decade, and I've never seen Doug Wimbish live in concert. After this evening I can't understand why people haven't been more positive about the new album and some of the concert reviews have been a little less than glowing. This is a really, really great, fantastic, awesome band. If you have never seen them in concert, you really owe it to yourself to go see them. I ran into several casual Living Colour fans at the concert who told me that they were there because LC was hands down the best concert band they've seen, and this is coming from people who AREN'T die-hard fans. (Why they weren't bigger fans is a bit beyone me, however.)

setlist:
Song Without Sin
Funny Vibe
A ? of When
Operation Mind Control
Go Away
In Your Name
Ignorance is Bliss
Time's Up
Flying
Sacred Ground (with drum solos)
Nothingness
Type
Love Rears its Ugly Head
Cult of Personality
This is the Life
Memories Can't Wait

Between the songs they had electronic beats, sound bites, scratching and other sound effects. Vernon and Doug each had laptops with various gear attached to them and they would scratch and make electronic noises with them between songs.
*thanks DoranS

Living Colour -11/09/03 Magic Bag Review
thanks auragreg
The opening band was cool. "Scratch Track" I think was their name. A weird three piece (1 Acoustic guitar, 2 rappers/singers/beat boxers). They came on and won over the croud. Definately different and talented.

LC ... All I have to say is HOLY CRAP! I saw them at the same place two years ago and they were GREAT (which Corey made reference to - "I thought this place melted down last time we were here" - it was VERY hot that day). But last night .... they blew me away. Totally
exceeded my already high expectations. A perfect mix of new and old. Speaking of which. I know that most poeple have said that it took a couple listens to get into the new album. But when they play the new stuff live, it's SOOOOOOOOOO much better. So much more emotion. It's too bad that someone can't capture their live energy onto their albums.

The guys seemed more "together" this time. They all played incredible. I could sence a better vibe between them all. Doug seemed a little disconnected - but actually looked kinda under the weather. All of them were VERY appreciative and thanked the audience for being
there many times and staying fans. They rocked so hard. If anyone has a recording of that show, I'd love to have it!

BTW - they are selling autographed pics by Vernon. $8. They are numbered and I guess Vernon requested that everyone that buys one puts their name and email on a list. Cool! Their new merchandise is really nice. A couple diferent shirts, hats, stickers.

Living Colour - Collideoscope 2003 Tour

Nov 11 Montreal Theatre St Denis *
Nov 12 Boston, MA Avalon Ballroom *
Nov 14 Kingston, NY U.P.A.C. *
Nov 15 New York Beacon Theater*
Nov 20 Scottsdale, AZ Cajan House
Nov 21 Tuscon, AZ City Limits
Nov 23 San Juan Capistrano Coach House
Nov 24 Santa Barbara, CA Coach House North
Nov 25 W. Hollywood House of Blues
Nov 26 San Francisco Bimbo's
Nov 28 Portland, OR Roseland
Nov 29 Seattle, WA Showbox
Dec 2 Chicago, IL Park West
Dec 4 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero
Dec 5 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom (not on sale yet)
Dec 6 Farmingdale, NY The Downtown
Dec 7 New Haven, CT Toad's Place