Living Colour in San Paulo, Brazil - links to short live video

Vernon Reid and Masque review - Known Unknown
"Known Unknown,"

Vernon Reid and Masque

(Favored Nations)

Three stars

Vernon Reid is known as the guitarist in the groundbreaking black rock group Living Colour. New Yorkers may know him for his more experimental projects, which he usually showcases in downtown avant-garde clubs. "Known Unknown" is his first recording for fellow virtuoso Steve Vai's Favored Nations label. Perhaps out of fear of upsetting the boss, Favored Nations artists produce guitar albums -- meaning the kind that sell more to musicians themselves than casual listeners. Reid is bound to win over guitarists, jazz hounds and hipsters alike with this winning collection of instrumentals.

On this disc, he demonstrates a versatility not evident in Living Colour. Backed by his working band of Leon Gruebaum on a variety of keyboards, bassist Hank Schroy and drummer Marlon Browden, Reid covers some serious ground. The title track wouldn't be out of place on a Vai disc, with impossibly fluid guitar lines and melodies unfurling with grace, also examines New Orleans funk with urban jungle grit on "The Slouch," updates Thelonious Monk's "Brilliant Corners" with unimaginable post-modernism, and explores his own equally dark sunny corners on "Down and Out in Kigali and Freetown." DJ Logic, the collaborator of choice to seemingly half the modern music world, adds his touch to "Voodoo Pimp Stroll."

If Reid's work with Living Colour had one fault -- and many would argue it doesn't -- it is that he sometimes gets sloppy when playing too fast. Nowhere is that in evidence on "Known Unknown." He hits light speed on a deranged cover of Lee Morgan's jazzy "Sidewinder" without losing control. This disc is a strong, diverse statement from Reid and Masque.

Live on WFMU - Vernon Reid & Masque

Upcoming events:
Monday, May 3rd, 7pm - 8pm: Vernon Reid
The former lead guitarist of Living Colour and the co-founder of the Black Rock Coalition Vernon Reid & his current band Masque join Jonesey for an hour of conversation and live performance. They will be performing songs from their new album 'Known Unknown'.

(thanks Dazmando!)

Living Colour: Curitiba, Brazil @ Moinho Sao Roque - 4/23/04 setlist
Thank you Fabricio!

Back in Black
Type
Middle Man
Memories
Leave it Alone/police and thieves
Times Up
A ? of when (just a part of the song, the mic goes wrong and they stop in the middle)
Operation Mind control
Funny Vibe
Go Away
Flying
Landlord
Terrorism
7 nation army
Post man
Cult of personality
Glamour Boys
Elvis is Dead
Drum solo
Ignorance is bliss
Love Rears
Tomorrow never knows
This is the life
Crostown traffic - whats your favorite colour

Living Colour - Porto Alegre, Brazil - 4/24/04 setlist
Thank you Alexandre!!

Back in Black
Middleman
Memories Can't Wait
A ? of When
Elvis is Dead
Type
Flying
In Your Name
Go Away
Love Rears It's Ugly Head
Cult of Personality
Open Letter (to a Landlord)
Terrorism
7 Nation Army
Times Up
Glamour Boys
Funny Vibe
Should I Stay or Should I Go
Ignorence is Bliss
Cross Town Traffic/ Theme Song

Living Colour - Canecão: Rio De Janeiro, Brazil - 4/22/04 setlist

thanks Gustavo...

- Back in Black
- Type
- Middle man
- Leave it alone
- Memories can´t wait
- Time´s up
- In your name
- Question of When
- Sacred Ground
- Flying
- Terrorism
- 7 nation army
- Open letter
- Postman
- Cult of Personality
- Glamour Boys
- Elvis is dead
-------------------------
- Ignorance is bliss
- ?????? (bluesy acoustic number)
- Love rears its ugly head
- Funny vibe
- Crosstown Traffic / Theme Song
- Should I stay or should I go

Vernon Reid and Masque dates (update)

Mon 05/17/04 Trenton, NJ Conduit
Wed 05/19/04 Hartford, CT Webster Theatre / Underground
Thu 05/20/04 Somerville, MA Johnny D's
Fri 05/21/04 Kingston, NY The Forum
Sat 05/22/04 Rochester, NY Montage Grille
Mon 05/24/04 Victoriaville, QC Colises Des Bois
Tue 05/25/04 Ottawa, ON Babylon
Wed 05/26/04 Toronto, ON Big Bop
Thu 05/27/04 Hamilton, ON Underground
Sat 05/29/04 New York, NY Joe's Pub

Nina Simone to Be Honored at Jazz Fest

Wed Apr 21, 8:01 AM ET


NEW YORK - The JVC Jazz Festival will feature k.d lang, Lou Reed (news), guitarist Vernon Reid and a tribute to the late Nina Simone (news) when it begins in mid-June.

(click link for entire story)

Living Colour - San Paulo, Brazil setlist 4/17/04

Leave it Alone
Back in Black
Song Without Sin
Middle Man
Ignorance is Bliss
A ? of When
In Your Name
Sacred Ground
Time is on My Side - Rolling Stones
Time's Up
Flying
Pocket of Tears - including Sex Machine, from James Brown
Open Letter (to a Landlord)
Terrorism
7 Nation Army
Glamour Boys
Type - including The Israelites, from Desmond Dekker
Cult of Personality
Will Calhoun solo
Elvis is Dead
Love Rears its Ugly Head
Sailin' on
Crosstown Traffic - including What's Your Favorite Colour?

(please keep your eyes posted for a review on Disconnected.com Brazil for Living Colour's San Paulo shows.)

Vernon Reid and Masque @ Jambase.com

Vernon Reid, best known as guitarist/songwriter in the band Living Colour, has signed with Favored Nations and is preparing for the May 4 street date of his latest "solo" project, Known Unknown.

In fact part of the band Vernon Reid & Masque, Reid makes a departure from the vocal rock outings of Living Colour, hearkening back to his origins in the New York avant garde scene, smashing musical preconceptions and conventions.

It is this Vernon Reid who has collaborated with such greats as Public Enemy, Mick Jagger, Carlos Santana, and The Roots; who produced albums by James "Blood" Ulmer and Salief Keita; and composes soundtracks for film, theater, and dance.

Reid's signature scratch and growl guitar opens the album's title track. From there, he gears to deliver the Bitches Brew improvisational freak-out of "Down & Out In Kigali and Freetown." In the "Outskirts," he turns to surf guitar and modal jazz. Finally, in "Flatbush & Church," he brings it back to the Vernon Reid that many fans know. Reid is the chief architect behind this innovative sonic landscape--he is part guitar player and part visionary artist.

Reid recorded Known Unknown in New York over a two-year period between touring and other commitments. It's composed of nuanced studio sessions and live takes, containing both originals and what Reid calls "fractured standards" like the band's treatment of Thelonious Monk's "Brilliant Corners" and Lee Morgan's "Sidewinder." According to Reid, "I think of Masque as a component part of my life's expression."

Known Unknown draws in on the New York underground's finest players. Both Hank Schroy (bass) and Leon Gruenbaum (keyboards including the custom-built Samchillian Tip Tip Tip Cheeepeeeee) have worked with Reid since Masque's debut album, Mistaken Identity. Drummer Marlon Browden comes fresh from recent work with jazz guitar legend John Scofield. Together, the three are a fearsome force who act as tour guides through this strange unknown world.

They are joined by Downtown mainstay DJ Logic, who provides cuts and scratches for the groove-heavy "Voodoo Pimp Stroll."

Reid and Favored Nations founder (and guitar legend) Steve Vai have been friends for years and both are thrilled to have Masque as part of the label's lineup. Says Reid, "Steve is astounding in ways words can't articulate."

Living Colour remains together and Reid is presently on tour with the band through Europe. When he returns, Masque will begin to tour North America.

Living Colour - Sao Paulo, BRAZIL setlist 4/16/04

thanks flavio
-Middle Man
-Memories Can't Wait
-Back In Black
-Leave It Alone
- ? Of When
-Ignorance Is Bliss
-In Your Name
-Sacred Ground
-Flying
-Nothingness
-Go Away
-Open Letter
-Terrorism (Will & Doug)
-7 Nation Army (White Stripes cover and Vernon on
vocals)
-Broken Hearts (Vernon & Corey)
-Glamour Boys
-Type
-Cult
-Will solo
-Time's Up
-Love Rears Its Ugly Head
-Should I Stay Or Should I Go
-Elvis Is Dead (requested by the crowd)

Living Colour w/ pics

March 31, 2004.
SKC, Belgrade

BLACK HARD ROCK

Living Colour are the one true descendents of the tradition of black rock sound, from Jimi Hendrix through Sly Stone and Public Enemy. They entered rock history with their brilliant debut Vivid (1988) and the single Cult of Personality which was rotated heavily that year on MTV. The album went platinum in the US while the single won the first of this band’s handful of Grammys. Their career highlight has been the invitation to join the Rolling Stones for their first US tour in eight years, being seen by the Stones as ideal support for their stadium performances.

The albums Time’s Up and Stain followed, then the first Loolapalooza Festival in 1991. This only strengthened their reputation as brilliant live performers. What Vernon Reid and company were able to produce on stage was an unusual example of modernised hard rock sound which owes a lot to blues but also borrows heavily from future, resulting in a sonic collision with the present.

The band’s break-up in 1995 was not the end of their musical collaboration. After various solo projects and live performances in various line-ups, Vernon Reid reassembled Living Colour in 2001, in the original line-up, with the unique voice of Corey Glover, funk veteran Doug Wimbish on bass and Will Calhun on drums. Collideoscope, the album the band is at present promoting on its world tour, means an important rock band is back in form.

Living Colour @ Toad's Place (2/26/04) Pics
thanks Ryan!

Vernon Reid & Masque tour dates

Mon 05/17/04 Trenton, NJ Conduit TicketWeb.com link
Wed 05/19/04 Hartford, CT Webster Theatre / Underground Tickets.com link
Thu 05/20/04 Somerville, MA Johnny D's
Fri 05/21/04 Kingston, NY The Forum
Sat 05/22/04 Rochester, NY Montage Grille
Mon 05/24/04 Victoriaville, QC Colises Des Bois
Tue 05/25/04 Ottawa, ON Babylon

Living Colour - Brazil 2004

Fri 04/16/04 - Sao Paulo, BRAZIL @ Via Funchall Music Hall
Sat 04/17/04 - Sao Paulo, BRAZIL @ Via Funchall Music Hall
Thu 04/22/04 - Rio De Janeiro, BRAZIL @ Canecão
Fri 04/23/04 - Curitiba, BRAZIL @ Moinho Sao Roque
Sat 04/24/04 - Porto Alegre, BRAZIL @ Gigantinho

Living Colour: Racial Representation and a Small-Town Teenhood

by Joy Burnett, graduate scholar

I don't know very many things about being teen-aged in the 21st century, beyond what I learn from MTV, my little brother, and the students I teach in English 1010 at Wayne State University. I don't even know much about being teen-aged in the 1990s - unless the first few years of the decade count. What I can talk about with some authority is being a teen in the late 1980s and early '90s, in a small town not more than half an hour's drive from downtown Detroit. The town had and still has a Mayberry aspect - small post office, large white middle-class population, and acres of farmland and high school football fields. The growing-up process was quite peaceful in this environment, beyond the usual teen-angst episodes (the occasional car wreck or keg party out in the woods, among other incidents). I was never really aware of any large-scale conflicts or struggles beyond a fight in the schoolyard or two parents duking it out at a kid's t-ball game until I was well into my teens.


In the midst of this middle-America fantasyland, a seemingly harmless school program was waiting to make its mark and forever change the racial consciousness of a whole class of students. In an effort to raise cultural awareness in high schools, some institution (of which I unfortunately can no longer remember the name) launched a nationwide poster and public-service announcement program during my sophomore year of high school. Walking down a '50s-esque school hallway with a stack of books in my arms one day, I saw a poster that would start me on a path of exploring issues I had never before considered in my own life. I had schoolwork, sports, whatever dating experiences I could convince my parents were absolutely necessary for my survival, and a few other activities. After seeing that poster hanging in the school hallway, however, I had a new crusade: to learn as much as I could about a new hard-rock band that had captured my attention unlike any other.


The poster featured photography of the band Living Colour and promoted their second album, Time's Up, released in 1990. I had seen the video for their wildly popular tune "Cult of Personality" on MTV, from their debut album "Vivid," and heard from some of my more adventurous friends that their music was … different. Different in a way that just might change what is categorized as American music. I was ready for a change, because the sounds of Paula Abdul and Mariah Carey were starting to annoy even my teen-aged ears. The school guidance counselor responded favorably when I asked for the poster after its month on the hallway wall. I taped it to my bedroom wall, right next to my Beatles Sgt. Pepper poster, and a picture of Debbie Gibson that had been ripped from a teen magazine.


Several cassette tapes (remember those?) went into heavy rotation on my boom box, as I got bootlegged copies of Vivid and Time's Up from one of my more liberated friends. The reaction of certain family members had shown me that having this poster and following this band was going to be much different than taping up Debbie Gibson. They didn't really give Debbie much notice. Little did I know that my innocent act of hanging a poster would create a political struggle in my house. "What will people think of you when they come in here?" they said. "We're just looking out for our little girl. We're not racist, but …" And that "but" would trail off into nothing. If anyone here needs a reminder of who Living Colour was or has never before heard of them, they were a band that broke down many color, sound, and cultural barriers by being one of the only black groups to tackle the traditionally white-dominated hard-rock genre.


At first, I thought it was best just to keep this particular obsession to myself. I changed my mind later on, but my early days with Living Colour were spent alone in my room, looking at the poster and reading lyrics. My anger at the racism of my family fed into my understanding of the music. I'd study their lyrics, from my folded cassette jacket card, just like I studied my Scarlet Letter and Romeo and Juliet for English class. Two of the songs had the most power in fueling this anger were "Pride" and "Someone Like You" from Time's Up.


In "Pride," frontman Corey Glover sang of the multiple perceptual issues related to racial representation and categorization. An excerpt here from the lyrics demonstrates that Living Colour were attempting to fight against certain stereotypes and perceptions that had been placed on not only themselves, but the whole of American history and culture:


When I speak out loud, you say I'm crazy
When I'm feeling proud, you say I'm lazy
I look around and see the true reality
You like our hair, you love our music
Our culture's large, so you abuse it
Take time to understand, I'm an equal man
History's a lie that they teach you in school
A fraudulent view called the golden rule
A peaceful land that was born civilized
Was robbed of its riches, its freedom, its pride.
--- "Pride," from Time's Up


In "Someone Like You," Glover presented a story of racially motivated police brutality, Even in my naïve and sheltered state, I felt like I was right there with him when he vented his rage. His targets included not only racist and violent members of the police forces, but also apparently apathetic political figures, drug dealers, and men that abandon the young women who are their partners in procreation and parenthood. In the following excerpt, Glover writes of how such societal trends and climbing crime rates created a negative atmosphere for the children of his neighborhood:


Do you remember the times of laughter
Children playing, life was so sweet
Before our city forgot us
And let the druglord take our street
Pacify me politician
Pacify me with your lies
Blind to the peoples' suffering
Deaf to the childrens' cries
But I know what to do with someone like you.
-- "Someone Like You," from Time's Up


Unlike Glover, my personal understanding of police brutality was limited to when a cop gave one my friends a particularly harsh speeding ticket, but my perceptions of American society as a whole were changing, little by little. Representations of prejudices and struggles of which I had never even been aware were creating a new consciousness that would fuel my hunger for a broadened worldview.


Of course, I had my teen-idol tendency too. Besides the fact that they looked really cool (Corey wore Body Glove suits and had multi-colored braids - remember?), what I liked most about Living Colour was that they tempered their anger and seemed to create something useful with it. Although their rage at discrimination and injustice was difficult for me to understand - I was in the 99% majority crowd in my town, since there were only about five black families living there - my teen sensibilities did understand what rage and indignation were all about. Also, they spoke a language that I understood. Not just the words, but the MUSIC … the wailing riffs of guitarist Vernon Reid (who is still sought after in music circles) and stomping bass lines spoke the language of Metallica, Motley Crue, and others - the language of the '80s American hard rock band. This was a language that I had only begun to understand, but it hit me harder than any rap had thus far. The racial issues that were so forcefully and skillfully rapped about by Public Enemy, Ice-T and others were intriguing to me, but the sounds were so new that I concentrated more on the music than what they were saying. When Living Colour was speaking their music with sounds that I already knew and was starting to love, I heard and analyzed every word.


Living Colour indeed occupied a unique place within American music, for a brief and exciting period of time. People would say, "A black rock band? Why don't they do rap like everybody else?" I always felt like the anger expressed in their music was more suited for dirty guitar and hard drumming anyway, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of their anger was directed at those narrow-minded critics, particularly after their second album was released. Bass beats and synthesizer loops were great for Run DMC, but in Living Colour there was a power that needed more backup support. They used sounds from earlier periods in music history as well - I didn't realize it at the time, but they had also inherited the sounds of Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, and the Who. I'm not exactly putting them on the same level with these bands, but maybe this was a part of their own intelligent way of appropriating the white, middle-class-dominated culture in which they had grown up. The band name was even inspired by the opening to "The Wonderful World of Disney" when the voiceover would say "brought to you in living color."


The band members' relationships with white musicians were alternately close, supportive, and adversarial. Mick Jagger himself had actually discovered the group in New York, took them on the road as an opening act, and helped get them signed to Epic Records. He also sang backup vocals and played harmonica on their first couple recordings. From all accounts, the band enjoyed a close working relationship with the Rolling Stones' frontman for many years. The band also, however, took shots America's so-called King with the hilarious "Elvis Is Dead" on Time's Up, with a guest appearance by Little Richard. The song's lyrics presented a new interpretation of the Elvis Presley phenomenon: "A black man taught him how to sing … and then he was crowned king … they dressed him up and sent him to Vegas, and now the masses are his slave - slave, yes slave - even to the grave. I've got a reason to believe we all won't be received at Graceland…" The band's commentary on the sharing (and sometimes stealing) that had occurred between black and white America since even before the birth of rock and roll were usually couched in humor, but always pointed and effective.


This music and these experiences -- when thinking of representations of adolesence, within and beyond cultural boundaries -- brought me to a realization that boundaries even existed. When nearly everyone in your town is cut from the same cookie cutter, the boundaries usually seem fairly inconsequential. It's true what they say about a small town - the biggest fight you'll have is probably just right over your own fence. That said, my thinking and wondering about racial and other issues encouraged me to consider societal conflict in a way I never had before.


I had never felt anything other than sorry for the girl in my class who started dating a black football player and found herself the subject of taunts like "n****r lover" (edited by LC BLOG) and others that I choose not to repeat. I'd never thought much about how people I knew would so carelessly say hateful things like, "Oh, they just think slavery never ended," and "Our taxes just pay for welfare," and then look to me for a form of young, impressionable approval. Maybe it took me longer than other kids who lived in cities and knew more about how the world worked, but what I quickly came to feel was ANGER - an anger that at once surprised and delighted me. Anger can be a call to action - and my anger turned into the urge tell everyone I knew about how we didn't have to be prejudiced like that, and how there were better ways to find unity and that it was the responsibility of us all. I often thought that my words were preachy and being spoken to unwilling audiences, but I didn't care. I felt that something was really wrong with the way we were all redefining and confining each other with our words and beliefs that I didn't want to stop.


In 1992, just after I graduated high school, I got to see Living Colour perform at the State Theatre in Detroit. Two of my three brothers joined me - one of them even having made negative comments regarding the poster in my room. Seeing them live on stage, and understanding their message, they both came to appreciate the band and wanted to go see them again when they toured. Unfortunately, the band broke up three years later, in 1995, but I'll always remember that night when my small-town brothers and I got to see them play their unique brand of hard rock.


I wish could find a print of that poster. My copy was discarded a few years back with other items that I'd only miss later, on that trip back to the parent's house when you excise your old yearbooks and uniforms and love notes once and for all from the basement or garage. I've since lost or broken the cassette tapes too - but they've been replaced by CDs. What also stays with me are the strong memories associated with the poster, the band, and the songs that were a part of the teen identity I was constantly struggling to create.


Musical acts like Living Colour occupy a space within American pop culture where black meets white -- and the outcomes are not always pretty. These societal conflicts are not confined to America, of course, but are particularly messy in a land where unquestionable freedom is so highly prized, and yet kept so far from the reach of many people. When Amnesty International has to establish a presence just to help Detroit address its police brutality problem, things are definitely still left to be said - not just for our own city but for America as a whole. Living Colour's sometimes joyous, yet often scathing lyrics have an even greater relevance in today's American society - and the teenager still inside me can't wait to hear what they'll say next.

Living Colour @ "Tollhaus" Karlsruhe - 19.09.2003 (pics)

Living Colour photos from Ostrava, Czech Republic - 4/03/04
(thanks dudyn!)

Living Colour 04/04/04 @ Stodola setlist - Warsaw, Poland
(thanks Bart!)
1. leave it alone
2. middle man
3. memories cant wait
4. ignorance
5. go away
6. postman
7. nothingness
8. ? of when
9. in your name
10. flying
11. pocket of tears
12. terrorism + bass solo
13. open letter (afaik with amazing grace as intro - Corey
breathtaking solo)
14. glamour boys
15. drum solo
16. seven nation army (vernon on vocal!!!!)
17. type + some great reggae stuff (i dont know the title but it was
not police and thiefs)
18. time's up
19. cult
--------------------
20. love
21. back in black

Pictures from this show

US Prodigy Rocks Sofia

Bulgaria in Brief: 2 April 2004, Friday.
US rock prodigy Living Colour staged a concert in Sofia's Hristo Botev Hall Thursday evening. Thousands went wild to the mixed sounds of metal, rock, funk and jazz. The quartet, established in New York 1984, is the only metal band with all-black lineup to have hit big time.

Pic of Corey Glover

Living Colour Rips Up Toad's (from www.allaboutjazz.com)

By Scott H. Thompson

Living Colour
Toad's Place
New Haven, CT
February 26, 2004

Oh sh-t! Forgot all about it! Rockers Living Colour are at Toad's Place in New Haven tonight. Can't find anyone home for a last minute late night. Oh well, their loss. A quick zip up the road and I'm there.

Toad's Place is a legendary rock club located right smack dab in the middle of historic Yale University territory. The Rolling Stones kicked off a recent tour with a surprise concert there. Everybody from Dizzy Gillespie to U2 has graced the cozy club's stage. Tonight though, it was that black punk funk pack from New York - Living Colour. As a matter of fact, Living Colour taped one of their “live” videos at Toad's.

Did I mention one of the ripping-est guitarist in the world was a main reason not to miss this show? Guitarist Vernon Reid is just incredible. Hendrix smiles when he plays.

But where was I?...oh yea...find a parking space. Then, a brisk walk down the tree-lined street dotted with Yalies and locals and up to the hallowed ground of Toad's. (www.toadsplace.com)

The opening act was finishing up their set. A long wait as they exchanged the bands' equipment. Wait, wait, wait. Man, I'm getting old. Why can't they start these things at 7:00 p.m.? That way you get home by 9:30 and asleep by 10. Ha.

Suddenly, the strobe lights kick in, the drums rumble, the guitar cries with feedback...and we're off to the races! Living Colour leaps into action. Hard. Driving. Thundering rock!

The opening attack was the Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsys' “Power of Soul”. I'm in heaven.

“We spent a year and a half writing and recording four albums worth of material. ”
– Will Calhoun on CollideOscope

Lead singer Corey Glover grabbed the microphone, “We were supposed to be here three months ago...but a huge snowstorm...and we were stuck in New York City.” Glover sported a “Fuc- Bush” T-shirt. His voice - stronger than ever - his energy - leading his men into battle. (Glover played a lead role in the Vietnam War movie “Platoon.” He was also a VJ on VH-1 back in '94.)

Guitar slinger Vernon Reid had the whole audience jumping up and down in unison with him as he blazed away. His dreadlocks flyin'. You could tell Vernon and Corey were having fun, smiling leaning on a shoulder. (Vernon was born in London, but raised in Brooklyn. He spends leisure time mastering the harmonic theories of Ornette Coleman.)

Bassist Doug Wimbish stalked the stage...dreadlocked too. Hailing from Hartford, Connecticut, he had family in the crowd. Wimbish has worked with everyone from Jeff Beck to Busta Rhymes.

Drummer Will Calhoun was powerfully funky. Dreadlocked. He's recorded or toured with a diverse crowd from Jaco Pastorius to Herb Alpert.

Living Colour's discography is: Vivid (1988), Time's Up (1990), EP Biscuits (1991), Stain (1993), Pride (1995), remastered Vivid (2002), CollideOscope (2003).

These guys were together from 1983 to 1994, then split up for about six years and then reformed - to benefit our musical/physiological needs. Living Colour released “CollideOscope” recently and featured songs from that CD this evening. Very nice.

“We spent a year and a half writing and recording four albums worth of material,” drummer Will Calhoun says about “CollideOscope,” the band's first studio album in ten years. “It was a long drawn-out process, but I think we needed to go through it to make the right record.”

From one screamin' rippin' cut into another, Living Colour gave a great performance. These guys are back and in fine form. Power funk rock. Each player is so great at what he does. They make a fine band. Don't miss 'em when they're in your neighborhood.

P.S. My ears are still ringing.