By: David Schultz

On the night before Halloween, Metallica, Aretha Franklin, Jeff Beck and U2 held court at Madison Square Garden as part of the second night of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th Anniversary celebration. Only a few blocks south, Living Colour, one of the truly great rock bands of our generation, reminded a sold-out crowd at New York City’s HighLine Ballroom that sometimes fate can be fickle. Boasting guitarist Vernon Reid, lead singer Corey Glover, drummer Will Calhoun and bassist Doug Wimbish, the wickedly talented New York band surely was skilled enough to earn the same esteem as the bands headlining MSG, the stars just never lined up properly. Whatever intangible quality impels a band into that stratosphere seemed to lose its momentum for Living Colour shortly after the success of “Cult Of Personality” and Time’s Up.

Accolades and awards may have escaped Living Colour . . . so far. They eluded other New York bands like The Ramones and The Velvet Underground until much later too. At the HighLine, Living Colour wound down a two month long U.S. tour with a show for their hometown fans. Over two hours, they intertwined material from their recently released The Chair In The Doorway with Vivid’s “Middle Man” and “Elvis Is Dead” (with a nice segue into The King’s “Hound Dog”), Time’s Up’s “Type” and “Love Rears Up Its Ugly Head” and Stain’s “Bi.”

Most remarkably, Corey Glover’s voice hasn’t weakened at all. Whether he’s a freak of nature or just reaping the benefits of his time with the touring company of Jesus Christ Superstar, the animated lead singer prowled the stage in a butcher’s apron, offering a captivating a capella intro to “Open Letter (To A Landlord)” and never wavering during the fevered vocals on songs like “The Chair,” “Go Away” and “Out Of My Mind.” Whether he’s tapping out the riff to “Behind The Sun,” cranking out the blues on “Bless Those,” making Motown seem easy on “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” or rousing the crowd with the solo of “Cult Of Personality,” Reid does things with his guitar that simply defy belief. Similarly, Calhoun’s drum solos remain wondrous, a blend of traditional drums and newfangled electronic innovation. Not to be left behind, Wimbish leapt off the stage and to show that no trickery was involved played bass with his teeth from amidst the crowd.

IF YOU REGULARLY READ MY ramblings here on the site, you're probably familiar with my feelings over Living Colour's recent return. At the end of the summer, I interviewed Corey Glover for Hidden Track magazine and made it to Brooklyn for a performance at their rehearsal studio where they debuted The Chair In The Doorway for friends and family. We reviewed the album as well.

Labels: Living Colour