Concert Review
Extreme
Living Colour
Wednesday September 25, 2024
West Herr Riviera Theatre
North Tonawanda, NY
Review/Photos: Joseph Suto
The West Herr Riviera welcomed Extreme and special guest Living Colour Wednesday night. Unusually, with such a great two-band bill it was not a full house but the exuberance of the crowd more than made up for those not there. Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt made note that this was on of the best receptive crowds so far on the tour.
It had been ten long years since Bettencourt, vocalist Gary Cherone, bassist Pat Badger and drummer Kevin Figureiredo last came to town. That’s when they played a memorable show at Canalside. The band was in town to promote their latest album Six, released June 2023. It marked the band’s first new album in some fifteen years. Bettencourt mentioned during the show that they had done enough recording to make five albums over that span but nothing they were too fond of until they came up with Six. Five songs were featured during the two hour set from the new album.
The band took the stage with “It (s’ a Monster)” and “Decadence Dance” both from Pornograffitti. The stage was set up with a backdrop of the album cover and featured a dark theme by the way the lighting was used for much of the show. Highlights included the impressive guitar playing of Bettencourt throughout the evening. As well as Cherone running all over the stage in a manner usually reserved for guys half his age. “Ain’t Talking’ Bout Love” the Van Halen classic was a treat as it had only been played in full at a handful of shows. Of course Cherone was in Van Halen for a cup of coffee in the late 1990’s.
A small drum kit was brought out in front of the stage for the band to play “Other Side Of the Rainbow” one of the standouts. From there to me the best song of the night had the crowd singing along in “Hole Hearted” which in my estimation is the band’s best tune. The number one smash “More Than Words” came a little later as did the classic “Get The Funk Out”.
A few quick takes the band definitely made it worth the fans while playing as long as they did. The Diehards really enjoyed it but for the casual or average fan the show was a little too long. At times it seemed that way to the crowd who really only came alive during the radio songs. I would have trimmed some of the fat and just hit them hard with a solid 90-minute set. Many fans were eager to hear songs from the first album however it would have been nice to hear the full version and not mixed into a medley.
Living Colour a band who also came into prominence at the time Extreme did in the late 80’s opened the show. The 45-minute set featured a good mix from the band’s discography. The band came out of the gate with “Leave It Alone” from the 1993 release Stain. The band has remain unchanged since bassist Doug Wimbish joined in 1992. The rest of the original lineup of vocalist Corey Glover, guitarist V rennin Reid and drummer Will Calhoun have been together since 1986. By show’s end these guys were on fire with a blistering version of “Cult of Personality” to close out the all too short set. Glover played here last year opening for Soul Asylum and he made mention during the set that he would come back and bring some friends. Boy did he ever.
EXTREME
LIVING COLOUR
Set List
Extreme
It (‘s A Monster)
Decadence Dance
#Rebel
Rest in Peace
Hip Today
Teacher’s Pet / Flesh ‘n’ Blood / Wind Me Up / Kid Ego / Mutha (Don’t Wanna Go to School Today)
Play With Me
Other Side Of The Rainbow
Hole Hearted
Cupid’s Dead
Am I Ever Gonna Change
Thicker Than Blood
Midnight Express
More Than Words
Banshee
Take Us Alive / That’s All Right
Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love
Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee
Get the Funk Out
Encore
Small Town Beautiful / Song for Love
Rise
Living Colour
Leave It Alone
Ignorance Is Bliss
Funny Vibe
Sacred Ground
Open Letter (to a Landlord)
White Lines (Don’t Do It)/ Apache/ The Message
Time’s Up
Cult of Personality
