INCUBUS
FEBRUARY 28, 2018
Green Point A Track, CAPE TOWN
”We Are Live did a fantastic job of putting together a show which ran flawlessly.”
When it was first announced that Incubus would be gracing our shores to say I was ecstatic would most definitely be an understatement. Growing up in a coastal town in the 90’s it was near impossible not to gravitate towards the surf culture that engulfed this area. Surf culture was an amalgamation of many things, but right up there with surfing was music, as if both jostling for first place on an illusory podium inside so many of our minds.
The band that best illustrated the above sentiment was Incubus. Incubus, like peanut butter and jam sandwiches became a staple part of my teen years. Almost as if with a sense of clairvoyance Brandon Boyd best described the relationship I would have with the band going forward as stated in the song `Drive’, “Whatever tomorrow brings I’ll be there”.
Wednesday morning arrived and Cape Town blessed us with her A game. The weather was amazing with only a slight breeze. Coincidentally I had watched an interview the night before with actor Michael B Jordan, in it he stated Cape Town as his favourite city that he had traveled too and it made me think how grateful I was that the venue was no longer indoors. There truly is something magical about an outdoors concert in Cape Town during the summer.
I arrived at 16:30pm and must say I really loved the venue. Hopefully going forward more organizers will utilize the green point track. More than enough space for shows of this caliber. The first band Brynn was on cue at 17:00pm and as most of us know, for any event that is often unheard of. I really take my hat off to We are live as they ran a tight ship, the event ran smoothly with no hiccups at all. The opening acts Brynn, Retro Dizzy and Southern Wild were all extremely impressive. Opening at these kind of events really can be a double edged blade. On the one hand the exposure is great and on the other you are often left playing to empty crowds with most of the audience waiting at the bar for the main act. Looking around I could see the crowd were really enjoying the opening acts and that’s a testament to the talent that was on the stage.
That being said, you could feel the anticipation rise as the sun disappeared over the horizon and the main act made their way to stage. So many of my Pretoria friends kept telling me what a treat I was in for and what an understatement that was. Opening up with ‘Love In a Time of Surveillance’ Incubus were determined to set the bar high. They were near flawless and that really carried through their 20 track set. You could tell you were watching a band that had been together over 20 years by how effortless they made things seem on stage. Brandon Boyd is an inspired and truly talented front-man. I think he possibly missed one note the entire set, which was towards the end, and that’s truly me just nit-picking.
One thing a live event will always have over sitting at home and listening to music is it evokes your sense of sight and I loved how Incubus used that to their advantage. The screen behind them played imagery that really felt like an extension of the music. Incubus also made full use of the lights, synchronizing perfectly with the music, almost as if another member of the band. Over all Incubus gave a pretty decent representation of their music with 5 of their 8 albums featuring. I was a bit upset that `Science’ didn’t get any love but I guess you can’t have it all.
They even threw in snippets of ‘Need You Tonight’ by INXS. If Michael Hutchence had still been alive I’m sure he would have been Impressed with Brandon Boyd and the rest of the guy’s rendition. It was during ‘Nice To Know You’ that I overheard two guys talking in the crowd next to me, reminiscing of how they used to come home from school and listen to Incubus and that in itself is a reflection of the power a band carries when they have been in the spotlight for over 20 years. You get a fan base that literally grows up with your music and somehow that music becomes entrenched in your foundation.
This was most evident when they came back on for their encore to play arguably their most popular track `Drive’. I don’t think there was a single person not singing along, it was a beautiful moment to share with each other, as well as the band. This is one of the best shows I’ve ever attended. We are live did a fantastic job of putting together a show which ran flawlessly. I overheard some people complain slightly about the levels of the sound but I however loved it. The opening acts were all solid and Incubus, wow Incubus, not enough can be said about what a talented live band they are, I really can’t think of one negative thing to say about their performance.
In closing if you reading this and you missed the show I will leave you with this thought. `I wish you were here’.
Reviewed by: Tim Viljoen(more from Kim)
Shots Fired by: KillKenny Photography
(Click for more Incubus Cape Town pictures)
Date: 28 February 2018
