MR Big Tickets

I was lucky enough to see Mr. Big on their Lean Into It Tour, as well as the Bump Ahead Tour, so they had a lot to live up to, in my opinion. I must say that while the show was scaled back somewhat, the old energy and musicianship were the same as ever. I was blown away by the high caliber performance Billy, Paul, Eric, and Pat were still able to put on, as well as the song choices. I felt the set list was perfectly balanced, and the you could tell the camardarie on stage was genuine. The new album is phenomenal, and the live show was fantastic. I recommend anyone who is a fan of this band to definitely go. If you are unfamiliar with the band I would say go see them, and you will get a show that will NOT pale in comparison to their heyday.

I never got to see Mr. Big live during the late 80's and 90's when they were still touring the U.S. After Paul left in 1998, and then the overall break-up in 2002, I came to believe I would never see them live. When I heard of the reunion and the Budokan tour in 2009, I quickly bought the DVD/CD set and couldn't believe how great they still were. But again, seeing only Asia and Europe tour dates, I felt I still would never see them live. I found out about the BB King's show the week of my birthday - so what a great present!!! Back in the NYC area after 20 years!! We were right up by stage and the band was AMAZING!!! One of the best shows I've ever been to! I had my 15 and 12 year old sons with me who were totally blown away and have become the newest Mr Big fans!! Thanks Billy, Paul, Eric and Pat for an unforgettable night! Please come back to NY soon!!!!

I'd been a Mr. Big fan since the beginning. I had their first cd when it came out and enjoyed them ever since (up until Paul Gilbert left.) Sadly, I never got the chance to see them live, back in the day. When I heard the original line up had reunited, I knew I had to get out and see them live. It was worth the 20+ year wait. They were AMAZING live. It really came as no surprise. Each member is virtuoso at their instrument. As a bass player myself, I made it a point to stand right in front of Billy Sheehan: to watch, study, and learn. The set list was a good mix of all the "classic" songs I waited so long to hear, along with the new material from their new cd "What if..." (also worth picking up) I would absolutely tell anyone that's a fan of Mr. Big that they should get a ticket and enjoy the ride.

The last time I saw Mr Big was at the Ritz in NYC many years ago, before that I saw them open for Rush. Now, it's quite a few years later and they haven't lost a step! I'm a huge Paul Gilbert fan and watching him play never gets old, but when you add Billy Sheehan...... WOW Eric Martin sounded great and Pat Torpey rocked. If you have a chance to see these guys live definitely go! They played for 2 1/2 hours and the ticket was less than $50. It's hard to find tickets to a good band for less than $100 these days.

Mr. Big is and always has been an incredibly gifted band, it was no surprise that they were pretty much perfect. If I had to sum it up I would say this was a perfectly executed display of musicianship, it was a clinic at every position. I am a vocalist and my inspiration, people I'd emulate is a short list, Steve Perry, Daryl Hall and Eric Martin. As always they are also very gracious and friendly people and if the band were reading this review I'd tell them that they have made many people very happy getting back together, making new music and stunning us live once again. They have not lost a step, in fact I think they are better today than 20 years ago. Buy your tickets, it is worth every penny and more. Thank you Mr. Big, thank you very much.

My husband and I saw them play twice this month; first in San Francisco at The Fillmore and then at The House of Blues in Houston. They were at the beginning the US leg of their tour with the former and the latter was their second-last gig. How did the two compare? Awesome and AWESOME!! We went all the way to Houston just to see them again after that first time. Money and time permitting, I promise you, we'd have seen them a third time. It's incredible how much energy this band has and how tight and amazing their sound still is. This was easily one of our favourite concert experiences ever and I've seen some great acts in concert - The Eagles, The Police, U2, Van Halen, Def Leppard, Bryan Adams, to name a few. It was an amazing experience because of that tremendous energy and the generosity of spirit of this band. These guys should be in arenas in the US, they are that good. They played a number of songs off "What if?", their new album which is, in my humble opinion, one of the best rock albums out in the last five years. They also performed a great number of their past hits. They played hard and fast with few breaks in between, yet enough chat to engage the crowd. I can't begin to imagine how they do this. Touring appears to be a younger person’s game, it must be exhausting in the extreme. Sure, they were tired out. We waited after the show to meet the band and get an autograph and they said as much. They looked beat off-stage but never while they were still on it. Even so, after the show they were very gracious to their fans. Enough can’t be said about what consummate professionals of music these guys are. Young musicians everywhere could learn a thing about just anything to do with performing and touring from these guys. They know how to give their fans a show. Both performances had the same high tempo, with the same superlative level of execution. No gimmicks or crazy production, just four guys doing what they do well. Eric Martin...what can I say that hasn't already been said before? An outstanding vocalist with a unique voice. A rare meeting after the Houston concert also proved him to be a genuine, hilarious and highly approachable famous person. He turned our expectations of what a front man from a famous band would be upside down, in a good way. This guy sounds like he did twenty years ago, maybe even better. Age has seasoned his voice and as “Stranger in my life” shows, the deep tones he’s been able to add to his already stellar vocal range make for a glorious vocal display. He’s just amazing live. I’m a fan of the guy for life, even if (perish forbid!) age someday make the wrong kind of changes to this vocal range he has now. My favourite vocalist alive. (Coz’ after this, Joe Elliot - Def Leppard - just moved down a rung. Favourite vocalist of all time? Still is Freddie Mercury) Billy Sheehan is a living legend, simply the best bass player ever. Such an amazing guy too. Both he and EM stopped to talk to the fans after the show and Billy Sheehan was a wonderful person to talk to, a gentleman and a truly interesting one at that, who was just as interested in his fans. He played with a ferocity and grace that no bass guitarist ever comes close to matching. He seems to have been born with that base, the way he plays it seems as natural to him as breathing. When you watch him, you know you’re watching a master at his craft. My husband, normally fairly conservative in speech, was gushing like a school kid about Billy Sheehan’s playing. We stood right in front of him at the SF show. He was phenomenal! Getting to watch him and Paul Gilbert play together and riff off each other is a treat, their musical chemistry is fantastic. Which brings us to Paul Gilbert, who is just a stunning musician, as any starry-eyed young and aspiring guitarist you know will tell you. We stood right in front of him at the Houston show. There was a 15-year-old standing right behind me and I swear his jaw was on the floor the whole time PG played. When Paul Gilbert played his solo, we were worried that the kid might have a heart attack; he looked like he’d stopped breathing. PG was amazing, his fingers fly on that Ibanez. He makes it seem so effortless and I know (being married to a guy who played guitar since he was a kid) that what it means is that countless hours went into him perfecting his craft. He is truly awesome to behold. The only thing as great as Paul Gilbert on guitar? Paul Gilbert on drums. The band mixed it up, traded instruments and played “Smoke on the water” towards the end of the show. Watching Paul Gilbert just go for it on drums is so much fun, it’s hard to put into words. The band’s drummer, Pat Torpey is probably one of the most under-rated musicians out there. We don’t hear enough from and about this guy. A band can only be as good as their percussion and this band has that area covered in gold. When I used to listen to “Take Cover” on repeat when it first came out, I’d come to believe that the drum segment must be looped, it was so tight. What was I thinking?! That song’s live performance is seared and branded into my memory. Every beat of the drum proves his mastery of his instrument. My only regret is not being able to meet him and tell him that. He’s the heart of this band. They are all excellent musicians in their own right but together, as Mr. Big, there is pure magic around them. There’s a mystic synergy to this band, a ‘je ne sais quoi’, a chemistry that cannot be defined. I firmly believe that none of them can be replaced without destroying that Mr. Big spirit. Their time with Richie Kotzen showed this, not because he was bad, but because he isn’t one of these four guys. Sheehan, Martin, Gilbert and Torpey, they are Mr. Big. And they are even bigger live. I hope you got to see them. My husband and I will be there every time they tour. We grew up in India and this band played the soundtrack to my life in high school and college, also for so many of my friends. They didn't tour in India back then so we never got to see them. This is one of the bands I didn't mind not seeing in their heyday, because if you ask me, I think this still is their time. I don’t understand how “To be with you” is the only huge song they are known for here in the US. They have so many true rockin', amazing songs. We’re super glad they’re back, and back with the same enthusiasm as before. I’d thought it would never be. Eric, Billy, Paul and Pat, thank you for Mr. Big, thanks for the music & thanks for the two unforgettable shows we were lucky to catch. We hope you continue doing what you love for a long, long time, because your fans love it too. We will always be in the front rows enjoying every nanosecond!

After trying to see them for 21 yrs I finally got my opportunity and took my wife and 10 yr old son to the HOB Houston for the show (a 2.5 hr drive). I didn't expect a large crowd, esp being a Tuesday night, but the folks that came out were true fans of the band and I feel that Mr. Big appreciated us as much as we did them. They played with the same energy as they would have to a stadium of people and made us feel as if they were the ones that were honored for the chance to play for us. It was an amazing night I will never forget and they set the bar so high, I feel a bit bad for the next group I go see because they'll have a lot to live up to. Eric's vocals were in great shape, Pat's drumming was relentless and spot on, Paul's guitar playing was amazing (wow, that solo was off the hook) and Billy, come on, what more can be said other than thank you for sharing your talent (yes, I'm a bass player) and making everyone in the house feel as if they were in the presence of true musical greatness. Yeah, sappy, I don't care because these guys are great and they deserve to hear it. If you missed them on this tour, my condolences. Believe me; I truly regret not having been able to see them before this. I was lucky enough to see Billy supporting Steve Vai in Dallas a few years back at the Granada from maybe 15 feet away and on basically stage level with him. That was a great experience, but seeing him with Mr. Big was on a whole level above and beyond that. When they are back in Texas next, I will be there, period. Thanks for a great evening and experience for my family (Eric, only critique would be the whole sex & chocolate thing, doesn't fit well with you guys and there were young ears in the crowd). The new album (yes, I called it that) is also great, pick it up if you haven't already.

Dear Mr. Big, Can I have my face back? Seriously, if you missed this band on tour then you missed out. I've been a fan since the start and they did not disappoint on this occasion. Where on earth was the audience though? Playing to a half-empty house however did not deter it seems and the band rocked their way through a killer mixed set of oldies and new stuff from their awesome new album. PG's and Billy's solos were incredible as usual, and YES all those rock faces are completely necessary and awesome to watch (in response to the review below). These are arguably some of the most talented musicians in rock today - demonstrated by their ability to play each others instruments. If you don't know what I'm talking about then, again, you missed out. Last chance to catch them in Dallas tonight, then its back to Europe. Long live face-melting!

Mr. Big put on an incredible two-hour set in New york City, Aug. 23. The reunited band, which featured the return of Paul Gilbert on guitar, ran through an impressive set of about 20 songs that spanned their entire career, from their first self-titled album and biggest record Lean Into it, to a healthy dose of its latest disc: What if? It was a highly entertaining show from top to bottom.

Mr Big is the most underrated bands to have ever come. Sheehan, Gilbert, & Thorpe are masters at their perspective instruments. They can really show the young-ems how its done. And mostly, they were have a blast on stage.

Awesome show! They sounded great! Go see them! A+++

I've always been a big fan of this band & this was probably the 5th time I've seen them. I'm also a HUGE fan of Paul Gilbert & his amazing guitar playing. As far as this show went, when they were "playing songs" they were fantastic. The problem was how much time they spent "not" playing songs. Between Eric Martin belting out these stupid melodies for all of the drunk people to sing back to him. Then (& ya I know it's Mr Big but) come on, a BASS SOLO, just shoot me already. Nuff said there. Gilbert's playing was great as always but, where did this constant barrage of stupid faces come from? Paul was always one of my favorite performers to see live whether it was in Racer X, mR bIG, or on those G3 tours but, now he looks so ridiculous that I can't even stand to look at him. Bottom Line, Their 1st 2 tours when they were all business & hungry were their prime. Now, not so much..

Overall experience was fantastic! The venue is a medium-sized one holding about 200-300 people that night. The audience was clean and sober, unlike some other shows where people were smoking apparently and losing control... Back to the band, Paul and Bill's solos really made my day. Although I haven't really listened to their songs before the show, I was very much amazed by their live performance with their mastery skills in rock music and their solo tradings!

4 top notch musicians at the top of their game. They were having fun playing which made it even more enjoyable. They wanted to be there rocking the house, and it showed. They weren't just showing up for a paycheck like some other bands I've seen lately. If they are heading to your area don't miss them!

Okay, I've never been one to stand outside a venue after a show, but I decided to give it a shot for Mr. Big...And I got to meet them! The guys were SO nice! They autographed my guitar! Aside from that, the concert was phenomenal. Could not have asked for a better show. Plenty of classics, plenty of new songs. Tons of energy, very crowd-friendly, tons of fun. It was an absolutely amazing experience. Even if you barely know Mr. Big's music, it's 100% worth the low ticket prices. DO NOT MISS ANY CHANCE YOU GET TO SEE MR. BIG!

The one reason I even know about Mr. Big is because of guitar beast Paul Gilbert, who has been an idol of mine and inspiration for my continued practice on the instrument. After delving into their music, I began to see that the band was more than just a band with a good guitarist. Sure, they have one of the most technically capable guitarist and likely the most technically capable bassist, but that doesn't define the band. They all bring their virtuosity into the table to create a combined experience that's meant to amaze. Its all the more obvious when you see them live, and during their show in B.B. Kings, they displayed enormous amounts of energy and life, while playing their songs to perfection, even better than the studio versions perhaps. You can tell how much fine they're having with it, and that in turn adds onto your own experience with it. Time hasn't slowed these guys down at all, in fact, it gave them the chance to mature and become even more creative in the way they view music composition. Would certainly pay triple to see the again, though hopefully I wouldn't have to!

Excellent show. The band was on fire. The band definitely feed off of the great crowd reaction. We need a new cd and for them to return to Showcase Live. The venue is very nice. It would be great to see Mr. Big there again.

op notch compositions, musicianship and entertainment.

Foxborough Mass...... Sooooo glad i finally got to see Mr. Big. Waited a long time and was well worth the wait. All the songs were spot on, Vocals were Spectacular from all four members, Paul & Billy were incredible, Pat was awesome, and Eric was great as you can clearly see from any recent YouTube vids. They looked like they were having a great time and the COMEDY from the band was fun. If you like Mr. Big you MUST see them. You will NOT be disappointed in any way, shape, or form.

I was there for the opener, The Dirty Pearls, but both bands were amazing!