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The musicians were incredible. The group only has one original member, Gary Brooker, who did all the vocals & he sounded great. The volume & sound of the instruments, at times, sounded weird. I'm not sure why but the mix or something wasn't right. Loved the venue... The Carolina Theatre was beautiful and We enjoyed watching the concert from our great seats. Overall, a very good show!
My Verdict.. It was a good show..Gary Brooker is 70 and singing better and playing better than ever..and he looks great too. The rest of the band is top notch. Josh nailed the keyboard parts nicely,and the great Geoff Whitehorn killed on guitar..a gifted and very tasteful musician..never overbearing..but melodic, powerful and sensitive. Yet I wanted to hear a few dark songs like “Whaling Stories”or”The Idol” and a rocker like “Whiskey Train”or”Still There’ll be More”..I also thought the sets were a little short on the songs we know and love. Okay ones I know and love... Gary talked between songs and was incredibly hilarious telling stories of eating in the South at the Cracker Barrel..A very witty and charming man..and a soul singer..When he ripped into “When a Man Loves A Woman” the hairs stood up on the back of my head it was sooo good..he even said “I knew we should have recorded it!”
Procol Harum is old, but they still know how to rock and roll! Played some great songs, the singer still has that irreplaceable voice! My only complaint is that the volume was just a little too high -- but that is the fault of the Theatre, not the band.
Gary Brooker looked 80, talked like he was 85, but sang like he was 25. In all the original keys, etc. Right on the mark. The sound though was terrible. Very muddy, vocals lost in the music. Brooker did make a politically incorrect comment about Muslims. What was that about? Totally inappropriate but also showed the state of feelings in England. Finally the show was broken up into two short sets which didn't work, and the first set was filled with songs no one ever heard before, except for Shine On Brightly. Gary alluded to the fact that this may have been because of urinary problems, but I'm not sure. All in all still worth seeing as how much longer do you think the 69 year old Brooker is going to be doing this.
I enjoyed this way more than I expected. Gary Brooker was amusing and connected with the audience rather well. The sound was pretty decent, lead guitar was a tad screechy and vocals were a bit buried in the mix at times, but this was the best show I've seen at this venue.
The show was execellent. They played old & new music. They snuck in some snippets of other artist music at the right times! All the old hits I want to hear were blading included in the show. The Carolina Theatre was a quality place to see a concert!
Technically, Gary Brooker still has his chops! His voice was great, as well as his piano playing. The band was awesome. A really full, professional sound. Probably won't happen, but I'd like to see a group of back-up singers to enhance Gary's vocals. In my opinion that would really make it shine. A fun (and very British) sense of humor throughout the show, with a lot of banter between Mr Brooker and his guitar player, Geoff Whitehorn, which keeps it light and interesting. Loved this show!!!
Best English band with an unbelievable combination of music, lyrics, musical knowledge, intelligence, wit and self-deprecation. If you don't like Conquistador or Salty Dog or Simple Sister or Lighter Shade of Pale or Grand Hotel (all on the setlist for this show), then you really are missing something unique.
I last saw Procul Harum in 1992 in the UK, when they were in their prime, so it was interesting to catch them again in Durham, though in truth only Gary Booker is left from that earlier band. I was very impressed with the show and particularly with the strength and reach of Booker's voice, which seems amazingly unchanged. Overall, if you enjoyed Procul Harum in the late 60ties/early 70ties you will certainly enjoy the show.
Gary Brooker keeps the music and the sound of Procol Harum alive. Even though it is not the original band, this version has been together longer than most bands from the 60s-70s and they are great. Its a trip down nostalgia road with favorites like Simple Sister, Bringing Home the Bacon, Salty Dog, Homburg and of course Whiter Shade. Didn't really know what to expect but it was a great show.
Sun Center is a great small venue, not a bad seat in the house! Procol Harum did a great job and at the age of 69, Gary Brooker can still belt out a tune.
The show was outdoors and the seating was folding chairs. The weather was beautiful and the lighting and sound were very professionally done. The musicians were all exceptional and seemed to be very happy to work together and enjoyed what they were doing. Each had a respect for the others; talent. It was a pleasure to experience. The musical selections were varied from the earliest recordings to the most recent and a tribute was done in honor of Johnny Winters who passed this week. I truly enjoyed the concert and the venue took pride in the was the music was presented.
I have now seen Procol Harum three times since I first saw them in Philly in 1970, just after "Home" came out. First, the music. Pretty much spanned the entire life of the band, including "Kaleidoscope" from their first LP. I was especially moved to hear "Whaling Stories", one of my favorite Procol tunes. My wife has always been put off by the lyrics of the songs, which at least at times have focused a lot on death. But I tend to focus on the music itself, and Brooker's melodies can be sometimes very beautiful. The band is excellent, very proficient at covering the wide range of Procol tunes and not wandering too far off from the original, unless, of course, that's what Brooker wants to do. Both the guitarist and the drummer are careful to preserve some of the more memorable licks, and still add their own touch. I tend to stay away from concerts by 60's bands who often bear little or no resemblance to the original. But this band is much better than that. Definitely worth checking out- a very enjoyable evening. By the way, Brooker's voice is still super, able to hit the high notes, and still has plenty of punch. And the boy can still rock n' roll! He did a few lines of "When A Man Loves A Woman" that gave Percy Sledge a run for his money. And I remember from the 1970 show, the encore was Good Golly Miss Molly, a real ass kicker.
procal harum was great. they did all the songs I had hoped for. gary is great! the only down side was the volume of the music was too loud and the volume of the vocals were too low. over all a great show. I had seen them several times in the 60's and 70's
Excellent concert, Gary Booker was charming, voice still as great as ever, never had a chance to see them in the 60's/70's when first got into their music, so great to see and hear them now. Try to catch them every time they come thru Philadelphia.
Saw Procol Harum and am "so glad" I went. They were GREAT. They did a number of their classics and the music was so unique and so enjoyable. Gary Booker was as good as ever and very entertaining.
I will see Procal anytime they are close by. I bought tickets earliest and did not notice it was outside. Well after my purchase they added Carl Palmer as 1st act. He was uncomfortably loud and self indulgently bad that we sat on picknick tables until he was done with minimal applause. The seats were very uncomfortable with nonsupportive backs. But as usual Procal Harum was fabulous and I was thrilled to see and hear the band at the 3rd row.
Gary Booker and Carl Palmer both seemed to be enjoying themselves playing to a smaller knowledgeable crowd (around 1000 people) outdoors in perfect weather. Great evening of progressive rock from the late 60s. Took me back to 1969-72 when a lot of this music was coming out and we would grab a blanket go out to a field and some rock group would play. The venue, Sun Center, has plenty of parking, no lines to the bathroom, good food and beer and wine, and hits its demographic, baby boomers, on the mark. I wish they would have let both groups play longer. Carl Palmer was on a time limit and Procol Harum did one set plus encore. If you enjoy Procol Harum, they hit all of their highlights. Carl Palmer was doing ELP with a guitarist and bass and while the guitarist was quite good, he wasn't a full replacement for Keith Emerson's keyboards. All in all, a great concert.
Great concert with Carl Palmer opening for Procol Harum. Fantastic, intimate venue.
Great outdoor concert. Had tremendous seats. Great place to see show. Every seat is a good seat. Procol Harum & Carl Palmer were fantastic. Best show of the year so far.
