Renaissance was one of my favorite bands back in the day and I still listen to their music today. When I heard they were getting back together (Annie Haslam and Michael Dunford) plus some others that were not from the original band, I was delighted. That they were appearing with Procol Harum, the first band I saw at The Spectrum in Philly, was cool. Procol Harum was never one of my favorite bands but one I don't dislike. Top all of this off that the concert was being held at Longwood Gardens and the promise was there for a magical evening.
Since the price of the ticket ($$$) included admission to Longwood Gardens my wife and I arrived a few hours early and wandered around the grounds and conservatory. It was spectacular. We have been there before but not at this time of year. There was hardly anyone walking around the grounds so it was almost like we had the place to ourselves!
The area they hold the concerts in, an open air "ampitheater" with plastic chairs was nice but it was open air. The weather folks were calling for rain and that would have really put a damper on the concert however it didn't rain!!! It was a pleasant evening, weather wise, with some nice breezes.
Renaissance came out and put on a great show. The sound was surprisingly good. Annnie and the band were almost exactly as I recall sounding over 25 years ago. I was a bit disappointed that Annie didn't have a bit more interaction with the audience. She lives in PA from what I understand and Philly has always supported the band. They haven't played in so many years so it would have been nice to hear about some details of what they have been up to and future plans. Michael did say they have a new album coming out sometime next year but that was about the extent of it.
Every tune they did was one that I liked, including the one new song. The crowd seemed to really love seeing them again and showed this by giving a few standing ovations.
Procol Harum put on a good show. Strong vocals by Gary Brooker and very good lead guitar though I don't recall the gutarists name. They had a sound problem that came and went but was ultimately fixed. Again, everyone seemed to enjoy their performance by strong applause and standing ovations.
If you are into either Renaissance or Procol Harum I don't think you'd be disappointed seeing either or both. Both bands still "have it" after so many years have passed since their beginnings. One last thing...I will be checking out other concerts at Longwood Gardens as it was a very unique and delightful place for such an event.