The Specials in Seattle

Only three of the magnificent seven are on board for this reunion go-'round (which I've heard will be their last). Jerry Dammers has long refused to participate, and John Bradbury isn't among us anymore. Neville Staples' legal problems in the UK have long prevented him from getting a visa. And Roddy Byers opted out, apparently at the last minute.

But their supporting band mates were excellent, and the band was in fine overall form. Terry Hall was a bit more animated than he was at their last Seattle show. And the sold-out crowd was super enthusiastic. Everyone around me seemed to be in fine spirits. (The girl standing next to me squealed and jumped and hugged me and my friend right before the encore, because her date had just proposed to her.)

SETLIST:
Ghost Town
Do Nothing
Friday Night, Saturday Morning
Stereotypes
Man at C&A
Blank Expression
Rat Race
Hey Little Rich Girl
Why?
Doesn't Make It Alright
Nite Klub
Dawning of a New Era
Do the Dog
Gangsters
It's Up to You
Concrete Jungle
A Message to You Rudy
Monkey Man
Little Bitch
Too Much Too Young

ENCORE:
Guns of Navarone
Enjoy Yourself
You're Wondering Now

The opener was a quintet from New York called The Far East. They played a light, poppish take on reggae with female vocals. Nothing to set the place ablaze -- in fact, it struck me that the crowd responded with gradually diminishing enthusiasm as the group's set progressed. But to my ears, they sounded fine. And the lead singer was easy on the eyes.

Cool that they did "Why?" I'd like to hear that one live.

Starting with "Ghost Town"? Always troubles me when a band starts a set with their biggest hit. But hope it was fun! I was listening to the GREATEST HITS in the car a few days ago.

I saw them two weeks ago and I thought they were better this time than the last. I thought it might have been that this time, I saw at the beginning of the tour and the last time it was the end of the tour but apparently not. Lynval Goulding was particularly good this time around.

As for the openers, they played competent reggae but I can't think of many things that are more boring than competent reggae.

> Starting with "Ghost Town"? Always troubles me when a band starts a set with their
> biggest hit.

Every time I've seen The Specials, they've ended their main set with "Ghost Town." It was a real surprise to hear it as the opening number. In fact, that familiar spooky wind intro sent a big palpable thrill through the whole crowd, so it really did achieve a big sense of liftoff. Besides, The Specials have a big bag of crowd-pleasers. It's not like, say, Modern English beginning their set with "I Melt with You."

> I can't think of many things that are more boring than competent reggae.

Competent folk music.

There is a band name for you: Competent Folk

Looking back, though, Heff is right. I really can't remember anything about The Far East's music, except the fact that it was, as he said, "competent reggae." None of their songs stands out in my head at all. The group's web site describes The Far East as "Brooklyn reggae and super boom" (whatever the hell that means), but trust me, nothing about the band's music went boom. If not for the group's comely lead singer, I'm sure I wouldn't recall that set at all.