As I have stated on several occasions previous, music that touches the soul and inspires the spirit forms a tapestry that serves as the backdrop of life. Few things arouse the senses as thoroughly as a live performance of by an artist and group that has been an integral part of one’s daily auditory escape for most of the past fifty years. Tuesday evening January 23rd, Justin Hayward and The Moody Blues filled the BOK Center in Tulsa with an evening of melodic and harmonic satisfaction. This concert, a stop on the 50th anniversary tour commemorating the group’s album Days of Future Passed, was not yet three weeks removed from the passing of founding group member Ray Thomas. There was a period of reverence before the beginning of the show dedicated to his memory and his body of work as a musician with the group.
I didn’t get the name of the flute player who has taken his place but members John Lodge, Graeme Edge, and of course the iconic Justin Hayward along with (of all rock stars) Graham Nash all emerged to a standing ovation and dove right into a classic first set with I’m Just A Singer in a Rock & Roll Band.
It was duly noted by Yours Truly that the median age of the audience was well over 60 and any attendees below the age of 50 were a definite minority. Even still, I was quite taken aback that it was not a sellout. The age factor made for a pretty tame crowd as all seemed content to sit back and take in the sounds of their automobile play lists in concert surround audio. The first set consisted of a variety of their classic hits and The Moody Blues have ample variety of them. One was the mid-80s classic from the album The Other Side of Life, Your Wildest Dreams, was a very appropriate number for an old friend I learned via the social media news feed on my muted phone was sitting not far away from my floor seat. The first set lasted about an hour. After intermission and a couple songs into the second set, Hayward et. al. launched into the evening’s feature, the album released in November 1967, Days of Future Passed, in its entirety.
All tracks were played in the order I remember them being on the album. The accompanying visuals reflected a day in a life on Planet Earth: one rotation of the sphere in space before the infinity of the Universe.
Days of Future Passed full album
I was impressed with the encore finale, the old cruising jam from the album In Search of the Lost Chord, Ride My See-Saw. The entire show was over by 10 PM and I don’t know if that was more to serve the needs of the band or the audience. All the same it was an evening well spent with a group whose music I’m sure will still be heard over the airwaves long after the last of those in attendance and those on the stage are gone and all but forgotten. Music of The Moody Blues define the Baby Boomer generation, their children and even some of their grandchildren. That tapestry I spoke of above that forms the backdrop of my life contains numerous numbers by The Moody Blues. I cannot think of my youth without hearing one of their songs in the background. If they come back this way again, I will make a point to see and hear another performance. The spectre of hearing the greatest hits of The Moody Blues lilting through an assisted living center makes the prospect of spending the end of this life in such a place a lot less intimidating. I will vouch as I have already escaped the harshness of the realities of life numerous times with a Moody Blues song on the stereo. My thanks to the band and all who made their performance Tuesday evening possible.