Living Colour - On Stage At World Café Live (DVD, 2007)

I’ve been a Living Colour fan for a long time, well before they hit anything near mainstream and then shortly disappeared from the pop culture radar. I’ve even managed to see them live, which if you knew anything about me personally, is a testament to how much I like them.

So I was pretty hyped to hear that one of my more favorite bands was FINALLY coming out with a live concert DVD. Hyped, but hesitant. After all, it’s been twenty-something years or so since I first discovered Living Colour. I’ve watched with increasing trepidation over the years as my musical icons age not-so-well. Oh, Jimmy Page… what did you do to yourself!

I should not have been concerned. These.guys.ROCK. Vocalist and showman extraordinaire Corey Glover is amazing. I would seriously consider giving up a not-too-unimportant portion of my anatomy to be able to sing like him. Guitarist guru Vernon Reid shreds like he was born to it, with a surrealistic mix of finesse and raunch that few can match. Drummer Wil Calhoun is as solid as ever; laying a flawless foundation that simultaneously supports and enhances the other musicians’ brilliant performances. And of course, bassist Doug Wimbush is up to his usual wizardry.

As great as it is to finally see these guys in the comfort of my own home on a quality DVD, all is not well. First and most importantly, the show is too short. Clocking in at just under an hour, my craving was barely sated before it was all over. Predictably, the crowd is lame. It was just a little bit disconcerting to watch the guys’ faces as they rocked their hearts out before a less-than-enthusiastic crowd. As much as I was enjoying the performance, I achingly longed for a more appropriate crowd. (Being a performing musician myself, I know full well how the crowd’s reaction can make or break a show.) Admittedly, the crowd finally comes alive for the encore performance of “Cult of Personality”. Imagine that. And perhaps this is more of a nit than an actual complaint, but Doug Wimbush sings one song! Mr. Wimbush does a fine job, and in any other setting my reaction would have been significantly less subdued. But… DUDE! You have freakin’ COREY GLOVER in the band! ‘nuff said.

The song choice is adequate if not totally exciting. The usual crowd pleasers are there, but considering this ground breaking group has five full length albums and an EP or two floating around out there, do we really need to hear “Glamour Boys” again?

All in all, and especially considering the lack of concert footage available, this disc has easily garnered a place among my favorites. If you call yourself a fan, there’s no question you need this disc. If you’re among the curious, I encourage you to check it out. If you like what you see and hear, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of “Time’s Up”, the band’s seminal musical creation, IMHO.

I love older music. Love all the songs and the audio and video are great. Even has short interveiws, right to the point.