Blind Melon - August 7th, 2008 - House Of Blues - Dallas, TX

Lead singer replacements are a tough deal. Especially for a band whose lead singer's voice is so synonymous with the sound of that band. Case in point Blind Melon. Twelve, yes I said TWELVE years since the passing of Shannon Hoon the band is giving it a go again with a new singer, Travis Warren. The newly reconstructed band came back for a second swing at the House Of Blues this year.

The all too familiar Hello Goodbye from the album 'Soup' brought the band out on stage. Normally you'd expect to hear Galaxie but instead they opened with the wonderful tune Walk off their second album. It had a really laid back approach. Now is the moment. The moment where you kow if things are really a cover band of their former selves or if they can really be moving forward. For My Friends. Its the title song to their new album and the reason i'm inclined to think they are moving forward. If you've never heard Travis I think you'd be surprised that while he sings in the general range of Shannon he is most definitely not a Hoon clone.

The band sans-singer truly is one of the current great musical bands that have such a united beautiful voice. These guys were made to make music together because collectively they make wonderful music together. Something about the whole being greater than the parts. The three song Drive > 2x4 > Skinned was so needed and came at such a good time as it evoked the crowd singing along. Now in all fairness the band had played late in Austin the night before and their voices were pretty shot in places and the crowd made up for it.

As the band moved into the (Ripped Away) version of No Rain you are reminded of what the power of music really is. I stood amongst a thousand fans on the packed floor at HOB, smile from ear to ear, singing along to all the words of their 'one hit wonder' song and not giving a shit. Its how I think of true bliss. Soup made us all reflective of Shannon. Change does the same in its own right.

Because the Cadillac that's sittin' in the back
It isn't me
Oh, no, no, no it isn't me
I'm more at home in my galaxie

You could tell that by the end they were hurting and tired. Steppenwolf's song 'The Pusher' closed things out with another good singalong. Although this show was not as fresh and energetic as the last visit back in April it certainly had its moments. Since i'm usually one of the last to leave a room with my gear and all, I usually roll by the merch table on my way out. Picked up a really nice watercolor poster for the Summer Tour. Then to my amazement the band walks out to do a meet and greet type signing. Got all original four band members to sign my new poster. Needless to say i'm happy.

It is not to often than you can walk out of a venue and honestly be able to say 'I got my money worth tonight', this was one of those nights.

I taped the show from right in front of the FOH mixer as usual per HOB. I just haven't found a way to get great tapes from there although I think this one sounds real nice over the Live Music Archive stream.

DOWNLOAD/STREAM HERE

1. Intro >
2. Walk
3. For My Friends
4. Drive
5. 2x4
6. Skinned
7. Tumbling Down
8. Time
9. Sometimes
10. Change
11. Mouthful Of Cavities
12. No Rain
13. Soup
14. Galaxie
Encore:
15. The Pusher