El Monstero Delivers Yet Again at Packed Show in Saint Louis Saturday Night
–by Randy Thompson and Vicki Lee
–photos by Ryan Ledesma
Saturday’s concert at a near capacity Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Saint Louis promised to be an exhibition of heart pounding hard rock and uncompromising psychedelic music as performed by two bands who have made a mark in music history; Living Colour, and the local legend Pink Floyd tribute band El Monstero.
Living Colour opened the show with in your face, funk metal jams, assuring the audience from the beginning that they were here to rock and take no prisoners. The band was in top form and an enthusiastic audience of early arrivals received a treat to be savored.
With their signature slashing cords and pulsating beat, Doug Wimbish (bass) and Will Calhoun (drums) set the tone for the evening. The band stuck to their roots of infusing high powered riffs with funk, jazz, hip hop, and punk. The lyrics touched on interpersonal experiences, imploring people to “mind their own damn business” and making profound political statements with their powerful lyrics. They waited until the end of the set to dish out the high-powered hit, “Cult Of Personality”. Lead singer Corey Glover waded into the audience of singing, screaming and fist pumping fans and they loved it. Thirsty for more, incomparable lead guitarist, Vernon Reid, slammed into a high energy assault on their last tune, “Times Up”.
At this point headliners, El Monstero, came to the stage. This band is comprised of a mixture of St. Louis musicians from several bands. They began their journey as a Pink Floyd tribute band in 1999 performing at the Pageant on Delmar for several Christmas shows every year. In 2012, due to popular demand, the band began playing a summer show as well. This is that Summer tradition come to life.
The band consists of 2 lead singers, Mark Thomas Quinn and Jimmy Griffin, who voiced Roger Waters (Quinn) and David Gilmore (Griffin) exceptionally well as well as playing some amazing riffs on the guitar. There are also John Pessoni (drums), an amazing third guitarist (Bryan Greene) and bassist, Kevin Gagnepain.
El Monstero are supported by keyboards, saxophone, three backup singers, four pole dancers, two eight foot tall dancing pigs, laser lights, a giant disco ball, confetti cannons, brown shirted soldiers holding floodlights, and an actual helicopter during “Another Brick in the Wall,Pt.2”. You missed a hell of a show, is all we can say!
The music contained songs from several popular Pink Floyd albums. Initially, the tunes chosen came from The Wall and were followed in a more eclectic order after that with songs culled from: Animals, Wish You Were Here, More, Meddle and at the end, a set pulled from Dark Side Of The Moon. Throughout the concert members of Living Colour came back to the stage to perform with El Monstero. The final songs included both bands playing together and “Comfortably Numb” was incredible with Calhoun and Pessoni playing together and Reid and Wimbish adding their instruments to the band.
The band had the audience in their hands like putty from the beginning to the very end. The St. Louis connection was obviously strong, and made even stronger from the photos of loved ones gone too soon sent by fans displayed on the video screen during “wish You Were Here”, and greatly appreciated by those in attendance. To our eyes it looked like the venue was close to being sold out.
They played 32 songs over almost 3 hours without missing a beat and staying very closely connected to all the original Floyd songs while adding their own slight personal twists and takes on the music as players were highlighted. The crowd was always in the moment, soaking up the talent and energy of a band that was truly devoted to who they were giving tribute to. There were times that felt like we were smashing through the wall or standing on the dark side of the moon together.
If you appreciate the music of Pink Floyd, and you ever have a chance to see this performance, you need to take off and run like hell to that venue.
Be sure to check out the gallery of photos below the setlists.
El Monstero Performers
Bill Reiter, keyboards
Jake Elking, keyboards
Dave Farver, saxophone
Ermine Cannon, background vocals
Tandra Williams, background vocals
Kirstin Johnson, background vocals
Living Colour Set List
Memories Can’t Wait
Middle Man
Desperate People
Open Letter
Mind Your Own Business
This Little Pig
Love Rears Its Ugly Head
Type
Cult of Personality
Time’s Up
El Monstero Set List
Not Now John
In the Flesh?
Another Brick in the Wall, pt 1
The Happiest Days of Our Lives
Another Brick in the Wall, pt. 2
Mother
Goodbye Blue Sky
Empty Spaces
Young Lust
Shine on You Crazy Diamond (pts 1-4)
Have a Cigar (w/ Corey Glover)
Pigs (3 Different Ones)
Is There Anybody Out There?
Hey You
Green is the Colour
Wish You Were Here
Fearless
Take It Back
One of These Days (w/ Doug Wimbish)
Speak to Me
Breathe
On the Run
Time
Breathe (Reprise)
The Great Gig in the Sky
Money (w/ Vernon Reid)
Us and Them
Any Colour You Like
Brain Damage
Eclipse
Run Like Hell/Another Brick in the Wall, pt. 3/Run Like Hell (w/ Will Calhoun)
Comfortably Numb (w/ Living Colour)
Yeah, great review.
Except, Living Color could have stayed home. They really only got a rise out of the audience when they placed the very last song that was over 30 years old. The rest of their songs seemed disorganized and poorly thought out. Kinda felt sorry for them, the where defiantly in the wrong venue.
I wished El Monstero, would have really reconsidered their choice of an opening band.