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It is not often that a
musician is so talented that they can forgo the image, the fanfare, and
the support that is behind full-scale tours and still be a success. Just
ask any musician who struggles to fill their vehicle with gas and put food
in their mouth while on the road regardless of their talent….When it
comes to Kip Winger, an artist whose great talents had been lost in the
shuffle at the height of his band's success, the simplicity of his
approach only proves how wrong his critics had been.
So as Winger hit the road
on a solo tour somewhat in support of his latest release, Songs From the
Ocean Floor (he'd concluded a longtime prior to the album's release, that
it isn't feasible to pull off the material live as a one man act…), he
introduced the album by performing a melodic instrumental entitled
"Free," and left the rest of his set to requested favorites
ranging from the debut Winger album to his solo material. There is no question that Winger
has long since paid his dues as a musician and as a man, and despite the tragedy
life has dealt, he has continued to pour out his soul through his songs, with
intelligent lyrics, unbelievable versatility, and remarkable strength. And as he
approaches the stage with a twelve-string, a guitar pick (which he seldom uses),
and a microphone, he shows how a man and a guitar can bring the stage to life.
The set was composed mostly of
requests from the intimate crowd, and covered almost everything that any fan
could have asked for. The only exception was the absence of
"Seventeen," which Winger claims doesn't make much sense to play any
more considering "she's about thirty now…"
From rockers like "Down
Incognito," "Easy Come Easy Go," and "Hungry" to
ballads like "Miles Away" and "Spell I'm Under," emotions
ran high. It is difficult to decide which songs stood out from the lengthy
coverage of this man's career, but songs that kept playing long after the show
commenced included "Blind Revolution Mad," "Who's the One,"
and "Rainbow in the Rose."
With news of an upcoming Greatest
Hits album for the band WINGER, and a reunion for the addition of one new track
for the album, fans can only hope for a full-scale reunion sometime in the
future. For the latest news checkout Winger's official Web site http://www.kipwinger.com.
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