Concert Review: Peter Gabriel — Still Trusting the Imagination
By Paul Robicheau
The veteran English art-rocker gave a slow-to-develop but brilliant near-three-hour show that tapped stunning visuals while evolving from the cerebral to the celebratory, culminating in a joyous “In Your Eyes.”
Peter Gabriel with band at TD Garden. Photo: Paul Robicheau
“I’m just a part of everything,” Peter Gabriel sang in his new song “i/o” at TD Garden on Thursday, reflecting an expansive philosophy that de-emphasizes the individual. And the veteran English art-rocker demonstrated that same awareness in a slow-to-develop but brilliant near-three-hour show that tapped stunning visuals while evolving from the cerebral (at one point he mused possibilities for AI that could transform healthcare) to the celebratory, culminating in a joyous “In Your Eyes.”
At age 73, Gabriel proved to be in astonishingly fine voice after recent years in which he has been exploring endeavors beyond music, including brain-wired video. He spent much of the night at a keyboard, but also busted some big-time moves with his smartly cast eight-piece band, anchored by a longtime core of bassist Tony Levin (a Brookline native who also plays in King Crimson), guitarist David Rhodes, and drummer Manu Katché, as well as captivating upstart Ayanna Witter-Johnson on cello and vocals.
Peter Gabriel at TD Garden. Photo: Paul Robicheau
For an artist who’s been a focal point as a performer since his early ’70s days as the mask-and-costume-sporting original front man of Genesis, Gabriel displayed humble appreciation for the team that brings his sound and vision to life. He gave recurring credit to his bandmates, first introducing each one as they opened the concert in an ersatz campfire circle under the massive eclipsing moon on a round overhead screen for “Washing of the Water” and “Growing Up.” He thanked the rest of his crew, which pushed past a four-hour delay at the border after a show in Montreal the previous night to assemble the complex production. He even named the artists behind the visuals that illuminated each song, including Chinese activist Ai Weiwei, surprisingly in attendance but too shy to come onstage, said Gabriel, who also closed the night with “Biko,” his tribute to the anti-apartheid hero.
Rather than a classic rocker peddling the hits on an endless farewell tour, Gabriel went to an opposite extreme, showcasing his first new album in 21 years, still unreleased beyond several songs that have been dropped so far upon each full moon. In fact, half of Thursday’s 22-song concert came from i/o — a challenge for fans anxious to revel in the familiar rather than the fresh. And Gabriel took his time, framing many of those often slowly paced songs with dialogue as well.
This was especially true in the first set, which featured the majority of the new songs. “Four Kinds of Horses” rode texturing from the strings of Witter-Johnson and violinist Marina Moore, along with Josh Shpak’s trumpet and French horn, as the singer mulled an overlap of religion and peace with violence and terrorism. “Playing for Time” centered its melancholic yet striking reflection on memories and mortality between Gabriel on piano and Levin on upright bass. Then “Olive Tree” matched its brightly chorded chorus to colorful animation on the back panels as Gabriel sang “I’ve got the cool breeze right on my skin.”
Even the singer seemed to put a little more body English into the mid-set bone-shaking of “Digging in the Dirt,” a mix of precision and cacophony topped by trumpet and group-wide backing vocals. And when the set closed with the Motown-inspired lurch of the hit “Sledgehammer,” fans finally rose in unison to their feet and sang along as Gabriel kicked into choreographed steps with Levin and Rhodes — only to have that sudden momentum killed by intermission.
The second set began on the ominous side with a wall of scrim panels lowered across the stage front. A silhouette of Gabriel in a brimmed hat projected down the panels like echoes in lightning for “Darkness.” Then he walked behind that translucent screen to paint cloudy swirls with a wand during the moody new “Love Can Heal” before i/o’s aptly titled “Road to Joy” cast an upbeat changeup, with Levin fingering his Chapman Stick fretboard opposite Don E on keytar.
At that point, every new song in the set was followed by an old favorite, starting with a levitating “Don’t Give Up.” Fans cheered Witter-Johnson’s personalized take on Kate Bush’s part in that duet about a man disheartened by unemployment. The two singers scaled separate stairways to a rear platform for the song’s peak, Gabriel more than holding his own with yearning high notes, before the two descended to center stage to dance in a tag-team circle.
Peter Gabriel salutes Steve Biko at TD Garden. Photo: Paul Robicheau
“Red Rain” fell at a snappier pace than usual, and while Shpak’s muted trumpet didn’t fit the song’s forbidding tone, Manu Katché somehow showed he could bring his trademark drum fills to a higher level with multi-cymbal fusillades. At the same time, Gabriel saved three of the new album’s most effective numbers for the second half in the eerily funky “The Court,” “And Still” (another slow tune, though as impressionistic as the paintings on the backdrop), and “Live and Let Live,” which projected the crowd through a prism on the screens.
In any case, by the time the singer skipped across the stage for “Solsbury Hill” and the African-flavored “In Your Eyes” near the show’s end, a sense of communal uplift washed through the band and audience alike. Gabriel may be balder and heavier (as he playfully acknowledged at the outset of the night) as well as more mellow than when he recorded “Solsbury Hill” for his 1977 solo debut. But in that song, he sang “Just had to trust imagination,” and in that regard, he hasn’t changed.
Paul Robicheau served more than 20 years as contributing editor for music at the Improper Bostonian in addition to writing and photography for the Boston Globe, Rolling Stone, and many other publications. He was also the founding arts editor of Boston Metro.
Tagged: Ayanna Witter-Johnson, David Rhodes, Manu Katche, Peter Gabriel, TD Garden
Wow! Great review….Peter Gabriel is always amazing…..
Saw Peter and the Band last night in Philly P A and it was a Tremendous Show , ALL great musicians in their own right and Gabriel voice is Amazingly Strong, sincere and clear, he has only gotten Better through the years and yes the stage presence and theatrics were Beautifully done , I can’t say enough about just how GREAT his Voice is other than say Amazing and at 73 years old , Truly Amazing 🤩
Was at the show on Sept 16,23 “Disappointed.” Many any unknown new works. The venue “Wells Fargo Ctr” is a terrible place for a show. His voice was off key at times, and he had a slow delivery on “Solebury Hill.” Overall a “C” rating. Much better show coming up –“Steve Hackett” and his Foxtrot tour.
He’s 73 years old! Did you see madness play on the BBC last NYE? ….. Absolutely, Bloody terrible!
Peter Gabriel on the other hand……….., who was when younger, and still is, continuing to do with the same amazement at the age of 73 years old, is a blessing to music lovers around the world!!!
Making interesting and incredible music and art for the rest of us to enjoy. 😶🤷🏻
John, having Gabriel play so much new and beautiful music was a gift. That Philly show was off the hook. The music was crystal and Gabriel vibrant.
Steve Hackett is a master guitarist with a great band, skillfully recreating music that is 50 years old. Most of it written by Peter Gabriel.
Sorry you didn’t like the show. Maybe you were expecting Genesis?
Fantastic review, fully captured how great this show was. I often worry about aging performers not bring able to hit high notes. Peter hit them. The musicians were fantastic. Sometimes new songs take awhile to appreciate. Not the ones I heard in Philly. My son who was with me marveled at how he immediately appreciated songs he had never heard before. Art, music, and fun. Can’t beat it. One of best shows I’ve seen and I’ve seen plenty.
Was at Buffalo September 2023. Amazed by show. Much enjoyed. Watching 1970s YouTube video for months, looking at the beginnings, I’m left wondering on some imaginary drug that could restore a duet of early with “evolved” Gabriel. If anyone can do, leave it to Gabriel. I have written a musical score entitled MAN WITH THE GOLDEN EYES, a fiction of Space Philosopher crashed on planet Earth and subsequently, through verbal elegance, entrancing a woman such to leave her admirer in lament. After Friday’s Gabriel Concert, I am certain only Peter Gabriel [1970 or 2023] is capable of delivery. A concert worth attending
Saw the show last night at Staples Center in SF. Was ready to leave after 15 minutes. Regretfully, his new songs are completely forgettable and at least three felt like remakes of songs by others as I found myself singing their lyrics. There were ten or so on stage where five would have been better; the additional band mates just muddied the sound (although you could tell all were talented).
Overall it was a low energy performance on a low production value set with a few poorly performed classics thrown in. Yea, Peter’s voice is still great but pass on this if you haven’t purchased tix yet.
I was disappointed, and like many others, left before the encore. There are two types of performers: those that perform for the audience and those that perform more for themselves. Sadly, the show I saw on Saturday at the Acrisure was the latter. I don’t know about you but I go to a concert to be entertained, not to be lectured to, in serious overtones. I can get that on cable news for free. He is obviously very talented…still, but that concert almost put me to sleep. Even a couple hard core fans I spoke to after the concert were unhappy. Very low energy and too many news songs that were not that good.
Just returned home from the show in Austin TX. BRILLIANT. And I was so glad to find this review to share with people to try to convey the amazing experience that this evening was. It felt so good to be in a stadium of people who love Peter Gabriel so much; the energy was great, gorgeous music, genius art. The art especially gave me another way to get into the new songs, which I loved. How lucky we are to have this man still working his magic, and with so many incredibly talented musicians by his side. Thank you for this fine review.
My family and I are concert goers. Probably at least once a month, sometimes two if people are in our area that we want to see.
I started going to concerts in 1971? Elton John, Andy Williams, The Association, Gina Vanelli, Paul Anka, Even Elvis.
LET ME TELL YOU, Last night at The American Airlines Center in Dallas, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY THE BIGGEST SNORE FEST IVE EVER BEEN TO! Horrible isn’t even the word for it! B O R I N G!!
My son in law asked for these tickets for Fathers Day.
My family went from laughing about how awful it was to wanting to cry and RUN out of the venue!
My daughter came back from the restroom, laughing because women were in there just flabbergasted at how horrible this concert was. Nobody clapped in our sections like nobody. All I can say is it was a BORE FEST! Between the drive to Dallas and the drive home, and the almost 3 hours of listening to him, babble about total nonsense and sing songs that nobody had ever heard of, and tell us who the writer was of the song or where they were when he discovered this song or who did the artwork for the song, which, who gives a flying fig? I don’t remember ones name he mentioned, nor do I care to remember ones name he mentioned I wish I didn’t even know his name. It was the biggest waste of about six hours of my life that I will never be able to get back! If you were even thinking about going to this concert, do yourself a favor and save your money unless you suffer from insomnia, and need something to put you to sleep. Then buy the tape what a huge disappointment!!
*Id rather go see Phil on his walker again! 🤦♀️