Peter Frampton took the Wolf Trap stage last night in celebration of the 35th anniversary of his classic live album, Frampton Comes Alive. Prior to soundcheck, Frampton interviewed with the Life Section of USA Today. Look for the interview online in a few weeks.
Photos: Irene Rojas
And a review of the show from Program & Production Intern Janice Leary:
As I was folding my blanket after the last song of Peter Frampton’s remarkable three-hour set last night, a random guy came up to me to ask how someone ‘so young’ came to be a Peter Frampton fan.
“Shouldn’t you be at a Justin Bieber concert?” he asked, only half joking.
I tried not to take offense and explained that when I was an *NSYNC-loving ten-year-old, my mom pulled out Frampton Comes Alive! from her vinyl collection. She introduced Peter Frampton to me as “her Justin Timberlake” and made me listen to the album in its entirety. (I was instantly impressed by Frampton’s curly blonde locks and boyish good looks, so I did not protest.)
My inquirer, who looked pretty young himself, revealed that he was born a year after Frampton Comes Alive! was released in ’76. He was introduced to Frampton just 11 years ago by an older friend and has loved his music ever since.
These kind of introductions seemed to be happening all throughout the lawn.
I saw a father tell his son, “Man, I remember listening to this album every night, the whole way through.” A teenage girl sitting in front of me was intently watching Frampton with her binoculars while he played “Penny For Your Thoughts.” She told her dad of her hopes to play guitar like him someday.
It helped that Frampton seemed genuinely grateful that people are still excited to hear Frampton Comes Alive! after 35 years. What could have come across as just a marketing scheme to cash in on another anniversary of the album—after all, he did re-release a deluxe edition of the record just ten years ago—came across as enthusiasm for sharing his music and appreciation for those who came to listen.
He excitedly told the crowd about half way through the Frampton Comes Alive! portion of the set list: “I thought, ‘I’m doing a whole evening on my own; I wonder if they’ll come.’ But you’re all here!”
Frampton played to a crowd so fervent that it felt like a sold out show, his voice sounding brilliant and youthful, perfectly coupled with the display of photos and videos of the famed album’s heyday playing behind him and his band.
Nostalgia was the obvious foundation of the show, as Frampton told many stories and emphasized certain meaningful lyrics. He told of how the band does not use breaks to smoke cigarettes or do drugs like they used to, but instead does yoga, and changed the words of certain songs, like in “All I Want to Be (Is By Your Side)” when he sang, “I don’t care if I’ve lost that hair.”
Even though I was born 12 years after Frampton Comes Alive! was released, Peter Frampton’s performance last night proved the endurance that him and his music have. It is the kind of endurance that makes me eager to share his music, just as my mom shared it with me.
She would be so proud.
As I was folding my blanket after the last song of Peter Frampton’s remarkable three-hour set last night, a random guy came up to me to ask how someone ‘so young’ came to be a Peter Frampton fan.
“Shouldn’t you be at a Justin Bieber concert?” he asked, only half joking.
I tried not to take offense and explained that when I was an *NSYNC-loving ten-year-old, my mom pulled out Frampton Comes Alive! from her vinyl collection. She introduced Peter Frampton to me as “her Justin Timberlake” and made me listen to the album in its entirety. (I was instantly impressed by Frampton’s curly blonde locks and boyish good looks, so I did not protest.)
My inquirer, who looked pretty young himself, revealed that he was born a year after Frampton Comes Alive! was released in ’76. He was introduced to Frampton just 11 years ago by an older friend and has loved his music ever since.
These kind of introductions seemed to be happening all throughout the lawn.
I saw a father tell his son, “Man, I remember listening to this album every night, the whole way through.” A teenage girl sitting in front of me was intently watching Frampton with her binoculars while he played “Penny For Your Thoughts.” She told her dad of her hopes to play guitar like him someday.
It helped that Frampton seemed genuinely grateful that people are still excited to hear Frampton Comes Alive! after 35 years. What could have come across as just a marketing scheme to cash in on another anniversary of the album—after all, he did re-release a deluxe edition of the record just ten years ago—came across as enthusiasm for sharing his music and appreciation for those who came to listen.
He excitedly told the crowd about half way through the Frampton Comes Alive! portion of the set list: “I thought, ‘I’m doing a whole evening on my own; I wonder if they’ll come.’ But you’re all here!”
Frampton played to a crowd so fervent that it felt like a sold out show, his voice sounding brilliant and youthful, perfectly coupled with the display of photos and videos of the famed album’s heyday playing behind him and his band.
Nostalgia was the obvious foundation of the show, as Frampton told many stories and emphasized certain meaningful lyrics. He told of how the band does not use breaks to smoke cigarettes or do drugs like they used to, but instead does yoga, and changed the words of certain songs, like in “All I Want to Be (Is By Your Side)” when he sang, “I don’t care if I’ve lost that hair.”
Even though I was born 12 years after Frampton Comes Alive! was released, Peter Frampton’s performance last night proved the endurance that him and his music have. It is the kind of endurance that makes me eager to share his music, just as my mom shared it with me.
She would be so proud.
Great review. Makes me want to breakout the vinyl.
ReplyDeleteExcellent write up Ms. Parker and right on!
ReplyDeleteIt was a spectacular 3 hour show of non-stop FRAMPTON! It was he and his music that impressed me in junior high so much that I credit him and his intricate guitar riffs to my falling in love with the live music. Is voice was spot on, he rocked those many guitars like they were part of his own body and let's not forget his BAND! O M G (to say it like my teenagers), they blew me away as well! The dueling guitar parts brought me right back to the good ole 70's style mesmerizering concerts! It was magical! "Show Me the Way" and "Baby I Love Your Way" brought me right back to those days listening to the radio, thinking of his very cute face and gorgeous hair and dreaming of having a cute boy to sing like that to me....I'm still dreaming, haha!
Wolftrap was the perfect,intimate setting to rock the house and reminisce of those early days if innocence and adventure ~ xoxo
While I thought the show was pretty good up until it came time to do his biggest hit ever, Do You Feel Like We Do, he butchered that song and did a terrible job on it. Up until that point I thought he did a perfect rendition of every song, so not sure why he couldn't pull it off on his biggest song ever. Also, the rule of having to wait until a song was over to take your seat has never been in effect for any show I've ever been to at wolf trap. Ego is too huge for someone who isn't selling out fedex field.
ReplyDelete