The music luminary returned to the country’s capital
Legendary is a word thrown around by writers such that it can be diluted. But Peter Gabriel truly is a rock legend. And he proved why during his expansive show at Capital One Arena on Wednesday (Sept 20th).
Part narrative monologue, part visual art show, and part rock concert, Gabriel’s i/o Tour is a perfectly balanced spectacle of color and sound. He is touring in support of his latest album, also called i/o. It is a project that fans of Gabriel have been waiting 21 years for. Their patience will be rewarded by the end of this year when the album finally drops.
Gabriel’s music has always tackled big ideas. And the new music is no exception. Before “Panopticom,” he explained the futuristic world behind its meaning. To Gabriel, i/o is not just “input/output.” He also leans into its meaning as the name of one of Jupiter’s moons. Indeed, the show opens with a bare stage and the projection of a moon on a circular stage.
From that moon and acoustic opening, the production of the show grows steadily into a full-blown concert. Screens dance behind a bandstand. Round mirrors reflect upward-aimed verilight beams toward the stage. And that circular screen rises to display the artwork created by an international collective of visual-medium masters. Each of the 20-plus numbers has a corresponding art piece that Gabriel himself commissioned.
Gabriel himself is in great voice. It is a treat to hear that unmistakable, powerful-yet-aching tone stateside. The two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer reinvented British soft-rock, made it intellectual and yet accessible at the same time. That wit was on full display in DC.
Gabriel can go from stoically relaying a monotone story to energetically stomping across the stage and twirling his arms in an instant. He is never better than when he is putting the full force of his voice behind a song, as he did on the set one-ending “Sledgehammer.” He sounded exactly like the original record. Though, his pensive softer moments were equally engaging.
The show is divided into two halves, equally a smidge over an hour long for a total evening of about 3 hours. This means concertgoers should be in their seats for the prompt 8 pm ticket-advertised start time. Don’t make the mistake of trying to skip the opener, because there isn’t one.
Gabriel spent more time than most calling out his band by name. He introduced them one by one multiple times in the evening. As part of his live ensemble is longtime collaborator Tony Levin. Levin is noted for his work on the bass and Chapman Stick. It was clear by the crowd’s reaction that followers of Peter Gabriel were well aware of Levin’s impact on the former’s music.
The second half started out with some magical effects as Gabriel performed behind a scrim-like rigid screen. It felt as if we were witnessing a concert in a living museum.
Once the screen was lifted, Gabriel delivered 2005’s “Road to Joy,” and a slow-burning “Don’t Give Up.” Vocalist Ayana Witter-Johnson earned a standing ovation for her stirring interpretation of the latter.
More artwork, short films, and visual decadence accompanied as the set moved along at a faster pace than pre-intermission. It was built to two encores, “In Your Eyes” from the seminal So album, and he closed with “Biko,” an emotionally charged and powerful number.
To say much more would be to ruin the surprises contained within a perfectly calibrated evening of music and emotion from a statesman of music. It is wonderful to see Peter Gabriel still offering his musical input, for an output that is clearly still rewarding to legions.
