Blues Traveler Live -- Thinnest of Air DVD

Despite a few flaws, fans will give a hearty welcome to Blues Traveler Live: Thinnest of Air, a two-disc record of the band's July 4, 2003 gig at Red Rocks, Denver. It's heartening to see the group still in existence, let alone on such good form, as they seem to have been dogged by bad luck for far too long: there was John Popper's near-fatal car accident in 1992, then his heart problems in 1999, closely followed by the sudden death of brilliant bassist Bobby Sheehan. But the no-nonsense New Yorkers have come back from the brink of dissolution, recruiting Tad Kinchla... on bass as well as keyboardist Ben Wilson, who makes the band officially a quintet and helps to flesh out their live sound. The concert itself is a treat, with a strong setlist ranging across their entire catalogue and played in a loose, semi-improvised manner that keeps it all sounding fresh. Ziggy Marley guests on a laid-back rendition of "No Woman, No Cry", but perhaps inevitably their older material sounds the strongest, with the tracks from Four ("The Mountains Win Again", "Crash/Burn", "Brother John") especially getting a good work-out. The newer material is just fine, if less striking. Diehards, though, may be disappointed by the absence of "But Anyway". But anyway, it's a solid gig, marred only by the semi-documentary approach that features way too much behind-the-scenes fooling about (in the tour bus, in hotel bedrooms etc) instead of focusing on the music. On the DVD: Blues Traveler Live: Thinnest of Air is a generous two-disc set, presented in 16:9 anamorphic with DTS and Dolby 5.1 sound options for the authentic stadium experience. There's a band biography, 19 Red Rock set lists, a photo gallery and an old interview with Popper and guitarist Chan Kinchla. --Mark Walker [show more]

Read More