What Makes A Good Band Great?

Whether they are seeing a band in a small club, a dive bar or a 15,000-seat arena, music fans hope for the same thing: magic! They are looking for the one night something different happens. They know they will hear the top 10 hits, the song that broke the band, the song that makes all the fans scream and throw their lighters, now cell phones, in the air. What they want to hear is the song that will make the night unforgettable. That one song that will have all the people that were there talking about it for a long time and those that were not there wondering why they picked that show to miss. Lights fans were treated to that experience at The OC Tavern. It started as a fun night and the fans were treated to all their Journey favorites! 'Wheel In The Sky', 'Just The Same Way' and the eternally popular 'Don't Stop Believin'.

Little did everyone know, the band saved the best for last. When they left the stage after another great performance, the crowd was left screaming for more! What would they come out and play? Escape? Patiently? Imagine the surprise when from behind the stage the crowd heard Juan singing the opening line of 'Oh Sherrie'! I feel it is safe to say the last thing expected was a Steve Perry solo tune but that is what we got. From the pounding bass line to the vocal harmonies, the band nailed it! Juan perfectly conveyed the heartache in the song and the band backed him up perfectly! The crowd was stunned but by the end of the first verse, I was seeing smiles and people singing along! Before this, the night was clicking along as usual! High energy, great music, good crowd! Another good Lights show, another fun crowd at the OC Tavern. After the encore, the night was no longer 'just another Lights show'. It became the first night the band played 'Oh Sherrie' and they played it well!

Something that makes the night special. These are the moments music fans wait for and I have seen many of them! Springsteen with his 'Devil In A Blue Dress' medley, U2 covering 'A Change Is Gonna Come', Bon Jovi opening at Giant's Stadium with Neil Young's 'Rockin In The Free World' to name a few. These are the experiences that make live music the magic that it can be. Lights proved Saturday at the OC Tavern that they can take a club show and turn it into something special. In my opinion, that is one of the things that make a good band great!