The Samples – December 12th – Fillmore Auditorium

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The Samples 12-14-1400Photos by Tim Dwenger

The Scene: 27 years after their initial formation, and 25 years after the release of their first album, the “original line-up” of The Samples reunited Friday night for a single show at The Fillmore Auditorium. Though the original lineup began to fracture in 1997 (if you don’t count Charles Hambleton’s departure in 1991 before the band recorded their sophomore album), the songs written and recorded by the band during those first ten years remain a powerful and vivid soundtrack to the young adult lives of many dedicated followers.

It was primarily those fans who turned out in surprisingly large numbers, ready for a trip back through space and time, excited to see their former heroes form ranks one last time. The hopes were high, the energy was elevated, and the plaid was plentiful. The tall-boy Dale’s Pale Ales, a Fillmore specialty, were flowing in happy abundance. This crowd was not going to be denied a party.

The Samples: Ah, the Samples back on stage at last! When the band took the stage there was an immediate rush of adrenaline through the crowd. Many surreal glances and high fives rippled around the room, and there was much delight when the first notes of the opener, “Feel Us Shaking,” echoed through the vast space. “Gentle thoughts meander through the sand, as the ship made currents reach the land…” – those words bring a smile to any Samples fan’s face. It had been announced that the band was going to play their inaugural “Blue” album in its entirety, so the first song was no surprise, but that didn’t stop everyone in the room from feeling the good vibes.

Despite the seeming infallibility of opening with such a beloved tune, there were early and clear signs that this was a nostalgia show and not a new chapter for the band. The first sign appeared when Sean Kelly, the lead singer, whipped out a handheld video camera and began shooting footage for posterity during the first song. Ok, so you want to record your big show for your kids and grandkids – got it, good for you, go for it. It just would’ve been so much cooler if he had waited even one song before going full cheese ball or, god forbid, hired someone else to do it for him so he could concentrate on playing the music. When I think back to the Samples shows I saw as a teenager and early twenty-something, I remember many great moments. One thing I wish I didn’t remember was their consistent lack of professionalism on stage, especially from Sean Kelly. Sean, the lead singer and only founding member who has stayed with the band for their entire 25-year existence, repeatedly complained about the sound and reverb in his monitor, pointed out mistakes, and looked dissatisfied often enough to make an impression. Ah, but this is the Samples, and they never really did have a clue about how to manage their on-stage image. Apparently they still don’t. Some things never change.

The set continued with the Blue album (properly and eponymously titled The Samples), moving into “Waited Up,” followed by “Could It Be Another Change,” “Close To The Fires,” and “African Ivory.” Each song was stretched into an improvisational jam, sometimes entrancing the crowd in a pleasantly surprising way, and sometimes simply confusing them. The Samples have always come across as a rock band that wants to jam. And they do jam. But they’re not a “jam band;” it’s simply not their strength. They all play their instruments well enough – Jeep is a terrific drummer – and they sound great, but something keeps them from really blowing the roof off the place. “Waited Up” morphed into some deep reggae, and later in the set “My Town” went off into the reverb night and came back with a sweet reprise. However, when song after song has a meandering, almost aimless feel during the improvisational bits, it begins to diffuse the initial energy. The show suffered from this repeatedly, and it was left to the sheer strength of the songwriting and the determined exuberance of the crowd to get them to the finish line.

The first set concluded with the final three tunes on the Blue album, “Birth of Words,” “After the Rain,” and the epic “Nature.”  All told the first set stretched out to almost 90 minutes (twice the running time of the original release) and while the playing and stage presence left something to be desired, there were certainly high points that transported all of us back to the glory days of The Samples if only for a few fleeting minutes at a time. One thing that made that possible was the fantastic sound in the venue. It boggles the mind how a band with a singer who so consistently complains about the sound on stage can sound so consistently great to the crowd. The mix was clean and organized, the instruments blended together effectively, and Sean’s reverb-drenched guitar and vocals cut through as clear as ever. If only everything else about the show was this good.

When the band returned to the stage for the second set, the energy had mellowed a bit and we were treated to some other staples from the classic repertoire. The set began with “When It’s Raining,” one of the band’s most loved songs from their second album, No Room. They blasted through powerful renditions of “Giants,” and “14th & Euclid,” before Kelly seemed to tire of the performance and announced that they only had one song left to which Al Laughlin responded “he’s kidding” from behind his keyboard rig. Despite the fact that the setlist indicated the band had several more on tap for us (including arguably their biggest “hit,” “Little Silver Ring”) Kelly kicked off the legendary “Did You Ever Look So Nice?” and as it wrapped up he said his goodbyes despite some confused looks from his band mates. Fortunately the boys returned to deliver what might prove to the be exclamation point on a remarkable band; “Underwater People.”

Unfortunately, Dave Matthews did not make a surprise guest appearance to commemorate the 25th anniversary (as he did here 21 years ago), although there was plenty of reminiscing about those days back in 1993 when the Dave Matthews Band opened for the Samples. To some, that’s probably legacy enough.

Energy: B
Musicianship: B
Sound: A
Stage Presence: C-
Set/Light Show: B

Overall: B

 

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3Comments

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  1. 1
    Brian

    It should be noted that Sean has been filming the fans from stage for years. It is done as a cool way to share his POV from the stage and backstage. He enjoys film and uses video as vehicle to share his experiences with his fans. Nothing more nothing less. It was not just done to capture which many believe is not the last reunion show. Sure there was some sloppiness, they had only played once in the past 17 years, and rehearsed for only 5 days. Those in attendance that I spoke to all enjoyed the show and many hoped they play again. You got one thing right – they sounded great and I too wish they played the entire second set….

  2. 3
    Deke

    As Brian noted, Sean has been recording shows from the stage POV from the beginning. In terms of the musicianship, I thought the band sounded pretty tight despite not having played together for 17 years (minus the one performance in 2010). They rehearsed for a few days prior to the show. Sounded pretty damn good to me!

    The whole notion of The Samples being a “jam band” has always confounded me. I think that is (and always has been) a label that others have put on them. I’ve never heard anyone from the band refer to themselves as a “jam band.” Personally, I appreciate their version of “jam band” as their extended grooves tend to avoid the masturbatory repetition that fills other such bands notable for their ‘jams.’ I know Trey Anastasio can play a mean guitar. I don’t need 98 minutes of it, however. And again, having not played together for 17 years, the band’s extended jams the other night were decent enough.

    I truly hope this isn’t the end of the road for them. Sean has noted that getting back together has been odd, awkward. It’s still a toxic mix, apparently. But I’m hoping they realize that the commercial success that seemed to dodge them back in the day is probably there should they choose to put those differences aside. I know many of those late-30’s/early-to-mid 40’s people in that Denver crowd would happily spend their disposable income on more records and live shows. And I know that would/could translate across the country. I still talk to people my age (Portland, DC, Austin, etc.) who even now rank The Samples as one of their fave bands. I don’t see it happening, however. I can still hope!

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