This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Ah, the summer concert season. Is there any more exciting time for a fan?
After all, how often do you get the chance to blow most of your paycheque for the privilege of being crammed into the back row of a stadium’s upper deck, staring for two hours at the butt of the biker in front of you while he dances on his seat, screams “Whooo!” at the top of his lungs every 30 seconds and spills beer on your head? If you’re ready for a less stressful (and less expensive) concert experience, perhaps it’s time to check out this new live album. If you still don’t feel like you’re at a gig, try parking your car two miles away and charging yourself $5 for a bottle of water.
THE TICKET: A 76-minute jamfest from keyboardist Art Neville and George Porter Jr.’s N’Awlins outfit — recorded, interestingly enough, not in the Crescent City but at San Francisco’s equally legendary Fillmore Auditorium.
SOUND CHECK: Clean, clear and expertly produced. But really, with these guys, it’s not about the sound; it’s all about the groove, baby.
GOLDEN OLDIES: The well-balanced 11-song set delivers a solid portion of indisputably funky Meters essentials like Keep on Marching, People Say, Cissy Strut and Fire On The Bayou, filled with their magnificently complex rhythms, gritty guitar licks and raucous party-hearty vibes.
BIC LIGHTER BALLAD: Not a one — you can’t safely shake a tailfeather and wave a lighter at the same time, after all.
ROCK-STAR CLICHE: Announcing to the audience that, “Just for the record, we trying to cut a record” is a pretty shameless way — albeit it an effective way — to get cheap applause.
LAST WORDS: Keyboardist Neville and bass player Porter are the only original members left in the quartet, but these Meters have no trouble living up to the veteran band’s legacy — or to that new adjective in their handle.
