Jethro Tull took to the stage at Teatro Positivo this Friday, April 12th, with their new RÖKFLÖTE TOUR . After a long time away from Brazilian soil due to the pandemic, they returned, and it seems that time hasn't passed for Ian Anderson and the band.
The event venue, Teatro Positivo, is a new and well-structured building suitable for more elaborate performances. The seats were numbered, very comfortable, and offered excellent accessibility.
There were no lines, except for the purchase of alcoholic beverages, water, and soft drinks. Wine and sparkling wine glasses were even available, with interesting options to please wine lovers.
Ian Anderson and his band ask that the audience refrain from using cell phones and cameras.
Some people were bothered by the request, made by Ian Anderson and his team, with notices posted around the venue, prohibiting the use of cell phones and cameras during the performance.
On the other hand, the band explained that the light emitted by the devices causes discomfort and distracts the musicians. This level of care from the show's production was important so that the audience feels respected even without being able to use their devices.
Finally, on stage, Jethro Tull with the long-awaited show.
Jethro Tull took the stage a little after 9 pm, but the venue was already packed, with only a few seats remaining at the back. The band started with "My Sunday Feeling" from 1968 and immediately followed with "We Used To Know" from the 1969 album Stand Up. But the crowd went wild with "Heavy Horses," a classic from the band that generated many cheers and sighs from the various generations present in the audience.
Moreover, the audience was made up of people of various ages, including entire families, proof of the reach the band still has. With the song "Wolf Unchained," from the new album, the band proved to be more relevant than ever, with a heavier sound and lyrics about Norse legends and gods. The song sounded great live, and the audience response was excellent.
To conclude the first part of the show, none other than the famous cover of Johann Sebastian Bach "Bourrée," which received a standing ovation from everyone. Honestly, in this half of the show, I think many people forgot they had cell phones.
Ian Anderson, very charismatic, announced a short intermission, followed by the second part of the show. He also took the opportunity to let the audience know that Jethro Tull merchandise was available outside, so everyone could take home a souvenir of the show.
The unforgettable final half of the presentation.
Also important for the "no cell phones" experience was a kind of screen behind the band, functioning as a backdrop, whose images synchronized perfectly with the music and stage lights. Truly very touching at times.
The highlights of this final part were many. From the new album, the song "The Navigators" definitively won over the fans, an epic worthy of Jethro Tull. A moment of great emotion and reflection was the performance of the song "Mrs. Tibbets," from the 2022 album The Zealot Gene . The song references the pilot who dropped the first nuclear bomb in history; the video and images on the screen while the musicians played were a unique experience, a blend of beauty and tragedy.
Ian Anderson and the band followed with "Dark Ages," and finally, the moment most of those present had been waiting for arrived: a flawless performance of "Aqualung," supposedly to end the show. But to the audience's surprise, Jethro Tull also played the classic "Locomotive Breath," with permission for the audience to take photographs and film.
After the show ended, all that remained were happy and satisfied faces and a reflection on the excessive use of cell phones at concerts. It really does make all the difference to take a little trip down memory lane now and then. The feeling of the music being performed live becomes even stronger in our senses.
READ ALSO : Jethro Tull puts on a spine-chilling show in Porto Alegre
