ELP Legacy Carried On In Thunderous Fashion At Philly Area Show: Review

GLENSIDE, PA — It's the "show that never ends," even though two members of this legendary progressive rock band are dead.

Drummer Carl Palmer is keeping the legacy of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer alive, recently bringing the "Welcome Back My Friends" tour to the Keswick Theatre.

Joined by guitarist Paul Bielatowicz and bassist Simon Fitzpatrick, Palmer pounded his way through classic ELP cuts as the late Greg Lake and the late keyboard extraordinaire Keith Emerson appeared on screen.

Their old live performances were synchronized with Palmer, who bashed away live on drums in a thunderous showcase over the course of a few hours, impressive for any 75-year-old man to attempt on an instrument that is prone to give people endless back troubles.

Palmer was center stage throughout the show, ripping through the classic "Karn Evil 9" to start it.

The Greg Lake rocker is the name of the game of the tour: "Welcome back, my friends to the show that never ends."

For any fan of ELP when they torpedoed to the top of the charts in the early 1970s, this was a show that brought you back to that period when one progressive rock song could fill up a half hour on FM Radio.

That was the case with the first set closer "Tarkus" and the second set opener "Trilogy," where you could have left the theater, gone grocery shopping, and returned with the songs still playing.

Palmer could stretch that playing field by introducing earlier and shorter musical nuggets: the Emerson keyboard solo gem "Creole Dance," and the fan favorite "Benny the Bouncer," a little ditty that Palmer even sang himself.

"Pictures at an Exhibition" allowed Fitzpatrick to showcase his talents on stick bass while Bielatowicz was able to emulate Emerson's keyboard work in his guitar solos, especially on "Trilogy."

And while Lake and Emerson appeared throughout, Palmer really stole the show with his good-natured British humor and his drumming, which puts him in the upper echelon of rock drummers like Ringo Starr, John Bonham, Neil Peart, and Keith Moon.

This is a man who joined the supergroup Asia, which reached stardom during the MTV video age. But now it's all about ELP for Palmer.

Even if you don't know this music and can't get into progressive rock albums that sometimes have songs that last an entire side, most people know the two other ELP classics besides "Karn Evil 9."

Both are star spots for Lake and Emerson, with Palmer providing plenty of support, muscle, and heart.

"Lucky Man" is probably the most well-known ELP song, with Lake strumming along and doubling on harmonies. It's still a regular on playlists on classic rock Sirius Radio channels.

And then there's "Fanfare for the Common Man."

If you've ever watched a sporting event or seen the Olympics, you've heard this popular instrumental.

ELP certainly has built a legacy. And it's good to see the band is still as powerful to this day, even if two members now only appear on screens.