Ah, a concert review, you say? I remember those from the dim and distant past. But where does one start? Yes, of course, at the beginning. In the Beginning was Genesis, and Genesis begat Peter (Gabriel), and Phil (Collins) and Mike (and the Mechanics). And Steve.

Somehow, Steve Hackett was the least known, the most unassuming member of this incandescently brilliant prog-rock band. But a funny thing happened when Hackett flew the coop to begin his own solo career. It turned out, he was the one who made the group’s inimitable sound so wonderfully creative and beguiling. Not Peter, nor Phil, nor Mike.

That was fully 49 years ago. Now, Hackett is a spritely 76 and recently brought his travelling show to Plaza Live Orlando, much to the delight of a whole generation of prog-rock fans who flocked to the Bumby Avenue venue in search of lost youth (at least, that’s how it felt; another tribute to the book of Genesis).

Hackett and his band of troubadours have been semi-regular visitors to Orlando over the decades, with this being their fourth appearance in the past 10 years at either the Plaza or the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center. This one was distinctly different, though not so much in the style and composition of the music as the make-up of the band itself. Instead of long-time Hackett contributors Roger King and Craig Blundell we had Swedish keyboard wizard Lalle Larson and German Felix Lehrmann on drums, making for a veritable United Nations of musical talent.

This represents quite an upheaval in the progressive firmament, and the acid test was to see how well the two newcomers were acclimated to playing alongside one of the genuine guitar gods of the last 50 years. Because that musical Mount Olympus is where Hackett has resided ever since 1974, when The Lamb Lies Down in Broadway earned its place among the great rock operas of the modern age.

Crucially, at an age when many seniors are being fitted for their rocking chairs, Hackett doesn’t live in the past, as gilded as it may be. While previous visits to the City Beautiful have featured primarily his alchemy with Genesis, this latest tour was split into two distinct parts, first for his solo work – for which he is now working on his 29th album (some 18 more than Genesis managed after his departure) – and then for a seven-song ‘Best Of’ selection that took a gleeful audience back to the 70s for almost two hours of total nostalgia.

This latter was clearly the most meaningful for a rapt – and packed – Plaza audience, where the occasional youthful face probably sent the average age plunging all the way into the low 70s. Yes, this was not the Fountain of Youth, nor even the Fountain of Salmacis – a typically twisting, time-changing Genesis track from 1971 that was among Hackett’s first contributions to the group at the ripe old age of 21.

Age was not the issue though. ‘In Prog We Trust’ was clearly the motto for many, and that meant luxuriating in the immense musical intellect represented on stage, an increasingly rare phenomenon, albeit the Plaza continues to be able to draw them in, having played host to Robert Cray last month, as well as Pat Metheny on March 10.

As for Hackett’s newcomers, Lehrman more than proved his chops on the uber-climactic Shadow of the Hierophant, which basically asks the drummer to hit every item of his kit in rapid succession amid a five-minute guitar-induced frenzy that builds to such a monumental cascading crescendo you fully expect the drummer to self-combust in a ball of smoke á la Spinal Tap. Happily, that didn’t happen, but suffice it to say Hackett fans queuing up for his concerts in South America and Europe later this year should have no worries about the band’s rhythm section.

Keyboard virtuoso Larson initially seemed a little stand-offish with the solo material, an outsider struggling to be fully integrated into a six-piece line-up that aims to polish each number into a hand-crafted gem. The intermission seemed to galvanize the nattily-dressed Swede, however, sending him back out for part two with more vigor and authority, notably on the coruscating piano intro to Firth of Fifth.

For all the quality of his subordinates, though, Hackett remains the master musician, a majestic maestro of the fretboard. Singularly undemonstrative, he continues to wring out notes from his Fernandes Goldtop of such utter delicacy it makes you weep. Through all seven numbers from his Genesis days, covering the full range of his input from 1970 to 1977, that seemingly effortless ability to ensnare listeners with the immensity of his music was firmly to the fore, especially with the 23-minute epic Supper’s Ready. Or, as my Row M neighbor insisted at the conclusion, “If you could bottle that sound of guitar purity, you’d put the alcohol trade out of business.”

The big encore finale was a glorious mash-up of Dance on a Volcano and Los Endos, two tracks from the Trick Of The Tail album in 1976, co-written by Hackett, that totally destroyed the perceived wisdom of the time that Genesis was dead in the water without Gabriel. Both would go on to have long and healthy careers, but, crucially, none of the other Genesis Five have matched the output and insatiable drive for new challenges that Hackett has demonstrated in the past 40 years. If nothing else, any future appearance by Hackett, or Cray, or Metheny, or whoever the Plaza line up next from rock’s pantheon of prime movers, should be treated as the rare gem that it is.

Ultimately, though, the evening may simply have belonged to the couple in Row L. As vocalist Nad Sylvan opened Supper’s Ready with the two repeated lines

And it’s hey babe your supper’s waiting for you
Hey my baby, don’t you know our love is true?

Two snowy-haired heads touched together in a little world of their own, sharing that essential human bond that somehow seems tailor-made for musical accompaniment. Not so much a Beginning as Revelation.

Don’t Just Read It. Live It.

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Author

Simon Veness

Simon & Susan Veness

We’re kind of a package deal. Husband-and-wife travel-writing duo with 50 books written to date, plus articles for magazines, newspapers, and online content. Simon originally hails from the UK and was a sports journalist in a previous life; Susan is a native Michigander, former
SAHM, and winter weather refugee.

We made Orlando our full-time home in 2004 and have
never regretted it. The Covid-19 pandemic tried to put us out of business but we’re still here doing our thing, documenting Orlando and its many exceptional facets.

Our most recent book, 111 Places In Orlando That You Must Not Miss, gave us the chance to write about the city’s history, culture and offbeat attractions, highlighting many fascinating places that even many
locals don’t know about.

Our other interests include music, sports, movies, and local history, as
well as our weekly volunteer work at the amazing Give Kids The World non-profit in Kissimmee.

Orlando remains a unique and maturing city.

We’re privileged to be along for the ride.

College Football Power Flex Rankings: Updated Top 25 (Week 1, 2025)

College football in the state of Florida is back! Since Florida State won the title in 2014, college football in the state of Florida has been a pretty sad state of affairs. After week one of the 2025 season, Sunshine State teams are flexing their muscles, led by a resurgence in Tallahassee and Miami.

Florida State put an absolute whuppin (OK, I admit that’s not a real word) on pre-season top 10 Alabama. That FSU won was not the headline, it was the way they won. The Seminoles completely dominated an Alabama team of 5 star recruits on both the offensive and defensive lines, punishing them repeatedly with bone crushing blocks and tackles. Clearly, bringing in Gus Malzahn to be the Offensive Coordinator has worked. The Seminoles rushed for 230 yards and held the Crimson Tide to just 87 yards on the ground. That’s a manhandling on both sides of the ball. If you are an FSU fan, you have to feel like the team is back, and that the 4 new starters on the offensive line are a complete success, as is new quarterback Thomas Castellano. The Seminoles were one of the most impressive teams I saw over the weekend, and the rankings will reflect that.

Miami also wants to be back. Perennially they are proclaimed as back and end up falling on their face. What makes me feel like this year could be different is what I saw in the trenches with the Hurricanes. The team has NFL level talent on their offensive and defensive lines and it showed in a 28-24 win over Notre Dame. Carson Beck was efficient at quarterback after transferring in from the University of Georgia, and new receiver CJ Daniels made what may end up being the touchdown catch of the year with a one-handed grab.

I would be remiss in talking about the state of affairs with football in Florida without mentioning the resounding victory USF had over ranked Boise State to kick off the season in front of a national TV audience. The 34-7 rout was a sure sign that Coach Alex Golesh is moving the team in the right direction.

SYNAN SAYS TOP 25 FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 2ND

LSU (1-0) – I saw nothing more impressive than winning at Clemson by shutting them out in the 2nd half
FLORIDA STATE (1-0) – Physically whipped Alabama
OHIO STATE (1-0) – Offense has a long way to go, defense is top notch
MIAMI (1-0) – So far, so good Carson Beck
TCU (1-0) – man did they shellack Bill Belicheck’s UNC team
AUBURN (1-0) – impressive road win at Baylor
SOUTH CAROLINA (1-0) – team needs a lot of work, but handling VT on a neutral field is impressive
USC (1-0) – they scored a whopping 73 points vs. new FBS school Missouri State
OLE MISS (1-0) – Ga. State is not great, but the Rebs did hang 63 on them
USF (1-0) – Bludgeoning Boise gives them this spot
IOWA STATE (2-0) – win over Kansas St. less impressive this week
TENNESSEE (1-0) – new QB Joey Aguilar stepped right in against Syracuse
GEORGIA (1-0) – Look like they want to run the ball like Georgia normally does
UTAH (1-0) – hard to tell how good win at UCLA is
CALIFORNIA (1-0) – went to Corvallis and waxed Oregon State
VIRGINIA (1-0) – beat perennial bowl team Coastal Carolina 48-7
PENN STATE (1-0) – let Nevada score late, but they’re still a top team
GEORGIA TECH (1-0) – QB Haynes King is for real. Questions about the rest of the team
NEBRASKA (1-0) – winning at Cincinnati gets them ranked for now
TEXAS (0-1) – lost at #3 by one score, they’re still good
ARIZONA (1-0) – whipped Hawaii that has already beaten Stanford
CLEMSON (0-1) – made it inside the 20 to tie the game in the 4th, but not enough running against LSU
NOTRE DAME (0-1) – gave Miami everything they had
KANSAS (2-0) – convincing wins over mediocre teams
WASHINGTON (1-0) – will be gone as soon as teams like Florida and Oregon play someone, anyone!

Mike Synan

After two decades in news and politics, Mike Synan is returning to his roots to write Sports as “The Sportsaholic”. Mike hosted a talk show for 6 years on WDBO after Magic home games called “Magic Til Midnight”, and spent years working as an in-game correspondent for both ESPN and Fox Sports Radio. His column “Synan Says” has appeared on both www.wdbo.com and www.floridadaily.com. He has a BS in Political Science from Clemson University. You can reach him at msynan@sportsmail.com

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Don’t Just Read It. Live It.

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Author

College Football Power Flex Rankings: Updated Top 25 (Week 1, 2025)

SYNAN SAYS TOP 25 FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 2ND

Mike Synan

Don’t Just Read It. Live It.

Get the latest stories, rankings, and culture from Pulp City delivered straight to your inbox.

Orlando Jazz Festival Debuts.

Steve Hackett Remains Proof.

Peaches Teaches Sexual Positivity

Don’t Just Read It. Live It.

Get the latest stories, rankings, and culture from Pulp City delivered straight to your inbox.

Author

College Football Power Flex Rankings: Updated Top 25 (Week 1, 2025)

SYNAN SAYS TOP 25 FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 2ND

Mike Synan

Don’t Just Read It. Live It.

Get the latest stories, rankings, and culture from Pulp City delivered straight to your inbox.

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