The “Thicker Than Blood Tour” landed at The Hard Rock Live in Orlando, Florida on March 8, 2024, located in Universal Studios Orlando. Extreme and Living Colour entertained the near-capacity venue on a Friday night in the park. There was reserved seating in the lower section and lower balcony, the rest was general admission as the venue wasn’t expecting a wild dance party with both band’s careers spanning 35+ years.
First up and to prove the venue wrong was Living Colour. They were ready to rock and so was the front row as they were on their feet and pushed to the stage. Corey Glover was all smiles as he belted out the lyrics of “Middle Man” as the crowd danced along with him. Still donning his signature dreadlocks and sporting white-rimmed sunglasses, Glover is and will always be the “Cult of Personality” for the band.
It has been 35 years since I saw Living Colour open for The Rolling Stones at The Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida and their performance intensity still resonates on stage. Or, off the stage as well as Corey Glover exited the stage for the confines of the audience during the band’s final song, “Cult of Personality.” He walked on the chairs down the rows of seats and continued singing during his travels to the fan’s delight with everyone on their feet. When the song ended, and after the recording of “Ask not what your country can do for you, The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself,” Glover asked into the microphone, “Where’s the stage” as he tried to find an isle. He finally made his way back on the stage and their show ended with a standing ovation.
Living Colour Band:
Vernon Reid – Lead Guitar, Guitar Synthesizer, Programming, Laptop, Backing Vocals
Corey Glover – Lead Vocals, Occasional Rhythm Guitar, Occasional Tambourine
Will Calhoun – Drums, Percussion, Keyboards, Samples, Loops, Programming, Backing Vocals
Doug Wimbish – Bass, Drums, Guitar, Programming, Backing Vocals
Setlist:
1.Middle Man
2. Leave It Alone
3. Ignorance Is Bliss
4. Kick Out the Jams (MC5 cover)
5. Time’s Up
6. Nothing Compares 2 U (Prince cover)
7. (Unknown)
8. Glamour Boys
9. Love Rears Its Ugly Head
10. Type
11. Cult of Personality
Extreme has also been around 35+ years since their debut self-titled album, Extreme which was released in 1989. Except for a ten-year hiatus in the middle, at a time in which lead singer Gary Cherone left to front the band Van Halen for a there years, Extreme has been around for almost forty years. Three of the four current members are the band’s founding and original members, Cherone, Nuno Bettencourt, and Pat Badger.
Not to be outdone by the energy Living Colour left in the room, Extreme hit the stage at an 11 on a scale of 1 to 10. Gary Cherone used the complete stage, up and back, left to right, and even laying on the ground proving to some that life begins at sixty! I was in awe as I tried to follow him around to get the great poses that he was giving the photographers in the photo pit. The crowd also loved it and again the front row pushed to the stage to get a closer look.
This pace went on for a while then it slowed with Bettencourt switching to acoustic guitar for a few songs which included the band’s number one hit “More Than Words.” The pace picked up and culminated the set with “Get the Funk Out” off the band’s 1990 release, Extreme II Pornograffitti. Then the band left the stage, but the audience wasn’t having any of it and Extreme came out for a two-song encore which included “SMALL TOWN BEAUTIFUL” and “RISE” off their latest album Six, released in 2023. The night ended with high energy just as it had started, and the rock ‘n roll fans filed out of The Hard Rock Live satisfied with the evening performances. Great music, great entertainment, and a fun evening for everyone including the performers!
Extreme Band:
Gary Cherone – Lead Vocals
Nuno Bettencourt – Guitars, Keyboards, Piano, Backing and Lead Vocals
Pat Badger – Bass, Backing Vocals
Kevin Figueiredo – Drums, Percussion, Occasional Backing Vocals
Setlist:
Sacrifice – Hail to the King (John Barry song) (Music from “King Kong” 1976)
1.It (‘s a Monster)
2. Decadence Dance
3. #REBEL
4. Rest in Peace
5. Hip Today
6. Teacher’s Pet / Flesh ‘n’ Blood / Wind Me Up / Kid Ego / Mutha (Don’t Wanna Go to School Today)
7. Play With Me (with Queen’s “We Will Rock You” intro)
8. OTHER SIDE OF THE RAINBOW
9. Hole Hearted
10. Cupid’s Dead
11. Am I Ever Gonna Change (with Van Halen’s “Eruption” intro)
12. THICKER THAN BLOOD
13. Midnight Express
14. HURRICANE
15. More Than Words
16. BANSHEE (With Queen “Fat Bottomed Girls” intro)
17. Take Us Alive / That’s All Right
18. Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee
19. Get the Funk Out
Encore:
20. SMALL TOWN BEAUTIFUL / Song for Love (with Van Halen’s “Women in Love…” intro)
21. RISE
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Photographer and Editor/Founder of AllMusicMagazine.com. My love of live music has taken me to incredible experiences with the top bands of all time in stadium shows to the smallest venues with equally inspiring musicians. Using the medium of photography and my publication, these memories will last forever.
