Mr. Big brings The Big Finish Tour to the Bilheimer Capitol Theatre in Clearwater, Florida on June 2, 2024. This was the last appearance for the band in Florida and the fans sold out the 720 seat Theatre to get one last look. They even placed folding chairs into every available space to accommodate more seating for the show. Even the photographer’s area was replaced with paid customers. The weather was mild with a soft breeze off the Gulf of Mexico, at 7:00 pm sharp the doors opened and the theatre filled up with music enthusiasts.
At 8:00 pm the show kicked off with solo artist and multi-instrumentalist Robin Taylor Zander, the son of the Cheap Trick‘s frontman Robin Zander. Robin Taylor Zander is also currently in Cheap Trick. Zander’s set was a short 30-minute, seven-song set. He stood behind the microphone with a hat shading his eyes. What a beautiful singing voice with octaves as high as a soprano, his performance lacked visual entertainment but his set was very pleasing to the ears. Robin Taylor Zander is a great singer-songwriter.
Robin Taylor Zander – Guitar/Vocals
Setlist:
1.Hungry Heart (Bruce Springsteen cover)
2. Golden Rule
3. Voices (Cheap Trick cover)
4. High and Low
5. In Front of Me
6. All She Wrote
7. Harvest Moon (Neil Young cover)
When Mr. Big came out on stage, the audience got to their feet where they remained for the two-hour 22-song performance. The “Big Finish Tour” is the last time fans get to see Mr. Big live, but they are leaving the stage with a party gift of their tenth studio album, TEN to be released on July 12, 2024.
After the second song “Take Cover”, lead singer Eric Martin paid homage to the band’s late drummer, Pat Torpey who passed in 2018 due to complications with Parkinson’s Disease, and the crowd responded with thunderous applause. These fans gave a continuous standing ovation from the beginning to the end of the evening, and the band could do no wrong.
The show moved on with the precision that only a well-established group of friends and musicians who love what they, do and love who they are doing it with the chemistry was palpable. With the band’s energy on full throttle, and the fans feeding it back at the band, it was remarkable the old theatre was left standing. Mr. Big could be labeled as the perfect band with Paul Gilbert masterfully playing the leads, Eric Martin being the atypical frontman, Billy Sheehan playing the bass guitar almost as a lead guitar, and Nick D’Virgilio definitely owning the chair behind the kit.
On the second to last song “Good Lovin,” was a very special moment, and the members of Mr. Big were just showing off as they switched instruments to the delight of the crowd. Eric moved to bass, Paul went to drums, Nick to guitar, and Billy took over on vocals. Losing this band is a shame and I hope they reconsider as there was magic on the stage that night and we all felt it.
Mr. Big Band Members:
Eric Martin – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Billy Sheehan – Bass, Backing Vocals
Paul Gilbert – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Nick D’Virgilio – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Setlist:
1.Addicted to That Rush
2. Take Cover
3. Price You Gotta Pay
Lean Into It
4. Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy (The Electric Drill Song)
5. Alive and Kickin’
6. Green-Tinted Sixties Mind
7. CDFF-Lucky This Time (Jeff Paris cover)
8. Voodoo Kiss
9. Never Say Never
10. Just Take My Heart
11. My Kinda Woman
12. A Little Too Loose
13. Road to Ruin
14. To Be With You
15. Wild World (Cat Stevens cover)
16. Guitar Solo
17. Colorado Bulldog
18. Bass Solo
19. Shy Boy (Talas cover)
20. 30 Days in the Hole (Humble Pie cover)
21. Good Lovin’ (The Olympics cover) (Swapped instruments. Eric on bass, Paul on drums, Nick on guitar, Billy on vocals)
22. Baba O’Riley (The Who cover)
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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.
