A Sold-Out Evening With Steven Wilson

Steven Wilson makes himself at home at Cat’s Cradle

English musician Steven Wilson is currently on tour following the release of 2017’s To The Bone, his fifth solo album and one of his most successful to date, briefly holding the number one spot on the UK album charts after it debuted. Though, the majority have probably never heard of him, that isn’t stopping him from selling out venue after venue along the way thanks to his fiercely loyal following.

Wilson, who has a vast body of work, is best known as the founder, lead guitarist, and vocalist of his most celebrated prog-rock band, Porcupine Tree. With a career spanning more than 30 years, Wilson has worked with multiple artists such as Opeth, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, Yes, Anathema, and Tears for Fears. So if you haven’t heard of him, it’s likely you have heard something he has had an influence on.  

Having been a fan of Porcupine Tree for many years, I had to catch the main man himself as he was passing through solo on his To The Bone Tour. While I’ll admit some of his newer tracks are a bit more on the poppier side of things than I usually prefer, I was interested to see how they would sound in a live setting and I was certainly not disappointed.

The rather intimate Cat’s Cradle was jam-packed with a sold out crowd of fans both young and old who had all claimed their tight spots and were anxiously awaiting the show to begin.

To start the night, we were treated to a thought-provoking short film titled “Truth” that was projected onto a screen draped across the back of the stage. This same screen would later be filled with vibrant colors and beautiful imagery throughout the night.  As the film was ending, a barefooted Wilson and his band took the stage and a thunderous cheer erupted from the audience as they broke into their opening track “Nowhere Now.”

Each set was mostly comprised of material from To The Bone, with several tracks from its predecessor Hand. Cannot. Erase. such as “Home Invasion,” a few from his earlier works and a handful of crowd-pleasing Porcupine Tree classics such as “The Creator Has A Mastertape” were nicely sprinkled into the mix. Wilson had the audience captivated by his warm, melodic vocals the entire evening.

He was backed by Nick Beggs who is an absolute beast on the bass, the atmospheric keyboard embellishments of Adam Holzman, Alex Hutchings on backing vocals and lead guitar, and Craig Blundell, a powerhouse on the drums.

Though some of the progressive pop sounds To The Bone has to offer may have the opinions of fans a bit divided, one thing we can all agree on is that Wilson delivers an outstanding live performance with a variety that is sure to satisfy fans both old and new.

As the night was coming to an end, I looked around noticing how the entire room was totally immersed in every note and every stunning visual, and something stood out to me – there was not a cell phone anywhere in sight, only a single beer bottle raised into the air.

While I am certainly guilty of pulling out my phone during a show to grab a few shots or snippets of video from time to time, it was incredibly refreshing to attend a show and for once not be lost in a sea of glowing phones, but instead surrounded by a group of people collectively lost in and enjoying the moment.

Not only is this a rarity these days, but perhaps a testament to one of the many reasons why you should check out this brilliant artist for yourself, as he is nothing short of spectacular.

See full gallery of the night!

Remaining tour dates can be found here!