Peter Gabriel connects with Milwaukee fans during “i/o” exchange

“It’s been a long time,” Peter Gabriel told the crowd gathered Monday night, Oct. 2, inside Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum for night 15 of the North American leg of his “i/o The Tour.”

“Time is the real boss that has all of us in its claws,” he said. I could not imagine at that point of the show that Gabriel and his magnificent 8-piece band (along with a series of stunning visuals to coincide with each song) would have me and the rest of the Fiserv audience rapt in their claws for the next three hours.

The 73-year-old musical icon hasn’t hit the road since pairing up with Sting in 2016 and hasn’t headlined a solo tour since 2014, but if there was any rust on the motorcade Gabriel made certain the chrome was well-polished before he found his way to Milwaukee. Thus far, he has been unwavering from a set list composed equally of standards and new material from what most believe will be a collection of songs for an “i/o” album. 

This year has experienced Gabriel releasing two versions of new songs to coincide with each full and new moon, respectively  — a bright side mix (by English producer/engineer Mark “Spike” Stent) and a dark side mix (by American producer/engineer Tchad Blake). 

The full moon was featured prominently in the opening stage design on a large circular screen centered above the stage as Gabriel, with a keyboard on his lap, sat at a “campfire” with longtime bassist/collaborator Tony Levin at his side to perform the gentle “Washing of the Water.” As the rest of the ensemble joined the pair in a semi-circle around the fire to perform “Growing Up,” the moon gradually transitioned from full to new.

Perhaps the metaphor is obvious, but then came the new music beginning with “Panopticom.” Based on Gabriel’s idea to create an infinitely expandable and accessible data globe, “Panopticom” is equally encouraging and cautionary. That was followed by the Buddhist-inspired “Four Kinds of Horses” and the self-reflective “i/o.” The new songs, which are Gabriel’s first collection of originals since 2002’s “Up,” may have been in some form of existence since that time. Whatever the reason for the long delay, the wait has been worthwhile.

To see and hear Gabriel and his band — comprised of Levin; fellow staples  David Rhodes, guitar, Richard Evans, guitars/flute, and Manu Katché, drums/percussion; Don-E, keyboards/vocals; Ayanna Witter-Johnson, cello/vocals; Marina Moore, violin/viola/vocals; and Josh Shpak, trumpet/French horn/keys/vocals — perform this set of old and new songs is a joy to eyes and ears alike.

Gabriel genuinely seems to be enjoying himself. As a performer, he is known for his theatrics, and there are plenty. He presents the evening almost as a play with stories, acts, and an intermission. Though he doesn’t jump around the stage the way he did 30 years ago, he is not stationary behind his keyboard. He was most animated during rousing renditions of “Sledgehammer” and “Big Time,” and Gabriel literally skipped around the stage during “Solsbury Hill” — a wide grin from ear to ear.

Visuals have always been key accompaniments to Gabriel’s music. Each new song release features unique artwork by a different artist, and each of those artists is featured in the stage performance of the songs: “Red Gravity” by David Spriggs during “Panopticom;” video of a burning “Lifting the Curse” by Tim Shaw during “The Court”; works by Annette Messager, Barthélémy Toguo and Ai Weiwei during “Playing for Time,” “Olive Tree” and “Road to Joy,” respectively. 

Two of the more intriguing visual productions involved a paneled semi-transparent screen placed between the band and the audience during the intermission. Set Two opened with “Darkness” and “Love Can Heal.” During both songs, Gabriel incorporated the screen to add a third dimension of storytelling.

“Darkness” featured Gabriel’s silhouette at the far left panel of the screen and as that silhouette was repeated in the subsequent panels to the right it became more blurred and frantic to highlight the lyrical tale of the monster within that must be overcome.

During “Love Can Heal,” the panels turned to window panes streaked with raindrops. Gabriel appeared to hold a wand or brush to paint digital bursts of color as he walked from one end to the other and back again.

In all, Gabriel played 11 songs from the “I/O” project, including two yet to be released: “And Still,” a beautifully orchestral piece he dedicated to his mother, and “Live and Let Live,” an anthem for tolerance and forgiveness. Interspersed were enough of the “hits” to appease the nostalgic fans, but given the quality of Gabriel’s new work, I look forward to more yet to come. 

“i/o The Tour” continues in Canada and the U.S. through Oct. 21. Visit petergabriel.com for more info or follow Gabriel on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/PeterGabriel), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/itspetergabriel) and X (x.com/itspetergabriel)

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