LIVE AT THE US FESTIVAL

The US (US as in all of us, not United States) festival 1983 was a multi-day 80s juggernaut that drew over half a million people to see the likes of The Clash, Bowie, Pretenders, Stevie Nicks, U2, Van Halen, Ozzy, Judas Priest, Scorpions, Berlin, Men at Work, and many others. Financed by Apple computers bigwig Steve Wozniak, the festival's goals were not simply profit, but rather community and "evolving technology" ideals. This is a very good thing because money-wise, he lost his ass. But the kids who went to this now legendary festival had such a great time they barely seemed to notice the oppressive heat and sun, which topped 100 degrees. While a compilation DVD of the festival was released, providing 1-3 songs for each act, Triumph is one of just a few who have released their full set as a stand-alone DVD.

Triumph is often mentioned in the same breath as Rush because both are from the same area, have three members, and a high-pitched vocalist. These are superficial reasons at best and the two bands are very different. Triumph is really more like a Canadian version of Styx minus Dennis DeYoung. Triumph is what I believe Tommy Shaw would have wanted for Styx if they could have found a way to push Dennis out of the airplane. When you think of Shaw tracks like "Blue Collar Man", "Crystal Ball", and "Love in the Midnight" you realize they aren't so far away from some of Triumph's own melodic and soaring hard rock. Both bands are sometimes accused of being "cheesy" but this no longer bothers me in the least. They are more "formulaic" and radio-friendly than many "prog rock" bands but are simply out there trying to play good music, not please critics like us. Regular Joes enjoy music too and all tendencies of prog snobbery I may subconsciously harbor melt away when good hard rock is this catchy and fun. They run the gamut from longer, more elaborate tracks (not featured in this set) to slightly bluesy party rock to spirited ballads and catchy album-oriented rock. All is done with a bit more pizzazz and color than many lesser peer hard rock bands, thanks mostly to Emmett being an exceptional guitarist. It is true that they do not live up to a creative or "chops" comparison with Rush, but they never asked for it. Triumph were a pretty humble bunch of guys who had a fierce dedication to their fan base, and they to the band.

The US festival DVD captures Triumph if not at their creative album peak, which may have been a bit earlier, certainly at their peak as a live act. They leave nothing on the table. For a band who had never seen an audience this big before or since they took the stage liked they owned the place and they smoked! With only a one hour slot here they deliver eight of their most crowd pleasing tracks. They open with "Allied Forces" and have the audience eating from their hands with "Lay it on the Line," which today is still an FM radio staple. Rik Emmett was on fire that day sporting a huge grin of pure enjoyment, his voice hitting every high note with an ease Geddy hadn't managed since about '78. His guitar work was as impressive as it was aggressive, switching effortlessly from chunky rhythms to blistering leads and lightning fast scales. Their next single "Magic Power" speaks of being "young, wild, and free" which the editor chose to use for audience shots of the oceans of young California kids who were partying like Jeff Spicoli. Sadly early 80s heavy metal kids proved to be terrible dancers as all of the audience dancing shots look like Elaine's character from Seinfeld doing her tragic office convulsions.

"A World of Fantasy" was another FM radio entry at the time and this was followed by Emmett's guitar solo...yes, a proper old fashioned metal wailfest with screaming fireworks, bends, feedback, and even a quiet classical interlude bit thrown in for good measure. He and bassist Mike Levine ran across the large stage for the whole set despite the heat. Emmett and drummer Gil Moore sang very complimentary harmonies together which adds much to the Triumph sound. They finished with their excellent "Fight the Good Fight" which was crisp and heavy. It's another of several Triumph songs which feature very uplifting, positive lyrics and messages for kids. While so many bands focus on negative themes and imagery, Triumph was always trying to affirm and inspire while pushing faith, perseverance, and joy. It's pretty refreshing to me.

The last detail that makes this gig special was the fact that it was outdoors in broad daylight. Usually I like a dark stage with good lighting to showcase the band. But for this festival and this band, the bright sunshine was a perfect compliment to the smiles and no-frills set Triumph wanted that day. They nailed it despite arriving late and without the benefit of a soundcheck, Moore even had to use someone else's kit he had never seen before. I'm not a drummer, but how would you like to walk out in front of hundreds of thousands of people and sit down at a drum kit you'd never touched before? He did just fine but I'd imagine it was not ideal for him.

The audio and video quality are passable for the 80s but certainly not perfect by today's standards. It won't matter if you are just out to have fun as I was. I enjoyed the hell out of this concert and will return to it often. Special features include a short documentary, a more recent interview, and a couple of music videos. For me this is 4-stars level of DVD watching fun but for those who don't really appreciate FM-friendly hard rock, you would probably find this 3-stars tops.