Photos by Andy Argyrakis

As long as Genesis doesn’t pick up “The Last Domino” and Peter Gabriel keeps focusing on his “i/o” comeback, former guitarist Steve Hackett is the last man flying the group’s flag beyond some occasional maintenance from Mike + The Mechanics.

And considering the classic line-up’s breakthrough album, “Foxtrot,” just turned 50, it was an ideal opportunity to perform it front to back at the Copernicus Center, alongside a few other staples and solo highlights, with demand being so great the show will return on March 29, 2024.

In the meantime, the first half was comprised of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s varied body of work, such as his adventurous debut, “Voyage Of The Acolyte,” and many others after leaving the band, basically right before it became a global pop juggernaut.

“Ace Of Wands” was one of the progressive powerhouses off that very project to greet a near capacity crowd, followed the world-themed “The Devil’s Cathedral” from his latest offering, 2021’s “Surrender Of Silence.”

The 73-year-old Hackett spent the majority of the almost three-hour evening, which included an intermission, steeped in epics of the 1970s and early ‘80s, such as “The Steppes,” “Camino Royale” and “Shadow of The Hierophant,” all providing a platform for his glorious guitar pyrotechnics.

Having four longtime musicians, plus Gabriel meets Phil Collins-sounding singer Nad Sylvan, certainly contributed to the revitalized flashbacks, especially when it came to the main event when everyone transformed into a committed “Watcher Of The Skies.”

The theatrical and endlessly artful tone continued throughout rare tracks “Time Table,” “Get ‘Em Out By Friday” and “Can-Utility And The Coastliners,” though there was also the subdued yet utterly sublime acoustic stylings of “Horizons.”

However, it all built up to the entire prog genre’s textbook entry, the sprawling, seven-part “Supper’s Ready” in all its whimsical, wild and complex splendor, prompting a lengthy standing ovation that never stopped until the final note of the night.
For any lesser act, there would be no possible way to top that pinnacle, but Genesis’ “Firth Of Fifth” and “Los Endos,” sandwiched between Hackett’s like-minded “Slogans,” came pretty close in the series of exceptional otherworldly expressions by an avant-garde axe-slinger who, believe it or not, actually gets better with age.

For additional information on Steve Hackett, visit HackettSongs.com.

For a list of upcoming Danny Zelisko Presents concerts, visit DZPLive.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at Copernicus Center include Jazz Is Dead (Dec. 8) and American Girl Live! (Dec. 16). For additional details, visit CopernicusCenter.org.

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