Live in Detroit, MI, Shelter, 04.06.1999
Text written by Jason Lykens
Photos taken by Jason Lykens
After a lengthy journey (5 hours) and numerous one-way streets, I "stumbled" upon a club called
Saint Andrew's Hall. After inquiring, I learned that The Shelter was downstairs. I had a Greek
snack next door beforehand, then made my way to the venue. I planned on bringing a friend to the
show, but it was short notice. So I came alone (Solitude?).
The venue was rather small and was cool (temperature). Before the show began, one noticed that there was a concert taking place upstairs. The floor rumbled above, drowning out the peaceful background music playing around us Fish. Most of us fit the title by consuming a steady amount of Labatt's Blue. Around 8:00 p.m., David Garza greeted the crowd with his "acoustic" - based, funkified rock. It was a pleasant way to open the evening. It seemed as though he played most of his debut cd. After he began playing, the rumble upstairs faded into the background. It seemed rather early to begin a show, but I had no complaints after manning the steering wheel for so long.
After Mr. Garza's set, there was enough time to appreciate our surroundings. With a Labatt's Blue
in hand, I spotted Robbi and introduced myself. He was as friendly as anyone can imagine. He
mentioned that his guitar tech had to attend a funeral that evening, so he would take control of
the situation at hand. Therefore, we spoke only briefly.
At around 9:00 p.m., the 4 Fish merged into 'Shiva'. I faded into the background to meander through my own consciousness, as their music inspires me to do. Any worries soon were forgotten. Aside from Robbi's aura, what caught my attention the most was Richard's drumkit. This is truly amazing. Throughout the set, the four breezed through:
'Shiva and The Astronaut'
'Transporting'
'Tremor Void'
'Song For a Dead Girl'
'All These Things'
'My Only Foe'
'Timeless (Truly)'
'Myth Of Abdou'
'Once In a Day'
'All Messed Up'
-----------------------
'Resonate'
'Zagreb'
'Chantreuse' (Outro)
After the encore, I felt spiritually enhanced and at peace. I conversed with a few bystanders afterward to absorb their reactions. I was truly not alone.
The crew began to clear the stage, and I spotted Robbi again. We spoke for a good bout of time. It was a perfect way to end this wonderful evening. And now, the road home? ...
