1. Twisty Bass
2. King Tide
3. I Got You
4. Dream Date
5. Try Whistling This
6. Sinner
7. Private Universe
8. Distant Sun
9. Hole in the River
10. Loose Tongue
11. Souvenir
12. When You Come
13. She Will Have Her Way

14. Faster Than Light
15. Last One Standing
16. Don't Dream It's Over

17. Four Seasons in One Day
18. Addicted

It wasn't until I was sitting in mind-numbingly frustrating traffic on I-94 that it hit me: Tonight, Neil Finn was going to be hitting the stage as something other than a member of Crowded House.

A rather obvious thought, but one that I hadn't really considered until then. I guess I get so busy with the mechanics of the Crowded House list and Neil Finn Web site that I rarely have time for a deeper thought about the break-up than "Does this mean that I should change the name of the list to the Neil Finn list?" Even since the tour hit the US, my focus has been more on the logistics of my girlfriend's and my mini-tour, catching Neil in Pontiac, Chicago, and Minneapolis.

But now all plans were in place, the day's digest had been sent and the computer left behind. I was left with nothing to think about but what we would be witnessing tonight, and it became clear to me what I would not be witnessing: Nick Seymour and Paul Hester walking on stage. I wondered: Did Split Enz fans go through a similar feeling the first time they saw The Mullanes in 1985 or Crowded House in 1986? The other thought I had was this: After all the words I'd spoken and written about my personal joy that Neil was finally free, shedding the straitjacket label of "what might have been" that chafed Crowded House both internally and externally, was I actually going to like what I saw?

I realized before we pulled into the Clutch Cargo parking lot in Pontiac that I had involuntarily stacked the cards against Neil. My appreciation of Neil's performances really had as much to do with Nick's and Paul's contributions on stage as it did the songwriting prowess. On the surface, I had been telling myself to keep an open mind, but internally I was already missing Crowded House.

The venue is intriguing. A Congregational church built in 1916, it is the most interesting architectural point in the immediate area. Tall stained-glass windows run its length, and there is a high "bell tower" at one end. The current tenants in the building have rather crassly slapped a huge sign on top of the tower, making it perfectly clear that this is no longer a place of worship (at least not of immortal gods). Once you are inside, commerce's victory over religion becomes laughable: here in the giant room where parishioners once talked with God, a fully stocked bar lines the back wall. The light and sound boards are anchored in the center of the room. And where the sermon was once given from a simple pulpit, the Devil's music is now regularly performed amidst all manner of electronic gear. The floor probably comfortably holds about 750 people, and it was probably more than three-quarters full for the show. A balcony that could have held another 250 went unused.

Opening act Morley are seven sharp musicians: Morley Kamen, the lead singer and main songwriter, is backed by a violinist/guitarist with bitchin' imitation snakeskin pants; a guitarist that defies his Soundgarden looks with a funky touch; a keyboardist who may look bored but is actually having a great time; a dapper backup vocalist; and a killer rhythm section. What most impresses you about these guys is how downright professional they are. Their 30-minute set was handled deftly, and all of them looked like they were working their asses off. I was bowled over.

Morley herself is a rather fascinating blend of Annie Lennox, Lisa Stansfield, and incense. She sways and grooves on stage, is politically and spiritually correct, and manages to work the first few rows of the audience with her hands, eyes, and body in a way that makes every individual feel like he or she has made a connection with her. And if you get bored with her, there are plenty of other equally interesting people to watch. Their album (also on the WORK Group label) doesn't hit stores until September 1st, but it will be well worth checking out. You fans who saw Ebba Forsberg earlier on the tour will appreciate how downright grateful Morley is about sharing the stage with Neil. She makes this very clear. Without having seen Ebba, I can say that I'm really glad I got to catch this gem of an act instead. You wouldn't know that this touring band has only been together for a month. They groove, they get funky, they get poppy - in short, they work it. More power to ya, Morley.

Neil's band's stage setup has Michael Barker's drum kit upstage right and Niall Mackin's keyboards upstage left, both on risers (the arrangement is flip-flopped from Crowded House's); an electric piano in front of Niall's riser; Liam Finn's guitars, amps and pedals stage left; Robert Moore's two basses and amps stage right; and Neil center stage. Again, for those of us who have seen Crowded House numerous times, this setup takes some getting used to. But the most noticeable evidence of the New World (where you live) Order is that the key member of Crowded House (not to mention a driving force in Split Enz) has finally accepted his position front-and-center. Neil has never publicly heralded the positions of control held in his projects - until now as he tries on the "solo artist" label and all its accoutrements, including the mid-show solo set, the literal spotlight at key dramatic moments during songs, and the solo bow at the end of the evening.

But you, dear reader, don't care about Neil's standing in his own universe. No, I know what you want: The obligatory Hair and Pants Report. (God forbid I should let Neil down.) Neil's hair shows no signs of artificial color, but it is beginning to get a little on the bushy side. It's long enough that it doesn't stick up anymore, and over the course of the show, it can go through periods of looking positively tousled. He's using less hair gel, opting for the natural look. In stark contrast to the more conscious "uniforms" of the different periods of Crowded House, he appears on stage in a very simple slate suit with a subtle striped pattern and a white button-down shirt (untucked). Black-and-white Nike sneakers have replaced the more spartan brown or black, thick-soled workshoes I've seen on previous tours. And just to carry this tradition to the next generation: Liam was sporting dark pants and a dark orange shirt with a simple purple paisley design. His hair is completely unmanageable, and if his dad has any sense at all, he'll fly his hair stylist into Los Angeles and get the boy coifed before the suits show up at the Wiltern on August 17.

A few words about Liam: Make no mistake about it, the 14-year-old is a full-fledged member of this band. He has key roles in almost every song, though you wouldn't know it to watch him. He continues in his father's tradition of being as unassuming as any pop star could possibly be. While he certainly doesn't care much for the attention he gets from the audience (he got the loudest applause when Neil introduced the band), there is no question that he is comfortable on stage as a musician. And after he completes this tour, he'll have a much better idea of whether or not this is going to be his vocation. No teenager could ask for better training. For his part, Neil does a great job of not treating his son any differently than Niall, Robert, or Michael. Except for rare and subtle occasions, Liam is nothing more than another cog in the evening's music machine. And somehow that makes the whole experience even more remarkable.

The house lights at Clutch Cargo's dimmed at a few minutes after 11:00 p.m., and the players streamed out of the stage left entrance and found their way around the cramped stage. Neil immediately strapped on a bass guitar, and regular bassist Robert Moore settled in on electric guitar. Liam took a seat behind the piano with an acoustic guitar, and Niall Mackin and Michael Barker sat at the keyboards and drums, respectively.

They kicked right into "Twisty Bass," an odd choice for an opener, due to its rather dark nature and to the fact that, judging from fan's reactions to the studio version, people are simply not sure what to do with the track. (My opinion? Revel in it!) When Neil hits the chorus and switches to the distortion mic, that first shiver passes over the audience as things kick into a high gear. After the second chorus, as Robert plays a guitar line stolen from Johnny Marr, Neil does a spooky sway-dance around the stage, getting lost in the groove, only to find his way back to the mic just in time for "A home is all you want ...." On the last chorus, all instruments drop out except for Neil's vocal and Liam's playing of the distinctive acoustic part. The energy should be high, but both Neil and Liam downplay the energy (Liam even remains sitting down), and the song never quite takes off. Is that why they open with it? "Twisty Bass" has such an odd energy that perhaps Neil is not sure where else to place it in the set, so he relies on opening-song adrenaline to carry him (and us) through to the second song.

That second song - what I consider the true opener of the show - really kicks, and what makes it so wonderful is the transition from "Twisty Bass," both musically and choreographically: As Niall plays the violin part on keyboards and Robert thrashes away on that guitar, Neil plays one more loud, open string on the bass, and dances across the stage, twirling, while removing the bass. Placing it on the stand, he plucks the string again, and then walks away, strapping on the Les Paul gold top guitar. Then he joins in, playing Niall's keyboard part on lead. Robert abandons his guitar and walks to where the bass sits, straps it on, and plays the single open note again. Prepared for "King Tide," Neil now brings "Twisty Bass" to its mellow conclusion. Watching this play out is much more effective than reading about it, but it is brilliant.

Before the crowd has finished applauding, the keyboards and low drums of "King Tide" have started. As Neil sings "It's a dark and empty room ..." Liam straps on the beautiful red Gretsch guitar. When they hit the uptempo section, it's Liam who leads them in and plays the rhythm part with gusto.

Neil settles into his lead role, both vocally and guitar wise. On the solos of "King Tide," he throws himself around the stage. It occurs to me how odd this picture is: laid-back 14-year-old watches his father dance around the stage, sort of like a rock star, only a lot geekier. Isn't it embarrassing? Wouldn't it be for most 14-year-olds? Liam looks less concerned about this than I am. He spends most of the evening with his eyes closed, concentrating on the music, and sometimes even looking transcended.

"King Tide" gets the crowd cheering and the paper airplanes flying. Neil picks up the first plane of the night and reads a request for "In The Lowlands." "It will be taken into consideration," he says, and then balls the paper airplane up and prepares to throw the thing back at us. "It's more of a UFO now," he says, and with a toss, it travels maybe a foot and floats to the ground. We laugh. "Weight perfectly distributed, floating back to earth."

"I Got You" kicks in without anyone changing instruments. I am amazed how this song withstands the test of time. I watch the crowd, and both older and younger fans bop and sing. The crowd really enjoys this tune; I'm not sure why I expected less.

Next, Neil gives a quick count and launches right into "Dream Date" ... "Remove yourself from the past ..." He sings this one like he means it. This song, one that I considered being fun but a bit of a throwaway on the record, is clearly a major moment for Neil. (I've since heard an explanation as to why "Dream Date" matters so much to him: he has said that it's about his feelings of getting older and relating to a younger generation of music; thus the lines "They're playing the tune / I'm tapping my feet.")

The song suffers, however, from a problem that will rear its head several times tonight: weak back-up vocals. The thinly written chorus depends on the multi-voice effect, and without them, it seems lost in a live setting. Niall tries to sing along, but he is timid and doesn't get too close to his mic.

But this shortcoming is made up by the closing of the song, one of the highlights of the night. Once he hits that last chorus and the song's tempo seems to double, Neil throws his arms up and leans way back, swaying and grooving, while everyone makes copious noise. Liam thrashes away on the Gretsch. Robert takes control of the "Twisty Bass" distortion mic and screams unintelligible verse, recalling Mark Hart on "Skin Feeling." Niall and Michael thrash on keyboards and drums, and even Liam is jumping up and down, becoming his most animated. (Nah, he's not worried about his silly dad!) Neil flails away at the guitar, sometimes soloing but mostly "freaking out," as Youth would be wont to say. He throws himself at the piano and bangs away on this as well, finally bringing the song to conclusion.

The band catches its breath. Neil stands up at the piano, momentarily disoriented and looks at his set list: "Let me make sure I'm supposed to be here ... Yeah, okay." He sits back down and begins whistling the theme to The Andy Griffith Show. He whistles a phrase and then pauses as a good portion of the crowd responds. He takes the next phrase, and the crowd answers back, more confident. "Good," he says, "there are some people here at least as old as I am."

"Try Whistling This" features Neil on the piano, with his son sitting next to him playing acoustic. It is a pretty straightforward rendition of the album version (though Liam's guitar part is greatly simplified), and for this reason it is hugely effective. Again, Neil delivers this song with a lot of love. It's wonderful to see how much he truly enjoys the songs on this record.

Back front again and with the acoustic strapped on for the first time, Neil introduces "Sinner." He plays the opening chords, and the band takes their tempo from this. It is noticeably slower than the album version. Liam is on the red Gretsch again, playing the catchy guitar riff - a part he enjoys playing, as he occasionally dips a shoulder and really leans into it, fighting against his desire to look nonchalant.

For Neil, this is the first song that he becomes aware of his audience. He spends a lot of the song making eye contact with us. He's checking us out, sizing us up, occasionally raising an eyebrow in greeting to an individual who has connected with him in some nonverbal way. His singing is dead on.

And so is ours, as he allows us to sing along during a reprise of the "Sing it everyone, got my eyes, got my face" section. This audience is primed, and we pick right up with his suggestion. He begins to twist the words, making us sing phrases such as

Got my arms, got my legs
Got my nose, got my mind
Got big smile, got no teeth

And then he disposes of words altogether and simply makes up vocal patterns with "ah" and "hey." The crowd loves the challenge. So far, this is the most effective song of the night.

Neil starts into "Private Universe," and the band is right in with him, but he realizes right away that he's out of tune. So he stops, but Robert and Michael continue playing the rhythm part. Ordinarily, there would be a fear that the momentum would drop after such a derailment, but this crowd, already warmed up from "Sinner," immediately starts a very fast clap-along. Neil looks up, startled and pleased. He compliments us, goads us on, and he and others on stage start clapping along as well before returning to the song.

Despite this spontaneous beginning, this song just never manages to come together and becomes one of the low points of the evening. I attribute it to the youngness of this band and the lack of stage time. The parts of this complex song are muddy. Liam and Neil attempt to solo together at the end, but Neil gets into one of his experimental solos and Liam resorts to goofing with feedback from his amp. The result is a big, gloppy, self-indulgent mess that never really becomes anything. Clutch Cargo's booming acoustics don't help matters at all. Noise on top of noise.

I was particularly glad when the next song signified the opening of the solo section. The band exited quickly, and Neil switched to the acoustic guitar. He launched right into a gorgeous version of "Distant Sun," very heartfelt. At the end, he improvised some lyrics:

As time goes dripping down your neck
In little beads of sweat
And you end up in a wreck

The audience returns Neil's energy as applause.

Neil sits down at the piano and tells us that they (the band) feel that this was a great day, for two reasons. First, a dear friend who was very ill had suddenly become very well. Second, they had just gotten a great new tour bus "... with satellite television." This meant that they were looking forward to watching a rugby game after the gig tonight. "We probably wouldn't watch it if we were at home, but since we're here, it's something we have to do."

Someone calls out for "Message to My Girl," but Neil has other plans. "I'm going to do 'Hole in the River.'" And he does. Splendidly. Acoustic piano. It's a song that was originally piano-based, so it works well. It's hard to imagine Nick's psychedelic instrumental breakdown on solo piano, but Neil plays it almost tongue-in-cheek. We start clapping along in that section (such a primed audience!), and Neil nods and comments, "Good rhythm."

The band returns, with Liam at the drum set and Michael coming down to Liam's spot and strapping on the Gretsch. Niall sets up on acoustic guitar. Lord knows you don't need keyboards for "Loose Tongue." It's the only song that uses a click track to get things rolling. Liam counts the band in and they take off. The song rocks pretty well, and it's especially nice to see Liam's drumming so confident. On the last verse, Michael tries on a little rock star clichˇ, putting his foot up on the monitor to play the guitar riff that pops up after the line "In the future now ..." He laughs at himself.

After the song, Neil introduces the band. Upon his introduction, Robert Moore steps up to his mic and appeals to us: "For years, I drove an old Pontiac around New Zealand. I've been walking around all day here wanting to know: Is *this* where Pontiacs were made?" The audience answers in the affirmative. "Thank you," he says with a thumbs-up. "Actually," Neil joshes, "it was a Toyota Corolla."

The band tries "Souvenir," but this is one that simply has not come together yet. The tempo is very rushed (Liam's drumming is not nearly as impressive on this song), Neil's vocal performance uninspired. Everything seems just a hair off, and the song has very little dynamics; it's just loud and a little uncomfortable.

Afterwards, Robert comments on Neil's shirt, for some reason. He says that Neil didn't "run it by me" before the show. Neil also discusses a red shirt Robert was thinking of wearing. He tells Rob that it's a good thing he didn't wear it because he would have upstaged Neil. "When you're in a band," Neil says, "everyone is always upstaging." The audience lets out a collective groan of shock, knowing the band Neil refers to. Neil looks up, surprised. "What?! Well, it's true!" And then, without further discussion, announces: "Here's a song that was played by the aforementioned band."

It's "When You Come," and again it just seems to be missing something. Part of the problem is that Neil has messed a bit with the arrangement. Instead of acoustic, he's playing electric, and that results in less delicate dynamics. This is not a song that can begin loud and expect to go anywhere. Again, the band seems to be wrestling with the acoustics of the room - and the room is often winning.

On the plus side, Liam solos - and does so smartly. Neil hangs with Robert on the other side of the stage during Liam's moment to shine, and then he wanders over as Son seamlessly passes the solo to Dad, who brings it home. Very nice.

Niall comes down front and takes up the acoustic, and the band launches into "She Will Have Her Way." The tempo is just slightly slower than the record, but it works nicely at this new speed. It's spirited and fun. There's a nice moment at the end where all four guitarists stand together in front of the drum set, almost as if convening in a huddle before they break out to close the song. The band quickly exits, Neil waving.

They return full of mischief for an encore. Robert immediately goes to the turntable beside his bass amp and drops the needle on the odd yoga record that has been getting airplay all through the tour. Neil is smiling as he sits at the drums and starts playing a line. Niall and Liam are up at the keyboards noodling around. Everyone looks at everyone as if something is supposed to happen, but Neil cracks up and abandons whatever it was they had their minds set on. He comes down front and picks up the Gretsch. With the yoga record droning on, Michael begins playing the drum part to "Faster Than Light," with Liam right next to him, assisting on percussion.

This is another song from Try Whistling This that depends heavily on good backup vocals to make the chorus effective, and this set-up just doesn't have it. Otherwise, the song is performed beautifully.

After the tune, Neil grabs a few more airplanes from the floor. He reads the first one and says: "Here's someone who will be happy in about three minutes." (It was list member Shannon Cooke's request for "Don't Dream It's Over.") And then he laughs and tells us, "Oh, I have to read this one out loud: 'Hi, Neil. I'm Paul. I have a dog named Grady. I'm 31 years old and live with my parents, and I'm about to hear you sing "Four Seasons in One Day."' Well. That's cool. Well, not very cool for the parents...." Neil looks over at Liam. "Liam, when you're 31, you won't be living at home, will you?" Liam shakes his head. "That's right," Neil confirms. "Two more years and you're out."

He prompts Liam to lead them in, which he does by launching feedback from his amp, and the band goes into "Last One Standing." Neil plays an electric on this (Niall takes the acoustic), resulting in a much more rock-out version of this song than expected. Robert has changed the bass part on the chorus, making it clear that this song is, at heart, a country song! It works well except for Liam's feedback, which once again seems discordant with what the rest of the band is doing.

After the song, everyone leaves except for Neil and Niall. With the acoustic in hand, Neil asks us: "Does anyone know what denomination this church was?" Someone responds that it was the First Congregational church. "First Congregational? I have no idea what that is. Who invented that church?" Someone wisely answers that it was General Motors, and Neil loves it. "Good answer. Yes, the Church of General Motors. That's a good idea. People driving their cars down aisles. Well, it must not have done very well. Not too many punters in the congregation, I guess. I'm glad they sold it."

And with that, he begins playing the opening chords to "Don't Dream It's Over," and says over the guitar, "Here's a hymn of sorts. Let's see if we can evoke a few ghosts. The good parishioners of the Congregational Church of Pontiac, Michigan." And he proceeds to perform a song we've heard hundreds of times before.

So how come it's my favorite moment of the evening? Hard to say. All I know is that I am absolutely dumbfounded by the performance. It borrows generously from the tempo and mood of the version that appears on the Princess Diana tribute album. But something about it, so sparse and simple, brings back the newness of this incredible song all over again. For a few moments, I felt that if this was the only song that Neil Finn was remembered for, he would have done his job on this planet.

The song was further sweetened with a singalong at the end, including the brilliant touch of having us sing the chorus while he sang the organ counter melody. It was hard to find the breath to sing.

Neil leaves the stage again, stopping the other band members from returning. He returns, alone one more time, and announces that this next song will have two dedications. "First, this goes out to Karen in New Zealand, who is well after a year of ailing. And it also goes out to the guy with a dog named Grady. God bless him." He proceeds to toss off a nice rendition of "Four Seasons in One Day."

As the band returns to the stage, they toss their own paper airplanes into the crowd. (I've heard that in past shows, these airplanes contain Duke Ellington quotes.) A nice turnabout. Neil sits at the piano, with Liam next to him, on acoustic. Neil announces: "It's been good. We'll come back." The crowd cheers.

"Addicted" is very nice, very close to the album version. Neil explains that the song is about waking up on the couch at 6:00 a.m. and seeing static on the television. "That's when you know you've had a really good night." And it's clear that Neil has had a really good night. His spirits are high, as is the vibe, even when the band wasn't always spot-on.

After the last chorus of "Addicted," Liam lays down his guitar and unceremoniously leaves the stage for the night. The song winds down, and Michael leaves the stage. The last low, deep bass note rumbles in our guts, shaking our stomachs. Niall leaves. Robert puts the yoga record back on again and leaves. Neil is left on stage alone to our cheering. He stands up. Waves. Bows. Then runs over to the turntable and messily removes the needle from the record. He looks momentarily horrified and runs from the stage.

I was relieved to see t-shirts for sale as we left - the first time on the US leg of the tour that merchandise other than CDs and signed poster flats are available.

On the sleepy drive to Ann Arbor, Laura and I admitted to feeling a little bit let down. It was a good performance, and better than 90% of the other live acts I've seen. But it wasn't the transcendent experience that we remembered when Crowded House was having a good night. Yes, we were definitely missing Crowded House. So could a solo Neil Finn ever match my memories of the old trio? I defer my answer until after I've given this band a couple more times to get things right, in Chicago and Minneapolis. Tonight was fine, but if I were Neil, I'd feel down deep that there was still plenty of room to grow and improve.