While many legacy bands are slowing down and coasting on past glory, Jethro Tull—now essentially the project of frontman Ian Anderson—has been busier than ever. In just the past few years, they’ve released three new albums: The Zealot Gene, RökFlöte, and the most recent, The Curious Ruminant. All three make appearances in the current setlist, though they take a backseat to the band’s classic material. And that’s no surprise: with a career stretching back over 50 years, Jethro Tull has more than enough fan favorites to fill a night, from Aqualung to Thick As A Brick. It’s what the audience came for, and the band delivers.
The last time Tull played Paris was just over two years ago, at the very same Olympia. The one notable change is the replacement of guitarist Joe Parrish by newcomer Jack Clark. The rest of the lineup remains the same as it has since the band's 2017 reformation, with Dave Goodier on bass and John O’Hara on keyboards—both veterans since 2007—and Scott Hammond on drums. Together, they provide steady and skillful support for Anderson’s unmistakable presence. His voice doesn’t have the range it once did, and the wild stage antics have mellowed somewhat, but Anderson remains a captivating performer: sharp, eccentric, and oddly charming, flute in hand, leading the charge in his own delightfully zany way.
Anderson’s distinctively English brand of madness is, of course, the focal point, but the real star of the show is the music itself. Tull's songs are complex and demanding, but the current band does them justice. Their playing is relaxed but never loose, precise without sounding sterile. If we have one gripe—and we always do—it’s that this was another all-seated show, which made it feel more like a night at the theatre than a rock concert. Some of these songs rock pretty hard, and quite a few are highly danceable... yes, even the folk numbers! It would have been nice to have the option to stand and sway a little. Then again, given that the median age of the audience probably matched—or even exceeded—that of the band members (and a few of them are actually quite young), maybe a standing-room setup would have posed some medical risks to the punters in attendance.
But that's a small complaint. It's always a privilege to spend an evening with progressive rock royalty, hearing those timeless tunes performed with such authority and authenticity.
SETLIST:
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