Jon Crosby and VAST are a musical nut that I’ve tried to crack, yet haven’t gotten into, up until now.

My friend Andrea had sent out a mass email musical plea for friends to come out and check out one of her favorite bands, the aforementioned VAST. Always up for a good musical challenge, I decided to come out and give it a listen.

I’ve given brief listen to the albums, and never heard that “one song” to reel me in. I always heard from many, the classic “you’ve got to see them live” line that is so often crap. Now that I’ve seen VAST, I can report that it is actually true, you’ve GOT to see this band live. There’s a reason why Jon Crosby and VAST get a lot of hype and praise and continue to make albums. That reason, is because Jon Crosby knows how to deliver the goods.

Armed with an ace band that makes up VAST in the live setting, they delivered the message with vengeance and passion that was undeniable. The band Hurt comes to mind as a band that I have seen within the past couple of years, where the emotion in the performance comes off as forced. You can’t believe or subscribe to what they’re putting into their performance, because it doesn’t feel REAL. I hate bands like that, where it smells like nothing but a sheer attempt for commercial success. Not to mention the amount of pretentiousness that comes with it. With VAST, you believe it, and find yourself trying to get inside of the scenarios that are being laid out in song. You want to know what it is all about, and the believability is absolutely there

As I would find out later, this tour was a first for VAST – the first tour that features a fully live show. Crosby has been touring with a band for several years now, but has been aided with tracks that augment the live performance. This headlining tour is the first tour where all of that is stripped away, and everything that you see and hear on stage is created in the live setting. Most of the band with the exception of the drummer, have been with Crosby for several years now, and I can see why he felt comfortable making the move away from the tracks. This band is fully capable of delivering a show without any additives. I was hooked in within the first song, and they kept me there for the duration of the show.

I went to this show not knowing any songs by VAST. My friend knew Free – I knew nothing, but dug Pretty When You Cry particularly, and overall came home with the knowledge that I need to beef up my VAST collection.

Here is the current list of VAST tour dates – do yourself a favor and check out the videos below, and check out a show. You’ll dig it!

Pretty When You Cry

FREE