Neighbor & Blue Star Radiation Pull Off Crazy Full Band Switch In Maine

Neighbor played Portland, Maine’s State Theatre for the first time on Saturday night. The Boston-based jam quartet kept fans on their toes by engaging featuring members of moe. in a full band takeover, debuting a pair of originals and premiering a cover of Peter Frampton’s 1976 smash “Do You Feel Like We Do” within the marathon concert.

Keyboardist Richard James, bassist Dan Kelly, guitarist Lyle Brewer and drummer Dean Johnston made the fitting choice of the State Theatre to unveil new original “Back In Maine” to start Saturday’s show. A deep jam was birthed out of the opener that eventually landed in fan favorite “Cucamonga Carl.” Neighbor then worked a tribute to late fan Steve Shaw within the lyrics for the ensuing “Mighty Apple Tree.” Next up was the first performance of bluesy original “He’s Not Me.”

Saturday’s first set rolled on with “Isla,” “Shitstorm” and “Stranger Part Of Town” before the four-piece lit into “Broadway,” an original debuted back in April. Neighbor was mid-jam when the lights when down. The lights came back up moments later to reveal Blue Star Radiation — consisting of moe. bassist Rob Derhak and drummer Vinnie Amico joined by guitarist Tim Palmieri and keyboardist Nate Wilson — had taken over. “It was a completely different band playing the same song without skipping a beat,” as noted by Neighbor. James, Kelly, Brewer and Johnston came back to finish the set-closing “Broadway.”

The four-piece went with staple “Pine Tree” to get Saturday’s second set underway. Out of the unfinished “Pine Tree” came an 11-minute trip through “The Weeds” in which Neighbor foreshadowed what was to come by teasing “Do You Feel Like We Do.” The segment continued with “Lonely Rider” and “Magic Marble Crew” as well as a drum solo by Dean “The Dux” Johnston to lead back into “Pine Tree.” Multiple talkboxes were set up as Lyle Brewer launched into “Do You Feel Like We Do.” Ricky handled lead vocals on the song originally issued by Peter Frampton on his 1973 LP Frampton’s Camel that found massive success when a live take off Frampton Comes Alive! was released in 1976.

Members of Neighbor each had fun with their respective talkboxes during a wild cover debut that stretched to the 15-minute mark. Brewer unleashed a nasty solo to bring “Do You Feel Like We Do” to a close. The quartet chose “Planet Silver” for the last song of the set and said farewell with a “Trippin’ In A Van” encore. It’s now off to Florida for Neighbor’s appearance at this weekend’s Suwannee Hulaween festival in Live Oak.

Listen to a soundboard matrix recording of Saturday’s show taped by Andy Murray below:

Setlist (via Neighbor Tunes)

Set One: Back In Maine[1] -> Cucamonga Carl, Mighty Apple Tree, He’s Not Me[1], Isla, Shitstorm[2], Stranger Part of Town -> Broadway[3]

Set Two: Pine Tree -> The Weeds[4], Lonely Rider[5], Magic Marble Crew > Dux > Pine Tree > Do You Feel Like We Do[6], Planet Silver

Encore: Trippin’ in a Van[4]

Footnotes:

• [1] Debut.
• [2] Crashing Down tease.
• [3] Members of the band Blue Star Radiation took over mid jam and Neighbor left the stage.
• [4] Do You Feel Like We Do (Peter Frampton) tease.
• [5] Happy Birthday tease.
• [6] First time played (Peter Frampton).