This reviewer was approaching the final act of the day with a certain amount of trepidation. Though having acknowledged their pole position in the prog firmament, Jethro Tull had never set my world on fire.  But this all changed in just 80 minutes. The crowds around the prog stage continued to swell to see these legends (while those watching supergroup Black Country Communion on the main stage were apparently starting to disappear). This night established Tull as one of the great live bands.

Ian Anderson, now a sprightly 64, has all the energy and verve of a performer half his age, darting across the stage, pulling shapes (and faces), alternating between guitar and his trademark flute, and engaging in between-song banter which had the crowd in fits of laughter especially when he took the rise out of 70s prog rock and their part in it.

They kicked off with two of the all time classics, “Living in the Past” and “Thick as a Brick,” slotting in other gems like “Farm on the Freeway” from Crest of a Knave and the timeless “Bouree.” But most of the songs came from Aqualung, still sounding as fresh and radical as ever. The band is now supplemented with John O’Hara on keyboards and accordion, David Goodier on bass and Doane Perry on drums. 

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