Porcupine Tree- Blackest Eyes- Los Angeles 7-30-03

By leading off with this torrid performance of “Blackest Eyes” from In Absentia   in July 2003 at House of Blues in Los Angeles, Porcupine Tree led by Steven Wilson left no doubt that the neo-prog rockers were not just studio nerds. Normally these Live Tracks are reserved for exclusive performances from my five decades of radio broadcasts, but I was inspired by an editorial from Jim Austin, the new editor of Stereophile  magazine, where he wrote about our current times (quote),”These days musicians earn most of their money from live performances, and…the venues are shut down. Apparently, nobody’s recording music now, either…Downloads help musicians, and with downloads there’s no risk of infection. If you haven’t explored Bandcamp   yet, this is a good time…You can listen before you buy. Bandcamp downloads are cheap, but you are invited to pay more than the minimum.”

So imagine my delight when I found, not only this incredible live performance and recording of Porcupine Tree in L.A. 2003, but also BOTH of their highly-sought performances from my alma mater, XM Satellite Radio in the same period! –Redbeard