I've seen Superdrag perform with every version of the lineup and I disagree with your statement about a difference in energy level. Sam Powers gives it everything he's got every single night he's on stage. One thing that I've admired about Sam since he joined Superdrag is how he always seems to bring it to another level. You can tell that he is really connected with the music. I don't think that it is accurate to say that Sam displays less energy that Tom did. Granted, you never mentioned Sam by name, but you did say that the compare "original lineup" to the current one.

And about the Boston recording . . . it's pretty damn good for something that people were able to walk away from the show with. The technology is still young and I'm sure these instant recordings will get better with time. As for the quality of John's performance, you should know (considering you've seen nine Drag shows) that John's voice is never really a constant. This band toured like crazy and it's really difficult to keep a voice in perfect shape when you tour as much as they did. I've seen shows where John's voice was 100% and I've also seen some where he was obviously having problems. But he NEVER goes through the motions. He's always giving the audience everything he's capable of.

Also, the version of She Is A Holy Grail on this cd is fucking amazing. It very well might be my favorite live superdrag track ever.

For the record, I've seen them seven times, so I think I'm qualified to give a valid counterpoint.

Having said all that, nine shows is both respectable and enviable. Rock on, rock soldier. We're all brothers in arms, even if we squabble now and then.

glenn