All Star United
In July of 1997 I had the opportunity to see All Star United in concert. The concert was wild.
All Star United lead singer Ian Eskelin takes a body surfing tour through the crowd of fans. July 1997
All Star United is guitarist Dave Clo, drummer Christian Crowe, lead singer Ian Eskelin, Patrick McCallum on keyboards, and Gary Miller on bass. For their second album Adrian Walther replaced Gary Miller on bass.
In a way, the All Star United concert was typical of many attended by "kids" back in the 1990s. I found myself in the middle of a packed tight crowd with standing room only. The only thing that interrupted the moshing was the body surfing. What made the ASU concert different was the high level of "fun energy". Once ASU starts playing, everybody gets a grin on their face.
Even though ASU was very new when I saw them, for some reason I felt I was flashing back to 1974. Maybe it was the skin tight T-shirts, or maybe it was the music. Whatever it was, I got a kick out of it.
The keyboard player, Patrick McCallum, is a few dekameters further over the top than the rest of the band. He has more duct tape on his keyboard then found in the Red Green show. It is there for a reason. Very shortly after McCallum plays his first note, he is swinging and tossing his keyboard about as he plays it. The primary purpose of the duct tape is to hold the keyboard to its stand. Since the stand travels with the keyboard as he swings it about, McCallum can put the keyboard back down anywhere on the stage. It does not remain down for long.
Their first album, self-titled 'All Star United', is so happy go lucky that I
just rolled on the floor laughing with amusement the first few times I heard
it. Later, I settled down and grooved to the music. ASU must have gotten it
right the first time since this debut album was a 1998 Grammy Award nominee.
Their second album, titled 'International Anthems For The Human Race', continues the musical style of their first album but also expands upon it. The fantastic song, Worldwide Socialites Unite, is a good example of this. This album also has two excellent hidden tracks.
I recommend seeing All Star United when they come to your town, and I also recommend their CDs.
CD info:
All Star United
Reunion, CD10001
1. La La Land
2. Bright Red Carpet
3. Angels
4. Drive
5. Torn
6. Smash Hit
7. Saviour Of My Universe
8. Beautiful Thing
9. Tenderness
10. Lullaby
Read the reviews at Amazon.com!
International Anthems For The Human Race
Reunion / Essential, 02341-0005-2
1. Welcome To Our Big Rock Show
2. Popular Americans
3. International Anthem
4. Thank You, Goodnight
5. If We Were Lovers
6. Worldwide Socialites Unite
7. I Need You Now
8. Theme From Summer
9. Everything Will Be Alright
10. Superstar
11. Put Your Arms Around Me
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Revolution
Furious Records
1. We Are the Future
2. Let It Rain (I'm Gonna Shine)
3. Revolution
4. Making It Beautiful
5. Kings and Queens
6. Made in Heaven
7. You Can Count on Me
8. Global Breakdown
9. Weirdo
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Smash Hits
Essential / BMG
1. Smash Hit
2. Bright Red Carpet
3. Saviour of My Universe
4. Beautiful Thing
5. Tenderness
6. Welcome to Our Big Rock Show
7. Superstar
8. Theme from Summer
9. Thank You, Goodnight
10. Popular Americans
11. If We Were Lovers
12. Hurricane Baby
13. Hang On
14. Baby Come Back
15. Saviour of My Universe [Acoustic Mix]
Read the reviews at Amazon.com!
Other All Star United web sites:
All Star United - This is the official All Star United web site.
© Copyright 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005 by Torrey Nelson