Beck's invitation-only show Monday night at the Echo not only stoked the buzz for the upcoming release of his 10th album, Modern Guilt, but it also was a toe-wetting experience for a largely new batch of side players
The musicians will have their work cut out for them if they're along for the ride on a world tour that begins later this month (and, down the road, includes a Sept. 20 stop at the Hollywood Bowl).
The frontman acknowledged that it was “only about the fifth time we've played together" as he led his charges through a 14-song, favorites-laden set occasionally punctuated by technical clatter. None of those woes mattered to the Beck faithful; the show was mainly for “family and friends," management said, and surely many of those were keen to the 37-year-old's new material, right? Ahem.
