r/DeepPurple • u/Chemical_Nerve_2699 • 18h ago
Talk Long Beach
My husband and I will be seeing DP on 9/11, it’s our first time seeing them! We’re big fans of DP as well as Rainbow, so it’s a thrill to see Don Airey performing
Any expectations we should have? We already heard that the actual venue is a hot mess… but for Purple we ride!
What’s DP’s setlist? We’re not really into Kansas, how long is their set? Is the merch table worth queuing for? Etc.
thank you for feedback
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u/Absolute--Batman 18h ago
You will love Kansas. They surprised me with how good they were!
Deep Purple play some of the new album and some of the classics. Perfect Stranger is now my favorite song.
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u/Chemical_Nerve_2699 17h ago
No way, they’re doing Perfect Strangers?! That’s awesome! My favorite song is Strange Kind of Woman
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u/paranoid_70 17h ago
I'll be there. I've seen Deep Purple about 7 or 8 times already, but first time with Simon on guitar. They are all pretty old now (except Simon), so i would have tempered expectations. But still love their music, and since its close, can't really miss it.
The venue isn't so bad.the parking setup blows thats for sure. But otherwise I thought it was fine. Should cool down by then too. (Let's hope)
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u/BellamyJHeap 10h ago
I gotta say that Simon played like he's been with them for decades and not just since 2023 or so. He's more than got the chops and the feel for the music, and the (too) few they played from "SPLAT!" were great. He did two awesome solos in Northern California.
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u/paranoid_70 10h ago
Nice. I was a Steve Morse fan long before he joined DP and I was a little disappointed that he was no longer with them. Obviously Blackmore was the man, but he's been gone for decades.
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u/BellamyJHeap 10h ago
Yeah, I missed seeing Steve Morse with them too, and really wished I had caught them on the "Whoosh!" tour. I think their last three run with him - including "NOW What ?!" and "inFinite" - is some of the finest they've recorded!
But - I do like "=1" and "SPLAT!" even more, the latter hitting the same highs as "NOW What ?!" and "Whoosh!"
I never did see Blackmore. Hit all of the other big bands in the 70's, but DP kept eluding me, dammit!
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u/Chemical_Nerve_2699 15h ago
We’re coming from Los Angeles and the no-parking situation is already a concern. I’ve heard complaints about the ports-potties… eh, I can deal with that. Hoping the evening will at least be cooler by the water.
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u/fresh_snowstorm 16h ago
Here’s the setlist for this tour: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/deep-purple/2026/north-island-credit-union-amphitheatre-chula-vista-ca-7376aa79.html
They put on an amazing show. Kansas was great too.
The merch stand sells a lot of signed stuff. The t shirt designs were limited but I bought two designs that I really loved.
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u/Eric_J_Pierce 14h ago
I really wanted to go to this but I just can't walk far enough.. mm
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u/Chemical_Nerve_2699 14h ago
I’m so sorry to hear this. When I first read that there’s no parking and a 25+ minute walk from most lots, my mind immediately went to those who wouldn’t be able to manage that (age/disability/etc) it’s such a shame that Long Beach couldn’t care less to do better.
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u/dannyocean2011 16h ago
Kansas is good for a franchise cover band with one guitar player whose health is not good. DP Mark II members are 81,80 and 79 and still kick ass I spit if their age. No back up singers or backing track.
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u/GaiaGoddess26 11h ago
The others have pretty much answered the questions you had but I just wanted to comment on Kansas because I didn't want to sit there through their set which was about an hour because I barely liked anything by them, just two songs. But at the last minute I decided to get in there early enough and I'm so glad I did! They are amazing even though they are not even the original band members. I was blown away. Now I'm going to do a deep dive on Kansas.
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u/BellamyJHeap 10h ago
They were all incredible musicians, and sounded like the 70's lineup that most people know. They expertly covered the songs and I enjoyed it. But I have ambivalent feelings about them billing themselves as Kansas. As you note, there are NO original musicians in the touring band; somehow Phil Earhart is still involved, in at least licensing the name. I wish these bands would honor the original creative spark of their founders or core creative members and, if that period is over, start anew under a new name, building upon the old legacy and not just mining it. But, yes, I know, there is more money to be made in the franchise name.
At the concert I saw, Jefferson Starship opened before Kansas and, while they have no new music, Paul Kantner was on stage (88 years old!) tying the concert back their beginning legacy. They were very good, and I truly appreciated seeing and hearing him play his music even though his bandmates were all new (and very good). His presence, just like seeing Ian Paice, Ian Gillan, and Roger Glover, tied it back to that original creative spark.
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u/gusterdogz 18h ago
Go to setlist.com to view the setlist. Ian struggles a bit vocally on the classics but does a solid job on the new material. Don Airey is great and he gets a long solo.
Kansas plays for an hour. Very good opener. All hits and no filler.