Peter Frampton Delivers Marathon Performance in Montreal

Fans heading out to see Peter Frampton’s epic live show celebrating the 35^th anniversary of ‘Frampton Comes Alive’ can look forward to a show that runs three-and-a-half hours, not including the intermission.

The show is split into two sections, with a lengthy full album rendering of the original ‘Frampton Comes Alive’ opening up the night. After a brief intermission, Frampton and his band return to play a selection of other songs from his career to round out the night.

Although it might seem like a dodgy proposition to open with seemingly what is your best hand, a review of Thursday night's Frampton performance by the Montreal Gazette reports that fans are sticking around for the second half. According to the Gazette, they’re being rewarded with material that is “every bit as good as the selections from ‘Frampton Comes Alive’” and the review notes, “for the most part, the pieces were more musically interesting.”

The veteran guitarist commented on the Montreal performance via his Facebook page and said, “While doing 'FCA' in its entirety we get the reaction expected, but it is so great to see and hear the reaction to the 2nd set of newer and older music. We give everyone cake first and then surprise them with a body of work that is new to a lot of people.”

Midway through the performance of ‘Frampton Comes Alive,’ Frampton paused to pay tribute to a couple of departed bandmates – keyboardist Bob Mayo and drummer John Siomos - who had been part of the original recording. A video collage that played during ‘Wind of Change’ paid tribute to the pair.

The Gazette reports that Frampton received a standing ovation near the end of the night after performing ‘Off the Hook’ from his 1994 ‘Peter Frampton’ release, a moment that clearly caught him by surprise. “Touching and almost epic” were the terms applied to the night’s closing number, a pleasant cover of ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps.’

From all reports, Frampton came alive and then some, making it apparent that this is one of the can’t-miss shows of the summer.