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Squeeze Is Tight In New Jersey As Gripping Set of Classic Hits and Rarities Grabs Attention in Englewood
Squeeze is a band that means business. That's not surprising for a group now working in their fifth decade in the music industry. What is compelling is the way they have come back strong to recapture their brand and fan base in the past five years. It seems that team Difford and Tilbrook and Company have put together a plan to reintroduce themselves to the marketplace and music-loving masses - and it's now working to perfection.
 Squeeze was a quality quintet on stage in Englewood, New Jersey in 2012. It hasn't always been that way. Squeeze emerged strong in the 1980's with a proven formula of delectable pop confection powered by punk rock roots. Their four-album string of Argy Bargy, East Side Story, Sweets From a Stranger and Ridiculous had their ample share of chart hits and represented their commercial peak. The band themselves will tell you that their creative high point came in the early 1990's with the memorable Some Fantastic Place album but by that time most of their original audience had moved on into adulthood. From there began a slow decline for the group until they finally disbanded in 1999 following the release of the disappointing Domino album and tour that saw Squeeze topple into fragments. In 2007 - following a thaw in their chilly partnership - Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook picked up the pieces of their broken band and took the show on the road once again to rave reviews and enthusiastic audiences. Squeeze re-emerged as a solid five-piece fronted by the founders, classic era bassist John Bentley, drummer Simon Hanson and keyboardist Stephen Large. It was this line-up that took the stage on April 23, 2012 at the BergenPAC in Englewood, New Jersey. An impressive and vocal audience greeted the quintet with cheers as they broke into "Take Me I'm Yours" and for the next 90-minutes Squeeze held the attention of the rapt attendees in their hands. The only mar in their otherwise flawless performance came during song two when it was apparent that Bentley's bass was way too high in the mix muddying up the sound and drowning out Tilbrook's incisive guitar break in "If I Didn't Love You". However, the bottom end eventually found a more equitable footing and the quality of the tone returned to acceptable levels for the rest of the show.
 Glenn Tilbrook shows off his chops and unchopped face at the BergenPAC. Squeeze has long been known for delivering the goods and classic songs in their concerts but what was unexpected was the number of deep tracks and rarities that made it into the evening's set including the moody "Model" and jarring "Bang Bang" from the band's 1978 debut, U.K. Squeeze. In fact, the concert was heavily weighted with a total of seven numbers from their first two albums in the 23-song setlist. Other highlights included the rarely played gem "Points Of View" from 1985's Sweets From a Stranger and the catchy B-Side, "Who's That". Throughout the night the band thrilled with their tight musicianship. Tilbrook - always underrated on the axe - chopped through lead after blistering lead with acumen and passion. The rhythm section of Bentley and Hanson propelled the songs with a rock edge. Large was abundantly capable in the keyboard chair and Difford was as durable and dependable as ever. This edition of Squeeze is the most stable line-up the band has ever had and the familiarity the players have with one another has allowed this group to take chances in a live setting. The evening was adorned by captivating screen shots, clips and cartoons of the band as they closed with a strong encore of 'Slap and Tickle", "Tempted" and "Black Coffee In Bed" - which like a shot of caffeine - provided the fans with a delicious dose of adrenaline for the ride home. Squeeze is in the midst of a brief Spring tour that saw them appear for two weekends in a row at the massive Coachella Music Festival in Indio, CA with a much-talked about appearance on the Ellen Show squeezed in for good measure. They'll be back in the States in the summer of 2012 for some more dates and they have promised that their first album of new material in over 15 years should be out in 2013. Squeeze is a band with a full grasp on their past as exhibited by the number of songs from their early records performed at the Englewood concert. They are also clearly embracing the present moment with professional and exhilarating performances. Fans are eagerly anticipating their next move as they press forward into the future - so, the pressure is on for the forthcoming album - we hope they crush it! SQUEEZE SETLIST: Take Me I'm Yours / If I Didn't Love You / Tough Love / In Quintessence / Revue / Model / The Knack / Who's That / Is That Love / Points Of View / Heaven / Melody Motel / Bang Bang / Cool for Cats / Up the Junction / Another Nail in My Heart / Goodbye Girl / Annie Get Your Gun / Hourglass / Pulling Mussels (From the Shell) / Encore / Slap and Tickle / Tempted / Black Coffee in Bed
 John Bentley and Chris Difford - musically sharp and sharply dressed in Bergen County. Opening for Squeeze were their long-time friends and fellow road warriors The English Beat. Dave Wakeling - hailing from working-class Birmingham , England - formed the band in 1978. At that time, there was much turmoil on the social front and the group's music reflected that in danceable tunes about love, politics and unity. The English Beat released three successful albums and had a number of hits ("She's Mine", "All Out To Get You", "Mirror in the Bathroom", "Too Nice To Talk To", "Can't Get Used To Losing You" and "Hands") before calling it quits. Band members pursued other projects. In recent years, Dave Wakeling has been touring with a talented team under the name The English Beat bringing back the band's unique blend of pop, punk rock, reggae, ska and soul. Despite having to travel 600 miles in the snow to get to the BergenPAC, The English Beat were in good spirits and performed an energizing and engaging set. The six piece started with a peppy pace that had a spicy Spanish flavor propelled by percussion and a sassy sax solo. The music progressed through harmonies and reggae styled grooves. The sound was well mixed allowing each instrument and voice to be heard. "Remember 1980?," the band inquired as one of the singers rhymed memories of those times. The rap had a reggae vibe with heavy drumming that melded into the up-tempo "I'll Take You There" with its teasing pace. "Half way through our party - hydration just keep drinking ladies - moderately," jested Wakeling as The English Beat continued to play their up-beat party music that included fan favorites "Ranking Full Stop", "Mirror in the Bathroom", "Save It for Later" and the catchy "Tenderness" with the crowd clapping along to its lively rhythms. The English Beat did not use any screens or props but entertained with their beguiling musical melds, brisk pacing and bright stage presence. They were animated and played an assortment of genres in songs that were danceable and delightful! The BergenPAC's 2012 season features a diverse range of artists including Dokken with Warrant, Boyz II Men, Glenn Frey, Paul Anka, Gladys Knight, Steve Miller Band, Ziggy Marley, Diana Krall, The Jacksons, Tesla, Yes with Procol Harem, Meat Loaf and Salt-n-Pepa. Please visit www.bergenpac.org for the BergenPAC's full 2012 line-up.
 Related Links: For more information on SQUEEZE and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links - Squeeze | The English Beat | bergenPAC.org
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