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The Time – Raley Field – W. Sacramento, CA. (USA)

The worst show I’ve seen in the last couple of years is Morris day and the Time?

How can it be?

Say it ain’t so.

…Sorry – it is the truth. Not since I fidgeted my way through Bilal’s show at Harlow’s have I been so disappointed by a musical performance. The Time is supposed to be an elite outfit of cool players that is tight beyond belief. It may not have been their fault – but as I always say – it doesn’t really matter whose fault it is when it is your name on the product. So the Time takes the hit for the short, uninspired, atrociously mixed 40 minute set on a beautiful 72 degree night at Raley Field in West Sacramento.

Let me also explain that wifey and I skipped all the previous entertainers with the exception of Sister Sledge at the V101 Super Summer Soul Jam. Bands that played before we arrived included the Bar-Kays, the Dazz Band, and Shannon. We were told the Time was scheduled to hit the stage at 9:15 PM – so we arrived at nine. We bought the best available seats on the covered baseball field and headed to our spot during the final portion of Sister Sledge’s performance.

The vibe was lovely during We Are Family despite no backing band to the sisters. They sang to tracks. During the quick intermission before The Time hit the stage – just shy of 10 PM – DJ Mixxula had the crowd in the palm of his hand playing James Brown, War, and Teena Marie. Virtually everyone of the 5,000 or so were standing and dancing anticipating The Time – to close the show.

From the moment they were introduced – there were audio issues. The drums sounded muddy, and the guitar was over modulated. Monte Moir’s keys were inaudible. The crowd, ready to hop into a frenzy during Mixxula’s mini-set, quickly lost all of its collective momentum as the band struggled through The Skillet. (What a ridiculous song to choose to open a show. Nobody but the hardest of the hardcore knows about the brown groove of the Skillet.) Jerome Benton was sorely missed. Morris’ trusty ‘valet’ was replaced by two male dancers that I didn’t think were cool at all. The band raced through songs – actually altering the tempo of tunes in an effort to squeeze as much as possible in before the 10:30 PM curfew.

They played Cool, Get it Up, Pandemonium, Chocolate, Wild & Loose, The Stick, Fishnet, (Tori Ruffin’s guitar lost amplification at the exact moment he was ripping into the Fishnet solo.) Next came The Oak Tree, Jerk Out, 777-9311, and a measure or two of Girl, and Sometimes I Get Lonely.

The audio issues started to subside during Gigolo’s Get Lonely Too. I heard vocal harmony for the first time. The Bird followed and that was that. No encore. No one calling for one. No Jungle Love.

It was embarrassing.

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