My family and I drove into Philadelphia on the morning of the Peter Gabriel concert. I was relieved that the show fell on a Saturday. This meant I didn’t have to constantly think of my classwork and could fully enjoy this road trip with my family. Scoring tickets for Peter Gabriel was like emerging victorious from a battle between me and hundreds of hungry concertgoers and greedy scalpers. I hadn’t seen him live since 2014, when he toured with Sting on what they called the “Rock, Paper, Scissors” tour. Growing up listening to his music (solo and with Genesis), I was exhilarated that I had the opportunity to see him again after being immersed and fascinated by the experimental music scene since early 2017.
On January 6th, the first full moon of 2023, Peter Gabriel released “Panopticom,” the first single from his forthcoming album, I/O. With the song, Gabriel also revealed his album rollout plan, promising to release a new song every full moon of 2023 until the album was complete. Like pieces of a puzzle slowly being put together, Peter Gabriel has drip-fed his fans these wonderful tastes from his new album, in both “Bright-Side” and “Dark-Side” mixes. September 2023 saw Gabriel embarking on the North American leg of his tour in support of the slowly unraveling new album.
The Wells Fargo Center was filled with primarily middle-aged music nerds, wearing shirts from his past tours, some with Genesis designs. Many of these older fans were beaming with excitement at the same opportunity to see the artist whose music had become a major part of their lives for years. Upon walking into the stadium, a few crew members were doing some last-minute setups, all dressed in what seemed like orange jumpsuits. Hovering over them was a large circular screen, picturing a drawn-in clock, which kept being erased and redrawn every couple of minutes by someone who also seemed to be dressed in orange.
Finally, the lights dimmed, and Peter Gabriel walked on stage. The crowd roared and stood up to greet the legend as he made his way to the center of the stage. After introductions, Peter Gabriel and bassist Tony Levin kicked things off with an acoustic version of “Washing of the Water.” It was a beautiful opener for a show that wasn’t very hit-heavy. In fact, exactly half the show consisted of new songs from I/O. If you hadn’t followed Peter Gabriel’s socials or news about the new album and went into this show expecting hit-after-hit, you might’ve been slightly disappointed. However, with immersive visuals, Gabriel’s energy, and the filling sound of a full band giving it their all, I, for one, wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. Hearing these new songs, some of which I knew and others not yet released, was a huge treat. I/O highlights included the haunting “Panopticom,” which was the first “non-acoustic” song performed at the show, the heart-wrenchingly beautiful “Playing For Time,” the electrifying synth-pop goodness of “Road to Joy,” and the somber, meditative beauty of “Love Can Heal,” accompanied by a visual gimmick which saw Gabriel virtually painting hearts and shapes on a foreground see-through screen. Surprises were at every corner of the set list, and lots of variety could be found amongst the new songs Peter Gabriel presented at the show. I vividly remember hearing him and his band perform “This Is Home,” a song that hadn’t been released yet, and thinking to myself during the performance, “Wow. I can’t wait to hear how the studio version sounds . . .”
Stepping away from I/O, Peter Gabriel also performed a fair amount of classics from his legendary discography. A brilliant, chaotic version of “Digging in the Dirt” incorporated horns and hectic electric guitar at parts (showcasing the incredible talent of guitarist David Rhodes); this was a fantastically dark and heavy performance, fitting for a song that takes on the oftentimes scary process of introspection. Later on in the concert, the song he performed right before intermission was none other than the MTV mega-hit, "Sledgehammer", which saw almost the entire audience on their feet and moving, as well as Peter Gabriel, Tony Levin, and David Rhodes themselves, stomping their way across the stage to the rhythm of Manu Katché’s drum-playing. The song was accompanied by colored lights and some surprisingly beautiful shots and time-lapses of nature. The second set included more classic songs sprinkled here and there, including a stellar duet performance of “Don’t Give Up” with singer and cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson. Gabriel and his band closed the second set with "Solsbury Hill," another classic I grew up with, and I found myself getting emotional hearing it live after so many years.
Finally, the encore started with another Gabriel classic, “In Your Eyes.” On a personal note, I have been listening to this song (along with Solsbury Hill and others) since I was very little, and I have many memories of sharing listening experiences with my family—most notably, my mother, whose all-time favorite artist is Peter Gabriel. For many years, she has stressed that “In Your Eyes” is her absolute favorite song. So, being able to share that experience of hearing that song live with her was very special. Once the opening percussion began, my brother and I looked over at my mom, who was already in tears and wearing the biggest smile on her face. I went over to my mom and hugged her throughout most of the song, which made her cry even more. The performance itself was equal parts uplifting and emotional. The band fired on all cylinders, and Peter Gabriel’s vocals were on point (the same could be said for the whole concert in general).
The show closed with a performance of “Biko,” a fan-favorite tribute song to South African activist Steve Biko. The band provided a powerful performance of the song and walked off the stage, leaving the audience to keep singing the song’s ending chant, “Oh, oh, ooooooohhhhh . . .” It was a bold, beautiful, and perfect way to end a fantastic concert.
Seeing Peter Gabriel live in my early 20s on his 2023 I/O tour left me reminiscing about how much his music has inspired me and my work and how it has accompanied me since my early childhood. Upon writing this review, “Live and Let Live,” the final song off of I/O, was released on the last full moon of 2023. The album was officially released on December 1st, my mom’s birthday. I cannot wait to listen to it with her.
Raoul Barba is a senior Photography and Video major at the School of Visual Arts. He was born in Los Angeles, California and lives in NYC. His love for psychedelic and experimental music continues to influence his work.