The former Genesis guitarist and progressive rock icon Steve Hackett performed at the famed Moore Theatre in Seattle, WA, on November 21. It was the penultimate performance of the second North American leg of the “Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights, and Solo” tour. The touring band, alongside Steve Hackett on guitars and vocals, consisted of long-standing musicians Roger King (keyboards), Nad Sylvan (vocals), Jonas Reingold (bass, backing vocals), Rob Townsend (saxophone, flutes, additional keyboards), and, for this North American tour, Nick D’Virgilio on drums.

There are few concept albums as influential and iconic as Genesis’s classic double album, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974). Ranked number nine on Rolling Stone’s “50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time” and widely praised by both fans and critics alike, the band’s swan song with founding frontman Peter Gabriel stands as a pinnacle of the progressive rock genre.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary record, Steve Hackett and his band included a selection of highlights from the double album, other Genesis classics, and the cream of the crop of 50 years’ worth of solo material into their setlist. The tour kicked off on July 1, 2024, at the Le Grand Rex in Paris, France. With two legs of Europe and North America each and a handful of shows in Japan spanning over a year, the tour concluded with a performance at the Revolution Hall in Portland, OR.

The Moore is an amazing venue to experience live music. My brother and I entered the concert hall at around 7 o’clock, and the place was packed with people trying to find their seats. Having followed Steve Hackett’s setlists for the past few months, I knew what to expect. But the sheer wall of sound of the heavy “People of the Smoke” ringing through the Moore still surprised me. The guitar solo on the track is packed with impressive virtuosity. With two-finger tapping, a multitude of excellent delay effects, and the warm yet sharp guitar tone, I knew the entire audience was in for a treat immediately.

After the frantic conclusion of “People of the Smoke,” the band jumped into the second high-energy selection, “Circo Inferno.” Maintaining the momentum established by the opener, this track allowed the band to lock into a heavier, almost Middle Eastern groove. The tune highlighted Rob Townsend’s impeccable saxophone skills, adding a chaotic, jazzy texture that perfectly complemented the song’s intense atmosphere.

The gorgeous instrumental “These Passing Clouds” is a mere one minute and 34 seconds in studio form. The live performance included an extended guitar solo by Hackett and a sorrowful soprano saxophone section that elevated the tune significantly, both in length and quality. This piece was a perfect example of his ability to pivot from aggressive rock textures to more atmospheric, beautiful compositions without losing the audience’s attention.

The last time Steve Hackett and his band came around Seattle was during the “Genesis Revisited – Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights” tour on November 9, 2023. They had only started incorporating the new material from Hackett’s latest studio album, The Circus and the Nightwhale (2024), during the second leg of the North American tour (March 2024 onward), and this is what Bill, a friend I made during the intermission, had to say on the new material:

“Back in 2023, I saw the guys perform two incredible sets consisting of the entirety of Foxtrot and some absolute classics from Hackett’s solo career. I haven’t heard much from his latest studio record, but I have to say, I wasn’t expecting the first three tracks tonight to sound that good!”

In an interview with Steve Hackett for Now Spinning Magazine, Phil Aston included an explanation of why the tracks were chosen from The Circus and the Nightwhale. “It’s not in the order of the album but chosen so that it would work two high-energy ones followed by something that’s more… melodic, slightly jazzy.” 

Following a witty, short backstory to the upcoming track by Hackett, the band launched into the gothic, dramatic track “The Devil’s Cathedral” from their 2021 studio album Surrender of Silence. This song proved to be an excellent showcase for vocalist Nad Sylvan, whose natural baritone voice was well-suited for the song’s theatricality. His performance injected a layer of dark drama before the set transitioned to the classic songs of the 1970s. Truly a highlight of Hackett’s later discography.

After such a brooding and dark track, the audience was treated to one of Steve Hackett’s finest compositions. The opening track of his third studio album, Spectral Mornings (1979), “Every Day,” blew my mind. While this track is a frequent inclusion in Hackett’s shows, the song’s quality certainly justified its place in the setlist. Hackett’s haunting guitar melody lines harmonizing over a dense layer of magnificent keyboard textures was the absolute pinnacle of the evening for me, and that is saying something.

The fiftieth anniversary of Voyage of the Acolyte (1975) also occurred this year, and the band performed two tracks from Hackett’s legendary debut record. “A Tower Struck Down” brought a doomy heaviness to the room, leading directly into the extended bass solo by Jonas Reingold. This was simply outstanding, and it was an excellent transition to showcase Reingold’s immense talents and synergy with guest drummer Nick D’Virgilio. The solo included excerpts from Frank Sinatra’s “(Theme from) New York, New York,” “Love Theme from The Godfather,” and Genesis’s “Horizons.”

The first set ended with a bang as two Hackett concert staples, “Camino Royale” from Highly Strung (1983), and the epic “Shadow of the Hierophant” from The Voyage of the Acolyte (1975), were performed. I have to say, the live version of the former performed at the Moore was a million times better than the studio version. The band’s extended jam and tightness injected grit and vitality into the track that elevated it far beyond its original studio recording.

“Shadow of the Hierophant” continues to be Steve Hackett’s magnum opus 50 years later. Released on his first studio album, the track is woven with ethereal female vocals in the first half and evolves into a monstrous drone of progressive rock ecstasy. Sadly, the first part only seems to be performed during certain European legs when occasional member Amanda Lehmann is available. Still, the second half of the volume-swelling mystical melody was more than enough to satisfy any progressive rock fan. Easily the second-best moment of the first set, and well-deserving of the first of many standing ovations from the audience.

As the band took a brief 20-minute intermission, the audience prepared for the Genesis-exclusive material of the second set and the inevitable encore. As someone who saw Steve Hackett for the first time, I had zero complaints about the song selections whatsoever. But a fellow fan, who went by Harry, sitting a few rows in front of me, had this to say:

“In recent years, Hackett has dedicated the first set to his solo material and the second set to Genesis material. While this is a great formula, the song choices have become a tad predictable. The beautiful “Hands of the Priestess, Part 1,” included on the recent The Lamb Stands Up live album, was sorely missed. I would have loved to hear different classics such as “The Steppes” or even newer material, but I digress. Fabulous show as always.”

After the grueling 1974-1975 North American and European tours that allowed audiences to see the band perform The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway in full, Genesis had limited the album’s representation in live sets to only a few songs at most. Even former lead singer Peter Gabriel, who developed the entire concept of the record on his own, has only performed the title track and “Back in N.Y.C.” occasionally during his early solo career.

This historical scarcity makes Hackett’s decision to revisit the material even more significant, though the selection process was probably quite difficult. Pete Pardo from Sea of Tranquility asked Steve Hackett about the song selections from The Lamb in an interview that premiered back in August 2025. When asked how hard it was to figure out which pieces to do from such a big sprawling album, Hackett replied: “Well, I wanted to do the pieces that I think function as standout tracks separate from the narrative of the album.”

And that he did. The audience roared as the iconic Tony Banks-written piano line and buzzing fly intro of the title track began the second set. And like the original album, it directly segued into the exotic “Fly on a Windshield,” a track that perfectly demonstrates the power and influence of Hackett’s guitar work within the Genesis framework. The sheer heaviness of the transition from the soft vocals into the bombastic “Egyptian” section reminded the audience why this album is considered a progressive rock masterpiece.

Unfortunately, the evening’s single error occurred during the third song of the second set, “Broadway Melody of 1974.” Keyboardist Roger King skipped the second verse altogether (“Ku Klux Klan” to “Winston cigarettes”) and played the chords for the ending verse. To maybe cover for his bandmate, or perhaps equally flustered, vocalist Nad Sylvan skipped over another two lines of verses and jumped into the “Howard Hughes” lyric. From the North American tour footage I have gone through, this seems to be the only night King messed up the chords to the iconic number. 

The band quickly recovered with a beautiful rendition of “Hairless Heart.” I was wondering how well the track would transition into the anthemic “Carpet Crawlers,” and I should not have doubted the band. The audience joined in on the chorus, and Hackett’s wonderful guitar soundscapes resulted in the second standing ovation of the night. “The Chamber of 32 Doors” brought a melodic and emotional texture to the set. I am glad that it has been revisited and played by the touring band ever since the release of the Genesis Revisited II (2012) album, a true highlight from The Lamb.

Sides three and four of the double album were represented by only three songs. The rocking “Lilywhite Lilith” brought the audience back to life, and this version, compared to the studio version, had never sounded fuller and more alive. The band then performed “The Lamia,” a magical, slow-paced, and hauntingly beautiful track that allowed the subtle interplay between the guitar and keyboards to shine. My personal favorite tune from the Lamb, and what a rendition.

The last representative of The Lamb was the subtly titled “It.” The audience rose to their feet, and the major key of the driving rocker almost made it feel like a party. However, despite this celebratory atmosphere, I could not help but feel a few pangs of disappointment regarding the song selections. I knew he would not play the whole album. After all, the song selections were based on Steve Hackett’s songwriting involvement or his performances on those numbers. But omitting “In the Cage,” Genesis’ fifth most-played track live, felt strange. I had also hoped for “Back in N.Y.C.,” “The Colony of Slippermen,” or “In the Rapids” to make the cut, but that is just being greedy.

Even with the atmosphere of finality, the second set was far from over. What other song to close the night than Genesis’s 1972 magnum opus, “Supper’s Ready.” While the audiences of 2024 were treated to Selling England by the Pound (1973) classics “Dancing With the Moonlit Knight,” “The Cinema Show,” and “Aisle of Plenty,” I am grateful the band decided to perform “Supper’s Ready” instead, and what else is there to say about this progressive rock classic? I will say only one thing: I could have watched Steve Hackett improvise and play his flashy solo at the end for hours.

The ethereal outro of “Supper’s Ready” would have been a fine way to end the evening. But Steve Hackett and his band have certainly developed a winning formula with their encore song choices. After yet another standing ovation from the electric Seattle crowd, the band promptly came back on stage and jumped into another prog rock classic.

The entirety of “Firth of Fifth” is genius that could only have come from the combined efforts of the classic lineup of Genesis in the early 1970s. The same way Jimmy Page has “Stairway to Heaven” and David Gilmour has “Comfortably Numb,” “Firth of Fifth” is Hackett’s defining guitar solo, and he proved exactly why he is unquestionably one of progressive rock’s finest guitar heroes. The evening came to a close with the fittingly named “Los Endos.” The track was preceded by Nick D’Virgilio’s excellent drum solo and also incorporated the eerie “Slogans” from Hackett’s Defector (1980). 

I sat next to a friendly gentleman with whom I exchanged emails, and asked his opinion the day after. Wishing to remain anonymous, he said, “I have seen hundreds of concerts in my lifetime. The first time I ever saw Genesis was at the Winterland Arena in San Francisco on March 25, 1977. As the years have gone by, I have seen him perform with countless talented musicians all over the country, from Ridgefield, Buffalo, Phoenix, and, of course, Seattle. Yesterday’s gig was incredible, and I finally got to see a good chunk of The Lamb performed live by the man himself. Could not ask for more!”

One of the most interesting aspects of Steve Hackett’s tour celebrating The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is the almost naked and stripped-down production it has compared to the original 1974-1975 tour. Peter Gabriel’s New York-influenced leather jacket, eclectic costumes, and the infamous Kodak Carousel slide projectors were nowhere to be seen. Only the band members and some truly spectacular light shows graced the Moore’s stage, and I appreciated the focus on the music. To comment on the band members:

Nick D’Virgilio, bringing a rhythmic pedigree from his time with Genesis (during the Ray Wilson era) and Spock’s Beard, was on drums for this North American tour. His playing was punchy and precise and a relentless, driving force. A true progressive rock veteran and a formidable rhythmic foundation. D’Virgilio easily stepped into the role usually held by Craig Blundell, performing with noticeable enthusiasm and power, clearly enjoying music with which he was familiar.

Anchoring the low end was Jonas Reingold. His performance was a masterclass in dynamic control, shifting effortlessly between the melodic bass lines required for Genesis tracks and the heavy atmosphere of Hackett’s solo work. His solo spot was far from a self-indulgent break (although I half-expected it to be); it was a technically dazzling display that highlighted exactly why he is one of the genre’s most respected bassists.

On the right side of the stage, Rob Townsend proved to be the band’s secret weapon. His saxophone work led to standout moments throughout the night, injecting a chaotic, jazzy flair that pushed the rock arrangement into exciting, fresh territory. His flute work was astonishing as well; I still remember the interlude before the “Apocalypse in 9/8” section of “Supper’s Ready” as clear as day.

Vocalist Nad Sylvan continues to be the perfect lead vocalist for Hackett. Rather than simply mimicking Peter Gabriel or Phil Collins, Sylvan inhabits the songs with his own flamboyant theatricality. Whether channeling the eerie characters of The Lamb or the authority required for Hackett’s solo material, his vocal delivery was dramatic and commanding and perfectly suited the operatic nature of the setlist.

Finally, longtime keyboardist Roger King has had the task of both creating original music with a progressive rock titan and recreating Tony Banks’ dense, orchestral soundscapes for nearly 30 years. Despite the minor hiccup mentioned earlier, his performance was largely impeccable. Responsible for creating the lush, cinematic atmosphere that is the lifeblood of most Genesis material, he has now retired from touring with Steve Hackett. Nothing but the utmost respect for the virtuoso.

The concert was, without a doubt, one of the greatest nights of my life, a true barrage of musical ecstasy that I can now happily relive through my memories. However, the only real issue that bothered me throughout the night was the frequent and unnecessary standing by numerous people. For instance, a man who appeared to be 6’5″ stood up, blocking the view for dozens of audience members who were clearly enjoying the show. Furthermore, two young women were flailing their arms around near the end of the second set, which felt completely out of place. While I am glad everyone was enjoying themselves, the lack of consideration for others was frustrating.

On his HackettSongs website, the guitarist wrote: “It was great to catch up with pals in Seattle and terrific to play once again in the atmospheric and allegedly haunted Moore Theatre… The crowd response there was extraordinary!” And while I cannot say I noticed any supernatural activity lurking around, I can attest to the feverish energy of the 1,800 fans who persisted throughout the evening. My first ever concert was at the Tacoma Dome to see Iron Maiden in 2024, and while that was an unforgettable experience, an arena lacks the special intimacy you experience in a smaller venue.

There is a profound difference between listening to your favorite record through headphones and standing in a concert hall where the air itself is vibrating with history. While a record captures a moment frozen in time, a concert is a living, breathing entity where the music hits you with a force that recorded audio simply cannot replicate. And Steve Hackett and his band proved exactly why, filling the Moore with a guitar tone so warm yet piercing that it brought a fresh and exciting vitality to progressive rock staples written half a century ago.

Setlist (Moore Theatre, November 21, 2025)

Set 1 (Solo Highlights)

“People of the Smoke” (The Circus and the Nightwhale, 2024)

“Circo Inferno” (The Circus and the Nightwhale, 2024)

“These Passing Clouds” (The Circus and the Nightwhale, 2024)

“The Devil’s Cathedral” (Surrender of Silence, 2021)

“Every Day” (Spectral Mornings, 1979)

“A Tower Struck Down” (Voyage of the Acolyte, 1975)

Bass Solo by Jonas Reingold

“Camino Royale” (Highly Strung, 1983)

“Shadow of the Hierophant” (Abridged) (Voyage of the Acolyte, 1975)

Set 2 (The Lamb Highlights and “Supper’s Ready”)

“The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” (The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, 1974)

“Fly on a Windshield” (The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, 1974)

“Broadway Melody of 1974” (The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, 1974)

“Hairless Heart” (The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, 1974)

“Carpet Crawlers” (The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, 1974)

“The Chamber of 32 Doors” (The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, 1974)

“The Lamia” (The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, 1974)

“It” (The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, 1974)

“Supper’s Ready” (Foxtrot, 1972)

Encore:

“Firth of Fifth” (Selling England by the Pound, 1973)

“Los Endos” (A Trick of the Tail, 1976)

“Slogans” (Defector, 1980)

“Los Endos” (Reprise) (A Trick of the Tail, 1976)