Ian Anderson bringing multimedia concert to Smith Center

Well kids, there used to be these things called albums, sometimes even “concept albums,” that we listened to one full side at a time instead of downloading songs a la carte.

They came in flat cardboard sleeves, which sometimes unfolded to display lyrics and sometimes even stories. One of them, Jethro Tull’s 1972 opus “Thick as a Brick,” pictured a newspaper claiming the album to be an epic poem written by an 8-year-old prodigy named Gerald Bostock.

Forty years later, Tull’s mastermind, Ian Anderson, released last year’s “Thick as a Brick 2.” It’s an ambitious sequel that imagines not one but five futures that awaited young Gerald, from homeless man to soldier in Afghanistan.

And, while other classic-rock heroes tour to rehash their hits, Anderson has packaged both albums into a theatrical, multimedia concert reflecting the evolving concerns of his own 65 years.

If there’s ever a rock show to play within the focused environment of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts instead of a casino venue, this sounds like the one.

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@
reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.