Musical powerhouse Living Colour joined Extreme on their Thicker Than Blood tour in downtown Hartford, CT. The 4-piece Funk Metal pioneers, as proclaimed by Rolling Stone, opened the evening, taking the stage at 7:45 PM.
Living Colour
Webster Theater Hartford, CT – 11 August 2023
Words and Photography: Shannon Wilk
To open their set, Living Colour covered Led Zeppelin Rock and Roll.
Going back to their debut album, Vivid, released in 1988, the group performed Desperate People and Middle Man. Living Colour celebrated and paid homage to ’80s hip hop with a medley featuring classic songs from Grandmaster Melle Mel, The Sugarhill Gang, and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. 
All these artists were signed to Sugar Hill Records, one of the labels on which the band’s bassist, Doug Wimbish, was the house bassist. After a few more tunes, including originals and a tribute to the recently passed Sinead O’Connor, Living Colour performed the song they’re most known for; Cult Of Personality. 
Their set is a unique blend of original tunes, covers and jam medleys paired with lots of movement and smiles. To close their set, Corey Glover went out into the audience and ended up standing on the back bar for a cover of The Clash’s Should I Stay Or Should I Go.
A great opening to the evening, the legends Living Colour delivered a masterclass in funk-rock-Metal. You can read the Extreme review here.
