The occasion was the final night of the tour that Gabriel built around his 2010 album, "Scratch My Back." That album was perhaps both more and less than veteran Gabriel stalwarts were expecting - more because of that huge orchestra. In Milwaukee, as on the other dates, the orchestra was split between a road contingent and local pickups. An orchestra that large is a sonic leviathan that can dominate the sonic landscape, which seems to be exactly what Gabriel intended.

There are two other controversial aspects in the show. First of all, Gabriel is operating without drums or guitars. This is rock with a new musical vocabulary. Secondly, "Scratch My Back" is a covers album, which has led to more than a little head scratching among the denizens of Gabriel Nation.

In concert, the New Blood Orchestra is a different musical critter than the usual Summerfest specimen. For starters, it felt like the most formal concert experience this veteran critic has witnessed in the amphitheater. It was one of those rare, big shows where the crowd remained seated from the start. It also was one of those rare rock shows where the star stopped to acknowledge a superb bassoon solo. Moreover, for a musician renowned for his theatricality, Gabriel stayed in muted black and was content to let the video support show carry the entertainment burden.

"Scratch My Back" is a fairly somber outing to begin with, and it hardly turns festive in concert. Yet it's not devoid of drama or creativity. Some fans may grumble about the lack of original new songs, but as a cover artist, Gabriel isn't afraid of a radical makeover. The evening started with a slowed-down, almost ponderous reading of David Bowie's "Heroes" that was all but unrecognizable save for the lyric.

The orchestra delivered its own kind of thrills. The heft of the orchestra lent a moody grandeur to the Talking Heads' "Listening Wind" and Gabriel's daughter, Melanie, delivered a tender reading that found the spiritual heart of "Washing of the Water." Gabriel himself is the kind of limited singer who sometimes falls into musical narration rather like Lou Reed. On Arcade Fire's "My Body Is a Cage," that approach suited the moment.

Rather than try to compete with the Big Bang fireworks, Gabriel wisely took a break during the detonations. But before leaving, he introduced "Biko," his celebration of African martyr Steve Biko, and put the song in the context of the struggle for freedom that's been called the Arab Spring. On that rousing note, he and the orchestra left the stage.

The break in the concert prevented a review of most of Gabriel's second set.

© Journal Sentinel, by Dave Tianen