, attached to 2015-07-24

Review by n00b100

n00b100 Set 1: Very crisply played all around, and capped off with a super Reba that @ARigidDesignator has already gone into (not quite sure I agree with him that it's the jam of the night, but de gustibus non est disputandum) that manages to surpass the wonderful Rebas of last year (i.e. Randall's and Chicago) and a blazing 46 Days. Surprisingly short, too (70 minutes, a good 10-15 minutes shorter than your average 3.0 1st set), which may not mean anything...or maybe...?

Set 2: Blaze On starts off the set, a sure sign that the band has plans for this number (at the very least a 2nd set anchor like Fuego, if not a big jam vehicle like, uh, Fuego), and the band wastes no time exploring its boundaries, moving into an upbeat groove with Page really doing some work and Fish locking onto a catchy rhythm. Trey sounds particularly good here, and even when they wander back into the chorus of the song they still take the moment to stretch out a little more and get contemplative and blissful before closing things out. A very encouraging start, both for the song and for the set.

Twist comes next, and this is an absolute mega-watt Twist, once again proving that when they take it deep nowadays more often than not it'll be a monster. And it nearly turns into one in the literal sense, as Trey digs out a particularly grotty tone and they give us a mutated version of the usual Twist jam (no Oye Como Va here), and before the song can peter out Page starts going to major key chords and the band follows him into a beautiful segment that starts picking up speed and really hits Uplift City in the final few minutes. Light makes its welcome 2015 debut, and this one is also a multi-segment winner, with teases of Manteca from Fish and Trey, Page getting in some clavinet work, a nearly calypso-y segment reminiscent of the great 8/7/09 version, and the (what I'm guessing will be) controversial I Know You Rider-esque jam in the final few minutes. Either way, it's a great way to close out one hell of an opening triptych.

The band then rolls into Joy (and complaining about a song that means that much to Trey after 47 minutes of high-class jamming is the height of churlishness, I am sorry), but lest you think they'd emptied all the gas in their improv tank, they confirm that Harry Hood's nigh-legendary 2014 was no fluke with another exploratory jam. This time around it's Mike that leads the band off the reservation, and Trey takes control and starts churning out some blistering solos as Page hints at The Dogs in his playing. It's not the longest improv segment, and they head back to Ye Olde Hood Jam soon enough, but it's hearty proof that the fourth quarter remains open for improvisation. Cavern and Zero are Cavern and Zero.

Final thoughts: An exceptional show, and a fine candidate for the best show they've played at Shoreline yet. Head to LivePhish, unburden yourself with your filthy lucre, and hit play.


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