, attached to 2004-08-10

Review by dscott

dscott This show has some good points, and some bad points. These add up to an average show, but not one that can be dismissively painted with a broad brush.

AC/DC Bag kicks off the proceedings in an energetic manner, but the jam loses focus and just sort of peters out after several uncertain minutes. Heavy Things is out-of-sync from the start and never really recovers. PYITE is a solid, satisfying version. Wolfman's Brother is a true highlight - a thick, murky funk jam that stands up to all but a very few elite versions. This one gets seriously dirty! Theme balances murk with lightness, as usual. Another solid version. The set-closing Birds Of a Feather is all that many people seem to mention about this show. It's a long, propulsive jam in which Trey is not the only one who plays a lot of notes. However, to my ears it doesn't go anywhere interesting and ends sort of awkwardly.

Mike's is kind of heavy-handed, but not sloppy per se. Hydrogen is its usual self, but the transitions at either end feel rushed. Weekapaug is notable for the downshift in tempo at the end - a unique version, but in a neutral way. A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing was unfortunately one in which I heard rough harmonies and cumbersome changes. Spirited enough version, though, and it gets the job done before leading into a dark Piper with a squishy, muddy feel to the jam. Makisupa lopes mercifully from the muck, and is a playful version. The crowd clearly approved of the "glass of soy milk", even if some curmudgeons fail (objectively speaking) to see the humor. Dog-Faced Boy and Friday are well-played (especially the latter), and serve as a nice respite from the somewhat uncomfortable edge that pervades much of this set. A harried Hood wraps up set two. This one jumps with nervous tension from the get-go, with an unusually truncated intro, and just can't relax. All is not lost, though: A positively screaming, distorted burst from Trey's guitar a little before the 10-minute mark kicks the last couple minutes into overdrive for a thunderous finish.
Possum encore is rushed, with an abbreviated intro and a "let's just get this over with" ambience.


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