February 4th, 1993
Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence RI
First Set: ~75 minutes
Second Set: ~81 minutes
I did not attend this show

The first set of this show features solid renditions of setlist staples such as “Foam”, “Axilla”, and “The Lizards”, as well as the debut of the oft-played “Sample in a Jar.” The band clearly had not perfected it yet, for there’s a pretty major flub during the buildup. Trey laughs it off however, and it doesn’t hurt the flow of the set. “Maze” and “Stash” both make appearances here, both of which can lead to some impressive improvisational highlights, but the versions played here are fairly standard. It’s a fun set with no major hiccups or poor song choices, but not one that I am likely to revisit in the future.

Set 2 kicks off with the high energy “Chalk Dust Torture” before moving into the first surprise of the night, an unusually played “The Wedge.” As the second ever performance of the song, the band is clearly still figuring out what they can do with the song. The result is a slightly jammed out ending to the song that is far different from the fairly composed version of the song that is played today. Definitely worth checking out for fans of the song!

The meat of the second set comes in the form of a Mike’s Groove with a TMWSIY sandwich. The somewhat rare middle segment is always a joy to hear, and the Weekapaug Groove features some very strong improvising from Trey. After breezing through a few “breathers” and the always-silly HYHU segment, the band band provides one more flash of excellence in a well-played Harry Hood before wrapping up the set with “Cavern”.

This is a fun show with a fun Mike’s Groove, unusual “Wedge”, and all around solid playing from all members of the band. Not an essential listen, but you won’t be disappointed either.

Rating: 3/5