, attached to 2021-08-01

Review by ChasingDsky

ChasingDsky ... that Tweezer, though, amiright?!

Seriously though, this show is a soup-to-nuts feast of tight playing, inspired improvisation, and the silliness we all seek when seeing our favorite band perform. Was the show flawless? Not entirely, but mostly so. Which is what I'd expect in a live performance of very complicated music.

A strong storm passed through the venue around 7:20/7:30, causing the venue to clear the lawn. The crowd followed the instruction "and the rain, and the rain, and the rain came down." After a short spell the weather cleared, the crowd repopulated the lawn, and it was ON.

The entire show will be shadowed by the Tweezer. But the first set should *not* be overlooked. The band was in fine form and played near-flawless versions of the songs. Buried Alive makes a statement that this show is going to leave you 6-feet under. But don't worry, for I hear that Death Don't Hurt Very Long. In fact, the band helps make the journey easy. A well placed and well played SYSF with a nice type 1 beautifully meandering jam that brought spirits high (pun possibly intended). Reba is played incredibly well once Trey remembers how to start it. It's definitely worth a listen. As are the Jiboo and Antelope from this set. The rest is all played very well. I'm not a fan of Thread, but this version is captivating and fits very well with the rest of the set.

Is this the best Tweezer every played? Who knows, and who cares. Picking "the best" Tweezer is not different than deciding which of your children is the best. Even though it's obviously your daughter, you'll never tell your sons. And, frankly, some days she's outshined by her little brother. Let's just say that this version is "the best." Period. It must be played and played often.

The Twist and Piper keep the heat going and provide the perfect digestif to this huge meal. The 55 minute Tweezer->Twist->Piper from this show are Phish in their finest form. The rest of the show is just icing. Perhaps Farmhouse and Waste are too sweet for your tastes following the red meat the band just threw out to the crowd. That's OK. Clearly Trey enjoyed them, as you can hear the emotion creep into his voice and his delicious lead work in both songs (and again during the Sleeping Monkey encore).

Normally I am a huge fan of First Tube. This one rages to be sure. But IMO Trey was a bit too loosey-goosey with the main riff phrasing and timing for me to really get into it. But again, who cares?

I'm thrilled that I got to see this one live. Never miss an Alpharetta show. Or a Sunday show. Or, at this rate, a 2021 show.


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