Night 3 at the Garden, and expectations are high. Just looking at the setlist, you could probably predict where this night will go; we’re goin’ to the upper-echelon of sauces, and it’s not even the climax of the run!

Possum is standard, but has nice energy. Wolfman’s is perfect through and through, Trey rips! Lengthwise is eerie and an awesome bustout -> A strong, if not average, Maze. Everyone seems locked in, and the playing is solid all throughout. Theme From the Bottom is really fun, and gives off a lot of 3.0 vibes. I love the interplay between Trey and Mike here. More is a little stale, but you gotta have your veggies. Divided Sky has some great moments, but is overall uneventful. No Man’s Land takes no time to get to the heat, and it is real nice. Just some classic shredding from Trey, and great rhythms from Fish; quality type-1 action. Most Events Aren’t Planned is pure sauce. The funk coming from Trey and Page is truly irresistible > a perfect Fluffhead. This one is always such a nice surprise, and the guys nail this one, especially Mike.

We start the 2nd set with a nice Hey Stranger. Nothing too special, but played very nicely > a very solid Disease. Fish fuckin RIPS for the entire jam, his beats are inescapable. Around halfway through, Trey brings in the scary sauce, and the jam gets dark for a little bit, but in the last 5 minutes or so, everyone locks in and gives us a satisfying, happy ending > a mellow Winterqueen, and even though it might not be super exploratory, it is played to perfection, and feels very nice. Tweezer is gritty and funky. A lot of the jam is led by Mike in the first half, and is seriously some of the best Mike leading I’ve heard in a while. But around halfway in, Trey starts throwing in some great stuff, and leads the jam into a slower, mellower mood (even though Fish still keeps the energy up). They eventually bring the energy back up, and come back to the main riff. “But the jam isn’t over!” says Trey, as he turns up the dial and starts shredding big time in the last 3 minutes, and starts up the opening notes of -> a short but well deserved Seven Below. Finally! It’s been too long since we’ve seen this one; it might be standard, but damn it’s nice to hear it again > a red hot Piper. This one is pretty short, but they rage hard in that small amount of time > 2001. This one is also short, but very solid, and contains some excellent Mike material; he’s just bopping and weaving here and there, carrying such a tight groove. Everything’s Right is pretty good, the jam stays in type-1 territory, but ends the set with some nice energy.

A Life Beyond the Dream… ugh. Kind of a bummer encore choice, but the playing is solid, great work from Trey and Fish. Hell yeah, Hood! The intro is so nice, Page and Mike are great here. This breakdown section is amazing; everyone is synchronized perfectly, and they’re all inputting such unique and playful material. Major winter vibes from this one. The build up is so subtle and feels so natural, and leads up to one of the best peaks in Hood-story, I get chicken skin just thinking about it; Trey reaches it and rides it all the way to Mars and back, holy shit. This is why we do it, guys. All timer. Happy Hanukkah, Mike!

This show is pretty great. There are some veggies, sure, but the meat we get is well worth it. Maybe not as great as N2, but there are some moments here that make this show stand on its’ own. Some of the jams may not be super exploratory, but it’s super solid playing all around. Check out the Disease, Tweezer -> Seven Below, and that monster Hood! Love you all.