**This is my third of (hopefully) 71 reviews as I listen to the entire winter/spring '93 tour.**

Here we have the best show of the tour so far, which isn't exactly saying much considering this is only the third show of a whopping 71 show tour, but it's the little things in life, right?  Pretty similar show structure to two nights ago (2.3).  Both shows have a Tweezer > The Horse > SITM in set II and both share Loving Cup, Rift, Llama, It's Ice, David Bowie, Sparkle, Guelah Papyrus, Amazing Grace, YEM, and Tweeprise.  It's a little funny imagining how pissed everyone would be if that happened today.  Even the opening trio of Golden Age > Twist > Numberline that Bangor '13 and MPP 2 '13 share caused some hubbub.  And those shows were 5 shows and eleven days apart!  I digress...

Split has a really fiery jam.  This song wasn't going super out yet, and this one is even a little short for the time, but it's got the extra mustard.  Trey is really nimble and hitting all the right notes.  Bowie is good again and Reba is cookie-cutter but executed well.  The return of Punch, having been shelved since 1989, is pretty solid and includes an explanation of The Landlady dance.  

This is almost the final arrangement of Punch.  There is one little part during the intro (I'm defining intro as before the lyrics) where Fish is playing something slightly different than he does currently.  For all you theory nerds, nowadays during this part he pounds half notes on the kick-drum while playing dotted eighths on two crash cymbals.  In this version from 1993 he plays the dotted eighths on the kick-drum as well, which does two things.  First, it takes away rhythmic stability because the kick, a loud prominant noise within the drumset and band, is playing prolonged syncopation.   Second, it doesn't allow for the same wash-y effect that the cymbals create when they are not paired with the kick.  It is common for drummers to pair crashes with the kick-drum because the kick adds lots of definition to the articulation (beginning) of the crash.  A quick survey of PYITES reveals that this little section changed on April 30, 1994.  I personally like the later version of this section because it adds rhythmic stability (i.e. sounds better and is easier to dance to taboot) and the wash of the cymbals is really cool.

If you'd like to check out comparisons of what I'm talking about see the Punches from Phish At The Roxy (1:35-1:52) and NYE '95 (2:58-3:14).  Even if you didn't follow the technical mumbo-jumbo the difference will still be apparent.

The Curtain > Tweezer is certainly a winning combo.  This particular pairing really delivers.  The Curtain is tight and Tweezer is far more interesting than it was the other night.  Both It's Ice's this tour have had rather truncated little jams.  I really like the jams!  They're cool enough I could do with a little more breathing room and length.  YEM is good again.  Not as good overall as the previous version, but the bass and drums is better in this one. Page, Trey, Mike, and Fish also further develope the drone-y ending to the vocal jam in this version.  This vocal jam  then develops a more choral-like vibe.  Almost like a Christmas carol.  It's pretty cool.  Even an average YEM is awesome, we all know this to be true, so throw this one on and have a damn good time!  Coil > Tweeprise closes the set out nicely.  Page is eager to let loose on his new piano for his Coil solo.  The new instrument sounds even better apart from the band and allows him to really extend his solo.  

Highlights: Split, The Curtain > Tweezer, bass & drums portion of YEM, Coil

I want to put in a good word for this Bowie in particular; the show as a whole just smokes at both ends, but this Bowie is great stuff from the just pre-Type II days. The Vibration of Life is great in and of itself, but the central jam dives into cubist territory almost right off the bat, the angularity approaching the realms of the cartoonish right away. Upbeat but also sharp and right-angled, comparable in certain ways to a Mothers of Invention improv right around the time Lowell George was in there. For a second or two even Carl Stalling comes to mind. The cartoonishness pops up again later in the more typical E minor jam before they bring the song back around. Too brief (August is just months away though).

Second time at the Roseland in as many years on the third night of the tour we find ourselves with a good Page show. Nice recording and great job by Paul as the mix gets better each song except for a few feedback peeps here and there.

Great Llama to start off with leads right into a solid Guelah. Pretty tight first set so far. Rift is on fire, but not always in a good way. Fish is playing so fast that the song almost gets off track. Melt is good and the feedback I alluded to earlier comes out in the monitors making the boys go "Whoa!" several times working it in as funny additional lyrics. Sparkle was standard. Woo Hoo!! A Punch bust-out is great to hear including the dance instructions. A little sloppy, but great to hear. IDK is funny as usual with Fish actually playing a picture of Otis Redding? Poor Heart was good. Reba had a good intro section then fell off a little. First Mike, then Trey had a little trouble in the middle, but Page holds it all together with Fish. Nice ending solo from Trey. Bowie starts off with the Vibe of Life and signals. Good Bowie overall to end a good solid first set.

Nice Curtain to open second set. An average Tweezer includes a great Funkytown jam tonight. The Horse was played on acoustic again, surprisingly with little to no feedback. Silent was ok, still odd on the timing of the delays and Page's vocal lines. Paul and Silas brings back the bluegrass flavor, well played. Ice was pretty good featuring Page, who is now loud as hell in the mix, although I'm not complaining. YEM is a little loose in some parts, but again, great Page parts, good ending solos, and vocal jam including the "church choir" ending. Page teases the choir chord going into HYHU. Funny intros of Brad and some other guy were heard before a nice Love You and a long vacuum solo. Coil is dedicated to future wife Sofi, which brings out more great playing from Page tonight. Standard Tweeprise ending wraps this set up nicely.

Grace is getting better each time they sing it. The modulation is still a killer. Nice Cup encore brings on even more great Page playing. That piano got a work out tonight.

This was kind of a three to three and a half star show for me, but I'm pushing it up to four mostly because of Page's playing.

February 5th, 1993
Roseland Ballroom, New York NY
First Set: ~73 minutes
Second Set: ~91 minutes

Although the first eight songs of the show feature little in the way of improvisational exploration, the band attacks the songs with a fiery precision that leads to some pretty exhilarating solos; especially from Trey. Of particular note is “Llama”, the show opener, which feels more energetic than the typical performance, and the “Punch You in the Eye,” which was busted out after a 400+ show absence and features Trey teaching the audience a dance. The highlight of the set, however, is the set ending “Reba” and “David Bowie.” The jam segment of “Reba” starts off wonderfully subdued, with Trey leading the band through a rather minimalist section before moving on to a more typical sounding solo. Continuing in a similar vein, the “David Bowie” features a sparse “Vibration of Life” intro and a moody jam segment. These unique jams give the show a very strong momentum going into the setbreak.

The second set starts off very strongly, with the always-welcome “The Curtain” kicking things off and a sublime “Tweezer” that goes into some interesting territory (more of the moody minimalism that was present in “Reba”/”David Bowie” and a great “Funkytown” tease) follows it up. The rest of the set from there is fairly standard; the songs are all played very well but the improvisation is kept in the back seat.

The end of the first set and beginning of the second set has some truly interesting jamming going on, and the band simply rips through their composed songs. This may not be a classic show, but it’s a very enjoyable listen and worth a download.

Rating: 4/5