The second-set opener is a unique Stash that dissolves into one of Fall Tour's most stunning ambient passages - not just a transitional 'noise space' (cf. summer '09) but a brief, fully-integrated meterless jam in the *middle* of the jam. Stash has always brought the best out of Phish, and 1997 was a fine year for the tune (check out 11/23, 11/30, and *especially* 7/2), so when I say that this is one of the best Stashes of 1997 and could slip into the Top Ten Ever, you've gotta take my full meaning.

Oh hey, and Phish played a whole concert that night! Whaddaya know?

A quick note on Black-Eyed Katy:
My best friend in the world was named Katie (RIP)and while we were both bummed it got absorbed into MOMA there was a brief time in that magical Fall 1997 tour that BEK was a singular beast. Seeing the debut was something we all crave from Phish after we get some shows under our belt: the "what the f--k are the playing right now???!!??" moment that eludes us more and more as time goes on and we read the book from prologue to appendix.

This was a pimp-slap blast of otherworldly funk that caused a massive outbreak of bad white person dancing and good white person smiling alongside the confused eyebrows and wavering pens of setlist takers throughout the curtained off, surprisingly intimate Thomas & Mack.

I remember calling my roommates from a payphone (1997!!!) immediately after the show to give them the full report and not knowing how to describe this funk blob that came from out of nowhere. RIP BEK, RIP Katie Mae, may you both live on in MOMA Dance for infinity and beyond....

I have several profound memories from my first Las Vegas Phish experience. The first is a clear memory of how unprepared many of the "old skool" fans were for the modern era of Phish. The most notable example of this was found during a setbreak trip to the bathroom with my girlfriend. She had elected to go the extra mile in the fashion department for this show, as this was after all "Vegas Baby!" Her outfit for the evening consisted of a set of those sexy-as-hell clunky black hipster girl shoes, a skin-tight ensemble of black hip-huggers with a blue and white fractal belly shirt, a glittery pink pleather jacket, and a Vegas show girl coiffure.

This apparently cutting edge fashion statement was met by an inordinately high number of sneers, hisses, and bitchy comments (apparently they figured her for a Vegas call girl and apparently disapproved of her career choice) from a whole host of the stinky, dirty, poopy-dread-headed tour-ratesses that were infesting the arena. My advice ladies"...take a shower, brush your hair, and lose the fucking Patchouli"...that shit gives me a headache. Allow me to introduce you to the future, you are not it.

My second memory is my grasping for the first time just how important the work of Mr. Kuroda is in generating the landscape through which the music meanders. During "Split Open and Melt" I actually felt like I was involved in a high-speed car chase with a State Police cruiser bearing down on my tail. Throughout the second set "Prince Caspian" and "Bouncing Around the Room" combo I was embroiled in the interchanging points of view of a man in a boat and the fish he was trying to catch swimming below him in the crystal clear waters. As the band thrashed through the "Mike's" > "Sparklepaug" that followed, this vision persisted. Although I was still viewing the underside of a boat from the perspective of a fish during this part of the show; the guy on the boat had now cranked up the outboard motor, thereby destroying the tranquility of my choral maze and cutting me and the other fish to shreds as it churned up an enormous wake of light and sound. Finally, it had become quite clear after only two visits that it was impossible to have a bad time in Las Vegas. Consequently, you can be sure that whenever Phish is there, I will be too.

You know typically every single tour opener can be added up to something as simple as a "Warm up show". This label need not apply to this show, it is for the lack of a less cliché term "Fire".

Right from the get-go CDT gets things moving to lightspeed quick. BEK is in it's most infant form but does it's thing. Theme is fantastic like literally every other version from '97, very inspired. Melt is fairly average but good. You'd think the set may be done after my soul....Or maybe they'd stick Cavern or Character Zero after it for good measure. But they unveil YEM in the first set of the first show! And boy it's pretty tasty! And after all that you still get Character Zero to light one last fire for the set.

Stash kicks of the 2nd set somewhat in the same vein as the Amsterdam version. However this one goes in a different direction but is still very solid. Mike's song is just top notch excellent as is the absolute incendiary version of Weekapaug to end the set.

Standard encore but the room is already destroyed so who cares?

Probably the best tour opener I've ever heard.

It almost feels like Denver is where Fall '97 actually started, such is the praise 11/17 gets and the relative lack of attention the three shows preceding it get. 11/14 has gotten more attention as of late, but it still feels like that part of the tour (3 out of 21 shows, no small percentage!) gets no love, having to live in the shadow of one of the Almighty Shows.

As the first show of the tour, especially after a great summer tour and the awesomeness of the Went, there were probably some high expectations attached to this show, and Phish delivers on the promise of the year's earlier tours (they'd shatter them 4 days later...but enough about that show!). The first set has some fine moments, including the debut of BEK, which is tentative compared to the super-sharp funk of 11/22-23's versions, but still worth hearing. SOAM delivers a really good jam (though it often does), and the YEM packs a pretty mean funky wallop (including a mellow vocal jam).

The second set is really strong, and serves as a fine trailer for the greatness of the entire tour. The opening Stash dives into the usual murky depths Stash jams tend to dive into, but the jam suddenly turns melodic and sweet for a brief moment - in fact, you can hear a lot of what Phish did so damn well in 2012 in that snippet - before entering some real uncharted waters via a really out-there ambient jam, then somehow finding its feet and returning to Stash. This is one of the jams of the tour, plain and simple, a glorious trip into the beyond. We then get a three song breather before the band launches into a superb Mike's Groove. Mike's is powerful and muscular (the Bayou tease is especially nifty since it comes out of a jam you'd expect would lead to Hydogen), Hydrogen sweet (if kinda bobbled), and an especially hot Weekapaug that somehow manages to go triple-time into its big finish. Even in a tour of nonstop highlights, this set manages to establish itself as a must-hear.

This is a heck of a show, and the AUD on the spreadsheet is of fine quality. It's a keeper in a tour full of keepers.

This was my second Phish show, but it was really the first time that I knew all of the songs and really got what was going on. An important factor to keep in mind in for this show was the giant curtain that cut the venue in half, giving this show an intimacy that was unusual for 1997.

This show is incredible, as is expected from the tour opener of Phish's most consistently amazing tour in their history.

Chalk Dust opened up furiously, and led into Black-Eyed Katy, the debut of the new funk instrumental. I may be in the minority when I say I prefer The Moma Dance, but they still weave and shred through BEK with authority. Theme From the Bottom has a good jam (as it always seems to have, anyway) and Train Song is a nice breather. Later in the set, the YEM is groovy, and pretty spectacular in my opinion. Zero is Zero.

But they brought something entirely different for the second set. In my opinion, the only better versions of Stash in Phishtory are 11/14/95 and 7/2/97. This version rages at the beginning, then gets contemplative, ambient, and melodic, and very craftily returns to the "Maybe so, Maybe not" ending theme. The 21 minutes flew by.

PYITE>Caspian>BATR is a neat little combination, and the Caspian especially is very soulfully delivered and stretched out. The Mike's Groove to end the set, however, is one of the greatest post '95 versions of the combinations. The tramps segment of Mike's is downright evil...Trey and Mike sound possessed. Once the closing chords come and go, they enter into a lower key, enchanting jam (complete with Born on the Bayou teases) that leads into a longer than usual Hydrogen. The Weekapaug rages (as per usual) but kicks into maximum overdrive near the end. One of the fastest Weekapaugs I've ever listened. Trey is a god.

You must listen to this show. Now.

Set 1
High energy Chalk Dust to start. Tight soloing by Trey. The debut of BEK is pretty solid with a nice jam at the end. It's not as funky as it would become later, but still a fun song. Theme has a great jam at the end. Page and Trey play very well off of each other. Train Song is always a welcome cool down. SOAM is a little sloppy, but ends up having a pretty interesting jam. Mike has some really interesting ideas that he pushes throughout the jam. Fishman catches on and they work really well together, but Trey is a little lost. Has a good rocking peak though. Beauty of My Dreams is a nice goofy breather. My Soul comes next. Tight version with good solos by Trey and Page. YEM is great. Stays interesting and funky the entire time with a pretty restrained vocal jam at the end. Character Zero has Trey go Hendrix on everybody for a couple minutes, which is always a treat.

Set 2
STASH. This is the jam of the night. Good composed section and the jam starts out as any other Stash jam would and then after hitting a mild peak it finds it way to a very pretty major key jam that quickly fizzles out and descends into an interesting ambient passage. Page stays consistent on the synthesizer as Trey plays over it. Trey's playing here is patient and haunting. Good shit. This peters out and somehow they find their way back to Stash and finish it up with a solid peak. PYITE starts after this to keep the energy going. This ends into Prince Caspian which doesn't really go anywhere. And then a good version of Bouncing. An outstanding Mike's groove finishes. A rocking jam in Mikes leads into a 2 or so minute very pretty ambient passage that leads into a wobbly Hydrogen. Very good playing in the following Weekapaug.

Encore
Loving Cup. Well played. Good Trey solo at the end.

Basically you should check out the Stash and the Mike's Groove. Both are great Fall '97 material.

In total I have only been to seven shows, this being my only indoor experience. The energy in this venue I remember being very intense in a positive way. I danced my ass off feeding off the crowd's energy. I am a strong believer in the venue, inside/outside, intimate/stadium and day/night, no matter the band plays a large factor in one's experience. Like previous comments, I remember the giant current behind the stage making the venue appear and feel much smaller. I still have a clear memory of the floor being a sea of humanity as I looked down from the first deck at Fishman. Leaving the venue was a mass exodus to the Vegas strip which I skipped due to a final the following morning. My friends and I drove the three hours back to Flagstaff enduring a blizzard on I-40. An experience, like all Phish shows, I'll never forget.

Thank you!

One of the hottest tour openers for one of the hottest tours--if not the absolute peak of the band's career. CDT opens things up real hot right out of the gate. The crowd dies down quickly, unsure what they're listening to as the band heads straight into the debut of BEK. It's really fun listening to the increasingly excited crowd reactions to this tune as the tour goes on and people become more familiar with the tune. This version is pretty strong, if typical. Give it a week and it'll be the stuff of legends. The Set I YEM features some extremely catchy riffing from Trey and impeccable funk grooving. Though there's technically no B&D section as we know it, the final segment features some damn sweet chorused-up Mike while Page/Trey take a more ambient backseat.

Set 2 opens with a rich, dark, and textured Stash that explores the deepest corners of the tune and the comes seamlessly back up for air to close out. Really strong PYITE and Caspian follow, but the highlight of the show, in my opinion, is the Mike's Groove. Notwithstanding some navigational issues in Hydrogen, the two tunes on either side among the best versions of each. First jam in Mike's rocks per usual, but the subdued, groovy, rolling second jam is some of the most peaceful and uplifting Phish I've ever heard. I could listen to this on loop for hours. In contrast, the Weekapaug burns white hot...I mean jesus christ the sheer speed at which they play this tune is ridiculous. Fishman drives this one up a wall, but the rest of the fellas absolutely keep up. Crazy to deliver something like this on the first night of the tour...but then again, it's Fall '97.

(posted to rec.music.phish on Nov. 14, 1997, except for the bracketed edit)

11/13/97 Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV

Set I (1:23): Chalkdust Torture, Black-Eyed Katy*, Theme from the Bottom,
Train Song, Split Open and Melt, Beauty of My Dreams, My Soul, You Enjoy
Myself*, Character Zero

If this show is any gauge, Phish is going to close 1997 the way it closed 1995: with shows so glorious we'll be begging for more, more, more -- and soon, soon, soon!!!

I was extremely exhausted before this show. We had driven all night from SF Wednesday night, and mellowed onto the strip at around 6am (after stopping at Whiskey Pete's in Primm to check out the car Bonnie and Clyde were killed in). After hitting the Hard Rock Cafe/Casino/Hotel for some time-killing festivities, we eventually checked into the Frontier. Got about 2 hours of sleep, maybe. The (basketball) arena was smaller than I expected.. plus it wasn't even full. Tickets were free or wicked cheap outside. I'd say 10k people inside.. Tops.

Highlights of Show: Fish wearing the orange-circled "Zeroman" smock;
the brand new instrumental; Stash, YEM and Mike's Song jam segments.

The tour opener, Chalk Dust, was remarkably unremarkable. Average at best (i.e., typically good, but nothing even vaguely approaching the majesty of the Ventura Chalk), imagine my shock and delight that the very next song was

A BRAND NEW FUNKY INSTRUMENTAL, which was clearly capitalizing on all of the summer '97 funky grooves that we all enjoyed (in Also Sprach's, Wolfman's, Cities', etc.). This tune is basically a FUNKY JAM, which just so happens to have a bit of a composed section as well (sound familiar?). You will be PRAYING for this one to go at least ten minutes plus, while dancing your kind veggie ass off. This tune, tentatively called "Black-Eyed Katy" (unknown spelling) by a Source Close to the Band, is easily one of my personal favorite Phish songs. It is definitely my favorite of the new 1997 Phish songs. Rejoice, All Ye Who Funk, and Be Merry.

The rest of the set was excellent, too. Theme had a strong jam segment, as did My Soul and Zero, but they weren't exceptional versions, imo. I still LOVE Theme, and this version was great. The My Soul was strong, but a walk in the park next to, say, 8/6/97 St. Louis. The SOAM was excellent, but it wasn't even on the same page as the 8/10/97 Deer Creek or 7/9/97 Lyon versions, in my opinion. It was still an excellent version from the last few years. Trainsong and Beauty were fine, and I enjoyed the rest.

The You Enjoy Myself was probably one of the most consistently funky YEM's I think I've ever heard them play. The jam segment opened with Trey repeating the same semi-melodious lick over and over and over again, drumming up quite a dank phatty groove. The funky jam built in intensity over the course of The Usual Five Or So Minutes, and, if memory serves, Trey repeatedly teased "Who Knows" by Hendrix -- the melody line sped up -- the exact same way he had at the Gorge (in Wolfman's, I think.. somewhere at the Gorge.. exact same Who Knows lick). I can't quite remember what else happened in this YEM. I have absolutely no recollection of a vocal jam, for example, although there may have been one. I do remember thinking that there wasn't much of a bass and drums jam -- Trey and Page hung around and jammed through it, while Mike led.

Anyway, great first set. The YEM is an excellent version all things considered (if you like Funk), but it ain't no 12/9/95 or otherwise Monster version. The version of the new instrumental played tonight will hopefully be the shortest version they ever do. If you want me to rate this set, I'd have to give it 5.5 rating (slightly above average; Scott Jordan Concert Review Poll scale) given the YEM. On Purcell's Width/Heighth scale, though, I'd have to give it a 5.0/6.0. I'd recommend checking it out for the YEM, SOAM, Theme jam segment and of course, the first version of Black-Eyed Katy.

Set II (1:27): Stash (23 min), Punch You In the Eye, Prince Caspian,
Bouncin Around the Room, Mike's Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug
Enc: Loving Cup

The Stash was botched in the opening (Trey), but the jam segment was INCREDIBLE. I didn't personally find it "teary-eyed" or anything, andwasn't as moved by it as I was, say, by the AmDam '97 and Orlando 11/95 versions. But this Stash is certainly exceptional in light of even the last several years of Stashes (see Great Woods '95 for a similar Stash, actually, although this one was more fired up than that one!). This Stash had a lengthy jam segment that began in typically spell-binding Stash mode, but then segued mightily into a dizzying, dissonant-yet-melodious groove that you ought to hear. It might be a bit too spacey for some of you, though. I certainly can't describe it well. Twenty plus minutes for this set opening Stash.

PYITE was easily one of the weakest versions I've heard. Not very tight at all, I wondered whether it had been rehearsed since the last tour. It did NOT *suck*, however, and I love the song (so enjoyed it even if it was too loose). Caspian and Bouncin were both very well-played I thought, and I especially enjoyed Caspian's jam segment, even if it wasn't as interesting as 6/14/97 Dublin. It was still an excellent Caspian, even if it didn't do anything out of the ordinary for '97 (although it may have been one of the longest versions of the last few years, come to think of it).

Mike's Song needs to be heard. The tramps jam segment (but no tramps tonight) was enormously funky, with Trey (as he did in YEM) smacking out a funky lick repeatedly. Fairly monotonous, the jam nevertheless amused me -- I prefer these funky Mike's Songs to the versions of olde (that have a lot of dark, off-key, eerie chording). The post-tramps segment, though not very long, contained some of the most glorious, enchanting improv I've ever heard Phish play. I can't wait to have a tape of this. Trey teased "[Born on the Bayou]" (Creedence) repeatedly in this spell-binding, texturally-based yet nevertheless mellifluous groove. A mesmerizing jam that I can't wait to hear again!!

Hydrogen contained some excessive improv from Trey in its beginning, but this seemed to throw everyone off. The version as a whole basically stank. (the segue into it, btw, out of Mike's was almost identical to Raleigh 7/22/97.. very gorgeous.. it sounded similar to part of "Crazy Fingers" for those of you familiar with that tune) Anyway, Hydrogen, though perhaps one of the longest versions ever (andwith some improvisational activity from Trey), was not very impressive imo.

Mike opened Weekapaug with yet another siiiiiick bass solo (typically snappy, funky and quick). The jam segment started lagging, though, and wasn't terribly exciting until Trey turned, stared at Fish, and started chording faster and faster to jumpstart the beat (Fish did appear to me to be dragging a bit, and frankly didn't seem to care much for the Weekapaug up until this point). Suffice it to say that with a tease or two of "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'," the band kicked out Weekapaug at like double-time (reminded me of the 10/22/96 MSG Freakapaug, actually). Fiery ending, but as a whole the Weekapaug wasn't terribly great for 1996-1997, in my opinion. But so what. It was Weekapaug, and it closed a great second set!!

The Loving Cup encore was one of the best versions I've ever heard them do. It reminded me of the 4/17/94 Patriot Center version, in that Trey was soloing remarkably well and the band was accompanying in kind. Cup fans should definitely check this version out. I think it kicks the Red Rocks' 1996 version's butt.

As a whole, this show gets a 6.0 Scott Jordan Concert Review Poll rating (5.0 is a typically great avg. Phish show). Width/Height..well. About a 5/6 or so as a whole. I thought it was an EXCELLENT tour-opening show, with above average versions of Cup, Stash, YEM, Mike's.. and probably Caspian and Theme, too. The SOAM was definitely above average if you look at all SOAMs in phishtory, but it was about avg for 1995-7 imo (ok Eric, maybe a wee bit above avg.. ;-).

It is frankly difficult to give anything less than a 6 rating to a show that contains both YEM and MikesGroove, not to mention SOAM, Stash and a brand new FUNKY INSTRUMENTAL as well. I have a feeling, though, that this show will be relatively unremarkable by the time January 1, 1998 rolls around.

Phish has been Haulin Ass all year, in my opinion, and you ought to make whatever shows that are near you this Winter. If you thought Phish peaked on 12/31/95, think again. I don't think it is that simple anymore.

two cents
charlie

This show is a good indicator of what the rest of the tour will be like: funky & groovy. With the second song of set 1 being Black-Eyed Katy's debut (of what would eventually become Moma), you just get hit with a giant wave of a groove that would make a paralysed man jump up from his wheelchair and dance the night away. The next highlight of the first set is this Melt, which has something I love to see in a Melt, a semi-melodic jam instead of the usual intense craziness which comes with a standard Melt jam. After a catchy groove in the YEM/Zero combo that closes the first set, we get treated to what is probably the highlight of the show: the Stash. A solid '97 style jammed out Stash gets pretty spacey in the middle which creates for an amazing 20+ min jam. Credit to the taper of this show on phish.in because holy crap I loved the second set. The late 97 mix has the perfect amount of bass and it really shines in these shows, just listen to PYITE & Hydrogen and you'll see what I mean.

Highlights of the show: Black-Eyed Katy, Melt, STASH.

S2 Notes:
Stash fully enveloped my brain. Page unveils the spacecraft disco sound that we all know and love, that dark, wide open funk that sometimes evolves into true space cruising and orbiting, the cow-abduction-funk (sorry). Eventually, this Stash reaches a deep space object, wispy but dark, massive, and slightly foreboding, a gas giant without a star. I have a sense of inverse peaking, with all the intensity of a high energy peak but in the opposite, inward collapse vs. outward explosion way. And it’s finished, which you love to see after a swing that wide. PYITE is next, and here I am reminded of two moods I tend to be in regarding what follows the first big jam of the second set. Some nights its spacewalker, where I want to drop right back into another big jam. Other nights, its energy rider, and my emotions are a tied to the energy of the show, and can get a little fragile if hung over the edge for too long, and need structure and upbeat energy for a little bit to come back and re-center. I know, moving forward through the tour, that Phish will certainly not always provide that landing pad so early. Tonight, I was in a spacewalker mood, but this call works well for an energy rider mood, and that makes total sense, and is a great call if that’s what you need. I warmed up to Caspian, Trey’s solo felt like a cleanse, washing as waves. I have to say, I actually like the old rock ending. Bouncin’, I felt alright, it was happy, nice, like a nice walk around your own neighborhood on a sunny day. Very pleasant, easy, but familiar. Honestly, though, it felt like the set was winding down into a jukebox kind of set. Until, of course, Mike’s Groove hits. This felt like a revival for me. I could not stop head-bobbing, moving, grooving as I put things away and cleaned, headphones in. At this point, I realized that I should put out a small PSA in this time of lung-health concerns: Dry herb vaping. If you have never tried it, it’s a little different, but very familiar, and it is economical and way healthier than combustion. Google it. PSA over. This Mike’s went into a second jam, a style of jamming that I know exists throughout this tour, but what I am going to call a soma-jam for identification purposes. This was just happy, floaty, comfy, and felt colorfully wispy, like a pleasant fantastical dream. Revisited Brave New World last week (not Brave New World: Revisited), fresh on the mind, check it out if you are bored and on this website. Hydrogen fit perfectly here. “Of course,”, you say, “that’s the standard Mike’s Groove”. Yeah, but there are also other sandwiches, and this one needed the straight Hydrogen after that second jam, you know? Weekapaug was just straight rocking, and that is what I needed at that point. It built to a really great peak. This was the peak of the song and, in terms of energy, the set. (Yes, Stash was MVP) This is something that is characteristic of many Fall ’97 sets, especially second sets, this idea that the set itself flows like a jam, building to this high peaking moment, the apogee in the waveform. Loving Cup was a great upbeat encore, and it was probably the right call. It was a great tour opener, a great sign of things to come, they didn’t owe anything more than a rocker encore like that, and it’s a fun one. The Rolling Stones reference in Las Vegas seems fitting to me in some sense.

Fall '97 tour opened in Vegas, and is frequently overlooked given the stiff competition from other shows on this incredible tour. The lot scene was actually pretty mellow and the show was so far from sold out that they cordoned off the backstage of the arena, making the Thomas and Mack feel even more intimate.

The first set gave us our introduction to Black-Eyed Katy (later to become Moma Dance) and the first taste of the funk sound that would eventually dominate this tour. The YEM isn't extraordinary but the Stash that opens the second set stretches out to nearly 30 minutes and visits numerous themes. After getting a standard Caspian and Bouncing, the band turns up the heat with a blistering Mike's Groove, with a faint Born on the Bayou tease. They hadn't been playing Hydrogen much during that era (it was the 7th version since Dec. 1994) and Trey botched it somewhat badly. That was more than forgiven by a BLISTERING Weekapaug, easily among the fastest versions every played. Just when it seemed to be over, Trey drove the band into double-time, Fishman struggling to keep pace.

During the encore, people cheered the "I know I play a bad guitar" line, with Trey grinning ear to ear. Stash and the Mike's Groove are definitely worth checking out.

SET 1:

Chalk Dust Torture: Nice little interlude starting around the 6 minute mark, they bring it down a good bit and then go on to absolutely punish the ending. Killer opener and tone setter for this tour. Hold on tight folks, it’s going to be a wild ride!

Black-Eyed Katy: Great debut. Crowd doesn’t know what to think upon the opening notes.

Theme From the Bottom: Soaring.

Train Song: Standard.

Split Open and Melt: Fairly standard for the era, nothing really stuck out to my ear.

Beauty of My Dreams: Standard.

My Soul: Standard.

You Enjoy Myself: Awesome theme to this one. Starts off as snappy cow funk, moves into a harder edge with that super crunchy summer 97 tone from Trey and then of course moves into a wailing solo. That descends into more of that first part of the theme and then eventually into the vocal jam (no B & D). Very strong YEM, would definitely recommend.

Character Zero: Face melter.

SET 2:

Stash: Gets extremely dissonant in the ten minute range, hang on to your hat – that piece had to be a wild ride. From there things level out with Page sprinkling in some very psychedelic effects. By the mid 13 minute mark we have moved into deep outer space. By the early 18’s, this jam is coming back around to how you would expect a Stash jam to sound. Whew, that middle part was a TRIP!!! There is a consistent build and then a big peak in the late 20’s, and things somehow get even more intense with some heavy metal stuff. Final refrain around 21:15. Good God man – that was entire body of work was incredible. Absolute insane! Easy, easy all timer!!!

Punch You in the Eye: Standard. >

Prince Caspian: Some blistering trills. >

Bouncing Around the Room:

Mike's Song: The Born on the Bayou teases are awesome! Super chill second jam. Mike sounds AMAZING. Would recommend this version for the unique, mellow aspect of it. >

I Am Hydrogen: One of the worst versions they have played, super sloppy. Like, embarrassing… >

Weekapaug Groove: Played at the speed of light, unbelievable. Easy all timer.

ENCORE:

Loving Cup: Tons of sound problems, sounds like static or electricity.

Summary: They held nothing back to open the tour – usually that just hasn’t been the case. Stash is the anchor of the whole show, it’s just crazy. Weekapaug was insane too. Really, really strong tour opener. The rating of 4.259/5 (193 ratings) is right on the money.

Replay Value: You Enjoy Myself, Stash, Mike’s Song, Weekapaug Groove

I love the jamming in YEM, Stash, and Mike's Groove; all are versions worth hearing. I'm not quite as sold on the SOAMelt, which makes the description on the song's jamming chart even more intriguing.