The second set is outrageous. Tweezer, It's Ice, Reba...all played at the best levels they ever played them...and then you get a 24 minute YEM??...oh yea, with Les Claypool playing along. This is a very underrated set for '94. Listen to the second set as soon as you can.

Super-duper standard first set. If you've listened to lots of '94 you can look at the setlist and know what you're in for. There's really nothing to comment on, just the same ole same ole.

The second set has many individual highlights that don't create a very succinct whole. It's Ice is average. Tweezer, Reba, and YEM are all very quirky. At one point Tweezer reaches this place that, if I were to attempt to describe, I'd call Phishgrass + folk music from the alps. That probably isn't very close, but it gets different in the middle of the jam. The Reba is the highlight of the show. Despite not having the best peak, it is a very unique version that warrants multiple listens. YEM with Claypool is pretty fun. Claypool definitely adds some new flavor to it.

This is an oddball, lopsided, disjunct show. It's not *bad*, but it all doesn't work together very well. Definitely seek out the Reba though, and if you've got time, the Tweezer and YEM.

The second set of this show surely packs a punch. I don't know of an Axilla II opener that didn't bode well, and the It's Ice follower certainly confirms suspicions of greatness. Page immediately sets a commanding lead, guiding the band into a rockin dance groove that breaks into a polyrhythmic bluesy section and casually slides back to It's Ice without breaking a sweat. Tweezer follows with a relatively standard but strong jam section. Perhaps not as compellingly inventive as some of its contemporaries, but certainly a welcome addition to a super strong set. Lifeboy is a great breather after a couple heavy tunes, but the band certainly doesn't back away from delivering the ballad with soul and spirit. From here, we get a phenomenal Reba that isn't as dramatically diverse in rhythm or dynamics as some other notable performances from August '93 to present. However, what this version absolutely does not lack in is groove and harmonic intrigue. Mike leads the band through some alternating passages of the standard lydian changes and a lingering dorian presence, dropping to the scale's minor second chord to give Trey some new modal ground to play with. Trey and band run with it, delivering a powerful and emotional journey to the peak. Fee and Llama are relatively straightforward, but there is a pretty nice transition between them that caught my attention. To close things off, the band brings out Les Claypool for a wild and atypical YEM that features plenty of sloppy (in the best way) bass, a Fishman vacuum solo, and a Phish-grass approach to the finish, complete with Dueling Banjos play from every member of the band (Fishman's tom contribution is endearing).

Pretty standard first set but a great second set with a phenomenal Reba, the debut of Simple, and an interesting YEM.