I'm going to keep this one short and sweet. Well... as short and sweet as a long-winded guy like me can keep it, anyhow, which I guess isn't especially short, but hopefully sweet enough to sweeten your night. It's a weeknight, after all, and some of us have remote work from the VRBO in the morning. Ahem.
To put it plainly, this show was a certified banger, though it manifested itself via slow burn rather than out-and-out explosivity. There's no doubt that CTB is a grand opener, but it's an unassuming one. And while Jibboo may have provided the oh-so-faintest hint of what was to come, I would suggest that the 1st quarter of tonight's show — a TUESDAY, mind you — felt very much like a warm-up. A little stretch here, a short sprint there. In a parallel universe, this show could have been a perfectly serviceable "average good" outing had it stayed this course.
But we need to talk about that Theme. That wild, wonderful, multi-colored, multi-layered psychedelic fever dream of a Theme. I'm not sure if Trey was searching for the right inspiration or just challenging himself and the band, but he began changing keys like a villainous landlord on eviction day. By the end of this 16-minute undisputed set centerpiece, I counted at least three distinct key shifts, but perhaps more? It was exciting and unpredictable and utterly mesmerizing.
And our boy didn't stop there, mind you. After a stark (but unfortunately woo-y) Vultures, we were treated to multiple key changes in the succinct-but-excellent jams that followed Timber and Everything's Right. Despite its relative parity in length, the 2nd quarter of tonight's show was an entirely different beast than the 1st. A weirder, wilder, more complex beast.
After what seemed like a lean half-hour setbreak, the band settled into a perfectly enjoyable set-opening INNYLTB. It's not going to make any best-of lists, but it serves its purpose as a compact high-energy set opener.
And then there's that Tweezer. I mean, how do I start with this one? I guess I could point out that it's the second 40-minute jam in FOUR DAYS, coming hot on the heels of the Alpine Simple. I could also point out that they played a longer Tweezer — by about five minutes — last year in Berkeley. This band has no shortage of all-time classic Tweezers in its catalogue, so it would be difficult for me to say this one belongs in the best of all time with spending at least a week listening to dozens and dozens of incredible Tweezers, trying to evaluate them against one another in a quixotic quest for perfection. I once heard someone refer to Tweezer as "Phish's Dark Star," which may account for the relative abundance of incredible Tweezers over the years. I've heard this one exactly once, in real time, at the show tonight. I have no f'ing clue how it's going to stack up against such formidable company, but I can say without a doubt that you need to hear for yourself. Trey remains trigger-happy on key changes in the beginning, but the jam eventually morphs into something of a massive sustained tantric peak that eventually coalesces into some sort of SUPER peak toward the end. The crowds reaction at its conclusion — a solid 30 seconds of the loudest cheering and applause you've ever heard — pretty much says it all.
And so now on to the fourth quarter, which could have gone any number of ways following such a singular feat. I personally appreciated the choice to give everyone a breather with Ether Edge. Sure, it sent throngs of people clamouring to the concourse and/or restroom, but it gave the band a chance to test out a nice compact little jam on this relatively recent addition to their oeuvre in a low-stakes environment. It was heating up nicely by the time people starting filing back to their seats, so the band treated us to a very enjoyable Piper that both enhanced and complimented its predecessor. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Gloria tease from Trey in a sly callback to their last run at Chaifetz, which coincided with the Blues' Stanley Cup victory.
Looking at the clock, it became apparent that we would not, ahem, be "treated" to any 2nd set ballads tonight, so I was more than happy to let Meat occupy the penultimate slot. It was fun, if unremarkable. The Blaze On that followed wasted no time in building momentum that eventually delivered some impressive type-I(ish) fireworks at the end.
Oh, and that encore? Pure dynamite. T.N.T.
I'm not sure how they're going to top such an explosive show tomorrow, but I'm looking forward to seeing them try.
'Til then ✌️
