2012-08-26 Charlotte, NC

 Cooked spaghetti for the family tonight and I'm feeling adventurous, so I'm gonna jump back to 2012.

Only 3 more shows until F Your Face at Dick's

8/26/12 Charlotte, NC
On paper, show looks stacked as hell - Crosseyed, Tweezer, AC/DC Bag, Moma, McGrupp, Fluffhead, LTJP>Alumni Blues, BBFCFM!!!

Set 1

AC/DC Bag - Awesome opener! Nothing we haven't heard before but a great version nonetheless!

>Moma Dance - Perfect count-off segue. Aw yea. Here we go. And just like Bag, it's another by-the-numbers-but-totally-excellent version. On a different night I might complain, but even though there is NOTHING memorable or special about these 2 tonight, they are just musical nectar for the ears. Like excellent fast food or something, haha. Good stuff.

>Heavy Things - As I usually say, great live version of HT are pretty rare. This one is damn good. Get it for Page's terrific piano soloing!!!! Trey gives an outstanding solo as well. Really, REALLY great little Heavy Things!!!!

Ocelot - Absolutely outstanding Type I RAGER. Trey is just freakin' going for it. 10/10 Ocelot, yo.

Funky B - Absolutely A-friggin'-plus Funky B! HOLY FREAKING CRAP TREY IS JUST DESTROYING!

Bathtub Gin - As with the Pelham show, this one is seeing the same kind of energy and crowd vibe tonight. I mean, the energy and enthusiasm is totally palpable. Love hearing the crowd cheer randomly throughout, haha. Another great-but-nothin-special Type I version like Moma and Bag.

Fluffhead - FLUFFHEAD! An absolutely terrific version, nearly flawless. If you can find a better-played version from this time period, by all means point me in it's direction.

>Letter to JP/Alumni Blues/Letter to JP - Automatic list addition.

Tube - After a few minutes of funny banter regarding their origins at Goddard, the boys launch right into Tube. As with Gin, Moma and Bag, it's yet another in a long line of been-there-done-that-but-it-was-still-awesome versions tonight. Really great, but no jam and nothing to make it memorable or noteworthy.

My Sweet One - LETS FREAKING GET IT PAGE! TEAR UP THOSE KEYS!!!

David Bowie - See Fluffhead. Just a friggin' A++++++ rendition all around. Incredible.


All in all, this set was absolutely nothing memorable in the slightest. There is next to no replay value whatsoever. BUT, it was still played damn near flawlessly with oodles of energy and vibe. It was terrific all around, but not a set you'll ever be caught referencing, so to speak. Felt like the little brother of Pelham 2012 set 1.

Great stuff!

 

 Set 2

Crosseyed and Painless - Always a barnstormer. Do people seriously, genuinely hate this?! I feel like every review I see is people complaining about. Hell, this is one song I'd take as often as they want to play it!!! And this one kicks the set off with a bang as expected!!! Things proceed as normal until around 7:45 when the tone gets noticeably dark! Minor key "still waiting", anyone? Things are still raging but hints of Type II are creeping in. Fishman is responding to patterns that Trey is playing and vice versa. Page and Gordo are laying it down sweet and thick in the background. By 9 minutes we have reached Nighttime jamming mode. Unfortunately, just as the jam slides fully into Type II dark ambience, Trey takes the, actually perfect, moment to segue us into....

>McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters - Ok, most other shows and I'd be raging about that "oh so terrible ripcord of Crosseyed blah blah blah" but not tonight! That was PERFECT set placement and transition!!! Dang!!! Also, when's the last time McGrupp popped up in the 2nd set?! And remember how well the composed songs were in set 1? Yea, they keep it up and NAIL this McGrupp!!!! Surely this was rehearsed because it is terrific!!!! Gotta love Page's excellently restrained piano soloing. Just beautiful!!! FRIGGIN A+++ 10/10 MCGRUPP!!!

>Mike's Song - And I guess you couldn't pick a much better song to go into out of that, eh? AND THE BOYS FRIGGIN CRUSH THIS ONE TO BITS TOO!!! A+ MIKE'S SONG!!

Keep in mind that a lot of stuff, like that Mike's, was nothing special or memorable, BUT, the playing and energy are so fantastically high tonight....it's nuts!!!!

>Bouncing Around the Room - Great to hear the crowd singing along!!! Great set placement as a breather!

>Axilla - What is this set, 1995 again? Perfect song choice to get us rocking again! Check out Page destroying on the church organ!!!!!!!!!! Killer!!!!

>Tweezer - And here we friggin' go!!!! Really great version that goes through several different phases. Really wonderful bliss jamming that starts somewhere around the 7 minute mark. Everyone is playing together and feeding off each other - it doesn't feel like anybody is the soloist. Super uplifting Tweezer. This one gets a lot of praise I've seen and it definitely deserves it!!!! There isn't too much to say about it - even though it has a few "zones", it mostly rides that bliss to perfection and back and rides it damn well! JUST GET THIS TWEEZER AND BASK IN IT AND LET THE LIGHT FLOW OVER YOU AND UPLIFT YOU! BRING OUT THE SUNSHINE!!!! LET'S FEEL GOOD, YO!!!! ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIC LITTLE TWEEZER!!!!!!!!!

>Harry Hood - @Harry Hood this was awesome set placement and I am loving it tonight. Killer Hood. Am I almost redeemed? Check out Page's gorgeous, descending piano line around 2:15...ugh, the stuff of angels, I tell you!! Killer version. Beautiful and uplifting and kicks major ass!

>The Horse/Silent In the Morning - Aw man, why? Ok, I guess we needed another break in the action..... I'm being mean. It's finely played and actually worked perfectly in it's set placement tonight!

>Weekapaug Groove - Absolutely A+ timing for bringing the Mike's Sandwich to a close!!!! The guys are just NAILING set placement lately, I swear. Terrific Type I rager. You get exactly what you expect.

Suzy Greenberg - See Weekapaug. Is great. Kills. Welcome to Page's House!!!!!!! An absolute blast of a Suzy!!!

Big Black Furry Furry Creature From Mars - OUT OF FRIGGIN NOWHERE. ALWAYS ON THE HIGHLIGHTS LIST! AWESOME INSANITY

>Tweeprise - As expected. Is great. Perfect ending to a wonderful set!



All in all, on paper this 2nd set looks rather disappointing and "songy". In reality, it was fantastic!!! The song choices and set placements really made it feel very cohesive and almost planned out. A wonderful "sleeper" set!! The whole show was pretty awesome as well. If I had to compare it to anything, this show felt like the little brother of the Pelham show I raged about a few gigs back. Wonderful vibe and energy tonight propelling "nothing special" versions to highlight status. A really, really great overlooked show!!!!!