2019-06-21 Charlotte, NC - 2024 revisit

 6 21 19 Charlotte in the dump truck this morning.

Set 1

Super rare and excellent Have Mercy opener. Praise Jah!! Then we get an all-timer (for 3.0) Jibboo that is essential, must hear material. Incredible version.

After a standard Free and Ginseng, we get one of the highlights of the summer. Tweezer>Passing Through.

Tweezer is 13 incredible, glorious, X Factor minutes. It begins in dark chill, goes to an epic Caspian style majestic bliss and wraps up with some great funk before moving seamlessly into PT.

Passing Through is wacky as usual but rages hard. Seriously. Great stuff.

X. Factor. Magic. I need to play that again.

All this is followed by an exceptional, uber tropical Ya Mar. Treys soloing is perfection. Not quite must hear, but almost.

And then, holy mother of crap on a cracker, the trio that ends the set....

Mercury>Tweezer jam>SANTOS

GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY!!!!

Mercury is a pretty picture perfect Type 1 version, as perfect as youre gonna get, with a wonderful, soaring solo that peaks to extremes.

Then the jam swiftly moves unexpectedly into a short Tweezer/"the nets unbreakable" jam before smoothly moving again into SANTOS.

And holy crap this SANTOS. Sure every version is hot, but this one is NUCLEAR!!!!

And with that, set 1 is over. WHAT A BLAST THIS SET WAS!!! A TOTAL PARTY BUT ALSO A FACE MELTER!!! Set 1 of Cuyahoga felt like a bunch of random songs with little purpose. This felt like some cohesive whole, the boys on some kind of mission.

The opening Have Mercy, Gotta Jibboo, Tweezer>Passing Through, and the Mercury>SANTOS to close are all top notch, must hear pieces of music.

Wow, what a set!!!! 

Set 2

Holy crap, we get a 19 minute Runaway Jim to open the set!!!!!

The song itself is a typically strong and blazing hot rendition, full of energy. Immediately though, the jam begins with some patiently laid-back soloing from Trey. The move out of the song and into the jam is so wonderfully smooth!!!!

Eventually, Trey decides to kick on the Leslie and move the jam in some other direction. We are in that "Type 1.5" area - still noticeably the song, but also far removed from it as well. More patiently melodic soloing ensues.

Very, very slowly the intensity of the jam begins to increase, bit by bit. Eventually this kind of peaks out and Trey leads the band into a funkier, more rhythmic kind of zone. This is like a funky runaway train or something.

Quickly, this moves into a much darker tone!!!! But this lasts only a short moment before more upbeat playing occurs. This is a very strange jam!!! Totally unique sounding!!! Its hard to describe it - its moving so fast from part to part.

A brief moment if quasi ambience gives way to Pages pounding piano and the jam evolved into a heavy rock and roll brew. Quickly again, though, they move into a strange electronic kind of pulsing anti groove!!!!

What is going on. Welcome to space!

Quickly again it dies down into something more plucky and strange, ala Daves Energy Guide. And out come the synths!

Synth space Jim!!! WELCOME TO THE WORMHOLE!!!! Several glorious minutes of sonic deconstruction ensue and bring this to a close, before Trey goes back into Jim and leads us home..... 

And out of Jim we LAUNCH into Scents without the intro. Strong version. Short but some great watery dark jamming. Then out of nowhere they freaking launch back into tweezer like nothing.

THEN OUT OF TWEEZER AND INTO SAND!!! ALL HAIL X FACTOR MAGIC!!!!

Fantastic Sand too. Bluesy and patient and all late night on this one. Must hear!!! Killer peakage!!!! Exceptional Sand!!!!!

After an excellent and rare Lifeboy we go into a very strong and nicely jammed ASIHTOS. Feels like 20 min instead of 10. Awesome type 2!!!! Must hear!!!

Then into a ridiculous Taste!! They friggin nail it better than every 2023 version. Absolutely must hear!!!! Holy crap!!!! A++++ Taste!!!

And then the darkness returns with a standard Twenty Years Later. Strong but inessential.

Ripping and LONG Possum closes the set. Have Mercy reprise!!!

Eh encore of More and Tweeprise.

All in all, an essential show. Definitely the most complete, top to bottom listening experience of 2019 since Mexico 1. An incredible show that kills from start to finish. Great jams, insane segues, great rarities....best show of the tour so far!!!! Id say Jim, Ocean, Sand and Taste are the essentials for set 2.