2000-06-24 Atlanta, GA

 Onwards with 2000, how about 6 24, Atlanta?

Set 1

The show opens with a massive, psychedelic firestorm, 16 minute, GOAT-contender version of The Moma Dance. Dont take me lightly when I say, this might be the greatest version Ive ever heard (and thats saying a LOT). Full force outta the gate, it gnashes and snarls and twists and turns and ultimately just annihilates in every way possible. Unbelievable.

The following Jim aint far behind. It stays firmly Type 1 but is SO nuclear powered that it mows down everything in sight. If you put this as a top 25 or 30 version of all time, I would not argue. Good god!

Bouncing is the sweet relief we need to collect ourselves and it is played flawlessly! Not like its as technical as Fluffhead, but Trey nails his parts and the whole thing is perfect. 

And then comes Tweezer.....

Up next is the big daddy of the show - the famous 26 minute Tweezer. Song sounds great, the jam begins with a perfectly placed wah hit. After another vocal section Trey kicks on the looper and its off to Jam Land for real.

Quiet and patient is how we start, Gordo and looper leading the show. Cactus is really grooving hard! Someone begins to interject with some creepy, alien type FX (is it Trey on his keyboard??).

Those go away and Trey begins funkily vamping on guitar, Page layering gooey synth underneath. Very slowly, the whole band begins to raise the volume of the jam and the groove just increases with intensity more and more until we are back at "proper" playing level.

Page moves to piano and Trey is melodically soloing. Excellent stuff.

All of a sudden, Trey hits upon a weird stoccato rhythm outta nowhere. Mike immediately picks up on it and the jam shifts on a dime into this "sciencey", kinda King Crimson sounding style!

This new style begins to move upwards towards a more blissful type of sound. Trey and Mike are dueting (as much as is possible while improving), when suddenlt Page hits some "dark" notes and the jam starts to sound kinda twisted.

The KC vibe is still going strong but will it be light or dark?? The intensity rapidly builds!!! They break out of the KC bit into a funkier, Manteca-ish groove and we get back to proper "rocking"!!

This thing is a monster! By this point we are in melodic-bliss-rock mode. Pounding piano, Leslie hits, ratatattat cymbal work....Trey starts a new chordal motif, the other guys quickly latching on.

This new chord based motif sees them working skyward again in a rockier fashion, full of tension and uncertainty. Will it peak?! Thankfully they keep it going and just keep on building it up and up and up without stopping!!!!

The crowd picks up on the excitement and grant the band a roar!

Suddenly, after one of those anti-peak moments, the whole thing dies down quickly and quietly! The intensity is there but they are crouching low, like a wild animal in wait for the kill....Wait for it....wait for it....wait for it....

They stay down low for a long time. Fishman is exploding on the kit like the 7/23/99 Birds of a Feather. Everyone is playing TOGETHER in the best way, making this quiet soup of sound.

Slowly becoming more psychedelic by the second, Trey springs into action, trilling his sweet heart out, tearing it up and launching the jam full throttle towards the sky into a blazing hot, melt your face, heavenly shred fest of epic proportions!!!!!

Yes!! Give us the peak!!!!! Inject it directly into my veins!!!!! AND PEAK THEY DO! HOLD ON TO YOUR SPACE SUITS, HOLY MOTHER OF JUPITER LETS FRIGGIN GO!!!! SOARING ACROSS THE MULTIVERSE!!!!!!

And slowly, the peakiest peak explosion that ever peaked begins to dissolve into some kind of quietly rhythmic ambience.

And just as it began, so shall it conclude...
Ladies and gentleman, the Lakewood Tweezer....
Holy moly....

Strange Design is perfect out of that MONSTER masterpiece Tweezer. It works and feels like a coda, really! As if its part of the piece played previously. Perfect!

To follow, a particularly funky and rocking Cavern closes the set in terrific fashion. Cavern is Cavern but this one is particularly strong. It just has that extra something about it. Genuinely, a Cavern worth hearing, lol. Wow.

All in all, HOLY FRIGGIN CRAP THIS SET WAS AMAZING!!! HOW HAS THIS NOT BEEN RELEASED YET?! The Moma and of course Tweezer were all timers with Jim not far behind and even trusty old Cavern turning in a "take another listen" performance.

Its all downhill for set 2, right?   

Set 2

A rip roaring Birds is a great start to proceedings. Of course you get exactly what you expect. Molten face melting. Though it does hint at stretching its wings, it ultimately keeps them close to the chest. Trey basically melts down for 7 minutes like a Maze on steroids. Heck yes.

Unfortunately all momentum is immediately evaporated when the follow up song is....Bug. Look, I love a good Bug, and this is a fine version, but F- for set placement, Trey. Ugh! Dont scoff at this version, its actually particularly inspired imo, its just the horrific set placement. No, really, this is an inspired reading. Very powerful!!!! Give it a listen!

The following My Sweet One is must hear! Its a hilarious train wreck that they somehow keep on the rails, featuring a drum solo, bass solo and Page solo and a demonstration of Gordo's fight bell! Hysterically badass!!

The following Antelope is NUCLEAR. Even by Antelope standards it is just pure unhinged insanity of the most ridiculous order. There is even an ambulance siren at one point. Must hear, it deserves a jam chart entry.

Frankie Says is terrific. Does not sound like a bustout.

Carini ups the ante again and melts our faces once more, delivering the face melting of a life time. PEYTON HOOTEN!!! A MUST HEAR rendition, this is evil and wacky and just...insane!!!!!

A terrific, extra potent combo of Coil into Caspian closes set 2. Coil is good, but Caspian is EXCELLENT, and the pairing work better than they have any right to!!

The encore begins with, I swear Im not kidding, maybe the greatest Guyuute ever played. Its played at light speed, full of gusto, and they friggin NAIL it compositionally! Holy crap they had to have rehearsed the snot outta this for it to be this fantastic! Truly MUST HEAR!

Josie Wales, Driver and Tweeprize close the show.

All in all....holy mother once again. I am speechless. This was a classic show, full stop. What is there to say?