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 Howdy folks! As the title says, welcome to my archive of live show reviews as I have posted on the Steve Hoffman Music Forums website! I pr...

Monday, July 22, 2024

2019-12-07 North Charleston, SC - 2024 revisit

 Onward with my 2nd show this morning, 12/7/19, North Charleston

Pretty funny that last night they played The Connection for the very first time since this show, eh? Synchronicity!!!

Ok, I was on the floor again for night 2 and I remember being exhausted from night 1, but that was to be expected, no? :)

On with the show!

Set 1

The show opened with something everyone needs to experience at some point in their lives - a Fluffhead opener. I cannot begin to describe the dopamine rush that occured when I realized what was happening!! They are OPENING with FLUFFHEAD! HOLY CRAP!!!!

By 2019 standards, Fluffhead is ever so slightly loose around the edges but 99% nailed! Its an excellent, if not transcendent version if you are just listening at home. In person, this was friggin life changing stuff though. This was akin to Harpua last New Years or something. WHITE LIGHT! SO MUCH BLINDING WHITE LIGHT!!!!!

Being able to scream along FLUFFHEEEAAAADDDDD!!!!! is a "forever" memory I will cherish until I die.

10/10 show opener. Good god..... 

Ok, now that I got Fluff out of th way....

Ocelot came next and was a great choice. Its really an excellent version if not must hear. Treys playing is red hot. I was thrilled to get it and be able to sing along - Ocelot has always been a favorite of mine!

Funny that they played Nellie Kane next. I was THICK in the middle of reviewing 1993 at this point and I remember thinking it felt like a personal reference to all the bluegrass I was hearing in those shows! This is an excellent version and, as with an a capella song on night 1, I got to say I could check a bluegrass tune off the ol list!

The Dogs was a GREAT surprise!!! Put this on the "didnt expect that!" Highlight reel! I have a distinct memory of thinking this was fantastic but having no idea, at the time, what song this was. Short, sweet and to the point! PLAY THIS MORE!

Up next was maybe the biggest highlight of the two shows for me thus far regarding song selection - REBA!!! This was a BIG deal! 12/31/95 was the show that converted me and, next to Punch, Reba is absolutely my favorite Phish song ever. I was hoping, praying, dying more than anything to bear witness to one! I remember watching the setlists for the tour going "thank god, no Reba last night!" lol.

This Reba has a rough go compositionally, but thankfully the solo is X FACTOR MAGIC. Trey annihilates and sends goosebumps down my arms!! My jaw is and was on the floor! Now for a modern Reba its probably a B+ overall, but that solo was CASH MONEY!

Up next is a great Halfway to the Moon. Really strong version, Trey tears it up once again. Big highlight. I have a really distinct memory of the intro, Trey shrouded in darkness. I didnt recognize the song at first and had to check .NET, lol . I do remember thinking afterwards that it ROCKED! 

After a lovely little Train Song to cool us off, its into friggin....GUYUUTE!!! Unfortunately again, Sticky Fingers Anastasio strikes once more and we get a not-quite-a-trainwreck but definitely not tight reading. I mean, 3/4 of it is acceptable, but there is a full 20 seconds where Trey just stops playing like its 2004 and becomes disconnected from Fishman. Doesnt matter - I got a friggin Guyuute, Reba and Fluff all in one set. I could care less, lol. :)

Strange Design is beautiful. Im ashamed again to admit that, at the time, I did not know the song at all. For it being such a huge rarity, I am kicking myself over this. I would KILL to get one at a show NOW. I had no idea. :(

Set ends with a standard hot Moonage Daydream. Another I thought id never get to hear!


All in all, this set is totally about the in person experience. Strictly as a listen it isnt that impressive aside from the insane setlist. Musically Trey is very stiff but the Reba solo and Fluffhead are probably must hear. Shoutout to Ocelot and Moon. :) 


Set 2

So they open the set with....The Connection. Aka, a super rarity that almost nobody in the building knew, including myself, lol. TERRIBLE choice, ot was DEAD ON ARRIVAL. There was NO energy in the room! Awful!. Glad I got it in hindsight, but good lord, Trey! NO!!!!

Sensing to correct the mistake they just made, they waste no time launching into a still-a-rarity 16 minute Mr. Completely!! Another awesome version, it spends a good amount of time rocking it type 1 before moving into Party Funk zone (complete with No Men teasing!) before shifting into some kind of outer space funk weirdness with a great reprise to close. Not as incredible as the Camden (I think?) version from the summer, but damn strong either way and id rank it number 2 for 2019!!! Knowing the rarity and loving the song, I was PUMPED to get this!

Following with Crosseyed was a genius move. I will never, ever forget the experience of seeing an entire building EXPLODE at once like that when the riff began. My god it was incredible. This version is pure X Factor Magic! MUST HEAR!!! They go full blown WTF type 2 into a strange Little Drummer Boy jam of darkness that is just ridiculous and terrifying. Holy moly. THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY IN OUTER SPACE!!!!

Trey sees his chance and out of the darkness comes a fine reading of Dirt that plays out like a coda to the madness just prior. Good stuff.

I have great memories of this section, just losing my mind at this insanity, lol. 

Cool Amber picks us up before Melt drops us on our faces. The composed section sounds perfect but the jam is AWFUL. I hated it in person and I hate it today! The transition from song to jam is non-existent (Fishman straight up just stops playing!) and the jam itself is boring and disjointed.

The best part is that instead of reprising Melt to finish, they do a full on Crosseyed reprise for like 2 glorious minutes. And its AWESOME! :D

A Life Beyond The Dream was next and I remember enjoyinf it immensely in person - it really felt poignant in the moment. Still a fresh song at that time, Im glad I got one before it became a little overplayed.

Wilson wasnt anything special, though of course it was another "check off the old list" to get to yell "WILLLLSSSOOONNNN!!!!" with everyone, so that was great! :D

The set proper closed with something special - an excellent Coil that brought down the house. Yet ANOTHER checkmark off the list (Coil closer...), I remember standing there, head in hands, thinking my life was finally complete. Mindblowing.

Tasty encore of Grind (Yay, another a capella!) and the first Frankenstein since the Bakers Dozen!!!!!

This show was a BLAST in person!!! Honestly, I may actually remember it better than night 1! That being said, it is definitely the inferior show when compared to night 1 - Trey has problems technically and there are times they struggle to lock together, but the setlist could not really be much better (seriously, its insane, no?!) and when it did click, it was beyond words.

The kind of show that doesnt necessarily live up to scrutiny under a microscope, but will absolutely stand the test of time if you were there to EXPERIENCE it! :) 


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