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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...

Saturday, January 18, 2025

2024-08-15 Dover, DE - Mondegreen #1

 8/15/24 Dover

WELCOME TO MONDEGREEN!

Set 1

The show opens with a spectacular Moma Dance. 13+ minutes and very exploratory, featuring several different sections. Not quite type 2, but definitely far into type 1.5, if you will. Wow!! Definitely must hear!!!

After a ripping BOTT, we a get a surprise 20 minute Wolfman!!! Longest Wolfman since 2009, no??!! This one goes deep into Type 2 and quickly at that. X Factor Magic all the way, this is MUST HEAR;!!! Terrific version, although maybe a little too "in the box", but thats nitpicking. Essential listening!

Next up we get a smokeshow Funky B followed by a stellar Roggae. Grab both!!!

Nevermind, forget those!!!

After a super fun NICU, we get a 15 minute, full blown type 2, NUCLEAR BOMB Wave of Hope! Now THIS was the best version since Mexico! Absolutely extraordinary, this is a damn 100/10 for me. Holy mother of Jesus this Wave is a rampaging monster!!!

The following 15 minute Sand is nearly as impressive. Very different from the Bethel masterpiece, this version is very laid back and groovy. Trey is just playing with his whale siren and loops, doing textural stuff while Gordo and Page do the heavy lifting. Then in the last part Page begins a motif that Trey slowly builds upon. They take several minutes slowly building to an incredible, face melting, world crushing climax peak. Incredible!!!

Damn!!!

All in all, set 1 was a massive success!! Not a single low point and EVERYTHING had energy out the wazoo. Moma, Wolf, Wave and Sand are all X Factor must hear version up with the finest music of 2024.

And the rest just plain kicked butt  

Set 2

The 2nd set opens with...wait for it.....a 25 friggin minute WGTYM. Yup!! And it is sick!!! Multiple sections and energy out the wazoo. Definitely must hear. However, I gotta say, I think im gonna kill Fishman. There were MULTIPLE times where the jam was begging to stretch and move but Fish kept on denying any tempo/rhythm changes. It was maddening!!! Someone take away that damn ride cymbal so he stops the never ending barage of "ratatatat"!!!! Im so sick of it!!

Change the tempo! Play with the beat! ANYTHING but that damn ride/snare combo!!! Im so sick of jams being "stuck" because he wont play something else!! AAAAARRERGFGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!


Vent over, we do get an incredible and massive peak finale that is worth waiting for, but just as it is moving into legit type 2 strangeness afterwards, Trey moves us into a lukewarm yet still pretty exploratory Chalkdust. Great stuff, but needed more heat!!

And perfectly out of the Chalkdust we slide into Light. Light is utterly RIDICULOUS, spendin most of its jam totally deconstructing itself into a dark and menacing robot vortex hellscape. Like, how?! That was LIGHT! Not "Dark"!!!! Must hear!!!!!

And the hits keep coming with a 15 minute Caspian. The song has been on an utter tear since 2023 and this one, honest to god, might just be the best. May all behold the glory and majesty that is KING CASPIAN!!!!! Raging hotter than the sun exploding in THE peak of the night, only to drop into a legit funky type 2 for a while just to build back out to a close. X Factor Magic times 20. Hear at all costs!!!

And just when the set seems done, they LAUNCH like whiplash into my new contender for hottest Crosseyed ever played (just keep getting hotter!!!!!). Complete and total destruction of the nuclear variety. Do NOT miss this!

After a much needed Lonely Trip to cool us down, another banger closes the set. A 15 minute (timing of the night!) smashes us hard, all majestically triumphant. Truly an excellent reading, in the wake of what surrounds it, maybe its not must hear, but it is EXCELLENT regardless.

Great encore of a ripping Possum into a terrific and measured Slave. Not much to say - this is a GREAT one. Throw this in the must hear pile!

All in all, holy mother of OVERKILL!!! This show and set was almost TOO MUCH!!! Possibly dethroning Bethel #1 from its lofty perch, this show is definitely a monster classic of a gig.
There was a TON of jamming! Nearly every song seemed to get an extended treatment!!!

For set 2, obviously the WGTYM into Chalkdust are must hear (I definitely need more time with those - they were great but irritated me at times...) and the Light and Caspian are both essential as well. And that Slave, yo....

Monster gig all around.And that Wave in set one really is THAT amazing. What a day we live in where the mega jam is actually one of the "weakest" of the whole show!! Hot damn!!

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