2025-07-12 North Charleston, SC (I was SUPPOSED to be there :( )

 And now the pain begins

On to the first show I had to miss thanks to my stupid appendix....

7 12 25 Charleston

Set 1

The opens with a 14 minute Moma Dance. Crap, this woulda made up for the one I missed on 12 29 23. Woulda had Moma and Free made up! Moma is terrific tonight. I wouldn't call it must hear, but it comes close to going off the deep end. Trey sets loopers and hints of synthesizer comes out but it never peaks like you expects it to and never really explodes. Still an absolutely terrific opening to the show but not quite most here.

A perfectly placed NICU follows it's nothing special and Trey has trouble with the main lick but it keeps the energy high and the flow strong.

A super rare Jesus Just Left Chicago (last one Fall 2023, I think?) is up next. Totally fresh surprise call! Awesome version that delivers the heat. Definitely on the must hear pile.

Quickly they keep it going, launching into a terrific Divided Sky!! Oh how I would have killed to get this! Saw it at my very first show in the same building - the perfect full circle! The palindrome section is TIGHT - as tightly played as Ive ever heard it! The delicate parts are perfectly delicate without any hints of flubbage or looseness. This is what an A+ modern version of DS sounds like. Smashing reading! And then, holy smokes, Trey goes OFF during the solo. This version is EXPLOSIVE!! MUST HEAR!! GRAB THIS SUCKER! IT kills!

Another one from my first show, up next is a jammed out Destiny Unbound! Ok, they are just trolling me at this point. I'm calling this must. It's a terrific version that is extremely funky, with lengthy "Im a Man" teasing throughout. It's at least as strong as the 2019 Charleston version if not better!

After a terribly placed (imo) but typically raging version of Monsters, we get a KILLER 13 minute reading of Plasma. It never strays too far from the box but it's an a+ reading all around. The boys began with the typical melodic chirpy Bliss Rock, but it's just really really good tonight. Very strong with a lot of OOMPH behind it. Eventually it picks up the pace and becomes a lot more rocking, finally exploding in a ridiculous peak finale. Absolutely must hear, all day long!

Following that, the set concludes with an equally destructive 13 minute reading of Bathtub Gin. Your typical type 1 ranger version, it exceeds the usual expectations and delivers a nuclear bomb rendition reminiscent of 12/28/23s version. The finale region just goes on and on and on in the best way melting your face and leaving you absolutely exhausted afterwards.

All in all, I thought this set was a massive improvement from set one of night one. JJLC, Divided Sky, Destiny and Plasma are all must hear with a big nod to Gin and Moma. Not the greatest set of the tour, but it was hot and tight from start to finish without a single wasted moment. Great stuff. 

 7 12 25 Charleston

Set 2

Alright, 12 minute Mikes to open. Mikes is a weird kind of mess. Musially its excellent, but there is disconnect on direction. Early on in the funking, Trey CLEARLY is trying to get them to launch into Cities (and it was perfect!), but everyone else either doesnt hear him or just ignore him, lol. Probably the latter. From there, it basically turns into Gin 2.0. Hefty boy supreme just raging it hot and straight.

Its a great type 1 reading, but nothing special in the slightest.

Hydrogen and Weekapaug are both genuinely excellent regular readings. Weekapaug is nicely patient, taking its time to bloom rather than rushing straight to the finale. Eventually the expected peakage occurs, and thankfully Trey keeps it going, jumping onto the robo wah for a sick jammy section Page on the synth, Fishman playing with the beat. Its a short jam, but oh so tasty and gives this Paug a ton of character. Honestly, Paug creeps into must hear status for me! Its KILLER! Im gonna say you need to check out this Paug. For a "regular" reading, its TERRIFIC!!!!!!!

I am mighty surprised by that Paug!

Trolling me even further, they proceed to launch into a girthy 19 minute Mercury. Thank god this song is having a resurgence! I SO wanted to see this in 2019 and they blessed me with a 13 minute reading, but unfortunately it wasnt a particularly good one. As with the rest of the show, the playing is tight, Mercury sounding properly rehearsed like the other recent renditons. The jam is very patient. After several vampy minutes, Trey sets a looper, Page kicks in the occasional synth flair. Its evolving, but taking its damn time to do so. Eventually they say screw it and the typical rocking finale ensues. Thankfully, the finale is absolutely RIDICULOUS!! A MASSIVE grindy kind of peak. Pure awesomeness. Its just unfortunate you have to sit through a whole ton of nothing to get to it.

This reminded me of the Seattle 2023 Wave of Hope.

They keep the energy going strong with a now rare 12 minute Soul Planet. And thank Christ, Soul Planet is Megaultron high energy from the sun, they FLOOR it on this sucker. The jam sees Trey kicking on the robo wah and Page on the synths. Hurdling through space at a million miles an hour on a course for impact. Eventually the synthy space fire takes on a more night time kind of vibe, Trey doing awesome melodic soloing while Page keeps pace on the keys. The intensity ramps back up and...

HOLYGOD MOTHER OF HOLD ON TO YOUR DAMN SPACE SUIT!!! LETS FRIGGIN GO!!! NUCLEAR BOMB ALERT!! UTTER DEVASTATION AT A MILLION MILES AN HOUR!!! PEAK THAT SUCKER!! LETS GO!!! GREATEST PEAK RAGING IN THE GALAXY!!! I CANT STOP HEADBANGING!!!! THIS IS INSANE!!!! OH MY FREAK GOD OH MY FREAKING GOD OH MY FREAKING GOD OH MY FREAKING GOD.

And then back into SP and its over. Im speechless. What in the F.

And then, trolling me a 4th time, we go into an INSANELY beautiful version of Joy, a song I was chasing and really hoping to catch this run. And my god, the placement out of Soul Planet was just * chefs kiss * . Seriously.

The set then concludes with the massive double whammy of Harry Hood and I Am the Walrus. Holy moly, y'all. Hood is another terrific version, lengtht and patient. The intro jam has some funny brief deviation, but the buildup is where the magic is. Page's piano is extra beautiful on this and Treys responses are perfect.As usual it's slowly ramps up the heat, but this one does it oh so perfectly without a hint of rushing. And then BOOM! Off to the peak finale races!!
AND HOLY MOLY WHAT A HOOD LETS FRIGGIN GO!! Ala something like 12/29/23, this version just SMOKES!! Definitely strong enough for me to call must hear. Wow!!!

Walrus is friggin awesome. Must hear. Not much to say - Walrus is Walrus! Its a ridiculous psychedelic black hole of sonic noize destruction. Fantastic.

Following Walrus, the encore consists of the Carolina I didnt get on 7/11 (they brought the 4 way mic out but then put it away ), and a typically blazing SANTOS.

All in all, im not a huge fan of this show overall. There were a ton of great moments but very little "magic". Almost nothing went outside of really strong type 1, but the energy was high and the playing TIGHT throughout. The setlist was excellent, and objectively this IS an awesome show, but still feels like its lackinf SOMETHING that I cant quite put my finger on. It feels like its a better show than 7/11, but it also feels like it has WAY less "character", making for a less interesting listen despite the higher quality of the music played (does this make any dumb sense? )

My complaints are "listening too closely because thats why I do" nitpicks. For set 2, Weekapaug, Walrus and Soul Planet are must hear, but shout out to the Mercury finale!