Finally a good run today so we're on to night three of Mexico 2026 after a 3 week break
1/30/26 Mexico
Set 1
A nice Blaze On into BATR opener to set the mood tonight. The pair are both very nice and definitely set the scene excellently though neither are anything special or must hear.
Things pick up a good bit with Evolve. I wouldn't say it is must hear but it is worth a mention for Trey's very articulate and well developed soloing. Really nice!
After this warm-up trio of songs, the set positively EXPLODES and they shift straight into overdrive.
Wolfman is up next. This is a phenomenal version, managing to stand out and differentiate itself among the pile of hot type 1 readings we are used to. This one is very long and so perfectly measured and patient. It reminds me of Roggae from night 1. X Factor magic strikes early and hard, the jam immediately going into a low-key, night time kind of chill out. Very reminiscent of the Dick's 2024 version of Sand! From here, somebody starts going nuts with damn cowbell - who is that doing that? I can't tell. They spend a good long while in this low-key night time cowbell whatever before very very slowly the heat starts to rise. From there they rage it to a close in the most perfectly developed and slow building kind of way. X Factor magic all over this sucker, this is the definition of must hear!!! Holy crap that was SICK!!!
Just as sick is the following version of Tube. Basically the sister jam of Wolfman, Tube is very long tonight and perfectly developed. Seriously it's almost like they composed this one ahead of time or something. X Factor galore, it starts heavy and hot with a lengthy section of inspired robo squiggle jamming. Eventually it evolves into a slow burn peak section that seems to go on for several minutes. Listen to the way everybody is absolutely locked in with each other, Fishman especially. There is one AWESOME moment where Trey and Fishman lock in perfectly for several measures as if they had written a little transition piece ahead of time. IT'S SO FREAKING SICK!!! The ending peak section is so damn awesome, Trey gets a good long "pre peak" going, with a nice sustained note, looping it so it continues onward forever. Then he rages some chords on top of it and they SMASH like Hulk Hogan back into the song and out. Holy freaking crap that was incredible. 10 out of freaking 10 all day long you have to hear this!!
The fun doesn't stop there, giving us a call back to the 2024 Sphere run, Trey breaks out the acoustic and we get slow Water In the Sky!!! All of my yes yes yes YES!!! It's gorgeous and we demand more of it more often please! Must hear once again.
An 8 minute Free picks things back up hot and heavy. Right away you know it's going to be a good one when they smash right into it and Trey gets the arrangement right, lol. It's simply a burning hot type 1 reading but it's so good I'm going to call it must hear.
The set concludes with double outro combo of a 14 minute Bathtub Gin into Most Events. Gin is a floor holy crap we are going ludicrous speed my brains are in my feet!!! kinda version. I don't think it's must hear because we've heard this kind a million times before but it's so unbelievably freaking hot that it's definitely worthy of the highlight reel regardless. Holy moly.
The set closing MEAP is also red hot but not on the same level of Gin.
All in all, WOW!!! WHAT A SET!!! Not a single weak point, and the CHUNK of Wolf, Tube, Water and Free is MUST HEAR!!!! ALL DAY!!! Gin is a bonus cut.
There really isn't that much to say this is a smash you in the face kind of first set. Please for the love of God do not let set to be a come down because I will lose my mind if it is!!!
Set 2
The second half of the show opens with a monster 27 minute Carini! F YES, LETS FRIGGIN GO!!! Unfortunately it's a massive letdown, bummer! Gets off to a good start and they rage it hard with the type one all the way to the 10 minute mark. Just when you're starting to get bored and wondering if anything is going to happen they quickly drop into a cool kind of robo night time zone. Unfortunately it only lasts about a minute and they sound unsure of direction. Trey kicks on the Leslie and they meander around until about the 14 minute mark. At this point the jam is really frustrating me and definitely not delivering. Trey sounds hesitant to commit to any direction and it's like they're wandering around grasping at straws. Trey goes for broke and returns to the type one. They spend a whopping 7ish minutes all the freaking way until about the 21 minute Mark just rocking and rolling hard. Thankfully this section is actually pretty excellent and has an amazing peak finale for a while, but at the same time you were wondering why can't they take this dark and do something different with it. Around the 21 minute mark it drops finally back into type 2 with a cool staccato kind of rhythm thing. Slightly Latin slightly Jazz whatever. The gym meanders all the way to its conclusion in this hazy kind of dark cloud of messiness. And not the good kind. This Jam isn't some unholy abomination like the Philly 2025 Sand, but it's very very messy and lacking direction and cohesion. To my ears at least. I don't hate it but it's extremely frustrating and absolutely does not deliver.
Maybe the best part of the whole damn jam is the ending. Really nice transition into Light to pick us back up. A 13 minute version, this one is rather bipolar, flipping back and forth between light and dark. Thankfully it's a million times better than Carini and the guys get their mojo back. I'm going to call this one a must hear. It's not the greatest one of all time but it definitely delivers in its 13 minutes. Even better, the ending dark section is terrific with one of the best natural segways of recent years melting perfectly into the first Frankie Says since summer 2023!!!
Fishman kind of drops the ball with the segue, which is frustrating because it was set up so fluidly and fantastically. The song itself is excellent though and works great as a cool down in the spot after the prior to jams.
Out of Frankie we get a stupendous type 1, 13 minute reading of Everythings Right. The flow into it is excellent, it's perfectly placed. This one is basically the sister of the Bathtub Gin from set one. It's nothing must hear but it absolutely crushes while it's playing. Good stuff!
Just when you think this enjoyable yet slightly mediocre set is coming to a close, they open up the goddamn portal to hell. The Birmingham 2025 version of Pillow Jets has nothing on this satanic wormhole 20 minute Life Saving Gun. Hold on to your crucifixes it's about to get dark!!! There isn't much to say, it's just pure unadulterated X Factor magic in far and Away the best piece of music of this show.
Along with the Ruby Waves from night two, this is easily the finest piece of music this entire run. New GOAT status right here. It's going to be damn hard to surpass this one! There really isn't much to say because it's pretty straightforward - hardcore raging gives way to type to leading into black hole insanity. For a long time. That's basically it. And it's jaw dropping. Seriously. What in the love of f.
Im dead. That is all....
As if all that hellfire wasn't enough, the second concludes with a rip roaring First Tube. It's not really anything special but it is hot enough to make you sit up and take notice and I would definitely put this on the highlight reel.
The encore is a bit of a downer but works for me in the context of this show. Two ballads in a row, we get the new Trey song Simeon to open things up. Simeon is a great song but much more "TAB" imo than Dancing In Midair. Still great to hear, it's got a wonderfully relaxed soulfulness to it!!
Much to everybody's dismay (aside from mine), the show closes with a wonderful Life Beyond the Dream. Great version, nothing more nothing less.
All in all this was an extremely mixed bag set. The Carini is a frustrating mess and a waste of 27 minutes for me. Definitely have no desire to ever hear that ever again. But the Light>Frankie is great and the LSG is a damn all timer FOR ANY ERA OF THE BAND, PAST OR FUTURE, performance from hell.
Simeon is great and ER deserve some love as well. It's not a bad set just a bit messy in its construction and execution.
I'd give the show about a 4.1 when all is said and done.
The second half of the show opens with a monster 27 minute Carini! F YES, LETS FRIGGIN GO!!! Unfortunately it's a massive letdown, bummer! Gets off to a good start and they rage it hard with the type one all the way to the 10 minute mark. Just when you're starting to get bored and wondering if anything is going to happen they quickly drop into a cool kind of robo night time zone. Unfortunately it only lasts about a minute and they sound unsure of direction. Trey kicks on the Leslie and they meander around until about the 14 minute mark. At this point the jam is really frustrating me and definitely not delivering. Trey sounds hesitant to commit to any direction and it's like they're wandering around grasping at straws. Trey goes for broke and returns to the type one. They spend a whopping 7ish minutes all the freaking way until about the 21 minute Mark just rocking and rolling hard. Thankfully this section is actually pretty excellent and has an amazing peak finale for a while, but at the same time you were wondering why can't they take this dark and do something different with it. Around the 21 minute mark it drops finally back into type 2 with a cool staccato kind of rhythm thing. Slightly Latin slightly Jazz whatever. The gym meanders all the way to its conclusion in this hazy kind of dark cloud of messiness. And not the good kind. This Jam isn't some unholy abomination like the Philly 2025 Sand, but it's very very messy and lacking direction and cohesion. To my ears at least. I don't hate it but it's extremely frustrating and absolutely does not deliver.
Maybe the best part of the whole damn jam is the ending. Really nice transition into Light to pick us back up. A 13 minute version, this one is rather bipolar, flipping back and forth between light and dark. Thankfully it's a million times better than Carini and the guys get their mojo back. I'm going to call this one a must hear. It's not the greatest one of all time but it definitely delivers in its 13 minutes. Even better, the ending dark section is terrific with one of the best natural segways of recent years melting perfectly into the first Frankie Says since summer 2023!!!
Fishman kind of drops the ball with the segue, which is frustrating because it was set up so fluidly and fantastically. The song itself is excellent though and works great as a cool down in the spot after the prior to jams.
Out of Frankie we get a stupendous type 1, 13 minute reading of Everythings Right. The flow into it is excellent, it's perfectly placed. This one is basically the sister of the Bathtub Gin from set one. It's nothing must hear but it absolutely crushes while it's playing. Good stuff!
Just when you think this enjoyable yet slightly mediocre set is coming to a close, they open up the goddamn portal to hell. The Birmingham 2025 version of Pillow Jets has nothing on this satanic wormhole 20 minute Life Saving Gun. Hold on to your crucifixes it's about to get dark!!! There isn't much to say, it's just pure unadulterated X Factor magic in far and Away the best piece of music of this show.
Along with the Ruby Waves from night two, this is easily the finest piece of music this entire run. New GOAT status right here. It's going to be damn hard to surpass this one! There really isn't much to say because it's pretty straightforward - hardcore raging gives way to type to leading into black hole insanity. For a long time. That's basically it. And it's jaw dropping. Seriously. What in the love of f.
Im dead. That is all....
As if all that hellfire wasn't enough, the second concludes with a rip roaring First Tube. It's not really anything special but it is hot enough to make you sit up and take notice and I would definitely put this on the highlight reel.
The encore is a bit of a downer but works for me in the context of this show. Two ballads in a row, we get the new Trey song Simeon to open things up. Simeon is a great song but much more "TAB" imo than Dancing In Midair. Still great to hear, it's got a wonderfully relaxed soulfulness to it!!
Much to everybody's dismay (aside from mine), the show closes with a wonderful Life Beyond the Dream. Great version, nothing more nothing less.
All in all this was an extremely mixed bag set. The Carini is a frustrating mess and a waste of 27 minutes for me. Definitely have no desire to ever hear that ever again. But the Light>Frankie is great and the LSG is a damn all timer FOR ANY ERA OF THE BAND, PAST OR FUTURE, performance from hell.
Simeon is great and ER deserve some love as well. It's not a bad set just a bit messy in its construction and execution.
I'd give the show about a 4.1 when all is said and done.
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