2026-05-01 Las Vegas, NV - The Sphere, #8

 5/1/26 Las Vegas, NV

The Sphere, #8

Set 1

The show tonight opens with a good version of Sample. Not much to say but it's got good energy and the playing is tight from the outset. Trey delivers some very nice soloing throughout and it's a solid opener. Quickly they up the energy several factors with a raging Boogie On in spot two. The jam is patient and stretched out nicely with good robo usage at times. This version is just fantastic - it's absolutely smoking like a barbecue! Everybody is pounding the crap out of their instruments and the patient jamming of course turns into excellent peaky explosion fire at the end. I don't know if this qualifies as must hear, but I'm definitely putting it on the highlight reel.

Up next we get a rare Heavy Things. And thankfully it's a terrific reading of it, played at the perfect tempo and very tight. This song is always hit or miss live for me because the studio version is so perfect that unless they absolutely nail it it just doesn't work. Got to love the terrific organ soloing from Page!! Man you can feel the energy and enthusiasm big time. Screw it I'm calling this must hear. It's a 10 out of 10 reading all day long. Just listen to Trey's fantastic melodic soloing in the back section. It's just spectacular. Man I've got goosebumps!!!!

Immediately following that we get a nicely placed Bouncing Around the Room. It keeps the energy going, if you can believe that, considering the song selection and it feels like a little interlude to the next song. It's very uptempo and on another night I would call it super energetic which it is but it also unfortunately sounds very rushed as well. Everybody nails their parts but there's this little thing about it where it just sounds like it's about to trip at any moment but it thankfully never does.

The first surprise of the night we get a very rare Mound up next. There isn't much to say. Mound is mound. They kill it and it sounds very practiced and is fantastic to hear.

Perfectly placed - no really, the set construction and flow of all the shows this run has pretty much been at top level - is a typically gorgeous Mountains in the Mist, delicate and dynamic as ever. Man this is so good to listen to as the sun is rising up I swear. Unfortunately it feels like it ends before it begins and is rather a standard reading in the end, but a standard reading of the song is still a great time no matter what.

And then holy mother of nuclear bomb they just burn the building to the floor with the following Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan. Trey goes absolutely off and it's one of the most destructive versions I've heard out of a long line of them. Holy crap let's freaking go! It just goes on and on and on. Bang your head if you will. massive sledgehammer peak on this one. Must hear all day long.

Up next we get a terrific double dose of Gamehendge! An ever lovely version of Tela starts the proceedings. Gorgeous as ever, they nail it to the bone super tightly with the same energy as the rest of the set so far. Nothing special in any way but it's a excellent reading for sure.

They managed to top it with another mega rare McGrupp!!! And holy crap they freaking nail it!!! Like oh my god they nailed it. It's extremely tight extremely uptempo and extremely explosive with the energy. Listen to Fishman just annihilating his kit. Everybody is completely locked in and there's not a hint of rust at all. This song has been on a roll lately but this has to be the best played version in years. 

                This is strong enough for me to call essential because it's just bursting at the seams in all the best ways. The chirpy piano solo breakdown in the middle is one of the most spine tingling moments of cheerful happiness I've heard in a while. Oh my god this is just magical I swear, or maybe it's the Adderall talking I don't know but even if it is who gives a crap this is amazing. Truly a 10 out of 10 modern reading that was absolutely phenomenal Holy crap Must hear all day

Up next is Wingsuit giving us a well-placed breather at last. Even though I just called this a breather of course we can expect an incoming nuclear bomb solo from Trey at some point. And oh what a spectacular version it is of course. I swear this song is one of those that always delivers no matter what. The jam section is lengthy and slow building and the whole band is locked in playing as one evolving it bit by bit. Man this is just gooey and delicious and so perfectly uplifting, ala the name of the song. I'm calling this must hear It is absolutely fantastic and you need to have it in your life. And then holy son of a bitch as usual Trey delivers a soaringly majestic trill fest solo of nuclear proportions. Holy crap I've got goosebumps.

                   This tightly raging set comes to a smashing close with the much lauded 15 minute Bowie that we've heard so much about online. And OH MY FREAKING GOD they deliver one of the greatest versions in years if not ever. Put this in the all-timer reading category at least since 2009. The song has been destroying since about 2022, just laying waste all over here and there as it always should, But even this is a cut above. There is some major X Factor on this one and it shows. 

                  Played super tight without a hint of rust, the song drops into the noodly jam section as expected. The typical noodly cymbal rattling whatever goes for a bit but slowly everybody syncs up in a slightly unusual way and the jam begins to actually get really cohesive. Someone online said this goes type 2 and I hesitate in saying that but I would say it definitely goes into that type 1.5 area. 

                    They spend a long glorious stretch of time slowly building this sucker into a more straightforward and hard rocking type of jam, not the typically meandering noodlefest of most Bowies. It's actually really unique and incredibly exciting to listen through as the patience and and flow on display are so masterful you don't even realize it's happening. Slowly it morphs into this high-energy full on rock and roll classic rock type whatever and explodes into the typical peak before perfectly morphing on a dime back into the shreddy minor key up the neck finale section of Bowie. 

                 This is a goddamn masterpiece I swear. This is a version the '90s version of the band would be proud to hear. I cannot gush enough about this incredible reading. This isn't just a smashing version This is an all-timer I am saying, maybe on the lower rungs of that ladder, but definitely worthy of recognition in the Pantheon of the greats - there is something just a bit more special about this than most Bowie's versions of the song. Pure Magic. And I'm not a Bowie guy at all so you know that's saying a lot when I'm raving about it. Holy smokes.

All in all this was an absolutely spectacular set. Jam-wise there was nothing that came close to the extraordinary version of Leaves from the night prior But this had to be the most consistent first set of this entire run and maybe the entire year so far. It really felt like an out of place early 3.0 set with everybody locked in tight end blazing and just song after song of type 1 explosive fire. Everything was played to the hill and then some I swear.

The Faulty Plan, McGrupp, Wingsuit, and Heavy Things were all grade A+++++++ readings and of course we can't forget that outstandingly fantastic Bowie. My god what a SMASHING set!!!!

Set 2

Well hot damn if we don't get three freaking Gamehendge songs tonight with a rare second set Wilson opener! And of course Wilson is Wilson and it just annihilates. Terrific choice to open the set! And I can't believe I'm saying this but holy crap this is must hear! They just dropped the bomb and kick the door wide open and spray the fire on us all. Short but nuclear. Wow.

                     The great set choices continue with a 12-minute Seven Below in slot 2. The jam begins very slowly with Trey immediately dropping out sounding unsure what direction to go in. This lasts a little bit before he quietly sets a little background loop and then enters the jam noodling melodically. Slowly it starts to get that gooey ethereal whatever to it all. Throw in some vocal samples from Fish and we are slowly gliding on into a melodically breezy and flowing type 2. This is just lovely. Those reverse guitar loops give it a nicely psychedelic undercurrent. 

                   Eventually the energy picks up and the jam goes minor key and starts to get heavier. At 8 minutes, reverse guitar looper still going, the jam takes on this really cool Middle Eastern almost Egyptian type of sound to it. Dark and brooding with everyone sinking up on chord motif. The X Factor is strong with this one. 

                 By about 10 minutes the jam has really gotten ahead of steam turning into this darkly intense kind of fire. Slow burning and gut punching. The flow on this is unreal with everyone taking their time to build it up into an about to erupt volcano. Eventually the darkness shifts to the light and we've reached a terrific magical ethereal mountain top to cap it off. Eventually the peakage subsides and they spend a little bit fading the jam out. 

              This is freaking incredible - this has to be the best version since what the number show in 2021 other than that aborted jam version from Chicago 2025. Must hear all freaking day This is absolutely incredible in magical wow.

Holy mother of crap that was one of the best slow burn jams ever. Essential listening at all costs the inspir ration and magic is there in spades.

                 Perfectly seguing beautifully out of Seven Below, we go into a 15-minute Plasma. Damn that was a great segue and it sounded like it was just the next part of the song! And I just realized that musically the main theme of Plasma is very similar to Seven Below so the two work together exceedingly well as a pair. Fantastic. The jam begins with a really terrific and lengthy section of quietly dynamic Latin tinged jazzy whatever. Terrific interplay between the four guys with everyone again working together as one. Very much led by Paige at the beginning. 

                   This sucker is grooving hard and taking its time and you know it's going to build in something epic.After a couple minutes it very slowly starts to get more intense with more bubbly effects and a heavier vibe starting to take over. Listen to Fishman The Machine Just driving this sucker and then Page coming in with his synthesizer stabs all the while Trey is robo filtering it up splendidly.

                  Yep the X Factor is here to stay boys and girls welcome to type two. God this is just kicking so much ass it's not even funny. This is the kind of jam you just get lost in and just bang your head to. By 7 minutes the jam is in full force heavy Godzilla robo stomp groove Just laying waste and annihilating everything in sight. God this is just filthy McNasty. 

               Trey is taking lead with his robo wall and the whole guy's are just going bonkers. Listen to Fishman explode in order to compete with Trey going nuts. Again the flow and full band interplay on this is just astonishingly terrific. This is what you hope and pray for when they enter a jam. This is 10 out of 10 phenomenal and must here at all costs. This is what peak performance looks like.
                     Around the 10 minute mark things get bonkers and the jam enters the wormhole diving into a swirling maelstrom of crazy outer space funkiness. Hell yes to the max. God This jam kicks so much ass it's not even freaking funny holy moly. Another one of the greatest modern versions ever. I swear this band just gets better and better. Jams like this are the reason this band is the top of the mountain for the jam community. 

                 Quickly however we rise from the pit, Pages Meatstick synthesizers leading the way with Fishman going absolutely bonkers on his snare drum throughout. Trey sets some more loops and the jam enters a powerful yet blissful ethereal kind of zone. Melodic soloing on top of powerful snare shuffling and synthesizer washing.
               This is just bonkers, I mean they are full on type 2. Massive amounts of X Factor on this jam - it's so must hear that it's not even funny. Sue me I'm throwing this again in the all-timer pile and I mean that. After a while the drumming turns into symbol washing and it fades out into a ethereal kind of ambient whatever. Blissfully psychedelic. Fishman is prepared for the jam to end but Trey won't let it and he just keeps soloing away. This is so freaking sick it's not even funny Holy moly this was an adventure. I cannot stress enough the importance of you having this jam in your life. Adore this jam Love this jam worship this jam.

                 So Plasma washes itself to a quiet conclusion and we burst into a 19-minute Crosseyed like getting punched in the face. Hell yes let's freaking go. Raging like a damn nuclear flamethrower to the face as usual The jam wastes no time at all getting down to business. Around the 6 minute mark it right away goes type 2 shifting seamlessly into an upbeat and blissful haze. Still rocking hard but we are floating in the clouds at the same time. 

                  That blissful psychedelia thing strikes again with backwards loops and synthesizer washes accented by Fishman's hardcore drumming and Trey's melodic ripping. Just magical. This is like a second version of the Boulder 2025 version but a bit more straightforward. The jam keeps slowly inching itself higher and higher towards the sky until we are positively soaring. And holy crap listen to Fishman Jam off of Trey reacting to everything he is doing going listen to me mother effer I'm keeping right up with you. 

                 Around 10 minutes Fishman slows down his snare attack while keeping the symbols rattling and the jam starts to really unwind and go sideways while still soaring through the blissful psychedelia cloud of haze. This is absolutely incredible and sounds very late '90s to me but on steroids. It's like this crazy mishmash of hard rocking jamming mixed with blissful again psychedelia whatever I don't know what else you would call it. 

                Behind Fish and Trey The other two guys are behind them laying the atmospheric groundwork with the synthesizers and other effects. By about the 12 minute mark we are full steam ahead and just full on full bore rocket to the sky raging, leaving the blissful cloud in the dust.
Oh my freaking God hold on to your seatbelts, we are on a rocket ship to the stars. My God X Factor magic X Factor magic as far as the I can see what even is this freaking set This is incredible. 

                     Very slowly they morph the jam back into Crosseyed proper and continue raging as hard as is possible. This is one of the most absolutely kick freaking ass things I've ever heard by anyone ever in my entire freaking life. Oh my freaking God you need to play this while hoped up on Adderall driving down the interstate at 70 miles an hour banging your head. Pure Magic of the highest order holy cra.
.                     Finally at the 14-minute mark Trey lays back on his ripping and lets everyone else continue raging hard, letting the jam develop back into a psychedelic soundscape of fiery whatever the hell. Trey doing rhythmic playing while Paige washes the synths and the whole thing starts to melt again into whatever. I'm really at a loss for words for how to describe this jam because it's pretty unique sounding to my ears. It's like several different jam styles colliding into one but working magically all at the same time. 

                      Around the 15 minute mark Page starts to insert some seagulls. We are morphing again back out of the bliss Just as fast as we re-entered it and Trey begins reintroducing the Crosseyed licks and the still waiting refrains. Meanwhile there are backwards guitar loops and everyone raging and things are going wonky and sideways again. It's like We are taking the jam in our hands and twisting it like Play-Doh refusing to let it coalesce back into the song.
                   Slowly it morphs back again this time into a wild kind of dark and wacky soundscapey type of area again like something you might hear on Halloween. Very fun and rocking but dark and wacky Hard to explain. They are just mutilating this and twisting it inside and out. This is pure Crosseyed data corruption let's put it like that. And eventually it actually finally melts down for real into a crash landing of noise. Background loops going like it's a melt breakdown We even get the power drill coming out to play. This lasts about a minute and they slowly fade it to a close like many of the other wacky jams this run....

                          And as if we didn't just have our skulls crushed to oblivion and our mind ripped in half like a piece of bubble gum we move on into a 13 minute Pillow Jets. And boy is it a freaking doozy. This thing rages with extra whatever trays soloing sounding more fluid than I've heard in a while. Just a phenomenal reading of the song. Around the 7-minute mark things start to go haywire. And boy do they ever. 

                       Suddenly the jam gets a burst of major key intensity with Page on the piano and things stretching out. Trey then lowers his playing way down and continues the face melting but in a manner as if he were whispering it to us. Super low key noodly psychedelic whatever. 

                  It's absolutely incredible and super unique and just jaw dropping to hear. They basically almost deconstruct the thing without stopping, melting it into a big, dark, psychedelic cloud of mush. The synths blaring it has that dreamy but heavy vibe still, unfortunately quickly concluding around the 12 minute mark. But God damn what a version it was, was holy mother of F. Must hear all day that X Factor is still continuing to flow strong....

                     Finally we get a breather with a lovely reading of Shade after all of that nuclear Holocaust destruction. Lovely and quick as soon as it's over we launch into a 15 and a half minute Sand. Oh hell yeah let's go. The song sounds nicely relaxed tonight like a late '90s rendition. Around the 5 minute mark the Jen begins with Trey jumping on the robo effects and the jam going major key. 

                       Around 7 minutes with the background loops still going good We leave We leave the blissfulness behind and head back into a more dark kind of standard sand jam. They spend a while with Trey being unsure of what direction you wants to go before finally locking in on major key Bliss rocking as his preferred direction. 

                   Taking it slow and steady milking this section and just baking his solo bit by bit oh so perfectly. The fire getting hotter with each passing second. And it's not too long before we are back into proper typical sand rage mode. And they rock it from there. 

Overall I wouldn't call this must hear, I don't think. It's just a bit too scattershot and unsure of itself. One of those jams where they rages section hard for a minute and then shift gears For no reason. It was just a bit too all over the place for me personally but it was still definitely excellent just not magical in my opinion. But all this is again nitpicking because this is still a phenomenal reading regardless. You know it's bad when I'm having to come up with things to criticize just for the sake of it. Look don't listen to me and you be the judge It wales regardless.

The encore begins with a typically wacky and entertaining version of I Didn't Know. "We gave you the conjurers of thunder now how about the thunder from down under" said Trey upon introducing Fishman's entry to the stage with the vacuum lol. And then perfectly out of that into the perfectly placed I Saw It Again. Another random song pairing like Seven Below and Plasma that works way better than I ever would have thought. WHY DOES THIS PAIR WORK SO GOOD TOGETHER?! That makes no sense. God why the hell does this work so good. Tonight It works amazingly feeling like the second half of I Didnt Know rather than its own standalone song. What in the freaking hell. Is amazing and I'm going to call this pair must hear.

Right on cue the show ends with a typically incendiary reading of Rock and Roll, the perfect song to sum up this band and this show. And hot damn what a blazer as always. In the grand scheme maybe it's not must hear because it feels ever so slightly short but it's such a nuclear bomb that I'm calling it so tonight. It feels like it has extra emotional heft about it and is just the perfect close to the perfect set.

All in all, Holy moly mother of where did that come from. I thought the previous show's second set was beyond outstanding. But this one was just a whole other level. This was the definition of one of those "You thought that was great well check THIS out" one upping themselves kind of sets.Like what in the love of God is this band anymore where did all this come from and where was it the last 15 freaking years?!?! This second set I'm calling must hear across the board pretty much aside from Sand which I'm iffy on but others will probably call must hear.

This show has a four-point almost 5 rating on.net and I definitely feel that is appropriate. Wow.

8 down and one to go!!!