APPROACH THE NIGHT WITH CAUTION
It was scorching outside in the lot and this show would be a night to remember. Evening song was not the most exciting song to get you going, but in retrospect was a strong warning for caution for what was to come on this magical night. This song choice would not convert the free youtube teaser song into a stream purchase…..that was not the intent. Turtles was fun and cheerful and then Trey started goofing with Fish on Vultures pushing those drum fills to the limit (what a treat that was). The Undermine jam really went in some interesting directions and got stretched tastefully….I thought this was going to the be the big jam vehicle of the night - WRONG. Fast enough for you, one of my favorite slower tunes and quite a treat to get. Pretty standard Sky but in the middle of it there was a strong cool breeze that came through the pavilion and hit everyone hard and also some dark clouds in the distance….I don’t know how they time that stuff but it was somewhat a magical moment. There was a big moment of AHHH from the crowd in unison as it really cooled down a long hot afternoon. Suzy was pretty standard and then the first Ghost repeat of the tour was capped a really solid first set.

I was not too thrilled to hear Caspian start the second set (another tour repeat), but they really dug into the jam and set the stage for the epic Cross eyed which had brought the energy up another level. They needed a breather and Miss You hit the spot. SYSF>CASPIAN>TWIST was just a good flow of hard exploratory jamming and then we got punched in the face with CARINI – super short but hey it is all about the dynamics of the song, really liked the short and sweet version. Hearing The Horse, I immediately thought that this was a good way to end the night with Silent in the Morning but then they pulled out 3 more which Fish was just on fire with the drumming. Trey pulling off that Start Spangled Banner solo in Fire invoked the spirit of Jimi on these sacred grounds. So glad he had the courage and creativity to pull that off.

I gotta tell you, I was a little disappointed at the start of Evening Song, Undermind, Caspian and SYSF. I was wrong to have these impulses as all my doubts eventually become cleared up with the execution and playfulness of the songs. Overall, one of the best shows I have ever seen. The venue is amazing.