Review by Shaggy

"This is like therapy!"
"A – fuckin’ – men!"
- overheard in the crowd during the set break.

First of all, I apologize if this seems rambling and less than coherent. I’m running on three hours’ sleep here and am not thinking straight. Plus I’m typing this at the office in between doing what I’m actually supposed to be doing. I promise a better and more objective review in February’s Jambands.

I missed the first set opener "Into Tomorrow", but got there in time for "Season of the Witch". A great rendition that featured a mid-song tempo change from Ivan, sped up like the ’76 – ‘79 "Around n’ Around"s. Then they went reggae on us about two thirds of the way in. I’m always impressed with their ability to jam this song out, especially in comparison to the relatively short and tight album version from Donovan. A rollicking "All Over Now" followed, with Gus in perfect voice. "Calling" featured an incendiary solo from Mark in the middle, bringing one tie-dyed reveler on the dance floor to sheer ecstasy. "I Am the Walrus" was cool as always, although I still miss the old days in Deal, when they would do the backwards looping section in the middle of the song. Bruce did do a nice Hendrixian slide of his bass neck against the mic stand, though. After a false start, they tore into "Mountain Marlane", at which point I decided to hit the dance floor. Distracted as I was by the pounding rhythms of this old Daybreak nugget, I missed the teaser of "Safety Dance" that Gus threw in. (sorry Gus!) I sat back down for "Mr. Charlie", and remained seated for a wild "Obsession". I’ll admit I was spoiled by the Dan Tepper days in Long Branch and Deal, and am often let down by the trumpet-less versions of this classic. But tonight’s version was incredible, with Mark and Gus trading Escherian licks that dipped and rose like a psychedelic kite on a windy day. Mark was having great fun with his MIDI, at one point playing what sounded like a Wurlitzer pipe organ. Oftentimes Mark’s solos will induce me to close my eyes and visualize some picture that corresponds to the music. As his fingers danced across the fret board, I began to see a series of musical notes descending a staircase. The sound just seemed to have a "falling" quality to it. Not sinking, mind you, but falling. Then, as Bruce and Ivan began to lay down a jazzy groove, Gus went Spielberg on us and started quoting the spaceship theme from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". Too much. "The Coast" started off with an even more stretched out beginning, and the crowd really started to boogie on this one. I was reminded of Uncle Bob’s comments about why we keep going to shows, as Mark sang, "We come and we go, we all play that game" and "We’re up here again". Up there again, I fully expected the usual transition into "Hungry Moon" when – whammo! – the boys pulled a 9/10/91 MSG and went into "Franklin’s Tower"! Damn, where’d that rug go? Gus’s piano lines cascaded like a waterfall and Mark’s screeching arpeggios led the tie-dyed reveler of yore to dance so hard he fell down against the stage. Fortunately, he was smiling and uninjured. As I told him after helping him up, "Brother, that’s when you KNOW it’s good."

During the intermission, three successive drum circles ensued at the foot of the stage, entertaining the crowd as the band took a breather.

A decent "Jack Straw" opened set II, followed by the improv feast "Laced In Silver".As he began to jam, Mark’s eyes gazed upward toward the arching wooden ceiling of the Crossroads. I couldn’t tell if he was pondering where to lead the song into, or just wondering if he had left the iron on at home. But as his gaze returned Earthward, he graced the crowd with another trademark solo that had the kid in the tie-dye jumping up and down like a joyous jackrabbit on a sugar high. The band went into a sweet "Shakedown St." that kept up the dancin’ groove. "Boy in The Bubble" provided a little calm down interlude, before Tara Elliot hopped up onstage for a reggae style "Me & Bobbie McGee". Very nice version, with Tara really growling those lyrics Janis-style and getting down on one knee as she was "calling (her) lover, calling (her) man…". "Tabula Rasa", complete with the trademark mid-song "yeoww!", was another free-form Fender fest, with Mark pulling out some amazing Arabic riffs. Again, Bruce did it up Monterey Pop-style, dragging his bass along the mic stand and stretching the boundaries of sound. After such an intense song, it was a bit anti-climactic to see the band obviously rushing in the "Ripple" closer at the behest of management. But such are the pitfalls of playing in a club as opposed to a stadium. Who can complain?

As you can tell, set I was a little more intense than set II, at least from my vantage point. Which isn’t to say set II fell flat, but the song choices and experimentation just seemed riskier and more exciting in set I. Overall, though, a very good show.