Sunday 07/16/2017 by lumpblockclod

CHI2 RECAP: OLD MAN YELLS AT CLOUD

Regular readers of this site may have noticed that the admins did not post a “Best of 2016” this year, as we did the last three years. Delicate flowers that we are, 2016 took a lot out of us. For starters, it wasn’t 2015. That may be an unfair comparison, with 2015 being the consensus best year of 3.0, but it’s also the nature of the space-time continuum. So, fine, point conceded: it may be unfair to be critical of any series of shows for not standing up to the band’s most recent high water mark. But Summer 2016 paled in comparison to 2012-14, too. In fact, many of us viewed it as the most lackluster tour since the band’s first post-breakup tour in June 2009.

Fortunately, as lackluster as the summer was, the Dick’s run proved to be a turning point (if you squint a little, you could see the seeds for the turning point start with the west coast run). In fact, a group of us began ranking the 2016 shows and two things jumped out. First, summer really was that underwhelming. There were 45 shows in 2016. Only one show from among the first 25 so much as threatened to make it into the top 10 (7/15/16). The other top 10 contenders came exclusively from the last 20 shows of the year. But -- there’s always a but -- here’s the thing: those 20 shows produce a damn respectable top 10 shows. As good as 2015? Um, no. But when you consider they came from a 20 show stretch, you realize that Phish actually ended the year in quite strong fashion.

Official Poster by Delicious Design League
Official Poster by Delicious Design League

And yet we still couldn’t be bothered to produce a top 10 list. Why not? Who knows. Blame the Marimba Lumina. Or the LED panels. Or 12/31/16 III. Or maybe it had something to do with the ongoing malaise that set in after the 2016 presidential campaign (which tended to suck all the air out of the fact that just eight days prior Phish wrapped up one of the finest four night runs in their career). Or maybe we’re just lazy. Or old. But never let it be said that ol’ @lumpblockclod doesn’t give you your money’s worth. Here’s one person’s top 10 Phish shows of 2016: 1) MSG3 2) Vegas3 3) Dicks3 4) Vegas1 5) Nash2 6) Dicks1 7) Vegas2 8) ATL1 9) Vegas4 10) MSG1.

By now you may be asking yourself, “What does all of this have to do with the show Phish played last night at Chicago’s Bank du Jour Pavilion at Northerly Island?” Honestly, very little. But it saves me from having to write an introduction for the recap, and maybe it distracts some of you from the fact that I didn’t attend last night’s show. So, from the couch, let’s see how Phish fared in the second show of Summer 2017…

Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan” kicks us off; certainly not as dramatic an opener as last night, it sticks to the script, as does the ensuing “Moma Dance.” It’s been 7 shows since the last “Moma,” and that qualifies as a reasonably large gap for the song. It hasn’t gone more than 9 shows without being played since 2.0. “The Wedge” is next and is always a welcome song to hear, but the band is still on autopilot. As Rick Pitino might say, “7/20/14 is not walking through that door,” at least not this set. If someone has something more insightful to say about this opening trio, I’d love to hear it.

Photo © Rene Huemer
Photo © Rene Huemer

Halfway to the Moon” follows -- Thank you, @pagemcconnell! -- and I’m halfway to sleep. I apologize. I’m sure this recap strikes the great majority of you as overly negative -- and it probably is! -- but I’m just not sure who Phish is playing this set for in 2017. Sure, there are first-timers at every show, but it’s not like these are even the “greatest hits.” What I’m saying is I’d like to see the boys take the stage looking for a little more fun. But it’s still early, and Phish has been largely treating the first set as a warm up set since 2009. I should be used to this by now, and yet it still frustrates me that the band chooses to play only a handful of shows a year and then so often goes through the motions for half of those shows. I mean, I only write a handful of recaps a year, and these takes couldn’t be hotter. (NB: comparing my shitty little recap to even the worst of Phish shows is a joke.)

Few songs scream summer first set as much as “Ya Mar” and we get a gooey little Mike solo towards the end. Kinda fun? “Martian Monster” remains my favorite Haunted House song and the band is starting to show signs of life, with Trey playing some fiery little leads. The relative upswing continues with “Party Time.” We’ve reached fun, danceable Phish! Page announces his presence with some deft organ playing. If I were at the show I would be uncrossing my arms and removing the frown from my face at this point (NB: Also a joke; I have a great time at every show I’m fortunate enough to attend, honest).

Wingsuit” has really grown on me, and is probably my favorite Fuego song. Alas, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this one doesn’t really stand out. This is not to say it's not a perfectly fine version. It is… I just don't find Trey’s solo as stirring as, say, 7/12/14 or 8/7/15. You can probably guess my feelings about “Bouncing Around the Room,” but in this case you’d probably be wrong! The song is somehow welcome in this spot. A concise “More” closes the set in strong fashion, and I can't help but relate to the chorus. There's gotta be something more than this. Thankfully, there will be in Set II. (BTW, if you haven’t, you should really check out the Phish.net song history for “More” by Kelly D. Morris, particularly if, by this point, you’re looking for positivity.)

The Phish debut of “Corona” opens the second set. While it popped up in at least one soundcheck in 2013, it’s safe to say no one expected it here. The opener is short, but Trey sounds good. “Simple” follows, and fasten your seatbelts, everyone, it may just be time to go for a ride. This “Simple” heads straight for bliss territory after the verses. The bliss eventually gives way to a more general ambience, but still featuring some imaginative leads from Trey. He then steps back and we go from ambience to full blown space. Let the record show that at 10:36 p.m. EDT this jam could have died, and probably taken the show along with it, but Mike turns the jam on its head and it becomes a dark bluesy jam that is a bit “Tweezer”-y at first and then feels like it could drop into “Timber-Ho!” at any moment. The battle station is fully operational at this point, with Mike leading the way. The jam works its way to a major key peak, and then somehow keeps going. By the time it dissolves into “Winterqueen,” we have an all-time great version of “Simple” (for sheer length only two versions outlast this 27 minute monster: 11/16/94 and 12/9/97) that will surely be among the finest jams of the year.

Photo © Rene Huemer
Photo © Rene Huemer

The ‘Queen starts out spacier than usual, hinting at the possibility of an atypical version, but hints are all we get before Trey leads the others into “Light” (apparently before they were quite ready). The “Light” doesn’t stay on for long before slowly (and maybe a little awkwardly) seguing into “Scents and Subtle Sounds.” The “Scents” jam starts out in typical “Hood”-like fashion before downshifting to something approximating a 2011 “storage” jam. Things get dark, dirty and swampy and before we know it, we’re treated to a surprise late second set “Cities” (not to mention a much more successful segue). A seemingly short “Slave to the Traffic Light” recalls “Cities” in that there are some good points (it’s a “Slave” closer!) and some bad points (a few sour notes), but it all works out. Far be it for me to complain about a “Slave” closer, but let the record reflect that if I were in charge of setlist construction (a position I am available for on either a full-time or consulting basis), “Cities” would have ended the set. “Loving Cup,” the second Exile song in two nights, sends us home. Well, not me; I’m already home.

Remember all those awful things I said about the first set? DISREGARD! DISREGARD! I mean, they’re all true, but when they play a second set like that, they’re also largely irrelevant. This is why we go to see this band time after time, year after year. I started out this recap listing my favorite shows of last year. A quick, back of the envelope calculation puts last night on the top half of that list. Just imagine if they weren’t playing with one hand tied behind their back.

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Comments

, comment by TwiceBitten
TwiceBitten Jesus H. Icculus! Way to let the negativity almost entirely overtake your recap of a truly wonderful Phish show! Some of you are never gonna get over 2016 Phish it seems. I know I'm probably gonna sound like as much of broken record as you, but if you didn't notice how well the band was playing as far as composed parts and type I last Summer then I just don't think you were actually listening. I feel like after 2015, we finally had the band back in shape to a point where the music was simply enjoyable regardless of how much they did or didn't jam.

Besides all that, 2016 had a constant upward trajectory, unlike say 2014 whose Summer tour peaked early at Randalls, followed by a Fall tour that was pretty much just a warm-up for Vegas. The quality of playing between most of 2009-2014 and 2016 is just worlds apart, I suggest you A/B a few random versions of the same tune and you'll be able to hear it instantly.

As far as your narrative that all the best shows last year were post-Dick's, I think you could easily replace about half of your list with earlier shows: Mann1, SPAC1, Mansfield, Hartford and BGCA2 are about as good as Nash2, Dick's1, ATL1, Vegas4 and MSG1...at least to my ears.

Anyway, I'm glad you like last nights show annnnd I am fully aware that you peppered your recap with enough self-effacing humor to make it somewhat more digestible. I'm sure you could accuse me of trying to stifle any criticism, but seriously do you think anyone wants to read all that in a review of a show that was as good as 7/15/17?
, comment by yb0rc1ty
yb0rc1ty Maybe 500-1000 words too long, and a little questionable to do like 3 paragraphs on the previous year before shitting on the third set of summer, but you still managed to pull off a lackluster show review. You wrote more words about how little you liked 2016 than you did about a 27 minute jam on the second night of THIS summer.

"Who is Phish playing this set for?" you ask in your, like, 5th paragraph. "Who is this review for?" is a more astute question.

Happy tour, though, I guess. Right?
, comment by J_D_G
J_D_G Terrific recap!
, comment by Capt_Tweezerpants
Capt_Tweezerpants Your comments about “Bouncing Around the Room" were accurate. I don't really need to ever hear that song again, but it was welcome in that spot.
, comment by ckess22
ckess22 Agree on set 1. Set 2 is nice.
, comment by Bongomaz42
Bongomaz42 Why do people who hate 2016 Phish want others to join them so bad?
, comment by experiencechuck
experiencechuck @TwiceBitten said:
Jesus H. Icculus! Way to let the negativity almost entirely overtake your recap of a truly wonderful Phish show! Some of you are never gonna get over 2016 Phish it seems. I know I'm probably gonna sound like as much of broken record as you, but if you didn't notice how well the band was playing as far as composed parts and type I last Summer then I just don't think you were actually listening. I feel like after 2015, we finally had the band back in shape to a point where the music was simply enjoyable regardless of how much they did or didn't jam.

I'm sure you could accuse me of trying to stifle any criticism, but seriously do you think anyone wants to read all that in a review of a show that was as good as 7/15/17?

Yes. YES!! Why is it so difficult for people to understand that there's a difference between how well they're playing and whether or not they're playing exactly what you as an individual want to be hearing at a given time?! Phish 2016 dropped a lot of songs into second sets that didn't belong there, but to me that doesn't negate the fact that the Mann Hood or SPAC Hood sounded more 1.0-esque than any they'd played thus far in 3.0. I think that sort of thing is significant, and I'm not sure if others don't hear that, don't agree, or if they're just emotionally clouded by the fact that they don't like Tide Turns ;)
, comment by Phart_Door
Phart_Door Yeah, pretty negative review. As someone who was there, and likely attending their only summer show, I had a great time during both sets. Sure, the first set wasn't earth-shattering, but it had energy and was well-played. And after that Simple, Trey can ripchord anything he wants! That Light->S&SS->Cities was a great follow-up, and Slave was majestic, as always. If this is my only show this summer, I'm super-psyched I got a great one!
, comment by Laudanum
Laudanum "...and maybe it distracts some of you from the fact that I didn’t attend last night’s show."

Wait. So not only are you reviewing a show you didn't attend, you're reviewing a show that wasn't even officially webcast? Did you listen to a fan stream, or did you just wait for it to pop up on LP?

No wonder your cold hot take intro has more substance than your actual review. JFC.
, comment by frankstallone
frankstallone My favorite part of the reviews these days is watching people lose their shit because someone didn't have the same opinion they did

Pretty Spot On review IMO. Forgettable first set, Fantastic Simple and a great SASS -> Cities
, comment by MidnightRdr
MidnightRdr Agreed on the review, overall. Being there, we even commented about halfway thru the 1st set how mellow it seemed. Then the last 3 songs gave us ... hope. And then the 2nd set blew us away. Simple was ... anything but.
, comment by ADAWGWYO
ADAWGWYO I find it ridiculous that people get so butt hurt over negative reviews. Who cares? It's one perspective and it differs from yours and oh nooooo..... I always check set lists even though I am not as active on here as I once was and most the time I think sets look boring on paper but am often pleasantly surprised. All is not roses and I salute those that call it as they see it
, comment by Icculus
Icculus I don't usually "comment," but I cannot help myself, because the recap -- as much as I am grateful for it and for @LumpBlockClod's many contributions to this site -- is spectacularly misguided in one very important respect.

The first set contains a magnificent, gorgeous version of "Halfway to the Moon," obvious to anyone with ears who isn't prejudiced against the song per se. Trey usually plays it rotely, almost like he couldn't give a shit at all whatsoever about it. But last night's version is soulful and charming, performed in a manner that I wish it were performed in every damn time they play it.

It's a MUST HEAR HTTM for fans of the song, of which I am one.

As for the second set "Simple" it, too, is MUST HEAR, of course, but you knew, or should have known, that already. If you haven't yet heard it, you need to listen to it as soon as possible, and with extreme prejudice.

$0.02,
charlie
, comment by Scott
Scott I've listened to the Simple 4 times already, it is one of the best jams of 3.0 (and therefore in their career), probably destined to have more replay value than the Tahoe Tweezer or Magnaball Gin (but maybe not the Magna Tweezer/Caspian or 7/24/15 Shoreline Blaze/Twist). All other considerations of this show are just white noise in comparison. As someone with 5 donuts to eat next week, I'm thrilled. 4 stars.

I don't mind a negative or mixed review with specific evidence cited from the performance, like the comments about this set 1, but not for the first time, I do tire of all the narrative-shaping. Whether 2017 will be more like early 2016, late 2016, 2015, or 1994 couldn't possibly be extrapolated from 2 shows; the author appears to be setting up an improvement narrative for 2017 in order to consign 2016 to the dustbin of history... shortly after begrudgingly admitting that the 2nd half of 2016 was basically as good as 2015.

Publishing a full review of a show immediately is a challenge compared to a safe 'show recap' style like Jambase Setlist/Skinny pieces or an in-depth study with repeated listens, so I appreciate the effort and limitations of the hot-take format. Just skip the introduction! Reviews probably shouldn't follow a paragraph structure that awkardly combines an argumentative essay with a historical narrative, even though that default organization is one that I've also followed repeatedly simply because it is easier to write to. Still, that format invites excessive context and opinions about things other than the show itself, and creates the perception that the show is being reviewed through a particular filter, taking away from the credibility of the writer.

I'm not butthurt about the review... but if we are going to hold the band to super-high/semi-impossible expectations -- which we should! -- then we should strive for similar standards for ourselves, knowing that the constructive criticism is being respectfully offered in good faith. In scholastic journalism I edit/advise a fair number of reviews, and review writing strikes me as more of an art than a science: it is much easier to offer meaningful criticism than to do it yourself. Still, the front-pager tendencies toward narrative-shaping are best left until after tour, when we have perspective and have had the opportunity to listen to things more than once. IMHO anyway.
, comment by HelpingFriend
HelpingFriend Anyone who knocks 2016 Phish, clearly does not have appreciation for the sneaking sally on monday at bill graham! Best Phish (indoor/summer) show since UIC 2011. Finding the gems can be a needle in a haystack, but 7/18/16 was a solid show all around, even apart from the best sally ever. Check it out :)
, comment by Jotto
Jotto Image
I don't mind negative reviews and there have been many shows that have a lack-luster set coupled with a stunning one. So I appreciate the honesty and eventual positivity.

One more thing, I kinda like couch tour reviews they are all about the music, not the atmosphere. We all know the atmosphere can change depending on your spot at the show so that should not be much of a factor.
, comment by Mr_Draned
Mr_Draned Get over 2016 man...
, comment by andrewrose
andrewrose The Simple is VERY good, and longgg, Good enough for me on its own. Grateful, even.
, comment by lumpblockclod
lumpblockclod @Scott said:
I don't mind a negative or mixed review with specific evidence cited from the performance, like the comments about this set 1, but not for the first time, I do tire of all the narrative-shaping. Whether 2017 will be more like early 2016, late 2016, 2015, or 1994 couldn't possibly be extrapolated from 2 shows; the author appears to be setting up an improvement narrative for 2017 in order to consign 2016 to the dustbin of history... shortly after begrudgingly admitting that the 2nd half of 2016 was basically as good as 2015.
I haven't responded to most of the comments, because I have my opinions about Phish, it's only fair that all of you can have your opinions about my recap. Flame away. But I do want to respond to this accusation of so-called "narrative-shaping." I have no idea what the rest of 2017 will look like and absolutely nowhere in the recap did I try to even implicitly predict where it might be heading. To the extent that I will "shape a narrative" on 2017 (or, you know, form and share an opinion), I'll do it on the basis of the music they play. I don't need 2017 to be good, bad, or in between to consign Summer 2016, to my own personal dustbin.
, comment by youenjoymyghost
youenjoymyghost Mike did save that jam man!!!! Listening from the couch I heard it dying and I was prayin someone would pick it back up. Hope this year is better for you truly I think it looks positive. I also think there were some great moments last year throughout the summer at most of the shows.
, comment by Jestinphish
Jestinphish @lumpblockclod said:
@Scott said:
I don't mind a negative or mixed review with specific evidence cited from the performance, like the comments about this set 1, but not for the first time, I do tire of all the narrative-shaping. Whether 2017 will be more like early 2016, late 2016, 2015, or 1994 couldn't possibly be extrapolated from 2 shows; the author appears to be setting up an improvement narrative for 2017 in order to consign 2016 to the dustbin of history... shortly after begrudgingly admitting that the 2nd half of 2016 was basically as good as 2015.
I haven't responded to most of the comments, because I have my opinions about Phish, it's only fair that all of you can have your opinions about my recap. Flame away. But I do want to respond to this accusation of so-called "narrative-shaping." I have no idea what the rest of 2017 will look like and absolutely nowhere in the recap did I try to even implicitly predict where it might be heading. To the extent that I will "shape a narrative" on 2017 (or, you know, form and share an opinion), I'll do it on the basis of the music they play. I don't need 2017 to be good, bad, or in between to consign Summer 2016, to my own personal dustbin.
Keep on doing your thing man. I've been miffed at a few of these reviews over the years where some of the more (picky, persnickety, higher-expectation having, IDK what adjective to put in here, but I don't mean it in a negative way) have been a little harsher on some of the sets (and tours) than others. Of course, I am a piss-in-my-ear fan... I don't care if they play Line>BDTNL>Joy>Miss You to close every show of the BD, I'll still listen and if I can be in attendance, I'll do everything in my power to be there. This has been my fave band for 20+ years. No review will change that and everyone has a right to their opinion. I expect people who have thousands of hours of listening in to expect more from the band than someone who has seen 5 shows and has been listening to Phish since 2013. So kudos to you for not taking it personal and for putting your time into throwing a review together. I've agreed with you on some points and disagreed on others over the years. FWIW just wanted to say thanks for the input and let the flames slide off your back. Keep on keepin on.
, comment by experiencechuck
experiencechuck I agree with @jestinphish ultimately - I like that this is a community where you can air your opinions, and others can air theirs without the conversation devolving into ad hominem nonesense! A few commenters aired their view of the dissention of the initial review to be butt hurt nonsense, but I read nothing of the sort. This is positive discourse about a subject that we all take very seriously, and therefore our disagreements can be stark, but still be respectful.

Love and light y'all.
, comment by Sammieg
Sammieg I'm getting my masters degree... this show was awesome... makes me happy.. thank you.
, comment by projmersch
projmersch @frankstallone said:
My favorite part of the reviews these days is watching people lose their shit because someone didn't have the same opinion they did

Pretty Spot On review IMO. Forgettable first set, Fantastic Simple and a great SASS -> Cities
This!
, comment by pistilstamen
pistilstamen @Icculus said:
The first set contains a magnificent, gorgeous version of "Halfway to the Moon," obvious to anyone with ears who isn't prejudiced against the song per se. Trey usually plays it rotely, almost like he couldn't give a shit at all whatsoever about it. But last night's version is soulful and charming, performed in a manner that I wish it were performed in every damn time they play it.
Through three shows, I feel like this is true for a number of 'first set standards'. The 7-16 Oceleot (yes, Ocelot) was a thing of beauty. It was basically a Roggae jam played during Ocelot. Patient. Very Bird Song-esque.
, comment by Lee_Fordham
Lee_Fordham I don't mind people calling out what they perceive to be a lackluster effort by the band.

I also don't mind people writing show recaps from their couch. While I do think the best case scenario is for someone who was at the show because being able to actually see the band and the lights is part of the experience, I do understand the desire to get recaps up in a timely manner. So someone watching a webcast who is available to write about the show is perfectly acceptable.

But the person writing the recap is listening the show via a phan's phone? That's suboptimal. Hopefully it can be avoided in the future.
, comment by lumpblockclod
lumpblockclod @Lee_Fordham said:
But the person writing the recap is listening the show via a phan's phone? That's suboptimal. Hopefully it can be avoided in the future.
FTR, I actually listened to both the wookstream and the LP the next morning.
, comment by Slice
Slice 2016 Phish was better than all the other drivel coming out of a loud speaker. Got my money's worth.
, comment by Lee_Fordham
Lee_Fordham @lumpblockclod said:
@Lee_Fordham said:
But the person writing the recap is listening the show via a phan's phone? That's suboptimal. Hopefully it can be avoided in the future.
FTR, I actually listened to both the wookstream and the LP the next morning.
Ok, good to know. Thx.
, comment by Scott
Scott Narrative shaping isn't just about the future, it is about the past.

For example, my claims about the value of the Simple in relation to 4 other very long or very epic 3.0 jams are also trying to shape the narrative, and so maybe it is more accurate to say that I dissent from the narrative itself as a matter of substance and and from the review format as a matter of review writing aesthetics. I love that sort of dialog over interpretation and aesthetics, but it works better in forum threads and through things like the jam tournament than it does as an introduction to a particular show recap/review.

Let me put this way: I find the stock market ups and downs/trends approach to analyzing the historical direction of the band as an artistic enterprise to be boring and/or based on incomplete information. Attempting to put a show into historical context within hours is fraught -- and also unnecessary.

@Lumpblockclod
My post got speculative about the motives for the recurrent 'stock market style' analysis and if that felt like a flame I apologize. There is a wider trend of overwrought reviewing of which I found this to be an example, and it is really the trend in general and not this review in particular that I'm commenting on.

I hope that clarifies my position and I wish everyone to have a great day. I just listened to the Carini from last night so :) :) :)
, comment by waxbanks
waxbanks I'm not bothered at all by the brief running time on this Light -- it's one of my favourite Phish tunes and I'd listen to an all-day version, but Trey had a lot on his mind from the first moments of this jam and there's not a wasted second. The Light > Scents segue isn't effortless or smooth, but it's not a botch either; Trey hits on a possibility and takes his time pulling it together, and if the band still isn't quite ready to move on, that's the risk they/we sign on for. Either way, Trey doesn't take them out of the tune until he's spent a couple of minutes working through some interesting stuff; it's an unusual vibe for Light. I really like it.

And then Scents goes wild! The Scents > Cities segue is ace! Cities itself is nasty!

So Simple > Winterqueen > Light > Scents > Cities is an hour of risk-taking music, with every tune in that series going someplace interesting, and if two of the component tunes in that run are short, no big deal. Song lengths have been a lot less important since 2009 than they used to be, haven't they? Weren't we all going on 2010 or 2011 that they were doing so much with contained jams and getting to the point, etc. etc.?

I guess my point is: the review briefly touches on the post-Simple tunes, but they're interesting on their own terms and the whole set's worth listening to.

Thanks for the review, L.B. Clodsmith.
, comment by hambone024
hambone024 I'm glad people's views swing so wildly on Phish. Means they are a great band. Consensus is boring.

I liked a lot of 2016. 7/8/16 Light is one of my all time fav jams. And I've been a fan since ~97.

Am I the only one who thinks Trey is playing The Dogs as the rest of the band is playing Timber (Jerry) in that Simple? Pretty awesome moment, and all around jam.

I like HTTM. Always have. One of Page's better songs. Trey's guitar in it has a great tone. Love the foreboding quality. I don't really understand why people don't like it. Better, IMO, than a lot of Trey's recent Dadrock forays.

Also, let's remember how remarkable it is they are still a great band and still capable of new songs people actually like. The Dead around this time were disintegrating. I frequent Dead FB groups and so many ppl long for Jerry. I'm grateful we still have Trey.

Let's hold them to a high standard and appreciate them for what they are, particularly given where most bands are today that have been around this long.
, comment by curleyfrei
curleyfrei Still confused what the "old man yells at cloud" reference is about...
, comment by Nigel_Tufnel
Nigel_Tufnel I don't need to rave here about the Simple type II expedition - it's already blown up here. However, can I just tell you all how much I LOVE IT when Mike does emergency CPR on a jam!! Came so close to Timber, too..... and everyone but Mike was ready for this jam to fade out.... almost ended...... NOPE - Mike's not done!!

"Sounds good, Mike!!"

If you're a sucker for seamless in-the-moment segues (like I am), the Light > Scents > Cities is worth checking out.

In the absence of a Chicago3 review (?), we all know the Carini went type II expedition already, but I actually found the Ocelot jam to be a highlight. Sometimes I prefer me a good type I jam to a type II, and this is a perfect example. Also, while I personally haven't really been diggin' the worked parts of any of the new songs, some of them have COOL jams: Like this THREAD here.....spooooky......

~Nigel
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