10/27/00 - Friday, The Bluebird - Bloomington, Indiana

https://archive.org/details/db2000-10-27.mastered.flac

Image: The unassuming exterior of The Bluebird (source: Consequence of Sound)

Review:

The show opens with Floodlights. The jam out of Floodlights begins as an infectious groove, which soon evolves into a brisk trance jam towards the end of the track. There is a considerable amount of intro jam tracked on with I-Man. I-Man is, once again, a techno version. There is a fairly lengthy trance jam in between the second and third verses. The middle jam starts out as very mellow trance, but Magner quickly incorporates the Gates of Hell synth and some of his other abrasive effects. Barber uses a cool distortion that creates an excellent complementary effect. This jam is absolutely spectacular and covers considerable territory; after this tense theme it moves through more blissed out territory, and then builds up to a sinister crescendo. Barber sticks with his distortion effect through the entire jam, which creates a unique and impressive effect in the buildup. The jam makes a complete breakdown at the track change, and from here begins to build up to a short Run Like Hell intro. There is a sizable jam between the Run Like Hell verses. It features some atypical percussive patterns from Sammy and repetitive trance synths from Magner while Barber mostly stays in the background. It has a darkly foreboding mood, enhanced by vocal samples and Magner’s more abrasive synth effects. Around the 11 minute mark the jam shifts towards bliss territory for a spectacular segue back into the second verse of Run Like Hell. The jam out of Run Like Hell features thunderous percussion and abrasive Magner synth effects. It stays in this territory as Magner returns to more melodic synths, and the jam builds up to a thrilling crescendo that comes crashing into the middle section of I-Man. The main jam in I-Man is standard, blissful and beautiful. Bernstein & Chasnoff follows a familiar progression, starting off as a bliss jam with heavy presence of flute patch, before it begins to creep towards darker territory. Barber hits a few haunting riffs, and shortly afterward Magner begins to incorporate organ synths and some more demented sounds. It never gets evil the way the great spring 99 B&Cs would, but it gets bizarre, especially beginning around 9:45 when it makes the transition from a melodic theme to a considerably more amelodic one. It begins to creep back toward recognizable structure, and once Magner returns to the trance synths around 12:45 the jam is firmly in uplifting territory again. From here, it builds patiently to the blissful B&C ending. Stellar version. A standard rendition of Mulberry’s Dream closes out the set. The second jam, though it does not get very deep, develops a very catchy theme.

The Basis that opens the second set is a banner version. The intro jam is groovy and psychedelic, with some iconic Magner lines and a perfectly executed build into Basis. The middle jam is only a few minutes long but it is excellent atmosphere. The main jam is spectacular. Vaguely sinister themes build off of each other, while Sammy’s drum work keeps the jam moving. Around the 23 minute mark, after a small breakdown, Magner develops an excellent theme on the trance synths that builds in intensity for the rest of the jam. Shy of the 25 minute mark, he begins to incorporate the Gates of Hell, and, paradoxically, the key change comes shortly after. The jam builds to a phenomenal Basis peak. A standalone Crystal Ball fills the second slot of the set; the song is still pretty rough around the edges and there really isn’t a jam to speak of. Svenghali fills the show's fall 2000 minimum dnb quota. It builds up to a vaguely sinister theme, with Barber shifting from clean guitar towards heavier and heavier distortion, until it reaches a crescendo around the 8 minute mark. The jam ebbs away from here; Sammy lays down a more traditional rock beat until delivering the distinctive hits signaling the segue into Humu. Humu is probably the strongest Biscuits version yet, and definitely the strongest of the tour. The jam is deep and psychedelic, with Barber utilizing a heavy distortion effect throughout. It doesn’t stray too far from type one, but it is far more exploratory than the other versions of the song so far. Helicopters follows with an excellent trance theme. Around 3:30 the jam breaks down and enters stranger territory; Magner utilizes droning synths and Barber plays through a heavily distorted filter. The droning theme continues, and around 9:30 Sammy begins to kick up the tempo and incorporate more breakbeat flourishes. From here the jam builds up to a magnificent Svenghali ending. Stone > Waltz seems an odd fourth quarter choice, even in 2000, but I’m sure those in attendance were excited to hear it. Even more interesting is the return of Mongo Santamaria’s Afro Blue inside of Devil’s Waltz.

This show is way stronger than I remembered. I hadn’t listened to the first set segment in a long time, and it’s excellent. The second set, after Basis, is not as strong, but it’s also not the drop-off that I remembered.

Highlights:

I-Man > Run Like Hell > I-Man

I usually try to pick a specific jam, but my choice here encompasses three: both transitions, as well as the mid-verse jam in Run Like Hell. Taken together, it’s an easy highlight. Any one of those three jams could contend with the main jam in Basis.

Basis for a Day

Easily the strongest standalone version of the year (so far, I guess. I don’t remember 11/11), and one of the best ever. All three jams are solid, but here the main jam is the clear winner.

Bernstein & Chasnoff

One of the stronger version I’ve heard, with a unique atonal breakdown in the middle.

Stray Observations:

After I-Man, Brownie mentions that it is the band’s first time in Indiana. I actually double checked because I couldn’t believe that, but he’s right.

Amusing banter alert in the Basis intro. “From Dune, the Kwisatz Haderach himself, ladies and gentlemen, The Worm.”

There are some extensive “Riddles Are Abound Tonight” teases in the middle of Basis.

This is the first Afro Blue since 10/22/99, a gap of 43 shows. It would be the last one combined with Devil’s Waltz, and the first since 7/10/98.

—Mr. Zan