2001: Every Show Ranked (part 2)

NOTE: for part 1 (99-50) see https://discobiscuits.net/blog/2001-every-show-ranked-part-1

50. 4/21/01 - Saturday, The 9:30 Club - Washington, DC

Another strong show living in the shadow of a much stronger show. Musically, I give it to Pygmy > Nughuffer as the highlight, but the Hope > Waves is probably the most interesting (and one of the first jams into the “Corinado Swam” section).

49. 9/5/01 - Wednesday, Avalon Ballroom - Boston, MA

This early September show is must-hear if for no other reason than the Helicopters > Spacebird > Helicopters. September 2001 is easily the strongest month for Spacebird, and this behemoth (which builds off the spectacular 8/26 version) gets the song off to a proper start. Unfortunately, the second set is mostly a wash.

48. 5/3/01 - Thursday, La Zona Rosa - Austin, TX

A strong showing in Texas, with a segment in each set (Floes > Waves (><) > Floes in the first, Dribble > Basis in the second) that is well above average.

47. 12/7/01 - Friday, 9:30 Club - Washington, DC

Sound 1 > Shimmy owns your soul. The Run Like Helicopters segment is stronger than you might expect, and the Shelby is well above average as well.

46. 4/5/01- Thursday, House of Blues - Chicago, IL

The M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > Floes > RLH > Floes is the winner of the show, but The Very Moon > Don > RLH is solid as well. Even some of the standalones (mainly the Confrontation, but also the Crickets) are above average. However, the show does suffer a bit from the three set curse.

45. 9/27/01 - Thursday, El Rey Theatre - Hollywood, CA

The opening salvo of Reactor > Boop (><) > Confro (><) > Reactor (featuring the first two back-to-back song inversions) is one of the strongest segments of the year. The second set (minus a truly fantastic Aceetobee intro—completely different from the 9/19 version), unfortunately, is a harbinger of the band’s worst impulses (i.e. composition-heavy “medley” sets) that would take over during spring 02.

44. 8/26/01 - Sunday, Kahunaville - Wilmington, DE

Night two of Kahunaville isn’t quite as groundbreaking as night one, but needs to be heard at the very least for the Spacebird, which ushered in the song’s golden age. The Spaga jam is another major highlight, as is the first (and still one of the best) Reactor.

43. 4/18/01 - Wednesday, The Odeon - Cleveland, OH

Morph > Bots > Morph is solid, and easily the most notable segment from a setlisting perspective. Musically, the Humu > Aceetobee and Crickets jams are probably stronger.

42. 8/8/01 - Wednesday, The Boom Boom Room - San Francisco, CA

Somewhat of an orphan show between the Phil shows at the beginning of the summer and the Bisco Knights festival that marked its end, the Boom Boom Room show is probably usually mentioned in reference to the debut of Astronaut (or the less-popular Coat). Less frequently mentioned is the spectacular 7-11 > Shimmy (><) > Spacebird, with a multi-faceted 7-11 jam and a Spacebird that neatly foreshadows the 8/26 version.

41. 3/24/01 - Saturday, The Belly-Up Tavern - Solana Beach, CA

A decent amount of filler interspersed among the greatness, which includes a top-shelf spring 01 Munchkin and one of the best Very Moon jams of all time.

40. 12/1/01 - Saturday, The Roxy - Atlanta, GA

There are quite a few duds in the late-fall tour, but this ain’t one of ‘em. The first set is the real winner—first inverted 7-11! great versions of Sound 1 and Munchkin!—but the second set, and in particular the second half, has its moments as well.

39. 9/14/01 - Friday, The Rave - Milwaukee, WI

One of many sleepers of September 01. The big set two segment is a big dud, but the Munchkin and Floes are some of the best-ever versions. Check out the Jigsaw too—one of the best post-00 versions.

38. 9/7/01 - Friday, Saratoga Winners - Cohoes, NY

The second set is a good bit stronger than the first set, but this show is elevated to the top half of the year pretty much entirely by one of the all-time greatest Dribbles, and easily the best version of the year (with apologies to 9/1).

37. 4/26/01 - Thursday, The Roxy - Atlanta, GA

The second set (a full Chemical Warfare Brigade) is almost unremarkable enough to tank it, but I love this first set so much I had to err on the side of generosity. The Spaga outro into the first (and for almost twenty years only) inverted Spaga is a full-on digital blitz, and the greatest ever MOTH MOTY solo caps it off. Great versions of Hope and Humu as well.

36. 4/28/01 - Saturday, Howlin’ Wolf - New Orleans, LA

This fan-favorite Jazz Fest late-night show is actually pretty smoking for the first three quarters. A strong House Dog and standard Spacebird precede the beloved Jigsaw > Dublights > Jigsaw segment, containing the first ever Dublights and a pretty fantastic jam in Jigsaw. The second set contains another beloved sandwich, the Crickets > Munchkin > Crickets, which is about equally as strong.

35. 12/3/01 - Monday, Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC

Very few shows in the late-fall tour combined this level of consistency with the quality of jams like Mulberry’s > Spacebird and Sound 1 > Vassilios. The first set, which includes a short-but-strong Aceetobee and Spacebird > Basis along with the aforementioned Mulberry’s > Spacebird, is one of the best from this ten-show stretch.

34. 12/31/01 - Monday, The Electric Factory - Philadelphia, PA

This show gets a tremendous amount of heat for being “not 12/28, 12/29 or 12/30,” but it is actually one of the best three-set shows of the year. The highlights are spread out fairly evenly (making this one a lot more enjoyable to listen to than some), although there is of course a long stretch of the second set that is taken up by the New Year’s gimmick. There are negative portents—this show marks the beginning of the eras of jamless Hope and Bionic Helix eras—but it also marks the debut of the reworked Robots. The opening salvo of Aceetobee and Spaga are each among the best versions of these songs, and the Boulevard > Dribble and Judy’s Basis are fantastic pairings that show tremendous potential for two very underutilized songs.

33. 8/25/01 - Saturday, Kahunaville - Wilmington, DE

The first night of Kahunaville is the stronger, and beats 12/31 for the “best three-set show" spot by one place. Like that show, 8/25 opens with some “best-ever contender” standalones (Voices, Magellan), and contains other noteworthy bustouts and debuts (first Sound 1, first inverted Ladies). Additionally, it has highlights spread across three sets: Voices, Magellan, and Shimmy > Boop in the first, 7-11 > Ladies (><) > Helix and The Very Moon > 7-11 in set two, and Svenghali and Jigsaw Earth in set three.

32. 9/2/01 - Sunday, Wetlands Preserve - New York, NY

Though it is technically a three-setter, the second set is pretty much entirely non-Biscuits super-jam, so I’m not counting it among the others. Although the show is very much no 9/1, it contains best-ever Humu and Reactor contenders and the first jammed out Sound 1 which is very much worthy of inclusion in the pantheon of September 01 greats.

31. 11/29/01 - Thursday, The Georgia Theatre - Athens, GA

The first show of the ten-show late-fall tour is one of the strongest, and the first set is possibly the strongest set. The second set isn’t much to write home about (though the Hope > Basis is worth hearing), but the first contains a top-tier Morph (and the chord progression that later became part of The Great Abyss) and a fantastic Aceetobee > Spacebird > Aceetobee sandwich.

30. 12/27/01 - Thursday, Recher Theater - Towson, MD

Probably the most overlooked show of the New Year’s run, 12/27 is often only mentioned in the context of the power outages that plagued the first set (if at all). This is a shame, as the first set contains the fantastic Dribble > Hot Air Balloon > Dribble > Hot Air Balloon, with one of the greatest Dribbles ever (and more than listenable even with the occasional outage). The second set isn’t on the same level, but Floodlights > Basis is solid and the Shimmy is excellent.

29. 5/9/01 - Wednesday, Showbox - Seattle, WA

A total sleeper show from the PacNW, the penultimate show of the spring tour is much stronger than 5/11. Spaga > M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > Spaga is solid, the Pygmy and I-Man jams are far better than you’d have any right to expect, but the real hero is the 25 minute Shem-Rah Boo, which must rank among the best versions of the song.

28. 9/9/01 - Sunday, State Theatre - New Brunswick, NJ

The five Sunday shows of September are a mixed bag, but 9/9 is solidly in the top half. The first set contains monster versions of Hope, Lai, and Helix (with a very cool and atmospheric outro into The Thieving Magpie) but the second set 7-11 > Shem-Rah Boo absolutely carries the show.

27. 4/14/01 - Saturday, Roseland Ballroom - New York, NY

The fan-favorite show has seen its share of fluffing, but there is plenty of gold throughout. The first inverted Crickets is a dud, and Shimmy > Munchkin is a disappointing drop segue, but the bookends of either set are great: the Hope is an all-timer, as is Pygmy > Vassilios , Crickets > Confrontation, Home Again > Shimmy, and Munchkin > Shem-Rah > Jigsaw > Munchkin. It’s a fat show, and a lot of the fluffing is warranted.

26. 4/24/01 - Tuesday, Asheville Music Zone - Asheville, NC

Some unfavorable reviews on the only source on Archive have perhaps obscured this sleeper gem from the spring tour. The Vassilios > Overture (><) > Lai is some of the best music of the tour, and the second set B&C is probably the best version of the year.

25. 9/26/01 - Wednesday, House of Blues - Las Vegas, NV

Though unassuming on paper, the show packs a wallop. The Very Moon > Floes segment is the winner of set one, but the second set, despite being all standalone songs, is the winner. The Mulberry’s, Tunnel, and Spacebird are all best-ever contenders, and the Ladies is solid.

24. 9/13/01 - Thursday, The Majestic Theatre - Detroit, MI

Confrontation > House Dog > Confrontation is, on paper, about as standard as anything, but in execution it yields some of the deepest jamming of the year. House Dog gets most of the love and attention, but the second set, though uneven, also yields some incredible segments, such as the Dribble > Reactor, as well as the first great Triumph (and a clear precursor to 12/30/01).

23. 5/2/01 - Wednesday, Gypsy Tea Room - Dallas, TX

Most of the show falls into the category of “decently above average.” The M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > Hope, Munchkin, Overture, and Confrontation are all great but not groundbreaking. What makes the show so strong, besides the remarkable consistency, is the all-timer Plan B, the stunning quality of which is belied by its timestamp.

22. 4/12/01 - Thursday, Pearl Street - Northampton, MA

Another show that is notable not for any one particular jam, but for a level of consistency across the board. Morph > HAB > Morph > HAB takes up the lion’s share of the first set, and is the highlight of the show overall, but the Spaga > Aceetobee, Down to the Bottom > Ladies, Svenghali and Story are all worth hearing.

21. 10/13/01 - Saturday, Asagiri Arena - Asagiri, Japan

A contender for best non-Camp Bisco festival set ever played, and also the highest ranked one-set show of the year. Everything about this show just works. The Run Like Hell is big enough to contend with the 99 versions, both the Waves and M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > Run Like Hell do more than their timestamps might suggest, and the Tunnel is, along with 9/26, another GOAT contender.

20. 9/1/01 - Saturday, Wetlands Preserve - New York, NY

9/1/01 only at 20? Grab your torches and pitchforks! In reality, this show is absolutely phenomenal, although there are a number of moments, such as the Strobelights and Martinis jam in Mindless Dribble, that are held in legendary regard but do not hold much relisten value. The Waves > Dribble and Floes > House Dog are the twin titans of this show, Triumph and Kamaole are lovely, and the Story and Fiddler are both among the greatest ever versions of these songs.

19. 11/30/01 - Friday, Five Points Music Hall - Birmingham, AL

This show managed to evade my attention, which was usually directed at 11/29, 12/1 and 12/3, until this year-long challenge. It managed to climb to the top spot of the late-fall tour. The more famous Svenghali > Reactor (><) > Svenghali is great, but the second-set Shem-Rah Boo > Story > Floes contains some of the weirdest and wildest jamming of the whole year.

18. 12/28/01 - Friday, The Palladium - Worcester, MA

Jigsaw > Sound 1 > (Sinister) Jigsaw absolutely carries this show. Fully half of the points this show scored belong to that one segment alone. I won’t go on too long about it, but yeah, it is one of those segments that’s good enough to literally put a show on the map. Other than that? The Astronaut is probably my highlight, finally showing some promise to the song that was, frankly, a bit of an albatross in September. The second set is definitely way too song-y, and (like 9/27’s second set) definitely foreshadows the medley/mashup happy spring 02 sets, but the Boop > Kamaole contains a very strong jam.

17. 9/23/01 - Sunday, Fox Theatre - Boulder, CO

If it had ended any other way than the god-awful Purple Haze mashup, this might have been a perfect show. But it happened as it happened, so I’ll only talk about the first three quarters. Though the Helix is the standard/boring 01 version, the Pygmy that follows is among the greatest Biscuits jams of all time, haunting and melancholy. The rest of the set is solid as well, but the second set Shimmy > Munchkin, with the unique and totally bizarre Shimmy “alarm jam” outro, is worth the price of admission alone.

16. 9/15/01 - Saturday, The Vic Theatre - Chicago, IL

A very famous show that I wrote off as overrated for a very long time, like a MORON. The opening salvo of Pygmy > 7-11 > Spacebird is absolutely fantastic, with the second best Pygmy jam of the tour, the first ever middle-only 7-11, and a majestic beast of a September 01 Spacebird. The Sound 1 is a popular choice for the greatest ever, and the Basis > Ape > Basis is September 01 at its finest

15. 4/9/01 - Monday, Lee’s Place - Toronto, ON

The band absolutely did justice to their first Canadian show since 1999, and one of only two of the year. The opening Overture > Helicopters is just fantastic, and even the Helicopters jam manages to move the needle a bit (unlike most of the 01 versions). Shimmy is probably the best version of a relatively strong tour for Shimmy, and the two major segments display tremendous setlist creativity and contain excellent jams.

14. 11/1/01 - Thursday, Wett Ballroom - Vancouver, BC

The second Canadian show of the year is slightly stronger than the first. Part of the legendary Pacific Northwest Halloween run, the show is maybe most famous for the slightly bloated Basis, but what really ought to merit your attention is a GOAT-contender Svenghali and the incredible Pygmy > M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > Spectacle.

13. 9/21/01 - Friday, Gothic Theatre - Englewood, CO

After a stretch of uninspired Midwest shows, the band hit the stage in Colorado for a Friday-night barnburner. The opening Magellan is one of the best of the year, Sven > Overture (><) > Sven delivers some classic 01 dnb, and Spacebird is another banner version. The second set is what really elevates this show, with one of two must-hear iterations of Three Days followed by a massive segment that contains the only non-Strobelights Dribble of the tour.

12. 11/3/01 - Saturday, King Cat Theatre - Seattle, WA

The last night of the Pacific Northwest Halloween run contains the spectacular Run Lola Run > Run Like Hell, which is enough to elevate the first set, but the second set “almost-palindrome” segment is the real treat. Shimmy > Crickets isn’t on the level of the other Crickets peaks of the fall tour, but the rest of the segment, especially the Crickets > Shelby > Crickets > Shimmy, is great jamming from unconventional setlisting.

11. 11/2/01 - Friday, Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR

The real winner of the Pacific Northwest Halloween run, however, is the night before. Mauricio’s hometown show sees the band bringing him out again (and thankfully not for a Munchkin or Crickets) and the Mauricio set > Koyaanisqatsi Jam > Waves peak is some of the most iconic Bisco ever. The entire first set is legendary, without a dull moment across nearly 80 minutes. The second set isn’t nearly as strong, but offers strong takes on Spacebird and Jigsaw.