March 22, 2001

Waves is a very short version, even taking into account the missing composition. It’s mostly standard, but Sammy’s snare drum gives the jam an almost breakbeat feel. The M.E.M.P.H.I.S. jam is a strong version, with an almost symphonic quality from Magner. It builds to a vaguely sinister crescendo, before devolving into a weird cacophony, as Barber takes the lead, and regains some sanity shortly before building to the peak. The outro jam is mellow and atmospheric, but it doesn’t really have any direction and eventually just settles into Crater. Crickets is a very strong version, coming on the heels of some excellent versions from the previous year. It features a purposeful driving trance rhythm, and a minimalistic theme from Magner on a distinctive 2001 style synth (which I have referred to in the past as “rabbit hole synths” for their hypnotic quality). Shortly before the 7 minute mark, Barber delivers an excellent, hypnotic theme, pushing the jam into tenser waters. This tense theme is very fleshed out, and the jam doesn’t return to standard Crickets territory until around the 11 minute mark. Shortly afterward, Barber delivers the peak. The funk jam is still pretty short and standard.

Shimmy is a standard, sinister version. There is an outro jam, which is pretty heavily Barber-dominated. It’s nothing all that special, but I credit the band with not dropping into a Floes intro right away. The Floes jam is patient and spacey. The Ladies jam is basically an I-Man intro from the start, although it frequently sounds like a Shem-Rah intro. I-Man has a few drawn-out (for the section) mid-verse jams. The first shows some potential, but the second is particularly solid. I-Man is jammed out of the first jam section, which breaks down to almost nothing before rebuilding into a steady groove. Magner comes in with some distorted synths just shy of the 16 minute mark, and the jam builds in intensity to a strong Ladies peak. The Dribble jam is almost aggressively mellow. It might qualify as exploratory (there’s no Dribble structure) but it doesn’t grab me at all. When the Dribble hits do come in, it’s a full minute after the track change, and the band drops into The Big Happy progression immediately after. This is the debut of Highwire, essentially The Big Happy plus lyrics. This version contains additional verses compared to modern versions (as it does on They Missed The Perfume. Highwire is standard and drop segues back into a Dribble ending.

1/5. A very average show as the tour opener. Crickets is my easy highlight, but there are moments worth hearing in I-Man > Ladies, and the M.E.M.P.H.I.S. and Shimmy are solid versions.

Stray Observations: There are Spacebird teases at the beginning of the M.E.M.P.H.I.S. jam. There are Voices teases in Dribble. This is the band’s final appearance at Palookaville. Prior appearances include 10/6/99 and 10/14/00, as well as 7/27/98 for which there is no setlist.