March 29, 2001

Standard, soaring House Dog jam to open the show. The Party Favor jam has a distinct uplifting major key theme that sets it apart from other versions. It builds to a strong ending, shifting in the final minutes to the more sinister mood of the song’s composition. Helicopters is a strong type one version, with a brisk airy trance jam. Magner’s distorted trance synths juxtapose nicely with Barber’s clean guitar. Voices is pretty standard. Highwire has a RAGING trance-fusion jam in the middle, which I totally did not expect. This song really suffered in the rework.

Both jams in I-Man are pretty straightforward. The first is really short, but the second is at least nicely drawn out. It begins with an extended passage of Barber using a muted distortion effect, cleaner than the one he used in fall 2000, which would become commonplace in 01. The rest of the jam is standard, although the conclusion is a little lacking for my taste. Bazaar and CWB are both standard. Nughuffer gets off to a slow start, but there is a great melancholy theme in the middle. It covers a wide expanse of type two territory before ultimately returning to Nughuffer. As with I-Man, the conclusion here is very disappointing, but the jam is strong. Magner’s thematic and expressive playing make this one of the stronger Spacebirds so far, but the rhythm section keeps it firmly in type one territory. Floodlights is a strong standalone version (actually the first one ever) with a groovy trance jam.

2/5. Very close to a one, but the Highwire (especially), Nughuffer, and Party Favor save it.

Stray Observations: Brownie introduces Highwire as “the first song on our next album.” After Bazaar, Brownie mentions that it’s the band’s first time in New Mexico, and dismisses some fans who had been cheering for Jamilia (which had not been seen since 11/11/00). This is the first Floodlights to have an ending.