June 30, 2001

The first in a series of shows opening for Phil and Friends is also the strongest on paper. The Shimmy jam flirts with a dark ambient theme but moves pretty quickly into a bliss passage and yields a strong Run Like Hell intro. Run Like Hell has a tense, cool mid-verse jam. The jam out of Run Like Hell enters Shimmy territory pretty early, but still builds to a cool, sinister peak. M.E.M.P.H.I.S. has a Barber-led first jam with a few cool licks but a less-than-compelling conclusion, and overall it is a disappointment next to some of the monster versions from earlier in the year. The outro jam, on the other hand, is absolutely gorgeous. Barber latches onto a very simple and effective lick, and Magner delivers some stunning leads. Great segue into Hope. Hope has the distinct “Senor Boombox” riff in the jam out. The Hope jam stays in Hope territory for a few minutes, seeming as if it will return for a short full version, but turns just before the track change towards Waves territory. Confrontation is decent, but much too short to go anywhere interesting. The Magellan middle jam feels a bit more drawn-out than usual, but it isn’t terribly interesting. The main jam is actually really solid, especially for a Magellan jam at an opener set. It doesn’t break the mold, but it’s very well-executed.

2/5. The M.E.M.P.H.I.S. outro is the most interesting jam of the show, but the Shimmy > RLH is worth a listen or two, and the Magellan is surprisingly strong.