August 26, 2001

Save Manute Bol !!!!

The show opens with a standalone Hope, the first since May. The jam is the traditional mellow breakbeat that ebbs and flows until it rises in a powerful crescendo. It doesn’t push the envelope, but it is a strong version regardless. The Spaga jam has moments that don’t fully gel, but overall it is very solid. The theme at the end of the jam is particularly strong; mournful piano lines from Magner are reprised by Barber. Perhaps it’s because Barber is feeling this theme so much, but for whatever reason, when Sammy signals the ending Barber doesn’t follow suit. The transition into Munchkin is not particularly earned. The Munchkin is a strong, albeit type one version. The main theme is pretty linear, but spaced out, with excellent texture from Magner. The “transition” back into Spaga is clumsy, but the awkwardness is short-lived. The second jam in Spaga is type one, with a pretty cool Magner synth, but the outro is a gorgeous bliss theme that builds to as smooth a Confrontation intro as I’ve ever heard. After this, Confrontation is a standard version, with a strong peak. The Tunnel is the longest version yet played, and is starting to feel more like a proper Biscuits jam vehicle, though it is still type one.

The debut of Reactor opens the second set. Despite being the first, this version of Reactor is considerably more interesting than most modern versions. The first half of the jam is a very mellow vehicle; even though Sammy keeps the beat steadily moving along, and the other members are playing chaotic lines, none of it threatens to overwhelm. Around 6:30 it seems to be building toward the ending, and around 9:30 it launches into another dreamy passage before heading decisively toward the peak around 10:30. The Reactor peak is different from modern versions. Excellent debut version. The Crickets jam is type one. It sounds as if the band will make the foray into more sinister territory, but they quickly head to the peak instead. The first half of the funk jam is pretty plodding and unimaginative, but the band completely locks in and settles into a great theme shortly after the 15 minute mark. It breaks down around the 18 minute mark as the band attempts to land the unconventional segue into the middle of Vassilios. This segue is pretty cool honestly, even though it is telegraphed. The Vassilios jam is basically type one Vassilios territory until it peters down to nothing. The peter down is the most interesting part of the jam, but it is short lived, and eventually the band just launches into a Spacebird intro. This is likely the longest Spacebird jam yet (it’s hard to measure with all the outro jams) and another where it feels like the band has turned a corner. The rhythm section breaks out of the territory of the traditional Spacebird percussive pattern, and settles into a steady trance beat. The jam moves from the blissful territory of the song into a more morose, haunting atmosphere. Magner makes excellent use of the choir patches to create a melancholy effect. When he comes in with the trance synths, they fit in perfectly. The haunting theme builds for another 4 minutes, as Sammy reintroduces the characteristic Spacebird drum pattern and the jam gradually re-enters Spacebird territory. A banner version. As Spacebird ends, Brownie announces the mascot competition. The band plays a “mascot jam” as the....mascot is chosen, somehow? This isn’t terribly interesting music, but it definitely fits the mood. Barber teases “Pomp and Circumstance” as the mascot is chosen. The jam continues onto its own track, and at 1:30 the tempo changes abruptly to what is basically a Vassilios intro. Just as the jam is starting to show some promise, some goober starts yelling into the microphone. Annoying. Vassilios is jammed out of the cacophonic riff section just before the “middle/end” part, and this in itself is pretty interesting. The jam holds pretty close to this section, and to that level of intensity, before it breaks down, and pretty much immediately reaches Crickets funk territory. Once the tracks change, there is still a sizable Crickets funk jam, a kind of mashup with the Crickets funk and the ending. Pretty, but superficial. Soul is Shaking is played for the first time since March, reworked. It is a dramatic improvement over the funeral dirge that is the original, but there still isn’t really a jam. Sound 1 is played again, jamless for the last time of the year.

3/5. The show loses points for the drawn out “Mascot Jam,” and there are a lot of jams in the second set that are just A-to-B vehicles. Nevertheless, the second set contains a best ever Spacebird contender, and the first is solid almost front to back. Highlights are Spaga > Munchkin and Spacebird, closely followed by the Reactor debut.

Stray Observations: At the beginning of the show, there is a marriage proposal (I didn’t catch who is getting married, but people were still stoked). Brownie talks about how great the weather is and says they “always get lucky” with that. He dedicates Hope to a friend, Laurie, who couldn’t make it to the show. There are subtle Peter and the Wolf teases in the > Confrontation. During the Crickets intro, Brownie makes a statement about originally wanting to use the shows to raise money for Manute Bol, who was stranded in Sudan at the time. I had to look it up, because I was unfamiliar with the story, but fortunately Bol was able to leave Sudan and settled in Connecticut the next year. The “Jam” has Pomp and Circumstance and Habanera teases. The Crickets ending has Ladies vocal teases. This is the debut of the reworked Soul is Shaking, last played 3/24/01 (49 shows ago).