September 12, 2001

I wrote a review of this show and it disappeared for some reason so let me just very briefly say this is a 5 star show but as you can guess from the show date it's uncharacteristically dark and (spiritually and often sonically) heavy even for 2001 Biscuits. Even Humu and Sound One, which normally are good fodder for Blissco moments, curdle into tense repeater jams. The two to look out for here are the MEMPHIS and the Basis, which are both unsettling tours de force.

I put this show on a lot in life's tough moments when I really just want to wallow in negative feelings. I can't recommend it whatsoever for putting on to entertain guests, but it's an extremely powerful night of essentially all-standalone versions for solo listening.

Note: all time-stamps refer to the nugs version.

The mood is somber as the band takes the stage the night after 9/11. There is no light-hearted joking in the pre-show banter, and the band makes the appropriate choice to open with The Tunnel. This is the first, and easily most infamous, of its unique usage of dubious distinction as the song that is played to honor the recently dead. It is a banner version, representing another rounding of the corner for this under-utilized song. The atmosphere is potent and somber, and the whole band finds a sparse pocket to develop. This builds to a somewhat sudden peak section. The Svenghali that follows is a strong (even for 01) dnb outing, with a demented Magner theme prior to the ending. The Humu is on the short list for greatest ever (and only 12/3/00 and 12/29/02 can touch it). Magner’s presence in the first part of the jam ensures that this is not just a standard type one exercise, and he continually pushes the jam further and further into darker territory. In this way it is reminiscent a bit of the excellent 12/3/00 version; this one doesn’t get quite as psychedelically demented, but it is a bit more musical. After a somewhat perplexing mid-set Mulberry’s, the set loses a bit of steam. The Mulberry’s is unremarkable, but the first jam in The Very Moon is worth hearing, drawing as it does from the tradition of great Very Moon first jams from earlier in the year. It doesn’t quite reach that level, but it’s solid. The funk jam is standard.

After a few disappointing versions of M.E.M.P.H.I.S., the band opens set two with a version that would be right at home in 1999. This is both in terms of quality (the first jam especially is great) and style (the first jam lumbers lazily to lofty heights highlighted by Magner’s panflute patch, and the second jam, ostensibly an outro, peters down to scintillating ambience). The only real segue of the show can barely even be called that—like 9/1/01’s Triumph > Crater, this is a full breakdown, and it works wonderfully here as there. The Sound 1 is another strong September 01 version. The jam begins in that brooding, vaguely foreboding territory that characterized the September Sound 1 jam, and Magner and Barber lock into a particularly strong, triumphant theme. It threatens to get bogged down in plodding psychedelic atmosphere for a bit, but the second half develops into a gorgeous and uplifting theme that builds to a powerful ending. This is probably my favorite Sound 1 (with apologies to 9/15). The segment (and set) is so strong that it makes a stronger-than-average Crickets feel like the low-point of the set (besides the obviously jamless Spy). The main jam manages to transcend the typical Crickets vamp, venturing into a more sinister theme than typical shortly after the 9 minute mark. The funk jam is standard. After the Phish-style mid-set Spy, we are treated to one of the strongest versions of Basis from the year. The first jam is tense and atmospheric, and almost seems to channel the uncertain mood of the country in the aftermath of 9/11. The middle jam further reflects the uncertainty, but lacks the direction of the first. The main jam is the true main attraction here though. It bears some resemblance to the previous show’s 7-11 jam, building up around a spiraling, demented, Magner-led progression. The first theme breaks down around 23-24, and Barber takes the lead, delivering haunting riffs. Magner jumps in on the Gates of Hell patch just after the 25 minute mark, and, ironically, this seems to signal the transition back to major key for the Basis ending. Awesome Basis ending closes out the set. The Frog Legs encore is maybe an odd choice, but musically unremarkable.

5/5. THIS is how you do an (almost) all standalone show. Pretty much every standalone is worth hearing. Highlights include Humu, Sound 1, and Basis, but the M.E.M.P.H.I.S. and Sven are both a significant step above average.

Stray Observations: Prior to the show, Brownie references the 9/11 attacks and tells the crowd that refunds would be issued, but any unclaimed refunds would be donated to the NY Red Cross with the band matching the funds.