September 19, 2001

AC2B [A+] Astronaut[A] jam[A++]~> Above The Waves[A]

This hour and 10 mins is all you really need here although Munchkin has some interesting sections for sure in set 2.

Aceetobee rears its head for the first time this tour, and it is a true mythic beast. The intro jam is stellar, featuring a looping, catchy riff from Barber which he filters through a couple of effects (including the fall 01 muted distortion) sporadically. The middle jam sadly doesn’t break outside of the box, but it builds to a glorious peak. The main jam is phenomenal. It doesn’t fully leave type one territory, but rather stretches it out as far as it can go while remaining interesting. Beginning around the 20 minute mark, the jam leaves behind the expansive atmospheric territory for a more harried passage with solid Magner/Barber interplay. It builds to a conventional Aceetobee peak. The Astronaut is another standard fall 01 version, with a tense, atmospheric jam. There’s a passage beginning around the 9 minute mark that is strongly reminiscent to me of the Vassilios > Basis from 5/1/99. The jam out of Astronaut is a good bit more interesting. It’s mellow but focused, and doesn’t peak so much as slide smoothly into Waves. Waves is standard. Kamaole starts off standard but moves into a more introspective minor-key passage. The buildup to Helicopters is solid, but, like all the 01 Helicopters, the transition is a little jarringly abrupt. The Helicopters jam is a melancholy, halting trance vehicle. The jam crests a wave around the 7 minute mark, showing a promising theme, but instead it breaks down and heads for bliss. Almost a Buddha-like (progression before the obvious Kamaole ending.

Reactor, Pilin is NOT a great way to open set two, and neither of these versions are worth hearing more than once. Shelby > Munchkin (><) > Shelby shows so much promise on paper, but I’ve always thought it was a bit disappointing. The best parts of the segment are definitely the jams immediately into and out of Munchkin. The Shelby jam starts out as the standard dnb but loses focus trying to escape from those confines. Barber starts to lock into a stronger theme around the 12 minute mark. Unfortunately, this theme breaks down almost completely as the band resets for the Munchkin ending. The jam out of Munchkin is conventionally strong (though not on the level of the 01 greats), but it too features a full-band restart as they return to dnb territory. Triumph is a headbanger, but of course is too short to do anything too interesting. Down to the Bottom has two distinct phases: the first a lumbering and easygoing groove-oriented jam, and the second a driving trance vehicle. The two themes are separated by a Norwegian Wood tease. The first is pretty but not particularly compelling, but the second proves to be a thrilling, demented journey that builds to a solid (especially for 01) Helix peak.

2/5. Man, this one was not as good as I remembered it. I always thought the first set stronger, but I had forgotten how barren the second really is. The Aceetobee is a must-hear all-timer, but anything else in this show is only good-average at best.

Stray Observations: Prior to set two the band mentions that it is their first time in Iowa. There are Astronaut teases in Triumph. There are Norwegian Wood teases in Down to the Bottom.