September 27, 2001

The Reactor that opens the show belongs with 9/8 and 9/22 in the trinity of great versions. Like those versions, this jam has two themes within the jam, but there is not a distinct demarcation between the two. The first theme is ostensibly Reactor territory but it is not as clear as in the other two versions, and there is a tension present here that isn’t in the other versions. It doesn’t build to a huge peak either, but rather to a menacing percussive/breakbeat section that breaks down around 12:45. It settles into a haunting and mournful trance jam that builds to an inverted Boop. The Boop funk jam is a standard rager. The jam out of Boop is a pretty standard and steady bliss trance vehicle that builds to a rager of a Confrontation peak. The jam out of Confrontation is fantastic. It’s eminently patient bliss trance that very gradually builds to a monster Reactor peak. A jamless Coat brings things down a notch before the band launches into what is probably the best version of Three Days yet (and maybe ever). The band actually settles into a tense and creepy type two groove, with subtle and restrained playing from all four. The tempo begins to pick up around 12 minutes in and Barber brings it in for a strong peak.

The Aceetobee intro that opens set two is vastly different from the 9/19 beast, but the intro jam is every bit as worth hearing as that behemoth. Here, it is Magner, rather than Barber, who crafts the distinct atmosphere. His synth work here is spectacular. The truly special part only lasts for a few minutes, but it is an easy highlight. After an incredible intro jam the rest of the song is fairly pedestrian. Magner brings the synths from the intro jam back in the bridge, and the middle jam features some Goldeneye teases, but otherwise it is unremarkable. Second jam is standard, and drop segues into Jigsaw Earth. Jigsaw has a standard pre-chase jam, followed by a very pretty and mellow jam. This quickly resolves into 7-11. 7-11 has a Jigsaw chase riff sandwiched inside the towel section, and the 7-11 trance returns to Jigsaw. The setlisting is clever, but the jamming here is minimal. The Jigsaw dub section too has minimal jamming before settling into Down to the Bottom. Down to the Bottom has the first real jam of the set since Aceetobee, and it’s decent. It’s a blissful, mid-tempo trance jam, one which builds to a gorgeous peak and the first ever inverted Kamaole Sands. The jam out of Kamaole very quickly settles into Vassilios territory. The band plays around with it for a bit before the segue, but it remains firmly type one. Vassilios is used as a landing pad, which is eternally perplexing to me, even more so because they were clearly not out of time. The show concludes with standalone versions of Helicopters and The Tunnel; neither break out of the box, but this encore still lasts over 20 minutes. Odd way to end an odd show.

3/5. The second set, besides the incredible Aceetobee intro and the mostly solid Down to the Bottom jam, is basically a dud. The first set is strong enough to lift it out of the gutter, though. Highlights include the jams out of and into Reactor, the aforementioned Aceetobee intro, and the Three Days.

Stray Observations: Aceetobee contains Goldeneye teases. This is the first inverted Kamaole, and the only first inversion of September 2001. Additionally, the first set contains the first ever back-to-back inverted songs.