December 30, 2001

Oof this is, by my estimation, a "pretty good show." :) Translation: one of the best of the year.

I was there. Drove all night from Michigan by myself to see this and the following night. I was in awe that I'd made it all the way to Philly, the band's hometown(!), to see some New Years shows. I was in awe of the whole damn thing. The party was raging hard and the band's playing was spectacular.

The Sugarplum Fairies remains one of my clearest memories of the show. I hadn't heard them play this before. It was one of those moments where I just had to grin and shake my head, it was too good.

Thank you Disco Biscuits for the amazing experiences and the wonderful memories. Thank you tapers for capturing all the jams so we can relive the shows we saw, and dive deep into those we didn't.

<<Pirate Funk 'Triumphs' once again.>>

What a run. The quality of playing in this run is astounding. 5 shows in 5 nights, no breaks and straight ahead. This show was my personal favorite as my BDay is on Dec.31 and usually I like to get real electric and get really out there amidst the sea of drunks...which is cool.

"Magellan~>Floes~>Sound One~>Floes~>Shem-Rah Boo~>Magellan" Great 'Mag' opener for the 1st set non-stop segment. Very hard stoner rock meets Ozric psychedelic keyboard weirdness. The last quarter is pretty psychedelia while getting higher and higher in terms of tempo and mood. Tasty. ~~~>>> 'Floes' has always been a very meaningful as I find it a beautiful song that can be connected to any combo in any way in or out. Not seeing this combo more often is a shame as they fit perfectly together. Marc really cranks up his bass from the 'Magellan' segue outro through 'Floes' in terms of volume and tempo. He sets up the tune perfectly!! it's comin'. Live at the show it sounded like a Dribble possibility but once Barber announces he's 'moving up to frozen space' things get very interesting. Smooth playing here. Delicate drum playing as it progresses, Sammy floes exactly what he's doing. As the drums go, so do the rest....a reset. The ensuing jam at around 9:30 is delicate but will they chill or continue being Judas Priest Jr.? The answer is in the middle. Just a basic Floes jam with a climbing energy. 2001 confidence. ____>>>> 'Sound One' it grabs on to what Floes left for it to play with...at 90 mph. Yahoo dancing, start bumping into everyone, its new years damnit. This is a POWERHOUSE version....this whole segment is thus. Tremendous communication during this jam and back into Floes we go with the "Jessica" jam at the end...full marks. ~~~>>> "Shem" is another perfectly placed tune here but it's fairly standard with nice keyboard sweeps and a killer bassline. "Normal" version yet still slays. ~~~>>>>>> 'Mag'. This beautifully serene ending is well played; like a veteran jazz-rock band from the 70's. Yeah, that lasts about 2 minutes until this brilliant Barber led jam screams out from "nowhere" and blasts off. Shit! What a hard and well played set. Overshadowed by the 2nd some say but still great.

sET iI: standalone "Sven". This percussive delight is a perfect opener here. They absolutely remove the roof from the E-Factory. One of the better versions you will find. Although it's 1.0 and different from other eras, I like it alongside stellar versions like 2001-08-25, 2002-03-08 and even 2007-05-21. The definition of cohesiveness is this Sven. 4 limbs working as one. Take a sole listen to Marc from 11:30ish, the adjustment and where the vibe eventually goes. Beyond beautiful! THE "Triumph" Here's the section: "Triumph~> KotW~> Pygmy Twylyte~> Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairies~> Pygmy Twylyte~> Ladies" "Triumph" pretty fuckin' heady. The opening vocals have that extra oomph. The interest is there, as well as the confidence... 3:30 marks the Keyboard>Guitar call and respond exercise drenched in funk. Peg Leg Pirate Funk. Nice accordion sound mr. Magner! Into dub style we go or it seems for a little bit. Slap!! 7:05 marks the ecstasy jam. This part until the end may be the most danceable groove of the night. A good tune is a good tune. The ending manic crescendo borderlines insanity. In the best way possible. ______>>>>> 'KotW' the funk continues. What can I say? Every tune minus perhaps one or 2 are all touchdowns. It is what it is. This great version, especially in the 1st jam segment, really shows Barber at his most confidant, ready to turn on a dime etc... he is the showcase in this version. Every step they take within the jam here seems to be the correct one lol. You know? Like a perfect rendition. One to remember ladies and gents! ________>>>>>> 'PyTwy>DotSF>PyTwy' - a quick power opening before the drop into 'Fairies'. What can you say!? perfect placement. Re-entry is well done with a 'Hot Air' fakearoo. The jam starts slow, patient and nice 'n trippy. The Brownstein Bass Bears are crunchy here. such a nice and sexy jam. Marc is carpet-bombing everything in site. ~~~~>>>>>> "Ladies" - come on...seriously...this is such a wonderful segment. The tunes were meant for each other tonight. There is no other way. This is where I hear my first ever Magner shout out in total approval of what is going on here...this Ladies has more of a sinister feel for a while. The ending 8 minutes or so is an exclamation mark. A fierce articulation of pride. "Spy" is good. Standard version. "Mull's Dream" is a nice touch here. great choice for the last tune. During this ending solo Barber ended up on the lip of the stage, sitting down and wailing.

Rating: 9.0/10 or 4.5/5 Sound: 8.5 (lacking a bit of width in the music, a little cramped in the mind's eye)

Peace!

"In pursuit of happiness I lived each day A bong a bone a shroom I say In pursuit of happiness I gave cells Now I live in burn out hell"