Wednesday, 06/20/2012
nTelos Pavilion, Portsmouth, VA
Soundcheck: Nellie Kane [Unconfirmed and Possibly Incomplete]
Set 1: Sparkle, Ha Ha Ha, BagAC/DC Bag > DividedDivided Sky, Dog Log, Undermind > Mike'sMike's Song > HydrogenI Am Hydrogen > WeekapaugWeekapaug Groove, Cities -> Ya Mar, Bold As Love > Julius
Set 2: R&RRock and Roll > Tweezer > Free > Guyute, BOAFBirds of a Feather, HoodHarry Hood[1] -> WTU?What's the Use? > Velvet SeaWading in the Velvet Sea > Possum
Encore: Sleeping Monkey > TweepriseTweezer Reprise[2]
[1] Unfinished.
[2] Sleeping Monkey quotes from Fishman.
Performers: Trey Anastasio, Page McConnell, Jon Fishman, Mike Gordon
Notes: This was the second of two Pay Per view performances. Trey introduced Dog Log with "There's enough of those damn signs out there." Dog Log was last played on August 2, 2003 (172 shows). Hood was unfinished. Prior to Sleeping Monkey, Trey teased the Star Wars theme and said "Fish, when you get to the end of this beautiful song, one last time for all of us. One final tuck." Trey added that "it's been a beautiful two days, but it wouldn't be complete without seeing Fishman tuck his dress into his underwear one last time" and "I'm singing this one right to you Fish, because I am your father." Trey proceeded to sing to Fish using Mike's mic. Tweezer Reprise contained Sleeping Monkey quotes from Fishman.
This show was part of the "2012 Early Summer Tour."
Set II: Trey was going sound effects crazy during Tweezer which provided some unique moments - and there was a SPACY jam before and after Tweezer. The segues throughout second set were spacy trippy. Each band member now has a glowing egg shaped light show behind them as if each of them beamed down from the mothership. Once again like a few day prior, Birds of A Feather was RAGING!!! OMG ripping from Trey........BUT BUT BUT the highlight of last night was during the middle of Harry Hood in which Trey & Page once again brought back the Space trippy (space ship is taking off thick) deep thick weirdness in which the year's first What's The Use melted out of Harry Hood. It was sick sick sick transition that flipped me in my bed. Was the highlight of the night. Think of the What's The Use from Alpine LIVE BAIT 2010 or 2009. It was like that. Smiles! The ENCORE was also super kind and had me laughing all over. Trey took the microphone and started walking around stage saying he's going to sing to Jon because Jon is so special and is great at Tucking. He couldn't get his mic chord to move so he took Mike's microphone and serenaded Jon who held his head high and closed his eyes, "The day that you arrived, my sleeping monkey is revived." Jon then came center stage, Trey took the drumz, and Jon began Tucking and singing the classic final verse in falseto.. LOL. Then BAM a viscous Tweezer reprise featuring Trey holding his guitar and swining it like a Jedi sword. At some point either before first set or right before the encore, Trey also played the Star Wars theme really softly. Absolute BLAST! Bring on the cornfield!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The last few minutes of Rock and Roll included some beautiful ambient playing from which Tweezer emerged. This was a very good version of Tweezer. During the verses Trey played with some effects that made this rendition unique. The jam begins with Page and Mike out front before Trey joins in with smooth leads. Trey then takes the rhythm role while Page funks it up on the clav. Trey returns to the lead role for the conclusion of the jam. After a short spacious interlude, Trey starts up the chords of Free. This Free could have been the first one to be jammed in 3.0, but it was not to be as Trey was the only one to initially throw some extra licks in before the ending chorus. Guyute was played pretty well, but I'm not a fan of the song in the middle of the second set as it was at my last show (12/29/11), as well. While Birds was nothing compared to the great one played at AC, it was very enjoyable. Trey ripped the solo pretty well. Hood->What's the Use? was a highlight of the show. Hood's unusual ambient jam eventually gave way to What's the Use?. The segue into WTU? was not smoothest, but the segment was very creative. Page had a short piano solo at the end of WTU? and I thought for a brief moment that they might be going into Sea and Sand, but it turned out to be Wading. The Possum closer was fun. The encore had something extra on it with the banter from Trey and Tweezer Reprise seemed more raucous and energetic than usual.
Good show overall, but perhaps not the best of the tour so far.
