A charitable and well-balanced review of an unbalanced show. My only show of the tour--and while I could certainly leverage that to complain that I didn't get the "bang" for my buck--I walked away pretty content from set 1 alone and grabbing a rare Lifeboy. First set had a fantastic structure of old and new tunes pressed to their limits--"Waking up Dead" indeed rattled the venue with a dark energy that should expand in shows to come. The highlights (Foam, Walk Away>What's the Use?) signaled an on point band will to go deep in their repertoire.

This second set didn't even pretend to jam: this was an exercise in execution within the small confines of a half-filled venue. It was weird--a second set that didn't let me dance. I left the show at the opening notes of Tide Turns--confirmation that this set would not escape "jukebox" mode--and while puzzled by the experience (first zero jam show) was happy with what I saw and accepted it for what it was--last chance to warm up before the Vegas shows. The problem, I guess, is that I'm part of that cadre of fans who attends 1-3 shows a year and attend solely for the improvisational brilliance--not a smattering of ballads. I was left simply imagining the unexplored potential of a tiny venue and attentive audience--an opportunity that the band clearly views differently than its fans.