Jam Chart for Cities (27 entries)
| Date | City | Timing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-12-01 | Burlington, VT | 6:15 | Debut at Nectar's in Burlington, VT. |
| 1988-08-05 | Telluride, CO | 4:44 | "Dave's Energy Guide" ("DEG") is played towards the end of the song before a brief return to "Cities." "DEG" would be played within "Cities" again on 8/22/88, 9/8/88, 9/13/88, and 3/1/89 in a similar manner. |
| 1988-08-05 | Telluride, CO | 0:37 | -> in from "DEG." Returns to "Cities" briefly to conclude. |
| 1997-07-01 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 9:33 | A super slow tempo, groovy straightforward "Cities" -> to an incredible "Jam." |
| 1997-07-30 | Ventura, CA | 5:21 | Fantastic -> in from "David Bowie" and -> back to "David Bowie." |
| 1997-08-10 | Noblesville, IN | 23:00 | Amazing jam that begins in heavy funk mode and transitions to a more quiet vibe before shifting into high gear with some serious rock and roll. The jam then breaks into some beautiful, peaceful and textured playing ("HOSE") before rebuilding into a powerful groove. -> into "GTBT." Must-hear. |
| 1997-08-16 | Limestone, ME | 13:30 | Another SUPER SLOW, funky version from '97. Segues out of "Halley's Comet." The tempo picks up at about 8:40, and the funk comes on even thicker. Gets more rocking and bluesy before -> to "Llama." |
| 1997-11-26 | Hartford, CT | 8:00 | Segues out of "2001." Nice mellow groove tacked onto the outro. -> to "Ya Mar." |
| 1997-12-28 | Landover, MD | 8:21 | Mike and Page add a lot to the richly funky jam that becomes very repetitious, with Trey playing in a staccato manner. |
| 1998-04-05 | Providence, RI | 10:36 | -> in from "Gin." Initially funky, the jam gets a little more rocking before some Mike-led quiet space and a > to "Sparkle." |
| 1998-07-06 | Prague, Czech Republic | 7:18 | Great -> into "Cities" from a roaring "Ghost." Starts VERY uptempo, but there's a cool, smooth tempo downshift mid-first verse. Cool little guitar solo at the end taboot. |
| 1998-07-31 | Columbus, OH | 15:17 | Outstanding, R&B-esque, and quite melodic jam emerges from "Cities" proper that gets more and more rocking before cycling down. This is what the "HOSE" is all about. |
| 1998-12-31 | New York, NY | 8:31 | Segues out of "Tweezer." Good funky version that gets eerie and spacey at the end before transitioning to "Velvet Sea." |
| 2000-06-14 | Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, Japan | 8:54 | Very serene and mellow version from a highly regarded show. |
| 2000-09-24 | Minneapolis, MN | 19:05 | The jam gets way beyond "Cities" into some very deep, quiet, and contemplative space. Regains some energy in the final four minutes and is must-hear for fans of groove-based jams. |
| 2010-08-06 | Berkeley, CA | 11:04 | Some incredible playing by Mike and Page in this extended version that gets into a spell-binding, enchanting groove. A fantastic version that transitions (oddly and arguably abruptly) to "Moma Dance." |
| 2010-10-29 | Atlantic City, NJ | 8:49 | All four team up in the well-played, extended jam that gets somewhat spacey at the very end. |
| 2011-05-28 | Bethel, NY | 8:58 | Nice little extended outro with a good Trey-led peak. |
| 2011-12-28 | New York, NY | 10:09 | The jam soars beyond "Cities" into some rhythmic, exploratory, and gorgeous territory, but seems to fizzle out prematurely. |
| 2014-12-31 | Miami, FL | 10:35 | -> from "Theme", this "Cities" jam starts with some nice staccato work from Trey, passes through a Manteca-like section, and settles into the 3.0 Type II bliss zone. |
| 2015-08-12 | Philadelphia, PA | 10:35 | Trey's Echoplex leads the second straight solid "Cities" to some extended between-verses jamming, before the whole band picks up where he left off and explores a pulsing, minor mode space before the 'plex is left behind for a more straight-ahead jam that eventually fades out. |
| 2015-08-22 | Watkins Glen, NY | 7:22 | Another strong and typically funky "Cities" -> "Mind Left Body Jam" sandwich. |
| 2015-08-22 | Watkins Glen, NY | 0:57 | > in from "Mind Left Body Jam." Concluding section sets up a nice transition to a solid "Light." |
| 2016-01-16 | Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo, Mexico | 13:18 | After a stretch of perfunctory versions, "Cities" has now gone four for its last four. A laid back tropical vibe yields to a stormy, foreboding jam, before the sun peeks through the clouds and the -> Light grows brighter. |
| 2016-07-08 | Mansfield, MA | 13:47 | Early technical issues, a Brian Brown introduction, and a guitar switch do nothing to deter the band from taking "Cities" on a journey across the globe. Some strong but typical jamming leads to more instruments switching and the jam evolves / devolves into highly percussive near free-form jazz. |
| 2019-06-26 | Bangor, ME | 12:50 | -> out of a superb "Fuego". Gets deliciously, almost heavy-metal sludgy dark right out of the gate, Mike and Fish really powering this gruesomeness. Fish snaps into a wickedly danceable beat which the band rides for all it's worth (nearly swerving into "Sand" at one point), before they swing into a new key and pull out a sick -> into "The Final Hurrah". A wonderful jam. |
| 2021-09-01 | Mountain View, CA | 16:23 | The band moves into a more driving version of the usual "Cities" jam, thanks to Fishman, before Trey makes the move into a brief bit of major key bliss, and then takes the jam into smoother and more relaxed waters. A very nice first set jam, with a wonderful -> into "Passing Through". |
Jam chart versions are selected because of improvisational and other characteristics that distinguish these from typical versions of the song.
The jam chart team has highlighted some versions with a yellow background; these are the versions the team believes to be especially improvisational, or otherwise notable.
A purple date indicates that you were in attendance.
The jam chart team has highlighted some versions with a yellow background; these are the versions the team believes to be especially improvisational, or otherwise notable.
A purple date indicates that you were in attendance.
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