Jam Chart for Free (31 entries)
| Date | City | Timing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-05-16 | Lowell, MA | 8:32 | Debut. Jam section similar in tone, but less with percussion and with less Page than later '95 - '96 versions. |
| 1995-06-26 | Saratoga Springs, NY | 16:16 | -> in from a great "Down With Disease." Multi-movement masterpiece. Starts in typical (for 1995) style, but morphs into rhythmic, eerie and psychedelic piece. The jams then takes on a jazz-like vibe. After some quiet moments, picks up tempo and energy for a rocking, upbeat finale. |
| 1995-11-22 | Landover, MD | 33:02 | The second extended, highly improvisational "Free." This one is a monster with several movements well beyond "Free" proper and "No Quarter" teases and a "BATR" tease. -> to "Llama." Must-hear. |
| 1997-06-14 | Dublin, Ireland | 11:48 | The new or modern "Free" jam is hatched with funky, bass-led sound. Great Page on clavinet, organ, synthesizer and piano. |
| 1997-06-24 | Strasbourg, France | 12:03 | Nice funky jam that gets pretty rocking. Great Mike and Trey. |
| 1997-07-02 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 11:03 | More of the modern "Free" jam, with a great bass-led breakdown and some good delay/resume action. |
| 1997-07-06 | Desenzano, Italy | 10:30 | Slow tempo, very funky jam with Trey taking the lead. |
| 1997-07-26 | Austin, TX | 12:38 | After an amazing start to the II, it becomes clear that Trey has little interest in the "Hood" he dialed up following a great "Bowie." Check out the show for more details, but in lieu of "thanking" Mr. Minor, Trey aborts the song and ->'s into "Free". The band unleashes, resulting in one of the finest performances since 95. The jam is marked by great improvisation "inside" the version, that sort of shimmering Summer 97 "funk" aided by guest percussionist Bob Gullotti, a musician perfect for this "Free" - or any other. |
| 1997-08-08 | Tinley Park, IL | 9:25 | Great -> in from a very solid "Wolfman's Brother." The jam while similar to the post '95 - '96 jam is its own beast; very cool. |
| 1997-11-30 | Worcester, MA | 10:36 | -> in from a monster "Stash." The only performance in Fall '97. In addition to an excellent, extended version, the band tacks on a nice 4 1/2 minute ambient jam to the back end of "Free." -> to "Piper." |
| 1998-07-15 | Portland, OR | 11:22 | -> in from "Tweezer." An awesome jam develops that is unique, with great Fishman and Page on the B-3. Unfinished. |
| 1998-07-31 | Columbus, OH | 9:53 | Sweet, funky, almost bluesy groove. A great version. |
| 1998-11-09 | Chicago, IL | 11:53 | Nice rocking and funky jam that adds a little mustard to the typical "Free" jam. |
| 1998-12-29 | New York, NY | 9:53 | Trey out in front instead of Mike. Swirling metallic jam that sounds more '99 or '00 than '98. > to "Limb By Limb." |
| 1999-06-30 | Bonner Springs, KS | 13:56 | Starts in customary manner, with a lot of bass and nice Trey. A kind of echo-filled groove develops, very mellow. |
| 1999-07-18 | Volney, NY | 10:26 | -> in from a huge "Runaway Jim." Super lazy, summer-style Mike led jam. > to "Meatstick." |
| 1999-12-15 | Washington, DC | 16:11 | Jam starts in typical fashion, but then Trey hits the keyboards for an extended and very different version. |
| 2000-06-11 | Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan | 10:01 | After the initial bass solo, Mike and Fish lay down a really great groove for Trey and Page to play off. |
| 2003-12-29 | Miami, FL | 11:36 | -> in from "Ghost." Jam starts in customary manner, but then features an excellent bass and guitar duet/jam. |
| 2004-06-17 | Brooklyn, NY | 10:18 | -> in from an epic "Moma Dance." Sick bass by Mike. Maybe the best straightforward version. Great interplay by Trey and Mike. |
| 2004-06-26 | East Troy, WI | 12:05 | > in from a big "Boogie On" -> "Ghost" combo. This one has a really excellent jam. |
| 2004-08-14 | Coventry, VT | 9:54 | Some sweet Mike bass, then gets very quiet with just Mike and Trey playing, then Fish and Page jump back in. |
| 2014-11-02 | Las Vegas, NV | 8:03 | Strong "Type I" version with lots of amusing quoting from the previous night's "Martian Monster." |
| 2017-07-18 | Dayton, OH | 10:51 | Trey pushes through a few early miscues to share in Mike's incendiary groove. Via rhythmic shifts in meter and tone, Trey constructs a mellow, effects-enriched jam, which, colored by Page's wraithlike atmospherics, coasts atop Fish's steady beat, before driving the version to a strong conclusion. |
| 2019-12-28 | New York, NY | 9:42 | Active Trey/Mike interplay makes for a more dynamic jam than typical in this plus version. |
| 2020-02-20 | Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico | 8:15 | Builds on Free's recent uptick (12/28/19) in a big way with extra attention being given to the usual funky jam section (watch out for Mike's thumping bass) and then > into the always-welcome "Shipwreck". |
| 2020-02-20 | Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico | 2:59 | -> from "Shipwreck" as "Free" creeps back in and concludes a great segment with "Rescue Squad" quotes thrown in for good measure. |
| 2021-10-23 | Chula Vista, CA | 16:30 | > out of "NMINML". Trey weaves in one of the many "NICU" teases from this show into the first jam, then he suggests minor-key and Page follows him on synths, leading to a lower-boil groove replete with repeating loops and Mike goodness. The band climbs out of the muck and returns to a more upbeat rock jam, with the loops still going, and very neatly returns to "Free" proper. |
| 2022-05-28 | Orange Beach, AL | 10:44 | Some dirty chord work from Trey nudges the jam out of the usual bass-guitar duel into a into a full-on barrage of synths and effects creating a killer atmospheric groove. Filthy, filthy version. |
| 2022-08-02 | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | 24:46 | The usual jam section is perfunctory, but improv continues after the normal ending and soon ascends to a more ethereal plane with thick bass counterpointing magisterial guitar and piano leads. Around 13:00, dirty synth sounds are introduced briefly and then melded into another round of upbeat melodic play which continues through 18:00 when the jam shifts to minor and becomes more rock-oriented, before a final delicate coda > "Esther". |
| 2022-08-05 | Atlantic City, NJ | 10:03 | "Free's" second encore and first-ever show-closing appearance comes loaded with heaps of extra synthy spank and filthy wah guitar. |
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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