Jam Chart for The Curtain With (13 entries)
| Date | City | Timing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-08-09 | Burlington, VT | 10:46 | The debut includes both the highly composed section we now think of as The Curtain, as well as the flowing and spriralling instrumental section familiar to us as the With jam. Melodies and musical ideas from this classic would later be incorporated into "Reba" and "Rift," while songs which debuted subsequently, especially "Mockingbird" and "Esther," both seem to draw inspiration from With. |
| 1987-08-21 | Hebron, NY | 12:12 | Gotta love the dogs, Marley and/or others barking in the background throughout. The Curtain section is very precise, and filled with a sense of energy. Listening along, you can imagine the band had practiced the composed section extensively. The With jam begins with delicate, lofty soloing by Trey, then gradually builds up to a crescendo, before easing back down and fading into the ether. |
| 1987-08-29 | South Burlington, VT | 12:02 | Fish and Mike are noticeably strong in The Curtain section, despite some minor precision issues from Trey and Page. After the anthemic repeat which would evolve into "Rift," this With jam really takes off into some stunning and inspired playing by Trey, strengthened by colorful and delicate Page counterpoint. Trey's spirited melodies from about 10:25 - 11:00 sound remarkably similar to the as yet unhatched jam in "Mockingbird." The cathartic settle seems the perfect ending. |
| 1988-02-07 | Burlington, VT | 15:30 | This impressive version begins with a nearly flawless Curtain section, led by intese Fish action. In With, Trey's tone is measured and confident, bolstered by strong support from Mike and Fish. After reaching a peak, the jam takes on a more rocking, almost "DEG"-like vibe, beginning at about 12:55, sounding very different from the typical With jam, before ending with the traditional diminuendo conclusion. |
| 1988-05-15 | Hinesburg, VT | 13:10 | Although The Curtain seems to hit a few minor bumps, these are offset by a strong, lift-off type jam in With. Beginning with a light, weightless sense, the jam becomes more grounded and intense as it develops, with Trey's spiralling soloing reaching an intial peak. "Fly Famous Mockingbird" debuted in February, 1988, and if you listen closely from about 12:40 - 13:30, you'll notice striking similarities between these instrumental sections. |
| 1988-05-24 | Burlington, VT | 13:53 | A well-executed Curtain - not spotless, but few, if any, are. This With jam is evocative and captures a sense of weigtlessness, soaring above the musical clouds. Many of these early With jams move beyond this uplifting section, exploring more dissonant, rocking terrain. Not so here, as the band seems content to let this one gracefully recede, following a soaring peak. |
| 1988-06-19 | Burlington, VT | 16:14 | On this recording, Page is more prominent in the mix, which provides a nice audio record of his important role with this song. While The Curtain is generally tight, minor bumps here and there point to the difficulty of performing this highly composed section. The With jam begins with some nice, quiet interplay between Trey and Page. The jam gradually builds energy, but remains largely undulating and uplifting straight through to the downshifting conclusion. |
| 1988-07-23 | Underhill, VT | 16:55 | An unprecedented and highly improvisational version, which includes an unknown additional percussionist. Following a strong run through The Curtain section, the band breaks into the familiar With jam. However, this jam quickly takes on a more dissonant and frenetic character, with "DEG"-like undertones, although it retains some semblance of With through about the 15:00 mark. After this point, the band breaks for "DEG," followed by some abstract and crazed jamming, a testament to the band's nascent improvisational nature. Eventually, the playing returns to the customary With ending. |
| 1988-07-23 | Underhill, VT | 0:44 | -> in from "Dave's Energy Guide" to wrap up this stunning, improvisational version. |
| 2000-09-17 | Columbia, MD | 15:23 | Compared to the well-known bustout version from Deer Creek in 2000, this version features much better execution in The Curtain and a more competent delivery in the With jam. Trey's use of the Leslie during the early, "Rift" part of With is a cool plus, and the band coalesces nicely from there, for a snappy and spirited instrumental jam. |
| 2010-10-26 | Manchester, NH | 14:00 | The Curtain bristles with crisp energy and is tightly rendered, with Mike and Fish seeming to propel the opening section. The animated jam in With also seems to bound along at a slighly quicker clip than the usual, more languid pace. Again, Fish and Mike drive the tempo, while Trey offers inspired and rapid-fire melodies. A high octane version. |
| 2011-06-10 | Camden, NJ | 14:28 | There are a few spots here and there in The Curtain and the beginning of With that seem a bit off. Nonetheless, Trey soloing in With seems particularly inspired, and Mike is also noticeably strong. The jam reaches a fairly intense peak, before expectedly settling to conclude. |
| 2012-06-28 | Noblesville, IN | 13:50 | The Curtain section is well-executed, with notably strong Mike and Fish. The With jam features great Trey and Page interplay - not exactly call and response, but Trey plays a few licks, then Page responds with thoughts of his own. As the jam develops, they play simultaneously, each offering similar, yet distinct musical collages, while Fish and Mike adeptly keep the rhythm machine chugging along. A solid version start to finish. |
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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