I'm already on record as stating that the most underrated show of this year is Alpharetta 1 by a very, very healthy margin, but the more I think about the more I'm starting to wonder if it's actually this show that deserves the dubious distinction. In fact, I'd go as far to say as I consider this show the 12/7/97 of Summer 2013. Now, before you get all up in arms about me comparing a show sporting a healthy 3.6 rating to one of Fall '97's most beloved shows (and one of my most beloved shows, for that matter), what I'm trying to get at is that this is the biggest dance party of the tour, while also not necessarily being the deepest show of the tour (they played that three days previous), with a second set that rewards repeated listens. This is a show that I think will age quite well.

The first set kicks off with a Wolfman's that goes into a milkshake-thick groove before opening up and rocking hard (Mike shifting to the envelope filter to close out the jam); next to Bangor, it's my favorite Wolfman of the year. Everything else is high-energy stuff, from Jibboo to Birds to a kickass Walk Away to close the set, and the Gin is also a strong rocker in the 3.0 mold (Gin has quietly had itself a nice year as well, which has gone ignored b/c Bowie and Hood have had such tremendous renaissances). It's a nice harbinger of things to come.

Golden Age leads off the second set, and this is the Golden Age of the summer, immediately dropping into a low boil in the post-turn jam, with Mike stepping up big-time and Page really shining on the piano. It's a real booty-shaker of a jam, staying in the pocket but building all sorts of energy while there, before shifting into upbeat mode as Trey plays more soaring notes. The jam dies away, and they roll into 46 Days, which rocks hard before (like SPAC 1) breaking out the meaty funk, Fish tapping away on his woodblock like Keith Moon as the band gets supremely *nasty*. If you don't at least tap your foot and nod your head to this jam, you're made of sterner stuff than I.

You can't expect to get this kind of disgusting funk without either Sally or Boogie On popping up, and with Sally already taken at Gorge 2 Boogie On gets the call. Even a standard Boogie On is funky enough to match what we've gotten so far, and the ending shapes itself into Ghost, a lovely version which moves into a skittering groove (I enjoy Fish emulating Joey Waronker here) and then speeds up in favor of pure heat at the end. The Ghost jam then returns to the main theme, going into slow-motion, and the band cranks up Carini. I like this Carini a good deal; yes, the Carini jam is more soaring and anthemic than dark and evil, but the MSG Carini is one LivePhish purchase away, and there's no reason to sniff at a Carini with this kind of lovely ending and natural move into Piper. Piper is the same horse race that it's been all year, with a quick cool-down in the middle before they rev the engines once again, and the song has a sweet ending as Page gets a Coil-style spotlight before leading right into Velvet Sea (almost an actual segue, even), bringing the meat of the set to an end. The Mike's > Slave > set end > Paug > Zero is pretty neat, as well.

I realize that this show will forever live in the shadow of the next night, and I have no problem with that, but I hope (and predict) that more folks will give this show a real shot in the future. With a non-stop first set, a third quarter that will make you drip sweat and your joints ache just listening to it, and a nice Carini/Piper 1-2, there's a great deal to like here.