, attached to 2003-07-30

Review by Bob_Loblaw

Bob_Loblaw The end of the 2003 Summer Tour was the peak of 2.0. This show being a great example.

You get a Lonesome Cowboy Bill bustout followed by a massive SASS. This is likely the best version ever played, and it is in the early stage with the original intro. It starts off fairly sloppy but picks up pace very fast. Fish's drumming during the jam (and the whole show) is phenomenal it is at this stage where I think he played the best he ever will. The jam morphs into a big thrashing jam with Fish just destroying the drum set. It goes into the debut of You Ain't Going Nowhere and a beautiful debut at that. This is followed by yet another rarity in fan favorite "Spocks Brain". Chalkdust is also a very good version, it does not drift off far like the IT version the following week but it is very very strong on its own. The rest of the set is fairly straight forward but well played.

Twist comes out of the 2nd set strong picking up full steam and going into yet another intense jam. It then proceeds to go off into an intergalactic trance for a while before it ends. Bug is one of the best ever versions very inspired. The YEM after is one of the best if not the best of 2.0 very strongly played version. This 4 song set is concluded by an explosive Walls of the Cave (the same strong playing you get from it all year).

The only downside to this whole show is the choice for Secret Smile as an encore. Maybe the guys thought they were so destructive in their playing during the two sets that they needed to end things on a mellow note? Not necessarily my cup of tea as I wish they'd continue the intensity (maybe with character zero or other such songs). But it also can be noted that I'm not a Secret Smile fan to begin with. None the less this does not begin to blemish my love for this fantastic show.

5 Stars!


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