Disclaimer: This is my first review of a show. I’m writing this in the comfort of my home with the BIGGEST SMILE on my face still. I enjoy reviews of shows that engulf me in the storyteller’s tale, not necessarily a note and chord breakdown; you can get that on your media of choice and frankly I don’t even know enough to register. I did go to Night 6 and 7. This is the story of Night7… the cinnamon glaze night. The boys delivered BIG on Night 7 of the Bakers Dozen run at MSG. Every night has gotten ever exponentially “insert expletive here” awesomer … I know that. I watched each one. When I got up Saturday morning I saw the SOLD OUT on the marquee. BANG! The Garden was swamped with people looking for an extra, I know I had an extra, some people got lucky and got into the greatest show on earth; I’m sorry to the dozen I had to turn away as a flipped my ticket for some extra fun. Anyway, omens were all around, the great big city we were in, that this was going to be something special. Except for the losing of the wallet and having my stumbling buddy try and fight me out of a NewYorkCity street exchange. First, a shaolin monk hooked me up with some inner peace outside my breakfast stop, and next the LEGO store had hotdog keychains, so I grabbed a couple for the kiddos; they love Meatstick. Finally, I actually picked a Coke bottle with the name…Wilson..on it from the pizza shop back home about a month ago. I started this Instagram #whilewatingforthebakersdozen where I personify the bottle as Wilson and take you on a journey as we waited throughout the summer. We rolled in a little after 7pm. Security was lax, a metal detector and you’re in, grabbed the donut patch, refreshments, and our seats. It is funny they would not sell me a blue cup with soda in it; they forced me to drink beer to get the cup. So I did, only 1, it was $15. Then the announcement to NOT EAT THE BROWN DOUGHNUTS came over the PA. WTF? This day is getting weirder or “phisher” by the minute.
It was funny, on the way up the escalators my buddy and I were heavily influenced by the exchange on the street I made earlier and I blurted out Llama, and then I said I don’t know why I just said that. Well, you smell what I stepped in…Llama opener! I nice way to open the night, slap you in the face, Oh-oh, da-da…da-da…. Wilson. My friend, we will call him Boss, and I along with the 20,000+ other patron would bask in the glory of those two notes like it was the last two notes on the planet until BIG RED kicked into gear a Stealing Time that squealed like a greased Alabama hog. Always enjoy a StealingTime, then came the Ya Mar I have been chasing for a bit. Mike and the melody of this bopping tune is certainly a toe tapper. On the way home from the train station this morning, we were listening to the XM replay and right and a stoplight Ya Mar came on, and we starting singing to the crowd eating at the sidewalk café. They were looking like we were aliens, hopefully one person got it. Ok, Tela, she was tight, not as social as the other ladies, so the Boss and I knew we are watching the boys weave a Technicolor set 1 Dreamcoat. TELA what can I say, listen, download, whatever you need to do , do it. The Birds into The Line kept the section grooving hard. Next song was Water In The Sky. I like this song it is saying something emotional, Trey is sharing. Vultures, this version made me a super fan of this jam, slipped into Train Song and Mike the conductor took us on a hilly ride through the jamtryside, CHOO CHOO!!!! The opening riff to Horn set me free. You can too, you can be free. Set 1 closer was I Am The Walrus, you have got to be kidding me. They had the heavy custard flowing on this one. After the set was over, Boss turns to me and says, ”What the !@#$ just happened?”.
Yes someone said Jukebox PHiSH, no song over 10 minutes. You know what that means.
Deep Breath.
After a short intermission, we can see the flashlight coming down the darkened hall and the lights go down. These duders are here to party tonight. BLAM-OH! Glaze On opens up the set 2. We have been wondering when Blaze On would be played and we all agreed it would be Glaze doughnut day. As Donald T. so eloquently said during last year’s debates…”WRONG!!!”. PHiSH basically glazed our faces for the next 20 minutes or so, I don’t know song timings yet but it was heavy, with load after load being spread about the arena. It was so thick with glaze in there I could even see annoying broads who were talking the whole show anymore. My mind was glazed over when the groovy groove of Twenty Years came through. I was at the Reading show where they bleeped your face with that version so I figured we were still in the running for a neck breaker. It did not disappoint. AluminBlues>LetterToJimmyPage>AluminBlues, bleeping awesome. Just those words strung together look cool on paper, let alone having the Last Jedi performing in such a fun manner. They were conversing with other all night. You could see they were enjoying themselves and it showed in their song choice and process.
The jam dissipated and, personally the next 15 minutes of music was my Babylon, Trey trumped the night with the opening bounce of MEATSTICK, I hugged the Boss and after the high fives were delivered I began to realize the freedom to which these four gentlemen bestow upon us. Each time I see these dudes I become free from stress, relationships, money, burdens, and I am able to live in that moment. I become emotional, usually once a show. Honestly, I was getting teary eyed with joy. I love Meatstick and the Boss and I jam that song at work very loudly and frequently, so when I heard that opening I was in disbelief. Boss say, “Meatstick, baby”, and the band is off. This song is a building bouncer, I mean c’mon man. It shocked my brain the song is true. I loved it and so did the other 20,000+. The place was bananas. The next 15 minutes of music was the most pleasurable and beautifully sounding I have heard to date. I saw the Jerry and the Dead and all those people, but for pure unadulterated bliss this was it. Then my world exploded. Dirt is my favorite. I never would have ever put those two together but here they were. By the time Mike’s bass solo came, tears of ecstasy were streaming down my face. Call me what you will, but I was there and I was in heaven on Earth, and a pal of mine was next to me, a time that will always be in my heart and ears. The Dirt was perfect, except for I little flup, the Dirt was perfect. The Meatstick>Dirt was a wet dream and it was now a reality. How many times does that happen? Be honest. As the tightest, sharpest guitar work was winding down, the Boos and I were hit in the stomach by a HARRY HOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! extraterrestrial … the spaceship has landed, we all got on, and now we cannot get home again. The glowsticks were slinging, the garden was lit like a disco circus on LSD had a baby with 20 police sirens. I cannot say enough the set list speaks for itself. Anyone who was there that night will never be the same, we just witnessed the pinnacle of party rock live. Oh yeah, and they encored with Cinnamon Girl, kicked us in the ass one last time, huh, Trey? I was breathless, after 20 years, they rocked the poop out of that composition. When anything will ever get me down I will just say, “yeah , but I was at 7-29-17!”