I came in here to defend the honour of this criminally low-rated show. There is no way this is a 2.8 rated show. Like...pfffft! I have a feeling a lot of people who rated it, did so on a quick glance at the setlist. Was it the setlist I would've wanted? No, of course not, but it was the setlist we got, and I'll take that any day over anything else going on out there in the concert scene. This show is ranked lower than the Rochester 2013 show (!) which was definitely and still is, the "worst" show I've seen, and a full point (!!!) lower than the random juke box setlist show in Syracuse in '16. I remember walking out of that show, and sitting quietly in the passenger seat on the drive back to our hotel, thinking that the end of the road may be on the near horizon.
Then came the Baker's Dozen. The way that run revitalized these guys, is still very evident two summers later. Their playing is way better, the segue's, the jams, everything! This was a very well played show! No flubs. A lot of fire! The fact that they're throwing new songs into the mix, while clearly annoying to some of you, is a great sign. This band is full of energy and life, and some of these new songs seem to me to be Trey, in a much more direct way because maybe we need that, reminding us all to read the fucking book!
The show? Well we got a Bag opener...ok...have had that a few times, but whatever, we were still making our way to our seats...555, ok. Ocelot, my youngest daughter's original favourite song, so she was thrilled, and it gave Trey a chance to stretch out. Sample...bit of a bust out, and another big sing-along. Stash was beautifully played. I'll always take a Wedge. Frost was new to me, as was Ruby Waves, but placed in an optimum time slot for a bathroom and fresh beer break. We had three noobs with us...my two nieces and my oldest daughter's boyfriend. YEM was talked about a lot during the afternoon with them for some reason...so when we got one, it was high fives and smiles all round. The 2nd set was a bit up and down, but never did I get the feeling it was just going off the rails in any way. Wingsuit had a beautifully soaring end. Golden Age is the jam you'll want to hear, If I could has special meaning to me, so despite it's rather odd set placement, I thoroughly enjoyed it. And that 46 Days! The Devil was definitely drawing near out of that heat.
Which brings me to Drift...which I've never heard. "We move through stormy weather (yes we do and presently are), we know that our days are few (I know this all too well), we dream and we struggle together (100% accurate, my family, and the bigger phamily I'm sure), and love will carry us through. As I looked around our group, there was nothing but exhilarated smiles, the noobs among us smiling even more brightly, knowing they just saw something they maybe didn't expect they'd enjoy so much, and beyond our group, the same all around. Spiritual reset completed. Love will get us through.