We’re back at the Garden for our annual New Year’s run, and hopes are very high. This year has been nothing but top tier sauce, so I expect nothing but the same for these shows. Tonight’s setlist is pretty weird, which is fine by me. A lot of unique choices.

Simple is a great way to start a show. This is a very tight groove; nothing too spectacular, just a fun time, very positive. Check out Mike’s fuzzy groove around 8:30-9:30. Right from the get-go, Mike takes the lead in Free, and lays down some real funky shit in the jam. He pretty much controls the whole thing. He and Trey work together really well here. Farmhouse is pretty mellow, and has a nice ‘lil jam hidden in there. I like this one, lots of pleasant winter vibes. Poor Heart is our grass tune for tonight, and this one is very fun, as always. Tube is standard, but still a solid groove. Kill Devil Falls is slightly above average, the jam mainly stays in type-1 territory, and is a fun time overall. No highlights, no complaints. Driver is a nice touch, and is wonderfully played by all. I would like to see this one more often. This Reba is great. Listen to Fish in the composed section, his playing is so delightful. The jam is slow, and takes its’ time to get to the peak. It’s a little average, but an average Reba is still beautiful. Bring back the whistling! Oblivion is really short this go around, and is quite standard. Trey has a rough start, but he kills his solo. I also think Page is great here. Pretty forgettable version, but you gotta have your veggies > A perfect Antelope. Mike does some cool stuff in the intro. The hype at the end of the intro is nuts, the crowd gets so amped up. This jam is so nice, everyone is playing with a lot of complexity, and makes for a very structured experience. Like a spider web; there may be thousands of little tiny strings, but they’re all weaved together to make one beautiful collage. I love Fish’s percussion rinse with his cymbal during the Gear Shift section. This is a perfect climax to a set. I like this one a lot.

We start up set 2 with an average Back on the Train. Great energy, but nothing spectacular. We get even more energy with a sloppy Axilla 2, but I think the sloppiness is saved by the badass outro > An average Wave of Hope with a nice type-1 jam. Skippable, but well played > An increasingly rare Round Room! This one is just ok, but I’ll always love this one! Maybe with a little practice, this one can come back to be a major vessel for jams. I Always Wanted It This Way is really, really awesome. It sounds like a spaceship, booting up and taking off for a journey across time and space. Page dominates every second of this jam, and he unleashes some of the coolest sounds I’ve ever heard. Fish is also really good here. Check this one out > A chill, patient Twist; the guys are taking their time, which allows them to really flesh out and create some unique material for the jam. Mike is really awesome here, and Page does some really great stuff at 6:00-7:30, he does a really great job at establishing atmosphere. This one is short, but pretty great > The Mango Song, which is mostly sloppy, but has a nice Page solo at the end > An extremely cheerful Blaze On. Trey and Page go ham > Cavern, which is standard, but Trey does some cool stuff between verses > An average Bowie to end out the show. I’m not one of those people who thinks they should shelf this one, but this particular Bowie was a little unnecessary. However, I think Mike and Fish are great here, they carry the jam in a lot of cool places.

Mountains in the Mist is standard, but we needed a slower tune. I love the lyrics to this one so much, and the playing here is very pleasant. We get our third Gordo song for the night with Fuck Your Face. This a sweet bustout, and this one rips so, so hard > A red hot 46 Days. Everyone is going full throttle, Charlie’s Angles 2. I mean, damn, what a good way to end a show.

This is not a bad show by any means, but it’s mostly veggies. There are no major jams to come back to here, but I think it still does its’ job at getting people pumped for the rest of the weekend. The setlist is very crammed thematically, and leads to a rollercoaster of different emotions, which makes for a slightly overwhelming and forgettable show. Not bad, but certainly forgettable. Also a fairly pedestrian show considering the hellbending nature of this year’s other shows. If you really want to, check out the Antelope, IAWTW > Twist, or the FYF > 46 Days, but you won’t be missing too much. Love these guys, can’t wait for the nights to come.