Late Summer '09 Wrap-Up

So, just like I did at the end of Leg One, I'm doing a wrap-up post for Leg Two that includes a brief, few-sentence write-up for each show and a list of that show's highlights. Almost exclusively, this list focuses on the interesting improvisational moments of each show, not because I'm entirely about the space jams, but because if I was to highlight every single noteworthy moment from each show, including each and every extra-hot Type I jam, this list would contain something like 1/3rd of all the songs played in summer of '09, which sort of defeats the point of a best-of, doesn't it?

Anyway, here's the list, with a few extra fun songs thrown in since this leg was quite a bit shorter than the previous leg.

7/30: Better than pretty much any Leg One show, except maybe Camden. Highlights include "Stash," "Ghost" > "Wolfman's."

7/31: Quite possibly the best front-to-back show of the summer for me. Gorge I would be the only other contender that's probably better than Camden or Alpine. "Melt," "Drowned" > "Crosseyed," "Tweezer" > "Number Line" > "Fluffhead" -> "Piper" -> "A Day in the Life." Yep. Pretty much the entire second set.

8/1: Great show by Leg One standards, but pales in comparison to Red Rocks I and II. "The Curtain With," "Rock and Roll" > "Disease."

8/2: Weakest show of the run, but really only because of a Bill Kreutzmann sit-in that goes awry. The jamming is actually quite good and if Bill's ham-handed drumming doesn't bother you, then this will be an obvious improvement over night 3. The "Boogie On" is best-of-summer stuff, too. "Reba," "Boogie On," "Seven Below."

8/5: Really uneven show in terms of energy and flow. In the context of Leg Two, you wouldn't be missing much if you skipped it. Decently spooky "Disease" and quirky "Cities" > "Maze" pairing.

8/7: Gets off to a slow start, but the interesting jamming starts in the middle of the first set, and stays consistently interesting through the rest of the show. Minus the "warm up" songs, this would probably be the best full show of the summer, for my money. With them, it's probably second to Red Rocks II. "Stash," "Sally" > "Cavern," "Light" -> "Taste," "Hood."

8/8: Doesn't stand up overall to the previous night, but the song-based parts of the show are stronger, and there's a monstrous "Rock and Roll." "Antelope" is also interesting-good in a year of solid "Antelope"s.

8/11: Another "saggy" show after the great Gorge run. A lot of energy, but the setlist doesn't really cohere and in this case "energy" often seems to mean "flubbing." Also, little to no improvisation to note. The only legitimate "meh" show of Leg Two.

8/13: "Workmanlike," as I described a few shows in Leg One. It holds together better than 8/11, but there still isn't much here to sink your teeth into. "Drowned" > "Caspian."

8/14: Easily the best show since the Gorge, but heavier on Gamehendge fun and old-school antics than any real improv. "Forbin's" > "Mockingbird," "Stash," "Piper," "Ghost" > "Psycho Killer" -> "Catapult" -> "Icculus."

8/15: Workmanlike, well-played show except for "46 Days," which is one of the standout jams of the summer.

8/16: Victory lap show, mostly. Really fun, high-energy, mostly song-based playing that's a good cap for a long tour but isn't really that satisfying on its own. "Number Line" > "Twenty Years Later."

I'm out of town for a few days doing business-y, professional stuff this week, but I'm hoping to dive into fall starting with Festival 8 this weekend. Exile on Main Street is one of my all-time favorite albums, and somehow I've just never sat down and listened to this entire set before. So this should be a blast...