The Verdict:
This show makes a great pair with 6/3. There's no huge jam here like the "Disease" last night, but the band never lets up, and there are plenty of smaller-scale surprises in the second set this time around.
Much like the previous night, verve and setlist construction make up for the fact that S1 is really devoid of any improv. "Guyute," "FYF," "Foam," "Rocket In My Pocket," and "Guelah" all show up, and "Antelope" gets extended a bit, including a goofy band-intro thing by Trey in which he "O-Esquandolas"'s everyone's names.
S2 starts slowly, with a by-the-book "Birds," but things get weird quickly after, during, of all songs, "Possum." Trey starts bending some notes, and before you know it, the entire band is downshifting tempo, then upshifting again, and so on until the song/jam has pretty much been completely deconstructed. It's awesome. "Steam" gets debuted after with a solid version, and the following "Piper" jam is headed into interesting territory before Trey (forgivably) makes a great -> "The Lizards." The highlight of the set, though, is certainly the second half. "Sneakin' Sally" gets a legit jam, going plinko at first and then moving into fuzz-rock territory. "Hood" is the last big song here and if it's not enough that it's a great version by itself, "Have Mercy" gets comfortably slotted into the jam midway through. Like I said, it's that kind of set. There's a lot to like here even if there isn't a twenty-minute jam to be found.
The Live Review:
6/4/11: KDF opener.
6/4/11: KDF is standard fare, but Guyute is in the two spot. Interesting.
6/4/11: Not much to say about Guyute, since all versions are the same. By which I mean all versions are awesome.
6/4/11: Guyute > Fuck Your Face!
6/4/11: > Foam! Damn, loving this setlist.
6/4/11: Foam seems to be a bit extended. So far, Page taking the lead on piano.
6/4/11: Great Foam. That might be one to bring back this year :)
6/4/11: Ocelot next.
6/4/11: Ocelot starts off a little less Trey-shredding and a little more full-band before Trey takes over. 6/4/11: Rocket In My Pocket cover! Nice!
6/4/11: Solid BOTT > Guelah Papyrus.
6/4/11: The flow and song choices here definitely make it one of those S1s that are great without a surprise jam.
6/4/11: Late-set Tube. Another great choice.
6/4/11: Grungy clav interlude.
6/4/11: Antelope to close the set.
6/4/11: Extended intro, muted little jam immediately afterward, Streets of Cairo.
6/4/11: Different band members get introduced and take a solo, including Toph, before the outro. 6/4/11: S2 starts with a standard Birds.
6/4/11: Lots of bending from Trey in Possum. Maybe a tempo change, too?
6/4/11: Yeah, definitely some playing with tempo now.
6/4/11: Neat little deconstruction of Possum.
6/4/11: Mike's vocals drawn out to match the tempo downshifts.
6/4/11: This is fun.
6/4/11: Steam! Debut, if I'm not mistaken.
6/4/11: Extended 'steam' effect at the end of the song. Piper intro starts up under it.
6/4/11: Piper breaks down and heads into a piano-led muted section.
6/4/11: Just as a gorgeous-sounding jam gets underway, Trey makes a -> The Lizards.
6/4/11: But it was a really nice segue, and it was into The Lizards, so I guess it's okay.
6/4/11: Sneakin' Sally is next! Big-time vocal jam early on.
6/4/11: Jam going plinko now.
6/4/11: Trey's tone getting a little harder now while Page keeps up the plinko.
6/4/11: Noise rock now. Pretty interesting, fuzzy jam.
6/4/11: Fuzz at the end almost sounded like it could go back into Steam, but instead Fish pulls out Hood.
6/4/11: Loving the solo Trey is laying down at the beginning of the jam here.
6/4/11: Sudden > Have Mercy in the middle of the Hood jam. I remember that being smoother. Ah, well. Still awesome.
6/4/11: > Hood.
6/4/11: Some Have Mercy teasing during the Hood solo now.
6/4/11: The Lizards tease.
6/4/11: End of Hood flows right into Zero.
6/4/11: Slowdown at the end of Zero a la the earlier Possum.
6/4/11: Trey ends Zero with the Smoke on the Water riff, because it's just that kind of show. 6/4/11: Slave encore!
6/4/11: I wonder if anyone will ever read that tweet and misinterpret it as an excited call to return to slavery. I hope not.
6/4/11: This Slave is staying chill longer than usual. I kind of like it that way.
6/4/11: Well, that show was about as good as it gets without a tentpole jam. Nice reminder that you don't need a 25 minute slab of improv...
6/4/11: ...for a fantastic Phish show.
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