2011-08-12 Outside Lands

The Verdict:
While the 8/12 show has more going on than might be apparent at first, I have a bit less to say about it than the equally-maligned 8/8.

It's a festival show, and it shows. The first set is 8/8's first set, just with different songs (though, look at the songs...you could put together a greatest hits album for n00bs from this setlist). Like 8/8's "Split," there's a quick highlight in the manic, mid-set "Tweezer," but that's about it.

The second set doesn't have quite the redemptive quality of 8/8's, but there are some interesting bits. For example, "Rock and Roll" goes Type I for most of its length, but hits on a murky groove near the end that slowly and beautifully coalesces into "Steam." The "Piper" that follows is high-tempo madness driven by Fish, and is worth a note as the rare jam where his playing clearly takes center stage over the melody instruments. After this sequence, though, the show slips back into festival-set mentality, and though the song selection continues to be great ("Roses," "Life on Mars?," "Fluffhead"), it's nothing you haven't heard before.

Though you might want to check out that Trey solo during "Number Line." I'm serious.

The Live Review:
8/12/11: Outside Lands show GO! KDF opener.
8/12/11: Expecting two sets like 8/8/11's S1 today.
8/12/11: Wilson second. Like to imagine festival-goers really confused by Wilson chant.
8/12/11: Funky Bitch continues its reign of terror over 2011.
8/12/11: Trey takes Funky Bitch around the block. Now Moma.
8/12/11: Peaches! Loving how often this song's getting played this tour.
8/12/11: Sample, Possum.
8/12/11: They've been killing Possum lately this one's no exception. Tweezer next!
8/12/11: I assume that this isn't going deep, but a S1 Tweezer is always still exciting anyway.
8/12/11: Fantastic Type I solo from Trey. Wow.
8/12/11: Fading out now. Ambient bit.
8/12/11: > Mound.
8/12/11: Suzy next. Really dug that Tweezer, by the way.
8/12/11: Nice solo from Page during Suzy. > Axila I.
8/12/11: Late-set Mike's. That's fun.
8/12/11: Mike's > Hydrogen.
8/12/11: Sort of miss the comedown of Hydrogen after a really hairy Mike's.
8/12/11: End set after Groove.
8/12/11: Literal loopiness to end an otherwise Type I Rock and Roll to open S2. Murky groove with a great Fish beat coalesces into Steam.
8/12/11: Steam > Piper.
8/12/11: Page laying down some jazz piano during a really high-tempo Piper jam.
8/12/11: Creepy guitar loops now. Fish is laying down a seriously great beat.
8/12/11: Really interesting few minutes of Fish-centric jamming there. > Roses.
8/12/11: Julius. Heading back to Jukebox Town, I think.
8/12/11: That RnR -> Steam was neat, tho.
8/12/11: Life on Mars!
8/12/11: Strong take on Birds gets slammed right into Fluffhead.
8/12/11: Solid version of Fluffhead. Trey misses the -> Number Line and settles for a > Number Line.
8/12/11: GREAT Number Line solo from Trey. Drone at the end of the jam leads into 2001.
8/12/11: Short, sort of sloppy 2001. Chalkdust next. They're definitely playing a lot of songs.
8/12/11: Chalkdust ends the second set proper. Cavern > Tweeprise for the encore.