Vegoose in Review
Before I get to the music, I have to comment on a few issues Vegoose first.
The run up to this year’s festival was marred by several things, but the main problem was lack of ticket sales. This gross oversight by the promoters (Superfly) led to no shows on Halloween, which had been advertised from the start, leaving people that had already made plans high and dry.
Superfly’s lack of foresight, biting off more then they could chew, whatever, also made it so there was only 1 night show per day on 10/29 and 10/30 both. Not exactly what was expected by most of the paying customers.
Even with all these letdowns before hand, I was still expecting the same level of service as normal once we arrived. I was wrong.
Superfly decided not to use Sam Boyd Stadium this time around (poor ticket sales) making the VIP area pretty much the furthest point from any of the stages on the grounds. This was a far cry from the previous year, where the VIP pavilion had a secret entrance to the stadium. I didn’t pay $500 a ticket to have to walk 10-15 minutes to the main stage every time.
For the “regular” customers, there were absolutely not enough port-a-johns. The lines were ridiculous for a festival of this magnitude. (If you were wondering, the VIP area had separate bathrooms.)
Even worse, there was a “super” VIP area this year, where you had to “know somebody” in order to get in.
It’s really hard to believe how much of a fall off there was from the debut to the sophomore offering in Vegas on Halloween weekend. I mean, there was a reason it was no brainer to go back again. It wasn’t even a question.
This event has soured me on the boys at Superfly, and it’s doubtful you’ll catch me at Bonnaroo or Vegoose again any time soon, if ever. There are just too many festival options these days that offer better lineups, a more down home feel (i.e. less corporate) and cost half as much.
All that said, I still has a GREAT time. Seriously. It may sound different from what you just read, but all those disappointments from before hand were all but forgotten by the time I landed on Thursday night. And being around good friends and good music was enough for me to overlook the lack of on site amenities…until I started typing this review.
On to the music!
Friday 10/27
Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds at the MGM Grand Garden Arena (2nd show)
Bartender, Dodo, Lie in Our Graves, Stay or Leave, Jimi Thing, What Will Become of Me, Old Dirt Hill, Gravedigger, So Damn Lucky, Little Thing, Two Step, Down By the River, I'm Your Captain*, Some Devil+, Satellite, The Maker, Crush, Tripping Billies, Smooth Rider, Crash into Me, Typical Situation, Dancing Nancies
E: Sister, Oh, When the World Ends, Save Me, Ants Marching
* Tim Solo
+ Dave Solo
From Skyloft #22 down an elevator, around a corner and we were at the venue. Couldn’t ask for any more then that.
All six people in our group had seats on the floor, but ours were the best. Teri and I were second row, slightly off to the right. It was quite a thrill for Teri and Ali (who I switched seats with during the show) to see their boyfriend Dave so close.
For me it was OK, but after seeing this same duo last Vegoose, it was just more of the same. Don’t get me wrong, Dave & Tim are great at what they do, but I was ready to boogie down and their music really doesn’t lend itself to that.
I ended up catching a few zzz’s second row if you can believe that, I know Ali couldn’t. What can I say other then guilty as charged.
Keller Williams at the House of Blues (5th show)
Thin Mint > It's a Plant > Freshies, Sinky Green, Dude Loup, Loser > Loser > Loser, Run Like an Antelope > Runaway Jim > Run Like an Antelope, Karate, Roshambo, Get on Up > Whole Lotta Love > Money > Get on Up, Above the Thunder, Love Handles, Instrumental > Back of the Bus, You are What You Eat, Yoni, Dogs > More than a Little
E: Celebrate Your Youth
This was one of the two late night shows we attended. Only two you say? Well in my old age I know my limitations, and they include only two late nights per festival.
Thanks goodness we had tickets upstairs at the House of Security. If there is a less enjoyable place to see a show in Vegas, I don’t know of it. Gawd forbid you get stuck on the floor either, as Teri and I learned on our first venture there (moe. late night after Phish on 2/15/03).
But I digress; this was by far the most energetic K-Dub show I had ever seen. He totally brought it from start to finish, at least from what I remember. I ended up catching a few more zzz’s during this show as well. (Ali and I got woke by a security guard at least twice.)
What? He came on at like 1:10 AM and played until about 3:30 AM without stopping. Again, I wanted to boogie and Keller really isn’t my bag. For what it’s worth though, we left during 'Dogs' (almost the entire show!), and Teri had a great time.
Saturday 10/28
Toubab Krewe on the Snake Eyes stage 11:30-12:10 (3rd show)
setlist unknown
The kickoff to the festival proper was the *it* band of the summer. Every summer there’s one band that takes the festival circuit by storm, and this year it was the boys from Asheville, NC.
I had been listening to Toubab on archive.org for a while, and had seen them twice in my backyard (just about literally) at the Oregon Country Fair in July.
I arrived a little late (during ‘Devil Woman’ I think) and was able to walk right up to the front of the stage. From there I saw a pretty standard TK show, with the exception of their mentor, Lamine Soumano (from Mali), playing with them. That was pretty cool actually. His guitar added a nice flavor to their already tight mix of African-instrumental-groove-jam.
Overall, I was happy I made it in for the 20 minutes or so I did see.
Gomez on the Jokers Wild stage 12:20-1:20 (2nd show)
Shot Shot, All Too Much, Love is Better than a Warm Trombone, Hamoa Beach, Hangover Girl, Notice, How We Operate, Ping One Down, Ruff Stuff, See the World, Fill My Cup, Devil Will Ride
At this point, I was still on my own, but I was fielding texts and calls from everyone that was about to arrive. So that kind of disrupted my enjoyment of the show.
However, I thought the boys from England were markedly better then the first time I saw them (12/29/02). They kind of reminded me of a lesser version of the Black Crowes.
I caught about three to four of their songs from pretty close up, and then headed to the VIP area for a meet up and listened to the rest of the set as back round music
Praxis on the Double Down stage 1:15-2:15 (1st time)
Bernie > Night of the Slunk, Dub, Jam, Bucket, Machine Gun, Jordan
After everyone had something to eat and was ready to roll we took our initial trudge to the main stage. We kind of meandered around the main vending area for a while and then heard these strange sounds coming from the stage.
Of course it was Buckethead shredding his axe like the space alien he is. But this is bassist Bill Laswell’s band, and besides the KFC wearin’ guitarist, he was flanked by legendary keyboardist Bernie Worrell (P-Funk) and an unnamed drummer.
Their music was pretty wild, and I’m glad I caught some of it; even it was from a distance.
Medeski, Martin & Wood with Maceo Parker on the Jokers Wild Stage 2:40-3:40 (8th show)
New Planet, The Lover*, Pappy Check*, Uptown Up*, Think*, Legalize It*, Quick Step*, Chubb Sub%
* w/ Maceo on alto sax
% w/ Maceo on flute
This was one of only two tough choices I had to make at Vegoose 2006 as far as overlapping schedules went. I hadn’t seen MMW since 4/25/02, so I had to catch at least some of their set.
Man-o-man did the boys ever deliver. Maceo was a nice touch as he bobbed and weaved on and off the stage adding just the right touches here and there, but it was the main three that were bringing the heat for me.
Old school Shacklyn style, yo.
From what we saw they were ON FIRE. I believe we left during Uptown Up, but we had a schedule to keep after all.
I’ll sum it up like this; Mark, the least experienced festivarian in our group, said it was GREAT. ‘Nuff said.
Yonder Mountain String Band on the Double Down stage 2:45-4:15 (2nd show)
Up on the Hill Where They Do the Boogie, Angel, How 'Bout You?, Night Out, Too Late Now, Night is Left Behind, Mother's Only Son, Get Me Outta This City, Left Me in a Hole, 40 Miles from Denver, East Nashville Easter, Damned if the Right One Didn't Go Wrong, Sidewalk Stars, Death Trip
I’m pretty sure we arrived during ‘Too Late Now’ and the rest of the set was phenomenal. From ‘Get Me Outta This City’ to ‘Left Me in a Hole’ to ‘40 Miles from Denver’ and the closing ‘Death Trip’ the Colorado bluegrass boys just ripped it up high energy style.
I was a little bummed when I saw what the opener was (after the fact), but at the time I thought it was the best YMSB show I had ever seen (only 2, mind you). Kenny was in complete agreement as we both commented walking away from the show that this set outshined their memorable performance from Bonnaroo (6/11/05, the last time both of us had seen them).
The Keller Williams Incident on the Double Down stage 5:00-6:45 (2nd show)
Burning Down the House > Once in a Lifetime, Ninja of Love, Blatant Ripoff, Luckiest Man, Mullet Cut, Sing for My Dinner, Portapotty, Lightning, Bob Rules > Restless Wind > Bob Rules, Bargain, Life > Freeker by the Speaker
By this point in the day I was already happy with the high quality of music I had seen. Little did I know what was in store for me next. I was expecting the same old songs from KWI, which isn’t a bad thing, but it’s also nothing to get overly excited about.
As we walked up to the VIP area that was stage right to the Talking Heads medley of ‘Burning Down the House > Once in a Lifetime’ I was like, “This might be a little different then what I anticipated.”
Oh, was it ever.
The rare Keller songs (to me anyway) like ‘Ninja’, ‘Portapotty’ and ‘Bob Rules’ were special treats, but it was the all out disco dance party throw down jam out of ‘Sing for My Dinner’ that was the clincher. Un-forking-real!
They capped off a perfect set with another boogierific jam out of ‘Freeker by the Speaker’. It was funny because I knew we would hear ‘Freeker’, but I never expected it to go where it went. I know Teri and I were both ready for much, much more.
This capped off a magnificent day of music at the Star Nursery Field and earned KWI the bronze medal in my five day music marathon.
The Black Crowes on the Double Down stage 7:30-9:00 (11th show)
(Only) Halfway to Everywhere, Sting Me, Gone, Seeing Things, High Head Blues, Cripple Creek, My Morning Song, Soul Singing, Wiser Time, Space Captain, Jealous Again, By Your Side, Remedy
I’ll admit, our group was dragging a little by this point and was probably ready for some recharging in the comforts of the Skyloft. But I give the four of them credit, they knew I was a big Crowes fan, so they all hung in there without a peep.
Unfortunately my boys did not deliver. This was the fifth time I had seen them since they came back from hiatus, and it was easily the worst show of the five. The setlist was completely stock and totally mailed in.
I’m not sure if they were road weary from their excessive tour schedule or what, but they lacked the energy of all the other bands I had seen that day.
The new members (Paul Stacey on guitar and Rob Clores on keys) seemed to still be finding their comfort zone in the Crowes powerful mix of jam-rock. I’m sure Clores will eventually do a fine job filling the shoes of the dismissed Ed Harsch, but the other guitar spot beside Rich Robinson is a concern.
I know that Stacey (their long time producer) is just a temporary fill in, but Marc Ford (who quit on the eve of their fall tour) is not easily replaceable. I’ve always said that Marc and Rich are like the modern day Duane Allman and Dickey Betts, but with Ford on the outs again the band’s improvisational skills suffer mightily.
As a long time fan I’m not optimistic that MFF will be asked to re-up, but I can hope. As for this set, it was the second worst display of music I saw in Vegas. (That was not easy for me to type either.)
Jimmy Buffett at the MGM Grand Garden Arena (1st time)
I: Piece of Work, Brown Eyed Girl, Pencil Thin Mustache, Grapefruit-Juicy Fruit, Bama Breeze, Come Monday, It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere, Changes in Latitudes Changes in Attitudes, Elvis Presley Blues, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Scarlet Begonias*, Why Don't We Get Drunk, Party at the End of the World, One Particular Harbor
II: Knees of My Heart, Window on the World, Weather With You, Son of a Son of a Sailor, Peanut Butter Conspiracy, Everybody's on the Phone, Werewolves of London, Desperation Samba (Halloween in Tijuana), Dixie Chicken, Volcano, Margaritaville
E: Fins, Southern Cross, A Pirate Looks at Forty
* w/ Mickey Hart
After some maxing and relaxing at the Skyloft prior to the post festival festivities, we again headed downstairs (with the best margarita I’ve ever had in my life in hand) and caught the end of Buffett’s set.
We got there during ‘Desperation Samba’ and found our seats amongst the sweaty and drunk mass of 50-somethings in the crowd. Talk about culture shock! After being around hippies all day long, suddenly a grandmother was sitting in front of me.
Anyway, we caught all the classics you need to see (‘Volcano’, ‘Margaritaville’, ‘Fins’ & ‘A Pirate Looks at Forty’). I can’t explain just how perfect this worked out for us.
A big thank you goes out to my boy Kenny for hatching this plan.
Sound Tribe Sector 9 at The Joint (19th show)
I: Rent, Somesing, Painoir, One a Day, Hi-Key, Blu Mood, Be Nice
II: Lo Swaga, F. Word, Aimlessly, Mischief of a Sleepwalker, Evasive Maneuvers > Kamuy, Arigato, Orbital
E: You Don't Say, GLOgli
Let me start off by saying that I was oh so happy that this show was not at the HoB. The Joint is in the Hard Rock Hotel and is so much more chill, allowing ins and outs, that is was thee perfect venue for a late night dance party.
The first set was pretty standard STS9, with decent but not spectacular, versions of ‘Rent’, ‘One a Day’ and ‘Be Nice’. It was also the first time I had ever seen ‘Hi-Key’ in person, not too bad a tune. Overall though, I was a little under whelmed with the set as a whole.
After getting some fresh air on the casino floor during the set break I was hopeful for the second set.
B-I-N-G-O!
The throw down was on from the first notes of ‘Lo Swaga’ (Teri’s favorite new song). The ‘F. Word’ was solid and the ‘Aimlessly’ flat out took off and had the entire place shakin’ their collective booty’s.
‘Mischief of a Sleepwalker’ is a rarity these days that I was more then happy to hear.
I figured ‘Evasive Maneuvers > Kamuy’ was coming sooner or later (although my ‘Instantly’ never materialized), and this version certainly delivered the goods.
‘Arigato’ was the one down moment of the set for me, but what followed that was an absolutely EPIC version of ‘Orbital’. The energy inside the venue was about to blow the roof off the whole place. The banging bass, the killer drums, it was all there. Find it on the net or get in on CD, but whatever you do, listen to it.
It was a fitting ending to what was probably the longest day of music in my life, and if you know me, that’s really saying something.
We left during another debut for me (‘You Don’t Say’) because Ali was failing hardcore. I didn’t mind that we missed ‘GLOgli’ at all.
It was 4:30 AM (after the "fall back" time change, mind you) and we drove home in complete silence, as our ears couldn’t handle another note of music.
Sunday 10/29
Galactic on the Jokers Wild stage 2:25-3:40 (17th show)
The Moil, FEMA, Linthead, Doublewide > Mario Groove, Alphabet Aerobics*, Supreme People*, Freestyle Jam*, Sunday Araq, Spiderbite, Please Don’t^, Square Biz^, Garbage Truck, Deoxit*, Bongo Joe > Kashmir*^
* w/ Gift of Gab
^ w/ Ladybug Mecca
Day two of the festival started out much later then day one for good reason. This was tough choice #2 for me, but I hadn’t seen my boys from NOLA since 6/11/05, and I had to get a dose of funk while I was in Vegas.
I think we got there during ‘Linthead’ and left during ‘Mario Groove’. We missed out on the “special guest” rappers, but I can’t say that I’m all that upset about it.
Galactic was good, but I wasn’t quite in the swing of things yet, and it was already time to move on to the next stage.
The Rhythm Devils on the Double Down stage 3:00-4:30 (1st time)
Jam > The Center > Your House > Cumberland Blues > Comes Dawn, New Speedway Boogie, Next Dimension > Drums > The Other One, The Wedge, Fire on the Mountain, Turn on Your Lovelight
E: Good Lovin’
I’m not sure if we got there during ‘The Center’ or ‘Your House’ (because I had never heard their music before), but I’m pretty certain we saw the majority of the show.
This brand new super group consists of Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzman of the Grateful Dead on drums, Mike Gordon of Phish on bass, Steve Kimock of The Other Ones on guitar and Jen Durkin of Deep Banana Blackout on vocals.
Obviously with Bill and Mickey in the fold, the beats were tight, but it was the interplay between Gordon and Kimock that made this a special set of music for me.
The segues between songs were seamlessly led by Kimock with Gordon following him and leading the drummers from song to song. The new originals written by former Dead lyricist Robert Hunter and sung by Durkin were high quality as well.
Mike sang lead on ‘Cumberland Blues’ which was very fitting, but the highlight of my day was ‘The Wedge’. The Devils did it differently then Phish, most notably Mike slowing down the tempo and absolutely dropping bombs throughout.
You could so tell who in the crowd was a PHan and who was Head during ‘The Wedge’. Some peeps were groovin’ hard and others wore that confused look of “What is this?”
Anyway, this show was by far the best thing I saw on Sunday and earned the silver medal for my Vegoose 2006.
Phil and Trey on the Double Down stage 5:15-7:15 (7th show)
Shakedown Street, Sweet Dreams Melinda, Row Jimmy, Let it Ride, Sleep Again, Like a Rolling Stone, Back on the Train*, Bird Song, Help on the Way > Slipknot > Franklin's Tower
E: Not Fade Away
* w/ Mike Gordon on Trey's guitar
The anticipation was at a fever pitch for this second paring of the day that included a member of the Grateful Dead and Phish. The difference is that this band was really just Phil & Friends with Trey Anastasio and John Medeski. Which still ain’t bad.
However, this set fell very flat in my opinion (which may be in the serious minority). The ‘Shakedown Street’ opener I pretty much called after seeing the previous night’s setlist, but this version never really got off the ground,
What followed after that was a continuous stream of songs that I had no interest in hearing, none of which were played particularly well either. Something was missing, like chemistry between the band members, and Teri sensed it too.
‘Help on the Way > Slipknot > Franklin's Tower’ allowed the show to finish on a high note, but overall this was a major disappointment and easily the worst set I saw in Vegas.
Just a memo to Trey here: When you have an ultra talented group of musicians at your disposal like this, don’t teach them ‘Sweet Dreams Melinda’, ‘Sleep Again’ and ‘Back on the Train’. Ok? You feelin’ me buddy? You’ve got an entire catalog of PHat songs at your disposal. USE IT NEXT TIME!
Widespread Panic on the Double Down stage 8:00-11:00 (10th show)
Climb to Safety > Surprise Valley > Henry Parsons Died, From the Cradle > Pigeons, Rebirtha > Tall Boy, Blue Indian, Solid Rock > Fishwater, Conrad > Thought Sausage > Barstools and Dreamers > Action Man, Papa's Home, Little Wing > Porch Song, Ribs and Whiskey > Good People > Chilly Water
E: Ain't Life Grand
As much as I hate to admit it, we were all dragging arse by this point of the day/night…who could really tell anymore?
Anyhow, Panic did their usual fine job of closing out a major festival. I don’t think this set matches the barn burner that closed out Vegoose 2005, but this show was no slouch either.
The opening trio of ‘Climb to Safety > Surprise Valley > Henry Parsons Died’ got the party started right, and things just kept rolling from there.
Other highlights for me included ‘Pigeons’, ‘Rebirtha’, ‘Fishwater’ and ‘Conrad’.
We left around ‘Papa’s Home’ as Ali was flagging once again, but we were all pretty much exhausted anyway. I really need to hear this three hour show on CD before I can make a judgment on it’s true quality though.
Monday 10/30
Widespread Panic with The Meters at the MGM Grand Garden Arena (11th show)
Here Comes the Meterman, Ain't No Use, World is Under the Weather, Funkify Your Life > Cissy Strut > Look a Py Py > Africa
I: Contentment Blues, People are Strange, You Should be Glad, John's Other Jam, Pilgrims, Greta > Sharon, Time Zones, Stop-Go > Imitation Leather Shoes, Chainsaw City
II: Cant Get there from Here, Slippin' Into Darkness, When the Clowns Come Home, Diner > Proving Ground > Drums* > Airplane**, Morning Dew, Love Tractor
E: That Old Black Magic, Radar Love, I Want You (She's So Heavy)
* w/ Jeff Lane on percussion
** w/ Carrot Top on percussion
[Only 'Cant Get There From Here', Only 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)', Only 'John's Other Jam', Only 'People Are Strange', Only 'That Old Black Magic'; Last 'Airplane' - 07/02/02, 316 shows; Last 'Morning Dew' - 01/14/89, 1976 shows; Last 'Radar Love' - 10/31/96, 876 shows]
Ok, first things first. We did not see a single second of The Meters. Regrettable, yes, but I didn’t lose any sleep over it.
Now, on to business.
Every once in a while you see a show that truly transcends the time-space continuum (not nearly often enough though). I’ve had plenty of *those* type of experiences with Phish, a few with moe. and even some with STS9, but never has Panic grabbed me like they would on this night.
On the way in we had seven extra tickets, so we let the girls have their fun and miracle seven deserving souls. That’s exactly the kind of karma which leads to a show like this.
We got to our section right as the band was walking on stage. We found our seats (which were 3rd row off the floor, and as close to the stage as possible. UNBELIEVABLELY fantastic seats) just as the first notes of ‘Contentment Blues’ were being played. I mean, it was like something out of a fairy tail.
I had never heard ‘Contentment Blues’ before, but it had deep significance for our group. You see, Kenny had long since been trying to tell us about Panic’s “chicken song”, but he could never come up with the name, or really any lyrics for that matter. So when this tune was busted out, we were all smiles and Kenny’s “see, I told you so” looks were greeted with “ah, I understand now acceptance” nods from Teri and I.
Just a quick recap on the start of the show for us.
- Gave 7 tickets away to strangers.
- Got to our magnificent seats with perfect timing.
- Heard the one song we needed to right off the bat.
And it got better from there too!
The Doors’ ‘People are Strange’.....are you effing kidding me? I never thought I’d see any band cover that song in a million years.
‘You Should be Glad’ was next, and this is one of my favorite WSP songs. I was already beginning to realize what was happening, and so was everyone else in the arena.
‘Greta’ was the next highlight for me. Another tune that I love which was jammed out just right.
Next up was ‘Sharon’, which is a song I had never heard before, but our friend Kerry always talks about wanting to see it. Teri texted her, but who knows if she got it or not? What Teri and I finally got though was the meaning of “Dirty Panic”.
The hits just kept coming, relentless even. ‘Time Zones’ and ‘Stop-Go’ are another two of my favs, but ‘Time Zones’ especially. I knew this was one of the best sets of WSP I’d ever heard, and it wasn’t over yet.
The closing Jerry Joseph tune ‘Chainsaw City’ was a debut to my ears, and a pleasant one at that. I straight up did not want that song to end, and was kind of bummed when it did. Although, I was gassed, and needed the upcoming set break to recharge my batteries.
Set II started with an R.E.M. cover that I had no clue about, but War’s ‘Slippin' Into Darkness’ made me forget all about the somewhat lame opener. ‘Slippin’ is usually not a song I enjoy, but when a band is hot like the sun, they have a tendency to take everything to the next level, and this was certainly the case here.
‘When the Clowns Come Home’ is yet another tune I dig. Short, sweet and rockin’; just like ‘Time Zones’.
‘Diner’ was up next and brought the goods as well, clocking in at over 18 minutes (the longest song of the night).
The drums section gave me a much needed chance to cool down and get ready for the big finish. What came next could not have been expected by even the most hardcore of hardcore Panic fans.
The first ‘Airplane’ since original guitarist Michael Houser’s death brought the house down. Even if you’ve never heard Panic, there’s a decent chance you’ve heard ‘Airplane’ at some point and didn’t know what it was. Being an internet jockey myself, I knew all about the historical significance of what was going down, and appreciated every moment of it.
How in the hell could they top that? How about dusting off a classic Grateful Dead cover (a Bonnie Dobson original) by the name of ‘Morning Dew’.
At this point it was official, the show was legend in the making, and everyone in attendance knew it. And I do mean EVERYONE. It was impossible not to. The energy inside that place could have been measured on the Richter Scale.
The ‘Love Tractor’ closer, another Panic staple and quality tune, was icing on the cake. They didn’t mail it in either; they rocked the shiest out of that sucker. Bringing the energy up yet another level to a thunderous crescendo as they put down their instruments and walked off the stage.
Ok, deep breathes. I was expecting a lame encore after that masterful performance, but as was the case all night long, they had even more treats in store for us.
The encore was more then I, or anyone else, could have possibly expected. Dizzy Gillespie’s ‘That Old Black Magic’ came out of nowhere, and would have been a fitting way to end the evening. But nooo, there was even more.
Golden Earring’s ‘Radar Love’ seemed custom made for Panic and they rocked the holy hell out of it. I was sure that was it, but nooo.
The Beatles’ ‘I Want You’ felt a little dragged out if you ask me, but I’m not complaining one bit. A three song encore of classic covers, two of which are debuts? That was the cherry on top of the sundae which was placed on top of the already iced cake.
After the show there was palpable energy on the walk back to the casino floor. So much so that more then once there was what I’d call a “wave of cheers”. That’s right, spontaneous eruptions of “yeeeeeaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!” all the way from the arena through the casino, at the tables, into the restaurants, bars, etc. The straight people were like, “We gotta get outta here, these damn hippies are crazy.”
If you haven’t already guessed it, this is the gold medal winner for Halloween weekend ’06. The positive vibe from this show had us up talking about what just went down into the wee hours of the morning.
Tuesday 10/31
RAQ at the Aruba Hotel & Spa (3rd time)
I: Nasty > Moxey > Nasty, Botz, Cult of Personality, Late Night, Reason, One of these Days > Have a Cigar > One of these Days > Late Night, 15 Shakes
II: Beauregard, Carbohydrates are the Enemy, Don't Let Go, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide, Will Run, Circumstance, Gabvonie, One Eyed Jack, Sweet Cream Butter, Brother from Another Mother
E: When I Come Around, Tumblin' Down
First, some business. Thanks to RJ and the Las Vegas Jamband Society for coming through and delivering a show where Superfly could not.
I had seen RAQ open for Galactic on 10/11/03, but hardly remembered anything about them. So when this show was announced, I was super psyched for it because RAQ is a young band on the rise right now with a super good buzz around them.
However, after the previous night and preceding days, none of us had anything left for this one unfortunately. I didn’t think the sound was all that good inside the venue either, as the band sounded a little muddled or something. So we called it quits and left after the first set.
The music was ok, but I’ll need to hear it on CD to form any kind of definite opinion on RAQ.
The run up to this year’s festival was marred by several things, but the main problem was lack of ticket sales. This gross oversight by the promoters (Superfly) led to no shows on Halloween, which had been advertised from the start, leaving people that had already made plans high and dry.
Superfly’s lack of foresight, biting off more then they could chew, whatever, also made it so there was only 1 night show per day on 10/29 and 10/30 both. Not exactly what was expected by most of the paying customers.
Even with all these letdowns before hand, I was still expecting the same level of service as normal once we arrived. I was wrong.
Superfly decided not to use Sam Boyd Stadium this time around (poor ticket sales) making the VIP area pretty much the furthest point from any of the stages on the grounds. This was a far cry from the previous year, where the VIP pavilion had a secret entrance to the stadium. I didn’t pay $500 a ticket to have to walk 10-15 minutes to the main stage every time.
For the “regular” customers, there were absolutely not enough port-a-johns. The lines were ridiculous for a festival of this magnitude. (If you were wondering, the VIP area had separate bathrooms.)
Even worse, there was a “super” VIP area this year, where you had to “know somebody” in order to get in.
It’s really hard to believe how much of a fall off there was from the debut to the sophomore offering in Vegas on Halloween weekend. I mean, there was a reason it was no brainer to go back again. It wasn’t even a question.
This event has soured me on the boys at Superfly, and it’s doubtful you’ll catch me at Bonnaroo or Vegoose again any time soon, if ever. There are just too many festival options these days that offer better lineups, a more down home feel (i.e. less corporate) and cost half as much.
All that said, I still has a GREAT time. Seriously. It may sound different from what you just read, but all those disappointments from before hand were all but forgotten by the time I landed on Thursday night. And being around good friends and good music was enough for me to overlook the lack of on site amenities…until I started typing this review.
On to the music!
Friday 10/27
Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds at the MGM Grand Garden Arena (2nd show)
Bartender, Dodo, Lie in Our Graves, Stay or Leave, Jimi Thing, What Will Become of Me, Old Dirt Hill, Gravedigger, So Damn Lucky, Little Thing, Two Step, Down By the River, I'm Your Captain*, Some Devil+, Satellite, The Maker, Crush, Tripping Billies, Smooth Rider, Crash into Me, Typical Situation, Dancing Nancies
E: Sister, Oh, When the World Ends, Save Me, Ants Marching
* Tim Solo
+ Dave Solo
From Skyloft #22 down an elevator, around a corner and we were at the venue. Couldn’t ask for any more then that.
All six people in our group had seats on the floor, but ours were the best. Teri and I were second row, slightly off to the right. It was quite a thrill for Teri and Ali (who I switched seats with during the show) to see their boyfriend Dave so close.
For me it was OK, but after seeing this same duo last Vegoose, it was just more of the same. Don’t get me wrong, Dave & Tim are great at what they do, but I was ready to boogie down and their music really doesn’t lend itself to that.
I ended up catching a few zzz’s second row if you can believe that, I know Ali couldn’t. What can I say other then guilty as charged.
Keller Williams at the House of Blues (5th show)
Thin Mint > It's a Plant > Freshies, Sinky Green, Dude Loup, Loser > Loser > Loser, Run Like an Antelope > Runaway Jim > Run Like an Antelope, Karate, Roshambo, Get on Up > Whole Lotta Love > Money > Get on Up, Above the Thunder, Love Handles, Instrumental > Back of the Bus, You are What You Eat, Yoni, Dogs > More than a Little
E: Celebrate Your Youth
This was one of the two late night shows we attended. Only two you say? Well in my old age I know my limitations, and they include only two late nights per festival.
Thanks goodness we had tickets upstairs at the House of Security. If there is a less enjoyable place to see a show in Vegas, I don’t know of it. Gawd forbid you get stuck on the floor either, as Teri and I learned on our first venture there (moe. late night after Phish on 2/15/03).
But I digress; this was by far the most energetic K-Dub show I had ever seen. He totally brought it from start to finish, at least from what I remember. I ended up catching a few more zzz’s during this show as well. (Ali and I got woke by a security guard at least twice.)
What? He came on at like 1:10 AM and played until about 3:30 AM without stopping. Again, I wanted to boogie and Keller really isn’t my bag. For what it’s worth though, we left during 'Dogs' (almost the entire show!), and Teri had a great time.
Saturday 10/28
Toubab Krewe on the Snake Eyes stage 11:30-12:10 (3rd show)
setlist unknown
The kickoff to the festival proper was the *it* band of the summer. Every summer there’s one band that takes the festival circuit by storm, and this year it was the boys from Asheville, NC.
I had been listening to Toubab on archive.org for a while, and had seen them twice in my backyard (just about literally) at the Oregon Country Fair in July.
I arrived a little late (during ‘Devil Woman’ I think) and was able to walk right up to the front of the stage. From there I saw a pretty standard TK show, with the exception of their mentor, Lamine Soumano (from Mali), playing with them. That was pretty cool actually. His guitar added a nice flavor to their already tight mix of African-instrumental-groove-jam.
Overall, I was happy I made it in for the 20 minutes or so I did see.
Gomez on the Jokers Wild stage 12:20-1:20 (2nd show)
Shot Shot, All Too Much, Love is Better than a Warm Trombone, Hamoa Beach, Hangover Girl, Notice, How We Operate, Ping One Down, Ruff Stuff, See the World, Fill My Cup, Devil Will Ride
At this point, I was still on my own, but I was fielding texts and calls from everyone that was about to arrive. So that kind of disrupted my enjoyment of the show.
However, I thought the boys from England were markedly better then the first time I saw them (12/29/02). They kind of reminded me of a lesser version of the Black Crowes.
I caught about three to four of their songs from pretty close up, and then headed to the VIP area for a meet up and listened to the rest of the set as back round music
Praxis on the Double Down stage 1:15-2:15 (1st time)
Bernie > Night of the Slunk, Dub, Jam, Bucket, Machine Gun, Jordan
After everyone had something to eat and was ready to roll we took our initial trudge to the main stage. We kind of meandered around the main vending area for a while and then heard these strange sounds coming from the stage.
Of course it was Buckethead shredding his axe like the space alien he is. But this is bassist Bill Laswell’s band, and besides the KFC wearin’ guitarist, he was flanked by legendary keyboardist Bernie Worrell (P-Funk) and an unnamed drummer.
Their music was pretty wild, and I’m glad I caught some of it; even it was from a distance.
Medeski, Martin & Wood with Maceo Parker on the Jokers Wild Stage 2:40-3:40 (8th show)
New Planet, The Lover*, Pappy Check*, Uptown Up*, Think*, Legalize It*, Quick Step*, Chubb Sub%
* w/ Maceo on alto sax
% w/ Maceo on flute
This was one of only two tough choices I had to make at Vegoose 2006 as far as overlapping schedules went. I hadn’t seen MMW since 4/25/02, so I had to catch at least some of their set.
Man-o-man did the boys ever deliver. Maceo was a nice touch as he bobbed and weaved on and off the stage adding just the right touches here and there, but it was the main three that were bringing the heat for me.
Old school Shacklyn style, yo.
From what we saw they were ON FIRE. I believe we left during Uptown Up, but we had a schedule to keep after all.
I’ll sum it up like this; Mark, the least experienced festivarian in our group, said it was GREAT. ‘Nuff said.
Yonder Mountain String Band on the Double Down stage 2:45-4:15 (2nd show)
Up on the Hill Where They Do the Boogie, Angel, How 'Bout You?, Night Out, Too Late Now, Night is Left Behind, Mother's Only Son, Get Me Outta This City, Left Me in a Hole, 40 Miles from Denver, East Nashville Easter, Damned if the Right One Didn't Go Wrong, Sidewalk Stars, Death Trip
I’m pretty sure we arrived during ‘Too Late Now’ and the rest of the set was phenomenal. From ‘Get Me Outta This City’ to ‘Left Me in a Hole’ to ‘40 Miles from Denver’ and the closing ‘Death Trip’ the Colorado bluegrass boys just ripped it up high energy style.
I was a little bummed when I saw what the opener was (after the fact), but at the time I thought it was the best YMSB show I had ever seen (only 2, mind you). Kenny was in complete agreement as we both commented walking away from the show that this set outshined their memorable performance from Bonnaroo (6/11/05, the last time both of us had seen them).
The Keller Williams Incident on the Double Down stage 5:00-6:45 (2nd show)
Burning Down the House > Once in a Lifetime, Ninja of Love, Blatant Ripoff, Luckiest Man, Mullet Cut, Sing for My Dinner, Portapotty, Lightning, Bob Rules > Restless Wind > Bob Rules, Bargain, Life > Freeker by the Speaker
By this point in the day I was already happy with the high quality of music I had seen. Little did I know what was in store for me next. I was expecting the same old songs from KWI, which isn’t a bad thing, but it’s also nothing to get overly excited about.
As we walked up to the VIP area that was stage right to the Talking Heads medley of ‘Burning Down the House > Once in a Lifetime’ I was like, “This might be a little different then what I anticipated.”
Oh, was it ever.
The rare Keller songs (to me anyway) like ‘Ninja’, ‘Portapotty’ and ‘Bob Rules’ were special treats, but it was the all out disco dance party throw down jam out of ‘Sing for My Dinner’ that was the clincher. Un-forking-real!
They capped off a perfect set with another boogierific jam out of ‘Freeker by the Speaker’. It was funny because I knew we would hear ‘Freeker’, but I never expected it to go where it went. I know Teri and I were both ready for much, much more.
This capped off a magnificent day of music at the Star Nursery Field and earned KWI the bronze medal in my five day music marathon.
The Black Crowes on the Double Down stage 7:30-9:00 (11th show)
(Only) Halfway to Everywhere, Sting Me, Gone, Seeing Things, High Head Blues, Cripple Creek, My Morning Song, Soul Singing, Wiser Time, Space Captain, Jealous Again, By Your Side, Remedy
I’ll admit, our group was dragging a little by this point and was probably ready for some recharging in the comforts of the Skyloft. But I give the four of them credit, they knew I was a big Crowes fan, so they all hung in there without a peep.
Unfortunately my boys did not deliver. This was the fifth time I had seen them since they came back from hiatus, and it was easily the worst show of the five. The setlist was completely stock and totally mailed in.
I’m not sure if they were road weary from their excessive tour schedule or what, but they lacked the energy of all the other bands I had seen that day.
The new members (Paul Stacey on guitar and Rob Clores on keys) seemed to still be finding their comfort zone in the Crowes powerful mix of jam-rock. I’m sure Clores will eventually do a fine job filling the shoes of the dismissed Ed Harsch, but the other guitar spot beside Rich Robinson is a concern.
I know that Stacey (their long time producer) is just a temporary fill in, but Marc Ford (who quit on the eve of their fall tour) is not easily replaceable. I’ve always said that Marc and Rich are like the modern day Duane Allman and Dickey Betts, but with Ford on the outs again the band’s improvisational skills suffer mightily.
As a long time fan I’m not optimistic that MFF will be asked to re-up, but I can hope. As for this set, it was the second worst display of music I saw in Vegas. (That was not easy for me to type either.)
Jimmy Buffett at the MGM Grand Garden Arena (1st time)
I: Piece of Work, Brown Eyed Girl, Pencil Thin Mustache, Grapefruit-Juicy Fruit, Bama Breeze, Come Monday, It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere, Changes in Latitudes Changes in Attitudes, Elvis Presley Blues, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Scarlet Begonias*, Why Don't We Get Drunk, Party at the End of the World, One Particular Harbor
II: Knees of My Heart, Window on the World, Weather With You, Son of a Son of a Sailor, Peanut Butter Conspiracy, Everybody's on the Phone, Werewolves of London, Desperation Samba (Halloween in Tijuana), Dixie Chicken, Volcano, Margaritaville
E: Fins, Southern Cross, A Pirate Looks at Forty
* w/ Mickey Hart
After some maxing and relaxing at the Skyloft prior to the post festival festivities, we again headed downstairs (with the best margarita I’ve ever had in my life in hand) and caught the end of Buffett’s set.
We got there during ‘Desperation Samba’ and found our seats amongst the sweaty and drunk mass of 50-somethings in the crowd. Talk about culture shock! After being around hippies all day long, suddenly a grandmother was sitting in front of me.
Anyway, we caught all the classics you need to see (‘Volcano’, ‘Margaritaville’, ‘Fins’ & ‘A Pirate Looks at Forty’). I can’t explain just how perfect this worked out for us.
A big thank you goes out to my boy Kenny for hatching this plan.
Sound Tribe Sector 9 at The Joint (19th show)
I: Rent, Somesing, Painoir, One a Day, Hi-Key, Blu Mood, Be Nice
II: Lo Swaga, F. Word, Aimlessly, Mischief of a Sleepwalker, Evasive Maneuvers > Kamuy, Arigato, Orbital
E: You Don't Say, GLOgli
Let me start off by saying that I was oh so happy that this show was not at the HoB. The Joint is in the Hard Rock Hotel and is so much more chill, allowing ins and outs, that is was thee perfect venue for a late night dance party.
The first set was pretty standard STS9, with decent but not spectacular, versions of ‘Rent’, ‘One a Day’ and ‘Be Nice’. It was also the first time I had ever seen ‘Hi-Key’ in person, not too bad a tune. Overall though, I was a little under whelmed with the set as a whole.
After getting some fresh air on the casino floor during the set break I was hopeful for the second set.
B-I-N-G-O!
The throw down was on from the first notes of ‘Lo Swaga’ (Teri’s favorite new song). The ‘F. Word’ was solid and the ‘Aimlessly’ flat out took off and had the entire place shakin’ their collective booty’s.
‘Mischief of a Sleepwalker’ is a rarity these days that I was more then happy to hear.
I figured ‘Evasive Maneuvers > Kamuy’ was coming sooner or later (although my ‘Instantly’ never materialized), and this version certainly delivered the goods.
‘Arigato’ was the one down moment of the set for me, but what followed that was an absolutely EPIC version of ‘Orbital’. The energy inside the venue was about to blow the roof off the whole place. The banging bass, the killer drums, it was all there. Find it on the net or get in on CD, but whatever you do, listen to it.
It was a fitting ending to what was probably the longest day of music in my life, and if you know me, that’s really saying something.
We left during another debut for me (‘You Don’t Say’) because Ali was failing hardcore. I didn’t mind that we missed ‘GLOgli’ at all.
It was 4:30 AM (after the "fall back" time change, mind you) and we drove home in complete silence, as our ears couldn’t handle another note of music.
Sunday 10/29
Galactic on the Jokers Wild stage 2:25-3:40 (17th show)
The Moil, FEMA, Linthead, Doublewide > Mario Groove, Alphabet Aerobics*, Supreme People*, Freestyle Jam*, Sunday Araq, Spiderbite, Please Don’t^, Square Biz^, Garbage Truck, Deoxit*, Bongo Joe > Kashmir*^
* w/ Gift of Gab
^ w/ Ladybug Mecca
Day two of the festival started out much later then day one for good reason. This was tough choice #2 for me, but I hadn’t seen my boys from NOLA since 6/11/05, and I had to get a dose of funk while I was in Vegas.
I think we got there during ‘Linthead’ and left during ‘Mario Groove’. We missed out on the “special guest” rappers, but I can’t say that I’m all that upset about it.
Galactic was good, but I wasn’t quite in the swing of things yet, and it was already time to move on to the next stage.
The Rhythm Devils on the Double Down stage 3:00-4:30 (1st time)
Jam > The Center > Your House > Cumberland Blues > Comes Dawn, New Speedway Boogie, Next Dimension > Drums > The Other One, The Wedge, Fire on the Mountain, Turn on Your Lovelight
E: Good Lovin’
I’m not sure if we got there during ‘The Center’ or ‘Your House’ (because I had never heard their music before), but I’m pretty certain we saw the majority of the show.
This brand new super group consists of Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzman of the Grateful Dead on drums, Mike Gordon of Phish on bass, Steve Kimock of The Other Ones on guitar and Jen Durkin of Deep Banana Blackout on vocals.
Obviously with Bill and Mickey in the fold, the beats were tight, but it was the interplay between Gordon and Kimock that made this a special set of music for me.
The segues between songs were seamlessly led by Kimock with Gordon following him and leading the drummers from song to song. The new originals written by former Dead lyricist Robert Hunter and sung by Durkin were high quality as well.
Mike sang lead on ‘Cumberland Blues’ which was very fitting, but the highlight of my day was ‘The Wedge’. The Devils did it differently then Phish, most notably Mike slowing down the tempo and absolutely dropping bombs throughout.
You could so tell who in the crowd was a PHan and who was Head during ‘The Wedge’. Some peeps were groovin’ hard and others wore that confused look of “What is this?”
Anyway, this show was by far the best thing I saw on Sunday and earned the silver medal for my Vegoose 2006.
Phil and Trey on the Double Down stage 5:15-7:15 (7th show)
Shakedown Street, Sweet Dreams Melinda, Row Jimmy, Let it Ride, Sleep Again, Like a Rolling Stone, Back on the Train*, Bird Song, Help on the Way > Slipknot > Franklin's Tower
E: Not Fade Away
* w/ Mike Gordon on Trey's guitar
The anticipation was at a fever pitch for this second paring of the day that included a member of the Grateful Dead and Phish. The difference is that this band was really just Phil & Friends with Trey Anastasio and John Medeski. Which still ain’t bad.
However, this set fell very flat in my opinion (which may be in the serious minority). The ‘Shakedown Street’ opener I pretty much called after seeing the previous night’s setlist, but this version never really got off the ground,
What followed after that was a continuous stream of songs that I had no interest in hearing, none of which were played particularly well either. Something was missing, like chemistry between the band members, and Teri sensed it too.
‘Help on the Way > Slipknot > Franklin's Tower’ allowed the show to finish on a high note, but overall this was a major disappointment and easily the worst set I saw in Vegas.
Just a memo to Trey here: When you have an ultra talented group of musicians at your disposal like this, don’t teach them ‘Sweet Dreams Melinda’, ‘Sleep Again’ and ‘Back on the Train’. Ok? You feelin’ me buddy? You’ve got an entire catalog of PHat songs at your disposal. USE IT NEXT TIME!
Widespread Panic on the Double Down stage 8:00-11:00 (10th show)
Climb to Safety > Surprise Valley > Henry Parsons Died, From the Cradle > Pigeons, Rebirtha > Tall Boy, Blue Indian, Solid Rock > Fishwater, Conrad > Thought Sausage > Barstools and Dreamers > Action Man, Papa's Home, Little Wing > Porch Song, Ribs and Whiskey > Good People > Chilly Water
E: Ain't Life Grand
As much as I hate to admit it, we were all dragging arse by this point of the day/night…who could really tell anymore?
Anyhow, Panic did their usual fine job of closing out a major festival. I don’t think this set matches the barn burner that closed out Vegoose 2005, but this show was no slouch either.
The opening trio of ‘Climb to Safety > Surprise Valley > Henry Parsons Died’ got the party started right, and things just kept rolling from there.
Other highlights for me included ‘Pigeons’, ‘Rebirtha’, ‘Fishwater’ and ‘Conrad’.
We left around ‘Papa’s Home’ as Ali was flagging once again, but we were all pretty much exhausted anyway. I really need to hear this three hour show on CD before I can make a judgment on it’s true quality though.
Monday 10/30
Widespread Panic with The Meters at the MGM Grand Garden Arena (11th show)
Here Comes the Meterman, Ain't No Use, World is Under the Weather, Funkify Your Life > Cissy Strut > Look a Py Py > Africa
I: Contentment Blues, People are Strange, You Should be Glad, John's Other Jam, Pilgrims, Greta > Sharon, Time Zones, Stop-Go > Imitation Leather Shoes, Chainsaw City
II: Cant Get there from Here, Slippin' Into Darkness, When the Clowns Come Home, Diner > Proving Ground > Drums* > Airplane**, Morning Dew, Love Tractor
E: That Old Black Magic, Radar Love, I Want You (She's So Heavy)
* w/ Jeff Lane on percussion
** w/ Carrot Top on percussion
[Only 'Cant Get There From Here', Only 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)', Only 'John's Other Jam', Only 'People Are Strange', Only 'That Old Black Magic'; Last 'Airplane' - 07/02/02, 316 shows; Last 'Morning Dew' - 01/14/89, 1976 shows; Last 'Radar Love' - 10/31/96, 876 shows]
Ok, first things first. We did not see a single second of The Meters. Regrettable, yes, but I didn’t lose any sleep over it.
Now, on to business.
Every once in a while you see a show that truly transcends the time-space continuum (not nearly often enough though). I’ve had plenty of *those* type of experiences with Phish, a few with moe. and even some with STS9, but never has Panic grabbed me like they would on this night.
On the way in we had seven extra tickets, so we let the girls have their fun and miracle seven deserving souls. That’s exactly the kind of karma which leads to a show like this.
We got to our section right as the band was walking on stage. We found our seats (which were 3rd row off the floor, and as close to the stage as possible. UNBELIEVABLELY fantastic seats) just as the first notes of ‘Contentment Blues’ were being played. I mean, it was like something out of a fairy tail.
I had never heard ‘Contentment Blues’ before, but it had deep significance for our group. You see, Kenny had long since been trying to tell us about Panic’s “chicken song”, but he could never come up with the name, or really any lyrics for that matter. So when this tune was busted out, we were all smiles and Kenny’s “see, I told you so” looks were greeted with “ah, I understand now acceptance” nods from Teri and I.
Just a quick recap on the start of the show for us.
- Gave 7 tickets away to strangers.
- Got to our magnificent seats with perfect timing.
- Heard the one song we needed to right off the bat.
And it got better from there too!
The Doors’ ‘People are Strange’.....are you effing kidding me? I never thought I’d see any band cover that song in a million years.
‘You Should be Glad’ was next, and this is one of my favorite WSP songs. I was already beginning to realize what was happening, and so was everyone else in the arena.
‘Greta’ was the next highlight for me. Another tune that I love which was jammed out just right.
Next up was ‘Sharon’, which is a song I had never heard before, but our friend Kerry always talks about wanting to see it. Teri texted her, but who knows if she got it or not? What Teri and I finally got though was the meaning of “Dirty Panic”.
The hits just kept coming, relentless even. ‘Time Zones’ and ‘Stop-Go’ are another two of my favs, but ‘Time Zones’ especially. I knew this was one of the best sets of WSP I’d ever heard, and it wasn’t over yet.
The closing Jerry Joseph tune ‘Chainsaw City’ was a debut to my ears, and a pleasant one at that. I straight up did not want that song to end, and was kind of bummed when it did. Although, I was gassed, and needed the upcoming set break to recharge my batteries.
Set II started with an R.E.M. cover that I had no clue about, but War’s ‘Slippin' Into Darkness’ made me forget all about the somewhat lame opener. ‘Slippin’ is usually not a song I enjoy, but when a band is hot like the sun, they have a tendency to take everything to the next level, and this was certainly the case here.
‘When the Clowns Come Home’ is yet another tune I dig. Short, sweet and rockin’; just like ‘Time Zones’.
‘Diner’ was up next and brought the goods as well, clocking in at over 18 minutes (the longest song of the night).
The drums section gave me a much needed chance to cool down and get ready for the big finish. What came next could not have been expected by even the most hardcore of hardcore Panic fans.
The first ‘Airplane’ since original guitarist Michael Houser’s death brought the house down. Even if you’ve never heard Panic, there’s a decent chance you’ve heard ‘Airplane’ at some point and didn’t know what it was. Being an internet jockey myself, I knew all about the historical significance of what was going down, and appreciated every moment of it.
How in the hell could they top that? How about dusting off a classic Grateful Dead cover (a Bonnie Dobson original) by the name of ‘Morning Dew’.
At this point it was official, the show was legend in the making, and everyone in attendance knew it. And I do mean EVERYONE. It was impossible not to. The energy inside that place could have been measured on the Richter Scale.
The ‘Love Tractor’ closer, another Panic staple and quality tune, was icing on the cake. They didn’t mail it in either; they rocked the shiest out of that sucker. Bringing the energy up yet another level to a thunderous crescendo as they put down their instruments and walked off the stage.
Ok, deep breathes. I was expecting a lame encore after that masterful performance, but as was the case all night long, they had even more treats in store for us.
The encore was more then I, or anyone else, could have possibly expected. Dizzy Gillespie’s ‘That Old Black Magic’ came out of nowhere, and would have been a fitting way to end the evening. But nooo, there was even more.
Golden Earring’s ‘Radar Love’ seemed custom made for Panic and they rocked the holy hell out of it. I was sure that was it, but nooo.
The Beatles’ ‘I Want You’ felt a little dragged out if you ask me, but I’m not complaining one bit. A three song encore of classic covers, two of which are debuts? That was the cherry on top of the sundae which was placed on top of the already iced cake.
After the show there was palpable energy on the walk back to the casino floor. So much so that more then once there was what I’d call a “wave of cheers”. That’s right, spontaneous eruptions of “yeeeeeaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!” all the way from the arena through the casino, at the tables, into the restaurants, bars, etc. The straight people were like, “We gotta get outta here, these damn hippies are crazy.”
If you haven’t already guessed it, this is the gold medal winner for Halloween weekend ’06. The positive vibe from this show had us up talking about what just went down into the wee hours of the morning.
Tuesday 10/31
RAQ at the Aruba Hotel & Spa (3rd time)
I: Nasty > Moxey > Nasty, Botz, Cult of Personality, Late Night, Reason, One of these Days > Have a Cigar > One of these Days > Late Night, 15 Shakes
II: Beauregard, Carbohydrates are the Enemy, Don't Let Go, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide, Will Run, Circumstance, Gabvonie, One Eyed Jack, Sweet Cream Butter, Brother from Another Mother
E: When I Come Around, Tumblin' Down
First, some business. Thanks to RJ and the Las Vegas Jamband Society for coming through and delivering a show where Superfly could not.
I had seen RAQ open for Galactic on 10/11/03, but hardly remembered anything about them. So when this show was announced, I was super psyched for it because RAQ is a young band on the rise right now with a super good buzz around them.
However, after the previous night and preceding days, none of us had anything left for this one unfortunately. I didn’t think the sound was all that good inside the venue either, as the band sounded a little muddled or something. So we called it quits and left after the first set.
The music was ok, but I’ll need to hear it on CD to form any kind of definite opinion on RAQ.
posted by D$ at 8:11 AM
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