Teases
By-Tor & the Snow Dog tease in Rock and Roll
Debut Years (Average: 1994)

This show was part of the "2011 Late Summer Tour"

Show Reviews

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Review by DanceTheJig728

DanceTheJig728 rock and roll->meatstick is one of the best phish jams ever that is all
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Review by Dino_Stomp

Dino_Stomp best Rock and Roll I've EVER heard by far!! This 20 minute monster gets extremely dark and freaky with Page on the theremin, eventually turning into a great funk jam, with an incredible transition into Meatstick. Whether or not you like Meatstick anymore, you'll love this segue. Easily the highlight of the show x10000 and one of the best jams of 2011. Absolutely destroys the Mansfield R&R.

Other highlights: Gin, Roggae (during the sunset) > Walk Away, Bowie
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Review by waxbanks

waxbanks This was a jaw-dropping show in the literal sense: after Super Ball IX fans were wondering whether the lads would keep digging into the weird-noise vibe of their 'Storage Shed Jam,' and that question was answered roughly two hours into the August tour, in the skull-rattling affirmative.

The R'n'R is the jam of the summer, far as I'm concerned. I was at Great Woods in June to witness THAT stunning version in person, so it's got a special place in my heart - but while the Great Woods version has that scintillating, spare major-key jam (about 11 minutes in) and roaring climax, Phish have *never* played music quite like the closing sixty seconds of this Gorge performance. It really does sound exactly like something off 'Endtroducing...' but it's purely improvised in the moment...as is the silky smooth, boundlessly patient segue into Meatstick. The second half of this R'n'R is simply incandescent improvisation, with Page's Cape Canaveral theremin and Mike's eerie chanting connecting the performance to the Tower Jam from IT, but with a stronger and more complexly integrated rhythmic foundation.

Beyond the marquee Set II jam sequence there's also a canonical version of Roggae to be had here, which simmers down into an ambient fog where (say) the equally powerful 12/27/10 Worcester version climbs to a roiling dissonant peak. Pay attention to Mike while listening to both versions - he touches on some of the same effects-laden material but in totally different emotional contexts, and the difference is instructive. And as at that Worcester show, we've got a stirring Farmhouse that combines the explicit triplet feel of Roggae and its own lilting swing.

I've actually held onto more of the 8/6 show for regular listening, but this is the first and highest peak of August '11. Its abyssal mirror comes ten days later at UIC: the underground Waves and dark Light and gathering Steam of 8/15.
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Review by lumpyhead

lumpyhead Love how Mike comes back in with, "It's alright," instead of, "It was alright,". Almost like he was telling people, "It's alright, you will survive this abduction."
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Review by CreatureoftheNight

CreatureoftheNight This show was the first time that my wife has ever shown interest in seeing the band. What a way for her to start! I think the Gorge is the best large venue in the US. It's also the closest show I can hope for. Not exactly a hometown show with a 4 hour drive, but that's how it is out west. It's rare that I roll up to a show with a huge crew and they didn't disappoint.
Now for the music: The first set offered good song selection and energy from the crowd. Roggae was the first time I felt like we were in the Gorge. This is not just another show at a Verizon Wireless Venue near you. Everyone was looking around at each other with the same knowing glance. Walk Away, Funky and Bowie gave Trey some time to shred us all to pieces before set break.

Rock and Roll-> Meatstick -> Boogie. This 37 minute roller coaster was the best music I have heard in person so far this year. The RnR seemed to be a continuation of Super Ball for me; the next step forward. I was back at the Storage Jam, except the band had more of a purpose behind the madness this time. With CK5 throwing down, my wife asked me if the stage was about to fly off into space. We all thought the same thing she did. This was one of those once a year (if you're lucky) moments for me. Magical.
Having seen 21 shows in 1999, it is hard for me to enjoy a Meatstick (except 7-15-99), but the bookend jams were HOT. Boogie kept the dance party going with nimble Trey dancing around Mike's phunk. Truth be told, Page earned MVP of the west coast for me and these 3 songs give a taste of why.
Farmhouse, Show of Life, who cares what they play after that. Everyone kept telling my wife not to expect this type of a performance every night. Fortunately, the band proved them wrong the very next night.
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Review by rex2112

rex2112 Hey there phriends. I'll confess up front that I'm not a hardcore phan like you guys are (the fact that I keep using "ph" tags me as an outsider, probably). I've loved Phish since Junta, but my heart always belonged to a different band. This is why I understand and appreciate the love you have for Phish. I fucking love every show I go to and the crowd is amazingly cool each time. It's impossible to have a bad time at a Phish show, especially in the bowl. If the energy and vibe weren't enough, the music then proceeds to kick your ass with bliss. Love it!

THE POINT: Around 11:00 into Rock in Roll it sounds an awful lot like Trey is playing the main lick from the solo in Rush's "By-Tor & the Snow Dog" (album: Fly By Night, '75). I throw in the year so that you'll actually consider listening to it.

Here's it's all cued up for ya:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poPCStBHfmI&t=2m42s />
Listen to the full song to get a taste of the awesomeness of original Rush. As a music lover, you owe it to yourself.

So I'm really curious to hear what everyone here has to say. It certainly *sounds* like the same lick. But is it coincidence? An homage? What?
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Review by TheEmu

TheEmu Was totally shocked to see this currently carrying a 3.9 rating. The Rock & Roll-> Meatstick-> Boogie On makes this a 5 star show to me, easy. There would have had to have been serious carnage in the rest of the show for me to even downgrade it to 4. The Rock and Roll is that good. The jam was excellent, then Page comes in on the theremin and takes it to another universe. Do not wait. Download this show now, and grab a towel to mop up your face. Everything else is pretty well played, even though the only other true highlight IMHO is the Roggae. Much of the rest of the show has a very mellow, laid back vibe.

Maybe people don't like some of the song selection, I dunno. Show of Life seems to draw a lot of hate. This was the first time I had heard it, and I don't mind it at all. It's not like getting a Secret Smile or something else fairly awful. Pretty innocuous.

Anyway...yeah, you need to hear the Rock & Roll. 'Cause it's all right.
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Review by TelaJewel

TelaJewel I'm writing this review on the 2 year anniversary after someone started a thread about the epic Rock and Roll.

This was a really special night for me for a number of reasons. I had been following the rise of Phish 3.0 for awhile via @mkdevos now sadly defunct youtube page. My last show was the Gorge '99 and I was excited to see they were heading that way again after missing out on the '09 run.

My partner doesn't get teh Phish so I decided to write to a friend in MN to see if she could make it. The last show we had been at together was in Kalamazoo, MI of all places in '94. I convinced her that the boys were peaking once again and that she shouldn't miss out!

So the stage was set for a sweet little reunion. Whether the band played well or not didn't much matter at that point.

When they kicked off the first set with Kill Devil I was a little shaky. Let's just say it's not a fav. But once the dust had settled and The Wedge emerged I was back on familiar ground.

My friend has 2 kids now both in their teens. Hard for me to believe sometimes. The older one's favorite Phish song is Bathtub Gin and the younger one's fav is My Friend, My Friend. To hear both of those in the first set was really special for her and I loved to get a little taste of bluegrass with Nellie Kane. As Cavern rolled into Taste the groove was returning to my hips. Then the magic of 3.0 really hit me with my first Roggae. What a beautiful moment that was: Sunset, the Gorge, my bff and Phish 3.0 rolling into a beautifully extended Roggae jam. I remember looking at her with an "I told you so" grin and glance. The rest of the first set was like crossing a threshold for me and became a rocking celebration of life. Nothing prepared us for the treat that was coming in the 2nd set.

I know a lot of folks groan at Number Line but on this day and this occasion it really hit home and spoke to me. As Number Line wound down and the first chords of Rock and Roll started I remember being happy for another first for me. As they meandered into heavier darker territory the grin on my face widened and I marveled at where they were going. When Page started in with the theremin my friend turned to me dead serious and said, "I'm glad we didn't drop acid tonight." I just giggled and thought, yeah, probably a good thing. As the darkness subsided and the Meatstick emerged any shadow of doubt that I had about 3.0 had been lifted. One beautifully crafted segue followed up by another into Boogie On Reggae Woman then gently falling into the fluffy pile of hay at the Farmhouse.

Again the groan fest at Show of Life was lost on me and the song resonated with were I was in that moment. Julius and Character Zero wrapped things up in a pretty little bow.

The boys had once again replenished my loving cup and I could now see that cup was indeed half full! 3.0 is a whole other beast. More mature, more patient but still whip smart and lethal when it decides to unleash.
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Review by BurbonSong

BurbonSong HOLY ROCK AND ROLL INTO FREAK OUT, BATMAN!
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Review by Fluffyfluffyhead

Fluffyfluffyhead That was a full-on "By-Tor and the Snow Dog" tease by Trey that needs to mentioned in the show notes. and I think that was the BEST Roggae EVER right after that ripping Taste. I can't even begin to explain how amazing the Rock and Roll jam is. You MUST LISTEN to it!
Abduction? Yes!
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Review by skipper

skipper Solid first set......second set was amazing. That R & R will go down in Phish history
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Review by Cavern

Cavern ok people who want to talk about Phish as if they only played well during 93-97....step off...monster funk and straight sickness especially in that 2nd set....made my hair stand up
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Review by Bob_Loblaw

Bob_Loblaw Show of the Year?

This show front to back has so much to offer.

Kill Devil Falls, a typical opener has a little extra mustard to start. The Wedge is excellent. Bathtub Gin has a really nice micro jam. And that's just the first three songs, and not even the highlight of the show! Taste is above average and quite strong. Roggae is a top shelf version with a little extra to it. Very strong and peaky walk away. And why not just close the set with a good old Bowie ripper. Excellent first set.

BDTNL has a fantastic and inspired solo. R&R steals the night with what starts out as a very pretty cohesive jam. This does not last as it grows darker and darker. Page makes excellent use of the Theremin adding more and more into this dark rabbit hole they buried everyone in. It's just an indescribable and otherworldly jam. That's why I believe it is the jam of 2011. If that wasn't enough for you, you get a flawless and may I say epic Segue into Meatstick. And it just doesn't stop as Boogie on truly shows the band still firing on all cylinders with no fatigue or loss of inspiration despite burning down the barn for the last set and a half. Things are fairly average the rest of the set giving everyone a much needed breather.

Powerful above average Loving Cup encore.

Overall IMO the show of the year. Pretty much every song delivers and the guys are relentless in really pushing it for both sets. Outstanding show. The Gorge never disappoints.
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Review by DriedupGoliath

DriedupGoliath UIC Night 1 was far and away my favorite show from Summer '11 until I heard this show in full for the first time. The first set is *outstanding*, especially Cavern>Taste>Roggae>Walk Away. It's weird to say and think something like the "8/5/11 Roggae is one of the best jams of the summer", but it really is. Trey absolutely buries Walk Away (as he seems to do more often than not in 3.0). David Bowie is fairly cookie-cutter (as most versions in 3.0 are, unfortunately) but a cooke-cutter David Bowie is still incredibly exciting.

But the second set. Oh the second set. I was doing classwork during the my listening of the second set. I actually had to stop typing my essay when Page started playing the theremin midway through R'n'R and couldn't get back to work until the smooth-as-butter, lights-out, funky segue into Meatstick. This Rock n' Roll is, in my opinion the best jam of the summer. It just beats out the Pine Knob Disease and Dick's Tweezer.

Listen now.
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Review by TennesseeJed

TennesseeJed An excellent Roggae and smooth David Bowie in the first set combine with a great second set sequence of Backwards Down the Number Line > Rock and Roll -> Meatstick -> Boogie On Reggae Woman > Farmhouse > Show of Life to make this a great tour opener.

If you are doing a tour highlights reel you can clip "Backwards Down the Number Line" and "Show of Life" off of the second set run, but I recommend keeping them, they may not be "best ever" but they are both above average and the flow is fantastic.

Play Often, Play Loud!
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Review by fhqwhgads

fhqwhgads This show evinces some real fire, from Trey especially, who is always my main focus perhaps to the detriment of what Phish is really going for, but it was Trey's playing and personality coming through the music that initially hooked me and keeps me listening after 15 years going. That being said, the highlights to me were Roggae > Walk Away and Rock and Roll -> Meatstick. The segue into Meatstick was a lot stronger than the segue into Boogie On Reggae Woman, IMO. Walk Away was what I consider a standout version, just slayed by Trey. YMMV. Cohesively, this show was a lot of fun to listen to, and has some substantial replay value. I enjoyed listening to it more than any show from Leg 1! I am very hopeful for a strong Leg 2 after last night.

Note: Philip Zerbo cited that this was Page's first use of the theremin since 8/11/97; interesting statistic that you are really only likely to get from experts like those at Phish.Net; cheers to you all for being the central source for Phish lore since 1990!
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Review by triplesevener

triplesevener I swear I hear at least a few Moma Dance teases from Trey and Mike during the Rock And Roll jam, right before Page whips out the Theremin.
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Review by nichobert

nichobert I forgot just how excellent this Roggae and Farmhouse are!
Along with 3.0 Steeps and Heavy Things, these are the songs very quietly finding a lot of new inspiration where they were once employed as filler.
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Review by fry1077

fry1077 I never got around to writing a review for this show even though it was my first, I got an email from Phish.net that said it was my first Phish-iversary and that I should review it. I started the day off in the last place I wanted to be - taking a test in my Pre-calc class that I was taking in summer school, I couldn't wait to get to the show.

Kill Devil Falls - I thought this was an awesome concert opener, It got everyone dancing and Trey played really well.
The Wedge - My favorite part of this was what page is playing in the beginning, it is also one of my favorite versions and one of the longest that I have heard.
Bathtub Gin - Similar to The Wedge: one of my favorite parts is the little riff that Mike plays in the beginning. It also features a really good jam (which is my other favorite part lol).
My Friend, My Friend - When they played this song I was thinking "Man this is really funky" Also it builds up a lot of energy towards the end.
Taste - Just like My Friend, My Friend: this song really builds up energy towards the end, and it also features an awesome jam.
Roggae - This song was like a cool down from My Friend/Cavern/Taste. That being said it isn't lacking in intensity or good jamming, definitely the best song of the set. It featured some awesome playing by Mike, and was perfect accompaniment to the sunset at the Gorge.
Walk Away - In this song the energy is built back up with some guitar shredding by Trey, which continues for the rest of the set.
Roses Are Free - What I liked about this song was the transition that seems to melt into David Bowie.
David Bowie - I thought this was really well played and a perfect closer for this awesome set.

Rock & Roll - This is by far the best jam of the show, quite possibly of Summer 2011. The theremin filled the Gorge and bounced around the mountains, it was really eerie, kind of like the alien mothership had landed. I didn't even know what was making that sound until I checked the setlist. What added to the eeriness was Mike singing "It was alright...." Another awesome part was Mike's bass transition into Meatstick, his bass was so loud it felt like it was piercing me.
Meatstick - The transition from spaciness to funkiness was flawless. The jam featured some excellent playing by Page.
Boogie On Reggae Woman - The transition into Boogie On was another really good one, albeit a little shaky compared to the one into Meatstick, though in my opinion the jam was better than in Meatstick. It also featured a nice melodic transition into Farmhouse.
Farmhouse/Show of Life - These two songs seemed like a cool down from the spaciness and funk of the previous songs, but definitely not as good compared to the Roggae cool down. I thought it was a really good version of Farmhouse though.
Julius/Character Zero - These songs built the energy back up after losing some of the energy with the previous two songs. Character Zero featured some high energy playing from Trey to close out an awesome set.
Loving Cup - It kind of seems like there is a pattern between Phish playing an awesome show and then closing with Loving Cup encore in 3.0.

Set 1 highlights: Bathtub Gin, Taste, and Roggae
Set 2 highlights: Rock & Roll, Meatstick, Boogie On Reggae Woman
Honorable Mentions:
Set1: The Wedge, Walk Away, David Bowie
Set2: Farmhouse
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Review by Penn42

Penn42 Just a little under a year after this shit went down, I am finally starting to come to terms with the last 30 mins of set II. I dig any good jam no matter what show it is from, but isn't it so much more satisfying when the show rocks as well? I think so.

The first set is almost flawless. Strong performances on every song, especially Roggae and Walk Away, which are the highlights of this set. The only thing I would change would be to remove either Funky Bitch or Roses because this set was just too damn long IMO. But really I'd much rather have too long with solid playing than shorter with ripcords or sloppiness or any other such tomfoolery.

Now back to my original statement (I'm not even going to bother talking about The first half of set two because all the other reviewers have already covered everything). After the cataclysm that was R&R -> Meatstick -> Boogie the set *kind of* dived off a cliff. Farmhouse is fine, I like that song and thought it would be a great cool down after that crazytown preceding it. But to follow that up with Show of Life? I still don't really know what Big Red was thinking but I have learned to accept it. Show of Life is definitely a pretty weak song, but I'm not gonna let it ruin this set for me, ya know? Julius is a great song and this version would be the best of the year had it not been for Essex. There is some really nice motivic playing from Trey in this version. Character Zero was Character Zero. If they hadn't played Cavern in set one it should have showed up here. The way I see the end of the set now is that there isn't really anything to complain about, just things to wish for.

Loving Cup was great. Sure they were playing it a lot this tour, just like Tweezer or Cavern or Wilson or Bathtub Gin or etc. a lot.

Super solid show definitely top 10 (maybe even top 5) for 2011 IMO.
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Review by headyburritos

headyburritos This show was amazing! Prior to the first show, my girlfriend and I met three guys in the lot who were attending their first Phish shows ever, so we decided to show them around. Two of them came together from Peru and the other one came by himself all the way from Spain. Talk about dedicated phans! We couldn't have asked for 2 better shows for these new guys to witness...the first set alone would have been awesome! I remember thinking that KDF and The Wedge was an appropriate way to kick off a show at The Gorge...the nature theme and all. Although the first set has some solid jams, it really took off for me when they hit the peak of Roggae, which is one of the best versions, IMO. Following the Roggae the Walk Away was just loaded with energy and really took the show into another gear heading into set break.

What can I say about set 2 that hasn't been said already? The RnR -> Meatstick -> Boogie on was just about as good as Phish gets! What an amazing show...I can't wait for another Gorge show!
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Review by pihead

pihead Very belated...
I paid to take three of my friends (one phan and two 1st timers) to both Gorge shows, tickets, camping and all, and I just wanted to say that being in front of and dancing through the progression of the Set 2 Rock and Roll jam in and of itself made the whole thing worth every penny. Not to mention the flow to Meatstick and Boogie but for me, that Nasty, dark, broken glass ninja creepin in your ear sound that this RnR turned into is the stuff that really cleans my soul. Yes please.
OK. Done... Have a nice day.
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Review by Aiken

Aiken The Roggae here was definitely a summer 11 highlight.
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Review by floydthecpanzee

floydthecpanzee I just want to make two points about this show:

First: The Gorge is the greatest place on the face of the earth to see a show ... the only thing that anyone can knock about the Gorge is the walk from campgrounds to the venue. Boo hooo. It's a small price to pay for the greatest venue ever. I used to work at Red Rocks and I love it there, but the camping puts the Gorge over the top.

Second: If you are at any stage as a Phan and have not listened to the Rock 'n Roll-->Meatstick-->BORW please do so now. The end of the second set prevents this from being the best show of 3.0, but the aforementioned sequence is not only in my opinion the best of this era, it can go toe to toe with the best from any era. Even at a Phish show I have never soaked in music like I did listening to that jam on the lawn. Good lawd

Those are my belated thoughts. Great weekend. Great band. Great people. And I have to give a shout out to the disco dance party and fire spinners next to us in the campgrounds. Somehow you guys were going the whole time and kept us going the second night. Good work.
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Review by lazyblazers

lazyblazers so this was my first show of the year, and my fourth show overall. i’d already seen both gorge ‘09 shows and the blossom ‘10 show: i was blown away by the ‘09 shows (influenced a bit, no doubt, by losing my phish-virginity) and had found the ‘10 show serviceable but kind of “meh”. i had good reason to think that these ‘11 shows would be different, though. unlike the previous two years, i’d spent every night of the ‘11 tour so far listening to streams online and tapes of each show the next day while i was at work, and it was clear that the band was really just at a different level than they had been the previous two years.

though it’s not a paradigm that really holds up for each and every show, i’ve always thought that 2009 was a year with great improvisation and poor technical playing (maybe excitement but lack of practice?) while 2010 was a year with great technical playing (comparatively) but little improvisation (i’ve heard the fall tour and NYE disprove this statement, but i haven’t listened to all of those shows yet). from the very first show, 2011 seemed to show that the band was suddenly not only able to both play hundreds of different songs note-for-note with no more flubbage than any 1.0 or 2.0 show, but they were also willing to improvise like the old days, supposed “ripcording” notwithstanding.

combine that with 10 years of being obsessed with phish and not getting to see any shows until 2009, and my expectations for the gorge were through the roof. amazingly, not only did the band exceed those expectations, they continued to add a new piece to the whole phish-y puzzle each night, constructing an experience that was, for me, the next best thing to living in an alternate universe where i have 300 phish shows under my belt by 2011.

but of course, every minute of every show wasn’t perfect…so i suppose i should get down to the actual review.

the kdf opener started a trend of standard, solidly played opening songs that would continue the next night with possum. nothing to complain about here. it was obvious immediately though that the band was fired up (trey especially) and that they were just waiting to rip loose. kdf almost seemed like it was holding them back and, as improbable as it seemed, i almost expected them to rip off something like the 6/12/2009 version. 

they didn’t, though, and instead continued into a shaky the wedge. and when i say “shaky” i don’t mean “missing a note or two”, i mean definitely cringing in a few places. however, the song was a nice nod to the gorge, and the introduction was jammed out briefly. it still really sounded like the band was tripping over themselves trying to take the music somewhere.

so i wasn’t surprised (though i was really excited) when bathtub gin went off into left field for a few minutes before coming back to the rock. the desire to do some deep-space jamming was obviously there, and there early, and for the first show i’ve been in attendance for the band seemed to have the chops to pull something amazing off without even really thinking about it. by the end of the gin, i definitely had the feeling that we were in for something special.

they reined things in for nellie kane, mfmf, and cavern, but those are all fun songs to hear and i didn’t really expect anything to go way out there in the first half of the first set anyway (gin was a pleasant anomaly). things started to come unhinged (in a good way) during taste.

i’m surprised to not see anyone really raving about this taste. at least within the context of 3.0, it’s one of the better, if not best version. page loses his shit for the first of a thousand times over this run, and there’s a lot of weird, interesting (though brief) plays with rhythm going on during the jam. trey absolutely slays the guitar solo and takes it back into the closing taste “theme” which he then sends soaring out majestically across the gorge over and over before the band finds a great segue into roggae.

roggae was easily the best moment of the first set, working like a microcosm of the later rock and roll jam, hitting the highlights and compressing them before exploding into walk away. the energy of this one simply didn’t translate to the tape, but the move from roggae-space to full-on guitar rock was flawless and the soloing here is spot-on. funky bitch and roses were both songs i was glad to hear, and were both played excellently, keeping up the energy from the transition into walk away. this whole run of songs (taste to roses) is worth a listen.

the set-closing bowie was confusing live. it was hard to hear trey and the jam seemed to go nowhere (a problem i would also have with the tahoe bowie). however, on tape this is an absolutely solid version and stands with the better ones of 3.0. i don’t know why i couldn’t hear it during the show, but at the time i was disappointed by it in what was otherwise an amazing set.

set two. all four shows i saw would, to varying but satisfying degrees follow the old-school “set one = rock, set two = jam” formula, and man did gorge 1 start off the trend with a bang. i had listened to the storage jam for the first time the night before driving to the gorge, and so i pretty much lost my mind as rock and roll took a left turn into the oort cloud. even considering all of the other amazing musical highlights of the run, this jam was the absolute best. there was a moment when the music itself seemed to take on an aspect of some huge mothership lifting off, right as kuroda began simulating some close-encounters-esque light effects against the backdrop of the last little bit of sunlight left in the gorge, and i knew that i was finally getting to see the kind of magic i’d only heard before on tapes.

the followup into meatstick was just priceless, and the segue from there into boogie on was amazing. there were even hints of the space jam seeping into the closing jam of boogie on by the end, and it all seemed effortless, the way it always sounds on tapes from ‘94 and ‘95. it seemed to be the point that the band had wanted to reach all night, but they had actually been patient enough to work up to it and let it loose at just the right time.

my girlfriend had called farmhouse the night before and i had laughed, so i looked like an idiot (albeit a happy one) when the band next broke into…farmhouse. the song proper here could have been executed more cleanly, but the following solo is one of the finest melodic pieces i’ve ever heard trey improvise. it wasn’t what i expected from the solo at all, and works really well as a bookend for the rock and roll -> meatstick -> boogie on > farmhouse sandwich. 

from there, though, the set kind of deflated. honestly, this show is amazing enough that had it just ended after farmhouse i wouldn’t even have been disappointed, but it seemed like suddenly trey just decided he wanted to play rock guitar and so he did, for the rest of the set. it wasn’t BAD rock guitar by any means, but after four songs in a row that each peak with basically the same guitar tone, especially as the end of a set that showcased such varied musical virtuosity and interplay previously…it was a little bit of a letdown.

the last few songs weren’t bad, though, and actually this version of character zero convinced me that the song could still be done decently after the lackluster blossom ‘10 version, but the second half of the set basically got by on the volume of trey’s wailing. needless to say, listening to these on tape, without the energy of the venue around you, just makes you want to skip to the beginning of gorge 2.
all that said, though, the closing four songs were probably the closest i came to being bored in four shows, and the rest of this show more than made up for that. any misgivings i had about the second show getting buried by trey’s giddy shredding would be buried in layers of funk in about 20 hours… 
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Review by panfence

panfence Great show! During setbreak I had gotten down on the floor toward the back but on the floor for the second set. My two friends left to go to the bathroom and I never saw them again. I remember looking around during the R&R and looking for someone to say OMG to, I live in the NW so I usually only get to see them at the Gorge, but have seen every show since 1998 and this was tops! Mike was a beast that night
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Review by Slanty

Slanty First set from MFMF onward was ridiculous.... Watched security drag out a kicking and screaming spunion during Walk Away. I had my own spunion moment when, speechless after Roggae, Walk Away, Funky Bitch, Roses are Free, and Bowie, I insisted that surely the show was over and the band had simply neglected to take a set break.

Luckily, that was not the case. Three words for the second set: Rock. And. Roll.
, attached to 2011-08-05

Review by CannedWalrus

CannedWalrus Phenomenal. RnR->Meatstick is obviously a monster, but the playing is superb throughout. Roggae may have been my favorite part of the show.
, attached to 2011-08-05

Review by VTphisherman

VTphisherman I just listened to this one again and reaffirm that this is the best Rock Roll I've heard since Trey demolished it back in 09 at the Gorge (if you don't have that show you should).

The sun had just set when they came up for the second set. It was unreal - Rock and roll to the most ridic dance party ever. Meatstick was funky as hell and straight into a tight boogie on... nuff said.

The gorge is an amazing experience every time...
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