1984.12.1

Setlist

12/1/84 Nectar's, Burlington, VT

Scarlet Begonias > Fire > Fire on the Mountain, Makisupa Policeman, Slave to the Traffic Light, Spanish Flea*, Don't Want You No More, Cities, Skippy the Wondermouse**, Fluffhead**

E: Eyes of the World

First gig at Nectar's and earliest circulating tape (May be the first taped gig). With Marc Daubert (who was a member of the band at the time, though only briefly so). *Includes band introduction. **With the Dude of Life on vocals.

Fade into Scarlet Begonias, Trey's solo is reminiscent of Jerry, there has been transcription and study. Then there is a slightly awkward key change down into the key for Fire, but there is no train wreck, things are quickly righted and the Fire continues on unabated. There are some inconsistencies with the form of the tune, is it time for the guitar solo or the verse? This guitar solo is less interesting than the one from Begonias, more wanking and less melody. Perhaps it's harder to channel Jimi than Jerry? It seems like the parts where Trey shine through sound good and the parts where Trey is trying to hard to be Jimi are less fluid. The composed section from Fire to Fire on the Mountain is clumsy. The whole step descent into the new key didn't work earlier and still doesn't. This is a nice version of this tune, though, lots to like.

Hey Makisupa Policeman, there is some guitar noodling that sounds suspiciously like an attempt at communication. The backing vocals are not good, wrong and bad! And what is that weird vibrato thing that Trey is doing with his voice? It is different from the old man vibrato currently employed. They are silly laughing sillies.

Stage banter about the parking problem in Burlington, it is hard to hear because this recording is from the 80's.

Slave to the Traffic Light is out of tune, otherwise unchanged in how many years? If it ain't broke...

Herb Alpert is up next with his Spanish Flea for the band introductions, everyone has their regular name except for Fishman on woodblock (funky mcwallic urias gerard mclinton?) I dunno, hard to hear on that one... but then there is jon fishman on drums... The end to this tune is pretty sloppy and finally the old shave and a haircut, nobody can miss that!

Don't Want You No More Only time played so far, I did not know that this was from the Allman's via the Spencer Davis group, yay for learning. This is a nice cooking version of this song. Everyone in this group is already playing at quite a high level and they are already starting to demonstrate the group mind. And there is Cities, what a nice segue!

Cities is not much changed either, and now we are off into the drumz portion of our show. Not enough bands let the drummers have their moment often enough. I guess there are some folks who really don't like it, but I for one wouldn't mind if every show had a drumz. I particularly like the woodblock stuff about 3 minutes in.

And now we have Skippy the Wondermouse. What do you know? It's McGrupp! Oh yes, and the Dude of Life. I am not sad that he doesn't come around much anymore. Hearing this skippy just after the Spanish Flea I am hearing a little similarity in the groove at the beginning, I suppose they are both in 6. Wow, this song is really not quite so clever as some phish that I love, I can see why they changed it.

And now we are into Fluffhead. This version has some more spice here at the get go, and the Dude's twang makes it sound sort of bluegrassy. Woohoo hang on there fellas it's really fast!

This Eyes is also quite nice, not too fast. The end is particularly nice, I think I would have had a fun time at this show and these guys are already really good.