crunchy sweet stellar sounds emitting from sonic bliss puppies on stage... what a great recording..yummy

Must admit that being lucky enough to see this band on a more than regular basis has the effect of rolling all the shows into one, so the opportunity to listen to an individual gig can be akin to hearing it for the first time...or bumping into an old friend. THIS particular gig came at the end of a pretty long stretch of shows for the band and I gotta admit that the setlist looks familiar...but that was about it. This is an EXCELLENT sounding recording with all instruments clearly mixed, strong vocals, and negligible crowd noise. WOW! Nice job!
The musical content is superior as well. A LOOONG workout on "Pits", makes all scheduled stops & then some--gigging nonstop since September has it's benefits. "Friday's Child" excells with Chip echoing Van's version with "eveneveneveneveneven had enuff gall..." and a nice shared harmony with Judge on "well, that's alright"..and capped by a ferocious closing solo from SK. Hadi jumps on stage for the obligatory "Golden Road" flashback to Cip'era...and the dual horn lines contribute to serious old school smoked flavour. Chip & Vega force the issue with a nice push into "Sun Sun Sun" that is super tight (gigs since Sept, etc.)...and rather than allowing the momentum to disipate, Chip quickly leads the band into "Can't Sit Down" which pleases everyone--other than Judge who is audible: "Get outta here!"-- but its too late, grab a cowbell my man. Set 2 has great bluesy workouts on "Katy", "Crossroads"(!), and "Ermaline" and standard fare (thats not a fair description...but U know) like "Anorexia", "Catalina", & "Junco Partner" all are just exactly as they should be: sublime. Chip's buddy, Marty (also the name of Chip's son...not a coincidence) also resided in the Seattle area and bangs out "Junco" with enthusiasm. The jam outta "Ermaline" is noteable for a rare Zero flirtation with the 'final frontier' (i.e. SPACE) as they float through some interesting soundscapes before easing into "BooBoo" the last track on the CD, and the last tune of the set. A VERY satisfying performance and listening back today I hear a show a few notches above my road-weary memory banks silly notions...and that is before the fabulous encore of "Like a Rolling Stone" which is heartfelt & fully realized, no doubt part of the 'Concert'--not to be confused with a quick encore that enables a hasty retreat to the hotel. The band had a well-earned long break ahead of them but from the sounds of it, they didn't size that up until after load-out. Professionals-what can you say? Chutup. That works.

While I didn't remember this as a standout until today (ahem) here's a small list of others that I DO remember as special evenings, electrified houses, and imagine that recordings may bear me out.

Other GREAT 1997 shows that aren't on the Llama (yet): Madison WI (Sept), Cleveland OH (Sept), Miami Beach (Oct), Black Mt. Music Fest AM Set (10/18), and Crested Butte CO (December).
I'm sure there are some gems still awaiting discovery, but those thar r some shiny rocks I'd like to examine furthur sometime.

EXCELLENT RECORDING - HOT SHOW - HOT LIST - NICE FRIENDS - CAN'T MISS....KISS the Llama.