From: Charlie Dirksen
12/28/93 Bender Arena, American U., Washington, D.C. There was a lot of snow outside before the show (I actually took
the damn metro to this show, and it was only about a ten minute drive from my house). My friends and I sat as far away from
the stage as possible, straight back from Mike, and up the bleachers... the sound was surprisingly ok. I was hoping the most for
a Harry and a Yamar, and was thrilled to hear them!! Peaches was a Bonus, too. Opening fine.. the pre-Nirvana segment
contains some very light noodling from Mike, it sounds like! Yes, all over the place! It is very unusual in this sense (Trey is just
making spacey, airy, mysterious sounds). Nirvana at 3:29. Great. Mike's solo section around 4:14 is very low and funky (very
Looow), but not very exciting or particularly melodious. The pre-charge section is very active and well-played, and even
includes some off-time chording from Trey a little more than usual. First shot at The Note at 5:32, and Trey just sustains the hell
out of it.. trilling it off! Very nice!! The Second Note is at 6:18, and Trey jams fairly impressively around it. Charge at 6:33, and
then "Boy" at 6:51 after a very high, shrill scream from Trey. Niice! There's some "ou" vocal jamming (kinda scat singing) from
Trey in the BMGS segment.. very cool. The WUDMTF segment also includes a little vocal stuff from Trey (just a little). Tramps
jam at 9 minutes.. serious licks from Mike for the signals. Page is primarily chording in here, and it really isn't that great at all
until about 9:40 (it had been too repetitive). He isn't really doing that much, though. Trey comes in around 10 minutes (some
nice Mike in here, too), and the concluding segment of the tramps jam finally has some SERIOUS Page.. especially around
10:38.. but he's no John Medeski.. ;-) At 10:53 the jam segment begins, and Trey starts out melodiously noodling somewhat
low on his 'doc (but he's still pretty loud). Mike and Page drop out in here, and it is just Fish accompanying Trey for the
beginning. At 11:33, Page and Mike creep back in quietly, while Trey is in the midst of a very repetitive but spine-tinglingly
funky groove (which everyone accompanies very well). Fish starts wailing away on the damn toms (12:10 or so), and this
groove starts getting more and more fiery and intense! At 12:40, Trey teases "I Ain't Got Nobody" (some chords), and sticks
on that theme (with some great trilling fills). DAMN!!!!! At 13:15 Trey starts trilling passionately on a theme that resembles
"Oye Como Va"... this jam climaxes orgasmicly around 13:40 or so, and then by 13:53 Trey is again trilling like a complete
madman. Machine Gun Trey in a HUUUUUUGE way!!!!!!!!! B&D at 14:10, and Mike is very quick, melodious and funky!!!!
=^] A very awesome jam from him in here (though fairly repetitive at times), and Fish's accompaniment is similarly very active
and very, very sweet. At 15:05 Mike stops, though.. and Fish just wails.. oh there's Mike.. he's just low.. he's creeping back!!
(Fish is pounding away in this whole segment) Not that great in the final minute or so, especially given the intensity of the first
minute. Closing WUDMTF segment at 15:37... vocal jam sneaks in early (and some woodblock activity from Fish early on).
Fairly dull vocal jam.. they are repetitively vocalizing on one sound in unison for the most part, and it isn't all that interesting of a
vocal jam, imo. Still, it doesn't suck or anything.. nothing of any Note occurs, though. Around 19 minutes, though, the jam is
nevertheless cool (and the crowd goes nuts in here), since they are very much trying to harmonize and make roughly the same
sorts of noises. Madness around 20 minutes.. more like a vocal jam usually is. Fish is making very awry noises.. Total time
20:30. The jam segment of this YEM was very cool in my opinion. Very, VERY cool. Nevertheless, not a hear at all costs
version, in my opinion. B/B+ rating. two cents charlie