DMBlive Vol. 29

It's so cool to have the band's first-ever show at MSG, a legendary venue for the band and in general, released (although I was surprised to learn that MSG doesn't crack their top 10 in terms of shows played). I love how Dave acknowledges how momentous it is throughout the show; can you imagine what it must have been like for them to step on that stage for the first time? SEEK UP is a strong opener, although it's a little out of sorts at time. LIE IN is a great quick follow; I love Roi's playing over Boyd's solo, which is a little tough to hear because of the mix (one of the downsides of the DMBlive series). #41 is an excellent, standard performance that exemplifies how consistently incredible the song was from 1996 through the mid 2000s. Although JANE doesn't change much from play to play, there's something about this particular performance that I really like. TWO STEP is a gem. I love the drive of the song in this era; it's more brooding than it was in 1995, but it hasn't reached epic length like it did starting in 1999. This is my favorite era for the song. TYPICAL is, to me, *the* highlight of the show; it's just wonderful. What a song, what a performance, what emotion. The flue, the intricacy of Carter's drumming, the bass, the guitar, the violin... everything is perfect. I love TOO MUCH on its own, and this is a solid performance of it. GRANNY is a bit of a mess, and Dave acknowledges as much. JIMI is good, but not a highlight. SO MUCH is fine—like JANE, it doesn't change much from play to play—but of course this is the first-ever appearance of the bridge, and it's so different from what we've come to know it as (including that it doesn't segue into anything). I like it, but I wouldn't put it in the top 5 moments from the show. TRIPPING is nothing special, but DRIVE and ANTS are both very strong. The encore is an absolute treat; more E1s like WATCHTOWER, please. The vocals are great and I love how he varies the delivery. I wish Dave would have done more stripped-down performances like ANGEL FROM when Boyd and Roi were still around, and kind of wish this had been a Dave and Boyd duet, although it's hard to turn down Roi's soulful solo. Finally, everything comes together in NANCIES for a fantastic ending: Boyd's solo, the drums, the thumbing bass. What a finish.