For historical context, the band had been teasing that something big was happening Sunday since Friday night's show. Some enlightened fans put two and two together that Bob Weir was playing a couple days later in Cincy and may very well already been in town. Friday's Lovelight encore was another "hint" toward this possibility. Personally, I wasn't expecting and was kind of hoping that it would only be a couple songs at most after the otherworldly energy Saturday night. Regardless, I'm back on the floor with some friends I made the prior night. This crowd was one of the best I've gotten to be a part of. Great people throughout. As the lights dimmed, we all were teeming with anticipation and curiosity about how in the hell these guys could top last night... Well, not a single person in that room had an aGoosetic opener on their mind, but the guys walk out fully prepared with dreadnoughts in hand.

Moonrise and Dim Lights were very cool to see live but the amount of, um... "energy" the floor had was quickly displaced into somber introspection. Atlantic City quickly got everyone going as it was a singalong throughout the number and also a personal favorite of mine off of Nebraska. Acoustic Western Sun matched the energy well and the crowd erupted as Rick transitioned from acoustic to electric mid-song to finish out the jam 17 minutes after its start. The whole room knew shit was about to get real haha. Butter Rum brought the party up a notch and was well played. Nothing too experimental compared to some of the deeper jams on that this year, but we all knew this was just the beginning. Borne was solid and > Dark Horse was a great transition. Hill and Dark Horse were my two songs that I was chasing most, so being able to check them both off my wishlist was pretty sweet. Honestly, didn't love Media when I heard it but figured it would hit better live. It absolutely did and it's since been stuck in my head repeatedly lol. Then we get to Rockdale... Ho-lee shit. My personal favorite jams are when they take a theme build around it, create a cosmic soup of sound, let someone take the lead and repeat, and this version has all of that and more. Peter's keys were so chewy throughout and that allowed Rick to not have to take up as much space sonically until it was time to let it rip. The slow funk into the more upbeat section back into the Rockdale theme was truly sublime. I stood mouth agape at one point on the floor because in that moment, everything was perfect. It's why you go to these shows. To feel a moment like that and know that you're in it for that fleeting time. It's a microcosm of life compressed into 16 minutes. And then... it's over. Time for set two.

After picking my jaw up off the floor, refilling waters, and sharing with our crew about the collective mind blowing nature of that last set/jam, we buckled in for set two. Wysteria Lane's vibey intro was the perfect hype machine to get everyone immediately engaged again. This jam was another standout for me. The riff and theme that Rick builds shows just how patient and intentional their playing has gotten. Not a single ounce was left after they moved between themes. I watched Cotter more than anyone this jam and it was a master class in controlling the dynamics of a jam. Every time Rick wanted to go harder, Cotter followed. Cotter would push and Rick would answer back. True musical synergy on a level I've only witnessed from the best jazzers (Chick Corea with Dave Weckl come to mind). All of that and it's only the first song of set two. >Psycho Killer was so fun on the floor and the whole room sang along with Cotter. We need more Talking Heads covers from these guys. I think they'd crush "Girlfriend Is Better." Slow Ready was played with passion and it was fun to have my GF there with me for this one as we got So Ready in Nashville. The synth sequence kicked in and it was off to the races. Always fun to hear that and the subsequent jam. Red Bird started up soon after that and you knew it was going to go deep. Peter was locked in all weekend and you could tell how much fun he was having. After 26 minutes of type two exploration, the segue into Tumble (which was teased the prior night) sent the crowd to another level. Great Tumble but the real impact was the non-stop jamming throughout other than Psycho Killer. Basically, a four song set that melted faces. 

After the preamble about the "sit in" everyone was expecting, the band made special note to introduce their big guest... Billy Ray Cyrus! Trev played the part well and being from Nashville it seemed fitting they'd bust this out at a show we're attending. Masterful trolling by the band and I'm glad they had fun with it. We certainly were laughing throughout and enjoyed the Weekz serenade. Finally, we get to Factory Fiction. The last two brain cells I had left actually managed to call this one pre-show as I knew they hadn't played it yet this tour. First time seeing it and it was awesome. Not a single person wanted the night to end, but the band had earned their due ten times over after the last three nights. It's hard to say if any show is "better" than another because they're so often so personal, but this night and the prior night were off the charts amazing. As a guitar player, the joy of getting a new guitar and then getting to play with THAT band was obvious to everyone in attendance as Rick smiled and moevd around more than normal. I was glad to see them all enjoying themselves as much as the audience did. What a run. Shows I'll never forget! 

What a show! You can hear the energy on the soundboards, but man... the crowd was electric for this show. The only sold out day of the three night run and the crowd came to party. I got on the floor as doors opened and posted up about 40 feet back dead center. Lights, sound, and field of view perfect for this experience. LTW was a great, fun opener with some inspired playing. DB through Lead Up was just absolutely burning with intensity. Longest Meter Maid to date, Peter ripped on DB, and Hot Love is so much fun live. Whole crowd sang along and seeing Cotter better visually on the drum break was phenomenal. Lead Up is a personal favorite that I hadn't seen and it was performed extremely well. Feel It Now and Your Ocean were solid but I could tell they were building to something... Arrow closes out set one with a very cool version. This was the first full night with Dracul and you could tell Rick wanted to play his new guitar. The levels weren't quite up as much as I would've liked, but they got it dialed in soon enough.

Set two was an all-timer. I was bummed that they didn't jam Drive, but that was quickly forgotten. Hill>Engborg>Sinnerman was one of the best sequences I've seen any band perform. Hill and Dark Horse were the two songs I was chasing the most and I was fortunate enough to get both over the course of this run. Hill did not disappoint and was the perfect lead in to the first Engborg of this tour (IIRC). It was my first time seeing it and it kicked as much ass as I'd imagined it would live. Just an absolute instrumental monster which led straight into Sinnerman. Admittedly, I wasn't a huge fan of this cover in the past but the song placement and groove was perfect for this set/sequence. Just ripped the roof off with the funk rhythm section and some absolute blazing leads from Rick. ITM was solid but it doesn't stand out much from my memory. I was at Nashville 10/24, so that one may be blocking my recall haha. Hot Tea was an absolute barn burner to close and the best Tea I've seen live. EMG encore may have been my favorite jam of the night as they get evil with it and then flow right back into mixolydian infused bliss to close it out. Overall, this was without a doubt one of the best shows I've seen, regardless of band. The exchange of energy between crowd and band was like nothing else I've experienced. A perfect Saturday in Cincy after driving in from Nashville earlier in the day. Boy, was it worth it. 

This show had a slow burn set one that I like better upon re-listening the next day after the show. EOR>GR was awesome and foreshadowed the segue themed first set. A lot of efficient and tight jams in set one that are all well executed. Set two really got cooking off the bat with the funk of So Ready. That set the table for one of the longest ITM's I can remember. They do a great job of exploring the song's feel in the first half and then Trev leads with one of the funkiest bass lines he's laid down this year. The band builds around this and finishes strong. Also, a fun Saints Go Marching In tease that was fun on the lawn. The Arcadia had tons of energy and multiple peaks. They're really maxing out the potential of each jam and playing dynamically in a way that is awesome to witness live. Western Sun was a great cooldown and Dripfield brought us home with an inspired vocal performance and powerful jam. Mr. Action was a fun encore too. Overall, great tour opener and shows how strong these guys are right now. 2024 has been the year that keeps on giving!