From: Charlie Dirksen
5/1/93 Tower Theater, Philadelphia, PA (Rvwd 7/95) I know you hear this a lot from me, but this is one of my favorite
shows, really... Opening standard. The tramps jamming, though, is PHENOMENAL -- everyone wails uncontrollably, and
there isn't the typical off-key crap from Ernest. He just peals off lick after lick, and is exceptionally accompanied by everyone.
The post-tramps jam segment -- which starts around the 5 min point (as usual) -- has a little "Simple"-like tease in it, at first, but
then it goes into a very trippy, eerie theme jam that witnesses significant contributions from all. Does anyone know of any
"Simple" teases before 5/1/93? I can't remember the tape, but I know that I heard Trey tease Lifeboy while tuning up for a song
years before the song "Lifeboy" was played live (I wonder if Trey knows that he teased Lifeboy years before the song was first
played live.. ;^). The MikeS here is not complex, but very ominous sounding. It has a structured feel, unlike most post-tramps
jam segments. It starts to get foggy around 6:45, tho, when Anastasio begins distorting and sustaining (while everyone else
keeps jamming as they had been). Trey returns after a minute, though, to the ominous theme. At 8 mins, the jam drops down a
level more/less, but Fish becomes more present. Everyone is still tooling around on the theme, but not as loudly as before. Trey
brings the MikeS theme back in strong at 8:52 or so. MikeS ends at 9:49 (another long one.. hmmm.. the MikeSs are getting
longer around this time). Gig segues in, and it is a fantastic version. Fish speaks the opening lines ("I'm not afraid of dying.." etc),
and the vacuum is skillfully employed (as are his screams). Just masterful. This is almost definitely my favorite version of Gig
(very inspiring, well played, hysterical). Weekapaug comes in around 15:20. Almost no bass solo from Mike in the opening
(booo..). Sounds like there's some shakiness in this opening (as if they didn't know how to start Week without Mike), but the
jam quickly comes together. Around the 18-19 min point, the jam is spectacular, as Weekapaug usually is. Gets really slow
around the 22:30 point.. Trey gets stuck on three notes for quite some time. Not much happens until about 23:30, when the
rather disjointed jam starts getting more dark and together. The final jamming segment, and Weekapaug, is very hot indeed, but
definitely not a to-die-for version. 26:35 total time or so. B rating. Does anyone have a copy of the Tower show on 5/2/93? I
don't care about the quality.. I don't think I have ever seen it on a list (are you still out there, john bower?). It looks like a good
show, based on the HFB setlist, and, shit, if it is even close to as good as this show, it must be heard at all costs.