String Cheese Incident | 07.12 & 07.14 | NYC

Dude, I wish they would sound like back in 1998 for sure! The last few shows I have seen were good, but I would pick the funky bluegrass, over the spaceyelectronic. Any way Im sure this run was amazing..

I will not be seeing any of these last Cheese shows, and I'm sad about that. The last shows I saw were the 2 night run in Asheville last October. I can honestly say I'm OK with that, they were absolutely on time and powerful. Hate to read an article that doesn't completely blow em' up, but perhaps it was a little "lackluster" at times in NYC. SCI has given me some of the best experiences at shows that I've ever had, and some of the best afterparties ever with the good people that tend to be into them. My 1st show was Halloween '98 in ATL and I've been a fan ever since. Wish I could get out to Red Rocks for the final blowout, but I honestly think we'll be seeing these guys together again. Nershi will get bored when the smaller crowds, venues, parties, and paychecks get old.......at least I hope he will. For those lucky enough to be going...enjoy.

first night was a wild time...thanks for the good times

Wednesday night was a solid show, the OTR>CSN got the place rockin, the close your eyes was sick, but i have heard that they ran out of steam on saturday night (went to allgood so i missed the other nights), however, i'm sure camp zoe and red rocks will have some solid music, see y'all there

ps scifreak: i saw those asheville shows in october and the second night was a very good show, i hope my final show is played that well, peace

saturday's show was alright, I felt the same exact way about the acoustic opener, i didnt hate it, i just didnt expect it. Rivertrance was sick and the strawberry fields cover had everyone in the balcony running around the aisles

wow yea that new sound i was thinking that some nites while i was there it was like old cheese meets the biscuits

whooray! for cheese! we love you!

dumbass comment ajohnson, just cause you don't like them doesn't make them bad. these guys have put on some of the best shows i've ever been to in the past. sure they aren't as good as phish was in their prime, but they are much different. the summer 02 tour is up there with the greatest tours i've ever heard. great talent and always a fun show. i've played piano since i was about five, and i've still never seen another piano player that can tackle as many styles as kyle. hope the soleside band is good! it'll be interesting to see what direction they all go after the breakup.

Had you gone on Friday you would have known that WBH was finished on Saturday, not a repeat.

what a silly band and what a ridiculous fanbase. "LACKLUSTER"!!! HAHAHAHA. Isn't this supposed to be their final run? They roll into NYC and put forth an effort described as lackluster. Pathetic.

Just a few more shows and then they are gone forever. what a bunch of losers.

Any predictions for guest appearances for the Greek shows... besides the openers sitting in ea night?

Kyle makes cheese fun. :)
Unfortunately, my last show was the first nite of the last run from the FOX in atlanta.. I should have gone the second nite, because the first show was a snoooze.
My luck, last time to see them, and it was NOT a good one.
this setlist from NYC looks pretty old school. Im not sure I would have liked that much bluegrass, I prefer the funk.
peace..

Looking forward to the Greeks, Saturday should be a good electronica jamtime with Sunday being an old school cluster pluck. Hopefully Scott Law will sit in.

Farewell tour...not likely more like good marketing. They'll go off on their typical selfish hippie trips and be back back at the first festival that throws some extra cash at em'.

My hope is that they come back stripped down minus 1 drummer and a bunch of unnecessary effects.

Go Team Cheese!!

Thursdays show was really solid. Miles Davis "So What" with Trombone Shorty was the highlight for me. Sam Bush's "Stingray" also really tight. The Drum Solo to end the first set was off the hook! I'm not a big fan of drum solos but this was one of the best I've seen. Not the biggest Cheese fan here, haven't seen that many shows, but I'm glad I caught Thursdays show. Nice review Brian!

Wednesday was by far the best show and anyone who attended the entire run will surely tell you the same. Look at the setlist! The Barstool, Close Your Eyes rocked the first set only to see the second set begin with Shine!!! It was awesome. Further was great too.

the acoustic opener was perfect! i would have paid money just to see acoustic cheese rather than watch them fiddle around on their laptops. what a great band, any way you look at it. saturday night's show was just different, which is great, because "every incident is different," and that's probably why the reviewer had mixed emotions.

The first two nights look like they would have been my preferable setlists. That is so awesome that trombone shorty came out and played with them, some good ole new orleans funk will always get me movin. It does kinda suck that they were a little be wimpy on the last couple of nights. Amazing Grace would have made me fall asleep. Kinda reminds me of the start of their fall tour where they did a good night and a bad night in Chicago. I sure hope they aren't lacking at Zoe and Redrocks. I might sell some of my tickets in the lot if they suck.

Fan or not... why bash on a band like SCI who has had an amazing run and some unforgettable shows. leave the negativity out. Thanks for the good times Cheese!!!

CHEESE IS THE SHIT ...HATERS CAN SUK IT

They are cool
But they do support DI
Dreadlock Inhalation
Don't choke on your bros locks

These guys are fun, but they're not the greatest band ever (or even close). I enjoyed them much more when they were doing the bluegrass thing. I'm not a big trance fan. I'll go to their last two shows at red rocks, just out of nostalgia, and probably have a good time, regardless of all the hype.

so why do people feel the need to comment that sci isnt the best band or they are not as good as this band or that band. Where in this article does it say that their the best or better that anyone? Sounds to me that some people r a little jealous that we love these guys and have such an awesome time at their shows. Sorry Ajohnson that trey messed up and couldnt tour this year but your trolling is not needed here. Sorry guys i hate feeding trolls.

Well marcsmall1, I happen to think they are the greatest band ever. Why don't you not go to red rocks and give your tickets to a real fan?

Greatest Bands Ever:

1.Beatles
2. Dead (1965-1980) plus the Melkweg shows ruled.
3. SCI---seen them 13 times since 2003
4. Allman Bros. (1969-1976) and (1990-present)
5. Anything with Mike Patton

I've got the Saturday night Red Rocks on the radar! I always end up just getting into bands right before they fall off the earth. Regardless, I'm pretty amped! I just wish I could pull off a trip to RR for that Sunday night show...

Let's hope they step it up for the home turf run!

See, Hippy Jessica, that is just my point. These guys are fun, but to say they are the greatest band ever is really going out on a limb...Do you really think they are better than The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Allman Brothers, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Eric Clapton's Ensembles, Miles Davis' Bands, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, etc.? Do you really believe that? If you do, you are not being very objective. I am not hating on anyone here, but SCI is a good band, not the best ever.

Seriously people...

this is one of the more hilarious threads ive seen. hippyjessica - wanna meet up? if you think cheese is the best band ever im fairly certain i can blow your mind...

to clarify - not hating on cheese, great band and have had loads of fun at their shows.

NO ONE SAID THEY R THE BEST MAN BUT DEFINATELY THE BEST OF THE 20TH CENTURY... SOO FUK YA

Ha Ha!!!! Cracking me up! At least Kellerhead put the Beatles and GD (65-80) above SCI. Of course somehow implying that post 2003 Cheese is superior to post 1980 Grateful Dead or the Allmans ha ha ha!!!!!

Good thing musical preference is all about personal taste or you would sound kinda foolish. Wait, I read Marcsmal1's list of bands and it does sound foolish. Oh well I guess that is what happens when you try to turn music into a pissing contest.

i dunno, marcsmal's list is pretty comprehensive - rock, jazz, blues...

and for the record 80's dead can be fantastic as long as you listen to the right shows...rip brent you were the man

this thread sounds like a junior high hallway: "my band is soooo much better than yours," or "dude, that band is gay." cmon guys.

Adco---yes exactly...89-90 Dead shows were some of the best....Spring of 89 was Jerry's last full tour with no H, and it is very apparent...Brent was all over the keys on that tour and some of the Blow Away raps were intense...Also the Hampton Shows in 89 and the closing of JFK in Philly were outstanding...My first shows were Miami 89 and the Estimated>Blow Away>Dark Star(both verses) still gives me chills everytime I hear it....Thanks Archive.org!

"MY FAVORITE BAND IS BETTER THAN YOUR FAVORITE BAND!!!"

Come on -- do you really think you can account for taste or preference? Music is all subjective, no matter how objective you'd like it to be.

A bit sad to be seeing them go, my last incidents will be at Zoe for BSC! Cant wait to party

thank god!

All you Hep. C wooks stay off of Panic tour. We don't want or need you! K thks bi.

SCI 10-31-98, Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse

=

The best concert I have ever seen.

Horning's only a week away! Who's goin?

Q: how ridiculous is it to argue about something as subjective as 'best band ever'?
see ya' at detroit lakes on friday!!!(and if i should find myself sharing space with anyone who thinks sci IS the best band ever, i'm gonna' do my solid best to encourage, and share in their enthusiasm

I LOVE the Cheese, they are fun, and they bring a fun positive energy to there shows.
Yes, they suck sometimes (so Does EVERYBAND we listen to). But sometimes they blow you away, I like that! I love surprises (we all do). Go Cheese GO!
(I will be at The Greek and Horning’s, WOOT WOOT!!)

Ive seen cheese a bunch of times, once NYE in NYC a few years back...the show was boring as hell. Then I've seen some cheese that was just a blur. Then this other time I saw cheese in eagles ballroom up in Milwakee...that show was off the hook, it was 100+ degrees in there and a complete party...I would say cheese is alright, considering the party that ensues at most shows...oh yeah and Keller just sucks my D...He's like a Jack Black lookalike w/out the personality and talent, if you will.

these guys blow

RUFFSCOT UR MOMA BLOW ON MY BALLS SACK MAN

HORNINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! less then 1 week. CHeesus.

My prediction......Keller Sunday at hornings!!!!!Oh yeah!!!!!!!!

The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Allman Brothers, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Eric Clapton's Ensembles, Miles Davis' Bands, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, etc.? Do you really believe that? If you do, you are not being very objective. I am not hating on anyone here, but SCI is a good band, not the best ever.

Gee, nice diversity, there...a dozen or so blues based rock bands, a musically challenged reggae band (nice lyrics, good melodies Bob, but does anyone here no how to play an instrument..they're embarressing) and Miles davis, smack-king for 40 years of which he squeezed maybe 5 years of good music together...sorry, you just can't compare.

SCI are so good that you can't even compare them to anyone else...their problem is in many ways they are too good, capable of jumping from one distinctly different genre of music to another equally distinct.

Their jamming improvs. over the years are consistently more creative and eclectic than all those bands combined, who by the way don't have the cojones to go up on stage and wing it in front of a full audience, with the risk of falling on ones face daunting.

The Cheese invented a unique style of playing...and for those of you who think they were better as a "bluegrass" band" thats just comical'''their best years and best playing could not be further from bluegrass if it had to be.

The only way to compare the trio of jambands that fall under the same general heading are GD Phish and SCI...
is to compare them at their best...

GD have legend on their side, but at their core, they are a blues based band, with very basic pop/rock song structures who had a guitarist who made them go or blow. At their best, JG was magical but for my taste , too dominant. But great songs of folklore and americana helped them through JG's tough times

Phish was exciting for a small window..their early stuff is pretty much unlistenable, and depending on your taste 94-00 had many good streaks..but their songsmanship is brutal by any standard...any guy who uses his third grade final project to form lyrics around is asking for it...Way too much McGruff, Col. Forbin, Ha Ha ha ha, henrietta, vacuum solos etc...Flawed to the nines...but again, when they (Trey) were on, they were dynamite, but lacking in quality slower songs with heart and soul to separate out the ragers.

SCI is brimming with feeling..ultra-talented and diverse, the barefoot boys oozed emotion either via songcraft, but mostly through their music..BN guitar solos were so frequently ethereal, while MK's accenting and Kyles unlimited creativity created a three headed monster that was hard to stop..I did a hundred+ of phish and GD, but I've never been as oved than by HQ SCI. They are the quintessential band imo, where everyone tries to work together...If you listen to them a lot on cds, you will here that they are just nubelievably crative, far more so than any band I've ever heard

just wanted to say that cheese rocked the house wednesday night...blew me away. Fantastic!

I also forgot anything by John Coltrane on my list.

I love the Dead but anything after the mid 80's is pretty dreadful. The keyboard work alone after '81 is ghastly.

Cant really take anything Komah says seriously considering they have AniDifranco and the Slip on their favorite bands. By the Way Komah between my Lps and cds I own 3,000 albums so I have listened to alot of great music.

jgarcia

i respect your position on cheese - fine, its your opionion. you like sci more than phish and dead - thats fine too. i disagree, but w/e. but disrespecting miles and bob? that just aint right man. miles constantly reinvented himself and took jazz to new places. regardless of his issues with drugs (this is professional music!) he did incredible things for the jazz genre. and bob brought reggae to the world. his music inspired and gave hope to his people, and continues to have meaning to people all over the world. you may think cheese is the bee's knees and the cat's pajamas, and thats all well and good, but don't hate on the greats.

also - regardless of peoples opinions, no one can argue that all the bands listed have more longevity and timeless appeal than cheese could ever dream of. i'm a fan of the cheese, but they will never reach and musically move the amount of people the other band you discussed.

My apologies to Komah, you do have Assembly of Dust on your board---definately one of the best bands in music right now!!! Reid for President.....

Wow....I luv cheese, you luv cheese, we all luv cheese....exept for all the people who keep popping in their 2 cents to say they don't. Strange that folks would read the whole article, then read all the comments, then leave a negative post....all for a band and a fanbase they apparently despise. Very interesting indeed. Seems to me that many of these folks need to get a job/life so they can make some $ to go see more Panic shows or whatever it is that they're into. The Cheese is calling it quits (for now), and for many people, myself included, this is a sad shi**ty thing. This band has brought many of us extreme good times over the years, and people just want to express excitement about the last few shows, and regret about it soon being over. These idiots chiming in just to say negative things really need to step off, it's kinda pathetic and totally pointless. So go away. We'll all be sure to let you know how much a band you like sucks terribly whenever they decide to call it quits.... and by the way, as a long time fan of SCI and all types of music in general, I would not put them in the top 5 or even 10 best bands of all time. That's silly. But I would say they throw the best parties/events and definetely have one of the most amazing, fun-loving, partyin' peeps as their main fanbase. That's no bullsh*t.... Many many goodtimes and fantastic vibes. So to those who really care, enjoy it while you can. To those who don't, why are you even reading this??? Go do something more constructive, like jammin' out to one of YOUR favorite things....or slammin' your face into a table...

I really liked your review jgarcia1. I do see eye to eye with most your points. I do agree one your opinion about GD, and SCI, but not Phish. I personaly beileive that Phish lyrics are the best lyrics out there. They make sence to me, but not the same way they would make sence to other people. That's why I think Phish is one of the best band ever, all for of them are amazing musicians. I would have to agree that SCI summer tour 2002, IS MIND BLOWING!!!!!!!!!!!! I blows any of the other tours out of the water for sure!!
Listen to just one song and you know what SCI is all about

2002/07/11 Somerest WI
Indian Creek >> Outside Inside
Best fucking song, It's been played over 80 times on my Ipod!

your review was awful i was at all 4 nights and they were some of the sickest cheese shows. welcome to the future people electronica is here to stay. they were awsome in 2002 but the new wave has hit. and also lets not frget that they played a shakin the tree and and freedom jazz dance any nights with those two are fuckin awsome

wow...questioning Bob...get a clue...have you ever listened to any of his live shie? Also, I like Miles and Coltrane as much as the next person but I would be willing to bet that 99% of you who throw them out there couldnt name over 10 songs from each of them on the spot...I got 16 davis albums and 12 coltrane albums and I cant...Truth is, atleast w/ Miles, most of his shie is really out there...Aside from few "mainstream albums" and the bitches brew collections he stuff is extremely hit or miss...

uh.... cheese kicks ass, bummed that I won't have the dough to see 'em on their last run

greatest band ever? what does that like, even mean maaaaan?

jgarcia---That has to be some of the most biased, least objective ideology I have ever heard...If SCI were the Bush Administration, you would be Fox News.

I thought this Beacon run was very nice, Not epic, But 1st timers 3/4 of the days was a great treat! The musical talent never got stale over the 4 days. They bring the energy to the room and the room gave it back to them.
peepoops

kudos to jgarcia1 for taking the time to expel his obviously thought-out opinions. i would have to disagree with your stance on phish's lyrics. tom marshall is a fantastic lyricist and page, during phish and post, is quite crafty with the pen and paper as well. i'm an enormous cheese fan, and their only downfall was their sometimes juvenile lyrics. nershi has some great lyrics, but for the others, they should have sought help. why do you think kyle collaborated with robert hunter for "45th of november"? because a great song combined with great lyrics are the potion for a fantastic and dynamic piece of art.

i have yet to understand why us listeners of music are debating greatest bands. what does it take to become a "great" band? what makes a band the supposed "best" band? i have friends that will tell you oasis is the greatest band, or 311, or pink floyd, or the grateful dead, or widespread panic: am i going to argue with them? absolutely not (although the oasis obsession will baffle me forever). it's as pointless as attempting to change someone's political views. i suppose we all get caught up in a band, love their music so much that we want to spread their music any way possible, but calling your favorite band the "best band" is so incredibly ignorant.

"Carve your name
Carve your name in ice and wind"

think about that little snippet from "foolish heart"

cheese at the Greek is going to be the biggest party in the country this weekend. but then bisco at the indi is going to top it, of course.

props to Promontory Rider for lookin out and warning everyone about the 3rd worst way to die .... DI

damn, you guys are really losing my interest with these rediculously long posts.

marcsmall...nice drive-by. You say "biased", yet dont give examples or counterpoints, you say "least objective", yet explain nothing again..and I reference GD, Phish, miles, and BOb in my review, so how is that not objective? I frequently refer to "my opinion" which by definition makes it subjective, just like all of our points...I respect your right to critique or diagree with my views, just throw in a few counter-positions and we may just get a healthy debate...Peace.

For whoever said about people not really having alot of Trane and Miles' stuff i'd like to correct you. I have 40 of Miles' cds/lps and over 100 with coltrane on it.

Wow I don't understand how people who know the power of this music and have felt "it" Can take it so much for granted.

The Dead, Phish , SCI, Allman's, WSP, Keller, JGB, Kimock, Bob Marley,Zero and all the new guys have brought so much to so many of us, to turn it into a competition is just ridiculous. Then again I guess its just the way some people make sense of things

Thank You String Cheese For The Moments of Connection.

Peace

To all the haters out there, if you don't like Cheese, then you don't like Cheese. No reason to tell everyone that they suck, because they don't.

Bands that suck = EMO bullshit.

There are plenty of bands that i dislike around the jam circuit, but no reason to categorize them with the EMO/Club rap bullshit that is polluting the airwaves.

just my two cents!

anyways.... BSC two weeks! LONG LIVE CHEESE!!!!!!

SCI is a good band and the shows this weekend will be great.

What a joke! Jesus!
Bab Marley-"a musically challenged reggae band" WTF??? You seriously think that? Here is a counter point-every reggae band that followed has tried to emulate Bob. At one time he was as globally admired as Nelson Mandela and Jesus Christ. Decades after his death you are still talking about his music. In thiry years will no one will be talking about Cheese.

"Their jamming improvs. over the years are consistently more creative and eclectic than all those bands combined"-Only in your world pal and I guess thats the point. I am an idiot for even embarking on this discussion. Its like you telling me the sky was blaze orange with purple polka dots and me argueing its blue. Most poeple would agree that its blue but it aint gonna change your mind.

feel bad for the guy who reviewed the shows he missed the 13th which was the heat. It was so hot the cheese melted.....

Blower, You are 100% correct when you say:

"Decades after his death you are still talking about his music. In thiry years will no one will be talking about Cheese."

Just remember that MDMA and MDA make people very, very stupid and sometimes when people say "That was a great show", what they really mean is "I was very high on Ecstasy during that show"

"Gone are the days we stopped to decide, where we should go, we just ride"

what about cream led zep paul simon Frampton ccr supertramp the doors the who yes tom petty johnny cash dylan eagles doobie bros and so on they are all different and unique in there on ways if there is a best band it would be THE BEATLES

yeah, the x-factor may have been low with zero shakedown whatsoever and sure I miss not smoking freely indoors, which in NYC just ain't right, but all in all they stepped up with summer heat as they slide into this break-hopefully just a year or 2, but this has to be one of the better SCI runs/shows I've seen in 3 maybe even 4 years, and that's seeing 15 shows or so, A minus to start, with more in the tank for CO no doubt. I did meet some very cool folks, too

i went to all four beacon's + the late nite post cheese show at bb's! out of the 80 songs they played, wouldnt u agree that black market was the most filiest?

The band I like is better than the band you like!!!!!!!111




Good Christ, how many times can these circular discussions happen?

SCI is good and unique and are capable of some master class jams. I have seen The Grateful Dead, Santana, hell many many groups play, but the best concert I've ever been to was a String Cheese show at Horning's Hideout, by far. That said, I'm not comparing them to any other band. Comparing one band to another is a complete waste of time, unless you are comparing a cover band to the band they emulate or something along those lines.

ANd BTW, jgarcia1, good post, although I disagree completely with some of your assessments, I like the vein and spirit of what you had to say.

Cheese tonight and hot buttered railroad cheese tomorrow @ the greek in berkeley - very exciting!!
Best band?!? This all sounds very subjective - what's one person's steak is another person's dogfood (apologies to all, non-beef eaters, vegatarians, vegans, elderly, and dogs). If it works for you enjoy it while you can. I went to Grateful Dead concerts (over 300 primarily in the Bay Area) for 23 years and many people thought I was crazy and lacked taste. But I thought they were the best and that's really all that matters. My second oldest daughter introduced me to SCI in 2001 and I have enjoyed every minute their scene. I am saddened by band's decision to end but life goes on. I feel incredibly blessed to have three of my five daughters share my eclectic taste in music. One will be with me in Berkeley and all three will be @ Red Rocks!! The weekend shows in Colorado my be bittersweet, but I'm going to have one hellava good time finding out.
To all those "haters" out there, the only thing that sucks is what you write.

I think that in their prime, SCI was a good band, but not an over the top great one. I think that one of the things that happened to them (and its not their fault, it just happened) was that when the GD was over, there was such a "JAM" void to fill that a lot of bands were pushed out onto stages they were not ready for. SCI was one. Headlining MSG in NYC? Come on, they still are not ready for that, they are just now getting to the level that they can really play an 8K like the Greek. At that I think that Phish might have made it a few more years without having the onus of having to be "The Next Big Jam Band" with all that goes with it - MOST of which has little to do with music and everything to do with crowd control.

they are ready thats why they played the venue, the band is only as great as you make them out to be, one thing is for sure you won't find a better "vibe" at a concert then one at a cheese show even if youdon't like the muscic

that's funny that pfleghaar thinks cheese's lyrics are juvenile. every person who i've ever met who doesnt like phish thinks that their lyrics sound like children's nursery rhymes. cheese doesnt have fantastic lyrics either (except for the ones with hunter/barlow) but who cares, singing sucks in half of music anyway.

I did the last three nights of the run... and i got to say, i was a little disapointed. I went friday night, and just left straight pissed off, nershi was just in the back lookin like he wanted to walk off the stage while hollingsworth and travis went back and forth on this spacey shit that has zero substance. I went in on friday night thinking it would suck, and i left thinking that was the best cheese show ive seen. Billy was up in front the whole night, dancing and smiling, it was like old times for them, i didnt see them before 04, but it that feeling. saturday was good, rivertrance was a highlight, and of course, strawberry fields.. but as a whole, it was obvious they lost it... i hope someday i get to see them again, i cant imagine my life without any more incidents!!