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Words by: Nick Boeka
String Cheese Incident :: 07.21.07 & 07.22.07 :: Greek Theater :: Berkeley, CA
SCI :: The Greek :: 07.22 :: By Susan J. Weiand |
This past weekend marked the final performances for the foreseeable future that the String Cheese Incident would ever perform in California. Returning to Berkeley's Greek Theatre, the Colorado-based band joined forces with four other top names in the live music scene to offer six incredible sets of music each night. Both Saturday and Sunday featured groups with ties to the Bay Area with Sound Tribe Sector 9 and The Disco Biscuits on Saturday, and Hot Buttered Rum joining Railroad Earth on Sunday. Match an incredible weekend lineup with some of the best July weather the SF Bay Area can get and it's a wonder that the Greek didn't lift off into the stratosphere once the barefoot boys were done.
In anticipation of this weekend, I felt a similar stir of emotions that have arrived before each run ever since the announcement of Billy Nershi's departure from the band. For me, ever since 2006's mini-hiatus and the break from 10 straight years of Winter Carnivals, something had just not been right about the Cheese magic these past two years. Winter Carnival 2007 proved to me that the magic was still there, but it required so much effort from the band that it was that much harder to obtain each night. Now, feeding off reports and reviews from last weekend's Beacon run, I was feeling optimistic about the energy and the musicianship that would make up this final summer tour ending at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO. I was determined to have one more truly inspiring Incident, have that moment before there were none left to be had.
Saturday :: "Damn, that's some bass"
Keith Moseley - SCI :: The Greek
07.21 :: By Sewell Hatcher |
My crew arrived at the venue, per usual, a couple hours before the gates opened. The venue itself is buried deep within the beautiful UC Berkeley campus and is an easy walk from area lodging. Once inside it became quickly apparent how architecturally impressive the stage, concert bowl, and surrounding areas are. It also features one of the steepest lawn sections I have ever experienced. It conjured up images of people wearing seatbelts in the grass to stay put. With the weather providing the perfect backdrop, there was even a crystal clear view of the Bay Bridge and the rest of the city, which believe me, is typically rare.
Saturday's sold out show began with a blistering set from Philadelphia's The Disco Biscuits, who offered a non-stop set which featured a strong set closing "Shimmy in a Conga Line" sandwich around the jam in "Great Abyss." The one thing that struck me immediately though on Saturday was the sound. I like to ride the rail, and know many others who also like to ride the rail. We get there hours early to ride this rail. But, at these shows on Saturday it was truly impossible to enjoy the show from the first 10 rows because of how loud and body shattering the bass was. Now, don't get me wrong, I love loud music, and I love it when I can feel the bass, but the bass throughout The Disco Biscuits set was just too much to handle. Somehow I felt like I was not the only one, and looking around to see other staple rail-riders looking for alternative spots confirmed that suspicion.
David Murphy - STS9 :: The Greek
07.21 :: By Sewell Hatcher |
At the beginning of the STS9 set, I relocated to the right of the soundboard and the increase in the quality of the sound was immediately rewarded by my ears as the ringing finally subsided. As the sun set on the horizon above the Greek and the venue began to swell to capacity, David Murphy (bass) acknowledged the Biscuits' playing, wished us a good show and dropped the band into an explosive "Rabble." The STS9 set featured the band using old tunes to venture into new explorations, working through renditions of "Rent," "Moonsocket" and "Open E." Yet, throughout the set, I couldn't help but feel a disconnect with the audience, unlike many STS9 shows I've seen in the past. Perhaps it was the overwhelming sound in the pit that kept pushing the energy away from the band instead of welcoming it back. Something was affecting the exchange of energy.
Bill Nershi - SCI :: The Greek
07.21 :: By Sewell Hatcher |
The String Cheese Incident began their set with a strong one-two punch of "Mouna Bowa" and Stevie Wonder's "I Wish." But then, in an example of some of the frustrating choices that the band has been making lately, they followed the high-energy opening with "Love Is Like a Train," which is the newest song to emerge even after the breakup announcement and isn't quite up to speed yet. After picking up the pace they'd lost, the rest of the set seemed to just roll along. At the end of a long jammed-out "MLT" the band even left the stage to showcase Michael Travis and Jason Hann on drums and percussion, in what turned into a quick tease of what their late night EOTO set was all about. The band reemerged and SCI finished out the set with the weekend's first of many Grateful Dead covers, "I Know You Rider," wrapped around Bob Marley's "Stir it Up."
The second set began with the band working through newer songs and halfway through invited Aron Magner and Jon Gutwillig of The Disco Biscuits to jam on "Desert Dawn." While the second set was a lot stronger than the first, there were several sound and equipment problems that made it hard for the group to find their rhythm. As the show closed out with a standard "Search" and our crew made our way over to Blakes on Telegraph for the EOTO aftershow, a thought came over us: Playing the night show at 10,000 Lakes Festival the day before, and having to fly to California the morning of the show, probably provided some fatigue on stage and made it that much harder to summon the magic.
SCI :: The Greek :: 07.21 :: By Sewell Hatcher |
When we arrived to Blake's the venue was barely full. DJ Roots from Boulder, CO was spinning an impressive set of classic '70s funk mixed with trip-hop beats. The basement of the venue resembled a fraternity house but resulted in some pretty tight sound with great presence. When Travis and Haan arrived, the venue still pretty empty, we introduced ourselves and then politely asked them to add one of our friends without a ticket to their guest list, and they obliged with no objection.
I couldn't help but notice that Travis has to be the hardest working man in the band. After finishing two big sets at the Greek, he rushed quickly over to Blake's only to have to setup the PA system and gear himself. As I watched him lift the speakers and prepare for his set, I was struck by the realization that each one of The String Cheese members will have to go through this rebirth as working musicians again. They will all have to go back to carrying and setting up their own gear and working their asses off again to promote their new groups. I felt very happy for them that they would be able to re-experience the real joy of being a musician, capturing the spirit of that kind of creation all over again. The EOTO set was exactly what the after show called for. For those who wanted to dance until the early morning, there was no substitute for the rhythmic core of SCI that evening in Berkeley. EOTO provides Travis and Haan the opportunity to work out all of the melodic ideas that run through their heads that don't readily emerge through SCI. If you dig Zilla, you can definitely dig on EOTO, too.
Sunday :: "Less Guns, More Butter"
Nat Keefe (HBR) and Nershi :: The Greek
07.22 :: By Susan J. Weiand |
On Sunday, we had learned our lesson about being too close in the pit, so when we arrived at the venue hours early our focus was on the coveted thrones that line the lower lip of the bowl. The four thrones we seized when the gates opened proved to be the absolute sweet spot on Sunday, which made for a truly spectacular incident.
The bright sunny day started 15 minutes (about 12:30 p.m.) early as Hot Buttered Rum String Band played a really incredible set, which immediately had the energy at a higher level from the get-go than the night before. With indebted admiration to all they had accomplished so far as a band, they dedicated and toasted "Honkytonk Tequila" to their mothers, and brought up Billy Nershi in the day's first of two sit-ins by the departing SCI member. Grateful Dead's "Cumberland Blues" was their set closer, and featured the most inspired Nershi solo of the weekend.
Nershi, Skehan (RRE) & Hollingsworth :: The Greek
07.22 :: By Susan J. Weiand |
It appeared to be the closest thing to passing the baton when Railroad Earth received an official introduction. Their configuration and sound most closely resembles the Cheese, and though I am not saying that they are the next Cheese, they do possess the same strong songwriting and musicianship qualities. In addition, I think they will be among the few bands that will seize this opportunity to grow a larger fan base. The band is led by Todd Sheaffer, who plays guitar and provides many of the lead vocals, which blend well with the rest of the band. Tim Carbone has really found his place within Railroad Earth, and his skill as a fiddle player is one of the highlights of the band. By the time the Railroad Earth set had finished it was apparent that the Sunday show was already off to a way better start than Saturday, with the sound dialed in perfectly.
Kyle Hollingsworth - SCI :: The Greek
07.22 :: By Susan J. Weiand |
When SCI took the stage on Sunday, they looked in better spirits, jumping around and ready to bring the business. The set began with a well played "Shine" that immediately found itself in a powerful jam. Not even the mis-capo'd flub at the start of "Little Hands" could stop the momentum of the first set. They invited members from both Hot Buttered Rum and Railroad Earth to join them on two grassy tunes, and I found myself getting "that feeling" again. When the group dropped Weather Report's "Black Market" (a favorite new Kyle Hollingsworth covers), which segued into a long "Jellyfish," it was official - my goose bumps were back and we were in the middle of a righteous incident! At set break, I took the time to reflect with my friends and we were all feeling the same first set excitement. We were convinced the band had it in them to deliver it one more time.
The second set resumed right where they had left off with Hollingsworth's "Piece of Mine" dropping into the groove-based "Bumping Reel." At this point, I was in multiple goose bumps mode and Hollingsworth was turning out inspired solos left and right. When he is leading the band it all just falls right into place. I hadn't seen him yelling orders into the in-ear-monitor mic that is strategically placed by his rig for segue direction in a long time. Not even "Farther" could slow the set down, as it moved into the newest Talking Head's cover, "What a Day That Was." The sun had thoroughly kissed everyone's face as the band closed out the second set with "the jam" otherwise known as "It Is What It Is." The second set had trumped the energy of the first set, and I had just experienced one of my favorite incidents in quite a while.
Michael Kang - SCI :: The Greek ::
07.22 :: By Weiand |
Despite the early curfew of 7 p.m. at the Greek on Sunday, the band found enough time not only to offer a three song encore with practically all the members of Hot Buttered Rum and Railroad Earth in what became a 14-member "Clusterpluck," but even capped off an incredible last incident at the Greek with a rare second encore of "Smile." What was left out on Saturday was completely made up for and then some on Sunday. Everyone was smiling as we exited the venue. With the momentum building up for the homecoming final shows, the band has only a few incidents to go before we can catch them for the last time at the Rocks. See you in Colorado!!
Setlists:
07.21.07
The Disco Biscuits
I Remember When > Digital Buddha, Boom Shanker, Little Shimmy In A Conga Line > The Great Abyss > Little Shimmy In A Conga Line
Sound Tribe Sector 9
Rabble, lo Swaga, Supremacy, Be Nice, Rent, Kamuy, Moonsocket, Tooth, Open E, One-a-Day
String Cheese Incident
Set I: Mouna Bowa, I Wish, Love Is Like A Train, Sometimes A River, MLT,
Rain, I Know You Rider > Stir It Up > I Know You Rider
Set 2: Eye Know Why, Looking Glass, Desert Dawn > Jam*, The Way You Do The Things You Do, Way Back Home > Birdland > Best Feeling > Way Back Home
Encore: Search
* w/ Aron Magner (Disco Biscuits) on keyboards and Jon Gutwillig (Disco
Biscuits) on guitar
07.22.07
Hot Buttered Rum
The Crest, Honey Be, Guns Or Butter, Return Some Day, Right Between Your Eyes, Honkytonk Tequila*, Cumberland Blues*
* w/ Billy Nershi (String Cheese Incident) on guitar
Railroad Earth
Smilin' Like a Buddha, Loving You, Magic Foot, Luxury Liner, Warhead Boogie, Dover to Dunkirk, Peace on Earth, Mourning Flies*
* w/ Billy Nershi (String Cheese Incident) on guitar
String Cheese Incident
Set 1: Shine, Little Hands > Dudley's Kitchen, I'll Fly Away *, Walls of Time *, Black Market > Jellyfish > Black Clouds
Set 2: Piece of Mine, Bumpin' Reel, Farther, Long Way To Go **, Sweet Melinda***, What A Day That Was, It Is What It Is
Encore: Whiskey Before Breakfast**** > Will The Circle Be Unbroken****
Second Encore: Smile
* with all of Hot Buttered Rum except Bryan
** with Todd Sheaffer (Railroad Earth) on vocals
*** with Railroad Earth minus Schaeffer
****Clusterpluck with all of Hot Buttered Rum and Railroad Earth
JamBase | Berkeley
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For coverage of SCI's Beacon run please go here...
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