Full Shows Audio: The String Cheese Incident Plays 3 At Element Music Festival

As reported, Colorado jam act The String Cheese Incident headed north of the border this past weekend for three full shows at the Element Music Festival at Snug Lake Amphitheatre in Princeton, British Columbia. Audience recordings of all three nights recently surfaced on the Live Music Archive, while official recordings are up for sale via LiveCheese.com.

Cheese’s opening night on August 4 featured standout renditions of “45th Of November,” “Close Your Eyes” and “Sweet Spot” as well as a stellar “One Step Closer” > “It Is What It Is” > “Bollymunster” sequence. Covers included Onus B. Johnson’s “Purple Strains (Earl’s Song),” Talking Heads’ “Nothing But Flowers” and Bob Dylan’s “Quinn The Eskimo.”

Stream or download an audience recording taped by Eytan Bernet:

Set One: Looking Glass > Rhum N’ Zouc, Purple Strains, 45th Of November, Sweet Spot, Close Your Eyes > Believe

Set Two: Desert Dawn, Joyful Sound > Rumble, Nothing But Flowers, Pack It Up, One Step Closer, It Is What It Is > BollyMunster

Encore: Quinn, The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)

SCI’s second show, on August 5, featured guest appearances from guitarist Fareed Haque and bassist Oteil Burbridge on a wild cover of John Coltrane’s “Impressions.” The concert also contained a reprise of the previous night’s “It Is What It Is,” covers of “How Mountain Girls Can Love” and “Blue Bossa” and more. Cheese said farewell with an “I Know You Rider” encore.

Stream or download an audience recording taped by Eytan Bernet:

Set One: Dirk, Cedar Laurels, How Mountain Girls Can Love, Blue Bossa, Can’t Wait Another Day > Best Feeling > Valley Of The Jig

Set Two: Lester Poem > Shantytown, Black And White > IIWII Reprise, Impressions^ > Drums, Get Tight, Let’s Go Outside

Encore: I Know You Rider

* with Oteil Burbridge & Fareed Haque

Burbridge, who was serving as the festival’s Artist-at-Large, emerged on August 6 to add to SCI’s stellar rendition of “Don’t Let Go.” The show also featured a 17-minute “Way Back Home,” a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Deal,” a “Sand Dollar” > “Drums” > “Sirens” sequence and more.

Stream or download an audience recording taped by Eytan Bernet:

Set One: I Saw The Light, Panama Red, Moonflower, Betray The Dark, Suntan, Wake Up > Black Clouds, Deal

Set Two: Beautiful, Sand Dollar > Drums > Sirens, Give Me The Love, Way Back Home > Restless Wind

Encore: Don’t Let Go*, Good Times Around The Bend

* with Oteil Burbridge

The String Cheese Incident’s summer tour continues at the Summer Meltdown festival this weekend.