From: Charlie Dirksen
8/16/96 Clifford Ball, Plattsburgh, NY The DWD JAM in the final set of this show is one hell of a teary-eyed jam, and
practically HOSE, in my opinion. I listened to the awesome DWD JAM of SPAC '95 and I like this Ball version **MUCH**
better. The Bathtub Gin at this show also smokes many other versions, imo! I still probably prefer 5/20/94 to it, and I definitely
prefer 12/29/95 and 8/13/93. Opening standard. Tramps jam at 2:45 with some juicy Mike funking. Not much from Page
(standard chords.. this is all Mike.. he's tooling around a lot more than usual). I assume they weren't on the tramps, fwiw. Trey
sneaks in very carefully around 3:40ish... he doesn't leap right in as he usually does. He is almost cautiously soloing, and not
grabbing attention (he's fairly low on the 'doc for this segment). His soloing is not the typical eerie off-key schlock of Olde,
either, but more in line with recent (past two years) versions. Finally, around, five minutes, he gets up the 'doc for some
repetitive but engaging activity... but more noodling soon thereafter an octave or two lower. At around the 6 minutes, the jam is
still in a straightforward "tramps segment" routine, although Trey is, admittedly, sustaining less and noodling more than usual. He
isn't doing anything awe-inspiring, but is noodling in a rather patently Mike's Song fashion throughout. There is really nothing of
melodious merit in here at this point. Around 7:30, Trey is getting more intensely active in his soloing. Mike, Fish and Page are
all accompanying in completely straightforward Mike's Song fashion. At almost 8 minutes, Trey starts repetitively jammin' with
an intensity usually seen in strong Tweezers, Antelopes and Bowies.. but this nice jam fades out into more plebeian noodling
fairly soon. This was an active Mike's Song, but nothing unusual. At all. (well, no off-key eerie stuff from Trey.. I mean nothing
unusual for the versions Of Late) At 8:33 the Mike's Song tramps segment closes, and at around 8:50 the post-tramps jam
starts with an immediate "Simple" tease from Trey. Although Trey teases Simple initially (and Page seems to repetitively dwell
on Simple chords for some time), this jam is _not_ Simple. Around 11 minutes, Trey starts soloing passionately, taking total
command of the jam (the accompaniment from the others is typically awesome.. routine, though). Around 11:35, Trey continues
to fire up the 'doc with spectacularly melodious, captivating soloing, which really grabs one's attention by 12:40 (just some
fantastic stuff from Trey in this region of the post-tramps segment jam). By 13 minutes, this post-tramps segment -- far from
sounding eerie and dissonant and spooky and hauntingly engaging, like many recent versions -- is just some kick-ass, balls to
the wall, JAMMING. Around 13:40, Trey starts chording and 'doc-smacking along the lines of the "Midnight Rider" jam of
6/22/94, although without teasing Midnight Rider. Mike's accompaniment in here, however, is very similar to Midnight Rider.
Around 14:20-15:40 there is some (at first very faint) "ooooouuuuu" vocal accompaniment going on (they are just
complementing the jam repetitively, singing a Simple-esque "ooouuuuu-ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"). Finally, around 15:40, Trey starts
playing Simple, and the others quickly fall into accompaniment. This post-tramps jam KICKED MAJOR ASS, in my opinion,
but didn't especially tease my being with anything ludicrously mellifluous and auricularly inspiring. It just kicked my ass. The first
verse of Simple kicks in by 16:10 or so. I really enjoy the Simple jam segment (and the song, ok, I admit it, the song too)... just
waiting for the jam segment in here.. typical Simple lyrics, typical Simple (although Mike lets out a nice lick or two between
lines). Finally, around 19:30, the jam segment of Simple begins. Trey starts out slowly, but soon lets out some steady, genuinely
serene and delightfully Simple licks. Around 20:08 or so, Trey repeats THAT SAME DAMN NOTE (from the 12/9/95 Albany
YEM.. you know, the "Shaft" tease)... and then for the next minute or two gently repeats it, with some engaging yet minimalist
licks on the side.. but around 21:20 or so, this jam fades out rather quickly (too bad, I thought.. this had potential to start
RAGING).. and within a few seconds Contact is being soundly teased (and Fish just drops out entirely). This version of Simple
is the lamest of August 1996, imo... basically NO jam segment. Quite a disappointment in light of the excellent pre-Simple
post-tramps segment activity, imo. At 22:16, Mike begins singing Contact. Fun, happy Contact. I wrote to Mike in early 1994
about bringing this tune back, and got it at the 4/17/94 patriot center show. =^] I didn't realize it would be back (like Halley's
and Yamar, which I also requested that they play more of) with such a vengeance. I still love this tune. I just wish they'd take the
jam segment that's in here and BLOW IT OUT OF THE WATER.. RAGE!! I feel the same way about Mango's jam segment,
which is in many ways similar. Or Suzy's, for that matter. I'd love to get a ten minute Suzy, Mango or Contact sometime. =^]
This is a solid version of Contact, and Mike's "I love you" sounds particularly poignant under the circumstances. Mike's
solo-section is typically impressive, but I don't hear that alleged "Casey Jones" tease at all (certainly not the main theme of
Casey). There's nothing from Mike in the transition from Contact into Mike's opening Weekapaug solo. Weekapaug segues in
(thanks to Fish) around 27:40. Typical tempo, and Mike's opening is strong. Trey opens the jam segment in typically exciting,
melodiously Weekapaugian fashion. At 30:27 he basically teases NICU (almost a full tease of the main theme). This is a
(typically) great Weekapaug jam in here (around 30:56 it sounds like Trey was about to tease "Little Drummer Boy" but
stopped short)... until around 31:10, when Trey starts jamming SEVERELY.. just starts repetitively noodling and then breaking
out gorgeously into more beautiful Weekapaugian-jams. Again, by 32:10, Trey is soloing repetitively in that "Let's Hose
everyone down" style.. fantastic accompaniment from the others in here, too, but it is rare for Mike, Page or Fish to Have Their
Way in Weekapaug. Again, by 33 minutes, Trey is soloing repetitively with a serious fire mid-range on the 'doc. Total
"machine-gun Trey" throughout this entire Weekapaug jam segment! =^] These concluding minutes of the jam are
**AWESOME** !!! Another practically NICU tease towards the end! Wow.. The jam climaxes around 34:30 and then by
34:47 the closing Mike's segment kicks in. One hit at "trying to make a woman".. and then... MAJOR CLAV FUNKING from
Page!!! =^] =^] With Trey doing the typical Suzy Greenberg jam segment-like chords.. At around 35:39 or so, Trey tells
everyone that there'll be another break.. "about 40 minutes or something"... and thanks the audience for coming.. Nice little
groove in here.. (still Weekapaug) At 36:22 the "trying to make a woman match your moves" bit comes in.. (kinda quietly, but
Fish and Page are still RIPPING IT UP). Total time 37:05. Well. I loved this Weekapaug!!! It certainly isn't as awe-inspiring as
12/31/95, but its intensity was alone powerful enough to give this whole MikeSGroove an B+/A- rating. I also REALLY
enjoyed the post-tramps jam segment. I thought the Contact was fine, but the Mike's Song and the Simple really weren't all that
special, imo. But the Weekapaug is just too machine-gun Trey to let it slide!! It actually reminded me in many ways of most
1993 versions.. just the power and accuracy and passion of Trey's dedicated soloing. (visit 12/30/93) I nevertheless think there
are several versions of MikeSGroove out there that are even more intense and jaw-dropping than this version... especially from
December 1995. I mean, check out 12/7/95 for example! I didn't dare give that "version" a rating!! Anyway, I think this first
Ball show is a must-have show without question, given the severity of the Gin, Weekapaug, and DWD jams alone. And,
frankly, everything is played rather well. No complaints at all. This _show_ is in my top ten easy. two cents charlie