I write this review, however, to say that a previous reviewer has no idea what he is talking about. He cites two specific examples -- Boyd's "Nancies" solo and Roi's "Warehouse" -- as problems with the concert. He calls the former "out of tune." I speak as a musician when I say that there is a large difference between "out of tune" (which he wasn't) and "dissonant" or "polytonal" (which he was, at times). Being out of tune is not good, i agree, but dissonance and polytonality is what makes a lot of DMB's music great. This solo was an example of that.

Now, as for Roi's "Warehouse" solo. I speak as a sax player of some ten years when I say that this solo was brilliant. Believe it or not, not every sax player wants to sound candy-coated like Kenny G. It's called "color" and "character." I can guarantee you that almost every thing Roi did in his solo, he did on purpose. Someone with his skill doesn't do those things accidentally. Those altissimo notes are hard to play that beautifully, but he pulls it off masterfully. And sampling "Everyday People" ("And so on, and so on, and shoobee doobie doobie")? Brilliant.

Another previous reviewer wrote about the "Hey!" during the "Warehouse" opening "stop-and-go" break. If you'd watch the DVD, you'd see that Stefan throws his fist into the air on every "HEY!" They love it. It's called interaction.

(Although, if you want to talk about annoying, how about the crowd speeding up clapping during the opening of "Two Step," then getting off from Boyd when he brought it back down to tempo? Ick. That was the only annoying part of the whole concert.)

4.95 stars => rounds to 5 ;-)

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The highlights include: a rousing reading of Neil Young's "Cortez The Killer" featuring a blistering performance from Gov't Mule's Warren Haynes, delightfully teasing versions of "Dancing Nancies" & "Warehouse" that build to awesome crescendos, a 19 minute version of "Two Step" that blows the doors off any other version previously recorded, and a freewheeling performance of "Jimi Thing" with the aforementioned Haynes that includes an interpolation of Buffalo Springfield's "For What Its Worth".

The definite lowlight is yet another inclusion of "All Along The Watchtower" in a DMB live release. Ugh! Please make it stop! Haven't we heard this song enough?

This excellent recording shows what DMB can be capable of when they are on and when they devote the proper technology to capturing their sound, which only wets the appetite for the upcoming much anticipated 6 disc release of the 2002 Gorge shows, set to come out in early 2004. The price of this set along with its excellent sound quality and performances of classic as well as newer material should appeal to devoted DMB fanatics and casual listeners as well.

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