Anyone who claims that this is NOT a great show has taken the Brown Acid.

I sang a little while and then flew on.

nice recording here but the band is struggling to achieve liftoff. things do improve in the post-drums, though

Laid down last night and I could not take mynrest is from Rider not China Cat

nothing special. Kind of muddy AUD.

Yet another fantastic show from 1988, which I consider one of the strongest of them all. Looking at the show on paper it looked like a mellow, laid back run through for the southern California crowd; just a tune-up for New Year's. Boy was I wrong about that! This show has energy like a MSG show, the crowd is fired up and the band delivers the good in kind. The transition from China>Rider is absolutely a must listen! A nice audience recording that gives a good vibe of what it was like in the building that night.

I'm not sure where jboy's coming from at all. I'm not sure he's saying the show was bad, per se, but he's way over-analyzing. I was at the show and it has always stood out in my mind as a particularly good one. The tape confirms that. So I'm giving four starts for the show, but I sure wish a soundboard was available for it.

Jboy's review sells this show and every show from this run short. I got some phony doses this night and saw it straight and let me tell you they were on!

We got tickets through mail order and these were shows where we hit the jackpot. I mean the place is small enough already. I recall walking up the floor from the back on the first night. Our tickets were double lettered so we thought we were in the back. We kept passing security guys waving us further up until our jaws were dropping. This can't be happening! The first night we sat in the second row Phil Zone. This night we were front row Phil Zone and the last night third row dead centre.

They played a beautiful '88 style show this night and all nights. I was grousing about the actid rip off but I could not deny they were giving me the goods. This gets four stars to offset jboy's ridiculous review.

The sound here is quite excellent for the venue---my audiences of these shows weren't that great and the guy who did them was a maestro. Theses are better. If you loved '88 like I did then download away!

Despite last night's subpar show the crowd is as rabid as ever for their heroes.
1st Set: 94 seconds of "Tuning" clearly suggests a "Stranger." Though the rhythm sometimes gets lost admidst too many percussive spaces, Jerry's active worming his way in and out of promising points. Of course, let's just get "West LA" out of the way cause we all knew it was coming..., although 'South LA..." would have been more appropriate considering the geography. "Uncle" is sparked with something perky and is oddly enjoyable...maybe I'm in a better mood?! Regardless, "River" is equally as fun despite some muddledness. Dig whoever's playing the psudo-fiddle. Some stoners are whining in the background after the song, "This security has got to go...I paid forty dollars just to get pushed out." Were tickets that expensive even in '88? Doubtful...gotta hate the scalpers. Not much to "Althea" besides a decent pace and agreeable tone. This is one of the better and resounding "Memphis Blues" I've heard recently. "Tennessee" is minor quality, it's tone is down but never transcends. The set concludes with a decent enough, but lacking the fiery climax, of "Music."

2nd Set: "China" is listless though BRent's now commonplace spectral synths (as if a laser show was in progress) puts the song back in perspective allowing the climax to be its usual enjoyable self. "Rider" doesn't appear especially snug or secure, but the energy level during the important areas are certainly there. "Playin" builds on the growing enthusiasm of the set. Jerry's dangling a carrot out for the other musicians to nibble on, but noone catches his buzz...however, it's a pleasant resonance that leads to a comforting stroll through "Terrapin." It's relatively clean and builds into a solid 'B' version. The jam peters out into a well-spaced out eleven minute "Drums." "Space" gets increasingly edgy and tense leading us to "TOO." Imagine being on a skateboard where two of the four wheels are off the ground, and the other two are dangling on a curb...it's a popular skater's move whose word I'm unfamiliar with because I'm not a skater. "Stella" isn't nearly as hard-charging as the one from late October (NO or Dallas) but it's liltingly likable, kind of Good Ol' GD version. "Throwing" exists pleasantly on that same vibe...should be more intense, but they've found a comfort zone and there's no need to disrupt that now. But it's hot during the final build-up... now it's cooling off and super-loose with a spiffy "Lovelite." Not a false ending but a 6 minute version with a minor hushed section in late 3's early 4's... just good times.

Not an overburden or severely heavy "Knockin" just the last opportunity for some more Jerry twilling.

3 stars

This show sounds very quiet, and almost hollow at firts. But the Tennessee Jed Blows the doors off their hinges, and Bobby's Lovelight caves the house in! This is a show worth every penny, and the sound is pretty solid (A- ~ish) Vibe gets an A/A+

This was my third show ever. Zon's roommate went to a department store outlet to score tickets which at the time had not caught on with the mainstream. So the previous night we had 5th row center and this night we had front row right in front of Jerry. I mean right in front, like five feet away. I couldn't believe it as we would pass one security checkpoint after another until we got to the very front row. During the "Laid down last night and I could not take my rest" line in China Cat, he looked right at me, kindly as if to say "welcome aboard". It was the only truly interactive moment that I ever had with him. I thought it fitting since it was one of my favorite tunes and a lyric that I thought was written for me as I have lots of trouble sleeping.

One other time in 93, I called his room from the house phone at the Alexis Park where they always stayed in Vegas, but he had already checked out. He was registered under his own name. Don't know what I would have said if he had picked up the phone. Probably just "thanks".