Jubilee 2014

[DaysBetween]

The Triple Crown of Festivals

 

The short version:

 

Dark Star Jubilee 2014 (or is it Jubilee III?) was truly the Triple Crown of Festivals.  After Night 1, which is right up there with my all-time favorites, Night 2 comes along and doesn't disappoint (although it just couldn't match opening night).  This set up a situation, in my head at least, where going into Night 3 I know that if the band kills it yet again then this will cement this year's festival as UBER among the many other festivals I've been so lucky to attend.  Soooooo, naturally, Night 3 has this phenomenal 2nd set, and thus I've declared those three shows as "Probably The Best Triumvirate I've Ever Witnessed Them Play".   OK so the title isn't the greatest but just let it be known that this was IT folks.  As close to a perfect weekend as possible.  Essentially perfection then.  Perfection then, looking at Jubilee 2014 as a limit as x approaches infinity (Calculus reference FTW. Leibniz would be so proud).

 

The people were super friendly - thank you Stew and Scotty for jumping vehicles Monday morning, including mine!  The atmosphere both chill, and electric.  The weather brilliant!  And seeing DSO at Legend Valley with such good audio and such fluid & charismatic lights is like seeing DSO in HD after a lifetime of snowy analog rabbit-eared TV.  (I did wish Eaton's guitar was the slightest bit louder in the mix for my taste, but I am certainly not complaining!)

 

Be forewarned, for I give you, The Long Version, which I will keep to a minimum I promise:

 

5/23/14 Night 1

 

Set 1 hit its stride with B.T.Wind > Big RxR Blues, Cassidy, & Mission, which seemed a little slow but played with emotion.  Then Nicky Sanders of the Steep Canyon Rangers guests on fiddle for Mama Tried > Big River.  And that sound just fits in like it was meant to be there.  Gimme Some Lovin > Might As Well closes the set.  Gimme(!).  In the 1st set!

 

All of Set 2 was soooo good, especially from Eyes through the rest of the show.  The Drumz were, to use a word I've already used, electric, and I thought at times "Lotus-esqe".  And did I see Koritz flex afterward?!?  I think my favorite part of the set was the Space that featured a Lisa narration, of what seems to be a Lewis Carroll poem, possibly part of Through The Looking Glass.  (I did about 90 seconds of Google research).  But it was absolutely spellbinding!  I loved that Dear Mr. Fantasy, Other One was a big surprise at this point in the show and was kinda heavy metalish, and that powerful Dew featured lots of Skip.  The "song flow", if there is such a thing, worked so well this evening.  Perfect choices.  Such an incredible, awesome, unusual show, this one ranks right up there with my all time favs.

 

5/24/14 Night 2

 

They did the classic 11/6/77 for Night 2, and boy did they do it well.  The first set was solid, particularly in the early goings.  Then they rocked out a Music Never Stopped with stilt walkers decked out in gold on the stage.

 

Set 2 only improved on what was already laid down in Set 1.  The ovation for Sunrise was almost as long as Sunrise itself, prompting Lisa to playfully say something to the crowd along the lines of "Aw shucks", but I'm sure those weren't her exact words lol.  Scarlet > Fire had another good transition (I've seen the combo several times recently and each one has something unique and hair-raising about it), and featured the fire dancers on stage!  After Good Lovin the drummers and Barraco inexplicably left the stage, and quickly I might add.  Eaton seemed as surprised as I was, but they were back within a few moments.  The big jam sequence is as good as advertised, with a rockin Truckin being the highlight.  My setlist notes simply say "11 Truckin   Wow. YES."  Wonderful choices of Baby What You Want Me To Do and Dear Prudence, both with Nicky Sanders, round out the evening in style.

 

5/25/14 Night 3

 

The opening set of the final night was the weakest of the six in my opinion, and tells you how well they were playing, to call a set like this "weak".  They opened with China Rider.  Brilliant!  Later we get a very upbeat, 10-beat BIODTL.  Keep On Growing was such a rare treat, and Tom Thumb was another, and featured a "back to Legend Valley" lyric.  DEAL was the song of the set though.  Like Fire on the Mountain, Deal seems to be something Jeff is really sinking his teeth into each and every time the song is played.

 

My 12-year-old daughter and I popped in some ear plugs and meandered toward the stage for the first few tunes of Set 2 (but not too close).  She wanted to hit the balloons/beach balls, and did so successfully!  Anywho, Help > Slip > Shakedown people!  I've created dream setlists dozens of times over the years, and I don't think I've ever considered Help > Slip > Shakedown.  It was such a righteous choice putting Shakedown there, and the transition sublime.  Look, each song thereafter (see the setlist for oneself) is played with the mindset of "it's the end of the festival so let's leave it all out on the field.. there's no tomorrow..yada yada"  You get the idea.  In fact, this might be the best set of the weekend.  Can't wait to download the shows - thank you for the downloads DSO - and relive them all!  

[Matthahnoh]

any set list from nrps ? sounds like it was a barn burner night 2

  going to try my best to save up for next years !