Best cd's of 2013

Okay, here is my belated list of my favorite music of 2013... All my opinions are mine and mine alone. If I left something off that you like a lot, let me know about it below in the comments; or write your own blog ;-)   This year's descriptions will be shorter than in some years past; due to the fact that we're already into February, March, April of 2014 and this is just now being written/published. As usual, I did include links to all the cd's listed here. 

Also, I won't list my bro Scott Sawyer's new cd, Dreamers, because I have a producer credit on it (conflict of interest?); but if I wasn't involved in the production, it would definitely be on the list. It's mostly original jazz tunes, 3 covers (Irving Berlin, Bob Dylan, Nick Drake), a great band and some wonderful guest appearances by Kate McGarry, Bruce Piephoff, and Tony Williamson. Jason Richmond recorded/engineered it, and it was mastered by the great Gavin Lurssen. CD Baby link is here: http://bit.ly/1nBgavp – It's also on iTunes and Spotify... 

Also, I normally don't mention re-issues... But I highly recommend the 4 cd version of the Allman Brothers band's Brothers and Sisters album, http://amzn.to/Q0E6vx – The same album as always, plus the 1973 Winterland show (very nicely remastered compared to past bootleg versions), and also a disc of outtakes and alternate tracks. A must have if you're an ABB fanatic like me. Same statement applies to the Skydog 7 cd box set, http://amzn.to/1km4smO, released in 2013, produced by Galadrielle Allman (Duane's daughter – She has also written a book I highly recommend – http://bit.ly/1hdPvmB).

Now, back to what I was saying... Here it is, in alphabetic order:

Best cd's of 2013

* John Abercrombie Quartet – 39 Steps 

http://amzn.to/1d3m05G

Guitarist John Abercrombie has been making music on record since 1970 and is a heavyweight in the jazz world. I discovered him as a teenager, via his brilliant Gateway Trio cd's, which paved the way for me to transition from metal head to jazz head. This cd is on ECM Records and he is joined by Marc Copland on piano, Drew Gress on double bass, and the great Joey Baron on drums. If you're not familiar with John Abercrombie, this is as good as place as any to start; although you also can't go wrong with any of his Gateway Trio cd's either (there are 4).

* Scott Amendola and Charlie Hunter – Pucker 

http://amzn.to/1ixLk67

Drummer Scott Amendola has been on my radar for over a decade now; whether by way of touring/recording with Bill Frisell, Nels Cline, Will Bernard, Wil Blades, or Charlie Hunter... Charlie, not by coincidence, has been one of my favorite performers, both on the stage and on disc for over that same aforementioned decade now. His duo lineup has come to be my favorite of his band configurations (aside from the great but sadly brief Pound for Pound lineup, which also featured Scott), and this duo recording is no exception. Whether it's Charlie or Scottie's name in front, the result is the same pure groove. These 2 have been playing together for a long time and it shows.

* BIG Something (self titled) 

http://amzn.to/1cq50k2

Produced by John Custer; who has produced some notable albums by NC bands Corrosion of Conformity, Cry of Love, and Dag (including Dag's masterpiece, Righteous). If I had to pick a category for them musically, I'd say jamband; but there strong elements of funk, 70's prog-rock and fusion, especially the keyboards; and some of the horns make me think early Red Hot Chili Peppers. This is their 2nd release produced by John, and this band already has a very dedicated fanbase. I expect a bright future for the BIG Something!

* Black Sabbath - 13

http://amzn.to/1dhWBUZ 

First off: The fact that the rift between Bill Ward and the remaining 3 has progressed to it's current state sucks major ass. All Bill Ward mention/images have been removed/photoshopped from the official website, aside from the band history tab, and from a fan perspective that is just plain pitiful. Okay, on to the review: This cd was delayed over a year due to Tony Iommi's cancer diagnosis/treatment. Drummer Bill Ward is out, replaced by Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine. Most of this album sounds like material from their first 4 albums. They have stayed very true to their heavily blues influenced prog-rock roots. Their first album was released 44 (!) years ago, 1970. Ozzy, Tony, and Geezer are all in their 60's; and considering that, this cd sounds amazingly fresh. Ozzy's voice sounds good, and unlike Ozzy's recent solo cd's, this is NOT heavily compressed sludge designed for iPod listeners; the cd actually sounds very nice blasting out of my JBL's.

* Eric Burdon – 'Til Your River Runs Dry

http://amzn.to/19E209s

I was never a huge Eric Burdon or Animals Fan; although biggest of props go to Animals bass player Chas Chandler for “discovering” Jimi Hendrix. Yes, this is the same Eric Burdon who recorded House of the Rising Sun 50 (!) years ago. I bought this cd because I knew Eric McFadden and Wally Ingram were all over it. It turns out Jon Cleary also plays some guitar on it. I consider this mostly a blues album, at times with a strong Nola vibe; and a surprisingly very strong effort. After buying it I researched it online, and more than one reviewer deemed it the best Eric Burdon album ever released.

* Steve Earle and the Dukes (& Duchesses) – The Low Highway

http://amzn.to/1asifRt

Steve's 1995 release Train a Comin'  is on my top 10 all time favorite album list. Not all of Steve's releases since then have blown me away. This however, I do rank among his best and in the top tier of the vast Steve Earle catalog.

* The Big E: A Salute to Steel Guitarist Buddy Emmons

http://amzn.to/LBQ4tP

Buddy Emmons fans belong to a special club. If you're a fan, you'll love this cd and appreciate it for what it is. I'm not gonna name all the famous musicians who play on it, because there are too many to list here. But rest assured, Nashville is well represented. The entire cd is great. My favorite tunes are Country Boy, with Vince Gill on Tele and vocals and Paul Franklin on steel guitar; and Night Life, featuring Raul Malo on vocals and Randle Currie on steel guitar :-) If you're not familiar with Buddy Emmons, I would recommend checking him out ASAP; starting with his Steel Guitar Jazz cd, and/or Danny Gatton's Redneck Jazz Explosion.

* Michael Lee Firkins – Yep

http://amzn.to/190PIY7

Every year I seem to latch onto at least one cd from the Magna Carta or Shrapnel record label, which for better or worse are labels I'd guesstimate 95% of cd sales are from old white guys who came of age in the late 70's, 80's, and early 90's ;-) before grunge arrived and temporarily silenced guitar “shredding.” So, Michael Lee Firkins is a virtuoso guitarist (standard and slide) based in Marin County, Northern California. He is yet another fantastic artist worthy of wider exposure. This is a Magna Carta release; and like his previous releases of recent years, this one has an star band backing him: Chuck Leavell on keyboards, Matt Abts on drums, and Andy Hess on bass. Unlike his previous efforts, this cd is NOT all instrumental, there are some songs with vocals. All tunes are originals, no covers. Fans of blues rock guitar, Jeff Beck, Gov't Mule, ZZ Top, etc, will enjoy this disc very much.

* Gov't Mule – Shout!

http://amzn.to/1kdFlFg

Warren Haynes stepped up his game with this latest release, which is on the Blue Note label. I rank it among my 2 favorite Mule recordings, which are Dose and Mighty High. What sets this apart from his other releases is that it is 2 cd's with the same songs – One cd with guest singers on each song, and another cd with Warren singing everything. Although the guest vocals are top shelf and sound great (Dr. John, Ben Harper, Toots Hibbert, Elvis Costello, etc), after repeated listens I have found that overall I prefer the disc with Warren handling all the vocals.

* Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite – Get Up

http://amzn.to/1asdYxj

Album of the year. Number 1 in my book. A blues album, pure and simple. It won a blues Grammy this year. Honest soulful music and lyrics. Ben and Charlie knocked this one out of the park and I can't wait to hear their their next collaborative effort.

* Christian McBride & Inside Straight – People Music

http://amzn.to/1g528vW 

The liner notes state Christian formed this acoustic jazz combo in response to Village Vanguard club owner Lorraine Gordon’s instructions that if McBride wanted to perform there again, he had to do so without his electric “rock ‘n’ roll band.” The lineup is Christian on upright bass, augmented by vibraphonist Warren Wolf, pianist Peter Martin, alto saxophonist Steve Wilson, and drummer Carl Allen, with drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. jumping on board for a few tracks as well. It is what is is. It's safe to say If you dig straight ahead jazz you'll probably like this, a lot.

* JJ Grey & Mofro – The River

http://amzn.to/1mWimPp

Mofro has been on a roll these last few years. This is another Alligator Records release. More of the same swampy Southern rock funk soul music they're been playing for the last decade or so. JJ's lyrics and descriptive imagery evoke, for me, vivid memories of times spent in Nashville and Northern FL. This is the first Mofro studio release featuring Todd Smallie on bass, formerly of the Derek Trucks Band.

* North Mississippi Allstars – World Boogie Is Coming

http://amzn.to/1kdG1KJ

The NMA are on a roll, I also loved their previous release back in 2011. I guess it's now safe to say Chris Chew is officially no longer an Allstar, bummer. I make this statement based on the fact that since their last release they were touring as a duo, and Chris shows up on this latest cd with a guest artist credit. This is their bluesiest effort yet, but still unmistakeably the NMA. There are 3 NMA originals, and the rest are mostly classic Mississippi blues and/or traditional covers. Robert Plant blows harmonica on a couple songs.

* Anders Osborne – Peace

http://amzn.to/1hksEpZ

Anders is still riding that wave; his 3rd cd with Alligator Records, his 3rd consecutive cd of very high caliber music. I'm not going to describe what it sounds like, again; but if you've been reading my blog these last few years, then you may recall I am a big Anders Osborne fan. If you missed my references the previous times, I'll just say it's psychedelic rock music with Nola origins.

* Joel Paterson – Handful of Strings

http://bit.ly/19DZhg7

Joel is a monster guitarist, relatively unknown, based in Chicago. He plays jazz regularly at the Green Mill, and is equally at home playing blues - He is also a full time member of the Cash Box Kings (Blind Pig Records artist). Joel recorded this all instrumental cd in the heavily overdubbed style of mostly early Les Paul recordings, but also some blues and rockabilly flavored tunes too. He plays all the instruments; which are guitar, lap steel, pedal steel, bass, and snare drum.

* Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog – Your Turn

http://amzn.to/KnuLLo

This is the 2nd Ceramic Dog cd. I dug the first one too. This one is more rock less experimental than the previous, shorter more structured tunes; but still plenty of avant garde, free jazz, punk, and other genres hybridized together. The cd is half instrumental / half songs with lyrics. My favorite tunes are Masters of the Internet, Take 5 (this berserk version must have Dave Brubeck spinning in his grave), and We are the Professionals; which could pass for the Beastie Boys in their prime.

* John Scofield – Uberjam Deux

http://amzn.to/Jxz5ry

The first Uberjam cd was back in 2002. Musically, the tunes are just a little less experimental than the last one. Still very funky. The band is Sco on guitars, Avi Bortnick on guitars/samplers, Andy Hess on bass, John Medeski on keys, and Adam Deitch and Louis Cato on drums. I was a big fan of the first Ubderjam cd and this follow up exceeded my high expectations.

* Robert Randolph Presents: The Slide Brothers

http://amzn.to/190SlZS

This cd blew me away upon first listen. Today's top Sacred Steel genre pedal steel and lap steel guitar masters step outside the House of God Church, and play some blistering versions of classic rock and blues tunes (including Allman Brothers, Clapton, George Harrison, Elmore James, among others) plus a few unexpected gems thrown in too (a Fatboy Slim song for example). If you're a blues fan or steel guitar fan, this is a must-hear cd.

* Steven Wilson – The Raven that Refused to Sing: And Other Stories

http://amzn.to/1dYe5mB

The busiest man in the prog-rock universe found the time in 2013 to record/release his 3rd solo effort and his best album yet. The cd was co-produced by Alan Parsons (who contributes 1 burning guitar solo), and also features Govan Guthrie on lead guitar. 6 songs, 3 of which are plus 10 minutes long; this cd is chock full of indulgent displays of musician virtuosity/wankery that prog-rock geeks such as myself love ;-)

* The Wood Brothers – The Muse

http://amzn.to/19DZzUj

Chris Wood (of MMW - On upright bass, harmonica, and vocals) and brother Oliver Wells (on guitar and vocals) are the stars of this show. Produced by the great Buddy Miller. There are also various other musicians on certain tracks (including Buddy on baritone guitar on one song). I would consider this roots rock music, strongly rooted in the blues. Their cover of I Got Loaded (by Los Lobos) is as good, if not better, than the original version. Oliver's voice sometimes brings to mind Levon Helm. I highly recommend this excellent cd!

Honorable Mention

* The Black Dahlia Murder – Everblack

http://amzn.to/1bCR0TX

An acquired taste. I've been a fan of this melodic death metal band from Michigan since I saw them open for King Diamond roughly 9 years ago. The brutality continues.

* Fareed Haque – Out of Nowhere

http://amzn.to/1etTiYB

I've been a Fareed fan since my friend Laurie turned me onto his Blue Note cover version of the classic CSNY album, Deja Vu, back in the late 90's. Since then he has stayed very busy and is best known as guitarist of Garaj Mahal, a jamband whose 11 year run ended in 2011. He is a virtuoso on the instrument, and is as versatile live as any guitarist I have ever seen. He has idolized Pat Martino since he was 9 years old, and this should definitely be considered a return to his roots. 

July 1999 - 12/31/2009, best musical multi-night runs...

I have managed to see some epic musical performances. Sometimes it was just one night, other times it was 2 or 3 consecutive nights; and on rare occasion, a bit longer... Anyway, below is my list of the most memorable multi-night musical runs I have experienced these last 11 years, in chronological order. I chose summer 1999 as the starting point because there were some stand-outs then and the preceding couple years hadn't been as huge... While the majority of live music performances I have attended in my lifetime has been great, these multi-night runs stood out. Why, might some of you be asking, is there no mention of Widespread Panic's 1999 European Tour? Because I only caught 1 night (Paradiso/Amsterdam). As for the Beacon Runs, if I am going to list every one I've been to, whats the point of making a list here? That is why I was selective in which runs I chose (Allman or other bands). If my next 11 years on this planet are even half as interesting, from a music fan perspective, then consider me a damn lucky mofo :-)

* 6/12/99, 6/13/1999 - The Allman Brothers Band @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre (Morrison, CO)
I came from another continent to be there that weekend; from Reading, Berkshire (UK)... The fact I crossed an ocean from Allman deprived Europe gave this weekend an extra double or triple dose of sweetness. There was a large tribe of Disreputables, we were all staying at the Marriott in Golden, and we took it over. It was a crazy couple of nights. This particular weekend, these 2 shows were the first with Derek Trucks as a full time permanent member of the band (replacing Jack Pearson). It was this weekend that really launched my "traveling obsession/fanaticism" of my favorite bands.

* 12/30/1999, 12/31/1999 - Phish @ Big Cypress Seminole Indian reservation (The Everglades in South Florida)
Another major effort to be there... This time I traveled from Brussels, Belgium. Millennium weekend. I was there with my best friend since junior high school (early 80's), Mike, and although he had initially turned me on to Phish 8 years before, these were the first shows we caught together... 2 nights of solid music, on NYE they played from approximately 11:30 PM until sunrise the next morning.

* 3/23/2001, 3/24/2001, 3/25/2001 - The Allman Brothers Band @ The Beacon Theatre (NYC)
Another major effort to be there... This time I traveled from Santa Catarina, Brazil, which I had been calling home for the previous 5 months. The day before my flight, I was hiking in some woods and got bitten by mosquito's... By the time my plane landed in NY approximately 20 hours later, both my ankles were swollen to the point I could have used some crutches. Anyway, I had excellent seats with very close friends for 3 consecutive nights (3/23, 3/24, and 3/25); and these were the final 3 nights of the extended Beacon Run... It was after this run they announced that Warren Haynes had rejoined the band on a permanent basis (He was "guest guitarist" for the run, replacing "interim guitarist" Jimmy Herring who had initially stepped in when Dickey Betts left the band)... Regarding the vibe that weekend: The energy in the air, being generated both on stage and from the audience, and back and forth, was incredible... This was my first Beacon experience too. All the familiar faces I saw in the theatre and/or neighborhood, and the huge tribe staying at the Beacon Hotel made it even more special... By the end of the weekend, I lost my voice. To this day this might be the best 3 nights, overall, of live music I have experienced, period. Not that the rest of this list wasn't as good, they were; but this weekend was the perfect overall vibe that will never be recaptured.

* 12/30/2003, 12/31/2003 - Gov't Mule @ The Beacon Theatre (NYC)
This was a last moment deal... I found out a couple weeks before the shows that a friend was holding some extra's if I wanted them, and worked this weekend into my NYE plans. I stayed at the Beacon Hotel, more quality time with Disreputables; and since this was a present to myself because I had just annulled my marriage, after enduring a very unrewarding few months of marital non-bliss, I followed this weekend with a short week in Amsterdam ;-) If I remember correctly, on 12/31, Warren teased 20th Century Schizoid Man AND Hocus Pocus (I am such a prog geek).

* 10/22/2004, 10/21/2004, 10/24/2004 - MagnoliaFest @ Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park (Live Oak, Fl)
A sh*tload of bands over a 3 day period... The one though, that influenced me to pull the trigger on a ticket and be there was a Colonel Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit reunion show. Aside from this zambirrific band, other highlights were Peter Rowan's Crucial Reggae (with the Burning Spears Horns), The Codetalkers, Oteil & the Peacemakers, Derek Trucks Band, Railroad Earth, Blueground Undergrass, and Donna the Buffalo. Great music, a beautiful venue, and easy low stress not-too-crowded primitive camping.

* 4/15/2005, 4/16/2005 - Wannee Festival @ Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park (Live Oak, Fl)
This was the first annual Allman Brothers Band extended family musical orgy. Lineup was the Allman Bros, Derek Trucks Band, Gov't Mule, Oteil & the Peacemakers, Robert Randolph, Galactic; plus a few more. Another big showing of Disreputables from the tribe made this extra special; plus it wasn't too crowded, and we knew some people who had a cabin with warm water and AC if we needed a brief reprise from the weather and elements. The fact I got so drunk one mid day, almost passed out during Derek Truck's late afternoon daylight set, then recovered enough to the point I could communicate and be comprehended later that night; is the kind of tale of which legend is born :-) I also wound up backstage one night, and although it wasn't the first time back there, it was the first and only time I was introduced to Gregg Allman and got to personally thank him, for so much great music and memories over the years. We also had a crazy Matt Abts moment in a trailer I can't go into detail about here... The music wasn't bad either...

* 10/14/2005, 10/15/2005, 10/16/2005 - Steelin' & Slidin' (The Netherlands)
The Derek Trucks Band's 1st ever 3 European shows, with Sonny Landreth, Buddy Cage, Dan Tyack, and Dutch musicians Johan Jansen and René van Barneveld... The 14th was in Groningen, the 15th in Eindhoven, and the 16th @ Paradiso in Amsterdam. All 3 nights were small venues but very nice rooms, with very enthusiastic fans. I made some great friends on that tour, hung out with DTB a bit, met Derek's grandfather; and I had the honor of buying Sonny Landreth a pint of Guinness late one night ;-) The music was awesome, seeing Sonny and Derek on stage together was pretty incendiary, and unknown (to me, at that time) Dan Tyack was killing it on pedal steel. The overall energy, although smaller scale due to smaller crowds, was comparable to the ABB's 2001 Beacon run mentioned above. Sadly, I haven't been back to Europe since this run of shows... I hope to remedy this situation sometime in 2010.

* 1/20/2006, 1/21/2006 - Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit @ Fox Theatre (Boulder, CO)
A couple more Col. Bruce Bruce reunion shows with Jimmy, Oteil, and Sipe; always something to get extremely excited about. I was in the beautiful town of Boulder, I was seeing ARU twice, and I was with a couple very close friends who were ARU virgins. What more needs to be said?

* 4/19/2006, 4/20/2006 - David Gilmour (Los Angeles)
I caught the show 4/19 @ Kodak Theater, and 4/20 @ the Gibson Theatre. I enjoyed the 4/20 show just a tad more because our seats were better. But, being a long time Pink Floyd FREAK and David Gilmour FREAK, I thought both of these shows were off the hook. Band included Phil Manzarek of Roxy Music on 2nd guitar, and Floyd alumni Richard Wright on keys; and for these 2 LA shows we also got David Crosby and Graham Nash doing back up vocals... Not too shabby.

* 3/19/2009, 3/20/2009, 3/21/2009 - The Allman Brothers Band @ The Beacon Theatre (NYC)
Another ABB Beacon run... This one was extra special for a few reasons. I was able to book my bro Scott's band "Go There" at Sullivan Hall, in the Village, on 3/18. This was the first "Go There" show w/Oteil Burbridge on bass, since Scott had released his "Go There" cd the year before which did feature Oteil along with his bro Kofi. I was pretty damn proud of myself for helping to make that happen. Secondly, Eric Clapton sat in 2 nights for a full set, those were my first ever live EC experiences... To see him playing Layla with Derek Trucks playing the Duane parts, it was MAGIC. Thirdly, I was able to gift brother Scott with a 2nd row seat for the 3/19 show... It was his 1st ever live Derek Trucks sighting, his first time seeing the Allman Bros since the 70's, and I don't know if he had ever seen Clapton before that night. So, aside from the awesome music I heard 4 nights in a row, it was pretty rewarding to turn my bro onto this wonderful scene I am a part of.

* 4/15/2009, 5/8/2009, 5/9/2009 - Derek Trucks Band (NorCal)
I have seen the Derek Trucks Band a sh*tload of times since my 1st show in January of 2000... As good as every one has been, the next one is always just a little bit better. I pretty much try to catch whatever shows are reasonably nearby as often as they come through; and these 3 were the last ones I saw - Thus they are included on this list. 4/15 was at Regency Center in San Fran. Carlos Santana sat in. At one point he and Derek were soloing and trading licks, and while Derek was going off Carlos just kind of quit playing and was laughing at Derek, watching him play and point at him; it was obvious he was as mesmerized as the rest of us. Fast forward a couple weeks later - 5/8, the Crest Theatre in Sacramento. A nice old room I had never been in before. 5/9 was the Fountain Blues Fest on San Jose State Campus. Sacramento was fun (like every DTB show), good crowd, the band feeding off the crowd, an out version of My Favorite Things... You know the drill... San Jose was more a blues set, which DTB doesn't give you too often (it was a blues fest). There were a lot of Derek Trucks newbies at this festival, and it's always a lot of fun seeing their reactions and expressions when seeing the Derek Trucks band for the first time. This band is on a prolonged hiatus now; and while I am sad I won't get to see this particular group of artists on stage together for a year or longer, I am very excited about all the other possibilities this hiatus opens up for them

* 10/30/2009, 10/31/2009, 11/1/2009 - Phish @ Festival 8 (Indio, CA)
This was another spontaneous last minute deal for me... I had seen them the previous August here in the Bay Area; and a couple weeks before this festival I saw some cheap tickets for sale on craigslist. I asked for and was given a couple days of paid time off at work; so I snagged the ticket, booked a cheapo hotel room, and drove down to the Palm Springs desert. The music was exceptional, the festival was a trip, Halloween was particularly wacky. The album they covered was Rolling Stones "Exile on Main Street" and they had Sharon Jones of the Dap Kings doing backup vocals. We were also treated to Phish'es 1st ever acoustic set. It was a great time, a very well organized festival, and I hope they do it again in 2010.

* 11/12/2009, 11/13/2009, 11/14/2009 - Widespread Panic @ Fox Theatre (Oakland, CA)
I've been catching WSP shows since '92, but was never really motivated to do multi-night runs until the Jimmy Herring era... I would have loved to have done more runs earlier on with them, but it wasn't in my budget, or my work schedule didn't allow it... I was a bit of a Mikey snob, and even though I am a HUGE Jimmy Herring advocate (I am obsessed with his 1st band, ARU), it took me quite a while to really enjoy a Panic show without comparing them to their former and different 6 headed monster jam... They are still KILLER, but a less balanced band in my opinion, with sideman extraordinaire Jimmy Herring playing lead guitar. I did an LA Orpheum run in '06 I think it was, the Oakland Paramount run in '07, and this Fox Oak run back in November last year... After 3 plus years of Jimmy being in the band, this last run makes my list. I had a blast at these 3 shows! Still, long live the memory and music of Mikey Houser.

* 12/29/2009, 12/30/2009, 12/31/2009 - Phish @ American Airlines Arena (Miami, FL)
10 years later, back in South Florida seeing Phish play some NYE shows, with my old friend and partner in crime, Mike. We caught 3 nights of a 4 night run. More excellent music, and despite the fact Miami is a very weird city (There was a fight at Shakedown Street one night post show AND I saw a cop beating up a hippie for hitting a nitrous balloon - I know its illegal and bad for you, maybe I have been in Cali too long and thus I'm jaded), that weirdness added to the weekend overall, and this run still makes my list; because musically Phish is so on top of their game at this moment.