Tour Recaps: Summer Tour 2011 Leg One Thoughts [Whatever You Do...]

This first leg was certainly an interesting one.  As with most tours, we experienced highs and lows, but the overall impression I got was that the band is dialed in.  While the naysayers will still complain about the “lack of jams” and exploration, I could not disagree more.  The jams are there; they’re just more structured.  In fact, if you remove some of the new tunes, it’s almost like listening to early 90’s Phish — well executed composed segments with controlled jamming.  I was only able to catch the three Jersey shows, but I believe the band is having more fun than they’ve had in years and it’s certainly reflected in their playing.