Here on the “west coast of New England,” Burlington, Vermont knows a thing or two about live music. It was no surprise that The String Cheese Incident sold out Memorial Auditorium well in advance for the band’s tour-closing show Saturday night. Making their first appearance in the Queen City since a performance at University of Vermont’s Patrick Gymnasium over 11 years ago, this was only the ninth “Incident” played for us in the Green Mountain State. Following a strong fortnight of shows along the east coast, there was plenty of hype around the band’s triumphant return. Dozens of fans sought tickets outside the venue which only added to the high expectations, as everyone was hoping to catch String Cheese at their best.
The venue continued to fill in after the 7:00PM show time while fans packed the general admission floor and balcony of the community gymnasium built in 1927. An impressive light system and creative stage design waited for the chance to come to life. There would be no beer or alcohol sales on this night, and bottled water was in such high demand that many cases needed to be procured throughout the evening.
The lights went down just before 7:30 and a playful String Cheese eventually took the stage to an eager, mostly college-aged crowd. Picking up each others instruments initially was only a ruse, as percussionist Jason Hann got things started while waves of color began to swarm the stage. After exploring the steady space for a few minutes, a quick dive into a familiar, up-tempo bluegrass riff revealed “Lonesome Fiddle,” from A String Cheese Incident (1999). This served to be a microcosm of the night ahead, giving the focused crowd a spaced-out taste of all the sonic textures SCI can offer. A gradual climb from Kyle Hollingworth’s organ drove the crowd into a pulsing frenzy, and guitarist Michael Kang pushed it further as smiles grew into fist pumps across the room.
“Hello Burlington!” exclaimed guitarist Bill Nershi, “Wow, Vermont! You guys have it good, its nice up here!” It’s unclear whether Nershi was impressed with the view from his stage position or just commenting on the beauty that Vermonters are privileged to call home. “Sweet Spot” landed here perfectly, giving Hollingsworth his first vocal task. Excellent versions of “Rain,” “Honky Tonk Hero,” and “Mouna Bowa” continued the opening stanza. “Beautiful” was up next and really showcased what the modern String Cheese sound can offer. An up-tempo chorus compliments the verses that slow just enough to demand notice; a contrast that works well.
Fans reconnecting with the Colorado sextet would surely agree that a band’s music can become your lifelong companion with great introspective lyrics. The only song played from 2001’s Outside & Inside, “Close Your Eyes” beckoned for fans to do just that, as Nershi called out:
“Close your eyes and look inside
And see what you can find
Open your mind and take the time and learn from soul”
Another fan-favorite, and one of three songs to be played off Song In My Head, which was released earlier this year, “Rosie” could be heard on Hollingsworth’s keyboard before starting in earnest. Most fans could sense set break approaching, but the band offered a nice surprise with a deftly executed “Around the World” jam (Daft Punk) that would showcase the electronica stylings to be fully displayed in set two.
After a brief interlude, Nershi’s hooting and hollering welcomed the crowd back into the gymnasium for the final set of a great tour of the east coast. “So Far From Home” grabbed an impressive pace that would not be lowered until a frenzied finish. “Way That It Goes” featured some of the best lighting arrays of the evening during an extended, funky section where Hollingsworth wound things up again perfectly. What came next was what everyone hoped String Cheese Incident would bring to a tour-closing frame. “Bend Down Low” was an obvious selection from Bob Marley, who performed on this same stage almost exactly 35 years ago. After the chorus, bassist Keith Mosely led the group into a thick, pulsing groove before suddenly raising the tempo and lifting off into a hard-charging “Crosseyed and Painless” jam (Talking Heads).
For the next forty-five minutes, String Cheese led the dedicated crowd on an adventurous and thrilling section that included a seamless offering of “Desert Dawn > Sand Dollar > Fearless.” The Pink Floyd cover may have been slightly rusty but an enjoyable novelty nonetheless. Jamming picked up and quickly entered a chasm of exciting twists and turns that led appropriately into “Valley of the Jig.” With massive lightscapes and sonic textures that impress even the most critical fans, SCI used pulsing drumbeats, flexing into a memorable aural scene before reaching a majestic plateau. “Desert Dawn” returned to bookend the story as the set came to thrilling completion.
Drummer Michael Travis offered a heartfelt thanks to the band’s crew at the end of a memorable tour. Perhaps the only element missing from this high-intensity show was a softer, vocal ballad. This made Bill Nershi’s “Bar Stool,” a country-sounding singalong, the perfect choice for the first encore selection. After a classic group “Hoot,” String Cheese opted for “Can’t Wait Another Day” to call the curtain in Burlington, singing “Oh, oh, round and round we go…”
Having released an excellent studio album earlier this year (Song In My Head, Sci Fidelity Records) The String Cheese Incident has finally been touring more frequently. With 40 stage appearances in 2014 it is the most they have played live since taking a significant break from performing in 2008. Still rooted in the country/bluegrass sounds, String Cheese Incident’s evolution over the last six years has seen a remarkable shift of their music, adding more elements of electronica, funk, and calypso that bring incredible energy and awe-inspiring moments to their live experience. Always passionately rhythmic and intensely captivating, their music serves as soundtrack for thousands of rabid fans from coast to coast. The group will close out a memorable 2014 with three consecutive nights at 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, Colorado.
Setlist
The String Cheese Incident
Memorial Auditorium, Burlington, Vermont 11/15/2014
Set 1:
Lonesome Fiddle, Sweet Spot, Rain, Honky Tonk Heroes, Mouna Bowa, Beautiful, Close Your Eyes > Jam > Rosie > Around the World** > Rosie
Set Two:
Far From Home, Way That It Goes, Bend Down Low > Jam* > Desert Dawn > Sand Dollar > Fearless^ >Valley of the Jig > Desert Dawn
Encore:
Barstool, Group Hoot, Can’t Wait Another Day
*Cross-eyed and Painless teases (Talking Heads)
** Daft Punk
^ Pink Floyd
