Listen Now: Oktoberfest Six Pack
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Hello everyone, I hope you had a great summer and welcome to the second segment of the Spafford Six-pack Series on Spaffnerds.com, Oktoberfest Edition. For those you who remember the Summer Six-pack, we will be keeping a similar format, but this time around we will be focusing on Spafford shows from the month of October. This October, Spafford will play 22 shows, some of which will surely be instant classics. To get your minds and bodies ready, take a listen to these 6 shows from Octobers past, some classics, some less known. Please click the links to the show pages below, give the recordings a listen, and let us know what you think! So without further ado, here is your Spafford Oktoberfest Six Pack.
2012-10-04 Vinyl @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Las Vegas, NV
https://spaffnerds.com/shows/2012-10-042014-10-02 Rhythm Room - Phoenix, AZ
https://spaffnerds.com/shows/2014-10-022015-10-03 Bricks and Bones - Prescott, AZ
https://spaffnerds.com/shows/2015-10-032015-10-10 The Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM
https://spaffnerds.com/shows/2015-10-102015-10-30 Last Exit Live - Phoenix, AZ
https://spaffnerds.com/shows/2015-10-302016-10-28 Last Exit Live - Phoenix, AZ
https://spaffnerds.com/shows/2016-10-28All of these shows have high quality recordings, which are available on their respective archive.org pages, found on their show pages linked above.
Photo Credit: @Cody Soule -
Personal Highlights:
2012-10-04
Entire First Set (Ain't That Wrong, On Fire and Twist Palindrome, Monster LTLO and Thieves Bookends)2014-10-02
All My Friends > Bee Jam > Leave the Light On, Mike's Song (Debut/Very Funky)2015-10-03
The Postman, VBD > All In2015-10-10
Memphis in the Meantime > All In, Exodus > Mad World2015-10-30
Postman > The Remedy, Hollywood > Eelectric Taco Stand2016-10-28
Lonely, Walls, Electric Taco Stand > Alternate Ending > Electric Taco Stand -
Out of the six shows, I would say 2012-10-04 is my favorite. The first set alone is enough to make this one for the Spafford history books. A 19 minute Leave the Light On is always a great way to start a show, and from there its off to the races. Ain't That Wrong kicks off a first set palindrome in which the band navigates their way into On Fire and a short Twist segment, before making their back into On Fire, and finally finishing off the 45 minute odyssey by ending the Ain't That Wrong from earlier with a blistering 9 minute jam before the end chorus. Although they could have ended the set their, they played one more, a 16 minute In the Eyes of Thieves featuring Eddie Rich on saxophone, who provides just the right touch on some very patient jamming from the band.
The second set begins with a 25 minute Land Down Under, which has long jamtronica-ish buildup before going into the song. The jam that follows is typical for the times, with a lot of synth and drum pad work from Red and Nick, and Brian and Jordan's interplay leading the direction of the song. Following Land Down Under, another cover, and one of my favorites that Spafford does, Feel Like A Stranger, was next. The jam portion stayed within the boundaries of the song, but within those restraints, the band put forth a very strong performance, particularly Brian and Nick, before wrapping up the song. The only original of the set was next with an Electric Taco Stand-Living for the City sandwich. The ETS > Living for the City was very smooth, and proceeded by start-stop soloing from each of band members. After Living for the City, ETS was wrapped up with some very patient Brian led jamming that eventually makes its way back into the main theme. Although this particular show followed a Further show, the last portion of the show features a couple Phish songs, with a Wolfman's Brother - Moma Dance sandwich, which although it doesn't lead to anything too crazy, is still pretty fun. Unfortunately for us, this is where the recording ends, with the taper noting he had to leave early so the last 20 minutes is missing. With the way the rest show went can assume it was something potentially epic, so it's a real shame we can't listen to it.
Front to back this is an incredibly solid show, with my only complaint being the lack of originals, but given the circumstances of it being a Furthur after show in Vegas, it makes sense they would want to play songs that people would hopefully already be familiar with.
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@myanruth thanks for hooking up the 6pack- great pre game for Fall Tour! Listened to first two so far, both seriously solid shows although ill take 10-02-14 if I had to pick. In terms of 10-04-12 greatLTLO opener, Red seriously lays it down. The "palindrome" section is just dreamy... So funky in that first ATW... Nice jazzy exchange early on in second On Fire, a bit Phishy, which made me appreciate that this Is not Spafford's main sound. ITEOT was the highlight for me- the guest sax sits in the song beautifully! By the way, anyone know when the name change from Choc Beef to ITEOT? And more importantly, why??
10-02-14 is great - only Weasel clocks in at 15min plus but the jamming throughout is fierce and focused and it's just a great set list. Plus, debut VBD?! And what a VBD it is! Somewhere around 4.5 mins when it mellows out Brian plays a solo that is so soft and delicate it doesn't even sound like a guitar. Great Mad World version, and Seven which is usually not my fave grabbed me this time. And the Postman-Lonely-People closing is just friggin peachy.
