Showing posts with label 1999. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1999. Show all posts

Sunday, April 12, 2020

1999: Every Show Ranked (part 2)

The Rationale

25. 7/3/99 - Moose Lodge - Claremont, NH
Original Score: 4/5
The only show played between 6/26 and 8/11 was the private wedding performance in Claremont NH. The first set is little more than competent, with strong standalone versions of some of the best ballad songs, but the second set is truly spectacular. The set consists entirely of a massive three song segment, Helicopters > Run Like Hell > Pygmy Twylyte > Helicopters, the first jam of which is a nearly thirty minute era-defining trance behemoth.
The Disco Biscuits perform at the Moose Lodge, 7/3/99 (source: discobiscuits.net)

24. 5/6/99 - Chameleon Club - Atlanta, GA
Original Score: 5/5
The brightest spot in the relatively bleak late (post 5/1) spring tour. The previous night, the band had played a show four hours away in Nashville, and they had driven to Athens in time to record a daytime radio spot. The band somehow managed to channel their exhaustion and delirium into a definitive (and impressively long) performance. The first set is all standalone save an unconventional and interesting MEMPHIS > News From Nowhere, but the Overture and Waves are both top-shelf versions. The second set, chiefly made up of the massive I-Man > Pygmy > I-Man > Vassilios > Helicopters segment, is a psychedelic masterpiece. Pygmy > I-Man spawned a piece of improv that was later reworked into King of the World, and I-Man > Vassilios is an exercise in tremendous patience. This set, and I-Man > Vassilios in particular, have always faced criticism for being bloated and overlong, but to me this is the Biscuits at their creative best.
23. 8/28/99 - Wormtown Music Festival, Stepping Stone Ranch - Escoheag, RI
Original Score: 4/5
The highest rated one set show on this list. Helicopters > Shem-Rah Boo > Helicopters likely catches the eye first, and it’s quite good. However, it is the standalone Mulberry’s and the Mr. Don > Shem-Rah Boo that are the indisputable highlights here. Mulberry’s goes deep into type two before returning to a blistering peak, and Mr. Don begins unconventionally dark before building on a bliss theme centered around the Confrontation riff (nearly a year before it was debuted) and returning back to the tense Shem-Rah ending.
22. 4/10/99 - Recher Theatre - Towson, MD
Original Score: 5/5
Before listening to the year in order I would have likely placed this above 4/9/99, but the second set isn’t quite strong enough to justify so bold a claim. That said, Frog Legs > Run Like Hell is better than anything from the Trocadero, and one of my favorite Biscuits jams ever played. The Aceetobee is spectacular as well, and the second set contains solid explorations in the Dribble and jam into Nughuffer. Don’t sleep on the Overture > Vassilios > Overture in the encore slot either.
Brownie and Sammy at the Recher, 4/10/99 (source: discobiscuits.net)
21. 2/19/99 - Legends Lounge - Las Vegas, NV
Original Score: 5/5
The legendary Las Vegas show contains what is possibly my favorite show opener of all time in Pygmy > Basis. It also contains one of the greatest Dribbles and a brilliant unconventional M.E.M.P.H.I.S. outro into a rare split Trooper. This was probably the most hyped show of winter tour, and it largely lives up to that hype.
20. 10/6/99 - Palookaville - Santa Cruz, CA
Original Score: 4/5
The Palookaville show is mostly known for the superb, nearly 40-minute Basis, which is strong enough to carry this show into the top 50 or so on its own. However, the show is remarkably strong all the way through. Mr. Don > Waves and Bernstein & Chasnoff in set one are both solid, but the second set is excellent top to bottom, with the first Svenghali outro segued into an Ape ending, probably the (aforementioned) greatest standalone Basis ever, and a filthy Nughuffer.
19. 4/9/99 - Trocadero - Philadelphia, PA
Original Score: 5/5
One of the most iconic shows in the Biscuits’ catalog, 4/9/99 has been called by many (including, at times, me) “overhyped,” or “overfluffed.” The show definitely has a mythic quality that goes beyond the music (it was, after all, the first Philadelphia show of the year, after a winter tour with no shows there), but the music is strong enough to put it in the top twenty on its own merits. The opening notes of Run Like Hell are perhaps as iconic as the show itself, and the Basis intro definitely qualifies as a must-hear jam. The entire second set is flawless, including a few retreads from 3/27: The Very Moon > Hot Air Balloon is comparably strong, but Waves > Basis is inarguably improved, and cited by some as the greatest Biscuits jam ever. For my tastes, M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > Waves might be even better.
18. 8/21/99 - Camp Bisco, TuneTown Campgrounds - Cherrytree, PA
Original Score: 4/5
This is where things will start to get controversial (if not already). I have not found anyone who has the same love of Shimmy > Waves (><) > Shimmy that I do, but that segment really is everything I could wish for. Besides the significance of the first inverted Waves, the Waves > Shimmy jam (besides being one of my favorite jams of the year) is so definitive and influential to the band’s sound for the rest of the year (and beyond). Plus, Lai > Basis is just so satisfying.
17. 3/27/99 - Graffiti Showcase - Pittsburgh, PA
Original Score: 5/5
Another show like 4/9 (but in my opinion more deserving) with an almost mythic status not wholly related to the music. 3/27/99 was the culmination of a tour during which the band improved more and reached higher heights than ever before, and was, at the time, the indisputable greatest show the band had ever played. This show is not just “good for winter 1999,” the music holds up in a major way. The way the whole show (almost) is sandwiched between Run Like Hell > Nughuffer … Nughuffer > Run Like Hell, the spectacular Aceetobee intro, the Very Moon > Hot Air Balloon, the gorgeous Magellan, the searing hot Dribble > Waves and Waves > Basis—the entire show is replete with highlights that are both groundbreaking for the time and delightful to listen to today.
16. 9/15/99 - Graffiti Showcase - Pittsburgh, PA
Original Score: 4/5
Another potential act of blasphemy, I actually think the second Graffiti’s show is a tad stronger than the first. Overture is a perfectly stronger than average version, and is the weakest point in the show. Dribble > Aceetobee is a full hour of 1999 glory, and the second set M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > Pat & Dex, Mr. Don > M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > Shem-Rah Boo is both creative setlisting and spectacular music.
15. 10/20/99 - Zydeco's - Birmingham, AL
Original Score: 4/5
Vassilios > Crater is a spectacular piece of fall 99 trancefusion, and the easy highlight of a solid first set. The second set, minus a standard Pat & Dex, is Mindless Dribble > Very Moon > Shem-Rah Boo. The entire segment is top-shelf, but the Dribble outro is the highlight.
14. 4/16/99 - Friar Tuck's - Norfolk, VA
Original Score: 5/5
This show is actually the most recently unearthed 1999 show, only made available in 2014 or so. It’s most famous for the first inverted Boop (first inversion of any song), but the highlights are numerous. For my tastes, the jam out of Magellan is the real highlight, a kind of playful lighthearted trance. Other highlights include an above average Shem-Rah Boo, an excellent and unconventional Down to the Bottom, and, of course, the hour long Helicopters > Boop (><) > Helicopters.
13. 9/13/99 - Crowbar - State College, PA
Original Score: 4/5
The highest ranked four star show! On paper it is the second set segment of I-Man > Basis > Boop > I-Man that looks like the winner, and it is extremely solid, but the surprise highlight of the show is the Vassilios > Helicopters, an unrelenting type two jam juggernaut with several fully developed themes. The whole show is solid, but Vassilios > Helicopters is a jam of the year contender.
12. 9/18/99 - Barrymore Theater - Madison, WI
Original Score: 5/5
The first best show of fall tour. The first set displays the kind of creative setlisting that was becoming more commonplace, with a Dribble > Magellan Reprise followed by a Frog Legs > Dribble—that is some of the best setlisting of the year, in my opinion. The jams are great too, but the highlight comes shortly afterward with the Dribble > Basis. The second set doesn’t look like much on paper, but the Spaga and Svenghali are both solid and the Mulberry’s > Basis is spectacular.
11. 4/29/99 - The Haunt - Ithaca, NY
Original Score: 5/5
Perhaps it was the excitement in anticipation of the upcoming Wetlands run, or perhaps something else, but for whatever reason, this show is miles ahead of anything from the previous week and a half. The first set isn’t in the league of the second, but Run Like Hell > Dribble is definitely worth checking out. The second set contains THE best standalone Overture, as well as a flawless Vassilios > Pygmy > Mr. Don > Run Like Hell, with each of the three jams completely different and completely perfect in their own unique way.
10. 10/15/99 - Sigma Nu - Oxford, MS
Original Score: 5/5
The iconic first set is arguably enough on its own to put this show in the top ten. The opening Little Betty Boop is some of the finest trance-fusion music ever created, and some of Barber’s finest work ever. The I-Man > Pygmy Twylyte that follows are some of the best versions of both songs. Clocking in at around 75 minutes, this is a beefy three song set to put it mildly. The second set (also three songs) is a little thinner, but the near-thirty minute House Dog is an all-timer and a fitting exclamation point to this excellent show.
9. 10/30/99 - Somerville Theater - Somerville, MA
Original Score: 5/5
Another show carried to the top by a single segment: M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > I-Man > Run Like Hell is easily in my top three favorite segments the band has ever done. From the rock god M.E.M.P.H.I.S. first jam, to the mellow and atmospheric outro, to the magnificent I-Man (perhaps even better than 10/15), to the fist-pumping high-energy trance fury of the Run Like Hell, this segment has it all. The first set is obviously not on this level, but all of the standalones are above average, even the Voices and HAB.
8. 4/30/99 - Wetlands Preserve - New York, NY
Original Score: 5/5
It starts off innocently enough with Voices and Jamillia, but everything that comes after is a proper Wetlands rager. All the adoration goes to the second set Morph > I-Man > Very Moon > Bernstein & Chasnoff, which is undeniably spectacular, but the real highlight of this show is the nearly 40 minute M.E.M.P.H.I.S., especially the nearly 30 minute outro. The outro covers tremendous ground and numerous themes, and is some of the purest type two “without a net” improvisation of the year.
7. 10/29/99 - Irvine Auditorium, University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia, PA
Original Score: 5/5
Helicopters > Plan B could be the highlight of an ordinary show, but here it is probably the least interesting part. The rest of the set is fantastic, both in setlisting and playing: Mr. Don builds to one of the best Barber peaks ever, a fakeout of The Very Moon, which drops into a Pygmy that segues into Magellan ending, completing the version from the night before. Every jam is spectacular. The second set is blander on paper, but every standalone is arguably one of the best versions, and the Mulberry’s > Helicopters is on par with the jams in the first set.
6. 12/4/99 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY
Original Score: 5/5
Damn this show is fat. It’s the longest two set show of the year, and just about every jam is on another level (IMO, it kind of drops off around Magellan > Bazaar > Magellan, but picks up for the encore). Spaga > Very Moon is a magnificent jam and an unconventional segue pulled off masterfully. The Very Moon > Plan B is pure Bisco crack, and the Lai is one of the best standalone versions of the era. The House Dog to open the second set is easily the best ever, and the I-Man > Plums > I-Man > Spaga is excellent. The Jigsaw Earth encore is the first really great version of that song. All in all this is a front to back excellent show, and one of my favorites to just throw on when I can’t decide.
5. 10/22/99 - Georgia Theater - Athens, GA
Original Score: 5/5
This show has three monumental highlights that are both significant for the band’s future sound development and eminently enjoyable. The first is the massive Run Like Hell, unquestionably (in my mind) the definitive version. The second is the set two opening Svenghali, the best standalone version at the time and for over a year after, and one that defined, in many ways, the band’s future jungle tinged sound. The third, and my personal favorite, is Waves > Pygmy > Waves, which is still to me the apex of the dub-heavy rock and roll sound the band was experimenting with at the time.
4. 10/28/99 - Recher Theatre - Towson, MD
Original Score: 5/5
The first set has no right to sound as good as it does. On paper it looks like a gimmicky mess, but it’s so well-executed that it not only exceeds expectations, but also exceeds most other sets from the year. The jam from Spaga into the Basis fakeout (with Spaga teases) and the jam from Vassilios into Bazaar Escape (!) by way of an Aceetobee style jam are both spectacular. The second set features an amazing jam out of Magellan into the bridge of Spaga with Magner showing off his classical piano chops and a spectacular version of Mindless Dribble that is replete with teases and themes. The Dribble is unique and weird, but the outro is archetypal Bisco trance-fusion that builds into an explosive Basis ending.
10/28/99 (source: discobiscuits.net)
3. 5/1/99 - Wetlands Preserve - New York, NY
Original Score: 5/5
After a short but punchy Mulberry’s, the band launches into what is either my favorite or second favorite segment ever: Overture > Basis > Vassilios > Basis > Overture. The first palindrome. Every jam is excellent, but the Basis > Vassilios > Basis reaches moments that are so beyond excellent they could only be called transcendental. The Basis > Vassilios in particular is for me one of the most instantly recognizable pieces of music the band has ever created, so minimal and atmospheric, so deliberate. Vassilios > Basis is more of a steady bliss trance that builds to a get-on-your-horse-and-burn-down-the-village ending. The second set has no big segments, and it’s certainly a comedown from the first set, but the Dribble is my favorite version from the tour and the Shimmy is maybe my favorite version ever. The Magellan > Plan B > Magellan is a great idea well-executed, and the Waves is pretty great too, even if it gets lost in the rest of the glory.
2. 12/30/99 - Theater Of The Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
Original Score: 5/5
These last two might be controversial. This is my vote for the most consistently excellent show of the year. The first set, like the first set of 5/1/99, begins with one of the best ever versions of a standalone song that is followed by one of my favorite segments of music ever. Here it is the Vassilios jam that has won my heart, shifting through phases and moods, smoothly going from melancholy to triumph to blissful contentment. The rest of the segment is similarly excellent. The second set is nearly as good as the first, with a brain-melting trance jam in Shem-Rah, a massive type two jam in Down to the Bottom, and a short but surprisingly deep type two jam in Pygmy. The Mindless Dribble is one of the finest of a year with nothing but fine Mindless Dribbles. Even the encore delivers some unconventional jamming and unique setlisting. It seems like the obvious choice for best show of the year. And yet…
1. 12/31/99 - Theater Of The Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
Original Score: 5/5
Could it really be anything else? With my method of ranking shows based not on the consistency but on the quantity of good, great and incredible music, the answer is “probably not.” However, I maintain that if the entire show was just the third set, made up entirely of the Akira jam, this show would still be in the running for best of the year. If you were to break the Akira jam into 5-10 minute chunks or themes, as much as 75% of the top 25 jams of the year would be found in this show. The Akira jam is just so perfect, so definitively “Bisco,” that it is difficult for me to even think of ranking the shows any other way. You add in the rest of the next-level music in the show—the Svenghali > Boop (><) > Svenghali in set one and the Helicopters in set two—and the answer becomes even clearer: 12/31/99 is unquestionably the band’s greatest achievement of 1999, and perhaps ever.


The Ranking
1. 12/31/99
2. 12/30/99
3. 5/1/99
4. 10/28/99
5. 10/22/99
6. 12/4/99
7. 10/29/99
8. 4/30/99
9. 10/30/99
10. 10/15/99
11. 4/29/99
12. 9/18/99
13. 9/13/99
14. 4/16/99
15. 10/20/99
16. 9/15/99
17. 3/27/99
18. 8/21/99
19. 4/9/99
20. 10/6/99
21. 2/19/99
22. 4/10/99
23. 8/28/99
24. 5/6/99
25. 7/3/99
26. 10/9/99
27. 10/2/99
28. 9/28/99
29. 5/29/99
30. 3/20/99
31. 6/13/99
32. 3/13/99
33. 4/17/99
34. 5/31/99
35. 6/11/99
36. 8/20/99
37. 9/14/99
38. 8/11/99
39. 10/7/99
40. 10/1/99
41. 9/16/99
42. 4/27/99
43. 10/21/99
44. 2/18/99
45. 3/14/99
46. 9/11/99
47. 2/10/99
48. 3/21/99
49. 9/23/99
50. 4/23/99
51. 2/25/99
52. 4/8/99
53. 4/24/99 late
54. 4/7/99
55. 9/17/99
56. 5/28/99
57. 1/29/99
58. 2/3/99
59. 5/27/99
60. 6/26/99
61. 2/16/99
62. 3/18/99
63. 2/12/99
64. 3/22/99
65. 5/14/99
66. 3/26/99
67. 3/5/99
68. 4/24/99 early
69. 10/27/99
70. 10/14/99
71. 9/24/99
72. 8/13/99
73. 1/28/99
74. 3/8/99
75. 1/27/99
76. 1/23/99
77. 9/20/99
78. 9/10/99
79. 1/19/99
80. 5/7/99
81. 5/8/99
82. 5/11/99
83. 10/23/99
84. 5/4/99
85. 3/25/99
86. 5/13/99
87. 10/10/99
88. 6/5/99
89. 5/5/99
90. 9/29/99
91. 5/15/99
92. 10/19/99
93. 4/21/99
94. 6/3/99
95. 10/31/99
96. 10/25/99
97. 6/10/99
98. 3/6/99
99. 1/22/99
100. 9/8/99
101. 5/30/99
102. 2/27/99
103. 9/21/99
104. 2/20/99
105. 4/25/99
106. 4/28/99
107. 9/30/99
108. 3/17/99
109. 1/18/99
110. 2/13/99
111. 1/26/99
112. 6/19/99
113. 2/5/99
114. 10/8/99
115. 2/4/99
116. 6/12/99
117. 9/9/99
118. 2/8/99
119. 2/6/99
120. 2/2/99
121. 2/24/99
122. 3/19/99
123. 1/24/99
124. 4/22/99
125. 1/21/99
126. 3/4/99
127. 3/12/99
128. 2/9/99
129. 1/30/99

130. 3/10/99

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Saturday, April 11, 2020

1999: Every Show Ranked (part 1)

A Note on the Methodology
As many of you know, last year I undertook a listening challenge of every show from 1999 for their 20th anniversaries. As part of that challenge, I rated every show out of 5, taking into account how much material from the show was good, interesting, or at least enjoyable. Each tour has a slightly stricter grading scale than the last, i.e. a 3/5 in October might be as good as or better than a 5/5/ in January.
I had known for a long time that when the challenge was over, I would embark on a new challenge: ranking the shows from least best to best. When it came time for it, this challenge was considerably easier. I already had the ratings 1-5, so the logical first step for me was taking the winter tour and putting in order the 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s and 5s (actually the 1s and 5s came first—I found it a lot easier to do either end of the list than the middle). Repeating for spring and fall, I had each tour ranked easily.
Ranking the year as a whole was a little more challenging. I took all of the 1s and put them in order, then the 2s and so on. Then I moved the shows around as I saw fit, starting with the 4s. Some fall tour 4s made it very high onto the list, however; I knew that a fall 4 could not go above a fall 5. However, I adjusted the scores of three shows—a 1 became a 2, a 2 became a 3, and a 3 became a 4.
The Rationale
130. 3/10/99 - Ritz Club - Salt Lake City, UT
Original Score: 1/5
On paper this is a fairly standard looking early 99 show. The Boop is the only song that you would expect to deliver and actually does. M.E.M.P.H.I.S. is a fairly middling version from the era, and the I-Man is underwhelming
129. 1/30/99 - Ziggy's - Winston-Salem, NC
Original Score: 1/5
A one-set opener in the south, this show features a smoking hot Helicopters and a jazzy Pygmy, neither of which would crack a list of best versions from the tour.
128. 2/9/99 - Newby's - Memphis, TN
Original Score: 1/5
A very strange show, both on paper and on tape. The liminal M.E.M.P.H.I.S. is really the only part of this show that is anything more than enjoyable.
127. 3/12/99 - Fox Theatre - Boulder, CO
Original Score: 1/5
This is possibly the shortest show of the year. It's pretty perfunctory, but probably a great introduction to the band. Cool Basis.
126. 3/4/99 - The Tractor - Seattle, WA
Original Score: 1/5
The Hot Air Balloon plus Barfly. Much of the opera is still jamless, but the early iteration of The Very Moon > Voices is definitely worth hearing.
125. 1/21/99 - The Haunt - Ithaca, NY
Original Score: 1/5
This show is really only significant for the Basis
124. 4/22/99 - Route 20 Club - Palmer, MA
Original Score: 1/5
The lowest ranked spring show. 4/22 has numerous moments that look like they should be highlights, not least of all the 33 minute Shem-Rah Boo, but very little clicks in any meaningful way.
123. 1/24/99 - Center For The Arts - Natick, MA
Original Score: 1/5
Another Hot Air Balloon show, this one less developed than 3/4, but featuring excellent versions of Shimmy and Dribble to make up for it.
122. 3/19/99 - Mango Grille - Madison, WI
Original Score: 1/5
This show is entirely carried by one of my personal favorite Pygmies
121. 2/24/99 - Winston's - San Diego, CA
Original Score: 1/5
Somewhat disjointed, but featuring a very uptempo Barfly, a cool Vassilios > Run Like Hell combo and a solid Dribble
120. 2/2/99 - Peasant's Cafe - Greenville, NC
Original Score: 2/5
A somewhat sloppy Vassilios > Helicopters provides some interesting jamming. Solid early standalone Dribble and Shimmy
119. 2/6/99 - Chameleon Club - Atlanta, GA
Original Score: 2/5
There's some great Barber soul in the Boop > Aceetobee, and a super weird Helicopters
118. 2/8/99 - Sebastian's - Murfreesboro, TN
Original Score: 2/5
No segues (ugh), but a solid setlist of early 99 heavy hitters, especially in the back half.
117. 9/9/99 - Northern Lights - Clifton Park, NY
Original Score: 1/5
The first fall show to make the list. Outside of an admittedly excellent Radiator, there isn't much here
116. 6/12/99 - Music Farm - Charleston, SC
Original Score: 1/5
Another opera show--see the pattern? This one has some nice nuggets tacked onto either end, most notably in the back half: cool Spaga and Waltz
6/12/99 - Music Farm (source: discobiscuits.net)
115. 2/4/99 - J.J. Cagney's - Savannah, GA
Original Score: 2/5
The second set is where most of the meat is. Nice drawn out Pygmy and a much improved Vassilios > Helicopters from the iteration played two nights prior
114. 10/8/99 - Key Club - Los Angeles, CA
Original Score: 1/5
A disappointing showing for October 99, with nearly every segue failing to deliver on its promise. The important exception is Spaga > I-Man, one of my personal favorite I-Man intros ever.
113. 2/5/99 - Jack Straw's - Charlotte, NC
Original Score: 2/5
Speaking of failing to deliver: how is a 65 minute Basis, Dribble this boring? Waves > RLH > Waves and B&C are all solid
112. 6/19/99 - Seaside Park - Bridgeport, CT
Original Score: 1/5
Along with 3/12/99, one of the only four song shows of the year. This one is better by virtue of The Very Moon > B&C, a very cool segment.
111. 1/26/99 - Deer Park Tavern - Newark, DE
Original Score: 2/5
M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > Basis rules!
110. 2/13/99 - Home Bar - Dallas, TX
Original Score: 2/5
Almost nothing of interest except for my personal favorite Mr. Don. 22 minutes of twisted trance.
109. 1/18/99 - The Crowbar - State College, PA
Original Score: 2/5
Waves > Vassilios > Waves and literally nothing else is enough to put this show over many others from the tour.
108. 3/17/99 - Saddle Creek Bar - Omaha, NE
Original Score: 2/5
Fairly middling until we reach the Run Like Hell > Nughuffer, a must-hear early type two exploration.
107. 9/30/99 - Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
Original Score: 1/5
Boop > Bazaar is gorgeous psychedelic bliss, but this show is really too short to get any serious momentum going.
106. 4/28/99 - Nietzche's - Buffalo, NY
Original Score: 2/5
An odd one. The Radiator is maybe the best ever, and a thoroughly unique interpretation. B&C > Magpie is pretty excellent.
115. 4/25/99 - Brown University - Providence, RI
Original Score: 2/5
Did not impress me at all at first, but grew on me steadily. Magellan and Don are 52 minutes between the two of them, and both are very interesting, as is the Helicopters.
4/25/99 at Brown University (source: discobiscuits.net)
104. 2/20/99 - 14 Below - Los Angeles, CA
Original Score: 2/5
The second "Worcester" jam, played in SoCal, is quite different than the first. It's one of the first dub explorations of Waves, and evolves to a fantastic passage of "Pirate Trance" at one point. Shimmy > Helix > Shimmy is worth checking out as well.
103. 9/21/99 - Finnegan's Pub - Kansas City, MO
Original Score: 1/5
Dat Svenghali
102. 2/27/99 - Harrington's - Chico, CA
Original Score: 2/5
Vassilios > Run Like Hell, especially the Run Like Hell, is fantastic. Also begins the brief mini-trend of bliss Shimmies.
101. 5/30/99 - Big Wu Family Reunion - Minneapolis, MN
Original Score: 2/5
First Very Moon > Helicopters pairing! And not a whole lot else
100. 9/8/99 - Higher Ground - S. Burlington, VT
Original Score: 1/5
Another Very Moon > Helix, this one is pretty excellent. The rest of the show, especially the big main segment, suffers from being better on paper than in execution
99. 1/22/99 - Tammany Hall - Worcester, MA
Original Score: 2/5
The (original) Worcester Jam might be the best music played in January 1999
98. 3/6/99 - Good Times - Eugene, OR
Original Score: 2/5
Very solid versions of B&C and Basis, but I find myself coming back most often to the Bad Love Pygmy. Ripping
97. 6/10/99 - Ziggy's By The Sea - Atlantic Beach, NC
Original Score: 2/5
Great standalone Waves and Magellan, with the highlight being I-Man > Helicopters out of the beginning of I-Man
96. 10/25/99 - Black Mountain Music Hall - Black Mountain, NC
Original Score: 2/5
Suffers from a terrible recording, including missing music in a crucial part. Still, the Vassilios > Boop is enough to make it worth considering.
95. 10/31/99 - Hammerstein Ballroom - New York, NY
Original Score: 2/5
Another moe. opener show, this one is pretty much no downtime (minus the composed parts of Pilin' and Magpie). The Magpie outro makes this one worthwhile.
94. 6/3/99 - Recher Theatre - Towson, MD
Original Score: 1/5
NEW Score: 2/5
The first of a few shows where I changed the score while ranking. The Oteil sit-in during Morph > Helix really is THAT good. Nothing else really is though
93. 4/21/99 - Stone Coast Brewing Company - Portland, ME
Original Score: 2/5
Another show carried by an a single absolutely insane jam, in this case the Pygmy.
92. 10/19/99 - Bodega - Auburn, AL
Original Score: 2/5
A pretty solid first set and a dreadful bore of a second set. Looks amazing on paper but fails to deliver. Solid dnb in Overture and Sven
91. 5/15/99 - Zollman's Pavilion, Buffalo Creek Music Festival - Lexington, VA
Original Score: 2/5
First set is thoroughly optional, but the second is a lot better, with a unique type two jam in Don > Helicopters
90. 9/29/99 - The Tractor - Seattle, WA
Original Score: 2/5
A spectacular Dribble and a very experimental Bernstein & Chasnoff. Some stuff, like the first twenty minute Svenghali, doesn't quite live up to the promise.
89. 5/5/99 - Exit/Inn - Nashville, TN
Original Score: 2/5
The greatest Bernstein & Chasnoff ever, bar none, is enough to carry this show to where it is.
88. 6/5/99 - Wetlands Preserve - New York, NY
Original Score: 2/5
Easily the weakest Wetlands show of the year, but Waves > Pygmy > Waves and Vassilios > Don have their moments.
6/5/99 - Wetlands Preserve (source: discobiscuits.net)
87. 10/10/99 - Legends Lounge - Las Vegas, NV
Original Score: 2/5
Kind of disjointed, especially compared to the night before, but plenty of awesome stuff in there, including one of the most aggressive Waves peaks ever.
86. 5/13/99 - The Roadhouse - Daniel, WV
Original Score: 2/5
This show is noteworthy for the first jamming on Lai, in this case a long intro jam. The fantastic M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > Lai, Shem is the centerpiece of this show.
85. 3/25/99 - Small Planet - East Lansing, MI
Original Score: 3/5
The lowest ranked 3 star show. Shimmy > Bernstein and M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > Basis are the major highlights.
84. 5/4/99 - Asheville Brewing Company - Asheville, NC
Original Score: 2/5
This whole show is replete with my favorite style of brain-melting spring 99 trance. Very Moon > Basis, Trooper, Nughuffer, all great stuff.
83. 10/23/99 - Ziggy's - Winston-Salem, NC
Original Score: 2/5
An opera show, finally stretched and jammed out, but the real highlight is the Dribble > Magpie.
82. 5/11/99 - Blue Terrapin - Elizabethtown, PA
Original Score: 2/5
The highest ranked opera show (by a hair). The gimmicky opera performance is honestly really cool, but the first set, especially Ape > Run Like Hell, has a lot more staying power.
81. 5/8/99 - Ziggy's - Winston-Salem, NC
Original Score: 2/5
All about set two. Jamillia > Shem-Rah Boo is especially worthwhile
80. 5/7/99 - Jack Straw's - Charlotte, NC
Original Score: 2/5
Set one contains Shimmy > Ape > Shimmy, a fantastic segment. Set two is a little more uneven, but the Shem-Rah > Imperial March Jam > Magpie is 100% worth a listen, even if it leads to maybe the worst Aceetobee ever.
79. 1/19/99 - Flapjack's Pub, Paul's Pancake House - Dillsburg, PA
Original Score: 3/5
A very unconventional second set on paper that delivers almost in entirety; I still find myself disappointed that the insane potential of a Trooper > B&C was wasted on a drum solo.
78. 9/10/99 - The Palladium - Worcester, MA
Original Score: 2/5
A relentless M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > Shem-Rah, strong early Sven, and a haunting Spaga > Magpie make this one of the stronger one set shows of the year.
77. 9/20/99 - Pure Lounge - Columbia, MO
Original Score: 2/5
The second set is turgid and uninspired, with the exception of a stellar Aceetobee, but Helicopters > Overture and Very Moon > HAB earn it some extra points as well.
76. 1/23/99 - Stone Church - Newmarket, NH
Original Score: 3/5
I am such a damn sucker for B&C > Vassilios > B&C. Perfection
75. 1/27/99 - Rec Room - Towson, MD
Original Score: 3/5
Helicopters > Run Like Hell > Helicopters is pretty damn good.
74. 3/8/99 - Tom Grainey's - Boise, ID
Original Score: 3/5
The Run Like Hell from this show is one of many unheralded masterpieces of winter 1999. Pure psychedelic excellence. The Dribble, Waves and Helicopters are all solid as well, lending strength to this all-standalone show.
73. 1/28/99 - Orbit's - Fredricksburg, VA
Original Score: 3/5
For years, this was the most jammed out Voices. Some amazing Barber work there. Also noteworthy for the Bazaar outro and an incredible Trooper featuring an apocryphal "Willie the Pimp jam."
72. 8/13/99 - Berkshire Mountain Music Festival - Great Barrington, MA
Original Score: 2/5
Some very unique setlisting, most of which pans out. Voices > Boop (><) > Voices is all great, as is Pygmy > Wet.
71. 9/24/99 - Fox Theatre - Boulder, CO
Original Score: 2/5
The longest M.E.M.P.H.I.S. jam of the year is noteworthy, but I think my highlight of this show is the unconventional psychedelic Helicopters.
70. 10/14/99 - Pounders' - Tuscaloosa, AL
Original Score: 2/5
A fantastic Dribble > Helicopters is the centerpiece to this show.
69. 10/27/99 - Alley Katz - Richmond, VA
Original Score: 2/5
Very Moon > Svenghali is nice. Radiator is nice. Overture is especially nice. Overall, very nice show.
68. 4/24/99 early - Curry College - Boston, MA
Original Score: 3/5
A very short show, but Morph and Aceetobee are both very progressive and enjoyable versions. The Aceetobee in particular is excellent.
67. 3/5/99 - Mount Tabor Pub - Portland, OR
Original Score: 3/5
M.E.M.P.H.I.S., Boop > I-Man, with the first ever techno I-Man, is the indisputable highlight.
66. 3/26/99 - Blind Pig - Ann Arbor, MI
Original Score: 3/5
I-Man > Shimmy is one of the best uses of I-Man all tour, and Vassilios > Shem-Rah is fantastic.
65. 5/14/99 - Stoned Monkey - Huntington, WV
Original Score: 3/5
Of especial interest is the psychedelic, primal B&C > Basis middle. First jam into Basis middle and it's a doozy.
64. 3/22/99 - Cicero's - St. Louis, MO
Original Score: 3/5
The Trooper from this show has become one of my favorites ever. Morph > Don is fantastic too. A lot of the rest of the show, like the double Helicopters ending, is kinda perplexing.
63. 2/12/99 - Mercury Lounge - Austin, TX
Original Score: 4/5
First four star show. Now things are getting good. Basis > Helicopters > Basis is as fantastic as it looks. Shem > DttB > Helix is solid and Dribble is exceptionally good even for the era.
62. 3/18/99 - Cabooze On The West Bank - Minneapolis, MN
Original Score: 4/5
First set Waves > Dribble > Waves is decent enough, but this show is all about Mr. Don > RLH. Some of the best Barber of tour. One of my favorite Bases of the tour as well.
61. 2/16/99 - Cajun House - Scottsdale, AZ
Original Score: 4/5
It's only a single set, but this show is fat. Cool dub jam out of Pygmy, and a fantastic Run Like Hell fakeout that is some of my favorite Barber ever.
60. 6/26/99 - Melstock, Melham's Farm - Mechanicsburg, PA
Original Score: 3/5
The second best Helicopters of the year and Magpie > I-Man are two monstrous highlights.

59. 5/27/99 - Little Brother's - Columbus, OH
Original Score: 2/5
NEW Score: 3/5
The second of three shows whose score was revised in compiling these rankings. There aren't any transitions, but the standalones are particularly solid, especially the Down to the Bottom and Basis.
58. 2/3/99 - The Brewery - Raleigh, NC
Original Score: 4/5
Most of the show's legendary status comes from the greatest Waves ever played, with two thematic jams.
57. 1/29/99 - Friar Tuck's - Norfolk, VA
Original Score: 4/5
The first truly great and complete show of 99. The Basis is monstrous, and the Don is one of the best ever. I-Man > Dribble is solid too.
56. 5/28/99 - Cicero's - St. Louis, MO
Original Score: 3/5
Trooper > Run Like Hell > Trooper is a fantastic and unconventional sandwich, and the second set has a few standalones worthy of more than just a cursory listen.
55. 9/17/99 - Park West - Chicago, IL
Original Score: 2/5
Waves > Magellan > Waves is so strong that it lifts this show into the top half for the year, even though nothing else is really all that great.
54. 4/7/99 - The Crowbar - State College, PA
Original Score: 3/5
The band came out swinging for the first show of spring, which is easily the strongest full tour opener of the year. First set is a good bit stronger than the second, featuring a fantastic Helicopters > Boop, but the second set Very Moon > Vassilios is required listening.
53. 4/24/99 late - Ocean Mist - Matunick, RI
Original Score: 3/5
Another extremely solid one set show. B&C > Dribble is head and shoulders the highlight of the show.
52. 4/8/99 - Chameleon Club - Lancaster, PA
Original Score: 4/5
Shimmy > Ape rules. The second set is replete with highlights as well.
Brownie, Barber and Moneybags at the Chameleon Club, 4/8/99 (source: discobiscuits.net)
51. 2/25/99 - Brookdale Lodge - Brookdale, CA
Original Score: 4/5
A phenomenal first set with probably the strongest Magellan at that point, and a ferocious Basis > Shem. Second set is a little uneven but still full of highlights
50. 4/23/99 - Commercial Street Cafe - Worcester, MA
Original Score: 4/5
Top 50! The most famous highlight is obviously the massive Boop, widely heralded as the greatest version ever, and while it doesn't top my personal list (10/15/99 reigns supreme) it is absolutely mandatory listening. Set one Basis and Very Moon > I-Man are all excellent as well.
49. 9/23/99 - Aggie Theatre - Fort Collins, CO
Original Score: 3/5
The first set is pretty much nonstop highlights. The second set Basis is the only seriously exploratory jam, but a couple of very type one songs, like Chemical Warfare Brigade and Lai, are both played with more gusto than typical and feature spectacular peaks from Barber.
48. 3/21/99 - Schuba's - Chicago, IL
Original Score: 4/5
Basis > Dribble > Basis is exactly as good as it looks. Waves > Run Like Hell is a little bit outside the box as well.
47. 2/10/99 - Ivory Tusk - Tuscaloosa, AL
Original Score: 4/5
This show is most famous for the first real drawn out M.E.M.P.H.I.S. jam. The rest of the segment is excellent as well, as is the massive Helicopters that remains a top 5 version for me.
46. 9/11/99 - Iron Horse Music Hall - Northampton, MA
Original Score: 3/5
Like 9/23, another September 99 show with a near perfect first set. B&C > Hot Air Balloon is especially mandatory, but the rest of the set is as well. The second set, though decisively weaker, features one of the GOAT Magellans.
45. 3/14/99 - Quixote's True Blue - Aurora, CO
Original Score: 5/5
The first five star show. The second set I-Man > Vassilios > Mr. Don > Ape is a little bloated but still masterful, and full of highlights. The Trooper > Aceetobee is superb as well.
3/14/99 at Quixote's in Aurora, CO. After I-Man, Brownie tells the whole crowd to face the back of the venue so this picture could be taken (source: discobiscuits.net)
44. 2/18/99 - Monsoon's - Flagstaff, AZ
Original Score: 5/5
This show is notable for the first really jammed out Very Moon, and the second set is pretty much nonstop: Shem-Rah > Magellan fakeout > Vassilios > Mulberry's (nearly 20 minutes) and a spectacular and unconventional jam out of Bazaar into Run Like Hell.
43. 10/21/99 - Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, GA
Original Score: 3/5
This very solid one set show is centered around the fantastic Lai > Boop (><) > Helix, but the Morph is a pretty stellar standalone as well.
42. 4/27/99 - Milestones - Rochester, NY
Original Score: 4/5
Each set has an about hour-long segment of worthwhile music. Very Moon > Ape > Shem is probably the highlight, but Shimmy > I-Man > Shimmy is excellent as well, featuring maybe the strongest standalone I-Man main jam of the year.
41. 9/16/99 - Little Brother's - Columbus, OH
Original Score: 3/5
The final and strongest Very Moon > Helix pairing of the year. On paper it is reminiscent of the most famous sequence, and the jam out of Helicopters builds up to kind of a fakeout Very Moon peak, foreshadowing the further development of this section that culminated in 10/29. The segment isn't consistent all the way through, but features two fantastic jams (both jams into Helicopters). The Very Moon > Helicopters is a drawn out, spectacular and exploratory trance jam, and the Pygmy > Helicopters features Sammy at his best.
40. 10/1/99 - Woodmen of the World Hall - Eugene, OR
Original Score: 3/5
I always overlooked this show because of the Magpie gimmick, but what a mistake that was. Although the second set doesn't offer much, the first is actually fantastic, with unconventional setlisting and two must-hear jams in Run Like Hell > M.E.M.P.H.I.S. and M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > Trooper. That entire segment is excellent, but those two jams are a cut above.
39. 10/7/99 - Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA
Original Score: 3/5
The second set is nearly all standalones, but a GOAT contender Magellan is among them. The first set contains the fantastic segment of Very Moon > Dribble (end) > Bazaar. Best M.E.M.P.H.I.S. first jam since spring tour (and only topped by 10/30). Overall, this show is very solid despite appearances on paper.
Balcony shot from the Great American Music Hall, 10/7/99 (source: discobiscuits.net)
38. 8/11/99 - Wetlands Preserve - New York, NY
Original Score: 3/5
An extremely significant show for debuts, 8/11/99 features three new songs, all of which entered the rotation for a fairly significant amount of time. Musically it's pretty solid throughout, with a few highlights reaching levels of excellence.
37. 9/14/99 - Wilbert's - Cleveland, OH
Original Score: 4/5
This is perhaps the first time the Biscuits played with BP, and, perhaps relatedly, this setlist is reminiscent to me of a BP setlist. The highlights are Shimmy > Basis (fantastic Barber work) and Crater > Waves, a spectacular dub vehicle that evolves into full blown trance.
36. 8/20/99 - Camp Bisco, TuneTown Campgrounds - Cherrytree, PA
Original Score: 4/5
Night one of Camp Bisco I. Another August 99 show that is solid front to back with moments here and there (> Vassilios > Pat & Dex, B&C) that reach brilliance.
35. 6/11/99 - Magnolia Street Pub - Spartanburg, SC
Original Score: 4/5
With seven songs across two sets, this is a very jam-heavy show. Each set is about 75% gold, with one very seriously impressive type two jam in I-Man > Ape
34. 5/31/99 - A Live One - Chicago, IL
Original Score: 4/5
Once you make it past the standalones, this is another massively jammed show. M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > Dribble does little for me, but the Dribble > Vassilios more than makes up for it, and the rest of the segment is very worthwhile as well.
33. 4/17/99 - Alley Katz - Richmond, VA
Original Score: 3/5
NEW Score: 4/5
This show IS the Shimmy > Basis. When I first reviewed the show I thought that merited a three, but the jam really is good enough to put the show in the top quarter of the year. A solid Dribble is worth a listen but not terribly remarkable; instead, check out the Plan B. There are hints of tremendous potential there that unfortunately amounted to little for the rest of the year.
32. 3/13/99 - Starlight - Fort Collins, CO
Original Score: 5/5
Best-of-winter-tour contenders for Waves, Dribble and M.E.M.P.H.I.S. All around smokeshow with non-stop highlights.
31. 6/13/99 - Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, GA
Original Score: 4/5
A barnburner of a set featuring solid standalones of Shimmy and Dribble, with the highlight being the phenomenal Very Moon > Basis > Boop (><) > Basis.
30. 3/20/99 - Rathskeller, Student Union, University Of Wisconsin - Madison, WI
Original Score: 5/5
A criminally underrated show that offers the first real jammed out Morph of the year and one of the best early M.E.M.P.H.I.S.es of all time. Besides the fairly standard Voices and Fiddler, the show is full of non-stop highlights
29. 5/29/99 - Martyr's - Chicago, IL
Original Score: 4/5
Another very interesting and underrated show. The first set is a nice warm-up, with a fun type one Plan B > Fiddler > Plan B and a solid Waves. The second set is a little uneven but features two masterpiece jams, Lai > Helix (the first jammed out Lai) and Helix > Aceetobee. Both jams are completely different and 100% essential.
28. 9/28/99 - The Sonar - Vancouver, BC
Original Score: 4/5
The one international show of the year features a fantastic opening segment, Down to the Bottom > Vassilios > Pygmy > HAB, every jam of which is fantastic. The show also features one of the best Aceetobee jams of the year.
27. 10/2/99 - Cafe Tomo - Arcata, CA
Original Score: 4/5
The first serious contender House Dog Party Favor, as well as the spectacular Very Moon > Basis fakeout, put this show on the map. The second set is stronger, but the first should definitely not be overlooked.
Brownie, Barber and Magner performing in the unassuming Cafe Tomo on 10/2/99 (source: discobiscuits.net)
26. 10/9/99 - Legends Lounge - Las Vegas, NV
Original Score: 4/5

An impressive rager. The first set on paper looks like the winner, with four songs no less than eighteen minutes long. However, the second set is decisively better. Svenghali > Waves fakeout and Overture > Aceetobee are both definitive must-hear jams.
Vegas baby! The small club hosted three Biscuits shows in 1999: 2/19, 10/9 and 10/10 (source: discobiscuits.net)



The Ranking

26. 10/9/99
27. 10/2/99
28. 9/28/99
29. 5/29/99
30. 3/20/99
31. 6/13/99
32. 3/13/99
33. 4/17/99
34. 5/31/99
35. 6/11/99
36. 8/20/99
37. 9/14/99
38. 8/11/99
39. 10/7/99
40. 10/1/99
41. 9/16/99
42. 4/27/99
43. 10/21/99
44. 2/18/99
45. 3/14/99
46. 9/11/99
47. 2/10/99
48. 3/21/99
49. 9/23/99
50. 4/23/99
51. 2/25/99
52. 4/8/99
53. 4/24/99 late
54. 4/7/99
55. 9/17/99
56. 5/28/99
57. 1/29/99
58. 2/3/99
59. 5/27/99
60. 6/26/99
61. 2/16/99
62. 3/18/99
63. 2/12/99
64. 3/22/99
65. 5/14/99
66. 3/26/99
67. 3/5/99
68. 4/24/99 early
69. 10/27/99
70. 10/14/99
71. 9/24/99
72. 8/13/99
73. 1/28/99
74. 3/8/99
75. 1/27/99
76. 1/23/99
77. 9/20/99
78. 9/10/99
79. 1/19/99
80. 5/7/99
81. 5/8/99
82. 5/11/99
83. 10/23/99
84. 5/4/99
85. 3/25/99
86. 5/13/99
87. 10/10/99
88. 6/5/99
89. 5/5/99
90. 9/29/99
91. 5/15/99
92. 10/19/99
93. 4/21/99
94. 6/3/99
95. 10/31/99
96. 10/25/99
97. 6/10/99
98. 3/6/99
99. 1/22/99
100. 9/8/99
101. 5/30/99
102. 2/27/99
103. 9/21/99
104. 2/20/99
105. 4/25/99
106. 4/28/99
107. 9/30/99
108. 3/17/99
109. 1/18/99
110. 2/13/99
111. 1/26/99
112. 6/19/99
113. 2/5/99
114. 10/8/99
115. 2/4/99
116. 6/12/99
117. 9/9/99
118. 2/8/99
119. 2/6/99
120. 2/2/99
121. 2/24/99
122. 3/19/99
123. 1/24/99
124. 4/22/99
125. 1/21/99
126. 3/4/99
127. 3/12/99
128. 2/9/99
129. 1/30/99
130. 3/10/99
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