 Return to Lonely Goat Features Archives THE STRING CHEESE INCIDENT -
11.09.01 - CLASSIC CENTER - ATLANTA, GA Set 1: Best Feeling > Jam >
SKAT, Born on the Wrong Planet, Good Times Around the Bend, Cedar > Workin' in a Coal
Mine > Orange Blossom Special, Close Your Eyes The ride from Columbia to Athens was landscaped with lots of trees, sunshine, blue sky, farms and then all of a sudden traffic. A two hour drive turned into a four hour drive due to construction and delays. Fans driving from Atlanta experienced the same delays but worse. Once in the college town of Athens GA everyone and everything appeared to very lively. Between football fans(Auburn VS Georgia weekend) and SCI fans, a different vibe was going around but everyone seemed to be having a good time. Men in ball caps with beer guts would just stop and stare at the small parking lot full dreadlocked fans vending t-shirts, food and of course party favors. Upon entering the Classic Center, I was excited to go into the nice theatre I'd heard so much about from Panic fans in the Spring of 2000. Feelings changed when the crowd was escorted into the arena size cinder block room with a concrete floor and low ceiling. I knew right away it was going to be one of those crowded hot sweaty nights. The opener of 'Best Feeling' was a huge number, offering one of the biggest funk jams of the night which melted into a great 'SKAT'. Before they took the stage my friend leaned over to me and said 'man, all I want to hear is 'Best Feeling'. 'Born on the Wrong Planet' was next up. As with the opener, this song's great lyrics complimented the nice groove that got everybody dancing. Midway through the set I knew this was going to be a great night. The rest of the first set offered some nice bluegrass and some interesting covers and closed on a weaker note with 'Close Your Eyes'. 'Workin in a Coal Mine' deserves some honorable mentioning since it was a first-time-played and played with excellent rythmn from Travis and Kang which stayed with us the rest of the night. The second set opened with 'How Sweet It Is', which displayed again the incredible talent of this band. From old bluegrass traditionals to hip Motown, SCI plays several covers each night, creating sound that fits to each musical style. Next up was the highlight of the show, 'Rivertrance'. This song is simply impressive. It's like the infamous Irish Riverdance on Acid. This version took off on this inter planetary funk jam that had everyone grooving and shaking. The next few songs I was not very familiar with but offered lots of up and down. The setlist called a 'Fire on The Mountain Jam' after 'Let It Go' but I don't remember hearing more than the impressive groove and the intro to 'Texas' tease. 'Rhum ëní Zouc' was nice to hear as well as the dark reggae groove of 'Shankytown' to close the set. A quick 'HML' and a rockin 'Crosstown Traffic' ended the night on a high note and a quick reminder of the time spent on the highway earlier in the day as well as the hoards of college students and SCI fans crowding the streets of Athens after the show. |