The town, the venue, the crowd... im sure they all played a part in how good this show was, but this incarnation of our beloved band with JK sitting in for set 2... they took the music to heights I thought were but a memory in my swiss cheese mind. The second set was possibly the best set I've seen Ratdog perform. You could tell the room was preparing for launch as the took us into the expands of the universe during the jams of the second set. Even some of the most infamous doubters of JK (names withheld to protect the not-so innocent) were impressed with his performance. The tones that are coming out of Wass's bass at times are obviously not of this planet, and Bobby looked and sounded as healthy and energized as I can remember in the recent past. I don't even know where to start on Kimock... holy shit. I thought I heard him in '07... nah, I hadn't heard him yet. I heard him in DC though. I really feel like he was freed up to explore and create with JK there, and he went off. I mean, WENT OFF. you know that "Had me holding on by my fingernails" kind of went off. JC was his predictable genius, as we have come to expect and be spoiled with. He is consistantly a highlight for me. Jay never disappoints, and during the deepest of jams, he was the anchor line that I was able to follow back up to the surface. I can't start to explain the simple joy I carried out of that theater, into U street, and onto the metro that night. Thanks to all that made that weekend in the middle of the week such an incredible escape. Take care of eachother out there on the road...
doc, Williamsburg, VA
