I've had too little sleep the past two nights, and quite frankly, I am way too old to act the way I did at both shows, but what can you do when your favorite live band are playing (the last?) two nights in a row?
So let's get the obvious out of the way first:
Quite simply the greatest band that ever lived!
Seems impossible that after all of these years, but I don't think they've lost a single step, and they're OLD. Just as crushing as they ever were, and man, hearing the new songs back-to-back with the hits just proved how incredible it is that, after 26 years, they just effortlessly dropped another album like no time passed.
They were on fire, especially night two. I feel like Yow spent more time in the crowd now, at 64, then he did the last few reunion shows. Definitely seemed like he was feeling it here and there...he stopped a few seconds each night to nurse his knee a bit, it seemed, and took a rough spill onto the monitors late in the show night, so much so that he checked behind his ear a few times as if he was checking for blood. But they were absolutely ferocious...just destroying the place.
They seemed in great spirits too...whether that was just happy to be back at it or a truly being awed at the response to the crowd, they were smiling, interacting mid-song, seemingly flattered by the applause, etc. I do think Sunday was a rowdier crowd, and the band seemed to acknowledge it. But even Yow broke character a bit here and there, including dedicating Mouth Breater to Steve Albini.
Will I ever get to see them again? Seems unlikely...but I've also thought that after both previous reunions, and now they're putting out new music.