I expected a “Punch” opener, but blissfully settled for the “Leo Trio” instead. Just when you thought the fearsome foursome didn’t have fun on stage anymore, they break out a first set like this one. Very solid first six songs…but the last five were truly special.

“NICU” > “Ya Mar,” “Rocky Top” – all three containing customary “Play it, Leo” keyboard directives – had the already raucous crowd screaming. Then Trey coaxed the red-hot Page McConnell to the front of the stage to croon the always-mellifluous “Lawn Boy.”

To top it all off, the boys laid down a “best ever, man, holy shit” rendition of “Julius,” that if nothing else, is certainly making its way onto the iPod, where it’ll fight for aural attention with the stellar 4/4/94 “Julius,” featuring the Giant Country Horns.

My buddy’s trip peaked somewhere during the encore, so a bunch of us sat in the lot for a few hours before heading out. It gave us time to discuss that night’s awesome “Rock and Roll” > “Seven Below” segue and the polio-like decline and subsequent eradication of DMT use among Americans.

– Hensley “Bam Bam” Meulens