In case you might have missed it, Perpetual Groove is back in a big way.  After a series of limited two-night runs over the last year, P-Groove has launched their first full length tour this fall.  They kicked off the second leg of the fall tour at New Mountain AVL in Asheville, NC last Saturday night, 10/22. Billed as an intimate evening with Perpetual Groove, this two set show certainly lived up to the billing.  Originally slated for an outdoor affair, it was moved inside after a significant temperature drop to the mountain town of Asheville.

To start things off, Brock Butler, Adam Perry, Matthew McDonald, and Albert Suttle launched into their well-crafted cover of Pearl Jam’s “Release” before posting a rocking “Space Paranoids->Out Here->Space Paranoids” sandwich with seamless transition. After a fairly standard “Best of Anything” from the new EP Familiar Stare, they jumped right into an oldie, but a goodie, “Dionysus,” with Brock providing a trippy jam in the middle. Next, a rocking “Free Ride to the Show” launched into a new fan favorite cover of The New Basement Tapes’ Bob Dylan song “When I Get My Hands on You.” Jammed out to perfection by Brock & Company, with Albert showing off his chops on drums, they capped it with the end of “Free Ride.” After melting the collective faces of the crowd, they finished out the set was a particularly rocking “Sun Dog,” leaving the crowd wanting more.

After a quick set break, giving the crowd no rest, they shot straight into a raucous, but short, “Holy Ship.” Next up was “Lemurs,” also off the new EP, with Adam’s deep bass vibrating the crowd into a frenzy. Matt’s keys provided the trippy backing that makes “Lemurs” such an amalgam of all that makes PGroove great.  After was an anything but normal “Cairo,” off the Honey Cuts single.  The dulcet tones of Brock’s guitar with Matt’s keys on this “Cairo” lulled the crowd into deep space.  They jumped from there into a fairly standard “Paper Dolls” and into a rocking “Man with All the Answers.”  Finishing off the set was the PGroove jam staple “Teakwood Betz.” Jamming for nearly 20 minutes, PGroove fed off the crowd’s energy and they amazing lights bouncing off the disco ball creating amazing effects for the crowd’s viewing pleasure.

After a quick pause in the action and the crowd begging for a little more, PGroove obliged by taking the stage and giving the crowd an encore to remember.  Kicking off the encore was “AIM,” with a psychedelic jam that teased some favorites off Sweet Oblivious Antidote.  They finished the crowd off with a cover of LCD Soundsystem’s “All My Friends.”  “Where are your friends tonight?” Indeed!  (At Phish in Alpharetta getting their minds blown as well).

It’s safe to say that Perpetual Groove is back and playing at a high level! Listen to the full audio recording below, courtesy of poppag76.

Setlist: Perpetual Groove at New Mountain AVL, Asheville, NC – 10/22/16

Release>
Space Paranoids>
Out Here>
Space Paranoids
Best of Anything
Dionysus
Free Ride>
When I Get my Hands on You>
To the Show
Sun Dog
-2-
Holy Ship
Lemurs
Cairo
Paper Dolls
Man With all the Answers
Teakwood Betz
-E-
AIM
All my Friends

[Setlist via P-Groove’s Facebook]