Hours before the doors opened at the McDonald Theatre in Eugene on Sunday, the sidewalk outside was lined with fans holding their fingers in the air. At a capacity of around 750 people, the McDonald Theatre was the smallest venue The String Cheese Incident had played (as an “official” Incident at least) in a number of years. While warm greetings and merciless hugs were freely exchanged, the same can’t be said for tickets.

After a thunderous performance in Seattle the night before, revelers wondered what was in store as they traveled down I-5 to Eugene. Maybe at this intimate venue, they’d play an acoustic set. Maybe it was time for a bluegrass-heavy show. Excitement was the emotion of the day, and in the end the Barefoot Boys simply did what they do best — deliver thick, spacious, high-energy String Cheese Incident music.


To open the Sunday show, SCI patiently worked into “Lonesome Fiddle Blues” while the energy of the crowd rose and filled the room. The first set included only the second “45th of November” to be played since 2007, and ended with a heavily-jammed “Looking Glass” that took a tiny tease toward the Beatles’ “Baby You’re a Rich Man” before segueing into the Allman Brothers’ “Jessica.”


In set two, after a “You’ve Got The World” opener, “It Is What It Is” made way to a very haunting, soulful ambiance that led into a rare slow version of “Just Passing Through.” After that SCI built the pace back up and went into crowd favorite “Rivertrance” that contained some jamming of Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky.”  The closest thing to bluegrass for the evening came up next with a cover of “White Freightliner Blues,” then a “Joyful Sound” dropped into an EOTO drum jam. The first “Texas” of the Winter Carnival ended the set. The encore worked through three songs, including “Stir It Up,” the second Bob Marley cover of the evening.

When The String Cheese Incident hit the stage on Monday night, Billy said, “Let’s get this spaceship off the ground” and then proceeded to do just that. A “Close Your Eyes” opener was jammed into “Valley of the Jig.” The next song, “Smile” pretty much summed up what everyone in the McDonald Theatre was doing. A newer song, “I’m Still Here,” added another dimension to SCI’s repertoire, with Travis taking lead vocal duties. “Round the Wheel” brought the set to a close.


The last set in Eugene started strong and silly with “Jellyfish,” as Billy Nershi took a break from playing his guitar to dance with it — spinning it around, dipping it, and giving it kisses. The courtship over, we went straight to the honeymoon as the opening notes of “Desert Dawn” riled the already ecstatic crowd. Scott Law (Brokedown in Bakersfield, Scott Law Band, Phil and Friends) took the stage to sing and play guitar on New Riders of the Purple Sage tune “Glendale Train,” which brought a little country tinge to the evening. A powerful drum jam showcased the boys at the back of the stage, and then Hollingsworth got a little nostalgic, remarking on gigs long ago at Eugene’s Wild Duck as “Can’t Wait Another Day” found its groove.

The monstrous “Shantytown” had been somewhat expected, as it was written in reference to the Oregon Country Faire. The song transitioned through a gentle, submarine jam into “Rollover” to end the set. Billy thanked the Pacific Northwest as Scott Law came back out for the encore, Roy Hamilton’s “Don’t Let Go.” The ensemble was soaking in pleasure, wide smiles and laughs across the stage, as Scott traded licks first with Billy, then with Kang. Lights up, “Welcome Back Kotter” exit music, and the first Eugene Incidents since 2006 were in the books.

In addition to the “Shantytown,” String Cheese Incident also honored the area’s Kesey/Merry Pranksters legacy by playing all of the songs that they have written in collaboration with Grateful Dead lyricists. The lyrics of “It Is What It Is” and “45th of November” were written by Robert Hunter, while the words of “Just Passin’ Through” and “These Waves” were penned by John Barlow.

Two words that kept coming to mind throughout these two nights were “confidence” and “patience.” The band showed great patience in letting things develop organically, and a joyful confidence that pushed boundaries with a “no questions asked” attitude. More often than not, the jams seemed to ebb and flow of their own volition. String Cheese Incident is playing more shows now than they have since they came back from hiatus, and the time together on stage is certainly having a positive effect on their musical conversation. Whether it was Caribbean rhythms, Americana compositions, or beat-driven dance anthems, it was delivered with cohesion and power. The String Cheese Incident is firing on all cylinders.


SETLISTS:

McDonald Theatre, Eugene OR
1.18.2015

Set I:
Lonesome Fiddle Blues, Sometimes a River, Yo Se, 45th of November, Could You Be Loved > Rhum n Zouc, Looking Glass > Jessica
Set II
You’ve Got The World, It Is What It Is > Just Passin’ Through, Rivertrance > Piece Of Mine, White Freightliner Blues, Joyful Sound, Texas
Encore:
Stay Thru > Stir It Up > Search

1.19.2015

Set I:
Close Your Eyes > Valley of the Jig, Smile, I’m Still Here, These Waves > Round The Wheel
Set II:
Jellyfish, Desert Dawn, Glendale Train*, Sirens > Drums, Can’t Wait Another Day, Shantytown, Rollover
Encore:
Don’t Let Go*

* with Scott Law on guitar and vocals