After intermission, the band rocks right out of the gate with Iko and continues to bring the hammer throughout the rest of the show. The Samson is as powerful as ever, and, with the boys trading vocals, The Weight is a joy. Phil’s verse in particular is so much fun, causing a roar from the massive crowd. Phil might not have the greatest pipes, but he sure knows how to use them. Afterwards, Blow Away hits its usual heights, though without the closing rap, which Jerry cut off to head right into Terrapin, it is not quite top-shelf. While we would have loved to hear Brent finish off, the Terrapin that comes instead is rich and luscious with some transcendent passages. And the trip from Terrapin into Drums is spacey and imaginative as the drummers pound out a tocsin beat while Jerry circles the outer galaxies. On the flip side, Space seems to give way to the Other One rather quickly – too quickly, actually, for Brent, who missed the beginning. The Other One itself builds and rushes on, like a herd of horses running wild before, with the first lyrics, Healy scares the shit out of us, modulating Bobby’s voice. Though Healy’s effects are often awkwardly disruptive, the shear freakishness and immediacy feeds right into this Other One. Jerry rolls out a magisterial Standing on the Moon next. And Brent’s lively keys in the latter-half Throwing Stones jam adds to an already spirited version, leading right into a perfect late-80s Lovelight, high energy and loaded with Bobby cheese.

This was the second show of a two-day run, bringing a little of the Ventura Fairgrounds vibe into the heart of Los Angeles. The fifth brought beautiful So Cal weather, but the Santa Anas arrived overnight, delivering hot, dry, and windy conditions. Terrence McKenna and Timothy Leary stood just offstage during the show, which might explain the reports of strong acid in the lot alongside 100 degree temps. Being LA, other luminaries were in attendance as well, including Bill Walton, which surely provoked Bobby’s comment about the Celtics in the first set.