The boys come right out of the break with a brilliant Dark Star, which heads into a mellow, yet searingly groovy Deal. From there, the band does not let up, and Pig is at the center of much of it, as are Keith’s keys and, as you would expect, Jerry’s luscious licks. Most of the remainder is built around a meaty Lovelight sandwich. All told, the Lovelight is the equal of any of the monstrous, down and dirty ones from the previous year as Pig sings, raps, and downright bawls while the band goes off. And, listening in retrospect, this rendition conjures more than a bit of melancholy, being the fifth to last Lovelight that Pig would front, and really the last truly exceptional one of those.

Opened in 1913, Hill Auditorium is a gem of a performance hall at the heart of Michigan’s campus. Built with a 200,000 dollar bequest from a former university regent, Arthur Hill, the hall originally – up until a 2004 renovation – sat 4100 in a sumptuous atmosphere. It’s acoustics have always been hailed; even when Hill first opened, it was lauded as a “monument to perfect acoustics.” And the outrageously crisp and spacious sound that we have on this soundboard recording must owe at least something to those wonderful acoustics. But the tape here is also a testament to the original recording and Charlie Miller’s excellent transfer.