Episode 54 of Hooked on Creek features my review of Max Creek’s performance on August 7, 1993, at the Horizontal Boogie Bar in Rochester, New York.
A live recording of this entire Max Creek performance is available to stream or download here.
Episode 54 transcription
You’re listening to Hooked on Creek, a podcast celebrating the music, history and fans of the legendary jam band Max Creek. I am your host, Korre Johnson, and you are listening to episode 54.
Welcome back to Hooked on Creek. Today, I am going to dive deep into a live performance from Max Creek that is, in my opinion, so special that it seems to transcend time and space. I am referring to Max Creek’s performance back on August 7, 1993, at the Horizontal Boogie Bar in Rochester, New York.
In this episode, I am going to walk through the band’s show that night, song by song, describing the band’s incredible performance and what stands out to me from the live recording posted on archive.org. And stick around to the end, because this episode concludes with full performances of a few songs recorded live that night.
But before I start, just a quick reminder that you can find a direct link to the entire live recording I am reviewing today in the episode show notes, or on the Hooked on Creek website at hookedoncreek.com. Alright, now let’s get started.
Max Creek’s performance on August 7, 1993, at the Horizontal Boogie Bar in Rochester, New York, opens with The Field, a 12-minute odyssey constructed with a mix of precision and delicate grace that seems almost other worldly. To say this version of The Field is impressive, would be an insult. I mean, did this tune start the show, or did it open a portal, perhaps spawned from within the deepest recesses of the band’s collective consciousness? Was this a signal for the audience that gathered at the Horizontal Boogie Bar on that warm summer evening in 1993 or was it more like a warning, for those less experienced travelers in the band’s sonic universe?
Regardless, our fate is determined, note by note, as The Field tears apart the mundane that filters our reality, opening a hidden realm of boundless possibilities. And it is here, standing without balance, where The Field ultimately pushes us into a gentle stream that slowly builds into to a raging torrent that swells and swells until it finally bursts into the opening lyrics of I Know You Rider, securing the band’s transition into the second song of the night.
Max Creek’s performance of I Know You Rider stretches for over 15 minutes, in what I would say is arguably one of the most sublime versions of the song in their live repertoire. And while this is a soundboard recording, you get enough of the audience in the background to really sense the impact this song was having in the room on that night. When you hear this recording, I think you will agree with me that this version of I Know You Rider is conclusive proof of why Max Creek is so revered for their interpretations of songs made popular by the Grateful Dead.
After the conclusion of I Know You Rider, nearly 30 minutes into the show, the band takes a brief moment to reset.
Play clip of Scott saying “How’s everybody doing tonight? Welcome back. How many people were here last night? Ah shit, we can’t play the same stuff, can we?”
From here, Mark Mercier changes things up by leading the band into a soulful cover of When That Evening Sun Goes Down, a seven-minute tribute to Van Morrison. I really love Mark’s vocals in this performance and his keyboard playing is worth repeat listening on it’s own. If you are curious, When That Evening Sun Goes Down was originally released on Van Morrison’s 1971 album Tupelo Honey, and from what I can tell, Max Creek started covering the song around 1991.
After the conclusion of When That Evening Sun Goes down, Max Creek sets Blood Red Roses into motion. Driven by a pounding rhythm decorated with intricate textures, the band elevates this classic Creek tune into an immersive experience. John Rider’s vocals are delivered like ancient incantations, drawing us deeper and deeper into his mystical narrative.
After Blood Red Roses, with our minds cleared, the band takes a breath and then launches into a massive, 17-minute exploration of Bonnie Raitt’s classic song Tangled and Dark. This jam-heavy cover unpacked by the band is a masterclass in improvisation. It starts unassumingly, tricking the listener into state of comfort and familiarity, before gradually closing the elevator doors and ascending to unimaginable heights.
Whether you find yourself lost in the rhythm of Rob Fried, Greg Vasso and John Rider, pulled into the textures of Mark Mercier or succumbed to blazing performance of Scott Murawski, this extensive version of Tangled and Dark is a gift that keeps on giving. Eventually, the song expands from its original structure, flirting with the unknown and the yet to be discovered, before gradually reassembling into Gypsy Blue.
For any who may have been lost, searching or yearning in the audience that night, Gypsy Blue appears as a vessel, carrying the willing and the curious to the heart of Max Creek — to the essence of what makes this band so incredibly special. Because hidden within the mystique of Gypsy Blue, in my opinion, lies the secret to Max Creek, waiting to be found, heard and understood.
Then after about six minutes, the band reshapes Gypsy Blue into the song Big Boat. Closing the first set, Big Boat is a 12-minute tempest of energy and expression. Max Creek’s performance of this song really showcases the band’s gritty, soulful side. After about seven and a half minutes, John emerges from the background with a bass solo that feels like a predatory shark circling its prey, setting up an escalation of the song that ultimately pulls us back into Mark’s delivery of the final lyrics of Big Boat to wrap up an incredible first set of music.
When the band comes back on stage for the second set, Scott teases the audience with a story.
Play clip of Scott saying, “I wrote some of this song in a car. And the other part of this song I wrote in a basement. And it’s all about … ah shit. Listen to it. You’ll figure it out.”
With this, Max Creek opens the second set with In Harmony. Stretched to well over 13 minutes, In Harmony is a multi-layered sonic experience that is both intoxicating and refreshing in its delivery. Even the most careful listener can easily get lost in the music, as each instrument in the band tells part of the story, pulling on the cosmic strings that entangle the music the band and the audience into collective awareness.
There is a seductive nature to the the jam that unfolds within this performance of In Harmony, manifesting in a gentle flow that wraps you in its soft embrace as it simultaneously injects you with an antidote to reality. And it’s from here, wherever here is, that Max Creek pulls the cord, revealing a transition into See It My Way.
Max Creek’s cover of See It My Way is sure to satisfy even the most greedy among us. Spanning 16 minutes, it’s a heartfelt rendition of a Toots Hibbert song released on his 1988 album Toots in Memphis. After 11 minutes, the band brings their performance of See It My Way to its climax. And it’s from this majestic vantage point that the song begins to relax its muscles, giving space for Max Creek to guide the music toward some unfinished business.
And then just like that, we are back into the song In Harmony, resolving what the band started 30 minutes earlier to begin the second set. After a few minutes of closing the loop, Max Creek steers In Harmony through a quick wardrobe change, transitioning into their song Wild Side.
And then for nearly six minutes, John fills the room with a jubilant energy that makes it impossible not to sing along, while grinning from ear to ear. And while the band seems to position this Wild Side as an invitation to celebrate love and life, the band takes a decidedly different direction in their next song, as Scott rips open the scar, unveiling a raw and powerful version of Same Things.
Stretching nearly 10 minutes, Same Things serves as a spotlight on Scott Murawski’s musical genius. Here, Scott seamlessly transitions between rhythm guitar playing and lead guitar playing while at the same time punctuating, accentuating and even mimicking the beats from Greg Vasso and Rob Fried through his percussive guitar playing.
Eventually, Mark and John join back in and guide this version of Same Things from the dark to the light, bringing it to a much sweeter place as the song transitions into a breathtaking cover of Tupelo Honey, a song originally written by Van Morrison and released as the title track on his 1971 album.
And on this night, Mark’s interpretation of Tupelo Honey is simply beyond compare. For me, it feels like the sonic equivalent of a big hug from Mark, and who doesn’t want that? It’s worth noting that this is the second song of the night paying respect to Van Morrison. After about eight minutes, Max Creek’s performance of Tupelo Honey gracefully dissolves and the band sets into motion a transition into Devil’s Heart.
Here, the pace of show picks up again and John works his magic, pulling us deeper and deeper into the lore of Max Creek through his lyrics in Devil’s Heart. And then, just when we think we’ve reached the peak, John’s bass solo emerges like a fish sprouting legs, transforming the song before our very ears. And from this metamorphosis, the band seamlessly ushers us into their song Signature.
Like a radiant moon orbiting its planet, hearing Signature paired with Devil’s Heart in always a treat. Spanning just over five minutes, Signature hits you like a firehose. Every second is an exhilarating experience. But in its conclusion, a swift musical transition emerges and we are swept into an energetic cover of One More Saturday Night to end the second set.
Max Creek’s rendition of One More Saturday Night maintains the momentum from Devil’s Heart and Signature, while setting up a crowd-pleasing conclusion to their second set of music. One More Saturday Night, originally penned by Bob Weir, has been pleasing Deadheads since 1971 and, from what I can tell, Max Creek has been incorporating the song into their set lists since about 1982.
Later, as the band comes back on stage for their encore, Scott kicks things off with a touch of humor to introduce his next song.
Play clip of Scott saying, “Let me tell you a little story about this song. No, no, never mind. Forget it. You don’t want to know. Forget it. This song is what it’s like to live with four cats. If anybody has any cats, this is what it is like if you have four of them.”
With that, Scott unleashes a sprawling version of Just a Rose to begin their encore performance. Simply put, the musicianship here is breathtaking, the passion we feel in this song is palpable and the excited audience reactions we hear in the mix seem to echo the fiery intensity brought forward by the band as they lay it all out for the audience. Nearly 12 minutes later, as the tempo slows and Just a Rose begins to wind down, the band decides to punctuate their encore with a transition into Back Porch Boogie Blues to end this unforgettable night of music.
And there you have it. Max Creek’s live performance on August 7, 1993, is pure magic. But stick around, because now I am going to share a few songs recorded live from this incredible night of music. Coming up you are going to hear the band open their second set with In Harmony, See It My Way and Wild Side.
This is Max Creek performing live at the Horizontal Boogie Bar in Rochester, New York, on August 7, 1993.
And that concludes my review of Max Creek’s performance on August 7, 1993, at the Horizontal Boogie Bar in Rochester, New York. You can stream or download this entire Max Creek show on archive.org, just take a look in the episode show notes for a direct link. And if you have feedback about this episode or recommendations for future episodes, visit hookedoncreek.com and click the contact link to send me a message. I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks for tuning in!