Jam Chart for Brother (21 entries)
| Date | City | Timing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-09-25 | Keene, NH | 5:17 | Debut. First version includes some pretty ferocious, intense playing by Trey. |
| 1991-09-28 | Buffalo, NY | 5:14 | Thanks to @OrangeSox for pointing out this ripper, in which it sounds like Frank Zappa temporarily possessed Trey's body and soul. |
| 1991-10-06 | St. Paul, MN | 5:27 | Although it starts off a little tamely, this version quickly kicks into gear with all the elements of great early versions - wild jamming, exotic texture, and dissonance with a capital "D." |
| 1991-10-10 | Eugene, OR | 5:36 | You can hear Trey say "Hey Fish, let's really rock it" right before they start this one. This is a classic with insanely nimble guitar playing, loads of shrill dissonance, and some mind bending, shrieking guitar effects. |
| 1991-10-12 | Portland, OR | 4:31 | Artis the Spoonman as gueat artist. A very different "Brother" with Page taking the lead on organ, and some very cool percussion work from Fish and Artis the Spoonman on spoons. Trey is very restrained until the end when he cranks it up. |
| 1991-10-18 | San Francisco, CA | 5:45 | Once this one kicks into overdrive, it's really excellent with chaos and screaming guitar sounds. |
| 1991-11-08 | Tuscaloosa, AL | 6:14 | The Wailing Banshee version. With "Brother," more twisted and mind exploding = better. |
| 1991-11-12 | Athens, GA | 5:17 | In addition to the customary dissonance and sick playing by Trey, this version also includes lots of great Page on the B-3, and some excellent playing by Mike. |
| 1991-11-16 | Washington, DC | 5:53 | Some unusual bass lines from Mike and organ playing by Page create a strong sense of tension in this ripper. |
| 1991-11-20 | Providence, RI | 4:42 | Carl Gerhard on trumpet. "Brother" already has an exotic sound to it. That sentiment is only enhanced with the addition of a trumpet to the mix. |
| 1991-11-22 | Portland, ME | 6:07 | While it's far less dissonant than most early versions, there is some truly amazing playing by Trey in this one. Fish and Mike are also strong. |
| 1991-11-30 | Port Chester, NY | 6:02 | After a gentle, settling "Squirming Coil", we have something akin to a combination of "Carini" and "46 Days" on steroids, except that this "Brother" was performed 6 years before either of those beasts were hatched. |
| 1992-03-20 | Binghamton, NY | 5:27 | Excellent "Alligator Pit" banter. Actually sounds like Trey is firing a machine gun at the audience! |
| 1992-04-17 | San Francisco, CA | 5:42 | Page's brother appeared on stage in a bathtub for this second set opener. Sick Trey. Everyone excels in this version, but especially Fish. (timing is estimated because tape begins about 45 seconds into the song). |
| 1992-05-06 | Detroit, MI | 4:49 | It's shorter, but it's pretty damned sick! |
| 1992-05-17 | Schenectady, NY | 6:12 | Everything about this version stands out - it has an exotic sound to it, Trey shreds unbelievably, there is extensive dissonance, a brief rolling calm, more dissonance, more Machine Gun Trey action, capped off by a wailing, brain splitting cacophony before the end. |
| 1996-08-17 | Plattsburgh, NY | 6:12 | Ice Cream moguls Ben and Jerry sing the refrain before the jam. Trey's playing is as lightning fast as ever, although the sentiment is less shrill and dissonant than in '91 - '92. Page jumps to piano near the end which is a nice, unusual twist. |
| 1998-04-04 | Providence, RI | 11:59 | > in from "2001." About 4:38 into the conventional "Brother," this one departs into a great, funky jam. Way beyond the standard, it nonetheless builds in tension and dissonance as the jam progresses. Includes a brief "DEG" tease. After the song, the band played a brief "radio friendly" reprise. |
| 1998-07-28 | Bonner Springs, KS | 6:47 | > in from "Mango Song." Has a distinctly funky sound at first. Lots of great shredding by Trey. At about 4:50, breaks into a brief, funky, very non-"Brother" groove, then returns home to conclude. |
| 2000-09-27 | Englewood, CO | 6:04 | Almost exactly 9 years since its debut, this version harkens back to the old style of intense, chaotic, and electrified jamming. A little swirling '00-style sound manages to creep into the mix. Great Mike and a great version! |
| 2021-10-15 | Sacramento, CA | 7:59 | Although Trey tries to segue into Brother out of Tube's jam (which is insane, no drummer could pull that off smoothly, not even Fish), and it takes awhile for them to begin Brother (more or less) properly, Trey SHREDS THE JAM of this version using the Shakedown-esque envelope filter, wahwah effect. |
Jam chart versions are selected because of improvisational and other characteristics that distinguish these from typical versions of the song.
The jam chart team has highlighted some versions with a yellow background; these are the versions the team believes to be especially improvisational, or otherwise notable.
A purple date indicates that you were in attendance.
The jam chart team has highlighted some versions with a yellow background; these are the versions the team believes to be especially improvisational, or otherwise notable.
A purple date indicates that you were in attendance.
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