The Gin Cup

[Alumni]

In the spirit of the World Cup, I've decided to run a tournament honoring what might be my favorite jam tune: Bathtub Gin. I'm assembling 32(!) versions from around the world, which I'll pit against each other in a single elimination tournament. The uber-scientific method will award victory in each match to the version that moves me more on that particular day. None of that double-elimination, total points nonsense. I don't have time for that. Instead, think March Madness. The results have not been determined in advance; I have no idea how this is going to turn out, except that it should be fun getting there.

2 preliminary requests:

I have a gap in the field: no 1994s. If anyone cares to nominate a '94 or two, I'm open to it.

I don't have my full collection this summer. There are about 9 shows that I don't have access to - mostly 99s and 00s. I don't necessarily need reseeds on etree; if anyone can help with the individual files, that would be great.  MP3s will serve the purpose. I'm not archiving. Just having some fun in spare time.

[mopper_smurf]

Holland wins the World Cup! Great segue, too:

Bathtub Gin > Golgi Apparatus

Monday, February 17, 1997
Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands

[Alumni]

No worries, Mopper, that one made the field  :-D

[susep]

Nice idea.

[Alumni]

Thanks

Before I announce the field, I do need to shamelessly grovel for assistance in tracking down 4 of the 5 99s in the field (by dumb luck, I seem to have 12.7)

9.12.99
9.22.99
10.1.99
12.2.99

[August]

i will UL 9-22 and 12-2 for ya.
a

[Alumni]

Thanks, A

Too bad I can't just go to the old YSI links in your DD thread . . .

[August]

i think i did 9-22 back then, but not 12-2....if you dont mind waiting till the end of the week, i can dig up aimes for you, too.
a

[Alumni]

Cool! I don't mind waiting a few days. There's enough here to keep me busy.

The draw was 100% random. FWIW, Ames drew a first-round matchup against Rupp '96, so 10/1 could be one and done.  But it's going to get a fair listen, and it'll depend on how I'm feeling that day

[Alumni]

One thing about having a random draw is that some Groups look stacked, while others are a little lighter. That's how it goes. Some draws are harder than others.

Here's the first half of the field:

GROUP A
6.10.00 - Tokyo
7.29.98 - Maryland Heights, MO (**winner**)

11.19.97 - Champaign, IL
11.19.96 - Kansas City, MO (**winner**)


GROUP B
5.22.00 - NYC
11.23.97 - Winston-Salem, NC (**winner**)

10.7.00 - Mountain View, CA
11.20.98 - Hampton, VA (**winner**)


GROUP C
12.29.95 - Worcester, MA (**winner**)
2.28.03 - Nassau Coliseum

11.29.98 - Worcester, MA
12.2.99 - Auburn Hills, MI (**winner**)


GROUP D
8.16.96 - Clifford Ball
7.25.97 - Dallas, TX  (**winner**)

7.20.98 - Ventura, CA (**winner**)
9.12.99 - Portland, OR

There it is. The first half of the field. The second half of the field looks like:

GROUP E
7.10.97 - Marseille
12.5.95 - Amherst, MA (**winner**)

9.22.99 - Las Cruces, NM
8.17.97 - Great Went (**winner**)

GROUP F
12.7.99 - Portland, ME (**winner**)
12.29.96 - Philadelphia

10.1.99 - Ames, IA
11.7.96 - Lexington, KY (**winner**)

GROUP G
8.13.93 - Indianapolis (**winner**)
7.21.97 - Virginia Beach

11.24.95 - Pittsburgh
2.17.97 - Amsterdam (**winner**)

GROUP H
6.28.00 - Holmdel, NJ
11.9.98 - Chicago (**winner**)

11.30.95 - Dayton, OH
7.9.03 - Mountain View, CA (**winner**)

[Alumni]

Once there's a finalist from each group, the elite eight will run:

Quarterfinals
Qtrs 1: A vs B
Qtrs 2: C vs D
Qtrs 3: E vs F
Qtrs 4: G vs H

Semifinals
Semis 1:  Qtrs 1 winner vs Qtrs 2 winner
Semis 2:  Qtrs 3 winner vs Qtrs 4 winner

Finals
Semis 1 winner vs Semis 2 winner

[Gumbo72203]

at first glance i missed 2/28/03 and 11/23/97, and was confounded as to why you wouldnt've included them...  but i just can read so its alright haha. 

just in case anybody is interested, i really feel that the Noblesville Gin from 6/23/04 is actually quite good, you should definitely check it out if you havent; some tiiiiiiiight jamming in that show (shameless plug for Crosseyed>JAAAAAAAAAAM>SLAVE)   

[Alumni]

I know. No 2004s. N0 1994s, either. And only one show pre-1995. It's probably not perfect. But I'm sure there's enough there to make it interesting.

I'll probably do one match per day, so this could go on for a while. And we're off! with 6.10.00 vs. 7.29.98

6.10.00: Nicer than I thought I remembered. I wasn't sure about this one after a few minutes, but it really developed nicely. I may lose all credibility here if I pick it - but it did the trick for me this morning. We'll see.

7.29.98: It's funny to see people talk about this one as the "pure funk" gin, forgetting about that 8-minute soaring jam leading into it. I'll save some commentary for later, because:

Although 7.29.98 never opened up a huge lead on its worthy challenger, it is moving on to the 2nd round.

[Gumbo72203]

oh of course, its definitely enough; it just happens that Gin really didnt come into its own as a jam behemoth until after 95, when they really finally figured out how to make is SOAR and imbue it with the aural incarnation of majesty and grandeur. 

on a sidenote, i just downloaded the Saratoga bar gig from 3/8/90, and they do Gin there.... and its....   bad.   real bad.  the whole show's jamming is...   bad.  im not sure if it was just an off night or what, but everybody is just completely out in their own world...  nothing is together.  Every time they jam, Trey also tries wayyyy way too hard to do the atonal stuff that was everywhere in 94, and it just sounds horrible to my ears.  I mean...  i understand that there is no way they couldve figured out how to do it right without shows like these where its just so wrong, so i guess thats why i can tolerate it. 

i always love listening to real early shows, especially from my standpoint being in a band thats just starting out, to see how they grew and where they started from and how everything evolved into the phenomenon they became. 

**end threadjack** 

[susep]

Here are my first round picks:

GROUP A
6.10.00 - Tokyo
7.29.98 - Maryland Heights, MO

11.19.97 - Champaign, IL
11.19.96 - Kansas City, MO

7/29/98 vs. 11/19/97

GROUP B
5.22.00 - NYC
11.23.97 - Winston-Salem, NC

10.7.00 - Mountain View, CA
11.20.98 - Hampton, VA

11/23/97 vs. 10/7/00

GROUP C
12.29.95 - Worcester, MA
2.28.03 - Nassau Coliseum

11.29.98 - Worcester, MA
12.2.99 - Auburn Hills, MI

tough draw> 12/29.95 vs. 11/29/98

GROUP D
8.16.96 - Clifford Ball
7.25.97 - Dallas, TX

7.20.98 - Ventura, CA
9.12.99 - Portland, OR

7/25/97 vs. 7/20/98


There it is. The first half of the field. The second half of the field looks like:

GROUP E
7.10.97 - Marseille
12.5.95 - Amherst, MA

9.22.99 - Las Cruces, NM
8.17.97 - Great Went

12/5/95 vs. 8/17/97

GROUP F
12.7.99 - Portland, ME
12.29.96 - Philadelphia

10.1.99 - Ames, IA
11.7.96 - Lexington, KY

12/7/99 vs. 11/7/96

GROUP G
8.13.93 - Indianapolis
7.21.97 - Virginia Beach

11.24.95 - Pittsburgh
2.17.97 - Amsterdam

7/21/97 vs. 2/17.97

GROUP H
6.28.00 - Holmdel, NJ
11.9.98 - Chicago

11.30.95 - Dayton, OH
7.9.03 - Mountain View, CA

11.9.98 vs. 7/9/03