Review: The Breakfast @ Toad’s Place

Launching into the epic Episode III: Awakening as the set’s second song instantly raised the bar. The third part of an ongoing series of “episodes,” this tune tells the tale of Palmieri’s fictional Buquebus character breaking himself free from an evil “mojo mama.” It begins as an instrumental and builds up to a bluesy lyrical ending, in which Palmieri belts out “I asked myself, is there hope? Hope for a lost soul?” Like Phish’s Gamehendge, the Buquebus saga is rich with interesting characters, landscapes and moral struggles.

Tunage is one of the funkier of the band’s tunes, and it was recognized quickly by the energized crowd. Naturally a jam vehicle, the version from Toad’s Place has been a talking point since Thursday and personally speaking, this version ranks as one of my favorites. (Along with the 1-31-09 version from Sully’s in Hartford, Conn.)

After such a monster, the instrumental Escher’s Etchings (Part 1) set the sonic landscape of the Escher tale, which in its entirety is comprised of five parts. Written by Tramontano, parts one through five were recently recorded by the band and released as part of the drummer’s solo album, Vessel. Placing Part I in the set before a raging Rush was some solid and creative setlist writing.

Lyrically, Rush is a song about the adrenaline and addiction of gambling, and the music is equally aggressive. A tight Rush always pumps up the intensity factor of any show.

The band then transitioned straight into Existential Funk, another one of their newer tunes, which was written by DeAngelis. Powerful yet patient, the song, like one of its climatic lyrics, takes me a little bit higher each time. I cannot wait for Existential Funk to be laid down in a studio. I really think it will turn some heads.

The end of the set had the crowd chanting for more, and the band launched into The Vermont Song to open the encore. With lyrics conjuring up images of autumn, it was an appropriate – if not bittersweet – reminder that this summer of fun is coming to a close.

The Chase, a longtime crowd favorite, ended the night. It opens with some heavy organ and tells the tale of a deadly chase between a man and a hawk, ending with the man accepting his defeat in return for eternity – and a promise to meet again in the next life.

The show ended with the crowd crying out for more. In Breakfast vernacular, the performance is best described as “ser bizz.” Needless to say, I can’t wait for the next one.