1971: This refers to the opening "avant-garde" music that the Mothers typically used to begin these shows. Frank refers to these jams as nothing more than "soundchecks with the audience in attendance"- which may actually be the case- but they make for an interesting start to a concert, nonetheless. Preston typically begins each affair, infecting the air with a constant drone. Underwood joins the fun, and the two of them provide us with a variety of keyboard noises (Dom DeWild type stuff), with the other band members eventually entering the "jam". The "Swiss Cheese" performance is excellent, beginning with over 6 minutes of uninterrupted keyboard randomness, before the always impassioned Dunbar enters the scene and justs starts thrashing away. Flo 'n' Eddie start wailing (Yoko Ono impressions?) and muttering in what sounds like French. Finally, Frank enters the scene (tuning his guitar to start off), teases what sounds like "American Woman" by the Guess Who, and then just starts soloing. Some 14 minutes after the whole thing begins, the music calms to a near silence, and Dunbar tears into "Peaches". Stunning!! "Zanti Serenade" from "Playground Psychotics" is another example (though edited) of such an opening jam.
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