31566 just wanted to note that this is the first show since 12-31-98 played by the original Mermen bassist, Allen Whitman - so for that reason alone it deserves 5 stars imho. As with all things Mermen his appearance was arranged at the last minute, and the rehearsal consisted of an extended soundcheck (concentrating mostly on the Xmas songs) and about an hour backstage with Jim and Allen running thru songs plugged into the same Fender twin. Because of this the playing is a little loose/tentative in spots, but also inspired (check out the Intro>Ocean Beach where Martyn gets so caught up in the intro he forgets the song they're playing, and the Pull Of The Moon). A must-have for any complete Mermen collection. a historic show mermentaper 2005-02-10 08:38:21 2005-02-10 08:37:20 5 31854 This one is an easy 5 star. A high quality recording and great performance. A better guitar tone than on some of the 2003-2004 shows. Outstanding job by Allen Whitman who hadn't played with the band for several years. As usual there are some flubs but that is normal for live Mermen with JT's endless variations. Highly recommended for Mermen fans and anyone who hasn't hear the very unique Mermen sound. Get it! danzeb 2005-02-13 13:45:51 2005-02-13 13:45:51 5 32397 This is THE concert to have if you are new to the Mermen. They play many of thier best songs for the newcommer and for us Mermen vetrans they really kick butt in the arrangements. Sound quality is top notch, next best thing to being there! Fantastic Performance Das Bone 2005-02-18 14:24:15 2005-02-18 14:24:15 5 45978 As others have stated, this is a good show for the first-time (or even long-time) Mermen listener. Great tunes, nicely recorded. I'd like to also *strongly* recommend the Zephyr Bar show (July 9, 1999) - the twin guitar lineup with Randy Clark is incredible. This *is* a very good show rlw 2005-07-13 14:16:32 2005-07-13 14:16:32 5 This is an outstanding show. All the other reviews nail it down real good. One thing I really dig about this show, apart form it being an excellent performance and recording, is that's it's on my birthday. How nice of The Merman to offer such a great present! Let 'em eat (birthday) cake! 5 rioblanco 2006-05-19 14:09:16 2006-05-19 14:09:16 5 5.00