Photo by Dave Decrescente

Twiddle performed three drive-in concerts in Essex Junction, Vt. over the weekend of Aug. 14-16. The second night featured a sit-in by Brandon “Taz” Niederauer; the guitar phenom joined Twiddle for a performance of Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb.”

The shows were the first live performances by Twiddle since the lockdown due to COVID-19 began. “We can’t thank our fans enough for making our first live shows back such an incredible and safe experience,” said guitarist/vocalist Mihali Savoulidis (via press release.) “It felt amazing playing live again with the boys and having our brother Taz join us, elevating the band as he always does.” 

The first of three sold-out nights featured a bevy of segues in the first set, with the band moving between “Blunderbuss,” “Rick Snickle,” “Daydream Farmer” and “Earth Mama.” The second set contained just three different songs: Twiddle opened the frame with a sandwich of “Gatsby the Great” -> “Doinkinbonk” -> “Gatsby the Great” and closed with “Cabbage Face.”

The Aug. 15 show was highlighted by a sit-in by Taz. The guitarist joined the band for a first-set closing “Every Soul.” He then returned in the second set for “Tom’s Song,” as well as for the aforementioned cover of the “Comfortably Numb.” The Pink Floyd tune was a bust-out for Twiddle; the band hadn’t performed the song since Apr. 15, 2011 at Higher Ground.

The final show of the run’s first set featured takes on “Hattibagen McRat” and “Fat Country Baby,” with Savoulidis switching to acoustic guitar. The band then delivered “a trip down memory lane” for set two (quote via press release) with performances of “Invisible Ink” and “Tiberius.” The band closed out the weekend of shows with “Beethoven and Greene.”

Watch a fan-shot video of “Comfortably Numb” below, courtesy of YouTube user Michael Liacos. See each night’s setlist below.

SETLISTS:

Aug. 14, 2020 – Drive In – Essex Junction, VT
Set 1: Blunderbuss-> Ricky Snickle-> Blunderbuss-> Ricky Snickle, Daydream Farmer ->
Earth mamma-> Daydream Farmer

Set 2: Gatsby the Great-> Doinkinbonk-> Gatsby*, Cabbage Face

Encore: Orlando’s
*Big Country (Bela Fleck) tease

Aug. 15, 2020 – Drive In – Essex Junction, VT
Set 1: Zazu’s flight-> Bronze Fingers-> Zazus Flight, The Machine, Apples-> Classical Gas-> Apples-> Every Soul*

Set 2: Dr Remidis Melodium-> River Drift-> Nicodemus Portulay-> Tom’s Song*, Dr Remedies Melodium

Enc: Comfortably Numb*
*With Taz

Aug. 16, 2020- Drive In – Essex Junction, VT
Set 1: Five*, Hattibagen McRat*, Lost in the Cold*^, Fat Country Baby*, Be there*, Frankenfoote, Amydst the Myst

Set 2: Invisible ink-> Country road-> Invisible ink, Fire on High-> Dinner Fork-> Tiberius$-> Slipping in the kitchen-> Tiberius

Enc: Beethoven and Greene
*Played on Acoustic Guitar
^Storytellers Version
$ 2nd half finishing from Roots Tour