Twiddle may be the source of derision for some Phish phans, but the comments only piqued my curiousity. Thus, when they came to the Miramar Theatre in Milwaukee on February 20th, I made sure to see them. Now I can say, unequivocally, that Twiddle puts on a highly entertaining jamband show.

The two openers, local rockers Conundrum and funky-oriented Ethereal Groove Incorporated (EGI for short) warmed the place up, especially the latter. By the time Twiddle took the stage at 11:30 the sold out crowd was ready for the heat. They opened the show with a melodic “Subconscious Prelude.” Not jammy, just a powerful and sing-a-long tune to start the show. Mihali Savoulidis’ voice was crystal clear as he belted out the meaningful lyrics about how powerful our minds and thoughts are.

After the opener, they turned it up a level and raged throughout the set. A couple songs into the show, they began to lace their original “Beehop” with a plethora of marijuana based numbers. They segued seamlessly into and out of “Smoke Two Joints,” “Legalize It,” and “The Joker,” before ending back at “Beehop.” Although there wasn’t a lot of smoking going on inside, the Friday night vibes were present and the party atmosphere was off the charts when they began this Mary Jane medley. Despite the fact that Milwaukee is better known, for our beers than our buds, this part of the show epitomized a Friday night party.

Twiddle never took their foot off the gas, going from jam to jam without any hesitation. Fan favorite “Jamflowman” made a quite lengthy appearance, much to the audience’s delight. During this portion, bassist Zdenek Gubb really had a chance to shine. He had his fair share of solos throughout the night, but, during the jams of “Jamflowman,” you could hear his crescendo-filled rumbles pulsating in the floor. He was laying a solid and yet very intricate foundation for the music that night.

The night ended with an encore that included the Star Wars theme built into the “Cabbage Face” jam, and all geeks united as one. At 1:30, they called it a night and concertgoers went home wanting more but ultimately very satisfied.

Overall, it was a great performance from a band that seems to only be growing exponentially in popularity. Considering the last time they played at Milwaukee there were probably only around 50 people, tonight’s show was a microcosm of their growth. True to their improvisational nature, their planned setlist (see pics) differed from what they actually played. Ultimately, the show reminded me why I go see live music: great entertainment, fabulous music, and a fun time. If you see Twiddle you’re bound to find all three.

Watch The Full Show Here:

Setlist*

Subconscious Prelude

Every Soul

Bronze Fingers

BeeHop

Jamflowman

Be There

Wasabi > Box

E:Cabbage Face

*according to paper setlist