Truthfully, it is difficult to decide where to begin when attempting to encapsulate the first leg of the first Summer Tour Phish has played in 5 years. After hearing the first two shows, I was able to see 4 consecutive shows early in the tour and then kick back and listen as the rest of it all unfolded. The part of this tour which differed from all preceding it was the new phenomenon of the ability to stream the shows live on the internet via an Iphone with an external microphone plugged in, allowing the sound to come through in quality fashion. If you weren't able to make it to the shows, you had a good chance of catching each one in the comfort of your own home while it was occurring, aside from the few nights there was little to no service where the show was being played.
Phish opened up their Summer with a bang at Fenway Park, walking up to the pitcher's mound all wearing Red Sox jerseys and singing the National Anthem before proceeding to take the stage for what was probably as exciting a moment for them as it was for all of the fans in the audience. This was the first real stadium show of their career, and in the oldest most historical Baseball park in the country which has been standing since 1912. Mike Gordon was born and raised in Boston, so this must have been a dream for him.
The show was solid, and had some fully unexpected bustouts such as Destiny Unbound and The Ballad of Curtis Loew. It may have been one of the worst shows of the tour musically, but that does not detract from the enormity of the actual event that took place.
Next, Phish was headed to take over Jones Beach Amphitheater in Wantaugh, NY for 3 shows. They started out on a Tuesday night and really came out to play, sounding much better than they did at the previous show at Fenway. Songs such as 'Cities', 'Timber', 'Reba' and 'Harry Hood' were played with brilliance, and everyone there was treated to a sleeper show on a Tuesday night.
The next show at Jones Beach was my first Phish show since New Years '03 in Miami. Needless to say I was ecstatic. The seats we had were right up front, and with the way the venue is set up as a steep high reaching amphitheater, the incredible feeling of being down in those seats was one I will never forget. The sound was crystal clear, and before I knew it I was immersed in my first thrilling ride in 5 years at the grandest musical theater on earth, a Phish concert.
After an acapella opener of the song 'Grind' in which each member states how many days they have been alive (which was appropriate since it was Mike Gordon's birthday the previous day) they went right into the first 'Divided Sky' of the Summer, and it was a clear statement that they were not messing around and were back and here to stay. The jam in 'Divided Sky' was so nostalgically gorgeous and yet so refreshingly exciting that I was beyond elated to be back sharing in the groove. They then played a new song called 'Ocelot' which was played quite a bit during the tour, and is an extremely uplifting glorious song with beautifully placed guitar notes from Trey. The highlight of the show and one of the highlights of the entire tour was the 'Ghost' that was played in the first set. Trey was using this incredible whale call sound effect on his guitar and took the jam from dark funky territory into blissful zenlike waterfalls of soaring melodies. After that mindblowing expedition, they gave us not a second to rest as they blew right into 'Run Like An Antelope', a raucous high energy marathon of excitement. Trey yelled out the lyrics "Set the gearshift for the high gear of your soul!!! You've got to run like an antelope, out of control!!" with such fervor and energy that we all were instantly running in place as fast as possible as the band closed out the song and the first set with an emphatic sense of return.
The second set also had its brilliant moments. Opening with the slow shmoozy version of 'Water in the Sky' as everyone trickled back into their seats was a great lead in to a rocking 'Birds of a Feather' followed by one of their most exciting covers, 'Drowned' from the rock opera 'Quadrophenia' by "The Who". It was very fitting being right on the ocean at Jones Beach to hear the lyrics "Let me get back to the ocean, let me get back to the sea ... let me be part of the tide that set me free". This jam opened up new channels that blew everyone away. They then played the first 'Meatstick' since '00 and included the Japanese lyrics. I haven't seen them have so much fun in ages like I did during that portion of the show. It was gooey discoey funk and we were all getting down. With a little lull in the middle of the 2nd set, they came back strong with a powerhouse version of the song 'You Enjoy Myself' playing the composed sections beautifully, and raging the jam taking the peaks higher and higher. All in all this was one of my favorite shows that I have seen, and it will always be etched in my memory as the show where everything was in synch and nearly perfect.
The following night at Jones Beach leading up to the show was a complete mess. It was cold and raining, and there was a wierd energy compared to the night before. They played a decent first set with some rarities like 'Buried Alive', 'AC/DC Bag', and 'Yamar' but nothing was played exceptionally well. It was the 2nd set of this show which has now in retrospect become my favorite set of the 4 shows I saw, and maybe one of my favorite sets of the first leg of the tour.
Opening with a version of 'Down With Disease' which was so rollicking and explosive that we could hardly catch our breath, they came back for a 2nd set of non-stop insanity. 'Disease' was stellar, and went right into 'Twist' in which Santana's 'Oye Como Va' played with firey intensity encompassed the entire jam. Without stopping from the start of 'Disease' through 'Twist' they went right into 'Piper' which rocked us all immensely. This 3 song wallop to open the 2nd set was what has always drawn me to Phish for as long as I can remember. When the song 'Free' began, I began glowing, as it is one of my favorite songs. Hearing the lyric "I feel the feeling I forgot" brought a gigantic smile to my face as my eyes were closed and everyone cheered. It was at that moment that I really felt back in the beautiful world of Phish after a grueling period of over 5 years without it being in existence. 'Free' entered dark delicious territory with oozing bass notes from Mike and had everyone dancing dirty style.
Following 'Free' was a debut of a new song on the upcoming album "Joy" which is being released on July 28th right before Phish kicks off their 2nd leg of the Summer with a 4 night stand at Red Rocks, their first appearance there since being banned from the venue 15 years ago. The name of this debut was 'Twenty Years Later'. At the time, I enjoyed it and thought it had some great lyrics, but I sat during it in order to catch a breather since it was rather slow. Now, I simply cannot get enough of it. After 'Twenty Years Later' came the gravy of the set, 2001>Slave to the Traffic Light. This was one of those segments that provide spiritual clarity. The funky dance party of '2001' with the blissful resonating classical notes of Mozart as the lights of Chris Kuroda mezmerized us all, which went right into an utterly sublime version of 'Slave' closed out the set on such a wonderful note. They encored with "A Day In The Life" by 'The Beatles' which they have played throughout their career, but I have never had the pleasure of seeing. The 2nd set of this show will be one that I listen to continuously for a long time to come.
The next show was at Great Woods in Mansfield, MA. The driving from NY to MA, and then back down to Camden, NJ the next day was rather hectic, but it was worth it to be at that beautiful venue enveloped in nature. The vibe of this show was different altogether. It was far from a rocking rager, but it was filled with positivity and happiness. Songs like 'Golgi Apparatus' and 'Sparkle' brought beaming smiles to all of our faces in the first set. The 2nd set opened up with the only appearance of the song 'Seven Below' on the entire leg. It was a fun and hypnotic version. Following this was the gem I had been waiting to see for my entire time loving Phish. This gem was the song 'Fluffhead', one of the band's oldest songs, and a song they did not play once when they were back post-hiatus in 03-04. They opened up their first show back at Hampton Coliseum with the song, which surprised everybody in the greatest of ways, but it wasn't played nearly as tight as it could be. This version was on point, and I feel privileged to have been there to experience it. The 'Fluffhead' alone was worth the trip to Mansfield.
We drove down to Camden, NJ the following day for what would be my 4th show in 4 days, and my last show which I would see of the first leg of tour. What went down in Dirty Jersey was an onslaught of energy that will never be forgotten. The first set was good, but we chose to be on the lawn for the first half of it even though we had seats, thinking it would be a nice change from having seats the 3 previous nights. The sound was awful and the vibe was weak on the lawn. Once moving into the pavillion it was like entering a portal into another dimension. The sound was unbelievable, the lights were hypnotically mindblowing, and the energy was oozing throughout the entire covered pavillion. Songs like 'The Wedge', 'The Lizards', 'Tube', and 'First Tube' sounded incredible as opposed to the first half which was hard to even decipher. Moving to the seating area was the best move imaginable.
The 2nd set was one for the books. They opened up with the only 'Sand' played on the tour, and it lasted 22 minutes. They truly reached liftoff with this jam, and explored horizons which they had yet to arrive at up till that point. The rest of the set was good, with the energy continuing, but it wasn't until the song 'Character Zero' ended and 'Tweezer' began that the place truly exploded. 'Character Zero' is nearly always a set closer, so everyone was certain that it was the end of the 2nd set, when out of the depths of the song came the epic funk rock anthem 'Tweezer', which had been played to close the 2nd set only one time before in the band's history. They blew the roof off with the jam in this 'Tweezer'. It took us all by storm and there was not one person in the entire place that wasn't breaking it down emphatically. This was classic Phish, climbing and catapulting higher and higher, taking it up until it seems impossible to reach another level of intensity, and then exploding into another heightened platform of musical bliss.
After 'Tweezer' ended, we all knew what hit us, and it felt unbelievable. They came back out for an Encore, and Trey asked us if we were in a rush to go anywhere and that they thoroughly enjoyed the Northeast run that they're completing and want to stick around and play a couple more songs for us. They proceeded to play a FOUR song encore!! They began the encore with the debut of the title track from their upcoming album "Joy". It is an absolutely beautiful and moving song written by Trey during his sister's bout with cancer prior to her death. The chorus where the band harmonizes "We want you to be happy, don't live inside the gloom, we want you to be happy, come step outside your room, we want you to be happy, coz' this is your song too." are healing lyrics that will most likely sooth many individuals who feel unhappy or unimportant. After 'Joy' they played 'Bouncing Round The Room' an old staple which even the least knowledgeable of Phish fans know. We were sure that this was the end of the encore, and then they began 'Run Like An Antelope' which was fully unexpected and caused the crowd to break into an all out dance party as the rollicking ride of 'Antelope' made us feel fully satisfied and showered with love from the band. They were giving us more than the norm. 'Antelope' went right into a rocking 'Tweezer Reprise' to close the encore in which everyone was pumping their fists in the air, rejoicing together over the brilliant madness they just experienced.
This was the last stop of tour for me. The rest was all experienced through friends who went, watching the streams, reading the message boards & reviews, and listening to the soundboards of the shows.
They continued on to play a really special show in Asheville, and then played an incredibly solid sleeper of a show in Knoxville, TN leading up to Bonnaroo. They took Bonnaroo by storm, playing a late night set Friday night, and rather than play two sets as usual, they blew through a 3 hour set with no break. It was a mammoth show which had a little bit of everything, and proved that they certainly still have stamina. The Sunday headlining show to close out Bonnaroo was a fun show as well. I watched it on the stream, and they played a pretty good show which was centered around the guest appearance of Bruce Springsteen who sang & played guitar with Phish for 'Mustang Sally' 'Bobby Jean' and 'Glory Days'. This was a fun segment, but took away from the cohesiveness of a Phish show. While it was a great moment, that show will not be heralded over time by any means.
After Bonnaroo, they were off to St. Louis to play at The Fabulous Fox Theatre which holds only a few thousand people, and is the most intimate venue Phish has played at in the United States in ages. Two friends of mine drove 2300 miles total just for that one show. From what I heard, the atmosphere and experience of seeing them in such a small theater was unexplainable, and worth every hardship it took to get there. Musically, the show did not live up to the hype by any means. It had some real highlights like the "Halley's Comet" which opened the 2nd set and clocked in at around 14 minutes, and the 'Possum' which built great tension, and 'Mcgrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters' being busted out in the encore. Overall though, it doesn't hold together as that special of a show on tape, and was probably truly extra special to those who were there.
The next show was at Star Lake Amphitheater in Burgettstown, PA near Pittsburgh. Everyone who I know that went to this show claimed that it was filled with energy. It translates on tape for sure. In the first set, 'Wolfman's Brother' and 'Divided Sky' were crackling with excitement, and the 'Tube' was a completely dirty funk fest. The 2nd set was a rocker opening with 'Down With Disease' followed by 'Free', 'Guyute', a rocking 'Piper', the beautiful and rare 'When The Circus Comes To Town', gorgeous versions of 'Harry Hood' and 'Squirming Coil' and closed out with a channeled 'You Enjoy Myself'. The encore was centered around acapella songs and Jon Fishman with 'Grind', 'Hello My Baby' and then 'Hold Your Head Up>Bike>Hold Your Head Up' making fun of Fishman in loving jest the entire time. After the shenanigans they finished the encore with their glorious cover of the Rolling Stones song 'Loving Cup'. Oh what a beautiful buzz indeed!!!
The tour was four fifths complete at this point. 12 out of 15 shows had been played, and they trekked back across the country to close out the first leg with a weekend that stamped Phish once again as the force to be wreckoned with that they have always been. The last weekend included a show on Friday night at Deer Creek in Noblesville, IN and two shows on Saturday and Sunday at Alpine Valley in East Troy, WI which are two of the band's most legendary venues.
It was a crazy lightning storm with pelting rain at Deer Creek. The band certainly rewarded the fans for sticking it out. The first set was well played with classics like 'Moma Dance', 'Limb By Limb', 'Split Open and Melt', 'Lawn Boy', 'The Wedge', as well as another rocking version of 'Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan' which is on their upcoming album. They didn't really open it up though until the last two songs of the first set. 'Ocelot' also on the upcoming album, was played with lovely energy and really lifted the vibe up. The set closer of the 2nd 'Fluffhead' of the tour was completely on point in the midst of a lightning storm. It was one hell of a way to close out the first set of Deer Creek, paving the way for one of the most exploratory and exciting sets played so far this summer.
The 2nd set opened with 'A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing' from their album 'Undermind' which was released in synchronization with their breakup announcement. Overlooked by many, this song is a force of its own, and really broke some ground this Summer with the psychedelic jam it produced clocking in at around 14 minutes. This went right into 'Drowned' and I can't decide which was better, this version or the one I saw at Jones Beach. I am leaning toward this version though, because it truly errupts with its placement in the set and the momentum continued with 'Twist' aftwerwards which was a nice 9 minute rock and roll party. The 'Tweezer>2001' provided meaty improvisation and high energy late in the set and the 'Possum' which closed the 2nd set finally had the intensity and power that 'Possum' should have, only comparable to the Fox Theater to the other 'Possum' versions this tour. The encore of 'Sleeping Monkey' into 'Tweezer Reprise' was classic Phish and closed out a truly special show. It was time for Alpine Valley.
The 1st night of Alpine Valley was a completely solid show throughout. Opening with a bang with the intense rocker 'Punch You In The Eye' the show was off and running with an onslaught of exciting music. To follow was 'Runaway Jim', 'Stash', 'Yamar', an incredible Summery version of 'Bathtub Gin', and another balls to the wall rocking version of the new 'Kill Devil Falls' which also is appearing on their upcoming album. Then the peaceful beauty of 'Train Song' allowed everyone to take a deep breath and feel soothed, as the band went into the happiest song in their repertoire 'Sparkle'. Closing the 1st set with 'Run Like an Antelope' made this a killer set. The 2nd set would start off a little slow, but once the first couple of songs were out of the way they tore it up. The entire segment of 'Maze', 'Makisupa Policeman', 'Ghost', 'The Lizards', 'You Enjoy Myself', 'NICU', and 'Prince Caspian' was a nonstop thrill ride. The encore of the beautiful 'Waste' into the raucous 'Fire' by Jimi Hendrix capped off the show with a bang and led brilliantly into the 2nd night at Alpine Valley, and the final night of the first leg of tour.
The 2nd night of Alpine Valley turned out to the be THE show that I was waiting for. Phish pulled out all the stops at this show in comparison to any other show on the tour. Opening the 1st set with one of their biggest rarities 'Brother' caught many by surprise, and segueing into 'Wolfman's Brother' was a fun play on song titles and turned out as a genius move by the band. The fact that 'Funky Bitch' by Son Seals followed this, made the first set already top anything previous this Summer. It was the only version of one of my favorite covers all tour, and this was not the only time during the show that occurred. 'Divided Sky' followed these 3 songs and it was already stamped that this was one of the more special shows of tour. The rest of the first set was well played and had some fun songs, but it wasn't until they went into the ultimate rarity of 'The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday>Avenu Malkenu>The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday' that this shows leaped to the best show of the tour in my eyes. They are slick too, playing Avenu Malkenu (Our Father Our King) on Father's Day. This was the major highlight of the first set for me amongst all of the other surprise moments.
The 2nd set was one that dreams are made of. Opening with the Talking Heads 'Crosseyed and Painless' for the only time this tour, and only the 2nd time in over 9 years, they reached liftoff to the max with the ultimate funky dance party. Fishman was fantastic on the vocals, sounding more like David Byrne than ever before, and the jam that ensued was mammoth. Clocking in at 15 minutes, this blew everyone's minds as an opener to a 2nd set of a show which already had such a special 1st set. 'Crosseyed' went right into the biggest heavy hitter of the tour 'Down With Disease'. Everytime played, this anthem has been executed wonderfully, and it kept the energy flying higher than imaginable. 'Bug' was a nice break from the craziness that just ocurred, but still brought with it high energy blissful jamming. The 'Piper' that followed may have been one of the more intricate and exploratory jams of the first leg of tour, and the band was simply on fire at this point. They gave everyone a breather with the beautiful 'Wading in the Velvet Sea' and then went right into the gooey funk of Stevie Wonder's 'Boogie On Reggae Woman' which is always a dance party and a half. Closing out the set with a beautiful 'Slave to the Traffic Light' and encoring with the acapella song 'Grind' followed by the heavy rock and roll classic 'Frankenstein' by the Edgar Winter Group, closed out the tour with ferocity. This was a show of shows, closing out the first chapter in the new Era of Phish giving us all excitement, faith, and anticipation for what is to come.
Phish is back and they mean business, and we are all privileged to be a part of the magic. They reconvene touring on July 30th for a 4 night run at Red Rocks to kick off the 2nd leg of the Summer. The excitement runs wild throughout the community to be able to experience the growth of one of the greatest bands in music history as they continue to improve and find themselves uncovering new ground. We are the lucky ones.
