[Editor's Note: this recap is by phish.net contributor Craig Hillwig –PZ]

Phish returned to Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood, Georgia on August 1, 2015 for the second show of a two-night stand. Heading into Lakewood, I had many questions. First, which version of Phish would show up? Other than a fine effort at Shoreline and select segments of others, the performances had been pretty hit and miss through the first six shows of the tour. Second, there was a pretty big elephant in the room. Trey’s guest performances during the Fare Thee Well run of shows sparked renewed and vigorous debate over whether Phish would – or even should – pay tribute to Jerry Garcia in honor of his birthday on August 1 (or of his passing on August 9 at Alpine Valley).

Photo © @tweeprise

After the exhilarating first night of Lakewood, however, the question on everyone’s mind was whether Phish’s follow-up performance would deliver anywhere close to the top-shelf effort that we were treated to July 31. All three questions would be answered on this night. (tl;dr version – (1) Phish brought it – big; (2) yes, kinda and (3) no, but that’s hardly surprising.

The first set kicked off with a crisp “Runaway Jim” that easily could have gone longer but settled in at 9:15. “Undermind” followed with Fishman taking the lead early in the opening, giving it an unhurried pace that provided Trey a lot of room to stretch out during the strictly Type-I jam. Judging from the first two songs, Phish was on track to possibly top 7/31’s well-crafted first set. But the set then took on a decidedly more pedestrian feel with “Nellie Kane,” “Blaze On,” “Halfway to the Moon,” and “Ocelot” – all-well played versions with a little extra mustard from Trey on the solos. During the “Ocelot” I heard Trey quote the melody to Joe Raposo’s “Sing” (a/k/a “Sing a Song”), which was one of my favorite jams from my Sesame Street days.

Photo by @hapstweet

As an aside, while many people were wondering which band would show up in Lakewood, your correspondent was even more curious about which guitar would show up. Trey has been switching guitars far more frequently this tour than I can ever remember. Typically, Trey would use the same guitar for the whole tour and often for consecutive tours. But heading into Lakewood, Trey had already switched guitars twice. From Bend through LA, he played what I call the “old koa” (circa 1996-98), “koa” being the wood used on the top of the body and “old” to distinguish it from the darker finished “New Koa” guitar Trey played for most of 2.0 and during 2012-13. You can tell these two koa guitars by luthier Paul Languedoc’s standard inlaid signature on the headstocks. Then in Austin he switched to “Puppy Marley,” the blonde-colored axe we all remember so fondly from the salad days of 1990-95, inlaid on the headstock with a picture of puppy Marley and the thought bubble, “Who’s the Mar-Mar?” It’s also the guitar he used for Fare Thee Well. But the Austin show turned out to be somewhat of a turkey. He switched back to Old Koa in Grand Prairie, and that was a much better effort. It seems like Trey may have been struggling to get comfortable, but this is just reading tea leaves on my part.

Photo © Phish From the Road

Come Lakewood, Trey switched guitars yet again to what’s commonly called the “Ocedoc.” The Ocedoc is a gorgeous piece of art with a deep, rich finish on a body hand-crafted from a rare piece of wood that Paul Languedoc had been saving for many years, and named for its custom ocelot inlay on the headstock. This guitar debuted at the Greek Theatre in 2010, and at the time Trey said it was his “magic guitar.” Ocedoc would be Trey’s main axe from roughly 2010 to 2012, when he went back to “New Koa.” For whatever reason, Trey chose correctly in Lakewood with the Ocedoc. These two shows were among Trey’s most consistent, confident and complete back-to-back performances of 3.0. I predict he’ll keep riding this cat as long as it continues to serve him well this tour.

The first set continued with a peppy “Heavy Things.” Trey played some “Happy Birthday to You” quotes during his solo which, in light of the “Heavy Things” song choice, easily could have been a tongue-in-cheek nod to the Fat Man’s birthday. The first set closed out strong with “Theme From the Bottom” and “Run Like an Antelope.” The “Theme” was a fairly standard first-set version and the “Antelope” was a shred-fest that brought the house down as it typically does. We as fans tend to make a lot of excuses for first sets, but there are none needed for this one. While the song selection was more heavily loaded with typical first set fare, everything was extremely well-played. If the rest of the first sets this tour are of equal caliber, I expect very few complaints from all but the haters.

Photo © @tweeprise

In this regard, the song selection in the second set was no different. While there’s plenty of room for disagreement over the set flow, the jams were abundant and well-developed with numerous modulations. Set two also took a decidedly darker tone, with lots of crunchy, raucous, testosterone-driven thrash in the jams. Things got real right off the bat with the second “Tweezer” of the tour, a 26:36 long stunner with liberal helpings of Type-II jamming. While lacking the length of the Tahoe “Tweezer” played nearly two years ago to the day, this version more than made up for it in girth.

Nor was this a blissful “Tweezer” – it was a filthy, nasty, wrecking machine of overdriven guitar, envelope filters, Taurus pedals, Clavinet, and the new kid on the block, Trey’s new Mu-Tron pedal. Trey relied heavily on the Mu-Tron at several points during the jam, and its pairing with the Clavinet on this song is a joy to behold. “Tweezer” reached liftoff for a more than few moments before settling back into the filth and then fading into ambiance, segueing into “Waiting All Night.” “WAN” extended the dark mood of the set until a heartfelt and raucous “Backwards Down the Number Line” brought perhaps the second paean of the night to Jerry’s birthday.

Photo © Phish From the Road

The darkness then returned in the form of “Carini,” which picked up where the “Tweezer” left off with liberal helpings of crunky grunge that arguably (but perhaps not firmly) entered Type-II territory, and which at one point sounded like it could go back into “Tweezer.” “Carini” was also loud. I was very impressed with the front of house sound in Lakewood, even during the loudest parts. This was my first time at the venue, but it’s wholly unsurprising to me that audience tapes from this shed routinely rival the best sounding recordings from any amphitheatre Phish has played. “Carini” faded after about ten minutes into “Waste,” a welcomed cool down with this now-rarely played classic. “Waste” came full stop and next up was “Sand.”

Photo © @tweeprise

“Sand” brought even more liberal doses of Mu-Tron and Clavinet, with Trey settling into the pocket early into a funky disco-inflected jam that more than hinted of “Shakedown Street” before resolving into a bombastic “Tweezer Reprise.” The “Tweeprise” was even louder than the “Carini” and was punctuated at the end by a massive detonation from Mike’s Taurus pedal that rattled my ribcage. The Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll” was unexpectedly tapped for the encore slot (first time since 6/4/09) and sent everyone home smiling.

All in all, the Lakewood shows were terrific, and reaffirmed that this band can still bring it big on consecutive nights. Don’t be the only one left on the block. See this band right now, as much as you can. The next show is tonight in Tuscaloosa... any wagers on which guitar shows up?

Photo © Phish From the Road

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

Official 7/31-8/1 Atlanta, GA LE poster by James Weinberg. Edition of 800. 18x24.

Read more...

[Editor's Note: this recap is by @sausagemahoney and @jugglerswithfire –PZ]

Happy Tahoe Tweezer anniversary! 7/31 has produced some stellar shows and gems in our past. Once again the band brought the heat on their first night in a southern weekend run of fun. Friday night in Atlanta was easily the best show of the tour so far, and certainly in an elite group of “3.0” shows led by 8/31/12 that also includes 8/7/09, 11/28/09, 8/19/12, 9/1/12, 8/4/13, 10/20/13, 10/27/13, 10/29/13, 11/1/13, 7/13/14, and 10/31/14.

And yet it starts with "Prince Caspian" and ends – not to spoil things – with "Character Zero." Jon Fishman is active and playful from the beginning, laying behind the beat, letting the beat roll back over him. As a result of which this "Caspian" is a perfectly pleasant way to start the evening. Then there's a backwards guitar loop and all of a sudden, boom! An explosion into the greasy Nawlins clavinet groove of "No Men in No Man's Land." A perfect to add some funky energy back into sticky Hotlanta air and really get the dance party started! All four members seemed really locked into a synergistic groove. I sincerely believe this is a good song. My favorite of the new ones. May we enjoy it for years to come. The version from The Forum last week, the best take on the tune so far, had three distinct jams. They would just bring the vocals back, and then go out again with a different jam. You had the sense they could do it five, six times, going out and coming back, each time navigating to a different place. This one won't be that special, since it's the first set and all and there are rules here, man, but it is hella tight and Jon Fishman is at the front of the peloton slicing through the headwind.

Photo © Phish From the Road

A slower start to the tour for Fish I thought, who didn't assert himself on the west coast quite how he's showing up tonight. Then again it was always going to be hard for Fish to match his MVP performance in the 2014 season. The telepathy between Trey's right hand and Fish's snare drum was the thing that initially captivated me about Phish and it is still as strong as ever.

I can't help it, the minute Trey states the "Ghost" riff my immediate thought is "how bad will they clam up the turnaround." This time: they nail it pretty good. Of course this is pitiful small potatoes because the point and strength of "Ghost" has always been the jam. This one is languid, slinky, a little fierce, a sort of gypsy-Latin flavor.

At this point all involved are thinking, already: "this is pretty damn strong for a first set." For those who say first sets don't matter, give a listen to this "Ghost" and get back to me. As this "Ghost" reaches farther than its other first set predecessors, the band reaches a peak in the first set yielding a blissful emotion and a guaranteed big smile on any fan's face.

Then, as Phish will do, they kick "Ghost" into an altogether higher gear, and it's not just a nice first-set treat anymore, it's shredding at a high tempo Osaka-style. And effortlessly back into the "Ghost" head. So confident tonight. Slooooooowing down a la the old-school "Tweezer" ending and it's very swampy and how was that only twelve and a half minutes.

Photo © Phish From the Road

"The Wedge" is always okay by me because I love singing the harmonies, usually to the disappointment of the people immediately around me at shows. I usually do the Page part. Nothing wrong whatsoever with Trey's "Wedge" solo. I don't know but it sure seems possible that Trey's experience this summer being a Dead sideman reminded him of the importance of the structured four-chorus guitar solo, or at least suggested new ways of approaching and structuring such solos. The humidified Austin show aside, he's been telling stories on this tour.

I will be honest with you and say that "Moma Dance" is not something I ever want to hear at a Phish live music concert, but even "Moma" is terrific tonight. Fish continues to lay waste to the tundra before him in the early going, and when the vocals pop up he's also singing his ass off. Between the two vocal segments Trey creates a cool rotating-insect Siket Disk counterpoint guitar loop that injects a cute little psychedelic component into the throb.

There have been no Dead covers this summer as many speculated there would be, but it's nice to see Phish nodding its appreciation for the Dead's practice of taking two- or three- or seven-minute breaks in between songs.

"How Many People Are You?," Mike Gordon's Hard Promises outtake, is a terrific song. If it fades into oblivion like "Say Something" it would be a sad deal indeed. Memo to Phish: please replace all future instances of "555" with "How Many People Are You."

Photo © Phish From the Road

You can complain about "Mike's Groove" not hitting the heights of 1993-97, but you can't reasonably complain about a first-set closing "Mike's Groove," which as the band currently conceives of the sequence is the absolute optimal place for it. The best part of the whole deal is the "Mike's Song" intro, with its hilarious reggaeton drop which is wonderfully loose and confident, but the whole thing is fine, just fine, and a wonderful gift to send the crowd into halftime. Even “Hydrogen” is served with extra mustard… no, really! Trey shreds the climax of "Weekapaug" like he did "Wedge," not quite Garcia-like fanning but not totally uninfluenced by it, either.

Thank you, they'll be back in exactly fifteen minutes. Synchronize your watches. Don't get caught in the bathroom. Because they will be back here playing in exactly fifteen minutes.

In the spirit of historical jamming on this date, the band chose to rip out a very rare type II version of "Kill Devil Falls," which should be on your list of must hear versions of this tune. Quite dark and exploratory, this is the type of Phish jamming that has continued to keep me coming back for more year after year. It's evident almost right away that the band intends to take this "KDF" deep.

The other major noticeable influence on Trey from the Dead shows, apart from his renewed commitment to credent, structured solos, is the use of the Mutron that Jerry Garcia was so fond of during his late 70s salad days. He goes to it early in the jam here and instantly the amphitheater is a spacecraft.

Distinct "Manteca" riffing by Trey around the twelve minute mark. Does he state the melody exactly? Look, buddy, I'm not going to chart it out. It's the thought that counts. Fifteen minutes in and it seems like someone hit the accelerator although you didn't really feel it, and the spacecraft is surging between asteroids and the stars in the heavens are getting blurry.

Photo © @tweeprise

19:45 and the "Manteca" feel is back. But then Trey drops into basically a straight-up "Tweezer Reprise" jam. For a minute or so Fish sticks with the Latin "Manteca" feel but soon he's pounding four on the floor with the rest of them. At 22:12 Trey hits the eject button. The explosive bolts instantly rupture the cabin, sending flames and pressure outward, dotting the night sky with shards of guitar and rotating embers of piano.

Let's not get crazy here, but it seems to me that this "KDF" emphatically displaces the Bend "Simple" as the best jam of tour and is competitive with recent titans such as the Randall's "Chalk Dust" and Reading "Disease." Maybe not quite the Reading "Disease."

When we land it's time for our spaceship to blast off again. All available evidence suggests that "Martian Monster" is the band's favorite of the Haunted House songs, much to the chagrin of us partisans of "The Very Long Fuse" or "The Unsafe Bridge."

It's no wonder. Your trip is short!

Photo © @tweeprise

There ensues a peripatetic interlude where Trey fiddles with Page's keyboards, then Fish's drums, then takes over on drums while Fish sort of plays guitar. We've discussed this and it's not truly a "rotation" given that Page stays put. Back into "Martian Monster," easy as pie, smooth as the drop back out of the "Ghost" jam a couple of hours ago. This is fun.

A sweet “Twist” with the natural "woo" made me think of how many woo's we chanted in 2013 with the fond memories of the "Tahoe Tweezer". This is an ideal spot for "Twist" to work its magic. And the jam quickly heads for the blustery seaside with a margarita, driving sensibly with the top down. Because eventually, once you get to the seaside, you'll want to get freaky, "Twist" takes you there eventually, throwing down a provocatively surging and melodic two-chord jam that takes us all the way into the station.

Apparently Trey has this all figured out. As "Twist" is winding down he cranks up "Back on the Train," which is as raging and concise as you'd expect it to be in the context of this great and purposeful show, and then as "BOTT" is ending he launches the "Reba" riff. A second set "Reba," guys. It's a tight "Reba" too, with 2015 Trey effectively navigating the minefields laid by his 1989 former self. And then there's the bliss of the "Reba" jam, blowing like the warm Caribbean breeze across my nude ass. Best "Reba" since Augusta 2010?

And then "Bathtub Gin"? This song hasn't been seen this deep in the second set since the Gorge in 2009, and almost never in its history. Trey sort of does part of the "Reba" whistling ending during the "Gin" intro, and at this point it's like, sure, fuck it, whatever. We'll buy whatever you're selling. A panda playing keyboards? Sure. There's nothing in the rule book that says we can't have a Dog President.

Photo © @tweeprise

Every single song played in this set has been excellent. There's no reason to think "Gin" will be any different and it isn't. It's not that long, and it won’t rank with the Riverports and Winston-Salems and Nassaus in the final historical analysis, but boy does it bring home the bacon. In fact the real jumping-off point for the excellent jam is Trey catching the riff from Frank Zappa's "Apostrophe" about 6:10 in.

There's more Garcia influence in the fanning right before the band reenters the head of the tune and closes it out and leaves the crowd yelling for more under blue lights. Fish chants and howls something under the closing "Gin" vamp and my solemn pledge to you is that the Phish.net staff will not rest until we determine what, exactly, he said. I can't imagine it's super important.

When he comes back out for the encore, Trey starts picking out an arpeggio and for all the world it sounds like they're going to do the long awaited "Prince Caspian Reprise," or as we call it "Fuckerprise." But alas no: Fish climbs astride the woodblock for "Farmhouse." It doesn't matter what they play at this point, you can rest assured it will be wonderfully tasteful and patient. Trey and Page husband the tune skyward in tandem and it's extremely pretty. Then "Character Zero," about which no more will be said.

All in all, this show was a great start to the southern weekend. This show had excellent flow, jams, antics, and was just pure fun Phish. Keep having a blast on tour my friends! Remember, your trip is short, and dance while you can! You guys don't need any more encouragement to get out and see Phish. They do not usually deliver on this rarefied level. But on any given night they might.

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

Read more...

[Editor's note: This Grand Prairie recap is by phish.net contributor Matt Burnham. –PZ]

On Wednesday, Phish played their first show in the greater Dallas area in seventeen years. Not since the hallowed summer tours of 1997 and 1998 had Phish graced this part of the country with its presence. In fact, up until the Austin show this tour, no second set had been played in all of Texas since 1999. After an unbalanced (and hot!) show on Tuesday, the band finished up their Texas Two Step by taking over the Verizon Theater at Grand Prairie. As Trey noted, the venue was about 20 miles east of his Ft. Worth birthplace, making this more of a hometown show and building extra anticipation among the crowd. Adding to this, the Verizon Theater is by far the smallest venue of the tour and acoustically without equal. And it was indoors and air conditioned providing a reprieve from the Texas sun and heat.

Energy is obviously very important when seeing live music. It's the unwritten communication method between the crowd and band. Playing in such a small and controlled space really seemed to energize the band – the energy and interplay between the crowd and the band was like nothing I've seen before. Feeding off of this energy really propelled the band on Wednesday.

Photo © @tweeprise

The band took the stage at 8:15pm and opened with “Tube,” possibly as a reference to the recently-deceased Harris Wittels who was looking for that next big “Tube” jam and for whom Mike wore a shirt in a remembrance that he posted to Instagram the previous day. “Tube” didn’t open up into a funk jam but instead ended quickly, as most 3.0 “Tubes” tend to do. “Guelah Papyrus” came next and the Trey/Mike interplay was on full display during the synchronized dancing parts. This dancing section continued through an energetic “Punch You In The Eye”; even Mike was smiling a bit during the “Landlady” dancing. “PYITE” wound down and segued into “Steam.”

“Steam” has historically been exclusively a second set song, but in its debut first set appearance here it was played with a first set precision; it didn’t lead into a jam but was extremely well played. “Poor Heart” and “NICU” were up next and were great examples of what first set songs can be. It’s very trendy (and factual) to say that 3.0 first sets are not as high quality as they had been in previous years. The thing about expectations, if you go into the first set of a show and expect to get a 25-minute “Tweezer,” that’s not likely to happen. A perfect first set shows the band is having fun, is tactically strong, and deploys unique song choices. Through these first six songs (other than “Steam” not existing at that point yet) this first set could have easily been from 1993 or 1994. “I Didn’t Know” was next and Fishman came out and did his thing, as Trey addressed the crowd briefly noting that he never thought he’d be twenty miles from his hometown introducing a man in a dress.

Photo © @tweeprise

“Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan” was next and led to the first set highlight, when the band launched into a stellar, soaring, sixteen-plus minute “Divided Sky.” During the pause, wave after wave of adulation and applause showered down on the band in a way that made Trey laugh and the entire crowd smile. “The Squirming Coil” was pegged as the set closer and Page’s solo was typically gorgeous and felt slightly longer than normal. Afterwards, Page made a “Thank you, good night” style joke before acknowledging they would be right back. There was a welcome and decidedly “old school” vibe to this very good first set.

Photo © @tweeprise

After the break the band harkened back to the song of 2014 and put “Chalk Dust Torture” in the set opener role. All throughout 2014, when “CDT” opened second sets, great things developed. This version carried that tradition forward, and as it descended into serene bliss, recalling the great 7/10/99 Camden “Chalk Dust.” As the unfinished “CDT” wrapped up, Trey started the signature lick to “Simple.” Another song that has been on a recent stretch of great versions going back to Dick’s from last year, this version wouldn’t be explored to great lengths, but again was well played. About six minutes in, Trey starts teasing around a riff that sounded like “Silent in the Morning,” and that was where the band chose to go. The only true (->) segue of the show was a nice one musically, although there was a slight hiccup in vocals. “Silent” was played well and as it ended, everyone was wondering what could come next… “The Line”

Photo by Patrick Jordan © Phish From the Road

“The Line” is likely to be the most maligned song currently in their catalog. But it’s a redemptive song, and like “Backwards Down the Number Line,” if these songs didn’t exist, then 3.0 Phish probably doesn’t exist either. “Birds of a Feather” – with the ubiquitous “They Attack!” quote – was fired up next. Although it’s not been one of my favorite songs historically, this version was pure energy and worked well. The stalwart “Fuego” was played rote to the album version and eventually moved into “Julius.” “Julius” is one of the songs that whenever Phish plays them, there becomes a new ‘best ever’ version. This was no exception as the band pushed the normal version a little harder and a little longer than normal. “Harry Hood,” the “other” song of 2014, closed the set in great fashion. Although not reaching the improvisational heights of many 2014 versions, this “Hood” was still enough to make everyone feel good heading into the encore. especially with Trey playing an extremely long note toward the end to allow the band to vamp around him in an extremely satisfying manner.

Photo © Phish From the Road

When the band came back out for the encore, it would be interesting to know what they had in mind. Regardless of their plans, they interacted with some fans in the front of the pit who had held a cardboard sign with “The Connection” on it. The band conferred, and decided to give it a go for the first time since 2010. Although it started a bit rough, they pulled it together admirably in the end. And as the only song of the show from the “2.0” era, it was appreciated. It’s been said before that “Tweezer Reprise” is the best four minutes in music. If that’s the case, then “First Tube” can be considered among the best nine minutes in music. Encores should make the crowd drop their jaws and leave the venue smiling. This worked perfectly.

Austin was a bit rough and uneven but Grand Prairie was among the best shows of the tour so far. Anyone who had any doubt coming into the show that the band had lost a step could rest easily. There may not have been much exploratory type-II jamming in Grand Prairie, but there was definitely enough of everything else to make everyone happy.

LE poster by Ken Taylor. Edition of 700, metallic inks.

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

Read more...

On Tuesday night Phish’s performed their first gig at the 14,000-capacity Austin 360 Amphitheater. It was their twenty-third show in Texas, with the first on 10/25/90 at The Showbar in Houston, and most recently on 10/8/10 at the Austin City Limits festival. Great performances litter the Texas roster, including the famed Bomb Factory show on 5/7/94 and the two-step at the Starplex Amphitheater in Dallas on 7/25/97 and Austin’s South Park Meadows on 7/26/97. Nobody was expecting cool breezes for this late July Texas show, and the 8:34pm start time saw the band and fans doing their best to manage a sweltering 95°F.

Photo © Austin 360 Ampitheater

Phish’s fans are rightly noted for being devoted, obsessive, and, at times, overly critical of the band’s performances. In the “3.0” era, much fan angst has been focused on the quality of performances in the first set. This critique boils down to songs being played in an interchangeable, uninspired and often sloppy manner. The mantra that “anything can happen at a Phish show” is belied by many modern day first set performances, where the only real variation is the degree songs they’ve been playing for ten, twenty, even thirty years are botched. Sometimes this stock criticism is unfair, reactionary, and entitled. Other times, it is spot on… it’s like a different band is the warm-up act, but with the same lineup as Phish. The first set from Austin falls squarely in the latter category; it was far below average, even for the modest standards of a modern Phish first set.

“Party Time” opened the festivities in a casual, almost serene manner. “Free” brought the tempo up a little but was marred by Trey having difficulty recalling the song’s pesky details, followed by a “Halley’s Comet” that seemed to wilt under the oppressive heat. Even “Wolfman’s Brother” – often the bright spot in otherwise listless first sets – couldn’t harness any heat. “Possum” was respectable, and if one was forced to pick a first set highlight this would be as good as any. A sequence of short standards included “Lawn Boy,” “Bouncing Around the Room” (a difficult song for Trey despite its seeming simplicity was punctuated at the end by him stepping on a wrong pedal, scrEECH!) and “Water in the Sky.”

Photo © Austin 360 Ampitheater

“Dirt” was a minor bust-out, having been last played on 10/25/13 in Worcester, a 58-show gap that was the longest in the song's eighteen-year history. After “Devotion to a Dream” they offered Mike’s “Sugar Shack,” a mystifying call given Trey's historic difficulties with the song and the fact he was genuinely struggling on guitar, with predictable results. “Run Like an Antelope” has saved plenty of lackluster sets in its day, but there would be no heroics on this night until after the break. All that said, no big deal, right? Everyone has a bad day at the office; precious few, however, turn those around as fast, decisively, and often as Phish.

Photo © @tweeprise

After a relatively short break, they did exactly that, busting out of the gates with a fiery “46 Days.” The vibe established in this “46 Days” was night-and-day from the first set, the band displaying fresh and powerful confidence. The show being webcast, desks started flipping across America when they slipped into “The Dogs” from last Halloween’s Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House set. Another smooth segue back into “46 Days” witnessed the second half of the sandwich taking a decidedly more open, flowing and airy approach, setting the stage for “Piper.” While not quite containing the “slow build” of old, the intro was slow-ish, before building into an up-tempo early pace. The early stages of the “Piper” jam is vintage Fishman, drive-pounding Phish’s engine room, with Trey gliding above, before taking charge with his bandmates in close supportive pursuit. After a bit of a tempo downshift, Trey briefly hinted at “Lizards” before settling on “Ghost.” “Ghost” featured more great Fishman fills coming out of the “composed” section. “Ghost” was awesome – patient, sailing into a bright major key, with a tempo kick into the bliss zone and hints of “Runaway Jim” toward the end. If you are looking for the highlight reel CliffNotes for this gig, the opening half-hour of the second set is money.

Photo © @tweeprise

The new Anastasio/Marshall ballad “Shade” – with its opening a dead ringer for the Dead’s “Standing on the Moon” – made its second appearance, after its debut at the tour opener in Bend. While unusually placed between two slower songs, don’t sleep on the excellent “Gotta Jibboo” that featured Trey offering much more focused leads than are often found in this groove-based vehicle. “Waiting All Night” was performed in back-to-back shows, squandering much hope for fourth quarter momentum. The apparently self-referential “Blaze On” will likely be a fixture in the rotation; Trey clearly loves performing this song. A vocal segment of the fanbase clamours for Dead songs to enter Phish’s rotation, and in "Blaze On" you get three for the price of one (“Not Fade Away,” “Liberty” and “Women Are Smarter”)! “Wading In the Velvet Sea” gave Page another turn in the spotlight before giving way to “David Bowie.” “Bowie” offered a truncated intro, a reasonably solid composed section, and solid jam sequence with CK5 unloading the kitchen sink of psychedelia on his favorite song.

Photo © @tweeprise

“Suzy Greenberg” took us down the home stretch, with Trey finding another vehicle for the deployment of his Mutron pedal (the ‘77 “Dancing in the Street” effect). A Neurologist in Austin!? Austin scooped up the Forum’s hanging “Tweezer Reprise,” and a “Loving Cup” encore closed the books on this first leg of the 2015 Texas Two-Step.

Wednesday’s gig takes us up north on I-35 and brings us back indoors to the Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie; tickets are still available if you find yourself in the area, and the show will also be webcast via LivePhish. We’ll be back here with more coverage tomorrow.

– Phillip Zerbo

LE poster by Conor Nolan. Edition of 675. 18x24

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

Read more...

Welcome to the 193th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday. The winner will receive an MP3 download courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam clip. Each person gets one guess per day, with the second “day” starting after I post the hint. A hint will be posted on Tuesday if necessary, with the answer to follow on Wednesday. Good luck!

Answer: @yunkfunk earns win number four, IDing the 8/26/93 Fee.

While I’d never recommend to anybody that they make spontaneous plans to visit Dallas, necessarily, the argument for jumping onto Phish tour amassed another body of evidence with last night’s show at the L.A. Forum.

We are four shows into the summer swing and the band is deliberate, playful, and right where they belong – namely, deeply engaged with one another. Trey and Mike’s onstage bromance – manifested in lots of face-to-face interplay and even a little instrumental spooning – flowered further last night.

Photo by @tweeprise

For Mike’s part, I’m not sure if I’ve seen him as scrutable, engaged, and outwardly happy on a Phish stage in quite some time. As for Trey, it is hard not to conclude that his experience preparing for and playing in the Fare Thee Well celebration has reinvigorated his guitar playing, and in ways that nobody predicted.

The old, tired saw on the Grateful Dead and Phish, of course, goes like this: Phish brought precision and chops to the jam rock idiom that the Grateful Dead weren’t capable of. In fairness, that may have been sort of true a while ago. But none of us are exempt from the taxes of time and age, so in recent years precision and chops aren’t always on the menu when it comes to Phish. Yet in immersing himself in the riffs, techniques, and tones of Garcia’s playing, Trey has somehow rediscovered his Inner Anastasio. He is nailing the tough changes in a way that suggests it really matters to him, cheerfully volunteering for duty as Phish’s leader, prowling the stage, stoking a furnace of creativity, and assertively micromanaging the flow of jams and sets.

Photo by @tweeprise

The Forum crowd was electric and loud right out of the gate last night. The band took the stage to cacophonous roars, conspired for a few seconds, and then charged headlong into “Martian Monster,” which easily vaults into frontrunner status for Least Anticipated Opener of Tour. I confess that I still have trouble understanding where the scripted parts of that song end and the improvisational bits begin (if there are any, really), but I also don’t care very much. I’d take it over the expected perfunctory “AC/DC Bag” seven days of the week and twice on Saturday. A perfect audible.

The crackling energy carried over into a concise but ultra-fiery “Down with Disease” that featured a carefully constructed and gratifying return to the “this has all been wonderful” theme. “Waiting All Night,” a song I genuinely love, didn’t hang together particularly well, however, and precipitated a trough of sorts that encompassed “Heavy Things” (hot-ass organ), “Axilla” (LOUD-ASS organ), and “555.” Trey relished “Limb By Limb,” spinning up melodic gems en route to a scorching peak, but these gains were surrendered by a tossed-off “Ya Mar” that probably sounded like a perfectly reasonable call at the time. Band just couldn’t really play it for shit.

Photo by @tweeprise

Fortunately, there’s “Fuego.” Phish played it in the same room not even a year earlier, so I think a fair number of the fans in attendance were surprised to see it pop up again last night, but it refocused the set, recharged the crowd, and poured the foundation for a powerful and dramatic “Walls of the Cave.” While not nearly as exploratory as the last Forum “Walls” (2/14/03), it sent us into the long set break with cottonmouths and knees of jelly.

“No Men In No Man’s Land” opened the second frame right where the first left off, and I spent much of this song watching the throng of dancing dervishes at the back of the floor who were emphatically in it to win it, at any cost. It is easy-breezy to get sucked into this quicksand groove, and Trey’s new Mutron pedal (thanks again, Fare Thee Well!) turns out to be the express train to my cerebral pleasure centers. Various band members seemed to hint at “Ghost” as the “No Men” jam began to fragment, but set that aside for a businesslike run at “Carini” and “Tweezer” (both versions the first of the tour).

Photo by Dave Vann © Phish From the Road

It’s at this point that I’m probably expected to complain in calibrated fashion about the fact that the “Carini” -> “Tweezer” sequence was short and not especially adventurous. Yep, those two statements are factually true, and it’s also at least arguably true that “My Friend, My Friend” intruded upon the “Tweezer” just as it was starting to cook. But I didn’t mind a bit at the time, and even in playback it was a fun fifteen minutes. Moreover, there was nothing at all to complain about whatsoever in the following three tunes – neither the boiling tension of “My Friend,” nor the timely caress of “Roggae,” nor the machine gun fusillades of “Backwards Down the Number Line” (played in honor of Chris Kuroda’s birthday, or so I am told). The expected “Slave to the Traffic Light” closer – and the first L.A.-area “Slave” since Pauley Pavilion in 1996, strangely enough – found Mike and Trey toe-to-toe at center stage trading licks as they ascended to a deeply satisfying climax.

Photo by @stim_buck

Finally: Be it resolved that Phish should always encore with “You Enjoy Myself.” I always want to be sent home by “YEM,” and to be sent home with this unique and spirited version was especially sweet. By now you have seen the photos of Trey and Mike making the human guitar pretzel, which was certainly a nifty little parlor trick. The music produced during this section was not nearly as compelling as the “drum + bass” passage that followed, which was thundering and melodic and just plain huge. I’m told Bill Walton made it to the rail to get down to this “YEM,” but I suppose I couldn’t pick him out of the crowd...

There’s lots of good news in the emerging arc of this tour, fans. Phish’s playing is consistent enough right now that three of the first four shows could support arguments for best show of tour so far, and Bend I gets a pass because it was the opener. Devotees of the long jam will probably lean Shoreline, and devotees of the unusual setlist will probably lean Bend II, but devotees of the carefully assembled start-to-finish show may find their bliss in last night’s Forum gig. [Discuss.]

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

Read more...

[Editor's Note: You may already be familiar with @UCPete's wonderful recap of last night. But Shoreline inspired another of our friends, and we hope you appreciate her thoughts as well. -charlie]

with the third concert of summer tour at shoreline, it seems the band is continuing in a very interesting and most excellent direction. while the first two opening concerts of summer tour at the bend gifted a veritable plethora of new songs, last night's concert revealed many superb moments of unified musicianship and improvisation with a setlist of familiar compositions. my overall impression was one of hearing and observing a definite and desired unity within the band.

Photo © @moSTgHoSt

in considering the shoreline concert as a whole, i heard at some given moment each band member centered in individual excellence. in my mind, the jam band concept is at its best when it is more like that of any great assemblage of jazz musicians. A democracy with a designated leader, respecting and allowing the other "voices" to take their turn and moment where-ever and whenever that moment spontaneously happens. i felt and heard such excellence last night, particularly in the second set.

the first two songs, "the line" and "moma dance", sounded as a respectable warm up and settling in, familiar and comfortable. i heard things begin to meld into the unity with "kill devil falls", and i noted trey's guitar sound, glorious tones with an eloquent chase of page on the keyboard, eloquence. "yarmouth road" was sweet and calm, in contrast to the moments of excitement within "kill devil falls", and as we moved through the cleverness of the lyrics in "undermind" at the conclusion of the song, i felt fishman punctuating the end so certainly and most intensely. the drums most immediate and confident.

Photo © Phish From the Road

then we are free. "free", a highlight for me within the first set. the bass was so so deep and very very on. i love this song for the bass breakaway moment and as i hear the lyrics, i just get ready with anticipation for the bass to take over and the guitar to answer back. last night's "free" was tight and intense. ( as it should be ) next, "reba", the rhythm section so beautifully synched behind the glory of the guitar soaring and i honestly felt like i was just taking a happy happy walk with that rhythm, just walking along and at leisure. this same feeling of walking with the rhythm section continued into "46 days", so unified and sweet, walking, walking, with leisure and ease.

in retrospect, i would say the well-played familiar favorites of the first set, initiated the space for the surprising improvisational moments that happened in the second set. the new song "blaze on" was the set opener and again i noted an impression of unity among all band members. a new song debuted at the bend in Oregon earlier that week, it already seems to be stretching into something creative and unexpected. "twist" was very interesting, different from other versions with unique moments of improvisation, particularly as i focused and listened to page on keyboard. the very strong bass sound helped make it unique.

"light" was a highlight - most definitely. i need to find the moment to revist last night's recording before i can articualte exactly why, but "light" was very special and exiting, with superb contribution and, again, unity on the part of all band members. being in attendance last night with weather conditions somewhat warmish and following the excitement and energy of both "twist&ququot; and "light", "joy" was so so welcome as a calm down moment for the audience to regroup and rest and so on... i needed to drink an entire bottle of water and do some note taking at this juncture, and the lyrics of "joy" are just so sweet and welcome to my ears - always.

Photo © Phish From the Road

"harry hood" again takes us back out there. very very interesting. i noted a fishman highlight with the intro and i just love it. i did have the happy experience of getting lost in the "hood" and as my thoughts went abstract with the improvisation i did forget what song we were exactly hearing until the return to the familiar with the descent to the conclusion. the set concluded with "cavern" and with nothing out of the the crazy ordinary in this song. i just felt the continuation of last night's wonderful unity of sound. the encore, "character zero", rocked, and the crowd was still all fired up on the friday night. i greatly enjoyed focusing on the glory of the all-out-rocking lead guitar.

i sincerely recommend a listen to last night's concert. the second set was a winner and i can't wait to revisit the recordings. i predict an excellent and unique summer tour with so many new songs, so much potential for improvisation, and exploration. the band continues in excellent form.

and so it was... i gathered with and followed out my crew. as the designated sober driver, i was cruising the calm San Francisco highways with very happy people, experiencing the drive across the golden gate bridge. gliding, gliding... with the glorious high of the aftermath, the euphoria of listening.

Official 7/24/15 Shoreline LE poster by Justin Santora. Edition of 675, 17.25x24.

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

Read more...

After two strong tour-opening shows in Bend, during which the band surprised the crowds with seven debuts and displayed a confidence and tightness not normally seen until the middle of tour, Phish rolled down the coast to California for the band’s fourteenth show at Shoreline Amphitheatre in the last 23 years, and first since Summer 2009. Though oft-maligned by fans for its poor sightlines and sound from the lawn, Shoreline has an undeniable cachet to fans of the Grateful Dead and fans of Phish alike. Concert promoter Bill Graham essentially built Shoreline for the Dead and even modeled its construction after the “steal your face” logo (see this photo and compare it with the logo), so it’s no coincidence that the Dead played Shoreline 39 times from 1987 - 1995.

Photo © Phish From the Road

Phish has honored the Dead on numerous occasions at Shoreline, from the 7/31/97 “Happy Birthday to You” tease in “Weekapaug Groove” for Jerry’s birthday (August 1st), to the 9/17/99 “YEM -> Jam” featuring Phil Lesh on trampolines, to the encore with Bob Weir on 10/6/00, the penultimate show of Phish 1.0. In fact, 9/17/99 and 10/6/00 were my first two shows, so Shoreline and its connection with the Dead will always hold a special place in my heart. And with Trey’s recent foray into the music of the Grateful Dead, it makes sense that Phish opted to visit Shoreline instead of Bill Graham Civic Auditorium this year, especially given that they were only to spend a single night in Northern California this tour. Were we in for another Dead sit-in? Would we hear a Dead song?! Let’s find out...

The band took the stage a few minutes after 8 PM to a raucous applause from the crowd, and started things off with “The Line”. It was a somewhat surprising choice as it had never opened a show previously – perhaps it was Trey’s tongue-in-cheek answer to the question “are you going to cover a Dead song?”, or maybe it was a reference to the venue name itself – but it was well-executed and essentially a replica of the studio version off of “Fuego”. “The Moma Dance” got things started in earnest, and Trey’s crisp tone stood out and nicely complemented Page’s clavinet work. A rousing “Kill Devil Falls” followed, and provided the first extended improvisation of the evening. Trey’s spirited soloing (reminiscent at times of "I Know You Rider") elevated this largely in-the-box rendition of “KDF”. Only three songs in, it was already apparent how focused Trey was, and how loose and happy the band was to be back in California.

The Mike-penned “Yarmouth Road” and a short “Undermind” dissipated some of the momentum gathered from the “Moma”, “KDF” pairing, but the ensuing “Free” brought things back up a notch. While it was not on the same level as the “Martian Monster”-infused “Free” from MGM last Fall Tour, it was a perfect infusion of energy into the set. Page’s melodious work on piano guided Mike and Trey through the jam section, and Mike’s dominant bass work meshed perfectly with Trey’s assertive leads. The opening notes of “Reba” sent the crowd into a frenzy, and like many versions of “Reba”, the fine execution of the difficult composed section sent the band into the improvised section with ample wind beneath their sails. Trey immediately began to assert himself again, effortlessly nailing lick after lick in a “Meatstick”-esque fashion at times, while Fishman’s fleet drum-work pushed the jam onward and upward with the utmost of patience. When Fishman did eventually mash the toms to signal the end of the jam, Trey perfectly weaved one more beautiful riff right into the final chord – they absolutely stuck the landing. Despite a sloppy-but-hilarious whistling outro, the crowd went nuts in approval for what was to that point the highlight of the set and one of the better “Rebas” in recent memory. “46 Days” served as an exclamation point on the first set, and while standard-great in nature, it did feature Mike and Trey rocking out while standing back-to-back. After 70+ minutes of solid but largely standard playing other than the transcendent “Reba”, the first set was in the books with the recommended dose of momentum heading into the second frame.

Photo by @uprising77

After a 35-minute set break, the band retook the stage a few minutes before 10 PM, and kicked into the second-ever version of “Blaze On”. Played for the first time just three nights earlier in Bend during the tour-opening first set, “Blaze On” had shown serious improvisational promise but didn’t explore too deeply in its debut. With the tune now situated in the high-profile second set opening slot, we were hopeful to capitalize on that potential, and the band delivered on that promise in spades. Near the five minute mark, the jam started in similar fashion to the Bend rendition, but Trey and Mike tugged at the structure a bit, stretching the song beyond the known into uncharted territory for the next five minutes. Near the 11 minute mark, Trey led the band back into the chorus chords and repeated “you got one life // blaze on” to bring things back home, but it was only a short visit as the band almost immediately began to drift back into an improvisational space again. Some twinkling looping synth play from Page and some staccato work from Trey pushed things onward, and as the 15 minute mark approached, the jam dissolved to give way for “Twist”. The look on Trey’s face was telling, as if to say “we’re not messing around tonight”, and the excitement of the crowd was tangible.

Around six minutes into "Twist", Trey changed his tone to a dirtier 2.0 sound and Mike immediately followed suit with some filthy bass lines vaguely reminiscent of the Gorge “Rock and Roll”. This grungier segment led right into a section not unlike the Bend “Simple” jam, and near the 9 minute mark, Trey began to play the main riff again, potentially signaling the end of the jam segment. Thankfully, the jam was far from over, as the revisitation of the main riff was just another launching pad for a second improvised section. The second jam headed into major mode territory, with Trey picking some “Lizards”-like riffs before the chord progression and Trey’s playing led into two alternating major chords not entirely dissimilar from (but far from a tease of) “Fire on the Mountain”. At 13 minutes in, the jam began to pick up serious steam with a big push from Mike and Fish, and Trey played some fluid octave leads. A friend described this “Twist” as “a metamorphic masterpiece of evil to good; truly Darth Vader-esque”, and I couldn’t have put it better myself. The intent empathetic listening on display between the band members and the crowd was phenomenal, and when we thought it just might be too much, Trey let the opening chords of “Light” ring through the air.

The light began growing brighter, figuratively and literally as CK5 (Happy Birthday Chris!) painted the tent with his latest and greatest. After some extra mustard in the pre-jam vocals, the jam went right into standard “Light” space, with minor mode musings and Eastern scales from Trey. Like many of the better versions of “Light”, this darkness led to a modulation into major mode territory. After a “Manteca”-like reference from Trey and Fish and some “Blaze On” stylings near the 8 minute mark, like the first two songs of the set, the jam regathered itself and led to a hose-filled Allman Brothers Band-like section (with more hinting at "I Know You Rider") that represented a huge catharsis after more than 45 minutes of brilliant playing.

Photo © Phish From the Road

The ensuing “Joy” (after a brief "Twist" tease) could not have been better placed in the traditional Jerry ballad slot, and gave us a nice breather. But instead of running for the bathrooms, the crowd shared in the band’s joy, and much of the crowd seemed to appreciate the sometimes-cheesy-but-always-heartfelt sentiment that the band just wants us to be happy. By this point, I had sent a few texts to friends saying they had to play the “Hood” they didn’t play in Bend, and sure enough, Fishman gave us what we wanted. The intro was perfectly executed with some nice Hammond B3 work from Page, and six minutes in, the glowsticks were flying. On a dime with no prior notice, the band smoothly kicked into minor mode territory, and around 11 minutes in, the playing had a distinct Pink Floyd vibe to it. After the 12 minute mark, there was a near “Timber” fake-out before seamlessly slipping back into the feel good “Hood” coda. “Hood” has been ridiculously strong the past two years, and this Type II version was no exception. Already 70 minutes into the second set, instead of wrapping up, they kicked into a fiery “Cavern” to provide the exclamation point on the set. Trey was so pumped up that he yelled “Thanks everybody that was just so fun, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!”. Everyone in the venue knew we had just witnessed something special, and this second set will surely hold up for years to come. The “Character Zero” encore, though not my favorite, was all gravy at that point and allowed Trey to hose the audience down one last time.

The tour rolls along to Los Angeles tonight where Phish will play at The Forum for the second time in 9 months. I expect another stellar performance from the band and the birthday boy, Chris Kuroda, and I think it’s safe to say he’ll be activating the starry night LEDs at some point in the second set – perhaps when the stars all turn around during “Roggae”? I look forward to seeing everyone again tonight!

-- pete

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

Read more...

“Look, man I've got certain information alright? Certain things have come to light, and uh, ya know, has it ever occurred to you, that uh, instead of uh, you know running around, uh uh, blaming me, given the nature of all this new shit, you know it, it it, this could be a uh, a lot more uh, uh, uh, uh, complex, I mean it's not just, it might not be, just such a simple, uh--you know?”

I had been asking for Phish to play in Bend for five years. Finally it has happened… to great effect. During the weeks that preceded the two Phish shows at the Les Schwab Amphitheater, several things were prevalent in the news. The region was embroiled in a sweltering and seemingly interminable heat wave. Due to a well-written but inarguably stale (to a geologist) piece in The New Yorker, the impending destruction of the Pacific Northwest by a massive megathrust earthquake and the accompanying tsunami it will spawn finally became a point of concern for everybody. Recreational cannabis is now legal. The New Horizons probe was beaming back our first high resolution views of the ice mountains and hydrocarbon lakes on Pluto. El Chapo is once again on the loose and threatening current Republican Presidential candidate front-runner El Donald with assassination. A robot passed a self-awareness test shortly after another had killed a man. Trey was playing guitar with the Grateful Dead. In other words… new shit was coming to light… and things were getting deliciously weird.

Photos by @tweeprise

Expect the unexpected is my early take on this summer tour. Only one show down and already three new songs had been played. Night two had to settle into a more familiar place, right? A patient, thoughtfully communicative “Stash” to open the show suggested that might be the case. The Phish debut of the Mike Gordon/Scott Murawski penned “How Many People Are You?” which followed destroyed that notion immediately. Imagine “Alabama Getaway” being played by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. What a tight fucking groooooooove. Hair follicles still tingling. I am hearing the Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House all over this one. Fishman is a beast. The question of the previous night was back... “What is going ON? Is this another new song?”

A pretty pleasing “Winterqueen” provided a cerebral massage that allowed me to ponder what else may be coming this evening. Trey and Page extol the virtues of The Teaches of Peaches and we get right back into fucking the pain away for real. A burning question for a decade or so has been, what the hell happened to the second jam in “Mike’s Song” anyway? The Phish debut of Page McConnell’s “Heavy Rotation” finally provided the answer. At this point, this show was starting to feel a lot like the 2/26/03 Worcester Centrum gig that featured a side project debut from every band member. Unexpectedly awesome.

Photo by Dave Vann © Phish 2015

Whatever Trey did to prepare for the Fare Thee Well gigs is really on display in “Back on the Train”... so many notes, great tone, a walk down the “Streets of Cairo” thrown in for good measure. Loving every moment of this. Did I mention Fishman is just crushing the beats? The Phish debut of Trey’s “Scabbard” artfully weaves threads of “Reba” with strains of “Fluffhead” and “Harry Hood” jams before decaying into a gorgeous outro that actually caused tears of joy to well up from somewhere deep within.

The manic haze of the “Maze” which followed caused that brief moment of sensitivity to run screaming, hair ablaze with a few strong “How Many People Are You?” teases along the way. Hot stuff. Exceedingly tight. But wait… there’s more. The fourth new Phish song, “Mercury” is a lyrical exploration of Mercury the planet, the messenger god, the element, and the pigment adorning the tomb of a Mayan queen beneath a limestone block pyramid at Palenque. A Marimba Lumina bridge transports us into an unbreakable safety net with a “Tweezer” cum “Help On the Way” outro jam and you have another winner. Awesome “Possum.”

Photo by Dave Vann © Phish 2015

The second set was a thematic construct based off the Cascadia Subduction Zone fears that had permeated the regional consciousness earlier in the month. A soaring “A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing” coupled with an invigorating splash through shimmering “Waves” was feeding me images of earthquakes and tsunami and the future cataclysm awaiting the Pacific Northwest. Rather than dwell on the potential horror of such an occurrence, I was carried aloft by the music and realized I was standing in a place that would be completely safe from that future moment of doom. The “Waves” outro jam veers into ambient space with some deep texture and augurs the next flight via “Wingsuit.” Another passionate rendition. Perfect placement. Killer skies. Get after it Trey! Third quarter very mellow and cerebral. Deep thoughts achieved.

Photo by Dave Vann © Phish 2015

The back to back combo of “Farmhouse” and “Simple” made my wife very happy. But who can blame her? A soulful and sweet embrace followed by some deep dark dirty grime. I stomped a hole in the ground during “First Tube” which despite a few clams was searing in its intensity. A “Bathtub Gin” encore? When was the last time that happened? Over nineteen years ago (7/12/96 Melkweg, 643 shows ago). The day I told my boss in Reading, Pennsylvania that I had decided to move to Oregon and set in motion the long incredible chain of events that had lead to the exact moment I was experiencing in real life. This was a true family affair. Thanks to all of you who participated both here and at home. Team Acaster shall remain perpetually mind blown by everything. Happy to be heading south. See you at Shoreline.

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

Official Bend Poster • 18x24 Limited Edition of 700 • By Jackson Tupper

Read more...

Heading into my fourth consecutive summer tour opener, I feel like I've been to enough of these launchpad shows to learn what to expect: nothing, just enjoy the moment. As tours progress and the band gets tighter and more oiled simultaneously, the shows tend to get better; it's been almost seven months since the band walked off the stage in Miami after a successful run of shows. Since then, Trey famously performed as sideman for another band of lore, and Mike had a well-received tour with his revamped touring ensemble. In any case, there's a certain excitement in the air when these guys walk out on stage for the first time in a while. The fans of course add to that energy, but you can also see it on the faces of Mike, Page, Fish and Trey when they plug in and get set to hit that first note of summer. Enjoy the friends and fans who travelled from afar to see the boys from Vermont, and chances are, Phish will offer up a surprise or two that you hadn't anticipated.

Bend is a hip, smallish city located on the eastern slope of the Cascade Mountains in central Oregon. The cool/crunchy downtown reminds me of Burlington, VT in some ways, and there's tons to do in the area. The Les Schwab Amphitheater is small by Phish’s standards with a capacity of 8,000 and offers the appeal of both a picturesque Western setting and relatively intimate size.

7/21/15 Setlist • Live Phish Official Sounboard Download

Once inside the venue it was easy to get situated just about anywhere you wanted. Because of a local noise ordinance which takes effect at 10:00 PM, Phish took the stage far earlier than customary, at 6:24 PM. Since sunset in Bend occurred at 8:41, CK5 had a less noticeable role with the lights during the first set and into the early part of the second. But cleverly, he pointed his digital LEDs out at the audience during the daylight portion, which added some interesting color to the foreground. Crystal clear skies were on order, and a warm but not hot temperature of about 81F° prevailed as the band hit the stage.

Photo @brianfeller

The first set featured a healthy dose of funk-infused songs, including “Sand,” “555,” “Tube,” and “Wolfman's Brother.” “Sand” arriving in the number two slot after the crowd pleasing “Sample” opener took many by surprise, but the surprise was welcome, and the whole place was immediately bopping to the crescendo-oriented groove. Interspersed with the funkier songs were a variety songs from the Phish canon, including the debut of the Trey/Tom Marshall original, “Blaze On.” The crowd seemed to laugh a lot during the lyrical portion of the song, and at first, it seemed a bit sing-song-like. But once the jam portion began, this new number suggested some great potential for future improvisation. None of the songs from the first set had noteworthy jams. On the other hand, the band sounded well rehearsed, and the playing was spot on with the exception of “Horn” which seemed to give Trey some troubles. But he made up for it in spades, and he gets my vote for the MVP of Bend I. Clearly, his efforts with the Grateful Dead are paying dividends now with Phish. Following another crescendo-oriented jam in “Wolfman's,” the band departed for set break at 7:37.

Photo © Phish From the Road

When Phish retook the stage at 8:11, the sun was mostly down and the temperature had dropped to a comfortable 73F°. The second set would prove to be similar in many ways to the first. While there were no major jams of note, the playing was excellent, there was an abundance of funk, and the band debuted two more songs. “Fuego” seemed like it had the most potential to stretch out for a ride, but instead the band decided to transition to another new song, “Shade.” While this song seems to have a bit of a ballad quality that some fans viewed as an opportunity to hit the restrooms, I thought Trey's solo was excellent, and another example of the benefit of his work for the GD50 shows.

Photo © Phish From the Road

From there the band launched into another debut, “No Men In No Man's Land.” This song is great, perhaps the song highlight of the show, combining funk with a quick tempo and great syncopated play. It's a bit like “Tube,” but features more interplay between Trey and Page, and the dance-till-you-drop jam section lasted much longer than your garden variety “Tube.” Coupled with a solid “Weekapaug,” which was followed by Stevie Wonder's “Boogie On Reggae Woman,” as well as a benign “Ghost” at the beginning of the set, the funky theme was on display throughout the evening. A predictably rousing “Chalk Dust Torture” had the crowds pumping fists as the band left the stage for a brief encore break. Returning to the stage, the band closed the night with a strong “Theme,” and once again Trey's musicianship was excellent.

Photos © Phish From the Road

My takeaway from this show is twofold: First, Phish is absolutely not a nostalgia act, riding on a tsunami of songs written thirty or more years ago. Seven of the songs performed were either brand new, or are very recent. That they are continuing to write and play new music is a sign to me that these guys still mean business. And while the big improvisational jams were not a factor in tonight's show, at least a couple of the new songs seem to have great potential. The second is that this band is playing very well for the first show of the summer. With the exception of one hiccup in “Horn,” Trey sounded terrific all night, and both Mike and Page were their usual exemplary selves. The jams will come. But this was a great showing in terms of competent, cohesive playing. Meanwhile, a mix of funky dance-along songs and spirited peaking jams kept the crowd happy and engaged. And finally, for an east coaster seeing his first west coast show, Bend is a pretty damn sweet place to see a Phish concert in mid summer!

You can feel good about Mount Hood. Photo © Mike Gordon

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

Read more...

Happy Summer Tour Eve, and welcome to the 192th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday. The winner will receive an MP3 download courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam clip. Each person gets one guess per day, with the second “day” starting after I post the hint. A hint will be posted on Tuesday if necessary, with the answer to follow on Wednesday. Good luck!

Answer: With his sixth win, @PersnicketyJim joins @mcgrupp81 and @ucpete on the precipice of emeritus-hood, identifying the 12/5/99 Taste.

The folks at LivePhish have released Live Bait Volume 11 as a free download, featuring tracks from previous shows from cities Phish will perform on the 2015 summer tour that begins next week. The collection includes the following:

- "Prince Caspian" > "Light" from 2012-09-01 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park - Commerce City, CO
- "Runaway Jim" from 1997-07-31 at Shoreline Amphitheatre - Mountain View, CA
- "Tweezer" from 1996-12-01 at Pauley Pavilion – University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- "You Enjoy Myself" from 1995-10-14 at Austin Music Hall – Austin, TX – with Medeski Martin & Wood and Dominic Placco
- "Stash" > "I Didn't Know" from 1995-06-15 at Lakewood Amphitheatre – Atlanta, GA
- "Mike's Song" > "I Am Hydrogen" > "Weekapaug Groove" from 1991-11-08 at Ivory Tusk – Tuscaloosa, AL
- "Bathtub Gin" > "The Vibration of Life" from 1996-11-19 at Municipal Auditorium – Kansas City, MO
- "Halley's Comet" from 2000-09-18 at Blossom Music Center – Cuyahoga Falls, OH
- "Reba" from 1997-08-09 at Alpine Valley Music Theatre – East Troy, WI
- "Split Open and Melt" from 2000-06-25 at ALLTEL Pavilion at Walnut Creek – Raleigh, NC
- "Harry Hood" from 1998-08-08 Merriweather Post Pavilion – Columbia, MD
- "Storage Jam" > "Sleeping Monkey" from 2011-07-02 SuperBall IX – Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY

Read more...