So the CMAC show was a pretty big letdown after the previous four shows. Here there is no long-form jamming to speak of, no shenanigans, not even a smooth segue to drool over. We get yet another "well-played" 2010 show, but at this point I'm starting to feel as if that's not enough. There's a lot of energy here, but just about every potentially interesting passage in the show ends up boiling down to Trey wielding his whale pedal and wanking off with it for between two and ten minutes.
As I've said before, I don't mind the pedal on principle, but it should be used as it's designed: as an effects pedal, not as a consistent "tone" throughout the show. And this show sees the most egregious use of it (literally almost every song) of any show since 3.0 began. So, generally speaking, yuck.
I suppose that the back half of the "Mike's Groove" is worth a mention, containing as it does a pretty interesting ambient mini-jam in "Simple" and then one of more interesting, '97-funk-laden "Groove" jams I've heard since Hampton.
The Live Review:
6/29/10: Fastest way to my heart: The
Connection opener. I'm a sucker for Undermind songs. This one has a
slightly extended introduction.
6/29/10: The Connection is extended a
bit, but it stays Type I throughout. Sort of like a sloppy,
straight-up Jibboo jam.
6/29/10: DWD in the two-spot. It's a
short one, with the focus entirely on whale-inflected Type I
shredding. Standard, all the way around.
6/29/10: That said, good energy so far
by everyone involved. Sample is next, keeps the momentum rolling.
6/29/10: Ocelot is fourth. Another
whale-solo. So far, so standard. But Reba's next. And it's a very
high tempo version.
6/29/10: Despite the tempo, the
composed section goes off w/o a hitch. Trey leads the opening of the
jam w/ Page including organ accents.
6/29/10: Now Mike takes over, and Trey
echoes his riffs. Neat. Page over to the piano with some jazz chords.
6/26/10: Really nice mid-jam there,
with everyone listening to each other. Now Trey pushes for the peak
with more whale, sort of ruins it.
6/29/10: Horn, then Funky Bitch. As
usual, Page tearing up the organ on this one.
6/29/10: Undermind!
6/29/10: Jam starts off with a bluesy
Page solo on the piano. Trey chording overtop.
6/29/10: Out of nowhere, Trey is taking
over this jam with an absolutely hairy solo. Using the whale to good
effect in some places.
6/29/10: Not sure where that came from,
but I hope that there's more of it.
6/29/10: The Ballad of Curtis Loew is
always welcome in my first set.
6/29/10: Bowie to close S1.
6/29/10: This Bowie seems faster than
usual, too. Might be my imagination, though.
6/29/10: Trey starts off the jam with
some really solid melodic playing, just like with the Reba earlier.
6/29/10: Rest of the jam is a pretty
rote path to the peak. S1 in general has serious energy going for it,
but same-old otherwise.
6/29/10: S2 opens with a slow(ish)
Possum.
6/29/10: No surprises from Possum,
though the 'jam' (i.e. Trey shredding) was a little hotter than
usual. Mike's now.
6/29/10: I've probably heard that drop
into THE bassline in Mike's between 500 and 1000 times in my life
now. Still goosebumps, though.
6/29/10: Mike's is another Trey-fest,
albeit with the easy but always pleasing-to-the-ears > Simple.
6/29/10: So far this is another 'solid'
show, but it really seems like every jam is just a space for Trey to
play rock licks for 2-7 mins.
6/29/10: Save for the middle of that
Reba, there hasn't been much interesting participation by any of the
other band members.
6/29/10: And Trey isn't playing well
enough to pull off a great show by himself. We might just be on
cruise control for tonight.
6/29/10: Which is a damn shame after
the last four shows, and especially right after Merriweather.
6/29/10: Despite all my grumbling, this
Simple goes into a neat, loop-filled ambient space after a few
minutes of the usual Simple jam.
6/29/10: Neat little piano outro from
Page at the end of the jam > I Am the Walrus, which is an
awesome cover for Phish to play, obviously.
6/29/10: Serious feedback/loop action
at the end of Walrus.
6/29/10: Trey employing the whale with
some positive effect (affect?) in the follow-up Weekapaug.
6/29/10: Fast-paced funk jam now, with
Mike reprising his playing from the song's intro.
6/29/10: It just got all 1997 up in
here.
6/29/10: Really brief Type II space
here at the end of the funk jam. Like Trey's looking for a song to >.
6/29/10: Fish tries to start up the
'Paug drumbeat and is REJECTED. Trey finally settles on LxL as the
jam peters out.
6/29/10: LxL is another Trey-whale
jaunt. Man, I vastly prefer shows where the whale makes limited,
effective appearances.
6/29/10: Ah, Joy. The Pace Picante
salsa of second-set #phish.
6/29/10: Harry Hood, w/ synth bass
intro from Mike.
6/29/10: Yet more whale-wanking here in
Hood.
6/29/10: A strong Golgi to close S2 and
a spectacularly noisy First Tube to end a largely flat show.
6/29/10: Did like the last two minutes
of Simple > Groove, though.
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