The Verdict:
From the "Boogie On" opener all the way through "Fluffhead," the opening set of this show feels more like a second set, both because of the song selection and the quality of playing. "Tweezer" and "Ghost" (both in the first set!) get Out There a bit, and we also get "Simple," "Roggae," "Ya Mar," and "Fluffhead." When things stop for a breather, the breather is a gorgeous "Nothing."
Now history (and especially 3.0) is filled with shows that start with a surprisingly strong S1 and then don't deliver on the promise during the second set. This is not one of them.
"Disease" kicks things off, and slowly, patiently builds up to a fast-paced funk jam that transitions into "No Men," lyrics-wise, at least. Like a few of the best jam moments lately, this "No Men" is really just the continued "Disease" jam with "No Men" lyrics, but they play the entire song...and then turn it into an excellent bliss jam.
That would be enough alone to mark this as a special show, but the guys aren't nearly done yet. "Sneaking Sally" doesn't go nearly as deep, but it still gets extended in some interesting, Type I ways. The jam slowly fades into the "Possum" intro, over which Page lays down a pile of "Shipwreck" samples. The "Shipwreck" samples continue into a dark, beautiful "Carini" jam (so yes, every song but "Possum" has received a serious treatment at this point in the set) and Carini segues into the "Bowie" intro.
The second set "Bowie" actually, unbelievably does some second-set "Bowie" stuff. It's not going to hang with any of the mega-deep 90s "Bowie"s, but it's by far the most interesting, Type II "Bowie" I've heard in this era from all the shows I've reviewed thus far. "Hood" closes the set with fireworks along the lines of the fantastic Chula Vista version, and, if that's not all enough for you, there's a "Slave" encore.
Yes. This show is fantastic. You should probably just listen to the whole thing. Unfortunately, Phish videos on YouTube are rare these days after the big Halloween show takedown, and Phishtracks doesn't have this show up yet. So, crap.
The Live Review:
1/15/17: Boogie On opener! Can't get much better than that!
1/15/17: Trey forgets the first lyric, asks the crowd for help. An auspicious start!
1/15/17: First set Simple! Now that's fun.
1/15/17: Great Mike/Trey interplay.
1/15/17: Me: 'Big ol' dude in the front row gettin' it!'
1/15/17: Wife: 'If you were going to make a Phish Bingo card, 'Big ol' dude in the front row gettin' it!' would definitely be a square.
1/15/17: Tweezer? Are they pulling a S1/S2 flip tonight?
1/15/17: I hope so, cuz that means MONSTA TWEEZA
1/15/17: Lots of playing around during the composed part. Just a question of whether they want to go deep or not now.
1/15/17: Staying Type I but really liking the Trey/Mike action on this tune, too. Could listen to this for ten more minutes without Type II.
1/15/17: Old-school slow-down ending after a great Type I.
1/15/17: Roggae! Love this first set so far.
1/15/17: Roggae has a bit more patient build and peakier peak than usual. Fantastic. Have they forgotten this is the first set?
1/15/17: NOTHING. Holy shit, I love this tune. This might be a major bust-out.
1/15/17: Just since '15, but '12 before that.
1/15/17: Ghost! What the hell is happening?!
1/15/17: Little Drummer Boy tease during the break in Ghost.
1/15/17: Now building toward what sounds like a '15-style power bliss jam.
1/15/17: Finishing Ghost too! Love it!
1/15/17: > Ya Mar!
1/15/17: Stealing Time is next. Finally, a song that isn't completely perfect. I can go get a beer!
1/15/17: Fish is beating this song into the ground.
1/15/17: Good thing they're next to the ocean, because this solo is filthy.
1/15/17: Nailed Rift to keep this awesome set going.
1/15/17: Fluffhead!!! Wow. Best setlist for S1 this year? Any year?
1/15/17: Disease opener.
1/15/17: Another fantastic Type I jam, following a bit in the footsteps of S1's Tweezer. Trey going for the peak-fences.
1/15/17: Fat Schnackenberg is killing it.
1/15/17: Loops are muscular. Funk is crepuscular.
1/15/17: FUNKdream = the sea
1/15/17: The riff Trey is playing right now is the past, but also the future.
1/15/17: Going dark without losing the tempo. Pretty rad.
1/15/17: Jam sounds a lot like Ghost. The loops and the bass line Mike is playing. Trey with the pitch shifter overtop.
1/15/17: CK5's lights on the palm trees look like fire. Awesome effect.
1/15/17: No Men's segue coming?
1/15/17: YEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
1/15/17: Fast-paced No Men
1/15/17: Seems like they're going to play the whole song at a shuffle pace. So that's happening.
1/15/17: No Men jam. I have reached total immersion.
1/15/17: Mike is driving the Disease Jam -> No Men's sequence. Love it!
1/15/17: Bliss jam time! YEEEEAH
1/15/17: Sally Sneak > Alley
1/15/17: Nice atmospheric funk jam forming out of Sally
1/15/17: Really digging the collective sound here. Phish funk, but a little something that's making it less typical. I think it's the beat.
1/15/17: Thoughtful funk jam coming and going in waves.
1/15/17: Love the rhythm section more than usual tonight.
1/15/17: Shipwreck samles combined with a great -> Possum. Whoa.
1/15/17: More Shipwreck samples.
1/15/17: Carini w/ extra mustard.
1/15/17: Err...Possum. Apparently weed allows me to see into the future.
1/15/17: Big Carini. Trey generated a riff that they all played around for a few minutes. Dark but beautiful.
1/15/17: Bowie next (w/ Shipwreck quotes). Could it be that this Bowie is in S2 b/c it's going to get JAMMED?!
1/15/17: This is the closest thing to a Type II Bowie I've heard in 3.0
1/15/17: The Bowie was absolutely killer. And then I just laid on the floor for the Hood because my arms distintegrated.
1/15/17: Am I way off base/not sober or was that one of the best Hoods that there are? It seemed incredible.
1/15/17: Gotta love the Hood, Slave connection.
1/15/17: That whole show was THE ASS
1/15/17: SHIT
1/15/17: I'll write up a real review for you once I'm sober again, but that was damn good...
1/15/17: ...at least in the context of 2016 up through Chula Vista.
1/15/17: I'm gonna go lay down now! Have fun, Phish fans!
Jan 21, 2017
Jan 19, 2017
2016-07-16 Gorge II
The Verdict:
The second Gorge show is also a weird one, but not necessarily in a good way.
The first set gets the band back to the kind of opening frame the band has been playing for most of the summer. They don't leave the box much, but there's a great mix of songs that keeps momentum going, are all played well, and the set goes out with a huge bang in the form of an extended, peak-y "Bathtub Gin."
I might be biased, but I also really enjoy hearing the band play "Sleep Again" and "Driver," but your mileage may vary.
After the second set from 7/15, it seems natural to expect that the band will take at least one song deep this time around, right? Well...that doesn't happen. There are a lot of great performances during this set, but style-wise it's more like a really good first set than anything else. "Blaze On" through "Birds" are a Trey soloing-and-tone clinic, and though the energy drops off a bit from there, I enjoyed hearing "Shade" again, and the "Mike's" > "Farmhouse" > "Groove" sequence is stronger than it looks on paper.
Throw in a "Hood" encore featuring a lights-out ambient jam in the middle, and you've got a show that has everything else going for it except a Type II jam.
The Live Review:
7/16/16: Buried Alive opener is nice to start, though.
7/16/16: > Bag.
7/16/16: Standard Bag lands nicely in Moma.
7/16/16: So far the first set is a first set.
7/16/16: Great version of Uncle Pen is next. Probably my favorite bluegrass tune of theirs.
7/16/16: Well, it's a cover, but you know what I mean.
7/16/16: 555.
7/16/16: Trey using the echoplex on the 555 outro.
7/16/16: Ominous lead guitar now.
7/16/16: End song. Man, 555 is *begging* to go deep and dirty one of these days.
7/16/16: Long pause, then Sleep Again. I actually really like this song.
7/16/16: Seems like Phish 3.0 often plays Sleep Again, Driver at the Gorge. I wonder why.
7/16/16: Pretty outro jam with Page leading on piano.
7/16/16: It's Ice, which also seems to be a Gorge favorite.
7/16/16: As per usual lately, there's a nasty little funk jam in the middle of It's Ice.
7/16/16: Driver. I really dig this song and will never take a bathroom break during it. Neither should you.
7/16/16: Sand begun from a dead stop is next.
7/16/16: Like what Fish is doing in this version a lot.
7/16/16: Trey using a distorted tone to keep the funk alive while building speed.
7/16/16: Trey is shredding the hell out of this Sand. Top-shelf Type I version.
7/16/16: Horn next, then Halfway.
7/16/16: Sometimes Halfway To The Moon is a monster live, and sometimes it just sounds really hollow, like not everyone's playing.
7/16/16: So far, this version falls into the latter category.
7/16/16: I assume this Gin is going to close the set. Slow, patient beginning. Trey kicking around at the edges of the box.
7/16/16: Fish shifting into a higher gear.
7/16/16: Huge peak from Trey now.
7/16/16: End Set 1.
7/16/16: Blaze On kicks off the second set.
7/16/16: Huge chord from Trey to signal the end of the Type I jam.
7/16/16: Spacey, echoing chords now as Fish switches up the beat. Synth washes from Page.
7/16/16: Jam fades out. Short, but really interesting. Trey, of course, dives for Number Line.
7/16/16: Like in Sand, Trey is killing with the melody soloing here.
7/16/16: Badass descending riff now.
7/16/16: Great Type I Number Line. Lands in Carini.
7/16/16: Monster tone from Trey on this Carini solo.
7/16/16: More great guitar fireworks in Birds. Even a Bowie-like tension bit in the middle.
7/16/16: Set staying Type I so far, but Trey is bringing it anyway.
7/16/16: Wingsuit.
7/16/16: Wingsuit got extended to contain more noodling, but was a pretty standard version.
7/16/16: Now I have to admit I have a soft spot in my heart for Shade.
7/16/16: It's my wife's favorite @phish song, and they debuted it at the 'hometown' show we saw together in Bend last year.
7/16/16: > Shade.
7/16/16: Whoops. I meant > Mike's.
7/16/16: Sorry, I'm in a Zoom seminar and reviewing the show at the same time, so I'm getting confused. But hey, priorities, right?
7/16/16: As boring as Mike's has typically been in 3.0, I still always love the part where the lyrics end and Mike drops into the jam riff.
7/16/16: Great tone from Trey. Despite my snark, I'm loving this version so far.
7/16/16: Hot-as-hell Mike's just landed in Farmhouse. Go figure.
7/16/16: A little extra purty slapped onto that Farmhouse solo. > Groove.
7/16/16: 'I'm sharing in the Weekapaug Groove,' or, as my wife sings it 'Sharon, there's something about youuuuu!'
7/16/16: Which, of course, actually makes 1000% more sense as a lyric.
7/16/16: Echoplex/loop jamming right away! Boom!
7/16/16: That was a pretty crazy Groove. > Shine a Light.
7/16/16: End set.
7/16/16: HYHU kicks off the encore.
7/16/16: Fish says that Mike plays the drums, not the bass, then introduces Trey as Jesus Christ. That seems about right.
7/16/16: The Electrolux being blown into the Gorge is a wonderful thing.
7/16/16: HYHU > Love You > HYHU, Hood.
7/16/16: One of my favorite moments from the Gorge '13 show was when they turned the lights off during Zero and we howled at the moon.
7/16/16: Having them turn off the lights during Hood, of all songs, during this show, was a fantastic moment.
7/16/16: Jam changes to something more ambient to reflect the lighting change.
7/16/16: Almost sounds like the pause in Divided Sky.
7/16/16: Build rising pretty naturally out of the ambient mini-jam.
7/16/16: I love when audiences freak out about Tweeprise. It's not like you don't know it's coming.
7/16/16: Also, Mike's bass bombs on Tweeprise echoing in the Gorge is something I'll never forget about seeing @phish there.
7/16/16: That second set was better the second time around.
7/16/16: No jams, but the playing was strong enough to almost get it to that 'No jams, but...' great-show tier.
7/16/16: A little lag in the fourth quarter, though, with all of the ballad songs.
7/16/16: That said, tons of really well-played and interesting bits of music in that set.
7/16/16: I'm glad I relistened. Now I'll remember that show more fondly.
The second Gorge show is also a weird one, but not necessarily in a good way.
The first set gets the band back to the kind of opening frame the band has been playing for most of the summer. They don't leave the box much, but there's a great mix of songs that keeps momentum going, are all played well, and the set goes out with a huge bang in the form of an extended, peak-y "Bathtub Gin."
I might be biased, but I also really enjoy hearing the band play "Sleep Again" and "Driver," but your mileage may vary.
After the second set from 7/15, it seems natural to expect that the band will take at least one song deep this time around, right? Well...that doesn't happen. There are a lot of great performances during this set, but style-wise it's more like a really good first set than anything else. "Blaze On" through "Birds" are a Trey soloing-and-tone clinic, and though the energy drops off a bit from there, I enjoyed hearing "Shade" again, and the "Mike's" > "Farmhouse" > "Groove" sequence is stronger than it looks on paper.
Throw in a "Hood" encore featuring a lights-out ambient jam in the middle, and you've got a show that has everything else going for it except a Type II jam.
The Live Review:
7/16/16: Buried Alive opener is nice to start, though.
7/16/16: > Bag.
7/16/16: Standard Bag lands nicely in Moma.
7/16/16: So far the first set is a first set.
7/16/16: Great version of Uncle Pen is next. Probably my favorite bluegrass tune of theirs.
7/16/16: Well, it's a cover, but you know what I mean.
7/16/16: 555.
7/16/16: Trey using the echoplex on the 555 outro.
7/16/16: Ominous lead guitar now.
7/16/16: End song. Man, 555 is *begging* to go deep and dirty one of these days.
7/16/16: Long pause, then Sleep Again. I actually really like this song.
7/16/16: Seems like Phish 3.0 often plays Sleep Again, Driver at the Gorge. I wonder why.
7/16/16: Pretty outro jam with Page leading on piano.
7/16/16: It's Ice, which also seems to be a Gorge favorite.
7/16/16: As per usual lately, there's a nasty little funk jam in the middle of It's Ice.
7/16/16: Driver. I really dig this song and will never take a bathroom break during it. Neither should you.
7/16/16: Sand begun from a dead stop is next.
7/16/16: Like what Fish is doing in this version a lot.
7/16/16: Trey using a distorted tone to keep the funk alive while building speed.
7/16/16: Trey is shredding the hell out of this Sand. Top-shelf Type I version.
7/16/16: Horn next, then Halfway.
7/16/16: Sometimes Halfway To The Moon is a monster live, and sometimes it just sounds really hollow, like not everyone's playing.
7/16/16: So far, this version falls into the latter category.
7/16/16: I assume this Gin is going to close the set. Slow, patient beginning. Trey kicking around at the edges of the box.
7/16/16: Fish shifting into a higher gear.
7/16/16: Huge peak from Trey now.
7/16/16: End Set 1.
7/16/16: Blaze On kicks off the second set.
7/16/16: Huge chord from Trey to signal the end of the Type I jam.
7/16/16: Spacey, echoing chords now as Fish switches up the beat. Synth washes from Page.
7/16/16: Jam fades out. Short, but really interesting. Trey, of course, dives for Number Line.
7/16/16: Like in Sand, Trey is killing with the melody soloing here.
7/16/16: Badass descending riff now.
7/16/16: Great Type I Number Line. Lands in Carini.
7/16/16: Monster tone from Trey on this Carini solo.
7/16/16: More great guitar fireworks in Birds. Even a Bowie-like tension bit in the middle.
7/16/16: Set staying Type I so far, but Trey is bringing it anyway.
7/16/16: Wingsuit.
7/16/16: Wingsuit got extended to contain more noodling, but was a pretty standard version.
7/16/16: Now I have to admit I have a soft spot in my heart for Shade.
7/16/16: It's my wife's favorite @phish song, and they debuted it at the 'hometown' show we saw together in Bend last year.
7/16/16: > Shade.
7/16/16: Whoops. I meant > Mike's.
7/16/16: Sorry, I'm in a Zoom seminar and reviewing the show at the same time, so I'm getting confused. But hey, priorities, right?
7/16/16: As boring as Mike's has typically been in 3.0, I still always love the part where the lyrics end and Mike drops into the jam riff.
7/16/16: Great tone from Trey. Despite my snark, I'm loving this version so far.
7/16/16: Hot-as-hell Mike's just landed in Farmhouse. Go figure.
7/16/16: A little extra purty slapped onto that Farmhouse solo. > Groove.
7/16/16: 'I'm sharing in the Weekapaug Groove,' or, as my wife sings it 'Sharon, there's something about youuuuu!'
7/16/16: Which, of course, actually makes 1000% more sense as a lyric.
7/16/16: Echoplex/loop jamming right away! Boom!
7/16/16: That was a pretty crazy Groove. > Shine a Light.
7/16/16: End set.
7/16/16: HYHU kicks off the encore.
7/16/16: Fish says that Mike plays the drums, not the bass, then introduces Trey as Jesus Christ. That seems about right.
7/16/16: The Electrolux being blown into the Gorge is a wonderful thing.
7/16/16: HYHU > Love You > HYHU, Hood.
7/16/16: One of my favorite moments from the Gorge '13 show was when they turned the lights off during Zero and we howled at the moon.
7/16/16: Having them turn off the lights during Hood, of all songs, during this show, was a fantastic moment.
7/16/16: Jam changes to something more ambient to reflect the lighting change.
7/16/16: Almost sounds like the pause in Divided Sky.
7/16/16: Build rising pretty naturally out of the ambient mini-jam.
7/16/16: I love when audiences freak out about Tweeprise. It's not like you don't know it's coming.
7/16/16: Also, Mike's bass bombs on Tweeprise echoing in the Gorge is something I'll never forget about seeing @phish there.
7/16/16: That second set was better the second time around.
7/16/16: No jams, but the playing was strong enough to almost get it to that 'No jams, but...' great-show tier.
7/16/16: A little lag in the fourth quarter, though, with all of the ballad songs.
7/16/16: That said, tons of really well-played and interesting bits of music in that set.
7/16/16: I'm glad I relistened. Now I'll remember that show more fondly.
2016-07-15 Gorge I
The Verdict:
This show was the first '16 show I attended and though it's a bit uneven, the second set is so good that I'd still consider it one of the best shows of summer.In a tour where many of the first sets have been great mixes of (albeit non-jammed) songs followed by lackluster second sets, it's actually a bit weird to see things flipped.
The highlight of the opening set is definitely "Tweezer," which, surprisingly, kicks things off and sees the band in top form after five days off. It's followed by a few good songs in a row, but things never really pick up again until "Undermind," which, though short, employs some great echoplex jamming. From there, things sort of trail off, unless you consider the sequence of "Lawn Boy," "Ass Handed," "Party Time," "The Line," and "Tide Turns" a really good time. The set recovers a bit at the end with a high-energy "Rift," "Walls" pairing, but this weak set construction pops up again during 7/16.
S2 is one of those gimmick sets, but in the best way. A slow-tempo "Crosseyed" sets up a monster Trey solo which modulates into a bliss space before landing perfectly in a dynamic take on "What's the Use?" The rest of the set that follows never has any long-form jamming, but has some excellent segues and nearly every song has at least a "Crosseyed" or "WTU?" tease, if not both. "Stash" shows up, and there's a weird "Ghost" that eventually devolves into instrument switching. I could spend a bunch of time describing all of the segues, but really, it's better if you just listen to the whole freaking thing. Despite the lack of jamming, all the teases and callback and swapped vocals make it seem like the entire set is just one long-running song, in the best, 1993-style way.
The Live Review:
7/15/16: Tweezer opener. Always a good decision.
7/15/16: Remember the Gorge just blowing up when this started. Great moment.
7/15/16: Bottom drops out of Tweezer jam right away. In a good way. Really loose funk happening.
7/15/16: Nice, but not exceptional Type I stuff > Sample.
7/15/17: Love The Old Home Place placement.
7/15/17: Wolfman's Brother is next.
7/15/16: Some solid, summery Type I jams so far in this set, broken up by old-school tunes. Liking it so far.
7/15/16: Undermind next. Trey already riding the echo during the lyrics section.
7/15/16: Neat little echoplex jam there.
7/15/16: Fish welcoming everyone to the Gorge after a standard KDF.
7/15/16: Lawn Boy.
7/15/16: After the song, Trey remarks on Fish's drumming. Then compliments him on his songwriting prowess.
7/15/16: Fish: 'My songwriting prowess?!'
7/15/16: And thus Ass Handed is debuted.
7/15/16: Party Time next. It's a Fishman spotlight!
7/15/16: Like the Fish spotlight, but following it with The Line is probably not that good of an idea. 7/15/16: Two songs in a row that the band thinks are joke songs, followed by a song the audience thinks is a joke song.
7/15/16: Oh, and then Tide Turns! Another song the audience thinks is a joke song.
7/15/16: I got a kick out of this one at the Gorge, though. First time I'd ever heard the song...
7/15/16: ...and my wife and I had just gotten back from a honeymoon trip where we camped on the Lost Coast and had to learn tide tables.
7/15/16: It was a fun convergence.
7/15/16: I think Tide Turns is one of those songs that just isn't worth playing without the horns.
7/15/16: With the horns, it's a great little pop song.
7/15/16: Rift.
7/15/16: S1 has been a little spotty, honestly, but a Walls closer always takes a bit of that sting away.
7/15/16: End set.
7/15/16: Slow-tempo Crosseyed to start S2.
7/15/16: Trey rocking a huge Type I solo right now in Crosseyed.
7/15/16: Breaking down the jam a bit at ten minutes.
7/15/16: Super-smooth modulation into a bliss space.
7/15/16: Crosseyed jam absolutely CRASHES into WTU? Fantastic ->.
7/15/16: This is the really dynamic-style WTU of recent times. It's great.
7/15/16: Both now and at the Gorge, I would have loved a monster Crosseyed jam, but this was the very next best thing.
7/15/16: Besides, not much beats the 10/17/14 Crosseyed for me. Though I have audience bias, I guess.
7/15/16: Gorgeous fade lands in No Men. Nice.
7/15/16: Hard-charging funk.
7/15/16: 'Still waiting' quotes now.
7/15/16: Jam breaking up a little now. Page on electric piano.
7/15/16: Galloping jam winding down now.
7/15/16: Trey expertly weaving in the Stash riff now.
7/15/16: Full stop and start to Stash. Pretty badass, but would have been better with a legit ->.
7/15/16: Trey, you don't *have* to play the intro to the song every time :)
7/15/16: Now playing the opening riff with the pitch shifter on.
7/15/16: Lots of Crosseyed riff teasing in the Stash so far.
7/15/16: WTU? teases now, too.
7/15/16: Fun Stash. Runs immediately into Ghost.
7/15/16: Crosseyed teases in Ghost intro.
7/15/16: Great WTU? tease worked into Ghost.
7/15/16: Ghost getting broken down. Minimalist treatment.
7/15/16: Speeding up now into something really interesting.
7/15/16: -> No Men.
7/15/16: Fish is having a great time with these vocals.
7/15/16: Maybe a percussion jam happening?
7/15/16: Now 'Still waiting' vocals again.
7/15/16: -> Chalkdust. That was rad.
7/15/16: No Men riff in-between verses in CDT.
7/15/16: Now Crosseyed teasing.
7/15/16: Fantastic WTU? tease at the peak of CDT.
7/15/16: Pure '93-style craziness.
7/15/16: Fade-out after the peak leads into a Meatstick fade-in.
7/15/16: Echoplex and synth jamming echoing into the night.
7/15/16: If you're gonna lean on the echoplex, there's no place better to do it than the Gorge.
7/15/16: Synth drone building now.
7/15/16: -> 2001
7/15/16: I think that 2001 is my second favorite song to hear at the Gorge, after Hood. So spacey. Such Gorge.
7/15/16: 'Still waiting' vocals in 2001. Now a No Men's jam.
7/15/16: This set is hilarious and amazing.
7/15/16: Now I remember when I was so bummed when I came back on 7/16 and they played a bum show.
7/15/16: It feels so often like anything is possible at the Gorge, and during 7/15 S2, it was.
7/15/16: 'Still waiting' again in Cavern.
7/15/16: WTU? tease to end set.
7/15/16: Holy cow.
7/15/16: Makisupa to start the encore.
7/15/16: 'Woke up this morning. I like this song a lot...POT.'
7/15/16: How often does Wilson end up in the encore? > Wilson.
7/15/16: Sort-of -> Good Times Bad Times.
7/15/16: With the exceptions of Tweezer and Undermind, S1 was rough and didn't click much. S2 was incredible.
7/15/16: No big jams, but fun throughout and the teases were clever, not just gags.
7/15/16: If night two would have had a jam like '11 Rock and Roll or '13 Sally to anchor it, this would be the best run of summer.
7/15/16: But no. Maybe that honor will go to BGCA 1 and 2? Can we just not count BGCA3 S2?
This show was the first '16 show I attended and though it's a bit uneven, the second set is so good that I'd still consider it one of the best shows of summer.In a tour where many of the first sets have been great mixes of (albeit non-jammed) songs followed by lackluster second sets, it's actually a bit weird to see things flipped.
The highlight of the opening set is definitely "Tweezer," which, surprisingly, kicks things off and sees the band in top form after five days off. It's followed by a few good songs in a row, but things never really pick up again until "Undermind," which, though short, employs some great echoplex jamming. From there, things sort of trail off, unless you consider the sequence of "Lawn Boy," "Ass Handed," "Party Time," "The Line," and "Tide Turns" a really good time. The set recovers a bit at the end with a high-energy "Rift," "Walls" pairing, but this weak set construction pops up again during 7/16.
S2 is one of those gimmick sets, but in the best way. A slow-tempo "Crosseyed" sets up a monster Trey solo which modulates into a bliss space before landing perfectly in a dynamic take on "What's the Use?" The rest of the set that follows never has any long-form jamming, but has some excellent segues and nearly every song has at least a "Crosseyed" or "WTU?" tease, if not both. "Stash" shows up, and there's a weird "Ghost" that eventually devolves into instrument switching. I could spend a bunch of time describing all of the segues, but really, it's better if you just listen to the whole freaking thing. Despite the lack of jamming, all the teases and callback and swapped vocals make it seem like the entire set is just one long-running song, in the best, 1993-style way.
The Live Review:
7/15/16: Tweezer opener. Always a good decision.
7/15/16: Remember the Gorge just blowing up when this started. Great moment.
7/15/16: Bottom drops out of Tweezer jam right away. In a good way. Really loose funk happening.
7/15/16: Nice, but not exceptional Type I stuff > Sample.
7/15/17: Love The Old Home Place placement.
7/15/17: Wolfman's Brother is next.
7/15/16: Some solid, summery Type I jams so far in this set, broken up by old-school tunes. Liking it so far.
7/15/16: Undermind next. Trey already riding the echo during the lyrics section.
7/15/16: Neat little echoplex jam there.
7/15/16: Fish welcoming everyone to the Gorge after a standard KDF.
7/15/16: Lawn Boy.
7/15/16: After the song, Trey remarks on Fish's drumming. Then compliments him on his songwriting prowess.
7/15/16: Fish: 'My songwriting prowess?!'
7/15/16: And thus Ass Handed is debuted.
7/15/16: Party Time next. It's a Fishman spotlight!
7/15/16: Like the Fish spotlight, but following it with The Line is probably not that good of an idea. 7/15/16: Two songs in a row that the band thinks are joke songs, followed by a song the audience thinks is a joke song.
7/15/16: Oh, and then Tide Turns! Another song the audience thinks is a joke song.
7/15/16: I got a kick out of this one at the Gorge, though. First time I'd ever heard the song...
7/15/16: ...and my wife and I had just gotten back from a honeymoon trip where we camped on the Lost Coast and had to learn tide tables.
7/15/16: It was a fun convergence.
7/15/16: I think Tide Turns is one of those songs that just isn't worth playing without the horns.
7/15/16: With the horns, it's a great little pop song.
7/15/16: Rift.
7/15/16: S1 has been a little spotty, honestly, but a Walls closer always takes a bit of that sting away.
7/15/16: End set.
7/15/16: Slow-tempo Crosseyed to start S2.
7/15/16: Trey rocking a huge Type I solo right now in Crosseyed.
7/15/16: Breaking down the jam a bit at ten minutes.
7/15/16: Super-smooth modulation into a bliss space.
7/15/16: Crosseyed jam absolutely CRASHES into WTU? Fantastic ->.
7/15/16: This is the really dynamic-style WTU of recent times. It's great.
7/15/16: Both now and at the Gorge, I would have loved a monster Crosseyed jam, but this was the very next best thing.
7/15/16: Besides, not much beats the 10/17/14 Crosseyed for me. Though I have audience bias, I guess.
7/15/16: Gorgeous fade lands in No Men. Nice.
7/15/16: Hard-charging funk.
7/15/16: 'Still waiting' quotes now.
7/15/16: Jam breaking up a little now. Page on electric piano.
7/15/16: Galloping jam winding down now.
7/15/16: Trey expertly weaving in the Stash riff now.
7/15/16: Full stop and start to Stash. Pretty badass, but would have been better with a legit ->.
7/15/16: Trey, you don't *have* to play the intro to the song every time :)
7/15/16: Now playing the opening riff with the pitch shifter on.
7/15/16: Lots of Crosseyed riff teasing in the Stash so far.
7/15/16: WTU? teases now, too.
7/15/16: Fun Stash. Runs immediately into Ghost.
7/15/16: Crosseyed teases in Ghost intro.
7/15/16: Great WTU? tease worked into Ghost.
7/15/16: Ghost getting broken down. Minimalist treatment.
7/15/16: Speeding up now into something really interesting.
7/15/16: -> No Men.
7/15/16: Fish is having a great time with these vocals.
7/15/16: Maybe a percussion jam happening?
7/15/16: Now 'Still waiting' vocals again.
7/15/16: -> Chalkdust. That was rad.
7/15/16: No Men riff in-between verses in CDT.
7/15/16: Now Crosseyed teasing.
7/15/16: Fantastic WTU? tease at the peak of CDT.
7/15/16: Pure '93-style craziness.
7/15/16: Fade-out after the peak leads into a Meatstick fade-in.
7/15/16: Echoplex and synth jamming echoing into the night.
7/15/16: If you're gonna lean on the echoplex, there's no place better to do it than the Gorge.
7/15/16: Synth drone building now.
7/15/16: -> 2001
7/15/16: I think that 2001 is my second favorite song to hear at the Gorge, after Hood. So spacey. Such Gorge.
7/15/16: 'Still waiting' vocals in 2001. Now a No Men's jam.
7/15/16: This set is hilarious and amazing.
7/15/16: Now I remember when I was so bummed when I came back on 7/16 and they played a bum show.
7/15/16: It feels so often like anything is possible at the Gorge, and during 7/15 S2, it was.
7/15/16: 'Still waiting' again in Cavern.
7/15/16: WTU? tease to end set.
7/15/16: Holy cow.
7/15/16: Makisupa to start the encore.
7/15/16: 'Woke up this morning. I like this song a lot...POT.'
7/15/16: How often does Wilson end up in the encore? > Wilson.
7/15/16: Sort-of -> Good Times Bad Times.
7/15/16: With the exceptions of Tweezer and Undermind, S1 was rough and didn't click much. S2 was incredible.
7/15/16: No big jams, but fun throughout and the teases were clever, not just gags.
7/15/16: If night two would have had a jam like '11 Rock and Roll or '13 Sally to anchor it, this would be the best run of summer.
7/15/16: But no. Maybe that honor will go to BGCA 1 and 2? Can we just not count BGCA3 S2?
Jan 14, 2017
2016-07-10 Lakeview Amphitheater
The Verdict:
Like I said in my previous review, 7/10 is sort of of a piece with 7/9. That means we get a S1 with a fantastic mix of songs and a show with no real improvisation meat at any point.
The opening set is just fantastic in terms of song choices. I mean, just look at it. The "Timber" > "Timber (Jerry)" > "Timber" sequence is especially cheeky and fun. The band might not be jamming much, but they're sure having a good time. That's definitely worth something, but it also means that I don't really have any highlights to pull from the first set. There's solid playing throughout, so if you aren't looking for jamming and like the setlist, you'll be in good shape. If you don't, you won't.
In S2, 7/9 at least had the "Disease" > "Sand" sequence. During 7/10, the latent ripcording problem of the last few shows comes to the fore.
Now, you know me. I'm pretty lenient when it comes to supposed ripcords. I'm willing to accept that most of the times, truncated jams happen because the band just can't give the song that next push it needs to get into the stratosphere, and they move on to a new song. I'd guess 95% of "ripcords" are really just Phish avoiding fumbling around looking for a new direction in a jam when they're pretty sure they aren't going to find it. That said, some of the moments in the last few shows, especially during second sets, have been pretty brutal.
Here, it's great to hear "Drowned," and it chugs along in a Type I mode pretty naturally for a few minutes after the lyrics, before a Trey/Page transition to space funk jamming leads to a particularly evil-sounding space...and then a sudden and confusing segue to a standard "Twist." Then, there's "Waste" in the three-spot, which makes no sense. "Piper," similar to "Drowned," is just starting to take off (this time courtesy of a sick electric piano riff from Page) when Trey garrotes it for "Simple." In turn, "Simple" gets abandoned after a few minutes for "Breath and Burning," of all songs.
The one legitimate highlight in this set/show is the very late-set "Martian Monster." Early on, Page uses the song's samples to great effect, and it's complemented brilliantly by some crazy Trey soloing. Then Mike gets on Trey's guitar and completely slays some 80s-sounding rock shit while Trey plays marimba. In the end, the guys completely deconstruct the song in the best way, and it's one of those quintessential short-but-awesome jams: under ten minutes.
So, there's that at least.
Now, back to the Gorge!
The Live Review:
7/10/16: The Landlady opener. Neat to see it back. One of my favorite things about Dick's '15.
7/10/16: Pae killing this version.
7/10/16: > Blaze On.
7/10/16: Jon Fishman special, here: Ha Ha Ha and then Friends. Ah, the days before ASS HANDED.
7/10/16: I like Friends on the album, actually, but it's just one of those songs that just doesn't translate live for some reason.
7/10/16: Holy shit, I really like Trey's tone on Tube. I'm pretty sure I've never heard this guitar tone from him before.
7/10/16: Short Tube, but it's followed by Destiny Unbound. Trey laying down a nice solo now.
7/10/16: MFMF.
7/10/16: Mango Song. Nice song selection so far. Much jukebox.
7/10/16: Timber! If I'm not mistaken, this is the first time it's been played since 10/31/14.
7/10/16: > Timber (Jerry).
7/10/16: > Timber.
7/10/16: So, that was Timber > Timber (Jerry) > Timber, folks.
7/10/16: I see what you did there, @phish.
7/10/16: Takes on Curtis Loew, Stealing Time, and Mound follow in what continues to be a very song-based set.
7/10/16: In a set like this one, Winterqueen is not a good call here.
7/10/16: Placement griping aside, that's a pretty meaty Winterqueen right there.
7/10/16: I've always liked imagining a day where Winterqueen breaks off into a late-90s-Simple-esque jam that's super delicate but extended.
7/10/16: I'm pretty sure Page is currently having a stroke while holding the keytar.
7/10/16: Bold As Love...maybe to close the set?
7/10/16: That was a long set. Some really neat bust-outs in there. But totally weird flow and no replay value.
7/10/16: Like the cheeky 'three Timbers' thing, though.
7/10/16: Drowned opens S2.
7/10/16: Quickly into some dark chording from Trey.
7/10/16: Nice work from Page on the electric piano to propel the jam into a space-funk...umm...location.
7/10/16: Jam turning super-evil now.
7/10/16: Sudden > Twist. Huh. That's a head scratcher. Felt like they were really building steam.
7/10/16: Solid, slow-burning Type I Twist.
7/10/16: Aaaaand...Waste. I like Waste, but the placements in this show are just bizarre.
7/10/16: > Piper.
7/10/16: Jam transitioning into a fast space-funk.
7/10/16: Piper jam axed for Simple.
7/10/16: So weird. Page was literally in the middle of laying down an awesome little keyboard ditty and Trey charged over him.
7/10/16: It was like he didn't even hear it was happening.
7/10/16: Brief Simple jam, fade into Breath and Burning.
7/10/16: Breath and Burning into a totally botched Rocky Top intro. How does that even happen? It's like a three-chord song.
7/10/16: This show is super-weird.
7/10/16: > Martian Monster.
7/10/16: Martian Monster is getting pleasantly murky. Lots of great sample use from Page and playing from Fish.
7/10/16: Now Trey is laying down some awesome 80s-style guitar soloing.
7/10/16: 'Your Trip Is Short' vocal jam now.
7/10/16: Well, THAT was fun.
7/10/16: Golgi > Frankenstein to close S2.
7/10/16: Zero encore. Boom!
7/10/16: That show was really confusing.
7/10/16: I don't know if I've listened to a show yet with a more skewed Quality of Playing/Questionable Setlist Decisions Ratio.
7/10/16: High energy throughout, lots of interesting song choices, but it doesn't hang together AT ALL.
7/10/16: Not to mention the bizarro ripcords in Drowned, Piper, and Simple.
7/10/16: Martian Monster was rad, though.
Like I said in my previous review, 7/10 is sort of of a piece with 7/9. That means we get a S1 with a fantastic mix of songs and a show with no real improvisation meat at any point.
The opening set is just fantastic in terms of song choices. I mean, just look at it. The "Timber" > "Timber (Jerry)" > "Timber" sequence is especially cheeky and fun. The band might not be jamming much, but they're sure having a good time. That's definitely worth something, but it also means that I don't really have any highlights to pull from the first set. There's solid playing throughout, so if you aren't looking for jamming and like the setlist, you'll be in good shape. If you don't, you won't.
In S2, 7/9 at least had the "Disease" > "Sand" sequence. During 7/10, the latent ripcording problem of the last few shows comes to the fore.
Now, you know me. I'm pretty lenient when it comes to supposed ripcords. I'm willing to accept that most of the times, truncated jams happen because the band just can't give the song that next push it needs to get into the stratosphere, and they move on to a new song. I'd guess 95% of "ripcords" are really just Phish avoiding fumbling around looking for a new direction in a jam when they're pretty sure they aren't going to find it. That said, some of the moments in the last few shows, especially during second sets, have been pretty brutal.
Here, it's great to hear "Drowned," and it chugs along in a Type I mode pretty naturally for a few minutes after the lyrics, before a Trey/Page transition to space funk jamming leads to a particularly evil-sounding space...and then a sudden and confusing segue to a standard "Twist." Then, there's "Waste" in the three-spot, which makes no sense. "Piper," similar to "Drowned," is just starting to take off (this time courtesy of a sick electric piano riff from Page) when Trey garrotes it for "Simple." In turn, "Simple" gets abandoned after a few minutes for "Breath and Burning," of all songs.
The one legitimate highlight in this set/show is the very late-set "Martian Monster." Early on, Page uses the song's samples to great effect, and it's complemented brilliantly by some crazy Trey soloing. Then Mike gets on Trey's guitar and completely slays some 80s-sounding rock shit while Trey plays marimba. In the end, the guys completely deconstruct the song in the best way, and it's one of those quintessential short-but-awesome jams: under ten minutes.
So, there's that at least.
Now, back to the Gorge!
The Live Review:
7/10/16: The Landlady opener. Neat to see it back. One of my favorite things about Dick's '15.
7/10/16: Pae killing this version.
7/10/16: > Blaze On.
7/10/16: Jon Fishman special, here: Ha Ha Ha and then Friends. Ah, the days before ASS HANDED.
7/10/16: I like Friends on the album, actually, but it's just one of those songs that just doesn't translate live for some reason.
7/10/16: Holy shit, I really like Trey's tone on Tube. I'm pretty sure I've never heard this guitar tone from him before.
7/10/16: Short Tube, but it's followed by Destiny Unbound. Trey laying down a nice solo now.
7/10/16: MFMF.
7/10/16: Mango Song. Nice song selection so far. Much jukebox.
7/10/16: Timber! If I'm not mistaken, this is the first time it's been played since 10/31/14.
7/10/16: > Timber (Jerry).
7/10/16: > Timber.
7/10/16: So, that was Timber > Timber (Jerry) > Timber, folks.
7/10/16: I see what you did there, @phish.
7/10/16: Takes on Curtis Loew, Stealing Time, and Mound follow in what continues to be a very song-based set.
7/10/16: In a set like this one, Winterqueen is not a good call here.
7/10/16: Placement griping aside, that's a pretty meaty Winterqueen right there.
7/10/16: I've always liked imagining a day where Winterqueen breaks off into a late-90s-Simple-esque jam that's super delicate but extended.
7/10/16: I'm pretty sure Page is currently having a stroke while holding the keytar.
7/10/16: Bold As Love...maybe to close the set?
7/10/16: That was a long set. Some really neat bust-outs in there. But totally weird flow and no replay value.
7/10/16: Like the cheeky 'three Timbers' thing, though.
7/10/16: Drowned opens S2.
7/10/16: Quickly into some dark chording from Trey.
7/10/16: Nice work from Page on the electric piano to propel the jam into a space-funk...umm...location.
7/10/16: Jam turning super-evil now.
7/10/16: Sudden > Twist. Huh. That's a head scratcher. Felt like they were really building steam.
7/10/16: Solid, slow-burning Type I Twist.
7/10/16: Aaaaand...Waste. I like Waste, but the placements in this show are just bizarre.
7/10/16: > Piper.
7/10/16: Jam transitioning into a fast space-funk.
7/10/16: Piper jam axed for Simple.
7/10/16: So weird. Page was literally in the middle of laying down an awesome little keyboard ditty and Trey charged over him.
7/10/16: It was like he didn't even hear it was happening.
7/10/16: Brief Simple jam, fade into Breath and Burning.
7/10/16: Breath and Burning into a totally botched Rocky Top intro. How does that even happen? It's like a three-chord song.
7/10/16: This show is super-weird.
7/10/16: > Martian Monster.
7/10/16: Martian Monster is getting pleasantly murky. Lots of great sample use from Page and playing from Fish.
7/10/16: Now Trey is laying down some awesome 80s-style guitar soloing.
7/10/16: 'Your Trip Is Short' vocal jam now.
7/10/16: Well, THAT was fun.
7/10/16: Golgi > Frankenstein to close S2.
7/10/16: Zero encore. Boom!
7/10/16: That show was really confusing.
7/10/16: I don't know if I've listened to a show yet with a more skewed Quality of Playing/Questionable Setlist Decisions Ratio.
7/10/16: High energy throughout, lots of interesting song choices, but it doesn't hang together AT ALL.
7/10/16: Not to mention the bizarro ripcords in Drowned, Piper, and Simple.
7/10/16: Martian Monster was rad, though.
2016-07-09 Xfinity Theater
The Verdict:
7/9 and 7/10 share struggles with uneven setlists, but in both cases your mileage will vary dramatically based on how you feel about the particular rarities that get played within those setlists.
If you get as excited about "Meat" like I do (especially this grungy, extended version), or if you like "Vultures" a lot, or for some reason are thrilled by the notion of a S1 "Let Me Lie" or "Julius," or are jazzed about a first set "YEM" which has a jam section completely composed of an instrument-switched percussion jam, then you'll like this opening set. I thought the novelties outweighed the weird flow, but only slightly.
The second set, as many second sets are these days, is all about the "Disease." It takes the band awhile to find its footing, and Trey, to his credit, cycles through a bunch of different approaches instead of defaulting to "Twist" or "Number Line" when the first or second or third try doesn't work right away. The ultimate payoff here is a nice few minutes of locked-in rock jamming to close the song, before a transition to a gooey, extra-funky Type I "Sand."
But then the band jumps out of "Sand" just as it's starting to develop and never really recovers. "Carini" has a nice swing to it, but it's abandoned early for "20 Years Later," and from there we're in jukebox mode. You might be interested to know that there's a "Tela" in that second set somewhere too, but I don't get as excited about the Gamehendge songs as some, so the replay value in this show is basically "Disease" > "Sand" > "Ripcord."
The Live Review:
7/9/16: I'm not dead, and I'm back to review the Hartford show and the rest of 2016, finally.
7/9/16: Pigtail opener. Didn't this open the tour?
7/9/16: I seem to remember that from what seems like months and months of nearly-jamless shows ago.
7/9/16: Neat fills from Page on the Pigtail outro jam.
7/9/16: Song ends with vocal harmonies only. Much tighter and more interesting than the first Phish version.
7/9/16: Moma is next. I'm three seconds in and 100% sure it won't be better than the last version was.
7/9/16: > BOAF
7/9/16: MEAT.
7/9/16: Some dirty, low-end soloing from Trey in this Meat.
7/9/16: Dare I say that Phish is extending this Meat longer than usual, and inserting it into the crowd's ears?
7/9/16: Vultures!
7/9/16: Trey starts Free in the wrong key again.
7/9/16: Some echoplex chording from Trey.
7/9/16: The ten-thousandth different arrangement of Let Me Lie is next.
7/9/16: This one's a little more like a shuffle than the previous versions.
7/9/16: Super-short Halley's > Julius.
7/9/16: Looks like S1 is going to close with YEM. That's...interesting.
7/9/16: Percussion jam in YEM. Maybe some instrument switching happening?
7/9/16: Welp, that was a weirdly-paced first set, but there were definitely some strong performances.
7/9/16: Meat and the percussion jam in YEM come to mind.
7/9/16: Back for S2 after class!
7/9/16: S2 starts with Disease.
7/9/16: Nice rock direction early in this jam. Reminds me a bit of The Who.
7/9/16: Trying a few directions: funk, pitch shifter. Not really settling on anything yet.
7/9/16: Fish is keeping a nice swing to the proceedings, though.
7/9/16: Settling in a bit more now, basing a jam around a repeating drone-y riff Trey is playing.
7/9/16: Building on that riff led to a pretty rad few minutes of rock and roll jamming.
7/9/16: Could be a -> Plasma here, but I doubt it.
7/9/16: Just based on what Page was playing there for a bit.
7/9/16: > Sand.
7/9/16: I feel good about this Sand. Band sounds loose as hell.
7/9/16: This is some super-gooey funk. No Type II, but who cares if Sand ends up making you pregnant anyway?
7/9/16: Tela is a weird follow-up to Sand, but okay.
7/9/16: > Carini.
7/9/16: Really propulsive Carini, but during what would usually be the transition into a deeper jam, things sputter. > 20 Years Later.
7/9/16: What's so weird about the lack of jamming this year is that in past years short jams/no jams/ripcords audibly came about...
7/9/16: ...as a result of the band searching for ideas and not finding them. This year they're playing great, but just not digging.
7/9/16: In this show, Pigtail, Moma, Sand, Carini could have all kept going. But it just sort of feels like they don't feel like stretching.
7/9/16: Oddly tremulous 20 Years Later. Mid-set Antelope is next.
7/9/16: Antelope > Number Line.
7/9/16: Minimal Number Line jam. I'm sensing a slow burn to the peak.
7/9/16: Lizards > Loving Cup encore.
7/9 and 7/10 share struggles with uneven setlists, but in both cases your mileage will vary dramatically based on how you feel about the particular rarities that get played within those setlists.
If you get as excited about "Meat" like I do (especially this grungy, extended version), or if you like "Vultures" a lot, or for some reason are thrilled by the notion of a S1 "Let Me Lie" or "Julius," or are jazzed about a first set "YEM" which has a jam section completely composed of an instrument-switched percussion jam, then you'll like this opening set. I thought the novelties outweighed the weird flow, but only slightly.
The second set, as many second sets are these days, is all about the "Disease." It takes the band awhile to find its footing, and Trey, to his credit, cycles through a bunch of different approaches instead of defaulting to "Twist" or "Number Line" when the first or second or third try doesn't work right away. The ultimate payoff here is a nice few minutes of locked-in rock jamming to close the song, before a transition to a gooey, extra-funky Type I "Sand."
But then the band jumps out of "Sand" just as it's starting to develop and never really recovers. "Carini" has a nice swing to it, but it's abandoned early for "20 Years Later," and from there we're in jukebox mode. You might be interested to know that there's a "Tela" in that second set somewhere too, but I don't get as excited about the Gamehendge songs as some, so the replay value in this show is basically "Disease" > "Sand" > "Ripcord."
The Live Review:
7/9/16: I'm not dead, and I'm back to review the Hartford show and the rest of 2016, finally.
7/9/16: Pigtail opener. Didn't this open the tour?
7/9/16: I seem to remember that from what seems like months and months of nearly-jamless shows ago.
7/9/16: Neat fills from Page on the Pigtail outro jam.
7/9/16: Song ends with vocal harmonies only. Much tighter and more interesting than the first Phish version.
7/9/16: Moma is next. I'm three seconds in and 100% sure it won't be better than the last version was.
7/9/16: > BOAF
7/9/16: MEAT.
7/9/16: Some dirty, low-end soloing from Trey in this Meat.
7/9/16: Dare I say that Phish is extending this Meat longer than usual, and inserting it into the crowd's ears?
7/9/16: Vultures!
7/9/16: Trey starts Free in the wrong key again.
7/9/16: Some echoplex chording from Trey.
7/9/16: The ten-thousandth different arrangement of Let Me Lie is next.
7/9/16: This one's a little more like a shuffle than the previous versions.
7/9/16: Super-short Halley's > Julius.
7/9/16: Looks like S1 is going to close with YEM. That's...interesting.
7/9/16: Percussion jam in YEM. Maybe some instrument switching happening?
7/9/16: Welp, that was a weirdly-paced first set, but there were definitely some strong performances.
7/9/16: Meat and the percussion jam in YEM come to mind.
7/9/16: Back for S2 after class!
7/9/16: S2 starts with Disease.
7/9/16: Nice rock direction early in this jam. Reminds me a bit of The Who.
7/9/16: Trying a few directions: funk, pitch shifter. Not really settling on anything yet.
7/9/16: Fish is keeping a nice swing to the proceedings, though.
7/9/16: Settling in a bit more now, basing a jam around a repeating drone-y riff Trey is playing.
7/9/16: Building on that riff led to a pretty rad few minutes of rock and roll jamming.
7/9/16: Could be a -> Plasma here, but I doubt it.
7/9/16: Just based on what Page was playing there for a bit.
7/9/16: > Sand.
7/9/16: I feel good about this Sand. Band sounds loose as hell.
7/9/16: This is some super-gooey funk. No Type II, but who cares if Sand ends up making you pregnant anyway?
7/9/16: Tela is a weird follow-up to Sand, but okay.
7/9/16: > Carini.
7/9/16: Really propulsive Carini, but during what would usually be the transition into a deeper jam, things sputter. > 20 Years Later.
7/9/16: What's so weird about the lack of jamming this year is that in past years short jams/no jams/ripcords audibly came about...
7/9/16: ...as a result of the band searching for ideas and not finding them. This year they're playing great, but just not digging.
7/9/16: In this show, Pigtail, Moma, Sand, Carini could have all kept going. But it just sort of feels like they don't feel like stretching.
7/9/16: Oddly tremulous 20 Years Later. Mid-set Antelope is next.
7/9/16: Antelope > Number Line.
7/9/16: Minimal Number Line jam. I'm sensing a slow burn to the peak.
7/9/16: Lizards > Loving Cup encore.
2016-07-08 Xfinity Center
The Verdict:
This show is a vast improvement over 7/6.
For one thing, the first set continues in the vein of 7/6's with a really interesting setlist, but throws in some serious jamming in addition.
Okay, well not serious jamming, but solid. "Gin" is a 2015 S1-style working of the tune, "How Many People?" gets an extended Type I jam, "Fuego" gets an enjoyable reading that stays more or less true to the studio version (complete with an ending!) and then, despite a broken string interruption, "Cities" gets a grungy-as-hell funk jam.
By comparison, S2 focuses all the fun at the start, but it's a lot of fun. "Ghost" follows in the first set "Gin"'s footsteps tone-wise, and then segues into a monster "Light." There are three sort-of sections here: a "Manteca"-style jam that's similar to the jams in many other "Light"s, but no less effective for all that; a rock-and-roll "woo" jam, and finally some echoplex-laden funk. It all flows nicely, too, making this easily one of the best jams of the year thus far and 7/8 one of the better shows.
The Live Review:
7/8/16: Back for what will hopefully not be another paint-by-numbers show.
7/8/16: Of course I love the Phish, and they play a better rote show than just about any band on their best night...
7/8/16: But when you review fifty or so shows in a year, you start really hoping you'll hear something unique during each show.
7/8/16: And that hasn't been happening as much as it used to lately.
7/8/16: Band decides to open with Party Time. Trey doesn't join in for awhile.
7/8/16: When he does, it's to totally botch the riff in the wrong key. An auspicious beginning!
7/8/16: I appreciate Phish's playing so many songs throughout the course of a short tour, but maybe they should choose songs that...
7/8/16: ...don't make the beginning of the concert sound like a large, ponderous, rusty machine creaking into motion.
7/8/16: I like Party Time openers, but u gotta have a sense of which songs you're gonna nail and which ones might be a little rusty, right?
7/8/16: Standard, sort of tipsy-sounding take on 46 Days is second. Poor Heart is third!
7/8/16: The Dogs.
7/8/16: The Dogs extended slightly. Band sounding a little tighter. Gin next. That should give them some room to get on track.
7/8/16: Slow tempo Gin, but Trey's building some good leads early on.
7/8/16: Gin jam modulating into something very '15-sounding. Fish picking up the pace.
7/8/16: Quick return to Gin riff at the end. That's the most interesting thing that's happened in a first set for at least a week.
7/8/16: > FEFY!
7/8/16: Nice solos from Trey and Page during that FEFY. How Many People? is next.
7/8/16: Interesting little jam coming out of How Many People?
7/8/16: One of those things that probably technically qualifies at 'Type II,' but doesn't go long enough for anyone to drool over it.
7/8/16: That said, it's awesome.
7/8/16: Strange Design. Odd setlist choices here. Not the best for flow, but some great songs sprinkled throughout.
7/8/16: Fuego.
7/8/16: Traditional (studio) ending to Fuego.
7/8/16: Cities! This first set just keeps going.
7/8/16: Lots of cheering and weird sounds. Not sure why.
7/8/16: Nevermind. Apparently Trey broke a string, and Brian Brown came out to fix it. Introducing Brian to the crowd, then back into Cities
7/8/16: Some seriously meaty funk happening here in this jam.
7/8/16: I believe Trey is on the marimba.
7/8/16: Funk beat and clav continue.
7/8/16: Sounds like Mike might be on Trey's guitar.
7/8/16: Mike finding his footing, and Page joining in.
7/8/16: Neat! Things got a bit dissonant once Mike took over on guitar.
7/8/16: Anyone who knee-jerk hates the instrument switching thing should check that Cities out.
7/8/16: Space Oddity will end the set.
7/8/16: S2 starts with Ghost.
7/8/16: A bit of MuTron soloing from Trey there, before Fish starts to pick up the beat a bit, not unlike the Gin in S1.
7/8/16: Fish and Trey are collectively kicking ass right now.
7/8/16: Powerful build, and now winding back down.
7/8/16: Without losing speed.
7/8/16: > Light. Trey biffs the first verse, then changes lyrics to 'I'll sing the first verse now.'
7/8/16: Trey chording a bit. A bit fuller jam than the usual arpeggio section.
7/8/16: This jam gets Manteca-y during the 8th minute in the best way.
7/8/16: BOAF-like riff now.
7/8/16: Where has this band been for most of tour?
7/8/16: Quieting down now. Jazz fills from Page on electric piano.
7/8/16: Woo jam now.
7/8/16: Instrument switching AND a woo jam? 'Real' Phish fans must *hate* this show.
7/8/16: Straight-up funk now. This is great.
7/8/16: Echoplex space now.
7/8/16: > Wolfman's
7/8/16: Would love to know the 3.0 S1/S2 Wolfman's ratio.
7/8/16: Vocal jam emerging early in this Wolfman's.
7/8/16: Clav-and-drums-based funk jam.
7/8/16: Maybe because it appears that Trey's guitar isn't working?
7/8/16: Setbreak-like pause.
7/8/16: That was weird. Apparently they had some sound problems. Super-short CDT and Saw It Again following the break.
7/8/16: Back on the Train seems appropriate, if not particularly exciting.
7/8/16: Okay, so despite my snark, loops and some great bass make that the most interesting BOTT since 12/30/09
7/8/16: Slave, to close what seems like an abbreviated set.
7/8/16: End set. Walrus encore.
7/8/16: Like Phish's version of this. Trey working in an echoplex/noise rock build at the end.
7/8/16: It's almost as if Phish is cursed when it comes to playing a full-on second set this tour.
7/8/16: The last 4-5 shows have had wonky S2s, but then this one started with a 2015-worthy S1, and Ghost > Light in S2...
7/8/16: ...when in the midst of a great funk/vocal jam in Wolfman's, Trey's (?) PA cut out, causing a break.
7/8/16: When they finally came back, it was for ~30 mins of the first-settiest fourth quarter ever.
7/8/16: Can't help but wonder how the rest of that set would have gone, otherwise.
7/8/16: Two more shows, though, and we'll be up to the west coast run. Always fun to review shows I saw live.
7/8/16: Really excited to relisten to Gorge1, SF1, SF2, and Chula.
7/8/16: Also interested to see if I like Gorge2, SF3 better the second time around. Pretty sure Forum is unredeemable.
This show is a vast improvement over 7/6.
For one thing, the first set continues in the vein of 7/6's with a really interesting setlist, but throws in some serious jamming in addition.
Okay, well not serious jamming, but solid. "Gin" is a 2015 S1-style working of the tune, "How Many People?" gets an extended Type I jam, "Fuego" gets an enjoyable reading that stays more or less true to the studio version (complete with an ending!) and then, despite a broken string interruption, "Cities" gets a grungy-as-hell funk jam.
By comparison, S2 focuses all the fun at the start, but it's a lot of fun. "Ghost" follows in the first set "Gin"'s footsteps tone-wise, and then segues into a monster "Light." There are three sort-of sections here: a "Manteca"-style jam that's similar to the jams in many other "Light"s, but no less effective for all that; a rock-and-roll "woo" jam, and finally some echoplex-laden funk. It all flows nicely, too, making this easily one of the best jams of the year thus far and 7/8 one of the better shows.
The Live Review:
7/8/16: Back for what will hopefully not be another paint-by-numbers show.
7/8/16: Of course I love the Phish, and they play a better rote show than just about any band on their best night...
7/8/16: But when you review fifty or so shows in a year, you start really hoping you'll hear something unique during each show.
7/8/16: And that hasn't been happening as much as it used to lately.
7/8/16: Band decides to open with Party Time. Trey doesn't join in for awhile.
7/8/16: When he does, it's to totally botch the riff in the wrong key. An auspicious beginning!
7/8/16: I appreciate Phish's playing so many songs throughout the course of a short tour, but maybe they should choose songs that...
7/8/16: ...don't make the beginning of the concert sound like a large, ponderous, rusty machine creaking into motion.
7/8/16: I like Party Time openers, but u gotta have a sense of which songs you're gonna nail and which ones might be a little rusty, right?
7/8/16: Standard, sort of tipsy-sounding take on 46 Days is second. Poor Heart is third!
7/8/16: The Dogs.
7/8/16: The Dogs extended slightly. Band sounding a little tighter. Gin next. That should give them some room to get on track.
7/8/16: Slow tempo Gin, but Trey's building some good leads early on.
7/8/16: Gin jam modulating into something very '15-sounding. Fish picking up the pace.
7/8/16: Quick return to Gin riff at the end. That's the most interesting thing that's happened in a first set for at least a week.
7/8/16: > FEFY!
7/8/16: Nice solos from Trey and Page during that FEFY. How Many People? is next.
7/8/16: Interesting little jam coming out of How Many People?
7/8/16: One of those things that probably technically qualifies at 'Type II,' but doesn't go long enough for anyone to drool over it.
7/8/16: That said, it's awesome.
7/8/16: Strange Design. Odd setlist choices here. Not the best for flow, but some great songs sprinkled throughout.
7/8/16: Fuego.
7/8/16: Traditional (studio) ending to Fuego.
7/8/16: Cities! This first set just keeps going.
7/8/16: Lots of cheering and weird sounds. Not sure why.
7/8/16: Nevermind. Apparently Trey broke a string, and Brian Brown came out to fix it. Introducing Brian to the crowd, then back into Cities
7/8/16: Some seriously meaty funk happening here in this jam.
7/8/16: I believe Trey is on the marimba.
7/8/16: Funk beat and clav continue.
7/8/16: Sounds like Mike might be on Trey's guitar.
7/8/16: Mike finding his footing, and Page joining in.
7/8/16: Neat! Things got a bit dissonant once Mike took over on guitar.
7/8/16: Anyone who knee-jerk hates the instrument switching thing should check that Cities out.
7/8/16: Space Oddity will end the set.
7/8/16: S2 starts with Ghost.
7/8/16: A bit of MuTron soloing from Trey there, before Fish starts to pick up the beat a bit, not unlike the Gin in S1.
7/8/16: Fish and Trey are collectively kicking ass right now.
7/8/16: Powerful build, and now winding back down.
7/8/16: Without losing speed.
7/8/16: > Light. Trey biffs the first verse, then changes lyrics to 'I'll sing the first verse now.'
7/8/16: Trey chording a bit. A bit fuller jam than the usual arpeggio section.
7/8/16: This jam gets Manteca-y during the 8th minute in the best way.
7/8/16: BOAF-like riff now.
7/8/16: Where has this band been for most of tour?
7/8/16: Quieting down now. Jazz fills from Page on electric piano.
7/8/16: Woo jam now.
7/8/16: Instrument switching AND a woo jam? 'Real' Phish fans must *hate* this show.
7/8/16: Straight-up funk now. This is great.
7/8/16: Echoplex space now.
7/8/16: > Wolfman's
7/8/16: Would love to know the 3.0 S1/S2 Wolfman's ratio.
7/8/16: Vocal jam emerging early in this Wolfman's.
7/8/16: Clav-and-drums-based funk jam.
7/8/16: Maybe because it appears that Trey's guitar isn't working?
7/8/16: Setbreak-like pause.
7/8/16: That was weird. Apparently they had some sound problems. Super-short CDT and Saw It Again following the break.
7/8/16: Back on the Train seems appropriate, if not particularly exciting.
7/8/16: Okay, so despite my snark, loops and some great bass make that the most interesting BOTT since 12/30/09
7/8/16: Slave, to close what seems like an abbreviated set.
7/8/16: End set. Walrus encore.
7/8/16: Like Phish's version of this. Trey working in an echoplex/noise rock build at the end.
7/8/16: It's almost as if Phish is cursed when it comes to playing a full-on second set this tour.
7/8/16: The last 4-5 shows have had wonky S2s, but then this one started with a 2015-worthy S1, and Ghost > Light in S2...
7/8/16: ...when in the midst of a great funk/vocal jam in Wolfman's, Trey's (?) PA cut out, causing a break.
7/8/16: When they finally came back, it was for ~30 mins of the first-settiest fourth quarter ever.
7/8/16: Can't help but wonder how the rest of that set would have gone, otherwise.
7/8/16: Two more shows, though, and we'll be up to the west coast run. Always fun to review shows I saw live.
7/8/16: Really excited to relisten to Gorge1, SF1, SF2, and Chula.
7/8/16: Also interested to see if I like Gorge2, SF3 better the second time around. Pretty sure Forum is unredeemable.
2016-07-06 Cross Insurance Arena
The Verdict:
After the fun-for-2016 that was most of the SPAC run, 7/6 starts off a four-show run that, save for 7/8, doesn't have a lot going for it improv-wise.
The upside is that a few of the first sets manage to hit that wonderful sweet spot in the middle of Lots of Unexpected Songs and Solid Flow. 7/6 S1 is one of these. The "Grind" opener sets the tone for a weird setlist, and it's followed by a great mix of newer tunes ("Blaze On," "KDF") and much older ones ("Cars, Trucks, Buses" and "The Sloth"). The only tune the band really struggles with here is "Billy Breathes." Everything else is solid and the bluegrass "Things People Do" is a clear standout.
"Tweezer" kicks off the S2 jamming in the two-slot, and seems to be headed for interesting territory before Trey surprisingly ripcords it, in brutal 2010 style. The "Mike's" sandwich, despite strong "Mike's Song" and "Groove" bread on the outside, has a totally bizarre "Tide Turns" > "Devotion" > "Wingsuit" > "Bittersweet Motel" meat that really brings the middle of the second set down. "Fluffhead" is neat to hear in the late second set, and Trey rips up the "Groove" at the end of the set, but this one is a head-scratcher. You could listen to the "Tweezer" and not really be missing much else.
The Live Review:
7/6/16: Grind opener. That's different.
7/6/16: Cars, Trucks, Buses in the two-slot. Page with a filthy organ solo.
7/6/16: That was a crazy version of CTB. Pure energy.
7/6/16: > Blaze On
7/6/16: Some serious swagger in this Blaze On, too.
7/6/16: Yarmouth Road!
7/6/16: Neat little Trey/Mike jam at the end of Yarmouth.
7/6/16: Pretty hot version of KDF > The Sloth. Liking this first set a lot. If it wasn't early 2016, I'd be looking forward to S2.
7/6/16: But these days there doesn't seem to be much of a correlation between a strong S1 and jams in the second set.
7/6/16: Billy Breathes! Loud cheer for this one.
7/6/16: Of my top-tier favorite #phish songs, this is one of the few I haven't seen live yet.
7/6/16: This is much rougher than the other version from earlier in the tour.
7/6/16: Lots of issues with the harmonies. Still a great setlist choice, though.
7/6/16: Trey nails *most* of the BB solo. > MFMF.
7/6/16: Even Heavy Things has a bit of extra mustard during this set.
7/6/16: Things People Do bluegrass style again. I love this.
7/6/16: Oh, there was a good 555 after Heavy Things.
7/6/16: Ah, yes. The Line.
7/6/16: Stash looks like it's going to wrap up this set.
7/6/16: Stash is a pretty straightforward build until the peak. No surprises. End set.
7/6/16: With the exception of The Line and some flubs in Billy Breathes and MFMF, that was a pretty interesting and coherent S1.
7/6/16: I mean, no deep jamming or anything, but I had more fun listening to that opening set than I did any of the SPAC ones.
7/6/16: S2 opens with First Tube. Yep, I said 'opens.'
7/6/16: > Tweezer.
7/6/16: VLC keeps insisting that the cover art for this show is the cover from Undermind.
7/6/16: Pitch shifter solo from Trey to start the Tweezer jam.
7/6/16: More rock and roll feel now. Trey and Page playing off of each other.
7/6/16: Great momentum to this Tweezer jam.
7/6/16: Great murky space now.
7/6/16: Totally weird > Guyute.
7/6/16: I like me some Guyute, but that seemed like a brutal ripcord to me. Tweezer was going places.
7/6/16: Sloppy Guyute > stop-start opening to Mike's.
7/6/16: Trey riding the echoplex to start the Mike's jam.
7/6/16: Oddly, the first layer of the Mike's sandwich is...Tide Turns.
7/6/16: Devotion's outro harmonies sound different than they usually are.
7/6/16: Only 2016 Phish would jam Tweezer for < 5 mins and then drop a Tide Turns, Devotion, Wingsuit, Bittersweet Motel sequence in S2.
7/6/16: During the Bittersweet solo spot, Trey urges Page to 'Take me to hell.'
7/6/16: Arguably, Trey, any time four ballads show up in a row during a fourth quarter, we're already there, aren't we?
7/6/16: Sorry, maybe that was cranky.
7/6/16: Maybe I'm living at the Bittersweet Motel.
7/6/16: > Fluffhead.
7/6/16: In 2009, when I saw my first Phish show, Fluffhead was my favorite song of theirs. And they played it that night.
7/6/16: I've since gotten more into the more...improvisational songs, but it's not like Fluffhead isn't still awesome.
7/6/16: Fun/boring fact: Hood is totally my favorite song now. Probably by anyone.
7/6/16: > Groove.
7/6/16: Trey is tearing apart the middle of this Groove.
7/6/16: Encore starts with Contact!
7/6/16: > Tweeprise.
7/6/16: Well, that was another one of those shows where S2 absolutely did not deliver on the promise of S1.
7/6/16: We seem to be getting a lot of those lately.
After the fun-for-2016 that was most of the SPAC run, 7/6 starts off a four-show run that, save for 7/8, doesn't have a lot going for it improv-wise.
The upside is that a few of the first sets manage to hit that wonderful sweet spot in the middle of Lots of Unexpected Songs and Solid Flow. 7/6 S1 is one of these. The "Grind" opener sets the tone for a weird setlist, and it's followed by a great mix of newer tunes ("Blaze On," "KDF") and much older ones ("Cars, Trucks, Buses" and "The Sloth"). The only tune the band really struggles with here is "Billy Breathes." Everything else is solid and the bluegrass "Things People Do" is a clear standout.
"Tweezer" kicks off the S2 jamming in the two-slot, and seems to be headed for interesting territory before Trey surprisingly ripcords it, in brutal 2010 style. The "Mike's" sandwich, despite strong "Mike's Song" and "Groove" bread on the outside, has a totally bizarre "Tide Turns" > "Devotion" > "Wingsuit" > "Bittersweet Motel" meat that really brings the middle of the second set down. "Fluffhead" is neat to hear in the late second set, and Trey rips up the "Groove" at the end of the set, but this one is a head-scratcher. You could listen to the "Tweezer" and not really be missing much else.
The Live Review:
7/6/16: Grind opener. That's different.
7/6/16: Cars, Trucks, Buses in the two-slot. Page with a filthy organ solo.
7/6/16: That was a crazy version of CTB. Pure energy.
7/6/16: > Blaze On
7/6/16: Some serious swagger in this Blaze On, too.
7/6/16: Yarmouth Road!
7/6/16: Neat little Trey/Mike jam at the end of Yarmouth.
7/6/16: Pretty hot version of KDF > The Sloth. Liking this first set a lot. If it wasn't early 2016, I'd be looking forward to S2.
7/6/16: But these days there doesn't seem to be much of a correlation between a strong S1 and jams in the second set.
7/6/16: Billy Breathes! Loud cheer for this one.
7/6/16: Of my top-tier favorite #phish songs, this is one of the few I haven't seen live yet.
7/6/16: This is much rougher than the other version from earlier in the tour.
7/6/16: Lots of issues with the harmonies. Still a great setlist choice, though.
7/6/16: Trey nails *most* of the BB solo. > MFMF.
7/6/16: Even Heavy Things has a bit of extra mustard during this set.
7/6/16: Things People Do bluegrass style again. I love this.
7/6/16: Oh, there was a good 555 after Heavy Things.
7/6/16: Ah, yes. The Line.
7/6/16: Stash looks like it's going to wrap up this set.
7/6/16: Stash is a pretty straightforward build until the peak. No surprises. End set.
7/6/16: With the exception of The Line and some flubs in Billy Breathes and MFMF, that was a pretty interesting and coherent S1.
7/6/16: I mean, no deep jamming or anything, but I had more fun listening to that opening set than I did any of the SPAC ones.
7/6/16: S2 opens with First Tube. Yep, I said 'opens.'
7/6/16: > Tweezer.
7/6/16: VLC keeps insisting that the cover art for this show is the cover from Undermind.
7/6/16: Pitch shifter solo from Trey to start the Tweezer jam.
7/6/16: More rock and roll feel now. Trey and Page playing off of each other.
7/6/16: Great momentum to this Tweezer jam.
7/6/16: Great murky space now.
7/6/16: Totally weird > Guyute.
7/6/16: I like me some Guyute, but that seemed like a brutal ripcord to me. Tweezer was going places.
7/6/16: Sloppy Guyute > stop-start opening to Mike's.
7/6/16: Trey riding the echoplex to start the Mike's jam.
7/6/16: Oddly, the first layer of the Mike's sandwich is...Tide Turns.
7/6/16: Devotion's outro harmonies sound different than they usually are.
7/6/16: Only 2016 Phish would jam Tweezer for < 5 mins and then drop a Tide Turns, Devotion, Wingsuit, Bittersweet Motel sequence in S2.
7/6/16: During the Bittersweet solo spot, Trey urges Page to 'Take me to hell.'
7/6/16: Arguably, Trey, any time four ballads show up in a row during a fourth quarter, we're already there, aren't we?
7/6/16: Sorry, maybe that was cranky.
7/6/16: Maybe I'm living at the Bittersweet Motel.
7/6/16: > Fluffhead.
7/6/16: In 2009, when I saw my first Phish show, Fluffhead was my favorite song of theirs. And they played it that night.
7/6/16: I've since gotten more into the more...improvisational songs, but it's not like Fluffhead isn't still awesome.
7/6/16: Fun/boring fact: Hood is totally my favorite song now. Probably by anyone.
7/6/16: > Groove.
7/6/16: Trey is tearing apart the middle of this Groove.
7/6/16: Encore starts with Contact!
7/6/16: > Tweeprise.
7/6/16: Well, that was another one of those shows where S2 absolutely did not deliver on the promise of S1.
7/6/16: We seem to be getting a lot of those lately.
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