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.
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