The Verdict:
Both Lockn' shows follow a similar template. Each first set is a reasonably predictable festival-style affair, and each second set contains more high-quality jamming than a summer '16 show has a right to.
There are a lot of welcome song choices in this night's first set, but for the first half of the set or so, the band is a bit...looser...than usual. "Tube" is perhaps the highlight, not getting extended to the lengths of the Chula version, but still showcasing some more versatile funk than it typically has in the 3.0 era. It's not until "It's Ice" that the band really starts to gel, hitting the funk breakdown that's become de rigeur lately. "Wingsuit" is solid, and "Simple" gets a mini-jam that gestures at greener pastures before the set wraps up with "Space Oddity."
The second set starts off with the always-great "PYITE" opener, and then continues with a few songs that get "jammed" in that '16 way that's great but also always leaves you wishing they'd stretched for another five minutes or so. "Blaze On" goes this way, as does "Fuego," and it feels like we're about to fall into another one of those second sets that would be satisfying if only I could shake my obsession with twenty minute jams...and then "Ghost" hits.
Hoo, boy. This "Ghost" jam makes the turn into the Bliss Zone on a dime. After the bliss jam, there's a short "Woo!" section, and almost-"Piper" segue, then an almost-"McGrupp" segue before the song actually lands in a late second-set "Gin." This "Gin," like a lot of other Trey-led jams lately, goes the pitch-shifter route before transitioning into something that sounds an awful lot like the "Jumpin' Jack Flash" jam out of "Sally" at BGCA. It's an amazing one-two punch.
To close out the set, there's a pretty, cooperative "Number Line" and then a "YEM" that actually carries behind it the punch of the band having just played a great set.
I like this show a lot, and the second night at Lockn' is even better.
The Live Review:
8/26/16: Onward and upward today. I saw the 8/26 webcast back in the day, and remember the show being quite good.
8/26/16: I was also super high, so that might have made a difference.
8/26/16: Wilson opener.
8/26/16: Trey having some serious trouble finding the right key here.
8/26/16: Otherwise, BLAT BOOM
8/26/16: False start on Disease. So far, pretty rough start.
8/26/16: Nice Type I Disease jam developing eventually :)
8/26/16: Free is next.
8/26/16: Loose take on Free. Now Wolfman's.
8/26/16: Pretty standard Wolfman's > Tube. So far, so festival-first-set.
8/26/16: Some echo chording reminiscent of the Chula version happening here.
8/26/16: This version of Tube wasn't *really* jammed, but got slightly extended.
8/26/16: Am I the only one who was absolutely sure 555 would have achieved jam vehicle status by now and is sort of bored with it otherwise?
8/26/16: I mean it's a great song, but the ratio of times played / times played in an interesting way is pretty miserable.
8/26/16: It's Ice next.
8/26/16: Nice funk bridge in the middle of It's Ice.
8/26/16: Solid take on Wingsuit, Simple with a nice little mini-jam...band sounds like they're jelling better from It's Ice on.
8/26/16: Space Oddity will close out the set.
8/26/16: PYITE opens the second set. Still my favorite set-opening song. #NYE95Bias #phish
8/26/16: Also, the combo of Page/Fish on the dance breakdown part of the song is one of my favorite bits of Phish.
8/26/16: > Blaze On
8/26/16: Great little Type I solo from Trey. Loving the tone he's using in this jam.
8/26/16: Wall of sound ending.
8/26/16: Nice Page-led landing in Fuego.
8//26/16: Pretty standard, '16-muddy Type I jam at the end of Fuego...but a great -> Ghost.
8/26/16: After a chunky (not clunky!) start, Ghost is modulating into something really cool.
8/26/16: Holy shit bliss time
8/26/16: This jam is all Fish. Don't let Trey fool you. Holy crap.
8/26/16: Fantastic Ghost bliss jam that winds down into a more rock and roll space before ending with a 'Woo!' jam. So good.
8/26/16: There was moment where I was totally feeling a -> Piper, but the 'Woo!' jam cut that off.
8/26/16: Now almost a McGrupp vibe...aaaaand > Gin.
8/26/16: I don't know about you all, but I love when Gin lands in a second set.
8/26/16: Man, Troy loves the pitch shifter lately. He's back at it again.
8/26/16: Great tone from Trey. Some weird syncopation going on. Noise rock overload.
8/26/16: Great build-up now.
8/26/16: Another Jumpin' Jack Flash-style jam a la BGCA Sally.
8/26/16: > Number Line. Lots of repeats from 7/23.
8/26/16: Not that that's really a huge deal since it's been a month, but it's still weird.
8/26/16: Interesting full-band Number Line. It seems to be less of an excuse for Trey to solo lately and more the whole band trying things.
8/26/16: YEM! Damn, that was a very festival-y first set, but the second set has been straight out of '15.
8/26/16: It might be year 500 of Phish, but a well-earned and well-played show-closing YEM is still pretty much the best thing.
8/26/16: Longer-than-usual vocal jam to close out the set.
8/26/16: I wonder how often a capella performances have closed both sets at a Phish show.
This looks like fun. https://t.co/nwSg36g549
8/26/16: End set.
8/26/16: Character Zero encore because fuck you, that's why.
8/26/16: Troy is shredding this Zero in spite of my grumpiness.
8/26/16: Great show, and better than most of '16 thus far. Pretty predictable first set, but wow that second set.
8/26/16: Sure, they could have done more with Blaze On and Fuego, but the Ghost > Gin pair was just fantastic. And that YEM!
8/26/16: Good stuff.
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