The Verdict:
Neither Grand Prairie show lives up to the quality of the Alpharetta run before it, but this run also doesn't deserve the smack that gets talked about.
Well, the second night sort of does, a little. But the first night definitely doesn't. Here's why.
The first set starts off with a pretty rote No Men > Breath and Burning sequence, but then things really pick up. The rest of the set is brilliantly paced, and features a lot of great songs. There's a bit of a lull near the end, but it's because Trey and Fish are arguing over whether "Ass Handed" or "Saw It Again" is the better song, so I'm willing to let is slide. Then there's the second-ever "Running Out of Time" segueing into a solid "Bowie" to end the set. But the real highlight is a "Wolfman's" that gets the "Type 1.5" treatment first set "Gin"s have been getting for the last two years. If you want to hear "Wolfman's" leave the box and explore some bliss-y territory, this one's for you.
Hot on the heels of a big first set, you might expect the band to launch into a jam vehicle, but the theme of this show seems to be finding diamonds in the rough, so "Dog-Faced Boy" is the rarity opener instead. From there, "Seven Below" takes us on a pretty melodic journey usually served up by something like "Roggae" instead. "Petrichor" is oddly placed, and at first it struck me as a bit of a bummer; however, the band fully gels on this version and it's easily the best live take on the song thus far. The same with the following "Maze" > "Dirt": it doesn't make sense in the context of a "normal" second set, but both songs are played to perfection, so it's okay.
If you really need some jamming (and you do), the fourth quarter is there for you, with a synth-drenched expedition in the form of "I Always Wanted It This Way," bursting its way out of the box big time before segueing into "Piper." "Piper" has been a jam that's gotten really good lately at doing a lot in a small amount of time, and this version is no different, starting off with some beautiful melodic jamming that quickly turns into a "Birds"-like space that gets explored for awhile before landing in "Bug," a great cooldown to end the set.
If that all wasn't both weird and fun enough, "Buffalo Bill" > "Rock and Roll" is the encore!
Like I said, it's a great show if you're willing to look for interesting performances in unexpected places. For my money, it's one of the most fun Phish shows I've listened to in a long time.
The Live Review:
10/24/16: SBD starts with some seriously talented ululating from a crowd member. Then No Men.
10/24/16: Pretty straightforward No Men > Breath and Burning so far.
10/24/16: B+B is being played a little faster than usual.
10/24/16: Poor Heart in the three-spot with a badass piano solo from Page.
10/24/16: Hoo boy, Wolfman's is getting the Gin Type 1.5 treatment.
10/24/16: Leaving funk and modulating into some uplifting rock jamming.
10/24/16: This is super cool, and unexpected.
10/24/16: Great landing back in the Wolfman's riff.
10/24/16: Slow version of Water in the Sky is next.
10/24/16: Page is getting another great solo.
10/24/16: My Soul!
10/24/16: The guys have built some truly boring first sets this tour, as well as some truly inspired ones. This is feeling like the latter.
10/24/16: Page with *another* big piano solo.
10/24/16: They just ripped that My Soul up. >F
NICU.
10/24/16: Trey is struggling a bit with It's Ice, but it still fits the vibe of this set as a song choice.
10/24/16: Extra chunky funk interlude in the middle of It's Ice this time.
10/24/16: Ocelot! I sort of hate this song, but I feel like we haven't heard it in a long time so I'll try to be nice.
10/24/16: Nice, bluesy, languid start to the jam. Page adding nice accents on piano.
10/24/16: Big-time build and peak in Ocelot. Never really left the box, but an impressive version anyway.
10/24/16: Guy right next to SBD screaming for Whipping Post. That seems likely.
10/24/16: Fuck Your Face instead.
10/24/16: Trey says that was the second greatest Phish song of all time. I feel like Ass Handed is coming next.
10/24/16: Yep.
10/24/16: Fish says that Ass Handed is Trey's favorite Phish song, but not his. His is...Saw It Again!
10/24/16: Running Out of Time is next. Weird change of pace, but I love this song.
10/24/16: Bowie to wrap up the first set. What a weird-but-great set.
10/24/16: Bowie doesn't get super-weird, but as a good, peaky take by 3.0 standards for the tune.
10/24/16: End set w/ Bowie.
10/24/16: Second set opens with...Dog Faced Boy?!
10/24/16: That's neat.
10/24/16: > Seven Below.
10/24/16: Some really great playing all the way around in this Seven Below.
10/24/16: $$$ jam
10/24/16: Okay, I'll start my next comment by saying that I've loved hearing Petrichor make its way into shows a lot lately..
10/24/16: ...but do not drop it into the middle of a second set.
10/24/16: So, Petrichor is next.
10/24/16: Great full-band interplay during this Petrichor outro jam. It feels like they finally really gelled on the tune this time around.
10/24/16: Maze continues a weird mid-set run of tunes.
10/24/16: For what it's worth, that was a batshit Maze.
10/24/16: Wow.
10/24/16: > Dirt. Now that's a solid call after that crazy Maze.
10/24/16: YES! I Always Wanted It This Way!
10/24/16: Big robotic crash synth breakdown right after the vocals. Echo chords from Trey.
10/24/16: So happy that this is turning into a jam vehicle pretty much right away.
10/24/16: Big Mike bass bomb leads back into the vocals.
10/24/16: Driving beat from Fish. Lots of synth noise, but also Trey and Mike adding in loops and bombs when appropriate.
10/24/16: Fish deconstructing the beat now. Ambient jam but heavy on percussion.
10/24/16: Dark guitar riffs overlaid with synth whines now.
10/24/16: > Piper
10/24/16: Driving jam in Piper almost immediately. Trey laying down a great melody solo.
10/24/16: Straight-up Birds of a Feather jam happening here.
10/24/16: A few tentative 'woo's.
10/24/16: Call-and-response with the audience now. If they don't go -> Birds at some point it's going to be a little sad.
10/24/16: Full stop at the end of Piper. That was rad. Bug next.
10/24/16: Bug ends the second set.
10/24/16: Buffalo Bill encore!
10/24/16: The melody of this song is so weird.
10/24/16: Rock and Roll!
10/24/16: End show.
10/24/16: That show was not nearly as bad as The Online lead me to believe!
10/24/16: Great first set with a monster Wolfman's. Flow got weird near the end, but it was because of a band joke.
10/24/16: Second set starts out strong, gets weird flow-wise but with a first-setty section that's played to perfection.
10/24/16: Then bounces back with a ridiculous IAWITW > Piper pair. Buffalo Bill encore. Love it!
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