The Verdict:
I'm really excited because the Dick's run has, for the first time in '16, given us an entirely satisfying run of Phish music.
It actually reminds me quite a bit of the '11 tour that I recently finished reviewing: for most of the summer, the shows were solid but mostly repetitive affairs. It felt like the band was reaching for something, but not getting there...until the Gorge Rock and Roll, when things started to turn for the better. By the time the band hit Dick's (hehe), they were primed to string together one of the best runs of 3.0, if not ever.
I wouldn't say Dick's '16 lives up to that standard of quality, but it comes on the tail-end of another mostly underwhelming tour that began to show signs of life out west and now has turned out a Dick's run that is a return to the band's '15 form. Here's where it starts.
The band roars out of the gates with a great Type I "Ghost" opener followed by a deep "No Men's" jam in the two-slot. It's preceded by more great soloing from Trey before the full band departs on a wall-of-noise-style jam that belongs squarely in the middle of the second set. But I'm not complaining. The rest of the set proceeds in a more standard fashion, but the bar has clearly been set pretty high.
The second set opens with "Antelope," which doesn't do anything for me, but I suppose is neat song placement. "Mercury" makes its return to Dick's next, and actually gets into Type II territory briefly before segueing into a "Seven Below" that revisits the wall of noise jamming from the earlier "No Men's."
A slow, true segue leads "Seven Below" into a raucous "Birds." "Wombat" is a neat setlist surprise to follow, but also makes it feel like the band might be settling into a typical fourth quarter...until "Tweezer" starts up.
It's fun enough to just have a late-set "Tweezer" pop up, but this is one for the ages, echoing the famous Tahoe version despite only being half its length. It's fantastic.
Lest you thought that the set was over after this monster jam, there's a "Jim" -> "Seven Below" -> "Jim" sequence before "Suzy" brings an end to the festivities. "Bug" > "Tweeprise" is a perfect encore.
All three of these shows end up being great, but this second set is particularly satisfying.
The Live Review:
9/2/16: Run kicks off with Ghost. I'm already wishing I'd driving to Denver last summer instead of '15.
9/2/16: Not that '15 Dick's was bad, but I'm feeling like the end of summer tour proper was the band getting ready to blow (finally) in '16.
9/2/16: Let's see if I'm right.
9/2/16: Band rocking a pretty solid Type I jam to start off the run here.
9/2/16: Big power chord to end and a smooth move back into the Ghost riff to end the song.
9/2/16: Long pause before No Men's starts up.
9/2/16: Troy laying down a pretty rad solo during this No Men's.
9/2/16: Damn! Type I jam supreme here.
9/2/16: Outro vocals.
9/2/16: Fish keeps the song going. Trey on echo chords.
9/2/16: Echo chording is to '16 as the ambient fade-out was to '09 and '10.
9/2/16: It's the 'Where do we go next?' moment. Which I don't mind, as long as they keep going.
9/2/16: Building wall of jam now. Fish is a monster.
9/2/16: Screamy loopy guitar mania. Really intense. Is this 1996?! What the hell is happening?!
9/2/16: Hold me.
9/2/16: Return to No Men's riff and a capella outro. That was 15 of the best minutes of Phish this year so far.
9/2/16: And it was the second song of the first set of Dick's. Talk about a high bar.
9/2/16: Let's jump it!
9/2/16: Trey plays Breath and Burning next. Thanks, buddy.
9/2/16: Breath and Burning is getting extended a bit, but not like the Philly version.
9/2/16: Playing Undermind at Dick's is guaranteed to start my daydreaming about the Dick's '11 version.
9/2/16: Undermind didn't get weird, but I'm a sucker for those echoplex-driven Type I Underminds, so that's okay.
9/2/16: Sounds like Heavy Things or Maze coming up...Heavy Things it is!
9/2/16: Troy struggling with lyrics. Not sure why. Calls for a Leo solo. Page killing it on piano now.
9/2/16: Page solo gives Heavy Things a nice flavor.
9/2/16: Stash is next. Set has returned more or less to normal after the two opening tunes, but the energy from those jams carried over.
9/2/16: Fish ranting about 'swinging Dick's.' Never gets old.
9/2/16: Headed into a 'swingin' song'...Ass Handed.
9/2/16: > The Wedge.
9/2/16: Alaska! Here's a song I haven't had to groan about for awhile :)
9/2/16: 46 Days.
9/2/16: Set ends with a solid if unremarkable 46 Days.
9/2/16: Set 2 opens with Antelope. Interesting opener choices today.
9/2/16: Not a big fan of Antelope anyway (I know, I know...) but it's neat to see it inserted into the set in a weird spot.
9/2/16: MERCURY
9/2/16: I TEND TO GET PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THIS SONG, BOB EZRIN
9/2/16: As long as I live, I will never forget climbing Mt. Hood, half awake, at sunrise, above 9,000 feet...
9/2/16: ...with 'The net's unbreakable, so don't worry about falling' stuck in my head on repeat over and over again.
9/2/16: Seemed even more appropriate later when we were front-pointing back down the Pearly Gates...
9/2/16: Great solo from Trey to start an extended Mercury jam. Actually went into Type II murk for a minute before > Seven Below.
9/2/16: Neat, building jam in Seven Below. A lower-key take on the earlier No Men's jam.
9/2/16: Huge wall of noise jam to finish off Seven Below. Perfect slow building -> Birds.
9/2/16: Monster rock. No deep jams here, but the Seven Below -> Birds sequence is a legit highlight anyway. Holy second set so far.
9/2/16: Wombat! The band seems to like Dick's and SF Wombats.
9/2/16: Nice little echo-funk jam out of Wombat.
9/2/16: Oh hell yes. Late-set Tweezer. Trey using some kind of phaser effect for the intro riff. OH YEAH
9/2/16: THE PHISH FROM VERMONT THE PHISH FROM VERMONT THE PHISH FROM VERMONT THE PHISH FROM VERMONT THE PHISH FROM VERMONT THE PHISH FROM V
9/2/16: The rhythm section is so smooth tonight. Man, I should have driven to Denver for this show.
9/2/16: It was only 1,200 miles!
9/2/16: Super patient jamming.
9/2/16: Heading into an Undermind-style shuffle now.
9/2/16: If I was high right now, the back of my head would be lifting off.
9/2/16: HEY PHISH WHO WAS PLAYING DRESSED UP LIKE YOU IN JUNE AND JULY
9/2/16: BUT SERIOUSLY WELCOME THE FUCK BACK
9/2/16: Pure momentum for 13 straight minutes. Having *gasp* some Tahoe flashbacks here.
9/2/16: Or Miami Disease, if you prefer.
9/2/16: > I HAD A DOG HIS NAME WAS JIM
9/2/16: Jim -> Seven Below -> Jim
9/2/16: Calling it because the whole band shifted into Seven Below for about :30 seconds.
9/2/16: Fish laying down some complex beats during this Jim jam.
9/2/16: I'm becoming more and more convinced that when Trey and Fish are clicking, it's automatically a great Phish show.
9/2/16: In any Phish era.
9/2/16: Jim is Type I bonkers.
9/2/16: > Suzy.
9/2/16: Drum showcase jam in Suzy.
9/2/16: End set. As the Phish kids would say, that was straight fire.
9/2/16: As the other kids would say, that was totes cray.
9/2/16: I know I'm in the minority here, but I love a well-placed Bug. This version is that.
9/2/16: > Tweeprise.
9/2/16: Even considering my typical at-show bias for the '16 west coast run, Dick's N1 might be my favorite show of the year so far.
9/2/16: SF2 and Chula had deeper second sets, but this second set was all energy, all the time.
9/2/16: Plus Tweezer and No Men's (S1) jams were top-shelf.
9/2/16: I want more now.
Mar 10, 2017
Chris Robinson Brotherhood: 2016-11-19 Capitol Theatre
The Live Review:
11/19/16: Okay, I'm going to follow up last week's 8/28/16 CRB review with a review of their latest Capitol Theatre show.
11/19/16: This was the second show of theirs that I 'saw' as a webcast after the Lockn' show got me hooked.
11/19/16: Lindsey was out of town, it was a Saturday night, and I sat down on the couch, smoked way too much and had an absolute blast.
11/19/16: The most fun I've ever had watching a show while not physically there.
11/19/16: I'm a little afraid to see how it stands up to a sober, afternoon listen :)
11/19/16: A little wall of noise action to start the show...
11/19/16: New Cannonball Rag opener
11/19/16: Damn I love this band.
11/19/16: Traded solos from Neal and Adam lead into a more start/stop-style jam.
11/19/16: Now, some tension-y syncopated piano.
11/19/16: Tony shifting to a blues beat now.
11/19/16: Ends a great opening jam and sets up a smooth -> Tomorrow's Blues.
11/19/16: Great little solo from Adam as the Tomorrow's Blues jam picks up speed.
11/19/16: Great opening sequence. Roan County Banjo is next.
11/19/16: Love the bridge (or whatever you'd call it) in Roan County. Especially the way it ends with a giant Neal solo.
11/19/16: Bit tension-style jam to end the song. That's probably my favorite version of the tune that I've heard.
11/19/16: Reflections On a Broken Mirror next. Such a great slow song.
11/19/16: I Want To (Do Everything For You)
11/19/16: Great clav solo from Adam in the middle of this blues cover.
11/19/16: Quick, shuffling outro jam after a vocal breakdown.
11/19/16: Little Lizzie Mae is next.
11/19/16: Some scatting from Chris at the end of the vocal section of the song. Pretty sure that's not typical.
11/19/16: Angular synth bits from Adam to lead into the jam.
11/19/16: SONIC CHAOS resolved by the pure sound of Neal's guitar bringing us back to rock and roll terra firma.
11/19/16: Getting quiet now.
11/19/16: Adam over to what sounds like an electric piano now.
11/19/16: Nice landing > California Hymn.
11/19/16: Love Adam's barroom-style piano on this song.
11/19/16: Descending set of chords from Adam to lead into a post-lyrics jam in California Hymn.
11/19/16: Bit o' blues, bit o' shuffle.
11/19/16: Awesome beat from Tony as the jam builds in intensity.
11/19/16: After a big peak, returning to the quiet, piano-led spot they kicked off from.
11/19/16: > Lazy Days
11/19/16: Totally weird but great solo from Adam in the middle of Lazy Days.
11/19/16: End set.
11/19/16: S2 opens with Saturday Night in Oak Grove, LA
11/19/16: I like Chris's voice on just about any song, but this one in particular is great.
11/19/16: Leave My Guitar Alone.
11/19/16: Love the outro on that song. Forever Is the Moon is next.
11/19/16: So far, the second set is a bit songier and less jammy.
11/19/16: Chris really leaning into the vocals on this version.
11/19/16: Shadow Cosmos in the ballad tune slot in S2. Gorgeous new(er) song.
11/19/16: Ain't It Hard But Fair is next.
11/19/16: Vocal jam in the middle of Ain't It Hard.
11/19/16: Vibration and Light Suite.
11/19/16: Love this song so much, especially the angry groove in the middle section.
11/19/16: Adam leading the charge into the Vibration jam proper.
11/19/16: Downright evil/funky clav work from Adam now.
11/19/16: Neal's tone on the following solo is just ridiculous.
11/19/16: Crazy interplay between Neal and Adam now.
11/19/16: Jam slowing down a bit now. Quieting.
11/19/16: -> Narcissus Soaking Wet
11/19/16: Love the combination of Neal's tone and Chris's harmonica in that song.
11/19/16: Rosalee.
11/19/16: End of Rosalee's bridge > Magic Carpet Ride.
11/19/16: Droning space-rock jam forming out of Magic Carpet Ride.
11/19/16: Space jamming madness reaches a peak and then fades into noise.
11/19/16: > Rosalee.
11/19/16: End set.
11/19/16: The second set started off a little songy, but Vibration -> Narcissus, Rosalee > Magic Carpet Ride > Rosalee sequence was nuts.
11/19/16: Rock and Roll encore.
11/19/16: When I watched this live, I was SO HIGH, and I could not understand how CRB was playing a Phish song.
11/19/16: Well, a Velvet Underground song, but you know what I mean.
11/19/16: An excellent show, and (surprisingly) just how I remembered it.
11/19/16: I've definitely seen shows of theirs in person where they've jammed more and more weirdly that I've liked better.
11/19/16: But this one is a perfect mix of good, songy songs and accessible longer jams.
11/19/16: There's no dull moments for nearly three hours of music.
11/19/16: In short, if you don't like this show, you probably don't like this band.
11/19/16: If you're interested, I actually have an SD video of the webcast on YouTube: https://t.co/j2EELQv798
Feb 28, 2017
2016-08-28 Lockn' II
The Verdict:
Similarly to the first Lockn' night, the 8/28 show starts off with a relatively forgettable first set. The setlist, with the potential exceptionally of a particularly egregiously-placed "The Line," is really solid in a festival-y way, but the entire set feels rushed. None of the songs are jam vehicles that get unexpectedly truncated or anything, but there's a three minute "Martian Monster," and "Halley's," "Moma," and "Bag" in particular seem like they don't get a chance to develop into even a decent Type I affair. The one big bright spot in this set is the also-short "Possum," which, like a few versions lately, goes the '93-esque tension-and-release route. It's awesome. Oh, and "First Tube" closes the set, which I guess is neat in a "rare placement" sort of way.
The second set is similar to something like 7/19/16 II in how it's a constant, hour-plus-long flow of great ideas but in the midst of all those great-but-not-deep versions of songs there's also a satisfying tentpole jam.
"Carini" is up first, and goes dark immediately, with Trey deploying all sorts of echoes and distortion to drive the jam down into the mud. Emerging slightly with a nasty riff, he slowly evolves it into the "CDT" riff and we segue into that song. This is a pretty standard version of that tune, but at the last moment, Trey seems to be doing something different by chording instead of playing but the rest of the band doesn't pick up on it and the song ends in a minor crash...that segues nicely into a '16-style "Twist."
So far, "Carini" and "Twist" have offered up some good ideas, but the band hasn't really stretched its legs yet. Fortunately that changes with "Light," which is an excellent departure from the normal type of jam that comes out of the song. After breaking away from the Type I outro, the entire band, led by a great beat from Fish, departs on a few gorgeous, patient minutes of a quiet melodic jam before bringing it up slowly to a more typical bliss ending. It's one of my favorite jams in awhile.
That's the definite high point of the set, but the energy carries over into a filthy "Tweezer," a heavy "No Quarter," a complex "2001," and finally a "Hood" that comes close to matching the Chula Vista version's intensity.
It's truly one of those "all killer, no filler" sets that the band has been dropping more and more often lately. This bodes well for the Dick's run.
The Live Review:
8/28/16: Sample opener.
8/28/16: YOUR TRIP IS SHORT
8/28/16: Troy using the echo to great effect during this Martian Monster.
8/28/16: A surprisingly short and sample-filled Martian Monster segues into Axila I.
8/28/16: Moma Dance now.
8/28/16: Short Moma Dance, too. Halley's Comet is next, with Trey letting the crowd sing a bit of the vocals.
8/28/16: > Bag. Mid-set seems like a rare placement for this tune.
8/28/16: Trey with a sparse start to the Bag solo, leaving Page some pockets to play around in.
8/28/16: Short Bag, too. Good song choices so far, but feels a bit rushed. FYF is next.
8/28/16: > 46 Days.
8/28/16: Band builds up energy for the first time in the set with a hot 46 Days, and then...The Line'd.
8/28/16: Limb By Limb, and then Possum to finish the set.
8/28/16: Trey with some great blues licks during this jam.
8/28/16: Machine-gun tension bit.
8/28/16: Holding the tension for an absurdly long time. Crowd goes nuts at the release.
8/28/16: That was a super-short Possum, but a really good version. I like that they've been bringing the tune back to its roots lately.
8/28/16: First Tube to close the set. Sorry, I jumped the gun.
8/28/16: I love Fish on this tune.
8/28/16: Carini opens the second set.
8/28/16: I know I always rave about PYITE as my favorite set opener, but this one's up there, too.
8/28/16: Super dirty tone from Trey to start the solo.
8/28/16: Nicely developed mini-jam that moved toward a slow -> CDT.
8/28/16: Trey dancing around the solo a bit like he wants to push CDT to Type II land.
8/28/16: Rather than the typical outro riff for CDT, Trey just hits a fuzzy power chord a few times.
8/28/16: Seems like he was trying to launch a jam, but it just confused everyone else and the bottom fell out. > Twist.
8/28/16: Another minimalist, pitch-shifted Twist jam.
8/28/16: I like taking this song in this direction, but it seems like what they've been doing with it since late '15. Like, every version.
8/28/16: Short Twist > Light.
8/28/16: Trey struggles a bit with the initial chords in Light, but now there's a great Type I jam developing.
8/28/16: Awesome Fish beat driving the jam into a new direction.
8/28/16: Neat, low-key melody solo from Trey.
8/28/16: That was something you rarely hear these days: a melodically interesting jam that patiently builds from near-silence over time.
8/28/16: The end, of course, was a '15-style bliss chord progression. But getting there was way more rewarding than usual.
8/28/16: > Tweezer.
8/28/16: Trey going echo-crazy during the composed part of Tweezer.
8/28/16: Super momentum in this Tweezer. Great Type I solo from Trey and now a chunkier, more percussive bit.
8/28/16: Quick wind-down and a nice landing in No Quarter.
8/28/16: Trey just ripped off a great No Quarter solo. Moving immediately from the end of the tune into 2001.
8/28/16: 2001s have had a new sort of verve to them lately. That one was no exception, even if it was a bit short.
8/28/16: > Hood.
8/28/16: I'm curious to see how this version goes after the Chula Hood permanently altered the earth's orbit around the sun.
8/28/16: So far, Trey is taking the melodic gorgeousness of the Light and Tweezer jams and applying it here too.
8/28/16: Excellent but not earth-altering Hood > Tweeprise.
8/28/16: Loving Cup encore.
8/28/16: Great show. The first set fell a bit into the 'average-great' category, but the second set mixed together...
8/28/16: ...two great 3.0 traditions: a tentpole jam and lots of interesting little jamlets dotting the set. Very little filler.
Similarly to the first Lockn' night, the 8/28 show starts off with a relatively forgettable first set. The setlist, with the potential exceptionally of a particularly egregiously-placed "The Line," is really solid in a festival-y way, but the entire set feels rushed. None of the songs are jam vehicles that get unexpectedly truncated or anything, but there's a three minute "Martian Monster," and "Halley's," "Moma," and "Bag" in particular seem like they don't get a chance to develop into even a decent Type I affair. The one big bright spot in this set is the also-short "Possum," which, like a few versions lately, goes the '93-esque tension-and-release route. It's awesome. Oh, and "First Tube" closes the set, which I guess is neat in a "rare placement" sort of way.
The second set is similar to something like 7/19/16 II in how it's a constant, hour-plus-long flow of great ideas but in the midst of all those great-but-not-deep versions of songs there's also a satisfying tentpole jam.
"Carini" is up first, and goes dark immediately, with Trey deploying all sorts of echoes and distortion to drive the jam down into the mud. Emerging slightly with a nasty riff, he slowly evolves it into the "CDT" riff and we segue into that song. This is a pretty standard version of that tune, but at the last moment, Trey seems to be doing something different by chording instead of playing but the rest of the band doesn't pick up on it and the song ends in a minor crash...that segues nicely into a '16-style "Twist."
So far, "Carini" and "Twist" have offered up some good ideas, but the band hasn't really stretched its legs yet. Fortunately that changes with "Light," which is an excellent departure from the normal type of jam that comes out of the song. After breaking away from the Type I outro, the entire band, led by a great beat from Fish, departs on a few gorgeous, patient minutes of a quiet melodic jam before bringing it up slowly to a more typical bliss ending. It's one of my favorite jams in awhile.
That's the definite high point of the set, but the energy carries over into a filthy "Tweezer," a heavy "No Quarter," a complex "2001," and finally a "Hood" that comes close to matching the Chula Vista version's intensity.
It's truly one of those "all killer, no filler" sets that the band has been dropping more and more often lately. This bodes well for the Dick's run.
The Live Review:
8/28/16: Sample opener.
8/28/16: YOUR TRIP IS SHORT
8/28/16: Troy using the echo to great effect during this Martian Monster.
8/28/16: A surprisingly short and sample-filled Martian Monster segues into Axila I.
8/28/16: Moma Dance now.
8/28/16: Short Moma Dance, too. Halley's Comet is next, with Trey letting the crowd sing a bit of the vocals.
8/28/16: > Bag. Mid-set seems like a rare placement for this tune.
8/28/16: Trey with a sparse start to the Bag solo, leaving Page some pockets to play around in.
8/28/16: Short Bag, too. Good song choices so far, but feels a bit rushed. FYF is next.
8/28/16: > 46 Days.
8/28/16: Band builds up energy for the first time in the set with a hot 46 Days, and then...The Line'd.
8/28/16: Limb By Limb, and then Possum to finish the set.
8/28/16: Trey with some great blues licks during this jam.
8/28/16: Machine-gun tension bit.
8/28/16: Holding the tension for an absurdly long time. Crowd goes nuts at the release.
8/28/16: That was a super-short Possum, but a really good version. I like that they've been bringing the tune back to its roots lately.
8/28/16: First Tube to close the set. Sorry, I jumped the gun.
8/28/16: I love Fish on this tune.
8/28/16: Carini opens the second set.
8/28/16: I know I always rave about PYITE as my favorite set opener, but this one's up there, too.
8/28/16: Super dirty tone from Trey to start the solo.
8/28/16: Nicely developed mini-jam that moved toward a slow -> CDT.
8/28/16: Trey dancing around the solo a bit like he wants to push CDT to Type II land.
8/28/16: Rather than the typical outro riff for CDT, Trey just hits a fuzzy power chord a few times.
8/28/16: Seems like he was trying to launch a jam, but it just confused everyone else and the bottom fell out. > Twist.
8/28/16: Another minimalist, pitch-shifted Twist jam.
8/28/16: I like taking this song in this direction, but it seems like what they've been doing with it since late '15. Like, every version.
8/28/16: Short Twist > Light.
8/28/16: Trey struggles a bit with the initial chords in Light, but now there's a great Type I jam developing.
8/28/16: Awesome Fish beat driving the jam into a new direction.
8/28/16: Neat, low-key melody solo from Trey.
8/28/16: That was something you rarely hear these days: a melodically interesting jam that patiently builds from near-silence over time.
8/28/16: The end, of course, was a '15-style bliss chord progression. But getting there was way more rewarding than usual.
8/28/16: > Tweezer.
8/28/16: Trey going echo-crazy during the composed part of Tweezer.
8/28/16: Super momentum in this Tweezer. Great Type I solo from Trey and now a chunkier, more percussive bit.
8/28/16: Quick wind-down and a nice landing in No Quarter.
8/28/16: Trey just ripped off a great No Quarter solo. Moving immediately from the end of the tune into 2001.
8/28/16: 2001s have had a new sort of verve to them lately. That one was no exception, even if it was a bit short.
8/28/16: > Hood.
8/28/16: I'm curious to see how this version goes after the Chula Hood permanently altered the earth's orbit around the sun.
8/28/16: So far, Trey is taking the melodic gorgeousness of the Light and Tweezer jams and applying it here too.
8/28/16: Excellent but not earth-altering Hood > Tweeprise.
8/28/16: Loving Cup encore.
8/28/16: Great show. The first set fell a bit into the 'average-great' category, but the second set mixed together...
8/28/16: ...two great 3.0 traditions: a tentpole jam and lots of interesting little jamlets dotting the set. Very little filler.
2016-08-26 Lockn' I
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.
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.
Chris Robinson Brotherhood: 2016-08-28 Lockn'
The Live Review:
8/28/16: Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go opener. Great opener choice.
8/28/16: Being a festival slot, this is a shorter show, but it's the show (webcast) that got me into the band, so this should be fun.
8/28/16: Leave My Guitar Alone is second. A little faster-paced than they've been playing it lately. More of a shuffle.
8/28/16: Some great, reserved guitar from Neal on Let's Go.
8/28/16: I love the doo-wop backing vocals during this song.
8/28/16: Second song in and Neal's already hitting the super-space-echo tone. That's always a good thing.
8/28/16: Neal brings the tune home with a short solo. Forever As the Moon next.
8/28/16: Now that's one of those songs that you just don't care that they don't jam, because it's so good it doesn't need an instrumental.
8/28/16: Roan County Banjo is next. If there's a CRB song that is perfect for summer lawn-dancing, it's this one.
8/28/16: Precious, Precious. Chris's voice is fantastic for this song. Great cover.
8/28/16: Backup vocals are alright, too :)
8/28/16: I feel like I'm at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance.
8/28/16: New Cannonball Rag.
8/28/16: 'Boogies all night with the T-Rex arms.' Love it. One of my favorite lyrics.
8/28/16: Neal opening up a bit during Cannonball Rag.
8/28/16: Nice little Adam solo there, too.
8/28/16: It's weird to listen to this show compared to the last four full shows of theirs that I've seen live.
8/28/16: These are like the 'album' versions of these tunes, and nothing's really getting opened up.
8/28/16: I guess that's the festival set at work.
8/28/16: Still fun to listen to, but no jams to tweet furiously about :)
8/28/16: Ain't It Hard But Fair is next.
8/28/16: Wind-down bit in this song always makes me think of the Uncle Ebeneezer bit in Tweezer. 8/28/16: Short vocal jam.
8/28/16: It's All Over Now, Baby Blue.
8/28/16: I love how Tony switches up the beat on the drums for the chorus parts in this cover.
8/28/16: Absolutely nasty solo from Adam between verses.
8/28/16: Neal rocking the hell out of the end of the song.
8/28/16: Where does this guy get his tone from? It's amazing.
8/28/16: Vibration and Light Suite.
8/28/16: Love how they drop out of that Interstate Love Song opening riff into space boogie. So smooth.
8/28/16: Adam doing an almost 1890s watering hole thing on the piano behind the boogie. Hilarious.
8/28/16: Echoes and distortion from Neal and Adam at once is driving this jam into space.
8/28/16: Dueling guitars now from Chris and Neal.
8/28/16: It got a bit drowned out, but excellent drumming from Tony in that section.
8/28/16: Cymbal wash, ambient guitar noise.
8/28/16: -> Narcissus Soaking Wet.
8/28/16: And the set's going to wrap up with a harmonica solo from Chris and one last space-echo solo from Neal's demon-possessed guitar.
8/28/16: Welp, typically great playing for the band, but almost none of the typical jamming/instrumental bits.
8/28/16: It's a neat show as the show that got me into the band, but not really worth much relistening.
8/28/16: Would likely be a great recording to turn other people on to the band, though: short, precise versions of great tunes played live.
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