2014-10-18 Seattle

The Verdict:
Maybe it's because it was a little underwhelming as my last show of the year in a year that included a fantastic Dick's run and the previous night's outstanding Eugene show, but the Seattle show was underwhelming for me live. I've come to appreciate it a little more after a relisten, but it falls pretty hard into that category that I put 7/16 and 7/25 in. Basically, it's a perfectly well-played show where the band seems to focus more on clever segues, interesting one-off songs, and weird, short jam spaces. Really, if you have no stake in hearing the band play huge, wide-ranging explorations, this should be a pretty great show, much like 7/16 or 7/25. Unfortunately, the playing here is uneven enough that it really accentuates the lack of a showcase jam to eclipse the rough parts. That's not to say there aren't some neat bits, because there are, but definitely not a triumphant end to my 2014 touring.

The "Cavern" opener is neat. "Wilson" is a bit a letdown, considering the history behind the song, Phish, and Seattle at this point. I wasn't really expecting a 20 minute version or anything, but some banter from Trey or something would have been nice.

The rest of the set is really straightforward and predictable, and, frankly, sloppier than you'd expect with all of these rotation songs getting played and none of them really stretching into anything interesting. "Sugar Shack" is an interesting exception, and in this version Trey even nails his parts. The closing "Gin" stays Type I, but bounces around in its cage in some interesting ways. A little of Dick's-style funk in the "Wolfman's" gives the set just enough bite to entice you back for more in the second set.

I like the "Disease" jam, honestly. It's short, but pokes out in a few interesting directions. Then Trey swings the jam into "Golden Age" and proceeds to butcher it. From here, the guys spend most of the rest of the set bouncing from idea to idea with little to show for it. "Fuego," "Light," "46 Days," and "Sand" all have fun little mini-jams, but none of them get space to develop. If that's enough for you, then this will likely be a hot set. None of the improv here is bad, but it's hard for me to avoid having that "What if?" response when I hear something like the "Sand" outro jam.

The obvious highlight here is the segue from "Light" -> "Cities," and the ensuing weird version of "Cities." But even that is a bit of a bummer, as the band obviously tries to finish the "Light" -> "Cities" -> "Light" sandwich at the end of the song, but Trey rides right over them to start "46 Days." It's sort of painful to hear and again raises that "What if?" question. That pretty much sums up this show for me, honestly.

The Live Review:
10/18/14: Here we (finally) go with a Cavern opener!
10/18/14: Think I might have actually just heard a Mike's Drill opener before Cavern.
10/18/14: Cavern is sort of weird as an opener. Everytime I hear it, I hear a set or show closing.
10/18/14: Trey struggling a bit with Wilson.
10/18/14: Kind of an anticlimactic take on Wilson, considering it's Seattle and all.
10/18/14: Rift!
10/18/14: Trey's struggling with Rift, too. Everyone sounds really tired. Maybe it's just the mix?
10/18/14: I do remember this show getting off to a slow start, fwiw. So maybe it just sucks.
10/18/14: Maybe Moma will get Trey back on track. It usually does.
10/18/14: Standard Moma with Trey dragging out a loop a bit at the end. Next up, The Line.
10/18/14: Eugene 1st quarter was standard but interesting song choices. This is just kinda boring.
10/18/14: Little bit o' heat in that outro jam. Maybe things'll pick up a bit now?
10/18/14: SUGAR SHACK. Seems like a big risk considering Trey's playing so far. We'll see.
10/18/14: They're...actually...doing...it! A nearly perfect live version of Sugar Shack!
10/18/14: Monster Lawn Boy solo from Cactus.
10/18/14: Kill Devil Falls. This first set isn't really worthy of 2014 so far. More like 2009 or 2011.
10/18/14: The years of first set purgatory. 2010, I'm learning, was the year of second set purgatory :)
10/18/14: Okay, after having said that, I have to admit that the KDF has a little extra oomph to it this time around.
10/18/14: Non-jam standout of the summer is next: Wolfman's.
10/18/14: Rhythm section leading in this Wolfman's jam. Trey's echoplex in play.
10/18/14: Sounds like Dick's funk in here all of a sudden.
10/18/14: Typical rock peak to end the jam. Good version, though.
10/18/14: Sparkle: the other song (with Rift and Wolfman's) that's been played during 4,000 first sets this year.
10/18/14: Gin.
10/18/14: Jam off to a mellow start.
10/18/14: Really neat almost Simple-like section starting at 8:00. Doesn't last long, though.
10/18/14: Smooth build into a great rock peak. Nothing revolutionary, but a solid somewhat-jammed-out version.
10/18/14: The last few songs of this set are more up to 2014 S1 standards, thankfully.
10/18/14: End set.
10/18/14: Disease opener for S2.
10/18/14: Trey ripping into the jam with some great melody lines. Mike backing up. Band sounds totally different from S1.
10/18/14: Trey just snuck a bit of the Fuego riff into the jam, maybe totally by accident. Going minimalist now.
10/18/14: Some solid loop/chord action in this jam.
10/18/14: Now Fish is driving. Trey adding some space-age licks.
10/18/14: Trey just sort of hit part of the riff for Golden Age and then suddenly >'d that fucker like it was gonna get away.
10/18/14: Neat Disease jam, though.
10/18/14: Trey's guitar isn't really featuring at all on this Golden Age. And when it does, it's a bum note. Now he forgot the lyrics.
10/18/14: Maybe not the best segue decision.
10/18/14: Really neat, very short jam space with some Page piano, Mike bass driving, and Trey sending out weirder echoes than usual.
10/18/14: Page-led > Fuego.
10/18/14: Type I jam only out of Fuego, but it's a good one.
10/18/14: Heavy loop-based outro. Some drill, too. Spooky.
10/18/14: Here comes Light!
10/18/14: Trey stringing together some great little rhythm runs here in this Light.
10/18/14: End of the Light almost sounds like Mike is trying to start a -> Cars Trucks Buses.
10/18/14: Instead it's a great -> Light.
10/18/14: Shit! On relisten, just realized the rest of the band was going -> Light after Cities. Trey derailed with a stupid > 46 Days.
10/18/14: It shouldn't piss me off in retrospect, but it does. Light -> Cities -> Light would have been fantastic.
10/18/14: 46 Days is the S1 version, or the version they play near the end of the show when they're resting on their laurels.
10/18/14: Unfortunately, not a lot of laurels for this show.
10/18/14: Mellow move from 46 Days to Sand.
10/18/14: Sand is in full-on funkland mode.
10/18/14: Funk moves smoothly into a blissed-out type space.
10/18/14: This is gonna shock you, but premature > Number Line.
10/18/14: Pretty weird, rhythm-y Number Line jam instead of the usual noodle-fest.

10/18/14: Bold As Love closer is location-appropriate.
10/18/14: Encore is Meatstick (yay!) > Zero (boo!).
10/18/14: Of course since I've been ragging on Zero all year, they'd close with it at the last show I attended for the year.

2014-10-17 Eugene

The Verdict:
At the time, I'd said that this Eugene show might be my favorite Phish show that I've seen. After a relisten, I stand by that assessment. I've seen a lot of huge shows (at least post-2009), so why this one? Well, a lot of shows I've seen had much higher highs (especially one particular one that took place in Tahoe a year or so ago), but I haven't seen another show that was as frighteningly consistently high-quality as this one before. Plus there's a huge encore, plus there are shenanigans, plus there are great setlist choices, plus there are some great little jams and a pristine segue into a Phish debut, plus there's a jam that stands up against any of the summer's best. For my money, this show is vastly underrated, even within the context of a mostly-fantastic fall tour.

The first half of the first set is pretty standard, honestly, but it's played with energy and swagger, and then all of a sudden the second set starts early (so to speak) with "Reba" and continues on for the rest of the set. "Roggae" and "Simple" are brief but complex, "Maze" is an explosion, and "Coil" is the perfect exclamation point.

The best part of the second set "Carini" is that it sets up a perfect -> "Plasma," but the jam itself is no slouch, despite being a bit short. "Farmhouse" goes a sort of jazzy route, which makes it more than just setlist filler, and "Halfway To the Moon" is still new enough that it's always fun to hear. "Twist" is another serious, if short jam, and then "Crosseyed" explodes into the (funk) stratosphere. The "Hood" is another weird version that deviates in interesting ways from the usual plan, and the three-song encore is just perfect, including Trey dedicating "Sleeping Monkey" to Page and the band having the audience sing a turn on the chorus.

There's not really anything to dislike here. Listen to the whole thing, at least from "Reba" on, if nothing else.

The Live Review:
10/17/14: Okay, gotta admit: I loved the WAN tour opener. Unexpected call, but they pulled it off well.
10/17/14: Trey taking a back seat to Mike in this version. Mike is nailing this song to the wall.
10/17/14: Trey never quite finds his footing in this version, but the rest of the band rocks it.
10/17/14: Free next. Band apparently really wants to put the harmonies to the test tonight.
10/17/14: Mike is driving here, too. Trey's playing is very minimal.
10/17/14: Harmonies sound decent.
10/17/14: Seem to remember that the show started pretty late. Reason for the Waiting All Night opener, maybe?
10/17/14: Pretty standard Free, there. Poor Heart kicks up the energy quite a bit, though.
10/17/14: Page destroys his solo. So good.
10/17/14: Trey does a number on Sample. Maybe he'll shred a bit in this show after all.
10/17/14: Oddly, just after finally building some energy with that Poor Heart, Sample combo we jump to Strange Design.
10/17/14: Love the song, just seems like weird placement.
10/17/14: 555 next. It's almost as if each band member is getting a spotlight here. If you count Poor Heart as a Fish spotlight song.
10/17/14: Which I totally do, because YOU'RE GOIN' TO JAIL
10/17/14: This is such a great song. But dear god it needs a good jamming.
10/17/14: Everyone sounds a lot more in step now, finally.
10/17/14: Great little outro jam in 555, > Bouncin'.
10/17/14: I remembered this first quarter as being exactly like this. Really *weird* setlist choices, but somehow it all hangs together.
10/17/14: It's not really *interesting* at all, per se, but it's a weirdly effective intro to a great show.
10/17/14: As I remember, things start to get REALLY interesting really soon.
10/17/14: rEbA
10/17/14: The Chase section of Reba is remarkably well done in this version.
10/17/14: This is definitely an above-average version of Reba if you like your Rebas melodic and Trey-centric.
10/17/14: This Roggae jam is beautiful. But aren't they all? Mike is king, still.
10/17/14: Standalone Simple!
10/17/14: Awesome loopy mini-jam in this Simple. Wow.
10/17/14: Mike bombs. Great -> Maze.
10/17/14: Page/Trey interplay in this Maze is just crazy.
10/17/14: Coil is a great closer for a first set that's been half great first set and half second set. Everything from Reba on = fire.
10/17/14: Back with that Coil set closer this morning.
10/17/14: Super-high vocals at the end of Coil. Yes!
10/17/14: Great Page outro in a set that Page has just owned (Poor Heart, Strange Design, Maze, Coil, etc.).
10/17/14: CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII. Commence cranking volume.
10/17/14: Don't remember this jam at all. Looking forward to hearing it again.
10/17/14: Trey with some interesting leads early on.
10/17/14: Trey seems to have a very particular idea of what he wants to play here, but his fingers aren't keeping up with his brain.
10/17/14: Really purposeful, melodic soloing though, not just shredding to get to the 'real jam' part like sometimes happens.
10/17/14: Decisive break out of the melodic-solo mode, now.
10/17/14: Okay, this is badass.
10/17/14: Loops and Trey chording gives a great background for Page to play with. Electronic piano goo.
10/17/14: Moving naturally into some loop-inflected funk now. Setting up for the awesome -> Plasma.
10/1714: I sort of wish I hadn't read that they'd soundchecked Plasma before the show when I was there.
10/17/14: If I hadn't suspected it was coming already, this segue would have blown my brain off.
10/17/14: Anyway, friggin' -> Plasma. One of my favorite live moments of the year. Love Phish's take on this song.
10/17/14: The only way this could have been better was if they'd played a 20 minute monster jam in it. If wishes were Phishes...
10/17/14: Whoa! Trey sung the right lyrics and everyone else sung the wrong ones. I don't that's EVER happened before!
*think
10/17/14: Jam never really breaks from the song's structure, but it's a short-but-great little rocked-out jam nonetheless.
10/17/14: Overall, Carini -> Plasma pairing even better than I remembered, not just a novelty.
10/17/14: Cool, kinda unique Farmhouse jam. Got a jazzy feel to it.
10/17/14: I *like* the Farmhouse, Halfway breather here. Like the first half of S1, it's just a setup for the awesome to come.
10/17/14: Really languid, bluesy intro to this Twist. Loving it.
10/17/14: Mike is even more up-front than usual here. Sounding great.
10/17/14: Really mellow, Type 1.5-style jam in this Twist. Trey taking over with an almost Reba-like melody line.
10/17/14: Crosseyed! Easily my favorite Phish cover. Was so happy when they started it up.
10/17/14: My only other version was the weirdly chunky version at Gorge '13.
10/17/14: Fucking funk machine kicks on at 6:30. Yes.
10/17/14: Yes yes yes yes...Mike driving the jam under a bunch of loops from Trey. Moving into rock mode now. So goddamn good.
10/17/14: I clearly didn't appreciate this jam enough in person.
10/17/14: Sinister now.
10/17/14: Little bit of a jam based on what sounds like the back half of the Fuego main riff.
10/17/14: Someone (Fish?) making weird vocal noises. Now the loops are coming. And suddenly we're back at Dick's.
10/17/14: I'm biased, because I was there, but this just became jam of the year for me. Better than Dick's Simple. Which I also saw, ftr.
10/17/14: 'Still waiting' vocal reprise over the loops.
10/17/14: Why not more talk about this Crosseyed?! One of the #phish jams of the year, for my money. So driven, and varied, and brilliant.
10/17/14: Nice > Hood.
10/17/14: So happy that the crowd noise from the glowstick war made it on the SBD. One of my favorites to have been a part of.
10/17/14: Hood off to a solid, driving start.
10/17/14: Trey has stuck with the same riff-thing for like 3-4 minutes now. Very old school. Like it a lot.
10/17/14: Hell, this Hood is fantastic.
10/17/14: Really patiently developed but powerful peak. Page starts the outro chords a few measures before Trey, while Trey still rocks.
10/17/14: Great effect.
10/17/14: Rocky Top to close. We're officially having fun, now.
10/17/14: End set.
10/17/14: Love Wingsuit in the encore slot.
10/17/14: Trey: Sleeping Monkey is Page's favorite song! Fish: I didn't know that!
10/17/14: Trey dedicates Monkey to Page.
10/17/14: YES! THE AUDIENCE VERSE IS AUDIBLE ON THE SBD!
10/17/14: I'm a little happy about that :)
10/17/14: Mighty Quinn is not a cover that I usually relish, but this version is just wonderfully energetic and fun.
10/17/14: After the Eugene show, I'd said that it might be my favorite single Phish show I've attended. After a relisten, I stand by that.
10/17/14: I've been to a lot of shows that have way higher highs before, but few shows that are this great front-to-back.

10/17/14: Only real lull is in the first quarter, and the song choices there make up for it.

Summer I 2010 Wrap-Up

So, I never did a wrap-up post for Summer I 2010, despite the fact that I finished reviewing the individual shows in June. I'm going to do one now, but be aware that it's not coming much from memory of having listened to the shows recently, but more just from re-reading my reviews.

What I do remember of Summer I 2010 (and what re-reading reviews confirms) is that during this period, Phish pretty much abandoned the idea of jamming in its entirety, save for the occasional fifteen minute song that took the usual Type I > Funk > Rock > Ambient Fadeout structure of most of '09's big jams. They focused instead on high energy playing, great song choices, and just having fun. Many of these shows, on their own, are really fun, exciting listens. After a whole tour of it, though, I sort of wanted to blow my brains out. Yes, we get it. You can play these songs. But the improv, the thing that makes live Phish most interesting, is almost entirely missing after the first few shows. Fortunately, things pick up rather quickly during Summer II, so I guess there's that. Anyway, here are the highlights, such as they are:

6/11: The first three or so shows of the tour are actually pretty fantastic. The first set of the opener is ninety minutes in nine songs, and it's all a huge, high-energy affair. The second set has a few legit jams in "Light," and "Ghost" > "Limb By Limb."

6/12: Interesting version of "Stash" and a strange, mini-jammed "Groove" set closer in the first set. The second set opens with a monster "Rock and Roll" that's frankly kind of boring despite its length. Fortunately, the extended "Hood" that follows is "above-average-good," and the "Number Line" after that is one of the best jams of the year, even though it's really only the last five minutes or so that get crazy.

6/13: Consistently energetic show with some great setlist choices. The "Melt" at the end of the first set gets briefly interesting. The second set's "Drowned" > "Tweezer" -> "Twist" > "Piper" sequence is worth a listen, though it's the beginning of a move from legit jams to segues and weird setlist turns that hangs over most of the rest of this leg of tour.

6/15: Totally jamless. Weird "Bag" that's maybe worth a listen. There's a bit of "Gin" toward the end that gets interesting. Otherwise, totally rote show.

6/17: Great first set, in a first set sort of way. Trey destroys "Walk Away" and "Divided Sky." "Stash" is sufficiently weird and the jam gets a little "Melt"-y. "Sand" from the second set is worth a mention, as it sounds shockingly like a 2013 jam, like you literally turned on shuffle without realizing it and we jumped a few years into the future. But much of the rest of the show is the band giving Trey the reins and Trey sort of shrugging awkwardly.

6/18: This is about as good as a Phish show can get without a marquee jam. Everything's played well, the setlist is fantastic, etc. "Light" -> "Billy Breathes" is gorgeous, even if the "Light" is short. The "Tweezer" is worth a listen, though I'm not sure it quite qualifies as a "marquee jam" to offset the rest of the (really good) jukebox playing.

6/19: First set is amazing within the confines of a usual first set. Fantastic Type I "Gin" jam, fantastic song selection, Page destroys the "Suzy" closer. "Rock and Roll" opens the second set on a high note, but the rest of the set devolves back into "rocking out the first set" territory.

6/20: Consistent but straightforward first set with a "Roggae" highlight. "Drowned" -> "Swept Away" -> "Steep" is masterful, but that's about all that's worth noting from another mostly rote show.

6/22: The first set is all Trey Shredz and "Dr. Gabel." "Sally" -> "Light" -> "46 Days" is a great second set sequence, but that's the extent of the highlights.

6/24: The epitome of jamless, high energy 2010 Phish. Strong "Bowie" opener, strange "Timber" sort-of jam...and "The (fucking) Rover"! And it's a great cover. The second set is a bit weird and inconsistent, and settles into a composed-song groove for the last 45 or so minutes, but before that there's a bit of an interesting "Twenty Years" jam > a solid "Hood."

6/25: Finally somewhat of a strange show! Lots of very old songs and very new songs in the first set. The second set "CDT" goes deep (shades of '14) though it's a bit hollow for all its length. The "highlight" of the set is a "2001"/Michael Jackson seguefest that, like most seguefests, was probably way better live than it is on tape. On tape, it's a rickety, sort of goofy affair that fortunately lands in a "Light" that actually goes somewhere interesting. Inconsistent show, but one with some improvisational high points, finally.

6/26: Set one is standard-great in the mold of most of the summer 2010 first sets so far: solid playing, great song choices, nothing interesting.  The second set is a bunch of old-school songs rocked out in old-school fashion, including a fantastic "Rock and Roll" jam and one of the better "Tweezer"s of the season.

6/27: The first set is a weird but effective mix of eccentric songs like "Walfredo," "Tela," and "Mellow Mood." In the second set, a rocking "Meatstick" leads into "Saw It Again," which we do in fact see again (and again) throughout the rest of the set. "Piper" -> "Ghost" is gorgeous, and the halfhearted "Jumpin' Jack Flash" that follows is icing on the weirdly satisfying cake. One of my favorites of the leg, for sure.

6/29: Back down into the doldrums in this show, from the heights of the previous 2-3. The whale pedal is absolutely out of control here, and the songs suffer for it. No highlights really, save for a few minutes of the "Simple" and a bit of funky space in "Groove."

7/1: Lack of energy makes the usual paint-by-numbers 2010 S1 boring. All that's really worth mentioning is a brief-but-thorough "Light."

7/2: Back to the usual "fun" 2010 first set here. Great moments in the second set including a vocal jam in "46 Days," a dark "Twenty Years Later," and more vocal jamming in "YEM," but alas, still very little improv.

7/3: Lots of old and rare songs in yet another good-but-boring first set. There is a long jam here in "Rock and Roll," but it's a clunker. The highlight of the show is probably the "Caspian" > "Tweezer" sequence.

7/4: Yet more oldies-but-goodies in this first set. The second set is one of the better ones of tour, which honestly isn't saying much after this leg. For example, there's a high-octane "Disease" > "Piper" > "Ghost" sequence, but across all three of those songs, there's no Type II to be seen. Oh well.

Summer '14 Wrap-Up

Summer '14 was, pretty clearly, the absolute best Phish since...well, for my money, since ever. There were some specific jams and idea spaces that came up in '13 that I liked better, and I haven't listened to Fall '13 yet, but for a tour where the band can go there at will and play just about anything on their catalog with technical precision in the meantime, in addition to there being a new album of songs to develop...well, let's just say there's a reason I jumped to reviewing this tour before finishing up summer '10. It's fantastic.

But there really wouldn't be much point in reviewing all of these shows if they were perfect, so here's my wrap-up post for summer '14.

6/24: Hour long show for Live On Letterman. Varied setlist surprisingly light on Fuego material, including a solid "Undermind." Only real jam (and there is one!) is "Twist."

7/1: Fantastic tour opener. Lots of Fuego songs in a high-energy first set, and a real highlight in a blissful "Stash." The second set is mostly an excellent "Mike's" > "Simple" > "Free," "Waiting All Night" > "Ghost" -> "Groove." The "Ghost" is the highlight here, at least until what's probably my favorite "Hood" of the entire summer.

7/3: The first set is another high-energy affair with some great song choices, including an "Ocelot" I actually like as well as a great "Mound," "Roggae" pairing. Three huge jams including a "Gin" -> "Limb By Limb" where both songs go Type II and a later "Tweezer" make the second set a winner, too.

7/4: This show has higher highs and lower lows than the first two shows. The first set is a clunker, but a great "Reba" and a great, loop-filled "Melt" almost make up for it. Similarly, the back half of the second set sags, but the first half is a sonic wonder, moving from a 20-minute "Fuego" to a brilliant "Disease," into a bluesy "Twist" and then ending up on darkly funky "Light." It's a great sequence.

7/5: The first set has a little bit of everything, including a marimba lumina jam, a "Foam," and the first live "Wombat." If you like composed epics, the second set has your number. The "Carini" -> "Waves" pairing is a great start to the set, "Piper" is just fantastic, and the show also contains "Fluffhead," "YEM," and "Divided Sky."

7/8: First set has great song choices, but no standout performances except for a short "Tube" jam. A huge "Fuego" is the jam centerpiece here, obviously, but the "Tweezer" -> "Ghost" is no slouch, either, especially because of a really weird "Ghost" jam.

7/9: The first set is a disaster in set construction, but strong versions of "Stealing Time" and "Alaska" (yes, you read that right) as well as takes on "McGrupp" and "Antelope" make it palatable. Set two is like 7/8's second set in that there are a few great jams (in this case "Chalkdust" and "Twist") while the rest of the set is just filler.

7/11: Set one is a rockfest topped off by a great "Stash"; that is, if you completely discount the amazing "Gin," which comes out of nowhere with a 15 minute version that at its best recalls the effortlessness of the Tahoe "Tweezer." Set two is all about the "Steam" > "Disease." "Steam" gets super-weird. The rest of the set is pretty standard.

7/12: The first set is way more consistent than the last few shows'. "Antelope" is a loopy highlight. The second set's main attraction is the "Carini" > "Ghost" pair, but like 7/1 there's another notable "Hood" that veers off the tracks, this time for a blues jam, of all things. One of the better shows of the tour so far, along with 7/3 and 7/8.

7/13: Set one is better than most. Solid first quarter, then a Page-ified "Possum," loopy-heavy "Jim," and a wild "Melt" to close. Set two's "CDT" > "Light" > "Tweezer" makes this the best show of the year so far, though the rest of the show after is a rote "victory lap" sequence.

7/15: One of the few clunkers of tour. Check out the "Disease," but that's about it.

7/16: While it doesn't stand up to the '14 juggernauts, this show seems a bit underrated. Solid first set, with an excellent funk-laden take on "It's Ice." In the second set, "Ghost," "Groove," "Piper," and "Possum" actually all get quite weird, but none of them stay weird for long, giving the impression (via tracklength) that nothing's going on. Interesting transition show, for my money.

7/18: First set is really flat, save for a great Trey-led "Reba." I still haven't heard anyone really talk this up, but this is one of my favorite second sets of the year. Darkness, funk, consistent jamming, weird song choices...it's all happening. Great "Golden Age" jam. The chorded-out "Mango Song." The transition from a white-hot "Sand" into "Piper," into some crazy "Piper"-jam/"Halley's" mashup into a fucking jammed-out "Wombat." Absolutely deranged. I love it.

7/19: Definitely a trough after the peak of 7/18 S2. First set is standard, though with good song choices. The second set is much the same: the "Hood" gets weird again in a good way, but falls apart near the end. Similarly to 7/15, I can really recommend one song here ("Light," in this case), and you won't miss much leaving the rest alone.

7/20: A great setlist, rock-solid playing, and a candles-jam from Page on "Mule" make for an excellent first set. "Disease" opens S2 in an interesting but inconsistent way, and things seem to be moving into jukebox territory for a bit before the boys break into a jam out of "The Wedge" that is one of the best of the summer, and not just because of shock value. The "Ghost" follow-up is great, and the "Groove" is a mini-seguefest. Weird, but satisfying show.

7/25: The first set is pretty rote here, though the extended "Winterqueen" is worth mentioning. The "CDT" jam is unique in a summer's worth of "CDT" jams because of its consistent minimalist/dark feel. After that, though, the show wraps up with some little jamlets like the 7/16 show did. The highlight post-"CDT" is definitely the "Twist" -> "Circus" pairing. Another weird-but-great show.

7/26: Consistently first set, though not necessarily interesting. Great version of "Roggae" (like most of them). The second set is pretty much front-to-back amazing (I'm looking at you, "Sing Monica," for that "pretty much"). "Carini" -> "Ghost" > "Steam" is a monster, and the "Hood" is possibly a better version than the 7/1 take. Great show.

7/27: Some heresy, here, but I prefer 7/26 to 7/27. Sure, seguefests are fun, but they're way less fun when you already know the setlist and know what's coming. The first set is either normal songs being played normally or surprise songs being underwhelming in practice. The Tweezerfest is pretty awesome, and fun, but again I'd rather look to the big jams and interesting improv of the summer when I'm thinking about relistens. Had I seen this live, it probably would have been my show of the year. But I didn't.

7/29: Early 3.0-style show: rote first set, big jam to kick off second set, then a slow grind to the finish. Actually, though the S2 "CDT" goes deep, it's probably my least favorite version of the summer, which makes the show highlight the first set "Melt," of all things...

7/30: Another rote first set here, but because the song selection is so weird, it might just win you over anyway. The second set is a rocket. There's a funk suite of sorts with "Fuego," "Meatstick," and "Piper" all jumping on board before "Billy Breathes" comes out of hibernation to serve as a landing pad. That's the end of the serious improv for the set, but "Seven Below," "First Tube," and "The Lizards" keep things interesting.

8/1: Absolutely boring first set, incredible second. The "Disease" is 20 minutes of pure energy, the "Tweezer" jam is great, the mini-"Fuego" jam picks up where "Tweezer" left off, and the set closes with a "Boogie On," "Antelope" mash-up. Great stuff.

8/2: Like many of the weaker shows this tour, we're mostly in jukebox mode here except for the third quarter, when "Carini" > "Ghost" blows the damn roof off.

8/3: Fantastic tour closer. Bookends really well with 7/1, actually. The first set features great performances of a great setlist, with a few bones thrown out to hint at greater things to come. "Vultures" is extended a bit, "Gumbo" gets a funk jam, etc. Yet another great "CDT" kicks off the second set, "Scents" and "Twist" are short-but-great takes, and the "Light" > "Hood" pair is just magical, and includes one of the best, if not the best "Hood" in a tour full of great ones.

8/29: S1 is great because of the setlist gag. It forces the band to play songs that don't usually show up here ("Guyute") or at all ("Llama," "Ha Ha Ha"), and they play them well enough that it works despite nothing really notable happening in terms of improv. The monster "Simple," probably my favorite single jam since Tahoe, is the big takeaway from the second set. But the "Ghost" that follows is great, the late "Hood" is another weird-but-good '14 take, and, frankly "46 Days" was well into an amazing jam before it got seriously ripcorded.

8/30: The first set is long, and packed with great songs played well. The second set's "Disease" -> "WTU?" pair is the highlight; the "Disease" jam is one of the better ones this year, and the segue is just flawless and well done. "Carini" and "Light" are both great despite their runtimes and the encore is just a blast of Phishiness.

8/31: Only slacker of a first set at Dick's. "Wombat" and "Wolfman's" are great, but the rest is pretty standard, and without the flow of N1 or N2 to pick it up. S2, though, is an absolute monster. It depends a bit, actually, on your interpretation of a minimalist and strange "CDT" jam: brilliant or tepid? "Tweezer" > "Sand" -> "Tweezer" (double speed) > space jam > "Piper" is right up there with 7/18 and 7/26 in terms of a "themed set" that really works together. In this case, the theme is "deep space funk," and it's awesome. "Mike's" gets a serious echo-funk treatment, too, and then we coast to a stop with "Sally" > "Groove." A better first set, and this could easily be Show of the Year. As it is, it's a great close to a run that might (I still haven't decided) beat out Randall's for Run of the Year.

2014-08-31 Dick's III

The Verdict:
Night three at Dick's is a very strong close to the only run of the summer that could compete (and possibly beat) Randall's. I was sure Dick's was better as I was seeing it unfold in person, but after a relisten, I'm less sure, and it's mostly because this third show is weaker than I remembered.

It's pretty much just the first set. After a gimmicky and interesting S1 on N1, and a sprawling, buffet-line S1 the second night, this set just falls flat due to its more or less gaping holes between a few very bright spots. Specifically, "Wombat" and "Wolfman's" are both top-notch versions, and hint at the funk to come in the second set. But the middle section of the set sags considerably, and though I love both "Waiting All Night" and "Winterqueen," pairing them right before a ripping "Funky Bitch," "Tube" > "Possum" is a mistake.

With the removal of a questionably-placed "Joy" and a standard "Twist" > "Wedge" combo (two songs that have done interesting things recently and thus hit with a thud here in their boring incarnations), this becomes a perfect set. "CDT" gets stretched out yet again, this time going to a surprisingly minimalist place and staying there for a long time. I'm still not sure if this is a great jam, or a "We're lost! Let's just fake it!" jam, but you can be the judge.

The "Tweezer" is a satisfying-but-straight funkfest...until it segues into "Sand," which moves back into a double-speed "Tweezer" before heading out to deep space. "Piper" starts up next but immediately returns to the same space, and then there's "Joy" "Mike's," which gets jammed out in the same space-funk fashion and is arguably the highlight of the night aside from the last five minutes of "Sand."

"Sally" > "Groove" is a great way to coast to the finish line, ending one of the more cohesive and satisfying sets of the year so far. A better first set, and this show would be discussed with the phrase "...of the year" coming up a lot more.

The Live Review:
8/31/14: Wrapping up the summer with a Curtain opener.
8/31/14: Mike bass bombs during the outro composed part.
8/31/14: With was great. Great start to what I remember as being a fantastic show live.
8/31/14: Solid clav-funk jam in Wombat. Great start to the first set.
8/31/14: A bit hard to hear Mike over Trey in these headphones, but it sounds to me like Mike is really shining so far.
8/31/14: Loops now. Could probably argue this is a Type II jam at this point.
8/31/14: The KDF intro riff is always a little grating. More so when Trey totally biffs it.
8/31/14: I'm having a resurgence of enthusiasm for Bouncin' lately. Which is good, since it shows up after KDF here.
8/31/14: As someone who wants ASIHTOS to go back to its 2.0 monster-jam role, it's sort of sad seeing it take up a S1 spot lately.
8/31/14: But it's still a great song.
8/31/14: Now Lawn Boy. This is lagging a bit post-Wombat.
8/31/14: Super-dense funk in this Wolfman's jam.
8/31/14: Strong, extended version of Wolfman's > Waiting All Night.
8/31/14: I'm not going to apologize for how much I love WAN when it's placed well, like now.
8/31/14: Trey struggles a bit with the solo, but otherwise it's a strong version. > Winterqueen.
8/31/14: This is a weird set. Lots of borderline boring takes on slower songs, punctuated by moments of brilliance (Wombat, Wolfman's).
8/31/14: Funky Bitch finally picking up the energy level a bit.
8/31/14: After some cool chording from Trey to close out Bitch, Tube.
8/31/14: This Tube jam needs a disco ball. Awesome. Way too short, of course :)
8/31/14: Mostly standard Possum to close the set. A little heavier on the Mike than usual.
8/31/14: Very weird, inconsistent set with some very high highs but mostly just sort of a muddle of songs. Probably worst S1 of the run.
8/31/14: CDT to kick off what should be a monster S2.
8/31/14: Trey switches to an ASIHTOS tone early in the jam, Fish switches up the beat to something faster.
8/31/14: Strangely spacey, drone-y sort of jam. For awhile, nobody really playing any melody. Fish still slamming away.
8/31/14: Guitar echoes dominate. Shifting spaces now.
8/31/14: This stays really minimalist for a LONG time. Really interesting. Not sure if it's good, but it's at least different.
8/31/14: Jam stays murky and weird until > Twist. Definitely going to listen to that one again.
8/31/14: No weird, minimalist Twist tonight. Standard version > The Wedge.
8/31/14: Okay, that was a pretty standard Wedge, too, but I like the way that it swings right into Tweezer.
8/31/14: Tweezer immediately goes into a chord-driven funk jam.
8/31/14: Page just did a brilliant, building electric piano thing. Jam mellowing a little now.
8/31/14: Trey getting into a really swinging rock solo now.
8/31/14: Page uses the piano to kick off a start-stop sounding jamlet.
8/31/14: Trey starts up Sand, with a guitar loop from the jam overtop the main riff.
8/31/14: Smoove move into Sand.
8/31/14: There's a lot more standard Type I shredding in this Sand than I remember.
8/31/14: That said, Trey's on top of his guitar game...as evidenced by the drop into a double-speed Tweezer tease.
8/31/14: Not sure why this isn't Tweezer -> Sand -> Tweezer, but it's fantastic. Heading into space now.
8/31/14: This is so good. Space-plinko? Mike bombing out overtop of it.
8/31/14: Bass drone, now.
8/31/14: That was a cleaner > Piper than I remembered.
8/31/14: Awesome What's the Use? tease in Piper.
8/31/14: Piper's getting loopy at the 6:30 mark.
8/31/14: Really eerie ambient jam now.
8/31/14: Why the hell Trey decided to -> Joy out of that I have no idea.8/31/14: Mike's is heading in a funky direction.
8/31/14: EchoFunk time!
8/31/14: Sally keeps the funk train rolling all the way to the station.
8/31/14: Great vocal jam in Sally, minute Sand tease from Trey.
8/31/14: Weekapaug was pretty satisfying chordy madness. Loving Cup, Tweeprise encore.
8/31/14: S1 was weaker by far than I remembered it being, but S2 was just as amazing (almost) on tape. Great set.
8/31/14: 8/29 had the weekend's marquee jam, but some of the songs in S2 here go to far more interesting places for a few minutes.