The Verdict:
Okay, so, the good news is that the second Grand Prairie show isn't nearly as bad as the online ratings would have you believe (it's placed below 8/14/04 and just barely above 8/15/04). The bad news is that there's literally zero units of jamming throughout the show.
I can't say that if you're coming to it having heard a lot of Phish shows before that it's a show that's worth your time. It's certainly not going to teach you anything new about the band that you didn't already know; however, it is two first sets of really well-played Phish music.
On the other hand, again, it is two first sets of Phish music.
I don't have a lot to say in terms of specifics. "Daniel Saw the Stone" is great opener. "Moma" and "Cities" are tight. "Foam" is a great bust-out. "Waking Up Dead" is my favorite "new" live song, and "Walk Away" > "WTU?" > "More" is straight Type I fire.
Going into the second first set, it starts out a bit slow, but "Number Line" takes a somewhat different route than usual, "Lifeboy," is another rare ballad bust-out to follow 10/24's "Dog-Faced Boy," "Meatstick" is a blast, "The Line" is a darkly funny joke in the middle of a jamless second set, and "Tide Turns" is just in bad taste. Speaking of taste, "Taste" is next, though the scarce momentum that is built up there is spent by another ballad bust-out in the form of "Friday." A short "Waves" > "Julius" before "Good Times Bad Times" ends things is probably the highlight of a musically unadventurous rock and roll raveup of a set. The second one of the night, in case you're keeping score at home.
"Show of Life" as the encore call actually made me laugh out loud.
So, while I'd like in some ways to write this show off as being a weird, negative anomaly, it's actually quite good in a two-first-sets sort of way. If each of these sets opened a show on consecutive nights, we'd be raving about how good they were. But we aren't. So, on to MGM!
The Live Review:
10/25/16: Daniel Saw the Stone opener!
10/25/16: I love Phish's version of this song so much.
10/25/16: Moma is second.
10/25/16: Guys sound extra energized tonight. Also, there's a guy right next to the SBD who can't stop screaming.
10/25/16: If experience at Phish shows has taught me anything, though, it's that he'll be asleep on the floor in 20-25 minutes.
10/25/16: Fiery Moma > CDT.
10/25/16: Cities next. Feels like early jamming is imminent.
10/25/16: Some mellow interplay between Trey and Mike.
10/25/16: Short little outro there, but pretty playing from everyone.
10/25/16: FOAM
10/25/16: Trey struggling a bit, but otherwise they're not sounding too rusty on this tune.
10/25/16: Waking Up Dead! Glad to see the boys seem to like this one live as much as I do.
10/25/16: Divided Sky next. Loving the way the new songs fit in with the old ones.
10/25/16: I Didn't Know! Trey telling a story mid-tune about being a 'real Texan' since he was born in Ft. Worth.
10/25/16: Only Moses DeWitt is a 'cosmic Texan,' though.
10/25/16: Walk Away!
10/25/16: I don't know what it is, but the Walk Away jam is always one of my favorite bits of Phish music. I think it's Fish's drumming.
10/25/16: He rarely plays anything that driving otherwise.
10/25/16: > WTU?
10/25/16: Whatever these guys have been doing to write the first set setlists lately, I hope they never stop.
10/25/16: Mellow '16-style WTU? > More.
10/25/16: End set w/ More.
10/25/16: Stealing Time opens the second set.
10/25/16: Second is Number Line. Clearly, the boys had so much fun playing the first set that they're just going to play another one.
10/25/16: Neat Number Line, though. Continues the (Type I) evolution of the tune, keeps it unpredictable.
10/25/16: > Lifeboy.
10/25/16: It's always great to hear the slow, gorgeous piano intro to a song like Lifeboy and then hear in the background...
10/25/16: ...tons of bros screaming 'FUCK YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAH!!!'
10/25/16: THIS FUCKING BALLAD GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FEELINGS SOCIETY GENERALLY FORCES ME TO BURY DEEP WITHIN MYSELF!!!
10/25/16: But seriously, it's a great song. And patriarchy makes men sad, too.
10/25/16: Meatstick! I'm not sure what they're doing for this second set, but I almost don't care because MEATOSTAQUE
10/25/16: UNSURE IF YOU ARE STILL CORINNE
10/25/16: The Line. By god, I think...I think they've given up for the evening.
10/25/16: Seriously, this is a really well-played set so far (even The Line!) but they just aren't playing anything with a jam.
10/25/16: I suspect people FUCKING HATE this show.
10/25/16: HAHAHA...it has a lower @phishnet ranking than 8/14/04. C'mon, guys. Really?!
10/25/16: Having attended a wonky/out-of-sync/truly bad show just this year (7/22), I can say that this is 10x better.
10/25/16: There isn't much 'bad' in some objective way about this show. In fact, they're playing their asses off. Just no jams.
10/25/16: Okay, so having said all that, a second set The Line > Tide Turns sort of feels like a punch in the nuts.
10/25/16: > Taste
10/25/16: Friday is next! Great take on Taste.
10/25/16: Gorgeous little outro jam in Friday. Followed by a short, standard Waves. > Julius.
10/25/16: Good Times, Bad Times closes the set.
10/25/16: Show of Life encore. Is Trey trolling us?
10/25/16: Maybe he secretly hates jamming and took the 'home field' show to just play all the songy songs he's ever wanted to song song.
10/25/16: Regardless, imagine fast, fiery, competent Phish from your favorite era playing this show and that's what it sounds like.
10/25/16: Literally 0% jamming, but a great show by pretty much every other metric.
Mar 29, 2017
2016-10-24 Grand Prairie I
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!
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!
Mar 26, 2017
2016-10-22 Alpharetta II
The Verdict:
[Note: This show is short of links and videos because it's not on phishtracks.com and there aren't any good videos on YouTube. Sorry!]
This show might have a more typical amount of songs in the second set, but oh boy that doesn't much matter.
The first set is a great collection of straight-on greatest hits, but with just enough modern flavor to keep things fun and interesting instead of old and stale. First off is a "Mike's Groove" with "Ass Handed" as the meat. "WAN" features a gorgeous solo from Trey after a rocky start. "Gin" is the easy highlight, following its '15-typical path to a Type 1.5 climax. Then, amidst some more first-setty songs, "My Pet Cat" makes an appearance. I'd love to say "Zero" is a joke to end the first set, but it's a huge, cacophonous version and if I could link you to it, I would.
The second set starts off weirdly, with "Antelope," and then there's a hint at weirdness with a loopy, dissonant ending to "Fuego." "Jim" and "No Quarter" are both nice setlist choices, but don't get out of the box (of course). "Simple" really kicks things into high gear late in the set, though: here's a jam that starts off with a huge bliss riff, but then departs from it to revisit the loopy madness from "Fuego" before building up a double-time "Ghost"-style riff...and then getting ripcorded into "46 Days."
This might seem like an unfair trade; however, "46 Days" only makes it about a minute before a flawless transition into "Sally," which departs on a chunky funk jam before transitions back into "46 Days."
It's a great close to a solid, fourth-quarter-heavy set before "Makisupa" > "First Tube" wraps up the run.
The Live Review:
10/22/16: Mike's Song opener. I feel like in my personal experience, this bodes ill.
10/22/16: But I like being wrong.
10/22/16: I feel like Mike's has been shorter since the mini-second-jam phase of '15.
10/22/16: > Ass Handed > Groove. Hahahahaha
10/22/16: Mike's Groove sequence is pretty rote, minus the Ass Handed.
10/22/16: On the upside, Trey's laying down more of the pretty melodic stuff he was playing last night.
10/22/16: Well, if you like Trey Guitar Stuff a lot, you should listen to that Groove.
10/22/16: I like Waiting All Night, and if you disagree, we should not be friends!
10/22/16: Sample.
10/22/16: Sample might be the most 'basic' Phish song, but if I don't get to dance on a huge lawn to it once a summer, I feel like shit.
10/22/16: Gin is next.
10/22/16: S1 setlist miles apart from last night's weird, fun variety. This is more of a greatest-hits feel.
10/22/16: That said, they're rocking everything so far and right now are modulating the Gin jam up into PEAK SPACE
10/22/16: Neat repeating riff post-peak. Back into the Gin riff, now.
10/22/16: > Rift.
10/22/16: Solid take on Rift. Stash next.
10/22/16: For my money, Stash has been super-dull lately. And by 'lately' I mean 'since '11 or so.'
10/22/16: They've been playing longer versions this year and a bit in '15, but length doesn't seem to translate to interesting exploration.
10/22/16: Maybe this one'll be different.
10/22/16: I should clarify that I really like Stash as a song. It just seems to hold a place similar to Slave these days...
10/22/16: ...in the sense that after the composed section, there's a 'jam,' but it's predictable where it goes and how it gets there.
10/22/16: Well, I'm happy to report that this version is calling my bluff a little. Sinister little section in the jam w/ Trey noodling.
10/22/16: Mega-peak. Well, that version wasn't exactly unpredictable, but I feel like a dick for complaining about Stash now, so...
10/22/16: Funky Bitch! I feel like I haven't heard this on in awhile. Page clearly hasn't either he's GOING TO TOWN on the organ
10/22/16: Any time Page goes to town on his organ, you know to pay attention.
10/22/16: THAT WAS A DICK('S) JOKE
10/22/16: Your Pet Cat is a super-weird choice late in this classics set, but okay, cool.
10/22/16: The cat-screech samples are hard on the ear, but less so than the opening riffs of Stealing Time and KDF :)
10/22/16: Zero to close the first set.
10/22/16: I am so sick of Zero, but the tones Trey's been experimenting with during the solo lately are making me pay attention again.
10/22/16: That was a show-ending Zero, not a set-ending one. Good god.
10/22/16: Antelope opens the second set because up is right and down is white.
10/22/16: Monster build and peak in Antelope. Phish is really pumped to be in Georgia this weekend.
10/22/16: Been you to have any healthcare reform, Paul Ryan?
10/22/16: > Fuego.
10/22/16: Heavily distorted tone from Trey leads to some looping/atonal soloing madness at the end of Fuego.
10/22/16: More somber soloing now. Loops continue in the background. Page on electric piano.
10/22/16: Okay, I'm enjoying the hell out of this whacked-out Fuego ending.
10/22/16: > Jim.
10/22/16: Is this a...plinko jam? In 2016? Sweeeet.
10/22/16: Seriously, it's awesome. Pre-second-verse plinko jamming.
10/22/16: Neat! A standalone No Quarter after a rockfest jam to end the Jim.
10/22/16: Solid No Quarter > Simple.
10/22/16: So far, this set is rivaling last night for energy. It's just missing that monster Disease jam.
10/22/16: Typical Simple jam fading after a few minutes.
10/22/16: Fading back in with a jam that sounds like the Bend Simple on just the right amount of Xanax.
10/22/16: Uh-oh Trey is jamming on one of Those Riffs.
10/22/16: Sounds like a mash-up of the '15 Dick's Disease riff and the '14 Dick's Ghost riff.
10/22/16: Leaving the riff now for loop madness jam.
10/22/16: Trey revisits the riff briefly during a build, but then the jam transitions back into a murky funk space. Page on clav.
10/22/16: Would be great for a -> Ghost if that hadn't been played already.
10/22/16: I guess I read Trey's mind. They're basically playing the Ghost intro riff at double speed right now.
10/22/16: Weird move from Trey ripcording into 46 Days just as the jam was building back up.
10/22/16: Oh, well. Can't complain much about a 16 minute Simple :)
10/22/16: Whoa. Just made a great transition from the first verse of 46 Days into Sneakin' Sally.
10/22/16: Aside from the 20-minute space jam kind, this is my favorite kind of Phish.
10/22/16: Such a smooth transition.
10/22/16: Super gnarly funk turned into straight rock and roll.
10/22/16: Familiar Phish alchemy at this point, but almost always great anyway.
10/22/16: Transition back into the lyrics.
10/22/16: Vocal breakdown.
10/22/16: Back out of vocal jam into 46 Days. Shit!
10/22/16: For those of you keeping score at home, that's a fourth quarter with a monster Simple jam, then 46 Days -> Sally -> 46 Days.
10/22/16: End set, I think. Makisupa is kicking off the encore.
10/22/16: Lyrics about listening to funk.
10/22/16: > First Tube.
10/22/16: Huge feedback ending to close the show.
10/22/16: Well, that ended up being a great show. Really well played 'hits' set to open...
10/22/16: ...and a great, fourth-quarter-heavy second set with a huge jam.
10/22/16: Fuego > Jim sequence was no slouch, either.
10/22/16: That's enough Phish for now. Will likely be back early next week with the Grand Prairie two-night run.
[Note: This show is short of links and videos because it's not on phishtracks.com and there aren't any good videos on YouTube. Sorry!]
This show might have a more typical amount of songs in the second set, but oh boy that doesn't much matter.
The first set is a great collection of straight-on greatest hits, but with just enough modern flavor to keep things fun and interesting instead of old and stale. First off is a "Mike's Groove" with "Ass Handed" as the meat. "WAN" features a gorgeous solo from Trey after a rocky start. "Gin" is the easy highlight, following its '15-typical path to a Type 1.5 climax. Then, amidst some more first-setty songs, "My Pet Cat" makes an appearance. I'd love to say "Zero" is a joke to end the first set, but it's a huge, cacophonous version and if I could link you to it, I would.
The second set starts off weirdly, with "Antelope," and then there's a hint at weirdness with a loopy, dissonant ending to "Fuego." "Jim" and "No Quarter" are both nice setlist choices, but don't get out of the box (of course). "Simple" really kicks things into high gear late in the set, though: here's a jam that starts off with a huge bliss riff, but then departs from it to revisit the loopy madness from "Fuego" before building up a double-time "Ghost"-style riff...and then getting ripcorded into "46 Days."
This might seem like an unfair trade; however, "46 Days" only makes it about a minute before a flawless transition into "Sally," which departs on a chunky funk jam before transitions back into "46 Days."
It's a great close to a solid, fourth-quarter-heavy set before "Makisupa" > "First Tube" wraps up the run.
The Live Review:
10/22/16: Mike's Song opener. I feel like in my personal experience, this bodes ill.
10/22/16: But I like being wrong.
10/22/16: I feel like Mike's has been shorter since the mini-second-jam phase of '15.
10/22/16: > Ass Handed > Groove. Hahahahaha
10/22/16: Mike's Groove sequence is pretty rote, minus the Ass Handed.
10/22/16: On the upside, Trey's laying down more of the pretty melodic stuff he was playing last night.
10/22/16: Well, if you like Trey Guitar Stuff a lot, you should listen to that Groove.
10/22/16: I like Waiting All Night, and if you disagree, we should not be friends!
10/22/16: Sample.
10/22/16: Sample might be the most 'basic' Phish song, but if I don't get to dance on a huge lawn to it once a summer, I feel like shit.
10/22/16: Gin is next.
10/22/16: S1 setlist miles apart from last night's weird, fun variety. This is more of a greatest-hits feel.
10/22/16: That said, they're rocking everything so far and right now are modulating the Gin jam up into PEAK SPACE
10/22/16: Neat repeating riff post-peak. Back into the Gin riff, now.
10/22/16: > Rift.
10/22/16: Solid take on Rift. Stash next.
10/22/16: For my money, Stash has been super-dull lately. And by 'lately' I mean 'since '11 or so.'
10/22/16: They've been playing longer versions this year and a bit in '15, but length doesn't seem to translate to interesting exploration.
10/22/16: Maybe this one'll be different.
10/22/16: I should clarify that I really like Stash as a song. It just seems to hold a place similar to Slave these days...
10/22/16: ...in the sense that after the composed section, there's a 'jam,' but it's predictable where it goes and how it gets there.
10/22/16: Well, I'm happy to report that this version is calling my bluff a little. Sinister little section in the jam w/ Trey noodling.
10/22/16: Mega-peak. Well, that version wasn't exactly unpredictable, but I feel like a dick for complaining about Stash now, so...
10/22/16: Funky Bitch! I feel like I haven't heard this on in awhile. Page clearly hasn't either he's GOING TO TOWN on the organ
10/22/16: Any time Page goes to town on his organ, you know to pay attention.
10/22/16: THAT WAS A DICK('S) JOKE
10/22/16: Your Pet Cat is a super-weird choice late in this classics set, but okay, cool.
10/22/16: The cat-screech samples are hard on the ear, but less so than the opening riffs of Stealing Time and KDF :)
10/22/16: Zero to close the first set.
10/22/16: I am so sick of Zero, but the tones Trey's been experimenting with during the solo lately are making me pay attention again.
10/22/16: That was a show-ending Zero, not a set-ending one. Good god.
10/22/16: Antelope opens the second set because up is right and down is white.
10/22/16: Monster build and peak in Antelope. Phish is really pumped to be in Georgia this weekend.
10/22/16: Been you to have any healthcare reform, Paul Ryan?
10/22/16: > Fuego.
10/22/16: Heavily distorted tone from Trey leads to some looping/atonal soloing madness at the end of Fuego.
10/22/16: More somber soloing now. Loops continue in the background. Page on electric piano.
10/22/16: Okay, I'm enjoying the hell out of this whacked-out Fuego ending.
10/22/16: > Jim.
10/22/16: Is this a...plinko jam? In 2016? Sweeeet.
10/22/16: Seriously, it's awesome. Pre-second-verse plinko jamming.
10/22/16: Neat! A standalone No Quarter after a rockfest jam to end the Jim.
10/22/16: Solid No Quarter > Simple.
10/22/16: So far, this set is rivaling last night for energy. It's just missing that monster Disease jam.
10/22/16: Typical Simple jam fading after a few minutes.
10/22/16: Fading back in with a jam that sounds like the Bend Simple on just the right amount of Xanax.
10/22/16: Uh-oh Trey is jamming on one of Those Riffs.
10/22/16: Sounds like a mash-up of the '15 Dick's Disease riff and the '14 Dick's Ghost riff.
10/22/16: Leaving the riff now for loop madness jam.
10/22/16: Trey revisits the riff briefly during a build, but then the jam transitions back into a murky funk space. Page on clav.
10/22/16: Would be great for a -> Ghost if that hadn't been played already.
10/22/16: I guess I read Trey's mind. They're basically playing the Ghost intro riff at double speed right now.
10/22/16: Weird move from Trey ripcording into 46 Days just as the jam was building back up.
10/22/16: Oh, well. Can't complain much about a 16 minute Simple :)
10/22/16: Whoa. Just made a great transition from the first verse of 46 Days into Sneakin' Sally.
10/22/16: Aside from the 20-minute space jam kind, this is my favorite kind of Phish.
10/22/16: Such a smooth transition.
10/22/16: Super gnarly funk turned into straight rock and roll.
10/22/16: Familiar Phish alchemy at this point, but almost always great anyway.
10/22/16: Transition back into the lyrics.
10/22/16: Vocal breakdown.
10/22/16: Back out of vocal jam into 46 Days. Shit!
10/22/16: For those of you keeping score at home, that's a fourth quarter with a monster Simple jam, then 46 Days -> Sally -> 46 Days.
10/22/16: End set, I think. Makisupa is kicking off the encore.
10/22/16: Lyrics about listening to funk.
10/22/16: > First Tube.
10/22/16: Huge feedback ending to close the show.
10/22/16: Well, that ended up being a great show. Really well played 'hits' set to open...
10/22/16: ...and a great, fourth-quarter-heavy second set with a huge jam.
10/22/16: Fuego > Jim sequence was no slouch, either.
10/22/16: That's enough Phish for now. Will likely be back early next week with the Grand Prairie two-night run.
2016-10-21 Alpharetta I
The Verdict:
Riding the wave of 10/19's second set, this show lays down another six-song set.
The opening set is a bit like the previous show's: no real improv, but a great mix of old and new songs. Trey puts a little extra mustard on everything he touches here, building up some serious anticipation for a great second set. "Birds" and the debut (?) of "Let's Go" are both worth a listen.
The huge "Disease" that opens the second set has all the cohesiveness and momentum that the previous night's "Piper" was missing. Space-rock and looping madness are bisected by a brief Woo! jam, and it's easily the best thing from fall tour so far. "Carini" follows, and starts off as its typical rumbling, hate-rock self, but then transitions perfectly into a melodic, prettier space which it hangs out in for a few minutes before segueing into "Winterqueen."
You might imagine that "Winterqueen" would derail the momentum of this set, but instead, it feels completely natural coming out of the beautiful "Carini" jam. "Ghost," despite coming in the second set, takes the path of a lot of recent first-set "Ghost"s; however, it features a monster '15-style peak. This version sets up another great '93-style "Possum" jam that uses tension to throw us all back about fifteen years before an equally old-school and patient "Slave" brings us home.
This second set isn't quite as consistently great as the previous show's, but it hangs together quite well even if the magic is more concentrated in one part (the first half) of the set this time. That's two amazing shows in a row!
The Live Review:
10/21/16: ASIHTOS opener.
10/21/16: Compact version of the tune, featuring some Trey trilling.
10/21/16: Bag > BOTT. So far, it's a first set, folks :)
10/21/16: Super-hot take on BOTT of all things. If you're into that sort of thing. Blaze On next. Lots of S1 Blaze Ons lately.
10/21/16: Solid Blaze On, too. Trey's guitaring well today. Hoping that keeps up until we get to the part of the show where jams happen.
10/21/16: Oh, good! Sugar Shack will ruin everything I just tweeted about!
10/21/16: Well that was a long Sugar Shack. Next is the Johnny Cash-style version of Things People Do. Trey gets a solo.
10/21/16: Trey just ripped Birds apart, too. Someone give this guy a real jam to dig into.
10/21/16: Ah, yes. Mercury will do nicely.
10/21/16: Trey struggling with this take on Mercury a bit.
10/21/16: Some nice melodic soloing now that we're at the jam section.
10/21/16: Nice Type I outro jam to Mercury.
10/21/16: Let's Go!
10/21/16: The other song I always miss when I listen to Big Boat!
10/21/16: Mike should just write 80% of Phish songs from now on.
10/21/16: You know what two songs of Phish's I really like? Mercury and Let's Go. You know which Phish song I don't like? Alaska.
10/21/16: Alaska.
10/21/16: When I asked her where she's going, she said 'To the bathroom, so I can get back before the next song.'
10/21/16: Trey is really good at Type I tonight. More closing the set.
10/21/16: That version seemed a bit better performed than the debut version.
10/21/16: S2 opens (reliably) with Disease.
10/21/16: Trey's all over the goddamn fretboard during the Type I part. This bodes well.
10/21/16: Trey just switched on the distortion and powered us into Type II.
10/21/16: Neat jam developing that manages to be heavy and spacey at the same time.
10/21/16: Some nasty rock and roll happening here.
10/21/16: This is badass. Also, a woo jam.
10/21/16: I wonder how the guys decided that Fall 2016 was the time to bring back the Woo Jam.
10/21/16: Not complaining, it just seems hilarious.
10/21/16: Guitar looping happening now.
10/21/16: This jam continues to be pretty much the best thing to happen for most of 2016.
10/21/16: I have this crazy theory that I'm going to write about at the end of tour that 2016 was all about letting go of bliss jamming.
10/21/16: This is some goddamn solid evidence for said crazy theory.
10/21/16: This is not a jam the band could have played between '13 and '15.
10/21/15: > Carini.
10/21/16: I love that the totally deranged outro vocals to Carini are now a normal thing.
10/21/16: Letting Carini jam rumble a bit.
10/21/16: Carini jam is getting purty.
10/21/16: That was an exceptionally good bit of jamming. > Winterqueen.
10/21/16: Also, Carini > Winterqueen just amuses me in principle, for some reason.
10/21/16: BUT TRUST ME Y'ALL IT MAKES SENSE THEMATICALLY
10/21/16: Nice back-and-forth between Trey and Page in a typically mellow, jazzy Winterqueen jam.
10/21/16: If you're still on the fence about Winterqueen, that version might win you over.
10/21/16: Ghost is next, back in its old home spot in the second set.
10/21/16: Cat Scratch Fever tease in Ghost jam.
10/21/16: Gorgeous melodic jamming building up to a '15 style peak in this Ghost.
10/21/16: Holy Ghost peaks, Batman.
10/21/16: Smooth fade out of the jam into the Ghost riff to close.
10/21/16: Outro Ghost vocals from Page! That was cool. Possum next.
10/21/16: Judging by Trey's guitar, this is going to be one of those '16-cum-'93 Possums. I hope so.
10/21/16: Great Possum > Slave to close the set.
10/21/16: Extra slow, patient Slave jam. The '93 feel from Possum continues on here.
10/21/16: Trey just ripped up that Loving Cup encore like he hasn't been playing for three hours already.
10/21/16: A great show. No improv in the first set, but a great mix of tunes suffused with greater-than-usual guitar fire.
10/21/16: The second set reminded me of no-filler sets like 7/19. Great stuff. Not a dull moment.
Riding the wave of 10/19's second set, this show lays down another six-song set.
The opening set is a bit like the previous show's: no real improv, but a great mix of old and new songs. Trey puts a little extra mustard on everything he touches here, building up some serious anticipation for a great second set. "Birds" and the debut (?) of "Let's Go" are both worth a listen.
The huge "Disease" that opens the second set has all the cohesiveness and momentum that the previous night's "Piper" was missing. Space-rock and looping madness are bisected by a brief Woo! jam, and it's easily the best thing from fall tour so far. "Carini" follows, and starts off as its typical rumbling, hate-rock self, but then transitions perfectly into a melodic, prettier space which it hangs out in for a few minutes before segueing into "Winterqueen."
You might imagine that "Winterqueen" would derail the momentum of this set, but instead, it feels completely natural coming out of the beautiful "Carini" jam. "Ghost," despite coming in the second set, takes the path of a lot of recent first-set "Ghost"s; however, it features a monster '15-style peak. This version sets up another great '93-style "Possum" jam that uses tension to throw us all back about fifteen years before an equally old-school and patient "Slave" brings us home.
This second set isn't quite as consistently great as the previous show's, but it hangs together quite well even if the magic is more concentrated in one part (the first half) of the set this time. That's two amazing shows in a row!
The Live Review:
10/21/16: ASIHTOS opener.
10/21/16: Compact version of the tune, featuring some Trey trilling.
10/21/16: Bag > BOTT. So far, it's a first set, folks :)
10/21/16: Super-hot take on BOTT of all things. If you're into that sort of thing. Blaze On next. Lots of S1 Blaze Ons lately.
10/21/16: Solid Blaze On, too. Trey's guitaring well today. Hoping that keeps up until we get to the part of the show where jams happen.
10/21/16: Oh, good! Sugar Shack will ruin everything I just tweeted about!
10/21/16: Well that was a long Sugar Shack. Next is the Johnny Cash-style version of Things People Do. Trey gets a solo.
10/21/16: Trey just ripped Birds apart, too. Someone give this guy a real jam to dig into.
10/21/16: Ah, yes. Mercury will do nicely.
10/21/16: Trey struggling with this take on Mercury a bit.
10/21/16: Some nice melodic soloing now that we're at the jam section.
10/21/16: Nice Type I outro jam to Mercury.
10/21/16: Let's Go!
10/21/16: The other song I always miss when I listen to Big Boat!
10/21/16: Mike should just write 80% of Phish songs from now on.
10/21/16: You know what two songs of Phish's I really like? Mercury and Let's Go. You know which Phish song I don't like? Alaska.
10/21/16: Alaska.
10/21/16: When I asked her where she's going, she said 'To the bathroom, so I can get back before the next song.'
10/21/16: Trey is really good at Type I tonight. More closing the set.
10/21/16: That version seemed a bit better performed than the debut version.
10/21/16: S2 opens (reliably) with Disease.
10/21/16: Trey's all over the goddamn fretboard during the Type I part. This bodes well.
10/21/16: Trey just switched on the distortion and powered us into Type II.
10/21/16: Neat jam developing that manages to be heavy and spacey at the same time.
10/21/16: Some nasty rock and roll happening here.
10/21/16: This is badass. Also, a woo jam.
10/21/16: I wonder how the guys decided that Fall 2016 was the time to bring back the Woo Jam.
10/21/16: Not complaining, it just seems hilarious.
10/21/16: Guitar looping happening now.
10/21/16: This jam continues to be pretty much the best thing to happen for most of 2016.
10/21/16: I have this crazy theory that I'm going to write about at the end of tour that 2016 was all about letting go of bliss jamming.
10/21/16: This is some goddamn solid evidence for said crazy theory.
10/21/16: This is not a jam the band could have played between '13 and '15.
10/21/15: > Carini.
10/21/16: I love that the totally deranged outro vocals to Carini are now a normal thing.
10/21/16: Letting Carini jam rumble a bit.
10/21/16: Carini jam is getting purty.
10/21/16: That was an exceptionally good bit of jamming. > Winterqueen.
10/21/16: Also, Carini > Winterqueen just amuses me in principle, for some reason.
10/21/16: BUT TRUST ME Y'ALL IT MAKES SENSE THEMATICALLY
10/21/16: Nice back-and-forth between Trey and Page in a typically mellow, jazzy Winterqueen jam.
10/21/16: If you're still on the fence about Winterqueen, that version might win you over.
10/21/16: Ghost is next, back in its old home spot in the second set.
10/21/16: Cat Scratch Fever tease in Ghost jam.
10/21/16: Gorgeous melodic jamming building up to a '15 style peak in this Ghost.
10/21/16: Holy Ghost peaks, Batman.
10/21/16: Smooth fade out of the jam into the Ghost riff to close.
10/21/16: Outro Ghost vocals from Page! That was cool. Possum next.
10/21/16: Judging by Trey's guitar, this is going to be one of those '16-cum-'93 Possums. I hope so.
10/21/16: Great Possum > Slave to close the set.
10/21/16: Extra slow, patient Slave jam. The '93 feel from Possum continues on here.
10/21/16: Trey just ripped up that Loving Cup encore like he hasn't been playing for three hours already.
10/21/16: A great show. No improv in the first set, but a great mix of tunes suffused with greater-than-usual guitar fire.
10/21/16: The second set reminded me of no-filler sets like 7/19. Great stuff. Not a dull moment.
2016-10-19 Ascend Amphitheater II
The Verdict:
10/18 might not be the most musically engaging show, but the Bobby sit-in seems to have set a fire under the band after the fact, at least, because this show is where things really start to take off.
Things never get crazy in the first set, but the band puts together a really engaging set of songs, a strong mix of old and new, and plays just about everything aside from the rocky "Theme" opener to perfection. "The Camel Walk" is especially worth a listen. The middle of the set is one of those songs-from-each-band-member thingies, with "My Sweet One" being the Fish song, "Waking Up Dead" the Mike one, "Halfway" the Page one, and "Running Out of Time" the Trey one. Then there's another rock-funk version of "Tube" that continues that song's 2016 evolution, and "Shine a Light" to close.
The second set is a six-song monster. "Golden Age" hits some heavy, heavy funk space right away before transitioning into a "2001"-style jam...which is, sadly, pretty badly ripcorded. Fortunately, it's for "Tweezer." "Tweezer" has three distinct sections, and they're all great, though there's a general funky theme throughout. Now possessed by the funk spirits, the band rips through a "No Men's" jam and then the second-ever (but first Type II) performance of "Plasma." "Hood" doesn't get funky, of course, but is a '14-style version, goes Type II, stays contemplative for a long, gorgeous time, before peaking within a stop/start Woo! jam. It's worth just hearing. "Suzy" is a nice exclamation point to this amazing set.
The Live Review:
10/19/16: Theme opener.
10/19/16: Gotta say I much prefer this tune as an opener surprise than as a late-second-set 'surprise.'
10/19/16: Man, Trey biffed the transition riff so hard that time he just gave up and started the jam early.
10/19/16: Flub actually leads to an interesting, more mellow Theme jam and transition into the outro.
10/19/16: Camel Walk!
10/19/16: Super-tight, slightly extended Camel Walk. Where did that come from?
10/19/16: My Soul! I like where this set is going so far.
10/19/16: Petrichor. This tune continues to grow on me.
10/19/16: I hope this tune doesn't go the way of TTE.
10/19/16: To be fair, it probably shouldn't be played once every other show forever, but I'd hate to see it go away completely.
10/19/16: Stealing Time breaks up the Songs I Like theme this setlist had going on.
10/19/16: My Sweet One > Waking Up Dead.
10/19/16: This is one of my favorite Big Boat songs live so far.
10/19/16: Also really liking Things People Do, Petrichor and the one Always Wanted It This Way.
10/19/16: Halfway To the Moon, and old-new song, is next.
10/19/16: Wonder if they're doing a four members/four songs thing again. My Sweet One is a Fish song, right?
10/19/16: Trey flirting a bunch with teasing WTU? during the Halfway solo. Not sure if it's on purpose or not.
10/19/16: Yeah, Running Out of Time next. I feel like you can fairly count that as a 'Trey' song.
10/19/16: Performed more or less like it's done on the album. That was nice.
10/19/16: Sometimes it's nice to have a Phish song that doesn't have to end in a huge guitar crescendo.
10/19/16: Anyway, Tube.
10/19/16: Rock/funk hybrid happening here. Trey deploying the echo. Tube renaissance continues.
10/19/16: Shine A Light, probably to close the set.
10/19/16: YOP. End set.
10/19/16: S2 opens with GOLDEN AGE
10/19/16: Quick little solo, then a return to the Golden Age groove. Page to clavinet, Trey with heavy space distortion.
10/19/16: Jam almost sounding like 2001 now.
10/19/16: Whoops, brutal ripcord...for Tweezer.
10/19/16: That's what you call a mixed blessing right there.
10/19/16: Tweezer starts with a plinko-style jam.
10/19/16: Err...not 'starts,' I mean the jam starts that way, not the song.
10/19/16: Sorry, my brain is fried. And not in that one way that's good instead of bad.
10/19/16: Really pretty, contemplative space opening up in Tweezer now.
10/19/16: Neat, almost Latin beat and jam going now.
10/19/16: Super-chunky funk jam now.
10/19/16: Neat breakdown. Quiet funk noodling now.
10/19/16: > No Men.
10/19/16: Excellent Golden Age > Tweezer sequence, even if the transition was a bit rough.
10/19/16: PLASMA!
10/19/16: So happy to hear this make a comeback.
10/19/16: Nice, Latin-infused noodling from Trey in Plasma. Echoing the early Tweezer jam.
10/19/16: Now things getting spacier and more melodic. First Type II Plasma jam by the band?
10/19/16: Return to Plasma riff to close out the song. > Hood.
10/19/16: Loving the start to this Hood jam.
10/19/16: Interesting tension-y bit now.
10/19/16: This Hood might be going the '14 route.
10/19/16: Building up energy now. Trey has brought it near the peak a few times, but pulled off into another direction each time.
10/19/16: Really appreciate the patience.
10/19/16: Definitely a Type II...you know, if you're into those sorts of things.
10/19/16: WOO JAM
10/19/16: Having some serious Hollywood Hood flashbacks here.
10/19/16: IMMEDIATELY OUT OF THE WOO JAM INTO THE OUTRO
10/19/16: HOLY YES
10/19/16: Another WOO JAM
10/19/16: WHAT IS HAPPENING
10/19/16: IS THIS 2013
10/19/16: That was amazing.
10/19/16: Welp, if I wasn't going to Dick's before hearing that Hood, I am now.
10/19/16: > Suzy
10/19/16: Interesting Fish and Page centric Suzy to close the set.
10/19/16: Walls encore.
10/19/16: A little bonus mustard on that Walls. > Tweeprise to close.
10/19/16: Really enjoyed that show.
10/19/16: S1s that aren't standout-good or standout-bad often just come down to the setlist construction: that one was solid and fun.
10/19/16: Second set jammed a lot in the same space (Golden Age, Tweezer, a little No Men, Plasma) but it was a good space.
10/19/16: Strong Hood to finish and an energetic encore. Hard to complain. Much better show than 10/18. Sorry, Bobby.
10/18 might not be the most musically engaging show, but the Bobby sit-in seems to have set a fire under the band after the fact, at least, because this show is where things really start to take off.
Things never get crazy in the first set, but the band puts together a really engaging set of songs, a strong mix of old and new, and plays just about everything aside from the rocky "Theme" opener to perfection. "The Camel Walk" is especially worth a listen. The middle of the set is one of those songs-from-each-band-member thingies, with "My Sweet One" being the Fish song, "Waking Up Dead" the Mike one, "Halfway" the Page one, and "Running Out of Time" the Trey one. Then there's another rock-funk version of "Tube" that continues that song's 2016 evolution, and "Shine a Light" to close.
The second set is a six-song monster. "Golden Age" hits some heavy, heavy funk space right away before transitioning into a "2001"-style jam...which is, sadly, pretty badly ripcorded. Fortunately, it's for "Tweezer." "Tweezer" has three distinct sections, and they're all great, though there's a general funky theme throughout. Now possessed by the funk spirits, the band rips through a "No Men's" jam and then the second-ever (but first Type II) performance of "Plasma." "Hood" doesn't get funky, of course, but is a '14-style version, goes Type II, stays contemplative for a long, gorgeous time, before peaking within a stop/start Woo! jam. It's worth just hearing. "Suzy" is a nice exclamation point to this amazing set.
The Live Review:
10/19/16: Theme opener.
10/19/16: Gotta say I much prefer this tune as an opener surprise than as a late-second-set 'surprise.'
10/19/16: Man, Trey biffed the transition riff so hard that time he just gave up and started the jam early.
10/19/16: Flub actually leads to an interesting, more mellow Theme jam and transition into the outro.
10/19/16: Camel Walk!
10/19/16: Super-tight, slightly extended Camel Walk. Where did that come from?
10/19/16: My Soul! I like where this set is going so far.
10/19/16: Petrichor. This tune continues to grow on me.
10/19/16: I hope this tune doesn't go the way of TTE.
10/19/16: To be fair, it probably shouldn't be played once every other show forever, but I'd hate to see it go away completely.
10/19/16: Stealing Time breaks up the Songs I Like theme this setlist had going on.
10/19/16: My Sweet One > Waking Up Dead.
10/19/16: This is one of my favorite Big Boat songs live so far.
10/19/16: Also really liking Things People Do, Petrichor and the one Always Wanted It This Way.
10/19/16: Halfway To the Moon, and old-new song, is next.
10/19/16: Wonder if they're doing a four members/four songs thing again. My Sweet One is a Fish song, right?
10/19/16: Trey flirting a bunch with teasing WTU? during the Halfway solo. Not sure if it's on purpose or not.
10/19/16: Yeah, Running Out of Time next. I feel like you can fairly count that as a 'Trey' song.
10/19/16: Performed more or less like it's done on the album. That was nice.
10/19/16: Sometimes it's nice to have a Phish song that doesn't have to end in a huge guitar crescendo.
10/19/16: Anyway, Tube.
10/19/16: Rock/funk hybrid happening here. Trey deploying the echo. Tube renaissance continues.
10/19/16: Shine A Light, probably to close the set.
10/19/16: YOP. End set.
10/19/16: S2 opens with GOLDEN AGE
10/19/16: Quick little solo, then a return to the Golden Age groove. Page to clavinet, Trey with heavy space distortion.
10/19/16: Jam almost sounding like 2001 now.
10/19/16: Whoops, brutal ripcord...for Tweezer.
10/19/16: That's what you call a mixed blessing right there.
10/19/16: Tweezer starts with a plinko-style jam.
10/19/16: Err...not 'starts,' I mean the jam starts that way, not the song.
10/19/16: Sorry, my brain is fried. And not in that one way that's good instead of bad.
10/19/16: Really pretty, contemplative space opening up in Tweezer now.
10/19/16: Neat, almost Latin beat and jam going now.
10/19/16: Super-chunky funk jam now.
10/19/16: Neat breakdown. Quiet funk noodling now.
10/19/16: > No Men.
10/19/16: Excellent Golden Age > Tweezer sequence, even if the transition was a bit rough.
10/19/16: PLASMA!
10/19/16: So happy to hear this make a comeback.
10/19/16: Nice, Latin-infused noodling from Trey in Plasma. Echoing the early Tweezer jam.
10/19/16: Now things getting spacier and more melodic. First Type II Plasma jam by the band?
10/19/16: Return to Plasma riff to close out the song. > Hood.
10/19/16: Loving the start to this Hood jam.
10/19/16: Interesting tension-y bit now.
10/19/16: This Hood might be going the '14 route.
10/19/16: Building up energy now. Trey has brought it near the peak a few times, but pulled off into another direction each time.
10/19/16: Really appreciate the patience.
10/19/16: Definitely a Type II...you know, if you're into those sorts of things.
10/19/16: WOO JAM
10/19/16: Having some serious Hollywood Hood flashbacks here.
10/19/16: IMMEDIATELY OUT OF THE WOO JAM INTO THE OUTRO
10/19/16: HOLY YES
10/19/16: Another WOO JAM
10/19/16: WHAT IS HAPPENING
10/19/16: IS THIS 2013
10/19/16: That was amazing.
10/19/16: Welp, if I wasn't going to Dick's before hearing that Hood, I am now.
10/19/16: > Suzy
10/19/16: Interesting Fish and Page centric Suzy to close the set.
10/19/16: Walls encore.
10/19/16: A little bonus mustard on that Walls. > Tweeprise to close.
10/19/16: Really enjoyed that show.
10/19/16: S1s that aren't standout-good or standout-bad often just come down to the setlist construction: that one was solid and fun.
10/19/16: Second set jammed a lot in the same space (Golden Age, Tweezer, a little No Men, Plasma) but it was a good space.
10/19/16: Strong Hood to finish and an energetic encore. Hard to complain. Much better show than 10/18. Sorry, Bobby.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)