No idea what show you guys were listening to (I see rating right now in the 3s) but Phish laid down another heater tonight.
Life Saving Gun > Steam was a good opener, followed by Mcgrupp. The Line gets dusted off (its a good song dont get the hate) Ocelot also got dusted off, which also gets...
My 40th show ! It started out a bit puzzling with what seemed like a ghost town before the show and cold wet winds whipping fans in line, but the venue filled up steadily. So many of my favorite songs appear here, the set connecting little golden strands of light through my phish memories and...
Ridiculously fun 1 st set full of unexpected songs and capped off by a blistering Most Events Aren’t Planned closer which perfectly encapsulated the unpredictable nature of the songs which preceded it.
The opening notes of Tube for the second set, laid an inconspicuous foundation for what was...
Friday the 13th usually means a day of misfortune, but not this particular date. Everything was executed perfectly. Phish walking the stage to Jason/Mrs. Voorhees’ call and the accompanying music; the Ghost duology with Ghost and Meat being respective highlights and Ghost itself being my single...
great show. Hood opener was a treat and a very well-executed version. Gin absolutely ripped and feature the cool Tequila jam. On Your Way Down was an epic bustout (although I must admit that I didn't recognize it, smh).
second set began with absolute fire. No Men's set the table and WGTYM...
A set list that I think throws back to Halloween’s past, it is spooky season after all. First set highlights: Timber has a strong outing in its bubbling rhythmic style. Plasma reaches some unique territory, also very drum riff heavy, almost Latin style jam chart worthy. Stash gets a little out...
As the saying goes, "Never Miss a Friday the 13th Show."
Fun stuff. Sat behind the stage simply for a different perspective, and had a blast. I'll let those who are more musically inclined give a blow-by-blow commentary, but overall, the playing was tight and the band just brings energy pretty...
Never. Miss. A. Sunday.
Phish closed out their Chicago run with an absolute heater. From the moment Cars Trucks Buses kicked off the show, the energy never dipped. The song choices? Next level. Reba (minus the whistling) was a beautiful surprise, and the Mike’s Song > Horn > Reba sequence was...
I sure picked the right night to take some shrooms!! Just WHAT??? That 2nd set gave me multiple psychedelic brain orgasms. The boys know (like Hendrix) just exactly what your feeling during a heady trip like I was on and they definitely can add in those extra special musical things that make...
Great show! Deserving of a higher rating, in my opinion. But lacking any major bustouts or super long jams, I get that it wasn't top tier. But damn: Great setlist if you love 1.0 tunes as much as I do, and just all around tight playing.
Loved the transition from Bag to Funky Bitch. Excellent...
> from "Horn". A strong version of "Reba" for the era, featuring outrageous play by Mike and Fish. Trey whips up a frenetic ending before the band stops on a dime.
Gorgeously nimble and focused play moves through several sections including an atypical atonal break down in which Mike hints passingly at klezmer as Trey eventually navigates by way of some seemingly Hendrix inspired licks to an exciting and massive, rocking conclusion before > "Sparkle".
Trey's off kilter pedal play casts the now common intro into a uniquely new and sinister light that gives way to a lush, layered, and well balanced conversation steeped in swirling synths and accented by melodic exploration that grows more contemplative even as it picks up steam and heads toward a slick segue collision with an even more exemplary "Twist".
-> from "Scents". Another big version comes late but is far from perfunctory, signaling here a willingness not just to sustain but to push the improvisational conversation both horizontally and vertically, widening the vocabulary and drawing from a deep well of inspiration that eventually launches the jam into the stratosphere. Glorious.
Who needs lyrics? Not Trey, apparently. This remarkable "Seven Below" is the first instrumental version performed. The band makes up for forgetting to sing by producing a fun, fiery jam. For the completists, they return to the song in the second set to actually sing the song.
The spaced-out funk typical of "Tube" jams gets a bit more atmospheric and more densely textured here before shifting towards a brighter, major-key zone about halfway through. From here, a galloping, majestic jam takes off and builds to an inspired crescendo before shifting back to "Tube"'s composed section.
What begins as warm and inviting takes a turn for the weird and hypnotic, drawing the listener into a synth and pedal darkened depth accented by swirling loops and gritty riffs, and punctuated with punchy rhythmic interplay that gradually carves a path of ascent to a sweeping and triumphant peak.
An old-school "Gin" featuring a plethora of teases. The band's joy - Trey's especially - shines through once they get to the "Tequila" portion of the jam.
Though Trey hints early on that the answer to the question may be that there is "nobody home", there's actually plenty to discover in this wide ranging version that finds the band locking on to a handful of memorable progressions, moving seamlessly between sections, and soaring over peaks before accelerating through groove laden depths to deliver a sustained and fiercely rocking finale that eventually finds itself becoming suddenly "Crosseyed".
> from "WGTYM" a little extra bit of Belew early on from Trey sets this one off on a trajectory for greatness that never strays but delivers a relentless swagger and propulsive drive that, rather than leave one waiting, forces the listener to sit up, pay attention, and keep a tight grip. Listen for Mike's bass to get the vacuum treatment as the jam gets sinister and eventually fades.
Compact, direct, Fish-driven version not unlike early powerhouse "CDT's" by way of intensity. Play breaks just before the 5:00 minute mark to feature a bit by way of Trey, but this version is really all about the drums. And then a shift! Around 7:44, Page leans into his keys, ripping a hole in a static wall of sound, and the improv unravels, becoming a kaleidoscopic shoegaze soundscape.
> from "Tube". Echoing the 8/3/18 "Carini", there's a full-on "Chest Fever" jam played soon after the song proper finishes. Even after winding back to the chorus of the song, Trey can't help but fall back into "Chest Fever" mode one more time. Truly unique version.
Another exploratory version pulsing with chaotic energy that retains strong forward momentum and a semblance of "Melt's" character thanks to Fish's percussive through line. A break in the storm appears with a shift to major around 8:00 but the jam soon splits open again and becomes even more frantic in the leadup to the usual closing.
-> from "Halley's", this version has a quicker beginning than most. This is a laid-back, feel-good first set jam. Introspective and then euphoric. Peak upon peak. (And stick around for the "Albuquerque" bustout afterwards!)