Just some quick thoughts on this tremendous, tour-ending show. Sometimes your gut tells you quickly into a show that this is going to be a special one. We got to that point by the second song of the show with the Olivia’s Pool bust-out, and that feeling was strengthened even further as the first...
"Today is one of those nights." - Trey Anastasio, 7/14/2019
When we talk about Phish not being a nostalgia act, it doesn't necessarily mean there's no nostalgia involved. Tonight it was Strange Design that got me, from out of the blue.
I hadn't thought much about the song in years, let...
There are no words for what went down in Wisconsin tonight. The mayor of Alpine Valley just renamed the town Bustout City,
Unreal. Easily the best show of the summer. Possibly best show of 3.0. Top to bottom, this is what we chase. Trey was giving Mike the look before dropping that...
Sometimes people get hyperbolic after a good show and put it among the best of the tour or even best show ever, until they see their next good one.
This one was legit. This was the best show of the tour. This is among the best shows of 3.0, if not the very best. Pound for pound, this stacks up...
This show will be maligned, I'm sure, for its lack of big jams. And perhaps rightly so. If you're hunting for them, they're not to be found around these parts.
But that would be to sell short the jams that are here, tucked away in hidden corners. The science fiction boogie of Everything's...
"Joy: Unfortunately a lot of people booed when they started playing this. I'm really liking this song, and clearly it's special to Trey. I always like the solo at the end."
Anyone who boos that song, which is obviously hugely important to Trey, is a contemptible little asshole.
Some scattered thoughts:
1. Good to see a third CTSOTHH song in the rotation. I'd assumed that the introduction of several new songs meant they'd fall by the wayside, and I'm happy that they're still enthusiastic about playing them (and that crowds are still enthusiastic about hearing them.)...
Its still amazing to me that a song as beloved as Fluffhead could step well outside of its structure for the first time ever and receive such a tepid response.
The reactions to this show gave me a serious crisis of faith. I felt like I was going in an opposite direction to the rest of the...
The couple Trey mentioned was right in front of me on the lawn page side. Their crew was stoked and I believe a proposal happened. Just another crazy thing during a top show for any era! Boys were very active on stage dancing and interacting plus quite a bit of banter, vacuum and trampolines...
I'm finally back in Michigan after the long drive. Right, here we go...
The stars aligned for me and Phish last night.
My wife and I arrived at Alpine Valley fairly early for our third night of Phish. We found a spot on the lawn stage left, Page side/rage side. This was the first of many...
This mammoth jam never drags or seemingly missteps while flowing so well that it may come across as deceivingly simple and stands as one of 2024's most illustrative testaments to the supremely complementary modern-day play style. More notable for the overall journey than individual moments as it reaches out in myriad directions and successfully latches onto practically each one. Longest "Simple" ever.
Spoiler: No "Myfe" ending. Instead, we are again spoiled as Trey pushes the band into extended, driving, and impressively focused improvisation. If this is "new norm," this version is arguably the most direct, with terrific intraband play well through the 11:00 mark. Here, play brightens, but eschews "bliss" in favor of more melodic, note-driven ideas, underscored by a terrific percussion rinse and play from Page on his concert grand. Jam peaks, but it's more in the form of a welcome release, and a huge blast of sustain; this cools to set up a wonderful "Brian and Robert."
Toss a dart at a summer show and you're bound to be delighted by any date's opening song sequence. It may not get better than this. If you don't know "Fluff's" Alpine travels, check the Jam Chart. Here, following a fan-favorite "1999," there arrives that once-in-a-tour rush where (at 14:00) you realize this time it's going to be different, and you're going to see "it" again. When Trey lays down his loop and then kicks his pedal to augment his tone? Well, you're better off listening than reading what we have to say. Awesome.
An unflagging improvisational behemoth that moves from moody rocking out to a low-simmering groove to a propulsive Trey-led anthemic rush to swampy blissfulness to reggae (!) to motorized power riffing with a thrilling peak to ambient space to a surprising and welcome effects-laden gallop into the unknown to a breathless and ferocious finale (and second ambient deep space segment, for good measure) with neither muss nor fuss. At the time of writing, the longest modern era jam and seventh-longest ever to date, and not a second wasted on top. Listening to this masterpiece is non-negotiable.
The 1st jam begins well with Echoplex-infused effects, before Trey drops into more familiar territory. Again, there is a 2nd jam, also with an unusual transition after the traditional closing chords. This time, a high octane section leads off, followed by a funky breakdown jam which grows intense with a "Help On The Way"-like sense around 9:30. Woos make an appearance, followed by more funk action.
During the outro, Mike has a brief solo, and from there, Trey and Page take off, while Fish and Mike stick to "Boogie On" for a bit. The latter two don't hold on for too long before joining the hard rocking, very optimistic (for 2.0) jam with a -> to "Ghost."
Euphoric space-disco firehose dance party in Pere Lachaise Cemetery. [-> in from a strong "BORW." Improvisational and exploratory jamming morphs into a bouncy upbeat groove which grows increasingly celebratory. > to a strong "Free."]
Excellent, improvisational "Type II" version has some awesome Mike early on followed by funk, then some deep, dark and far-ranging exploration before miraculously finding its way back to "Wolfman's" to close.
The jam settles down noticeably around 3:00, with good quiet play by all four, before Mike builds a nice meaty foundation for Page and Trey to play over. As the jam returns to familiar ground, Trey leads an inspired, extended and celebratory peak.
Incredibly improvisational and hard driving version that includes a section from 17:40 - 19:00 that sounds similar to "Woman of Tokyo." -> to "Catapult" although arguably it's really part of the same jam.