Warming Up At Boardwalk Hall
It’s been a wild few days, and I’ve been running on fumes since returning from one of the greatest set of Phish concerts I’ve ever seen. THIS is Phish! The improvs, the humor, the jams…it’s all there, and we were treated to three nights of magnificent music at the famed Boardwalk Hall. So, it’s time to recap, and I’ll start with night one.
After sitting in loads of traffic (it took us 4 hours to get from NYC to AC), we made it to our seats with a few minutes to spare. The boys hit the stage and began their three-night run with our National Anthem. The back of the Hall had an enormous American Flag on display, so this was fitting. The show really kicked off with the bluesy “My Soul,” with Trey wasting no time hammering out an explosive guitar solo. The set coasted from here, with the band really warming up on standard renditions of “AC/DC Bag,” “Ocelot,” and “Sample.” “Light Up And Leave Me Alone” was a real treat, with Page dominating on the boards and unleashing some soulful vocals. The rest of the set remained fairly standard until the band dipped into “The Moma Dance.” Out of the short jam, Trey immediately launched into an unexpected “Cities,” giving us a taste of that rare mid-first set segue. “Cities” triggered something, as the band built upon its groove to enter into some murky, ambient territory that transitioned right into the closing “46 Days.”
Set two kicked off with “Punch You In The Eye,” followed by the jam-heavy “Sand.” “Sand” catapulted the band into the first real lengthy segment of the evening. As the jam progressed, the boys found themselves jamming on a chord progression that easily could have extended minutes longer. Trey disagreed though, and cut the groove short for “Carini.” Light other versions this year, “Carini” opened the doors for experimentation, this time finding the band transitioning into “Caspian.” “Corrina” followed, bringing us down to earth for a few minutes. It was perfectly placed in the set, providing a nice break before picking back up with a nasty “Piper > Theme” combo. The set culminated in an electrifying “Slave > Fluffhead” segment that really capped the first night of right. A proper “Loving Cup” encore, and we all filed out onto the Boardwalk wondering what else would be in store for us the next two days. If we only knew…
Friday October 29, 2010 Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic, City, NJ
Set I: The Star Spangled Banner, My Soul, AC/DC Bag, Ocelot, Sample In A Jar, Light Up Or Leave Me Alone, Sugar Shack, Timber > Bouncing Around The Room, Axilla I > Rift, The Moma Dance* > Cities > 46 Days
Set II: Punch You In The Eye > Sand > Carini > Prince Caspian*, Corrina**, Piper > Theme From The Bottom > Golgi Apparatus > Slave To The Traffic Light > Fluffhead
E: Loving Cup
*unfinished
**A brief “When The Circus Comes” tease before “Corrina.”
setlist courtesy of www.phish.com
download the show here.
image courtesy of Dave Vann.
