Winding Down The Tour With A Rager At Jones Beach
Coming off the heels of an explosive mid-west run, Phish returned to the east coast one last time to cap off their summer tour with two nights at Jones Beach. Night one proved to be an exciting adventure, as the band delivered on stellar jams and great song selections.
Choosing to open the show with “Fluffhead,” the band sent a message that they were here for business. “Fluffhead’s” energy carried right on through a scorching “Kill Devil Falls.” Looking back, it’s amazing to see how far this song has come since they debuted it last year at Jones Beach. Trey delivered a confident, fiery solo that had everyone begging for more. “Cities” followed, as Trey started the opening chords slower than usual, leading the bad through a nice funky rendition. While “Cities” didn’t reach Greek status, the funk was there and the band gelled for a nice groove. As “Cities” drew to a close, the band launched into another raging version of “Funky Bitch.” Mike really loves singing this tune, and he was especially upbeat in this rendition. “Wilson” was next, and Trey spiced things up by playing a toy guitar for part of the jam…a sure sign that they “can still have fun.” Following the antics of “Wilson” came a well executed “Reba”, sans whistling. Still, the boys showed no signs of slowing down, as they went right into Joe Walsh’s “Walk Away,” featuring an amazing end solo by Trey that easily could have stretched a few more minutes. A funked-out “Wolfman’s Brother” followed, featuring Mike delivering some fantastic slap bass. This is easily one of the funkiest I’ve ever heard and a real set highlight. A scorching “Possum” closed the set, with Trey shredding unlike anything I’ve seen all summer. A fantastic set indeed.
Set two opened with a taste of old school, as Fish sang the first “Lengthwise” of the year over the high-hat intro to “Maze.” This was the first well-placed “Lengthwise” in many years, and one that had many older fans reminiscing of those old ‘91-93 shows. “Maze” got dark and dirty, setting the tone for the set. “Halley’s” was also great to hear, but as it’s been all year, the jam stopped before it really got going. Out of “Halley’s” came “Mike’s Song.” Here’s where things got interesting. Just like some of the previous shows, the band tossed away the typical “Hydrogen” in lieu of some interesting experimenting. This time, we were treated to a raging “Simple,” followed by “Backwards Down The Number Line.” “Number Line” saw the boys stretch out and break the typical structure, morphing into a type II jam with that was very reminiscent of SPAC ‘09. The jam featured extensive “Maze” teases, and as it wound down, Trey led the band through a short, yet appropriately placed “Prince Caspian.” “Caspian” went unfinished, transitioning seamlessly into “Rock & Roll.” “Rock & Roll” was perfect and one of the best versions all year. As Trey brought the song back into the chorus, the band kept screaming “it’s alright” over a feedback jam that paved the way for “Weekapaug Groove.” “Loving Cup” followed, and proved to be a great set closer. “Show Of Life” started the encore, which was a bit shocking (I had called this to end the tour), but we got one last taste of energy with “Golgi Apparatus.”
Below are two HD videos I shot from the upper tier. Enjoy!
Tuesday August 17, 2010 Nikon Theater At Jones Beach, Wantagh, NY
Soundcheck: Dog Log, Ginseng Sullivan, Burn That Bridge [Possibly incomplete]
Set I: Fluffhead, Kill Devil Falls, Cities, Funky Bitch, Wilson*, Reba, Walk Away, Wolfman’s Brother, Possum
Set II: Lengthwise > Maze, Halley’s Comet > Mike’s Song > Simple > Backwards Down The Number Line > Prince Caspian > Rock & Roll > Weekapaug Groove, Loving Cup
E: Show Of Life, Golgi Apparatus
*with Trey on toy guitar; Fishman teasing the drumbeat to Led Zeppelin’s “Rock ‘N Roll”
setlist courtesy of www.phish.com
download the show here.
image courtesy of Dave Vann.
