Wrapping Up Summer Tour With A Bang
There were a lot of expectations as Phish took the stage for their final performance of the tour. Would there be more bustouts? Antics? Guests? What we were treated to was a stellar performance from a band that gives it their all every time they hit the stage. Sure, this was far from the best show of the tour, but a solid effort and one that I (and many others) thoroughly enjoyed.
“Down With Disease” was an interesting opener. Much like the Alpine “Tweezer,” this could have easily been extended and explored deeper, but the boys opted to keep reel it in. “Sample In A Jar” followed, and kept the energy high. “Guelah” was an awesome surprise. Trey and Page nailed the “Asse Festival” section, and the whole song was really well executed. “Poor Heart” followed and gave us a nice sense of bluegrass. For me, the energy was lost a bit in “Ocelot.” I really dig this tune, but I couldn’t get into the jam, and felt it was a bit forced. This carried over to a relatively normal “Chalk Dust.” While great to hear, this version didn’t stand up to the ones I heard earlier this summer at Hershey and SPAC. Things really picked up again with “Bathtub Gin,” as Trey shredded the crap out of his guitar. “Tube” was a set highlight for me. While not as long as I’d hoped for, it was funky a great effort. Then came “Destiny Unbound.” I don’t really know what happened here, but this song just fell apart. What could have been an amazing bustout became a mess. Trey flubbed his parts and the band stumbled back into the verse after the jam. It was fun to hear, but nowhere near the version we got last year at Fenway. After a soulful “Joy,” a fantastic “Antelope” ended the set, with Trey substituting the “Marco Esquandolas” lyrics with “Mike-O” (and a nice little funky bass solo from Mike in response).
Set two heated up with “Axilla,” followed by a blistering “Timber.” “Timber” was another show highlight, as Trey went nuts during the solo and really took this one for a ride. “Light” followed, serving as the first real exploration of the evening. The “Light” jam eventually cooled off into “46 Days” followed by another one of my favorites, “My Friend, My Friend.” “MFMF” was well placed mid-set and had the crowd screaming for more. The band responded with a great “Harry Hood > Tweezer” combo that was one of the best I’ve heard all summer. “Horse > Silent” brought us back to earth, before the set closing “YEM.” “Suzy” and “Tweeprise” ended the night and sent us home.
This was a fun show. Was it the highlight of the tour? No, but it was a strong performance and one I was glad to have been a part of. This has been an amazing tour, and I can’t wait to see what fall has in store.
Wednesday August 18, 2010 Nikon Theater At Jones Beach, Wantagh, NY
Soundcheck: You Can Get It If You Really Want, Nellie Kane, Hey Joe
Set I: Down With Disease > Sample In A Jar, Guelah Papyrus, Poor Heart, Ocelot, Chalk Dust Torture, Bathtub Gin, Tube, Destiny Unbound, Joy, Run Like An Antelope
Set II: Axilla I, Timber > Light > 46 Days > My Friend My Friend, Harry Hood > Tweezer > The Horse > Silent In The Morning, You Enjoy Myself
E: Suzy Greenberg > Tweezer Reprise
setlist courtesy of www.phish.com
download the show here.
image courtesy of Dave Vann.
