Whatever You Do, Take Care Of Your Shoes

These three Greek shows were some of the most anticipated shows of the summer (would be THE shows if Telluride was out of the picture).  I’ve previously discussed the return to smaller venues being good for the band, and it really shows in their performances.

The first set’s highlights included the opening “AC/DC Bag > Foam” powerpunch, “Reba,” and short yet energetic “Tube.”  Set two really upped the anty with a 17+ minute “Light” that saw the band take it’s first exploration into the unknown this run.  “Light” transitioned perfectly into another 3.0 gem, “Twenty Years Later.”  The rest of the set flowed perfectly with jams in “Harry Hood,” Theme From The Bottom,” and the set closing “Slave.”  To encore, the band broke out “The Lizards” to much of the crowd’s surprise.  Looking for one last rush, they capped the evening off with “First Tube.”

On to Telluride!!!

Saturday June 7, 2010 Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA

Set I: AC/DC Bag > Foam, Gotta Jibboo, Reba, Sleep Again, Army Of One, Poor Heart > 46 Days > Tube, Character Zero

Set II: Wilson > Light > Twenty Years Later > Harry Hood > Theme From The Bottom, 2001 > Suzy Greenberg > Slave To The Traffic Light

E: The Lizards, First Tube

setlist courtesy of www.phish.com

download the show here.

image courtesy of Dave Vann.

After a fairly straightforward (yet strong) performance the previous night, Phish hit the stage for their second show at the Greek with more ammo in their cannon.  Set one featured a standout version of “Cities,” funked out and extended, seguing perfectly into “The Moma Dance.”  We haven’t been seeing much jamming the first half of these 3.0 shows, and the “Cities” jam was well-received, and yet another sign of the band becoming more comfortable.  Is it a matter of time until we see set one jamming as the norm?

Set two highlights included some more funkiness in “Moma’s” predecesor, “Ghost.”  The “Mike’s Groove” sticks out as well, featuring a lengthy “Simple,” “Number Line,” the newly penned “Show Of Life,” and a rather short “Seven Below.”  “YEM” capped the set off in its typical placeholder.  Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times” gave the crowd one last rush before night’s end.

Friday August 6, 2010 Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA

Set I: Chalk Dust Torture, Guyute, Ocelot, It’s Ice, Cities > The Moma Dance > Bathtub Gin > Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan

Set II: Rock And Roll > Ghost > Mike’s Song > Simple > Backwards Down The Number Line, Show Of Life, Seven Below > Weekapaug Groove, You Enjoy Myself

E: Good Times Bad Times

setlist courtesy of www.phish.com

download the show here.

image courtesy of Dave Vann.

Phish’s return to the Greek marked an excellent beginning to the second leg of this summer’s tour.  These Greek shows have been amped up significantly, as the band hasn’t played there since 1993, and they’ve come quite a ways since.  These smaller venues are a nice change of pace for the band, and it’s a nice throwback to the “old days.”

Opening with “Possum,” the stage was set for an excellent night.  From there on, the first set was chock full of great jams including “The Divided Sky,” a well-executed “Halley’s > Sample,” and a set closing “Antelope.”  I found it quite interesting to see “Funky Bitch” pop up.  The band seems to really love this song lately, playing it three other times back in June.

Set two kept the mood alive, opening with a “Disease > Free” combo.  A set ending “Tweezer > Fluffhead” jam easily sticks out as a set high point.  In a nice tongue-in-cheek move before the encore, Trey held a sign up that someone had in the audience that read “stage banter.”  He preceded to tell the crowd about the new guitar that Paul Languedoc built him, which is his fifth guitar crafted by the great soundman, and sports an Ocelot inlay.  Hey, they are the All-American Request Band, right?

Thursday August 6, 2010 Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA

Soundcheck: Burn That Bridge

Set I: Possum, Wolfman’s Brother, The Divided Sky, Funky Bitch, Kill Devil Falls, Halley’s Comet > Sample In A Jar, NICU, Bouncing Around The Room, Run Like An Antelope

Set II: Down With Disease > Free, Alaska, Back On The Train, Maze, Joy, Tweezer > Fluffhead

E: Trey’s New Guitar Story, Loving Cup, Tweezer Reprise

setlist courtesy of www.phish.com

download the show here.

image courtesy of @Tweeprise.

Looking back at the first leg of this year’s summer run, and anticipating the band’s return in August, a bunch of observations come to mind.  This has been an exciting era for Phish.  While jamming and deep exploration out of song structure has been rare, the band’s playing has been tight as ever, causing most fans to forget all about that late-2003-2004 era of pure slop.  New songs have found their rightful place in rotation, newer songs have emerged, and oldies and rarities have been dusted off the shelf.  A few things come to mind…

JOY

The songs from Joy have certainly found their rightful place in concert rotation.  One of the great things about a year where no Phish album is released is that the band has nothing to promote.  For the die-hards and tour followers, this means a bigger chance of hearing more songs and less repeats.  We’ve seen songs like “Ocelot,” “Backwards Down The Nunber Line,” “Kill Devil Falls,” and “Stealing Time” find their rightful place amongst oldies.  “Joy” has emerged as the 3.0 ballad.  “Light” has become the new jam-vehicle.  Even “Time Turns Elastic” has found its niche, only emerging twice so far all summer.

RARITIES

The most obvious thing from this past tour has been the surfacing of tunes unheard of in years…and for some, I mean MANY YEARS.  The biggest bustout came in Charlotte with “Fuck Your Face,” the Mike song from way back that had only been played one other time in 1987, making the gap between performances 1413 shows, or the longest gap in Phish song history.  Other surprises included “Walfredo” at Merriweather and “Alumni Blues > Letter To Jimmy Page > Alumni Blues” in Camden, both opening the shows, and both not heard in over ten years.

NEW TUNES

Many fans often cringe at the thought of a new tune.  Often times, these “bathroom/beer break” songs leave fans longing for a “Bowie” or “Melt” replacement.  But the new songs that emerged this summer are no “Jennifer Dances,” and that’s for sure.  One thing that’s evident, is that Phish is becoming more lyrically focused in their writing.  We’ll always have “YEM,” trust me, but these guys aren’t 20 years old anymore.  They’re mid-40s, settled down, family-oriented, and some (*cough* Trey) are sober.  Trey’s newly penned love song to Sue, “Summer Of ‘89” is a gorgeous ode to their relationship and memories of the past.  You can hear it in his voice when he sings it, that this is an important song for him.  Page has continued maturing in song writing, as evident with “Halfway To The Moon,” played once at SPAC.  Mike continues to funk us up with his new music as well, as evident in “Idea.”  Whether these songs end up on a Phish album or respective solo efforts, it’s nice to see the band trying new things out and playing each others music.

WHAT’S TO COME

So what’s to come?  Well one thing is obvious, and that is that you can’t rule anything out.  We’re still awaiting some more bustouts.  There are many, but a few off the top of my head include “Weigh,” “Mound,” and “Scent Of A Mule” - all which haven’t been played this year.  Then there’s the obvious lack of Round Room material that has vanished from rotation (“Walls Of The Cave” was once the 2.0 jam staple).  So can we expect some more deep cuts from the song book?  I know a few people who would love to hear “Minkin” (never played live ever), “Leprechaun” (last heard in 1993), “Flat Fee” (last heard in 1991), and “Axilla II” (last heard in 1995).  Me?  Just save “Dog Log” for Jones Beach and I’ll be happy…just saying.

image courtesy of Dave Vann.

July 4th was an appropriate day for the boys to close out the first leg of their summer tour.  Opening with the appropriate (and first a capella number of the tour) “Star Spangled Banner,” the patriotic theme was set for the tour (read more for details).  From there, fans were treated to a nice 3-part Gamehendge combo with “Punch You In The Eye” and the first “Forbin > Mockingbird” of the year.  “Forbin > Mockingbird” was very similar to the Hartford version of last summer, which did not include any narration at all.  I think I speak for everyone when I say we hope this is not a 3.0 trend.

Set two brought upon one of the most interesting combos we’ve seen since the band got back together.  After a relatively short “Mike’s Song,” Trey lead the band through “Tela,” which really through people through a loop.  “Tela” had just been played a few shows earlier, and it’s lack of appearances throughout the years lead many to believe it would not resurface again.  Following “Tela,” the uber-rare “Harpua” made its tour and year debut.  “Harpua” featured extensive narration from Trey about the real history of the United States.  Mid-“Harpua,” Fish took the vocals for the band’s first ever version of Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing In The Name Of,” which saw a sea of hippies head-banging.  I’m sure that was a sight to see.  “Harpua” ended and flowed nicely into the set closing “Weekapaug Groove.”

It’s been one hell of a run.  After seeing the song selections and quality of playing this tour, August should be just as interesting.

Sunday July 4, 2010 Verizon Wireless At Encore Park, Alpharetta, GA

Set I: The Star-Spangled Banner, Punch You In The Eye, Colonel Forbin’s Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird, Camel Walk, Ocelot, Heavy Things, My Friend My Friend, Lawn Boy, David Bowie, Gotta Jibboo

Set II: Down With Disease > Piper > Ghost > Waste, Julius > Mike’s Song > Tela, Harpua > Killing In The Name Of* > Harpua > Weekapaug Groove

E: First Tube

*first time played - Rage Against The Machine cover

setlist courtesy of www.phish.com

download the show here.

image courtesy of Dave Vann.

Phish began their tour closing stand at Verizon Wireless in Encore Park the other night.  Setting the tone for the first night, the band opened with “Character Zero,” making it the first time the song ever opened a show.  Keeping the vibe alive, “Destiny Unbound,” “Rift,” and “McGrupp” followed, making it a real treat for those in attendance, as these songs have become quite rare.

Set two also deserves respect, with standout versions the Velvet Underground’s “Rock & Roll,” a smoking “Tweezer > Slave” combo, and “Harry Hood.”

Saturday June 3, 2010 Verizon Wireless At Encore Park, Alpharetta, GA

Set I: Character Zero, Destiny Unbound > Rift, McGrupp And The Watchfull Hosemasters, Bathtub Gin, Mountains In The Mist, NICU > Gumbo > My Sweet One, Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan, Strange Design, Sanity, Run Like An Antelope

Set II: Rock & Roll > Prince Caspian > Tweezer > Slave To The Traffic Light, Bouncing Around The Room, Possum, Backwards Down The Number Line > Harry Hood > Loving Cup

E: Sleeping Monkey > Tweezer Reprise

setlist courtesy of www.phish.com

download the show here.

image courtesy of Dave Vann.

Things just kept heating up as the band moved into Charlotte.  Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last week, you’ve heard of the “Fuck Your Face” bustout that occurred last week.  This song had only previously been played one other time at Hunt’s on 4/29/87.  It’s emergence at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre made it the longest gap for any song in Phishtory.  You can hear the raw track on The White Tape, which features Mike on all instruments.

The rest of the night was not too shabby either, with highlights including the tour’s first “Buried Alive” to open the show, “Vultures,” the first “Mexican Cousin” since Hampton, and “The Lizards.”

With “Fuck Your Face” officially crossed off the list, many of us are wondering if “Prep School Hippie,” “Punch Me In The Eye,” or even “Never” are still fair game.  Time will tell…

Friday July 2, 2010 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Charlotte, NC

Set I: Buried Alive > AC/DC Bag, Vultures, Wolfman’s Brother, Back On The Train, The Wedge, Mexican Cousin, Stash, Sparkle, Chalk Dust Torture

Set II: Drowned > 46 Days, Twenty Years Later, The Lizards > Carini, Fuck Your Face, 2001, You Enjoy Myself

E: A Day In The Life

setlist courtesy of www.phish.com

download the show here.

image courtesy of Dave Vann.

Phish hit the south last night, as they began the last few shows of part one of their summer tour.  Walnut Creek has always been a favorite venue of the band, and some of their finest moments have been captured there (see 6/16/95 and 7/22/97 to name just a few).

The “Llama” bustout set the tone for the evening, as everyone’s been hankering for it to reappear and get proper treatment since the last mediocre run-through at SPAC last year.  “Llama” certainly was energetic, but it’s still lacking.  They really need to bring back Fish’s drum intro and jam it out a little more.  Ween’s “Roses Are Free” was an excellent follow-up and certainly one of my favorite covers.  The biggest shocker of the set though, came with Little Feat’s “Time Loves A Hero.”  Last heard in MSG ‘02, this was a real throwback to the old days, when the band used to tackle several Little Feat songs (“Skin It Back” being most memorable).  The band has cited Little Feat as a huge influence, and it’s great to see them still paying homage.

Set two also included a few surprises, with the ending “Fluffhead” jam segueing into the first “Have Mercy” since Philadelphia ‘99!  Not looking to slow down, they launched right into Traffic’s “Light Up Or Leave Me Alone,” last heard in Big Cypress.  A set closing “Suzy Greenberg” and a “Boogie On” encore capped the night off.

This was certainly an interesting show.  Five covers, and a “Llama” opener!  These shows are great and the band is really in peak form.

Thursday 7/1/2010 Time Warner Music Pavilion, Raleigh, NC

Soundcheck: Killing in the Name (intro), Dog Log, Gone, Brady Bunch theme [uncomfirmed and possibly incomplete]

Set I: Llama, Roses Are Free, Kill Devil Falls, Time Loves A Hero, Alaska, Water In The Sky, Runaway Jim, The Moma Dance, The Divided Sky, Cavern

Set II: Backwards Down The Number Line, Halley’s Comet > Light, Fluffhead > Have Mercy, Light Up Or Leave Me Alone > Free, Wading In The Velvet Sea, The Squirming Coil, Suzy Greenberg*

E: Boogie On Reggae Woman

*contained “Light Up Or Leave Me Alone” teases

setlist courtesy of www.phish.com

download the show here.

Phish wrapped up their North East leg of the first part of their summer tour last night in Canandaigua, NY.  In a strong performance, they stuck to their guns and delivered some excellent jams.

Set one highlights featured an extended “Connection,” jammed out longer than perhaps any of the other two versions last year, “Down With Disease,” “Reba,” and “David Bowie.”  Skynyrd’s “Curtis Loew” also made another appearance, and it’s nice to see this cover getting a lot of love.

Set two opened up a raging “Possum,” followed by arguably the best “Mike’s Groove” of 3.0.  I think I speak for everyone when I say, FINALLY, a REAL Mike’s Groove!  Both “Mike’s” and “Weekapaug” fell just under the ten minute mark, showing that maybe the band is getting more comfortable here and willing to start stretching out this staple again.  The meat of the jam came with a great “Simple” segueing into the band’s first take on The Beatles “I Am The Walrus.”  Trey had previously covered this tune several times in ‘05 with his rock outfit (and least memorable), 70 Volt Parade.  This blew those performances away, and it was great to hear the crowd participate in the “Goo Goo Gajaoobs.”  The evening was capped off with the great “First Tube.”  Next stop, we follow the lines going South!

Tuesday June 29, 2010 CMAC, Canandaigua, NY

Set I: The Connection, Down With Disease, Sample In A Jar, Ocelot, Reba, Horn, Funky Bitch, Undermind, The Ballad Of Curtis Loew, David Bowie

Set II: Possum > Mike’s Song > Simple > I Am The Walrus* > Weekapaug Groove, Limb By Limb, Joy, Harry Hood, Golgi Apparatus,

E: First Tube

*first time played - Beatles cover

setlist courtesy of www.phish.com

download the show here.

image courtesy of Dave Vann.

After a fairly low-key evening the night before, Phish took the stage Sunday night for a remarkable evening of rarities and jams.  Kicking the night off with the uber-rare, “Walfredo,” the band traded instruments and played the first version of this song in almost ten years (last heard in Vegas ‘00 on Trey’s birthday).  Following “Walfredo” came the Bob Marley classic, “Mellow Mood,” unheard since IT in ‘03.  The remainder of the set featured a great mix of classics, giving a great old-school vibe.  Highlights included “Tela,” “Ginseng Sullivan,” “The Divided Sky,” and “My Soul.”

Set two kicked off with an electrifying “Wilson” and a funky “Meatstick,” leading into a set of madness beginning with the wah-wah heavy “I Saw It Again.”  Making its first 3.0 presence, this was jammed out fairly long by its standards (over eight minutes) before transitioning into “Piper.”  “Ghost” followed, and the jam was very reminiscent of the “Hartford” Ghost from ‘09.  While the latter segued into a powerful “Psycho Killer,” Trey and the gang found themselves jamming on a “Jumping Jack Flash” riff before Trey started delivering the lyrics spur of the moment.  What a great moment and one of those reasons you see the band!  The band noodles around on the Stones classic before going back into “I Saw It Again” for one final refrain.  There are several “I Saw It Again” teases that continue to pop up in “Contact,” “YEM,” and the encore, “Fire.”

This really upped the anty for shows this summer.  Just one of those, “you needed to be there” moments…Below are some “Walfredo” pics, courtesy of phish.com.

Sunday June 27, 2010 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD

Set I: Walfredo*, Mellow Mood, Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan, The Divided Sky, Tela, My Soul, Ginseng Sullivan, Sample In A Jar, Bathtub Gin, Brian And Robert, Run Like An Antelope

Set II: Wilson > Meatstick, I Saw It Again > Piper > Ghost > Jumping Jack Flash** > I Saw It Again, Contact, You Enjoy Myself

E: Fire

*featured Trey on keys, Mike on guitar, Fishman on bass, and Page on drums.

**first time played - Rolling Stones cover

setlist courtesy of www.phish.com

download the show here.

images courtesy of Dave Vann.