Published at: 08:02 am - Wednesday February 17 2010
A lot of people have asked me recently why I haven’t been updating my blog. Needless to say, I’ve kind of been on hiatus. There are a couple questions that I have been trying to answer as I move forward with my web development and blogging.
1. What is my role in the world wide web?
2. Who reads my blog? Who looks at my website?
3. What is my goal/purpose? Why is it important to reach that goal?
A lot of the blogs I read have a certain purpose, whether its news about music, social media, politics, graphic design, photography, silent sports, etc. I feel as if my blog serves no purpose other than being a diary for myself to go back and reflect on. Sure, I have a handful of readers, but nothing I write has an intended structure. Within the next few weeks, I hope to answer these questions and be able to make a blog that serves a purpose for an intended audience. Should I focus on personal endeavors, entertainment, or educational topics?
Until then, we’ll see how things go, and I’ll be sure to keep you posted…
In my Media and Communication Theory class, we ahve been talking about how our society has changed significantly due to technological world of communication. This stuff fascinates me so I figured I would share it with all of you.
People seem less concerned about good sources, and no one necessarily needs to be an expert in order to be considered a legitimate source. I’m guilty of this, as I have used sources in term papers that are from other college students that they used in their term papers. I have no idea where they got these thoughts from, but they sounded legitimate enough to me. As we live in this digital age, we are slowly introducing a new generation of experts, and yet we do not know who is editing these things. Who are these experts? What is considered scholarly? For example, Wikipedia supposedly has 1000 editors that confirm everything that is upload on to their site, and yet you only have 3 days of training in order to become a Wikipedia editor.
YouTube is a prime example of what is going on in this digital age. We, as the consumers are now becoming the producers. We do not have to be talented or knowledgeable to be famous anymore, and we don’t need thousands of dollars of equipment to make an album or make a movie, and we can just upload these things on to the web hoping that it will exceed above and beyond the rest. This is why FOX, CBS, NBC, ABC, etc…are hurting financially. People who used to watch those experts make shows such as ER are now watch Red vs. Blue on YouTube instead.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to watch the video below. I cannot think of a better example of what is happening in our consumer driven society. It is an hour long video, but it is well worth watching as it is very interesting. Enjoy.
I have been listening to Phish’s new album Joy for a few weeks now, and I feel like I need to categorize my thoughts, and there is not a better place to do it than my blog. This album is much more re-playable than a lot of Phish studio albums, and it also has a very upbeat mood throughout most of the tracks. Phish, not known for their albums, this one might change the minds of many. I would argue, and Trey Anastasio would agree, that you don’t get the full “Phish” experience until you see them live, but this album certainly has a great deal of satisfaction built into it. I am going to breakdown the songs one by one by discussing them as a studio track, as well as a potential live jam vehicle of the future. If you have yet to hear this album go to Phish’s MySpace page or purchase it for a measily 4 bucks at Amazon.com
I think the most significant part of “Joy” is the title of the album by itself. “Joy” speaks volumes to Phans after 5 years of absence. Jnan Blau, a former teacher of mine and a scholar on the band said it best, “Listening to this summer’s shows, feeling it all out, reading reports from phans; it’s clear they’re here to do good in the world again. I discern a clear sense of purpose and communication. There’s risk-taking, playfulness. And, most importantly, a sense of joy. The upcoming album could not be more aptly titled, fo’ sho’. It’s good see/hear/feel that again, to be feeling the feeling the I forgot….”
I think the album title, “Joy” also holds a great deal of significance for each of the band members; Page, Trey, Mike, and Jon. Page and Jon, through the course of 5 years, remained very quiet on music scene. Mike was working with a few artists here and there, but was relatively quiet as well. Trey was enjoying success as a solo artist with his band until getting into legal and financial trouble with heroin and pain killers. Throughout the course of five years, I’m sure the band had financial issues, and were starting to run out of money. This is not why Phish came back to the stage, I believe they came back together as a band for all the right reasons, friendship, memories, sobriety, and the love of the Phans, but I’m sure they had plenty of Joy coming back to the stage for multiple reasons.
The first track on the album, “Backwards Down the Number Line” was a song written by Tom Marshall, long time lyricist and a good friend of Trey. Trey received the lyrics to this song as a poem for a birthday present, and ultimately, this song, brought the band back together. BDtNL sounds like something that might have come off of Trey’s solo self-titled album. The song is pretty poppy, but I am optimistic that the improv potential for this song will be something unbelievable in the future. I heard a glimpse of greatness when I heard this jam played at Toyota Park and I can see this jam going multiple different ways as it evolves in the years ahead. I plan BDtNL to stay as a Set II opener, as it would seem awkward for it to go anywhere else in a setlist.
“Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan” is the second track on the album, and I think it is place nicely after BDtNL. The song starts with a nice guitar lick from Trey, and great support from Page and Mike. I would say this is the best song lyrically on the album as a whole. This song seems to be the song asthetic evidence that Steve Lillywhite was the producer of this album. I definitely could have saw this song on “Billy Breathes,” my favorite Phish Album, if it was written 10 years earlier. This song as well, has a lot of potential in the improv market, and I expect it to be in rotation relatively often during the Summer of 2010.
“Joy” is the next song on the album. This song was written by Trey to his sister, Kristy Manning, who died this past spring from cancer. Kristy was one of Phish’s first phans, an environmental activist, and her impact on the band has been exponentially important during their earlier years as a band. Musically, this ballad slows down the album, but still holds an upbeat feeling. I heard Joy debuted at Alpine Valley this year, and it was a huge emotional swing in the show. Everyone just stopped and listened in a melancholy mood. “We want you to be happy, because this is your song too….”
“Sugar Shack” is probably my least favorite song on the album. Not because its a bad song, but because it just doesn’t seem to fit correctly with the other tracks. If there is a sore thumb, this track would be it. “Sugar Shack” was written by Mr. Mike Gordon, and has a nice funky groove to it. It almost seems if this song came off of Gordo’s solo album, “The Green Sparrow.” I really don’t see this making it onto many setlists in the future, but then again, Phish is always full of surprises.
“Ocelot” brings the album back around to where I think it should be. Trey’s ability to belt out these lyrics with passion help me argue that this band actually does have a lot of talent singing. I still haven’t been able to wrap my head around the lyrics of this song yet, but musically, it is composed very well. Nice flow, slow, but not too slow, with nice support bass licks by Gordon in the background that almost go unnoticed. Trey belts out a few pretty notes at the end of the song, setting a springboard for improve. If this jam sticks around on the live circuit, I think it will have to pick up some pace in order to hold the energy of a show.
Next on the album, “Kill Devil Falls” is the new “Chalkdust Torture” in my mind. It won’t replace “Chalkdust” but it is by far the song that is most similar, at least in my eyes. It has a cheesy beginning with Trey playing a quick lick before the track actually starts. There is a lot of dance to be had in this song, as I have danced my tail off both times I’ve heard this played live. A very groovy tune, yet another song in which I can’t seem to comprehend the lyrics (imagine that, a Phish song where lyrics are ambiguous). “…but I learned my lesson, I can still remember the last one” is a transitional part of the jam providing a very powerful and energetic aesthetic that would otherwise be lacking. Both times I’ve heard this song it has reached a high level of energy, with soaring guitar solos by Trey and Page really hitting the keys on the grand piano. This song will be around for quite some time on the setlists.
“Light” provides another break in the album, slowing everything right back down. While beautiful on album, I don’t see this one going anywhere near the stage after it debuted earlier this summer in Boston. Though it starts pretty psychedelic beginning, it really doesn’t belong on the stage except as maybe a Set II opener. Lyrically, this song is another gem, with a great deal of ambiguity but respectively, a great deal of optimism. This is another track that I think I would have found on Trey’s solo album “Bar 17″ or maybe even Phish’s last album, “Undermind”.
“I Have Been Around” was written by Page, and rightfully so. Very Jazzy, just like Page likes it, provides a nice intro into “Time Turns Elastic”. Here is where people will probably shoot me, but I truely enjoy “Time Turns Elastic” on the setlist. However, I think this song would be better as a set opener. Ironically, TTE has grown on me significantly after it disappointed me at Alpine Valley. I always enjoyed the studio version of TTE since it was released, even though the lyrics are pretty corny. I thought it was a beautiful orchestra piece transitioned for a four member band, and I think it brought a lot of Phans back to the days of Goddard College. If Phish work away from the original track by playing it exactly as it was written, I think this song has potential. I can think of 3 or 4 places in which they could take this jam into left field and throw Phans for a loop, they just need to grow a pair and do it…and at the same time, I think Phans need to give this one a chance…it has potential.
The album is closed out with “Twenty Years Later” which is, in my opinion, the BEST closer that Phish has ever assembled for closing a studio album. “20 Years Later” is perhaps the most beautiful song ever written by Phish (along side with Wading in the Velvet Sea), and it brings the listener back to the title of the album and it’s significance, “Joy.” Lyrically, musically, this song has everything assembled perfectly, and I can’t think of one awkward note in this song. Very poppy, but very Phishy at the same time. “Twenty Years Later” will never make its way onto the live circuit, and I’m pretty confident in that statement. It’s placed at the end of this album for a reason, and it’s going to stay there.
So where does “Joy” list in my studio albums (Excluding White and Siket Disc)? Well, it’s in the top tier. I strongly suggest that they keep Steve Lillywhite around for a while, he’s a musical genius and the master at producing beautiful albums. I predict Phish will be back in the studio this spring, working on a few more numbers to introduce to us this summer, and will probably again release an album next winter.
Published at: 12:09 pm - Wednesday September 02 2009
Been a while since I last blogged…no live shows or exciting developments. Maybe Phish will get a fall tour going in November-December, and I’ll be able to get my groove on mid-semester.
Anyway….
On Monday I started my last year at Michigan Tech. Slated to graduate in December, I have since changed majors, went on Co-Op, keeping me in Houghton until May. Given the job market and the way things have played out in my life within the last year, I am glad that I have this opportunity to stay in school with as little responsibility as possible for the extra five months. I’ve now got the time to look at what I’ve accomplished, put together a professional portfolio, and to start looking for a job….in the Houghton area.
Stacy still has 2 years of Nursing school left. I will not be leaving Houghton anytime soon. As pessimistic as many are about finding a job in the Houghton area for at least two years after I graduate, I’m feeling alright. I can always work part time for a business doing something relatively similar to what I want to do, and then do freelance work on the side. Anyway, there are plenty of things to ponder after I graduate, first I have to complete the following courses:
The American Experience – This class focuses on the history of the United States from the Revolution through WWI. This is the first of my classes to get my minor in American Studies
American Foreign Policy – This class is exactly as it sounds. It focuses on the domestic and international effects of decision making in regard to the United States’ foreign policy.
Environmental Policy and Politics – This class focuses on the issues we face in a free market society, and why it doesn’t necessarily coincide with being “Evironmentally Friendly” This is more or less a problem-solving type of course.
Media and Communication – This class focuses on new types of media, and what is happening with the old types of media. This type of class is the kind of class that really makes me want to apply for grad school.
Adv. Practicum in Scientific and Technical Communication – This class is also known as the “Senior Capstone” class for STC majors at Michigan Tech. I’m not exactly sure what this class consists of, but I know it supposed to help push me to the next level with everything I have learned the past four years.
I am continuing to work at COMPASS, the Outdoor Adventure Program, and the Challenge Course this fall. Between my three jobs, 15 credits, and other miscellaneous projects, I should keep myself pretty busy.
Tomorrow I am getting some engagement photos taken by Juskuz Photography. I should have some images posted of my ugly face relatively soon.
A week ago on Tuesday Evening (August 11), Phish made their Midwest Pitstop to play at the new soccer stadium in Chicago, Toyota Park. Certainly, at this point, I was ready for my phix. Phish is my version of crack, and it was over a month since I last saw them at Alpine Valley. I was sick of listening to set lists without being there, seeing Phish make remarkable progress in their improvisation and musical style. Fortunately, I was in luck, and I found tickets for real cheap, found a few buddies to bring along to split expenses, and we were off!
Aah yes, the parking lot. Once again, full of Phriendly people, grilling out, selling merchandise, meeting up with people they haven’t saw since The Gorge or Red Rocks. Soon we reached the parking lot, I knew that there was no other place on the planet that I would rather be than where I was. Rolling into the parking lot, the band was doing a sound check, and what were they playing? Harry Potter, no lie. They also played “Windy City” which none of us in the parking lot knew what they were sound checking (later we found out). After a few hours of grilling up a tenderloin and some potatoes, we made our way in to get a good spot of the field. I was rather impressed with the venue walking in, small, but very nice. I was a bit worried about the acoustics with all the metal around the stadium, but it didn’t seem to be a problem once the band took the stage.
Overall, the concert had little to no flow between songs. The show was much more of a “Greatest Hits” show than it was Phish in their rare and unique form. Phish provided gracious amounts of energy, as they always do, but they lacked to play any their complex compositions, and lacked to develop any jams into segued tracks. The band was on, with Harry Hood being the only noticeable jam that was forgettable. Am I going to complain about the whole show? Absolutely not, a “Greatest Hits” was just what I needed for my third Phish show. Toyota Park served as an eliminator to many songs that were on my wish list…in fact, lets go through that right now before I highlight my favorite parts of the show….
Llama
Harry Hood
Chalkdust Torture
Reba
Limb By Limb
Cavern
Possum
Squirming Coil
Loving Cup
Guyute
Theme From the Bottom
Free
Split Open and Melt
Heavy Things
Mikes Song
David Bowie
Weekapug Groove
ACDC Bag
Suzy Greenburg
Twist
Tweezer (Reprise)
The setlist for Set 1 was as follows:
Kill Devil Falls
Sample In A Jar
Ocelot
Paul and Silas
Windy City
The Curtain With
Train Song
Gumbo
Heavy Things
Time Turns Elastic
The highlights of set one started with Windy City, a debut song written by Page. Jazzy, as expected, this jam has a lot of potential to evolve into a jam vehicle in the future. I expect to hear this jam carry a lot of weight as we move into what will likely be a staple in the 3.0 setlists of the future. After the debut of Windy City, Phish nailed “The Curtain With,” a song that was not on my original wish list, but damn, I’m so glad I got to hear it in such great form. “The Curtain With” offered the only real complex jam of the evening (Aside from TTE to close the set. No Reba, Stash, YEM, Guyute..etc.) and “The Curtain With” was an absolute beast. This song has a lot of meaning to me (as to most Phans), being the last jam that Phish played before leaving the stage what was supposed to be for good in 2004. To hear “The Curtain With” in the polished form that it was written in, as opposed to the hacked version that remains unforgettable from Coventry in ‘04 was a real treat. Hearing “The Curtain With” live in person erased most of the negative connotation I associated with this piece of music. “Time Turns Elastic” closed the set, and while most people were disappointed, I was glad to see this jam take a completely different fold than when I heard it at Alpine Valley. Granted, “Time Turns Elastic” is very slow to start, but this jam has all the pieces in place to be a good opener/closer for many years to come. Time Turns Elastic is turning into a real beast, and has evolved nicely since June. I look forward to seeing where this jam goes this fall/next summer. What I’d ultimately like to see is “Time Turns Elastic” become an opener. I feel that it would offer a nice springboard into a high energy set. Things could only look up.
Set 2 lineup was as follows:
Backwards Down the Number Line >
Carini >
Gotta Jibboo
Theme From The Bottom
Wilson
2001 >
Chalk Dust Torture
Harry Hood
The Squirming Coil
Set 2 gave me my “Greatest Hits” section. My all time favorite jam, “Chalkdust Torture” was played, with a mediocre “Harry Hood,” a “Theme From the Bottom,” and a “Squirming Coil” to bring it all home. I was in my glory. Page closed the set with what I would argue is the best piano solo of Phish 3.0 thus far. None of these jams flowed good together, but it didn’t matter, I was 50 feet from the band with the lights shining on me, and the jams as individual entities were good for the most part, they just weren’t good as a whole. Mr. Miner said it best by saying, “While a Phish show is usually greater than the sum of its parts- this one wasn’t.”
Two nights at Alpine Valley, one night in Chicago at Toyota Park. I’ve visited my Midwest roots for Phish’s return, and I couldn’t be happier with the two venues I visited in 2009. What makes me even happier was seeing how the band has evolved so much in such a little amount of time. Phish could potentially return to the glory days of the late 1990s, and perhaps go beyond, to bring us to places musically we have never gone before. My next Phish experiences will hopefully lead me to other parts of the country, where I get to meet new Phriends, Phans, and Phamily. I look forward to seeing what the Phuture will bring!
A week ago from today I went back to my favorite place in the Midwest, Alpine Valley, to go see Coldplay during their Viva La Vida tour. They only play in the United States once every 3-5 years, so I figured I better take my opportunity now and run with it. Who knows, next time they are back in the United States, I might have 2 dogs, 2 children, and I will be married with a full-time job. Gotta jump at these opportunities when I have them, because I might not have them later in life.
Do be brutally honest, I was expecting to be somewhat disappointed after seeing Phish a month earlier. Could it really get any better than seeing Phish? No, not at all. However, Coldplay caught me by surprise, and I enjoyed the show exponentially more than I anticipated. Coldplay puts on a completely different type of show than any other band I’ve saw live, filled with theatrics, movie screens, and sing-alongs.
Coldplay opened with “Space Odyssey 2001″ as it segued into their mysterious themes from the Viva La Vida album, swinging lighted “lanterns” as they came onto the stage. You can kind of see this in the YouTube video off of my iPhone…sorry for the poor quality.
It was a cold and rainy day to go to a show, but that didn’t stop anyone from entering or leaving the Alpine Valley gates. Stacy and I threw a blanket over our heads and that seemed to work fine for the duration of the evening. The rain dampened the sound a bit (no pun intended), but that is not Coldplay’s fault, its just something I noticed with the rain coming down sidways with a 20mph wind. Alpine Valley always has good sound, the acoustics of the 3 wood pavilions are engineered perfect for the landscape in which it is built on.
Confetti, balloons, some slight improv, and a WWI themed show was the golden ticket for Coldplay putting on a good show. Coldplay, while not a musically sophisticated band, held all sorts of energy with simple guitar riffs, and powerful techno synthetics as they wandered through the audience. Coldplay was kind enough to make their way through all sides of the Amphitheater, playing songs from two sides of the lawn (getting us quite a bit closer to the band). They even played “Billie Jean” at the center lawn, their own tribute to Michael Jackson, which was pretty cool.
Here is a video of the “Billy Jean” tribute.
If you ever get a chance to see Coldplay on their next world tour, do so. Tickets are cheap (about $30 per ticket). Here is a video that should give you an idea of the type of energy Coldplay brings to the stage.
Everytime I go to a show at Alpine Valley, I feel as if it is time to move away from Houghton. I love it here, but I feel as if down in Wisconsin, out towards Red Rocks, the Gorge, or Deer Creek is really where I want to be. Music is a wonderful thing, and when you are in a live music setting, I find it interesting that people come together with different interpretations of the music, yet as a group of 40,000 people, we all find some sense of euphoria in what we are witnessing. It is truely a remarkable experience that words cannot describe.
Anyway, a week and a half until I see Phish at Toyota Park. They are playing the best sets yet. I think that the month of July really helped them gain back any lost chemistry. June was a magical month for the band, now they are well on their way to being who they were in 1996, 1997, 1998. I will keep you posted on my third Phish experience, sets 5 and 6 of my short Live Phish career.
Hey, it seems that someone took off with one of our 15.5′ Perception Carolinas. That’s a long narrow yellow boat. If you happen to see one like that with some big mailbox numbers on the side, or happen to hear about someone who just got a five finger discount on a new boat, let me know.
We filed with public safety, but I figure the more eyes and ears we have open, the better our chance of getting our boat back. Thanks guys.
Well folks, its been the better part of a month since I went to see Phish down at Alpine Valley. I’ve been under the impression that if I don’t turn my notes into a comprehensive document relatively soon, I am going to forget bits and pieces of the show.
I’ve been listening to Phish for six years. Out of those six years, I have been studying Phish extensively for about 4 of those years. In the last two years, I took a drift away from studying Phish musically, and started studying Phish culturally. All in all, I’ve considered myself a hardcore, diehard Phan for a quarter of my life, and it always was embarrassing to talk Phish with another Phan when I never saw them live. Nonetheless, I knew what I was in for, and prior to going, that I was ready for the weekend of my life.
Stacy and I arrived in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin the night before the first show. Went out to a local brewery, ate pizza, and let the tornados, hail, and rain leave before we set up camp that night. We knew the nasty weather wasn’t going hang around long, as the green blobs on the radar were on their way out into Lake Michigan. We set up camp later that evening, went to bed, woke up to it being 80 degrees at 8:00AM. Could ask for a better day to go see a show at one of the most gorgeous outdoor amphitheaters in the country.
We made breakfast(bacon, eggs, toast) and sat in the sun for a while, deciding what we should do before we went tailgating. We had the whole day ahead of us, as the parking lot did not open until 3:00. We went into town, checked out some local shops, stopped at a Caribou Coffee, and watched Phan come pouring into the small town of Lake Geneva. The town was packed, and I’m sure business owners were happy to see Phans flooding their town. Later on that day, we went down to the Bigfoot Beach, laid in the sun and relaxed.
2:30 arrived, and we figured it was time to head to the parking lot. We had kabobs for tailgating, I had plenty of beer and bottled water to keep us going for the four hours before show time. It took about 20 minutes to get into the parking lot, which I didn’t think was that bad. Alpine Valley had a good traffic flow, given that there is only one road to get in and out of the place. We got out of the car, and we were embraced with hugs, not handshakes by our neighbors. After long discussions with a few of our neighbors, I was already feeling the warmth of the most friendly group of people in the United States. The first person I interacted with was at his 20th show. He said he always wanted to get to 20, and he has had to wait 5 years to get there. We played the game, “So what do you think they are going to open with?” and he said “Llama” and I said “Punch.”
We walked around the parking lot to take in the culture as cars were flooding the gates. I’ve never saw such a friendly crowd in all my life. Every corner someone would say “Hi” or “How’s it going?” When people asked me what number show I was at, I said my first. Often I was embraced with a hug and a “Welcome.” Many phans seems to be impressed with my knowledge and Phishtory. I didn’t feel out of place at all, like I thought I would.
The demographics caught me by surprise. I was expecting people in their 30s to be the age group that dominated the parking lot. I found that there were a lot of Phans from the 90s (some people brought their wives, daughters and sons), but I also found that there were a lot of people in their early to mid-twenties there as well. I was also expecting a lot more people from the Midwest, where it seems that most people have travelled quite some distance to get to Alpine Valley according to their license plates and small talk.
Stacy and I meandered our way over to the T-Shirt booth, picked out some shirts and headed back to our car to cook our kabobs. There was plenty of commerce in the parking lot, people trying to sell shirts, bags, skirts, hoola hoops, food, beer, narcotics, posters, cd’s, water, flags, glowsticks, blankets, hoodies, tickets etc…you name it, someone was trying to sell it. Heck, we had people want to buy our kabobs off of us. If I were to do this all over again, I would have brought more food and made a few bucks. I’m a damn good cook (I like to think so, anyway), I’d buy food off of me.
Stace and I finished eating and decided to head in about an hour before showtime to get a good seat. We sat in almost exactly the same place as last year for the Dave Matthews Band, Center Left Pavilion. The band, as expected, did not start right at 7, in fact, it was about 7:50 before they took the stage. The crowed roared louder than at any point during Dave Matthews here last year. You could immediately tell that people were here to see what they have missed the last five years. Phish waited a good two to three minutes to soak in the recognition from the crowd before anyone hit a note.
Trey started scratching his guitar…was it it!? Yes, it was, it was “Punch You in the Eye” and I called it. I went nuts, started groovin’ almost immediately, waiting for my first “Hey!” Talk about serious energy, starting with a “Punch.” The sun was just going behind the billboard, helping with the lighting. The band played “Punch” very solid, without a lot of improv, but it was an excellent jam to start. The band kept the energy going, wasting no time going right into Runaway Jim, which was a well polished jam as well. The band took a second, and start with Stash, in which they almost lost a few times. Trey was not hitting his guitar licks in sync with the rest of the band. ”Stash” was probably the largest disappointment in the first set of the first night, as the improv was going somewhere and I just felt that they ended the jam too soon. Phish could have made up for the mishaps in the beginning of the song if they kept “rolling with the punches.”
Highlights of the rest of the night were “Run Like an Antelope” and “Maze” which were both off the hook. Maze was a beast, and I developed a newfound love for this jam since hearing it at Alpine Valley. There were some definite highs and lows in the show(Stash, and a pretty boring Ghost). I give Night 1 a 7 out of 10
Once again, I cannot say in words how much energy there was throughout the course of my first night with Phish, it is something I have never experienced with any other fanbase in the country.
The sets one and two were as follows:
I: Punch You in the Eye, Runaway Jim, Stash, Yamar, Bathtub Gin, Kill Devil Falls, Train Song, Farmhouse, Sparkle, Run Like An Antelope
II: Waves > Sample In A Jar, Maze, Makisupa Policeman, Ghost > The Lizards, You Enjoy Myself > NICU, Prince Caspian > Waste, Fire
E: Character Zero
Night 2 we ended up meeting up with some folks from Colorado. They have been following Phish around all month, and they were very interesting people to talk to. Stacy and I played ladder golf with them. I discussed the return of Phish with them in great detail. They say they have never been happier to be part of such a musical revolution. I really enjoyed hearing their stories and their perspectives on Phish, and I was really glad to meet this highly intellectual group of people. These guys new the band like the back of their hand, frontwards, backwards, inside and out, they could tell you anything. Later, we met up with a Monk, who was taking an oath of poverty to follow Phish and share the wealth of knowledge of ancient Indian scripture. I didn’t agree with his thoughts fully, but he was an interesting person to talk to nonetheless. We both walked away from each other with a great deal of respect for one another.
Stacy and I grilled hamburgers, played some frisbee and checked out the other end of the parking lots that we didn’t check out the day before. We decided to head in quite a bit earlier the second day in hope of finding a really good spot. We did, front and center on the lawn.
Once we were in and the Phish took the stage, I knew that night 2 would end up being everything I expected it to be. Their last night to their first tour in 5 years. They HAD to go out with a bang, right?
They started off the night with a little “Fathers Day Treat” which I found pretty meaningful. They brought their kids out on stage to sit in a bathtub during “Brother.” Why a bathtub? The lyrics to the song are as follows: “Somebody’s jumping in the tub with your brother”
Heres the video:
Phish played two solid sets from beginning to end. Here is the setlist:
Set I: Brother, Wolfman’s Brother, Funky Bitch, The Divided Sky, Joy, Back on the Train, Taste, Poor Heart, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenue Malkenu > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday, Time Turns Elastic
Set II: Crosseyed & Painless -> Down with Disease, Bug, Piper, Wading in a Velvet Sea, Boogie On Reggae Woman, Slave to the Traffic Light
Encore: Grind, Frankenstein
I don’t know if I can highlight any particular jam from either set. Everything was polished, Phish rarely any mistakes, and it was just a downright fun couple of sets. Groovin’, from beginning to end. Divided Sky was revolutionary to me, so much different than hearing it on album. Trey’s crisp guitar notes and Page’s intense punches on the grand piano are exponentially more powerful when you hear the jam live. Phish’s Piper was a monster as well, providing exploratory development from another dimension I have never heard Piper go before. Phish literally silenced the crowd in awe a few times throughout the show with some deep and dark grooves.
Overall, Night 2 was everything everyone expected it to be. There were some rarities, surprises, and some solid jams. I was expecting either a Tweeprise or a Frankenstein for an encore, well, I got a Frankenstein for an encore, and it was downright unbelieveable…not just any Frankenstein, one with a 5-neck guitar, keytar, and a flamin’ bass guitar. Here’s the video for the Frankenstein:
Couldn’t ask for a better second night. I give this show a 9 out of 10.
I cannot go with closing this post without giving you my wish list for Toyota Park. Yes, I am going to see Phish again in about 3 weeks down in Chicago. Coldplay next week, Phish two weeks after! Here is my wish list:
Set 1
Axilla I
Harry Hood
Chalkdust Torture
Reba
Limb By Limb
Cavern
Possum
Squirming Coil
Loving Cup
Guyute
Theme From the Bottom
Set 2
Axilla II
Free
Split Open and Melt
Heavy Things
Mikes Song
I am Hydrogen
Weekapug Groove
ACDC Bag
Suzy Greenburg
Encore:
Twist
Tweezer Reprise
I will write again when I come back from Alpine Valley next week to see Coldplay.
Last night I was able to make it to my first social paddle of the season. I had a lot of fun, there were a dozen of us, which is a pretty good turnout. Anyway, here is a link to some pictures from last nights extravaganza….
