Reawakenings
So here we are in July 2008, almost four years later, and all people can talk about is when is IT gonna’ happen? Its gonna’ happen, we’ve all figured that out. If you haven’t, believe it. Trey is offering up gonads. Page is telling us to chill for a bit, until they are ready. Mike is in. He’s always in. Fishman isn’t known to blow against the wind. It’s no longer if, its when. And that, alone, is the best news of…well, the last four years. As Ms. Hawking told Desmond during his hatch implosion induced journey through his life, “The universe has a way of course correcting itself.” (Excuse me, non-Lost fans, if you’re out there.) That certainly appears to be true, the universe is slowly shifting back into alignment. Coventry, regardless of your experience (mine was great), opinion on the music (there were some great jams), the weather, the traffic, or the parking, was not the way it was all supposed to end. That much was obvious. Now we’ll all get it right.
Just this weekend, we had members of the band at Rothbury sitting in with each other all over the place with the others watching. Trey and Tom are voraciously writing new songs again. Phish songs. Trey has already played two. Things are coming back to life. Who knows what form it will take? Tours, runs, stands, shows…does it really matter? Not unless you’re nineteen and have been listening to your brother’s old Phish shows since you were fifteen, and are dying to gas up the family truckster to hawk hemp necklaces and burritos across our great land. Bottom line, the Phish are back. The magic is returning. We will all live through another golden age of our past super-hero lives.
Listening to Phish now takes on a whole new meaning again. That feeling inside. Just thinking about the next show. It’s there again. Looking at your music is like the proverbial kid in a candy store. It all it looks so good, but you can’t wait for that first taste! The 12.6.97 Tweezer sounds better than ever. The 12.30.95 Hood has a whole new meaning now. Life springs eternal. The chills that the Halloween 94 Reba send down your spine are of a different nature- a childish expectation and blissful memories flood the soul. The 7.4.99 Ghost>Slave that just celebrated its nine year anniversary sounds like the thickest most colorful molasses you have ever swam in. Break them out…the 97 Star Lake Gumbo, the 98 Gorge 2001, the MSG 98 Wolfman’s>Carini, the Riverport Gin, the Clifford Ball Slave, the Murat Gin, the Binghamton 92 Antelope, the 95 SPAC Disease>Free, the entire Island Run. Yes, kid. It’s on.
Don’t worry about when. Just enjoy knowing that we will all visit that place again before too long. Until then, here’s some things to tide you over….
1. the aforementioned Glens Falls 94 Reba, 2. 2001 NYC style, 3. Trey at Rothbury, and 4. an old instant classic.
lighting geometry
backstage
phish is back. miner is back. backwards down the number line. bring it.
YES. It’s all happening!
yeessss kid!!!!
Thank you mister miner! I liked your point about how listening to phish really does take on a new meaning since all the hub-ub. I think I would give my left nut for that feeling I used to get before 2nd set. The anticipation of what was gonna happen and knowing you were in for some crazy ass shit. Bring it on
It was great to be a part of the ‘reawakening’ of phish at Rothbury!
Great writing D!
that picture makes me smile 🙂
i cant wait for another SPAC-esque ASIHTOS.
yes kids!!
The eloquence in your writing is spot on!! I have been anticipating this anticipation since the boys said they were done. Speaking with my 18 year old brother this weekend, I feel like the old sage giving advice to the young lad. He is just as pumped for the comeback but not for nostalgic reasons like we are but rather for the thrill of finally being able to experience what I have been trying to convey to him for all these years!
I’ve been dl’ing all these great jams you’ve shared over the past month and thinking about other overlooked epics I’d love to hear again or hear for the first time.
I just read this post for the first time and saw the reference to the MSG 98 Wolfman’s -> Carini, which I thought about last night on the way home. I remember being blown away by this jam at the time, but also slightly scared (I only picked up a DAUD3 and never really explored it again). If memory serves correct, it was a dark, very spacey, abstract beast with no comforting dance funk at all.
If you’re ever going to do a NYE post and highlights, perhaps you can include it…
and the Stash! – I remember the Axilla opener allowed some of the pent-up energy in MSG to express itself, but then that Stash open the floodgates and band and audience together absolutely destroyed the place. It was a thick, raging fierce jam, not too exploratory, but unrelenting and corrosive. Again, the tapes I had didn’t do it justice and I avoided them afterwards to try and keep the personal experience intact. The sound of the crowd afterwards – primal, euphoric, triumphant and louder than anything I can remember – is one of those deep memories that you describe so well on this blog that I still carry with me, nearly 10 years on.
happy one year anniversary! been reading your site every morning since october. huge fan!