The Road Ahead
After a whole lot of waiting, Phish finally dropped their fall tour dates last Friday, confirming many long-standing rumors and providing a couple surprises as well. The band will hit the road for 13 shows a little more than two weeks after Festival 8, starting in the Midwest on November 18, but remaining largely in the Northeast -here’s a preview.
The kick-off of Fall ’09 at Cobo Arena in Detroit, MI, though speculated upon, still surprised most fans. The iconic 12,191 seat venue was made famous by KISS in 1975 when they recorded their breakthrough album “Alive!”there. Having recently hosted a homecoming from the glam-rockers less than a month ago, Cobo Arena will host Phish before getting torn down later this year to expand Cobo Convention Center.
Cobo Arena - Detroit, MI
Following a rare-off day following the tour opener, the band hops south to Cincinnati for a two-night stand in the venue formerly known as “The Crown.” Phish has included The Crown on their tour docket consistently since Fall ’98, making these their sixth and seventh shows in the arena. Highlights from shows past include ’98’s “Bowie” and “YEM,” ’99’s “Sand,” “Limb,” and “Split,” and ’03’s “Bathtub Gin.” A building with a definite Phish-friendly legacy, this marks the band’s third twin-bill at The Crown; a Friday/Saturday combo that will certainly pull fans from all over the country.
War Memorial - Syracuse, NY
From Cincy, Phish will stop in Syracuse, NY for an intimate Sunday night at the 8,000-seat Onondaga War Memorial. A staple of the ABA and AHL circuits, Phish visited the under-sized venue during their hallowed month of November of ’94. Coincidentally, KISS is the only major rock act that routinely stopped at the venue better known for minor league sports and professional wrestling events. This one should be exciting! Following another day off, we bounce down to Philly to begin the highly anticipated east coast blowout. This high-key run starts with Phish’s first visit to the new-school Wachovia Center – across the street from The Spectrum. Philadelphia Phish never disappoints; and after a glorious past at The Spectrum, expect the band to christen their new Philly home in fine style.
Times-Union Center - Albany, NY
Only taking one day off on Thanksgiving Day, Phish will start working off their turkey the very next night, starting a third two-night stand at “Knickerbocker Arena” in Albany. Another historic haunt that has been violated by corporate sponsorship, this building has hosted many classic nights of Phish dating back to the historic 12/9/95 gig that included one of the top “YEMs” ever. The site of two tour-ending stands in the falls of ’97 and ’99, these upcoming shows will be Phish’s tenth and eleventh on Pearl St. Albany has always blended well with Phish, and this post-holiday stop looks to follow in that tradition.
CCCC - Portland, ME
The very next night, instead of making an expected stop in Worcester, MA, Phish surprised everyone by announcing a trip north to Portland, ME ‘s universally-loved Cumberland County Civic Center. Beginning with their first solo gig on 12.30.93, the 9,000 person room hosted five shows through ’99 and some truly epic Phish. A phenomenal room for a show, this Sunday night affair deserves a circle on everyone’s calendar.
MSG - NYC, NY
With two days to rest-up and relax, Phish finally returns to Madison Square Garden. Arguably the greatest Phish venue in the land, the band hasn’t stepped foot in the 34th St. mecca since their first comeback on 12/31/02. These three nights at The Garden – December 2,3, and 4 – are the “no-brainer,” “Get-Your-Ass-There-At-All-Costs” shows of the tour. In a building where Phish has dropped many career-defining nights of music, the prodigal band shall return for three more monster-sized shows laced with big-city psychedelia. And to cap off the tour, Phish flies south to Charlottesville, VA – home of their Red Light Management – in a move reminiscent of Winter ’03’s Greensboro finale. This year’s ending installment takes place in John Paul Jones Arena, University of Virginia’s brand-new basketball facility that opened in 2006 and holds over 15,000. This show not only concludes the tour, but also tops Phish’s only four-night run of Fall ’09. Though the tour is a relatively quick jaunt, almost every show will be a high-profile affair with more than a few guaranteed throw-downs. And when Phish steps indoors, the entire game changes; so watch out!
***
11.18.09 Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI
11.20.09 U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, OH
11.21.09 U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, OH
11.22.09 War Memorial at Oncenter , Syracuse, NY
11.24.09 Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA
11.25.09 Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA
11.27.09 Times Union Center, Albany, NY
11.28.09 Times Union Center, Albany, NY
11.29.09 Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland, ME
12.02.09 Madison Square Garden , New York, NY
12.03.09 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
12.04.09 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
12.05.09 John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA
The ticket “lottery” is officially underway. The ticket request period will end this Friday, October 16th at 5:00pm EST.
Tickets go on sale to the public beginning Friday, October 23rd, with additional dates going on sale Saturday, October 24th. For full show and ticketing information, please visit Phish.com.
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Jam of the Day:
“Bathtub Gin > 2001 > YEM” 12.2.99 II
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Phish1999-12-02d2t03.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Phish1999-12-02d2t04.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Phish1999-12-02d2t05.mp3]A sparkling section of improv from Phish’s first show of December ’99 at The Palace in Auburn Hills, MI.
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DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY:
12.2.99 The Palace, Auburn Hills, MI < Torrent
12.2.99 The Palace, Auburn Hills, MI < Megaupload
The Palace - Auburn Hills, MI
Here is another tour-opener from the Motown area. This one got going quickly with highlight versions of “Antelope” and “Free” in the first frame, and heated up in earnest after the break with the smoking segment of “Bathtub > 2001 > YEM.”
I: Runaway Jim, Farmhouse, Heavy Things, Roggae, Run Like an Antelope, Wading in the Velvet Sea, Poor Heart, Sample in a Jar, Free, The Squirming Coil
II: Boogie On Reggae Woman, Gotta Jibboo, Bathtub Gin > Also Sprach Zarathustra >You Enjoy Myself > Little Drummer Boy
E: Bold As Love
Source: B&K 4023’s > V2 > D8 @ 44.1
Tags: 2009, Fall '09
And his cousin, raging hard-on laughing laughing fall apart dude
oops, cut paste issues LOL
Just to clarify, it was the railing just above the walkway. About 7 feet high from where we were standing. Still very shocking. My friends and I were talking about where to sit for the ball drop, and BAM, Super Fly Snooka off the top turnbuckle, instead.
Mr. C, yikes, plenty of details, too.
I can actually go darker than that story, but that’s the worst one not involving serious physical injury
“post show Giants Stadium parking lot portapotty knocked over with dude inside” is right up there
@ Mr. C … Ha! That happens every Giants / Jets preseason game!
@Ro,
The BAM!, Super Fly Snooka line was the funniest thing I’ve heard all month.
Holy crap.
bring me my bubbler!
Hope the potential for the reckless craziness is a little lower this time around for all these arena shows. I like crazy and hype plenty – but damn.
Here’s to good, safe, poopless vibes from here on out.
One of my favorite 2001s, so spacey and relaxed. I wish Trey still had his mini-keyboard (or his percussion kit) to occasionally distract him from the guitar. The keyboard and his new fascination with looping played a huge role in making fall ’99 so astral in feel.
god, everyone I knew hated that keyboard so much at the time
Happened to a friend of mine with mexican runs and people got impatient and rocked it back and forth. Man, what a fucked up site.
@ Lycan
I feel ya buddy. The shows down here are few and far between. I know we’ll get some love at some point.
@ Mr. Completely
It’s weird because I don’t necessarily enjoy the keyboard or the percussion kit itself (though I like the keys on this particular 2001), but I appreciate the additional space having Trey off his guitar for a spell provides.
Twilight Zone ER > Super Fly Snooka > Port-a-Potty Tip
* Trey on Keys
@poster, I don’t hate the keyboard – sometimes it works great, other times not so much, like looping for that matter.
The problem was really more with the people I was seeing shows with, big drinkers of the haterade
very cooler than thou, been there done that, five years ago was better, I’m going backstage see you later kind of people
my wife and I were really the only ones with enthusiasm at the time…now amusingly they all talk about how great 99 was in comparison with now but the difference is we’re not going to shows with them anymore so it’s just kind of funny instead of depressing
i have decided after breaking it down to michael jackson’s thriller this weekend, that i want that album for halloween. throwing it out there
also, what are ya’ll speculating about ticket sales for fall 2009. lottery not as competitive as summer
I don’t see it happening llamalee.
Hateorade – good one.
^ funny stuff for sure Mr. C
@poster…
Astral is the word.
Summer ’99> brought the birth of Space Kids, IMO.
We were freaks, but the space came in ’99 and I loved every second of it.
I feel bad for those who couldn’t live in the moment, but for me….every time I saw them it got better.
Truly, at this point, the best show was always the next show.
There seemed no end in sight.
Then hiatus came.
Rug pulled out.
But, it’s all good now….
Teaches us more than anything to stay in the moment and take it all.
Stick around for the hose.
I’m listening to the JOTD again and
what Mike does with that water base from around 10 minutes on is what a bass player should always sound like.
I have a good feeling about lottery this Fall.
I’m pulling everything.
I hope.
Feels like interest is still huge, though.
People will be shut out. For sure.
My unfortunate shat story:
So during the Bonnaroo ‘YEM’ this summer it became evident that someone within a few feet of me had soiled them-self. Surprisingly, this had yet to happen to me in all my years of existence. Everyone just kept looking at one another with this really ‘disappointing’ look. It was about 20 ft back Page side. It’s really hard to concentrate after something like that but I somehow allowed myself to get past it. When Trey went into the Boy, Man, God, Shit part, we all looked at each other and smiled. Quite fitting I suppose. We never did find the culprit.
good story bearito. Now I ask myself, if I was 20 ft from stage right and I soiled myself (or was in eminent danger of) would I tough it out and finish the show or would I make it to the toilet and take care of business/clean myself up?
finally someone uses the grammatically correct past tense of “shit”.
I’ve been at shows where I have this sudden snap to reality : “would I know it if I pissed myself right now? have I pissed myself?” Look down, still dry: “nice”. Haven’t been that spun in a while now.
It was so ‘real’ that I did ask myself wether or not I was the culprit. After realizing and assuring myself that i wasn’t, I felt a lot better but was by no means relived of the situation.