Quite the Site
10/30 1:29 am
Indio Sunset (A.Lansing)
As people continue to trickle into Festival 8, this site is shaping up to be quite the host for a weekend of Phish. Speckled with palm trees and carpeted with soft grass, the lush desert surroundings of California provide a completely different vibe than past Northeast weekends. The Empire Polo Grounds boasts a walk-ability that creates an atmosphere of over-sized intimacy very different from the endless airforce bases of lore. With campgrounds – all named, as expected, for eight remaining albums – within a 10-15 minute walk of the concert grounds, the entire festival feels a bit more within reach.
From The Archives Video Show (A.Lansing)
A relatively thorough search greeted everyone at the gate; but no harm no foul. Getting in and setting up, I was busy watching the Yankees tie the World Series while The Bunny broadcast Phish’s soundcheck. Through word of mouth, the band broke out a few new songs off Party Time, highlighted by a ten-minute jam of “Liquid Time.” Look forward for that one coming up this weekend! The evening was highlighted by video “From the Archives” show at The Overlook, the central part of Festival 8 with multiple bars, food stands, and tented areas. Featuring amazing Halloween footage from all of Phish’s past musical costumes, fans congregated, danced, smoked, and drank while watching the massive video screen. When the video mix broke into an unknown “Tube” followed by a “Tube Reprise” we soon realized we were seeing exclusive footage of 11.2.98. When the “Tube” jam ended, the video spliced into the beginning of Dark Side of the Moon, and proceeded to play highlights from the memorable performance. After the Utah portion ended, it had grown freakin’ cold and I headed back to the RV to listen to Shapiro’s archives show on The Bunny, which so far had unleashed two of my favorite jams ever in re-upped SBD quality – the Cypress “Split” and the Winston-Salem “Bathtub Gin!” That’s all for now, the festival calls.
10/30 11:13 am
Just wakin’ up to a gorgeous Indio day. The sun in shining bright and coffee tastes good as we prepare for day one of the weekend. California’ Dreamin…
2:37 pm
Got the turntables set up, and have been enjoying a daytime Phish set spun by myself and various others. Highlights included the the “Rebas” from The Gorge in ’98 and Laguna Seca ’94, the Barcelona ’98 “Tweezer,” Lemonwheel’s “Ghost” and assorted other summer funk. The vibe here is beyond chill once you are through the gates, and the weather seems to be coming through perfectly. Got a chance to hear “Liquid Time;” definitely carries the sound of a new Trey song, and certainly has a wide open door to psychedelic improvisation. The band really took it out during soundcheck, and we are looking forward to what they will do come gametime. I would expect we’ll be hearing this song in a few hours from the stage. Still no real clue as to the Halloween album. Have given up thinking about it since we arrived and set up camp. Desert mountains, palm trees and Phish. Life is good.
6:01 am 10.31
A phenomenal start to the weekend. A deep-dive into a first-set “Stash” provided the improvisational moment of the set after an explosive beginning of “Party Time,” “Chalk Dust.” The second set offered a high powered festival-sized Phish sequence, highlighted by “Disease > Caspian > Wolfman’s.” The “Wolfman’s” had a distinct point when it moved from groove to Halloween music, summoning the spirits of the night before All-Hallowed’s Eve.
1:11 pm
Exile! They are handing out Phishbills on site. With singer Sharon Jones – let’s see about this one.
I was just about to ask if anyone remembered what Trey said before Bowie.
IM BACK! wow that was a lot of fun! after hearing how cold it is there and mr c saying were all warm and can dance naked in our homes. i’m starting to be ok with not being there in a tent…. well maybe not but its a great second option.
anyone hear who the artist was for party time on the bunny? curtis something
wook down at 8
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41323963@N04/4060670089/
something along the lines of this will give you a hint to the musical costume
I didn’t hear the Bowie thing. I was thinking.. “Oh well, they either just eliminated the Bowie album(s) or they screwed up royally in the sense that they should have opened Halloween 3rd set with Bowie (or encored it) if they were planning on doing a Bowie LP.”
I’d like to know the back story to that photo butter. I wanna know what hes thinking right then.
looking at the “wook down” photo show some awesome lawn with lots of room. Is the 25-30k attendance numbers I have heard correct?
Maybe they’re doing UB40’s “Geffrey Morgan”
😉
I suspect a bad ratio of brown acid to foam.
staff told someone they sold 62,000 tix, it is very spacious, no food lines, short to no beer lines if you poke around, only bathroom lines during TTE
Kurtis Blow, “Party Time”
Butter, stop by. Lark’s by the gate. To all, oasis is e z access from field. Bck corner fishman side.
Trey brought the business tone!
“only bathroom lines during TTE”
I like TTE but that’s funny.
Last night’s TTE was not my favorite, though.
No change on the Halloween gallery since they took out Thriller… I wonder if they’ll leave it like that until tonight’s set?
I thought TTE was pretty good last night. There was better flow this time around.
I’m trying to download the show but my connection speed rate is really low today…like 80kb/s
11-4-77 Playin->Eyes->Estimated is NOT to be messed with.
5 1/2 hours until showtime!
I liked last night’s TTE too…just seemed cleaner and a little more focused. vocals were better as I recall as well.
Mr. C:
Hahahaha
thanks for the comment on kvrx.org… “Exhibit A” link didn’t work for some reason 🙁 but I have a feeling I know which ‘thoughtful’ fan you were highlighting 🙂
so at the end of piper, before joy, they are sining something. sounds like she said, save my soul. . .
anyone know what it is? clue for the halloween set? sorry if it’s been talked about already . . .
10-31 II
Ghost->
Ziggy
hey,
will the HD FLAC’s need to be played on a DVD player or will they work in the car..that is, does it have to go on a DVD or a CD-r.
thanks!
DVD I believe, check the LiivePhish website.
Flacs don’t work in cars I dont think
i meant once they were converted, but i think you are right.
thanks.
Axillalot – regarding his sister, hence going into Joy?