Going Greek?
The Greek Theatre - Berkeley, CA
On the heels of the Telluride Town Council’s approval for the Phish shows for August 9-10, another gorgeous rumor rolled into the community – a four-night stand a Berkeley, California’s Greek Theatre. Phish hasn’t visited this west coast, live music icon since their blistering tour closer in the summer of ’93. The rumored dates for this next dream-like scenario fall within the first week of August, just before Telluride.
The dates I initially heard, August 5-8, wouldn’t seem to make sense due to the necessary overnight commute to Telluride. Or perhaps these dates are real, and they are an attempt to keep excess fans out of Telluride. But the last time the band played a six-night run was some time in the early-’90s, and that just doesn’t seem feasible – at all. Needless to say, regardless of the actual dates, Phish may be visiting the Bay Area and not playing Bill Graham’s outdated and overcrowded Shoreline Amphitheatre for the first time in over a decade, and even the chance of that is great news!
The Greek Theatre - Berkeley, CA
Once again, the immediate mission becomes tickets. If you thought Telluride’s 9000 person limit was small, slice off another 500, and you’ve got the Greek Theatre’s 8,500 capacity. (But considering that 1,500 tickets per night will be set aside for “locals” in Telluride, it seems that Colorado would be the harder ticket.) An aesthetically gorgeous, general admission, locale atop a hill on the campus of University of California, The Greek Theatre is designed after an actual Greek amphitheatre; rounded and made of stone. There are no seats, just stone bleachers and lawn seating somewhere up in the stratosphere, though the lawn is coupled with a stunning vista of San Francisco Bay.
Shoreline '98
It’s about time the band made a stop in the Bay Area, proper. Not since 1996’s visit to Daly City’s Cow Palace, has Phish played anywhere besides Shoreline, (aside from one special night at The Fillmore). But a multi-night return to The Greek would make up for all those empty years in droves. This run should remain “in theory” for a while, because once Mike wraps up his solo tour, Phish will drop their June dates, leaving us guessing about August for quite a while. But as long as we are guessing, How about two or three nights at The Gorge to open the west coast swing? Then head down for four in Berkeley and then out to Telluride. What year is this again?
These intimate settings continue one of the best trends of Phish 3.0, the “we’ll play wherever the fuck we want” factor. From the Fox Theatre to Fenway, and from Asheville to Indio, and from the band’s current focus is clearly on quality of experience, rather than maximizing financial gain. With four nights at The Greek, the band would sell 34,000 tickets; with two nights at Shoreline they would swarf that with 44,000. The bottom line is that Phish doesn’t care about getting bigger anymore. Their fanbase is here to stay for as long as they will playing music, so they might as well make their concert environs ideal as possible for everyone involved. So far, so good, and with a potential return to The Greek, it’s getting better all the time.
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Jam of the Day:
“Halley’s > Tweezer > Bug” 10.8.99 II
The beginning of the Nassau’s fourth set in Fall of ’99.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/ph1999-10-08d2t01.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/ph1999-10-08d2t02.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/ph1999-10-08d2t03.mp3]=====
DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY:
3.13.93 Balch Fieldhouse – UC, Boulder,CO < Torrent
3.13.93 Balch Fieldhouse – UC, Boulder CO < Megaupload
3.13.93 Boulder,CO Poster
This one goes out to Justino!
I: The Landlady, Funky Bitch, Bouncing Around the Room, Maze, Fee, All Things Reconsidered, Split Open and Melt, Contact, Llama, Wilson, Run Like an Antelope
II: Suzy Greenberg, Tweezer, The Lizards, It’s Ice, Glide, Uncle Pen, Big Ball Jam, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Fast Enough for You, Hold Your Head Up > Love You > Hold Your Head Up, Tweezer Reprise
E: My Sweet One, Amazing Grace, Big Black Furry Creature from Mars
Note: Fishman wore a suit and tie for this show
Source: Unknown
Tags: 2010, Summer '10
@All
This is how Dave Matthews has developed n my mind.
This is funny as sh$t, try not to get Pepsi through the nose.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd4O5jXKPeQ
-Aqua-
@all
Now, you may think I am piling on with Dave, but he’s really not a bad guy.
1992 – Fiji House – DMB and 75 of my closest. Shotguned beers with Boyd Tinsley after the show. I then 2 summers later I snuck in the back door to see Dave at Irving Plaza in NYC fo’ free! That was a killer hook. Free anything the summer I lived like a rat in NYC was awesome, you know?
-Aqua-
The dude in that DMB regrets video looks like Chris Wood’s identical twin. Stunt double at least.
I used to be a Nirvana/Pearl Jam hater. I’m 40ish and am a huge dead head. Obviously I love phish too, as well as all the classics. Lennon and the beatles by far my fave.
I was an idiot regarding PJ, they rip, I mean rip. Live they are fing incredible. Sorry but M MCcready (spelling) plays guitar as well as anyone under 50 ‘cept Trey and herring (Is warren over 50?). Just look at their mini Quad set in tribute to the Who. Plus he goes CRAZY whne he plays. It was at least as good as phish’s Quad version. Bottom line is PJ and phish are different but IMHO both sick. I also saw vedder solo and that kicked ass. Never saw Nirvana but after watching Cobain or sorry listening to him pontificate in About a Son, I am sold on him too. Come as You are and black are two fucking incredible songs by both bands.
just cause phish kicks ass don’t mean others don’t.
Speaking of Mathews he’s OK but suffers what PJ does-Frat boy poison in the fandom-no offense frat boys :<) Phish suffers a small portion of punk kids. In Nashville one little trusty called my friend and me undercover, and I just laughed as the little boy made a fool of himself running around until his friends refused to let him into their cab. Yes I chuckled (Chuckle head anyone:<)). In Alpine some kid asked me to name 3 phish songs so I said YEM, BBFCFM, and F Ur mother. The kid laughed and we actually became very good friends. 90% of the kids are boss, and very nice.
But that 10%-dude are u sitting in that seat…umm yes kid…ok of course you r. That type of thing just kills me.
generalizations are tough, and I just made a bunch, so pick out the good stuff and the rest ignore. internet rambling aside, as always luv to ALL.
pps The Who played the same set or close to it much of the time and are regarded one if not the best live band ever (Moon era Who)
ooops forgot, according to some travel guy me/my wife and another couple just booked one of the last T-Ride places. Unless phish backs out non refundable-ouch :<( What's the best airport from MA near T-Ride. Thanks in advance for any help.
Ringo is playing the Greek on the 7 of August.
Don’t worry phishliveon! We confronted that difficulty already! That’s the Greek in LA that Ringo is playing at… You can breath easy!