Hallo-What?
Frank Zappa, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Queen, King Crimson, and The Police are just some of the many artists that have been ground through the Halloween rumor mill in past weeks. While last year, Phish included their fan base in the evolving mystery of what musical costume they would don for the holiday, this year we have been left in the dark. So many rumors have been tossed around with so many rationalizations that it is hard to believe any of them. We are two days away from Halloween and Phish has the entire community stumped – and kudos to them for keeping the secret all to themselves.
Both Mike and Trey have done interviews vaguely discussing the Halloween album, both giving it high praise. Gordon said:
I’m really excited about it, to the point where I’m calling some of my friends and I’m saying, ‘Well, I don’t even have any more room on my guest list, but you’ve got to come somehow, because this is going to be the one.’ It just really feels right to me.
While Trey’s significant soundbite was as follows:
This year, this one’s for me. The one we picked, I’m going to get more out of this as a musician than I ever have before. Three songs into it, I called everybody and told them, ‘None of the other ones — I wouldn’t think, hopefully — will have nearly the effect on my playing this one’s going to.
Without dropping any clues, the band, themselves, are hyping up Boadwalk Hall’s blowout, clearly enjoying the fact that nobody knows what will happen.
Just yesterday, Atlantic City radio personality, Pinky Kravitz (father of part-time Phish photographer, Jeff Kravitz) speculated in print that Phish will play Led Zeppelin for Halloween, citing a “magic mockingbird” as his source. This published conjecture has made the British rockers’ double-album “Physical Graffiti” the newest lead horse in this guessing derby. But if Phish has kept everyone guessing for this long, I find it highly unlikely they would allow the answer to leak days before Halloween.
Other front-running possibilities include Queen’s “A Night at the Opera,” Genesis, “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” or “Selling England By the Pound,” Jimi Hendrix’s “Electric Ladyland,” King Crimson’s “Lark’s Tongue In Aspic,” and any number of Frank Zappa albums. Assuming Phish is trying to please the entire audience, the abstract prog-rock of King Crimson has to be crossed out, while “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway’s” 90-minute, intricate rock opera seems unlikely for similar reasons. Though Trey is known to love both of these bands, these albums seem too inaccessible for a Halloween party.
While many fans have expressed interest in Phish stepping outside the boundaries of classic rock, many of the current possibilities are going right down that road. British glam-rockers, “Queen” and the eclectic Frank Zappa round out the most talked about candidates. Might the band honor the 15-year old fan ballot from 1995, when the high-vote getter was allegedly Zappa’s “Joe’s Garage?” That year, Phish vetoed the democratic process by playing The Who’s “Quadrophenia” at Rosemont Horizon in Chicago.
To add another layer to this puzzle, an anonymous inside source recently claimed this year’s musical costume is more complex and was harder for the band to learn than any they’ve chosen before. This clue has pushed my thinking in the direction of Zappa’s catalog and away from the guitar-driven rock of Zeppelin and Hendrix. But at this point, nobody is sure of anything – and that is the best aspect of the mystery!
Another part of me feels that Phish might have a huge prank waiting in the wings and that all of these conjectures are way off base. I don’t know where that leaves us, but something might happen that nobody ever saw coming. All of the talked albums have been talked about in previous years, and it would be just like Phish to come out and play something in a completely opposite direction. Last year, clues were leaked by now and some people knew the deal, but nobody I’ve come in contact with on tour seems to have a clue.
With only five sets of Phish separating us from the answer, musical hints may lie within. So keep your ears peeled and keep on guessing, because something tells me we won’t know the answer until it happens. And that’s just the way the band wants it.
Tags: 2010, Covers, Fall '10, Halloween
If they want to fuck with people iust go Ride the Lightening on the shit
@kwl: no sign of bedbugs in our room -lets hope were clear here at the chelsea inn
the pub below was cheap & hit the spot
showed up late night to a friends and we’re spinning tapes. Real tapes. Funnyfor this newb, have not seen the set list yet- hope it melted.
Sunday can’t come soon enough: tropicana here we come!
Listening to the VU original Loaded for the first time and it took me about half a measure to recognize Rock & Roll…
“Second set already?”
Fun show tonight. I thought the cities>46 days was good. The sand got to some good places.
Caspian didn’t hurt the set in my opinion.
Slave felt longer than normal?
Successful BB meetups and ticket exchanges. Sat with Kayatosh and William H Bonney during the show. Great guys to chill with at the show.
Venue was cool. Older architecture. Security was non existent.
I’m going to bed
@Silly
Gosh darnit, I didn’t want to do this, but I’m jealous as all get out, I have to say. Lucky lucky…
Glad you had a good time Silly, didn’t seem like a great show but a good show. Enjoyed Sand a lot in the living room. I expect good things tomorrow.
Good stuff, Silly.
Vibes to Miner for the ridiculous loss.
I know the feeling, had my Hartford ’00 Pollock (red/pink guy riding rooster) stolen from the show…taught me not to buy posters when a spin is imminent. Though, I know that wasn’t the case here.
Curious if there were any hints tonight toward Halloween.
Spinning the Scents from SPAC ’04, right after they finish it you can hear Fish exclaim, “What a fun song…” and laugh.
Indeed, Fish.
Bring it back.
Good night guys and girls. Miner…it’ll come back in spades, I’m sure.
Glad you got there, sumo…I, for one, had no doubt!
Hope you sleep relatively itch-free.
Sand > Carini
that was the shit right there kids. top shelf stuff.
Cities had a more gooey ambient feel than the more robotic funk from Greek and a nice ambient outro
I really enjoyed the second set alot
some highlights in the first
Piper had some nice spots also. great set. boys sound great.
Next level dudes! Amazing opening night. Tomorrow waits.
gotta an extra download code if anyone wants it
SILLY, no time for bed!
Go get your O2 on in the casino!
butter
sanchothehutt @ yahoo
sanch – sent it to ya
Got my first Light Up. Highlight of set one for me. The jam in Light up was sick, def check that one out. Timber , axilla,moms>cities, 46 days were also great.
Second set started off like we were gonna go on a deep space exploration. Sand>carini was nasty. Wife was singing Carini for the rest of the night. Could have done without some tunes but have no complaints overall. Was a little bummed when they went into Fluff, but the crushed it. Slave was gorgeous , as was Corrina.
Nice to run into all the regulars last night. Nice to put a face to screen name on a few . Good to meet Beantown and AW. See you cats later.
Waugh! I like extra barcodes!
NO WAY ON ZAPPA. YOU GUYS HAVE NO FUCKING CLUE. WHY DO YOU THINK PHISH ONLY PLAYED BIG LEG EMMA ONCE? GAIL ZAPPA AND THE ZAPPA ESTATE WON’T ALLOW IT. AND BTW, WHAT I S ZAPPA IF NOT GUITAR DRIVEN MUSIC!!!!!