TTFF: 11.11.11
9.14.11 - Essex Junction, VT G.Lucas / webcast)
This Friday, we’ll take a break from MSG memories and look at what Phish has done on Veterans Day, November 11th, throughout their career. Since 1990, the band has only played three times on 11.11—in 1995 at The Fox in Atlanta, 1996 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and again at Van Andel in 1998! And lo and behold, these three nights have plenty of meat to compose a Friday playlist. The Fox show was the third of a three-night stand that kicked off the second half of a marathon (54 show) fall tour. Taking a week off after Halloween in Chicago, Phish reemerged in Atlanta and would wind their way over six plus weeks up to Albany. I’ve always thought of 11.11.95 as the strongest of the trifecta. The following year, Phish was on their Midwestern leg of Fall tour on the 11th of November, and they were at the very beginning of a metamorphosis. The band had just stunned their audience with their interpretation of Remain In Light for Halloween, and from then on, their slow transformation to groove-based playing was underway. In 1998, Phish had just crushed three nights at UIC Pavilion amidst a standout fall tour when they landed back at Van Andel, in a case of cosmic routing, on the same date they had played there in ’96. This show continued the band’s hot streak and featured one of the best second sets of tour. Let’s reminisce…
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“Mike’s Song” 11.11.95 I
This raucous jam kicked off the show in the ornate Fox Theatre after a short “Cars, Trucks, Busses” opener.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/ph1995-11-11d1t02.mp3]***
“Ghost” 11.11.98 II
This rarely talked about “Ghost” came as the second set closer at Van Andel, and is one of the most impressive versions of the tour.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2-06-Track-06.mp3]***
“Tweezer” 11.11.96 II
A jam that was ahead of its time with sections that sound like they could be plucked from Fall ’97.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Track-04-5.mp3]***
“2001 > David Bowie” 11.11.95 II
This ferocious “Bowie” vividly illustrates the band’s creative psychedelia of Fall ’95, as they rode with a missile on their back towards December.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/ph1995-11-11d2t02.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/ph1995-11-11d2t03.mp3]***
“Halley’s > Simple > Walk Away” 11.11.98 II
One of the greatest “Halley’s Comets” of the song’s late-90’s renaissance that moves from rock to groove into lunacy…and then into “Simple.”
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2-01-Track-01.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2-02-Track-02.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2-03-Track-03.mp3]***
“Gumbo” 11.11..98 I
This slow and methodical standout often hides out of sight, tucked in the beginning of the the first set of Van Andel ’98.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/02-Track-02.mp3]***
“Stash” 11.11.95 I
The dark and overpowering Phish of Fall ’95. Trey goes on quite the rampage in this version.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/ph1995-11-11d1t09.mp3]***
“Slave to the Traffic Light” 11.11.96 II
The melodic endpoint of a relatively dark second set.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Track-09-10.mp3] Tags: 1995, 1996, 1998, Jams, TTFF
Proust, to me, was simply trying to define in humanity by describing Everything.
I think this can be seen as a very modernist endeavor: Human thought is language. The old Cartesian model, then, “I think, therefore, I am” is best defined by trying to expand thought through language.
Proust, I think, is basically Cartesian and he is engaged in an Enlightened project. The Enlightenment standing for the notion that human reason will lead to salvation or in Proust’s case: We can actually define ourselves if we simply push language to it’s boundaries. For Proust, we must build language ever outward.
I don’t like the Enlightenment and while I like Proust, he is not the end all for me.
The post-modernists, especially after the insights of the post-structuralists (Derrida, Foucault) recognize language as contradictory and confusing. It’s much more slippery than we once conceived.
Post-modernism embodied by Beckett or Brecht or Stoppard, I think, is more Nietzschean. It rejects absolutes. It looks around at experience (WWI and WWII) and sees a much harsher version of humanity and therefore embodies a project that is downward facing rather than upward facing.
So, Proust’s and Joyce’s stream of consciousness becomes misguided – magnificent in the breadth of it’s hope – but misguided nonetheless.
this is all very very theoretical, of course, but all of the great artists are thoroughly versed in the debate. So, its worthwhile in my opinion.
Proust to me was a cynic. A man who could argue against anything, and feel joy and sorrow in the same moment. A Manic depressive with a world view.
I don’t think he did it academically. I think he did it because it was the only perspective he saw.
“but all of the great artists are thoroughly versed in the debate”
wow. what a horrible thing to say.
i mean, many contemporary artists are thoroughly versed in the debate – especially those working in western forms (which a post-modern perspective would point out that when we say “art” we often mean something defined in a western conception)
ginsberg, burroughs, beckett, rushdie, even banksy
they all know the dialogue they’re engaged in.
@MiA, nice, which wine did you have tonight? We had some beef stew I cooked with porter and opened up a nice Languedoc wine.
@silly, you’ll have more convincing to do for me to say that stream of consciousness is misguided. For me, at its best, it is a direct line from the artist to the Infinite. This is the core of improvisation, even though Proust and Joyce might be the least improvised writers around. Nevertheless, it is their stream of consciousness that most clearly expresses their world through their own eyes.
I know you speak from the theorist point of view, and I from the artist’s, so we’ll probably agree to disagree. But I love the banter.
I’m not sure i’m disagreeing though Silly. Just same view, different perspective. But Proust was sad. Yet he believed that by sharing his sadness, his thought processes may be redemptive. So, it is joy that causes him to introspect.
Tzara’s – a bottle of Jean Grivot, “Les Beaux monts”
@MiA, wow not messing around. Love me some Burgundy, especially when someone else is buying.
Tart + berry + earthy minerals = wonderful.
I really dig the individual and collective intelligence on this board.
It’s Sunday. I need to pare down my holdings. 😉
I used to feel guilty drinking “special occasion wines” by myself. But then, just opening the wine is a special occasion. I heard that somewhere.
You know of Jean Love the wines.
*peaks up from behind lurking wall*
You all are awesome/smart as hell
Me too, MIA, though sometimes it feels like I am just staring off a Cliff and I have nothing to say.
Me too, MIA, though sometimes it feels like I am just staring off a Cliff and I have nothing to say…
@MiA, yeah we didn’t go too special tonight, but this wine is nice, mostly equal parts grenache/carignan/syrah/mourvedre. Meaty with black and red fruits and a little floral. Simple and juicy mostly. We drink lots of southern French. Languedoc was a revelation to visit: so much potential there.
Tzara’s – the flavor profiles of Langueoc are unmatched. Still a lot of inventive, individualist wine producers there. Making the most of their terroir.
aj – that is an enjoyable state.
Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. -Proust.
i got moderated for b a n k s y
But, see T-Ghost, I see your conception of the artist differently
i think for the last 60 years most artists have been unable to separate theory from art
that’s where we get meta-fiction, that’s where we get an art that is so opposed to the main-stream, that’s where we get improvisation
improvisation is a reaction to theory.
theory says originality is dead. so, improvisation comes a long as the only logical originality.
before, it was enough for the artist to offer up a depiction of “humanity” because it was a much smaller population actually consuming art
now the artist is not so lucky, and most artists are acutely aware of this.
re: Stream of Consciousness:
it’s not so much stream of consciousness that I have an issue with in language. it’s a stream of consciousness that doesn’t contradict itself. the modernist builds and builds. The post-modernist that I prefer (there’s other post-modernisms Habermas vs. Lyotard) builds then destroys never allowing the illusion of progress.
proust like I said wants to build ever outward. He sees no end to his project – Up and Up and Up.
beckett, as a counterpoint, works to negate down and down. his project gets smaller and smaller and smaller.
is there a difference? stylistically?
no answers. modernism vs. postmodernism
5/23/82 Shakedown is the goods. Top notch disco Dead for a Greek theatre throw down
@MiA, we missed out sharing some wine in fall ’11. We should make it happen in ’12. Maybe when they come to Seattle area, we’ll open up some barrels.
/wishfulthinking’d
We must never be afraid to go too far, for truth lies beyond. -Proust
Love to Tzara’s. We’ll make it happen.
Just firing up the album that I didn’t find in aj’s orange. Wish I could have caught the MMW show on Thursday, just not in the cards.
G’nite y’all.
a post-modernist would ask of Proust “Truth?”
tying this all back to earlier: Truth becomes distasteful after Auschwitz.
“tying this all back to earlier: Truth becomes distasteful after Auschwitz.”
So does the post-modernist make the actual claim that there is no truth? or recognize that there is a truth, but pretend that there isn’t because life is more pleasant that way?
Just texted this to you Silly, and maybe we lost most of our interlocuters here, but I think humanity has always to heal itself. And trust me I’m a cynic. But if we had always to feel guilty about living life after a catastrophe, we could never move on as a culture. If one is always dwelling on the worst in life, how can he/she ever achieve the best? As painful as it is, we must always move on, hopefully with more open eyes every time.
“I can’t go on. I’ll go on.” –Beckett
aren’t we all just pretending stuff to make life more pleasant?