Miner’s Mailbag VI
6.11.11 (Brian Ferguson)
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@RichLevy00: Since everyone is so tease obsessed…What do you really consider a tease?? One that’s worthy of a footnote…
In my opinion, a tease must include clear intent on behalf of a band member and be 100% non-debatable (e.g. Page’s “Green-Eyed Lady” in Dick’s ’11 “Tweezer” or Trey’s “Norweigan Wood” in Worcester ‘12 “Taste”). If there is any question as to whether something was a tease or not, I don’t feel it should be noted on an official setlist. There have been teases noted where I can understand what the person heard but I don’t think it’s a tease at all (e.g. alleged “Live and Let Die” in Pelham ‘12 “Rock and Roll”) and then there are teases that make no sense whatsoever to me. I’m not sure why Phish fans are so tease-crazy, I’ve always thought it to be odd phenomenon. To recap—clear intent and no subjectivity.
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@TimberCarini: What are your favorite five “one-time covers” you have seen live and why were they special?
In no particular order:
“Running With the Devil” 8.6.98, Atlanta: As a huge Van Halen fan from early on in my life, this encore from Lakewood ’98 shocked me in the best way. To hear Trey play Eddie’s licks, even if they weren’t so clean, was a sublime experience that united my childhood and young adult life.
“Terrapin Station” 8.9.98, Virginia Beach: Click here to read a post about this magical moment.
“Thunder Road” 6.19.11 Portsmouth: When the band started the intro to “Thunder Road” to honor the passing of Clarence Clemmons, I could hardly believe my ears. Once again the band had inserted one of my absolute favorite songs into their live show. Even though it was pretty much off the cuff, the power of hearing Phish cover meaningful songs from your life is undeniable.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” 12.31.96 III, Boston: For a tripped out tale about this experience, click here.
“So Lonely” 11.14.98 E, Cincinnati: My first two favorite bands in life were Duran Duran and The Police, thus when the band pulled this song out of nowhere as the encore at The Crown and bled into “Tweezer Reprise,” I was totally floored.
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@mcary23: …five songs or even segments of songs that you consider lyrically to be Tom and Trey’s best work…
Some of my favorite lyrical pieces are “It’s Ice,” “Lifeboy,” “Sand,” “Silent In the Morning,” “Velvet Sea,” “Frankie Says” and “Spices.”
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@bryantweathers: What do you expect from #Phish in 2013 in terms of tour dates?
A lot of people have asked this very question, so based on nothing at all, here is my prediction for 2013: a two-legged summer tour featuring Festival X, a Halloween run, a Thanksgiving/30th Anniversary Run and New Year’s Run. As the band members now have families, I think full-blown fall tours are a thing of the past.
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@diller24: Where does Madison Square Garden rank among top Phish venues?
If considering both the show experience and musical output MSG is right up against the Gorge for top venue of all time. I’ve always thought of it as the top indoor venue to see Phish. While Hampton has a better show experience and better sound, it doesn’t have the history of MSG. Phish hasn’t performed close to as many memorable shows and jams in The Mothership as the New York’s midtown Mecca. This upcoming holiday run will make 27 total shows at MSG—almost a month of Phish in one venue! And if I were to list the all-time jams that have gone down in The Garden, it would be a post of its own. I did a whole series of MSG memoirs a couple years ago before MSG 2010, and I plan to repost them in anticipation of this New Year’s Run. While some of the 3.0 shows at MSG haven’t quite been up to snuff, there is little question that the venue has hosted more top-shelf Phish shows than any in the land.
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The band would have played Halloween shows in ’97 and ’99. (I guess that’s two.)
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Jam of the Day:
“Light” 7.1.10 II, Raleigh, NC
One of the highlights of early summer 2010, as “Light” was coming into its own.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ph2010-07-01t13.mp3]=====
MASTHAY’S “THE TERMINAL” ON SALE TOMORROW!
Don’t forget to pick up your New Year’s Run quadtych at Noon EST tomorrow at Masthay Studios!
“The Terminal” AJ Masthay
Tags: Mailbag
My second Tray show (both pre Phish show) was sometime in 7/06 at the Champlain Valley fairgrounds for GRAB after P and F opened.
Kind of weird, I’m pretty sure P and F played 2 sets, Tray sat in all of set 2, really sick, but then GRAB came back and only played 1 set. I remember at the time not digging the songs all that much, don’t remember much about the jamming. I wanted more Push on til the Day and got Dragonfly.
Coolest part of that day was the aftershow at higher ground. (Dave The Truth) Grippo Funk Band played. My buddy and I booked it over there quickly after GRAB ended and were right in the front. Rey sat in for most of Grippo’s set, within touching distance of us. $$$ day
within touching distance of us
jtran comes in with the leading candidate for creepy-fan-comment-of-the-day award
@mmmhmmm
I was at that richmond show. good melt, typically nutty summer 94 second set. redrum yem, lots of harpua teases in that set.
Ren I too would rather enjoy a Harpua with tube in one hand, a winter seasonal brew in the other with snacks on the table…
Glad we see tube to tube on that 😉
I’ll have a freshie packed for ya!
@Jtran Dragonfly was such a terrible terrible song. I cringed every time I heard that obnoxious “boots in your dragonfly” line….
12:13 mark of Augusta Reba = welcome to the 4th dimension
t3 do you have a good copy or know about the spreadsheet quality? I’m from Richmond and have always wanted to hear that show…saw my first concerts at Classic Amphitheatre in 1994 (311 with Defotnes) but missed Phish i think due to family vacation or something dumb.
ren: the only possible msg for me would be NYE. would love to be there, but feeling like the price of admission (tic, crowd battling, cold enduring, wife appeasing) may be too steep.
5:43 mark of Starlight KC Tweezer = welcome to the 4th dimension
@mh
no, haven’t listened to that one in a coon’s age… there are three sources in db.etree but I can’t speak to them or to the spreadsheet or what’s on phishows for that matter.
10:08 – 11:08 stretch of Starlight Tweezer = welcome
4th, how about the short but oh so sweet SBIX ‘Ghost’?
4th..i like how youve already started to abbreviate welcome from the welcome to the 4th dimension…
alright 4thDimension, you got me. cuing up that tweezer and listening for the 4D. right after this 10.22.12 TAB jibboo concludes. this aud is $$$.
1:23 mark of Dick’s Chalkdust jam = welcome to the 4th dimension
I was reading the shortened “welcome” as a “you’re welcome”.
Kinda like, “I just blew your mind, you’re welcome”…
Equally good effect.
5:09 mark of Dicks Carini = welcome
can we get a full fledged return of Halfway to the Moon at MSG??? Best new tune that has gone relatively unplayed
starlight tweez — straight up 3.0 $$$.
I’m really pulling for a WAVES at MSG as well after respinning the Bethel soundcheck. Meshes well with Trays new album sounds….water/wave/storm theme….seems like a good fit to me
dank fresh nug
come gimme some love
floating swan brain
mellow getaway train
removes all pain
stanks up the window frame
dark green freshie
chillin with phil leshie
come check me
6:17 mark of Riverbend 12 Twist = welcome
4D: you get around. time traveler?
10:35 mark of Burgettstown 12 Light = welcome to the 4th dimension
Spinning 12/27/10 Farmhouse, Seven Below>WTU to celebrate the return to the barn!!!!