Flipping the Script
12.5.2009 (Graham Lucas)
Three years ago today, Phish turned the ship around. Amidst a fall tour that featured limited creativity, less a few jams here and there, the band unveiled a 48-minute sequence that remains among the most adventurous of this era. Where they often reeled in their excursions, the band pushed on, shocking everyone in The Knick on that fateful November night. Many cite Albany’s “Seven Below > Ghost” as a legitimate turning point of 2009, and considering the course the band took for the rest of fall tour through Miami, that assertion would be hard to argue against.
Albany ’09 Print (Brosmind)
Phish had played an impressive second leg of summer, specifically out west where stands at Red Rocks and the Gorge illustrated a much enhanced improvisational confidence. When the band returned to the east coast to conclude summer, however, the their risk taking diminished, managing about one serious jam per show. With the start of Fall Tour started, Phish stepped inside for the first time after their comeback shows in Hampton. Throughout history, fall tour, traditionally, saw the band’s experiments darken and the intensity of their jamming elevate, but over the first half of Fall ’09, their musical progression plateaued.
Despite a few gems, specifically Cobo Arena’s “46 Days,” Philly’s “Disease” (which built upon a highlight version from Detroit) and a rock solid second set on the first night of Cincinnati, the band’s extended jams followed a cookie-cutter pattern of shredding rock > percussive grooves > ambient washout. The night before Thanksgiving, Phish dropped their weakest show of tour in Philadelphia, capping an sterile night of music with “Time Turns Elastic.” Needless to say, this wasn’t the anticipated path for the first fall circuit since 2000. But then we got to Albany.
The first night in New York’s capitol showed hints of inspiration in the debut of “Golden Age” and a scorching version of “Piper.” But after the second night in Albany, nobody would be talking about the first. To kick off their fourth and final set of the two night stand, Phish took “Seven Below” off the shelf for the third time of the year, and this one would be unlike the previous two. Pushing far beyond convention and outshining any musical plane they had visited during the year, the guys played off each other with stunning fluidity, progressing through several melodic themes en route to a soul-tickling escapade. Infusing the magic of lore into their set-opening jam, Phish wove original music of the likes they had only hinted at during the peaks of summer. And as they wrapped up 25 minutes of pure catharsis, they segued smoothly into “Ghost!”
12.6.09 (G.Lucas)
Playing with an abandon unseen in ages, the guys keenly navigated a melody driven turned sweltering psych rock rendition of their groove vehicle that quickly stood out as the version of the year. A multi-tiered jam that slithered through several distinct feels, Albany’s “Ghost” contained as many daring twists and turns as “Seven Below,” and this entire sequence of egoless interplay set the community ablaze. Harnessing the adventurous spirit and whole-band unity that once defined the quartet, Phish cranked through improv so original it made the most of the year’s previous music sound contrived.
There aren’t many jams from 2009, that didn’t take place in The Gorge or Miami that still lavish the praise of Albany’s revelation. With new momentum in tow, Phish jams grew bigger and bolder over the final week of Fall Tour, a palpable shift that graced the band’s return to Madison Square Garden and their tour-closer in Charlottesville. Throughout their comeback year, Phish experienced re-growing pains as they worked their way back to prominence. And though they didn’t turn that corner in earnest until a month later in Miami, it was this night three years ago that set the band on course for their Holiday Run transformation.
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Jam of the Day:
“Seven Below > Ghost” 11.28.09 II, Albany, NY
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/ph2009-11-28s2t01.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/ph2009-11-28s2t02.mp3] Tags: 2009, Jams, The Moment
well, that’s one way to end your day.
I’ve shared before that my wife started a new job a few months ago, only to walk into a very abusive situation with a guy who was supposed to be training her being about the biggest asshole one could imagine, essentially providing her no training and treating her like crap. She ended up getting transferred to another part of the hospital for a while but now that she is fully up to speed she interacts with this guy on a daily basis as they work in the same specialty group. He has continued to be a total dick, even compromising patient safety in order to undermine her ability to do her job by giving her broken equipment and other wonderfully sick stuff. Meanwhile, he was supposed to be training another NP to do the same job as my wife and has apparently been treating this person much in the same way. And it has come out that he has done this repeatedly to other people over the course of several years, to the point where they really aren’t exactly sure just how many people he has terrorized.
It all came to a head today and this guy was being put on suspension for his repeated inability to act professionally and work with his team members (amongst other transgressions like sexual harassment of nurses) when he threatened to come back and shoot someone for the whole thing. Obviously, he was immediately fired and given a “no trespassing” warning, but that only covers so much. Now, they haven’t told us who the person is that he threatened violence against BUT my wife got a couple of very concerned calls tonight basically saying be careful and stay safe and such. So basically we now have this fucked up situation where the hospital allowed this guy to get away with tyranny for too long and now he is threatening violence. Debating getting the police involved but not sure what if anything they can do at this point since the city she works in is different than the town we live in which is different from the town this guy apparently lives in and nothing has happened that they can act on anyway.
awesome. should be a fun night.
That blows T3. Usually that is just some inept insecure fearful flexing and fear of not being in power, all hidden behind threatening other people.
You would think that they would have arrested him just for the threatening part. Let him sit one out in jail.
Sorry to hear it.
Jesus, T3, that’s scary
Sounds like a small-dick asshole to me, who finally got called out and pulled his trump card for one last shock/reaction. But you don’t play around with stuff like that – it’s the hospital’s responsibility to ensure a safe working environment, so whatever your wife needs to do to feel comfortable she should do. If that asshat was able to get away with terrorism for so long, then she has little to worry about job-wise in creating a stir about it
and aren’t you in finals mode for your last semester of MBA? Jesus. Vibes…
If it were me, I would call the police, especially with a youngin in the house.
yeah, they won’t tell us everything since it is an “HR Matter” and I guess there are privacy laws to deal with or something but fuck that. we’re talking about a potential direct threat to the safety of my wife. you need to tell me what is going on.
we have done what we need to do on our end since I heard of this, but the hospital has been very lacking in their handling of this situation from day one.
and yes, dr. p, I am knee deep in finals week. trying to finish a paper tonight in fact.
Watching Rudolph with the kids. Yukon Cornelius is still funny.
And i love my Chippewas boots.
T3, that is a frustrating and discouraging and scary situation. Hopefully it passes quietly and everything improves at your wife’s work. Work is hard enough without crap like that to deal with.
I hate to say this, but the HR person that let him go, is the one that is probably more worried tonight. But I do think it is reasonable to send her to family and take personal days if she is concerned, and work with hospital management to make sure that doesn’t effect you.
You just don’t need this.
T3 that is all kinds of bullshit. I would not only call the po-po to the house, I’d ask that they be at your wife’s work the next time she has a shift. Scary stupid shit, man, I’m sorry you have to deal with that. Vibing.
Pit bull would be sleeping outside tonight
He’s been waiting his hole life for someone to come Fuck with us.
Second what Palmer said- call the fuzz. If only to file a report and have some information on hand with them. Sucks man. Sorry to hear that.
T3 the hospital absolutely has a duty of care to their employes to ensure safety. Your wife could request an officer on her floor or at the main entrance to ensure this guy does not come on the property. The hospital would most likely have to comply with any of those requests (any criminal lawyers in the house?…I just do envio law…) Perhaps a shotgun is in order as an early Christmas present. You could then go skeet shooting with the wife to blow off some steam…
That’s awful, tiiii.
I would lean towards getting the cops involved, even if the hospital won’t, just for the fact that people should be held accountable for spouting such bullshit.
That sucks, T3, you’re right to be vigilant
Depending on work schedules, I’d suggest calling the hospital ASAP tomorrow early to speak with an appropriate upper management person (maybe not HR if they’ve been putting you off). Find out what action plan they have in place before your wife goes to work (if she goes).
Safety wise don’t overlook the time/locale from where your wife parks her car to where/how she gets to her work station (and vice versa at day’s end). Not trying to make you anxious, I’m sure this will all blow over without incident, but…
good point Sumo…
That is some fucked up shit. I hope it all is just a bunch of air, T3. I could see how that would angrily unnerving. Fuck that noise.
on a much better topic, MiA, what source do you rec for the St. Denis Reba? anyone seeding it? I need that right about now…
What a fucking dick. And a pussy at the same time. Sounds like he needs a visit from some hard hittin mother fuckers to make shit known t3’s wife ain’t nuttin ta fuck wit.
Anybody got any hard hittin mofos on speed dial? You got his addy t3?
bob, when this all started I was thisclose to finding out where he lives, going to his house, and putting some fear into him but I didn’t want to make things worse for my wife in her new job. and now here we are. I am definitely not an aggressive person, but in this I absolutely can be.
You don’t fuck with a mans family or livelihood. Bottom line. Anybody gets riled in that situation. Threats like that aren’t just talk anymore. They shoulda called cops to take him away for a bit.
5-3-93 to be released as a LivePhish Hurricane Sandy Benefit…link was up for a minute now it is gone…should see it in coming days…
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=5-3-93%20sandy%20relief&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDgQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.livephish.com%2Flive-music%2F0%2C734%2FPhish-mp3-flac-download-5-3-1993-State-Theatre-New-Brunswick-NJ.html&ei=4bi-UNeVAYrs9AS8zoGQAQ&usg=AFQjCNHdbkH5QTlR2Pg2uHxj11M7Ql5KpA&cad=rja
that would be great, mmmhmm. that’s one of my good friend’s first show. he’ll be psyched to kick down to benefit and for the quality audio of it.
damn, that’s some real shit t3. Cops seem like an extremely viable option. Once you call them I bet you’ll get more deetz too, assuming the hospital has involved the law already. Which I can’t imagine they haven’t for liability reasons.
I second the St Denis Reba request. – never hear of it until MiA pamped it a million times.
*****
Love the fuck to po comments -> call the po page.