Ten Holiday Run Wishes
12.30.10, MSG (Graham Lucas)
1. “Waves”: This majestic song debuted at MSG on 12/31/02 and hasn’t returned to the The Garden since. Given that we’ve only heard one version this year (Deer Creek) and it was magnificent, I’m pulling for a big time “Waves” over the Holiday Run.
2. The “Tweezer” of the Year: Though there were many quality “Tweezers” this year, especially on the second leg of summer, Phish has yet to throw down a colossal 2012 version. Here’s hoping we get a mega-“Tweezer” filled with the funkified urban grit of New York City.
3. Unexpected Jams: We all know the band will jam “Rock and Roll,” “Disease,” “Light,” and “Piper,” and I can’t wait for each. But I also wish to be blindsided by one or two jams from unexpected vehicles a la Worcester’s “Roses” or Atlantic City’s “Birds.” The songs that these jams stem from are irrelevant, it’s all about the element of surprise.
4. New Material: Just yesterday Mike posted a picture of himself playing bass in The Barn. What if, in addition to routine practice, the band was polishing off a couple new songs? It’s high time for some fresh setlist material, and though it’s doubtful we’ll see any during a year-end run, a kid can dream, right?
5. A Fully Realized “Twist”: After working this jam during Leg One, including one of the standout excursions of 2012 in Cincy’s “Twist,” the band shied away from exploring the song during Leg Two. Carrying such profound improvisational potential, it would be a shame to see another standard version of “Twist” over the Holiday Run.
6. Smooth Segues: This year featured a host of silky segues, from “Sand -> Nellie Kane” to “Light -> Sally” and “Lighteca” to Sand -> Ghost.” Hopefully the guys will take their time between songs and merge some with stunning fluidity—an element that always ups the ante of any song pairing.
7. A Jammed Out “Crosseyed”: Phish has featured this Talking Heads cover as part of their rotation for the duration of this era, but seldom have they used it as a jam vehicle. The band has been more inclined to springboard into high-energy rock and roll from “Crosseyed” than into any sort of adventure. Bill Graham’s version, however, reminded us of the profound depths the guys can plunge with this song, and hopefully over the Holiday Run we see another such rendition.
8. A “David Bowie” With Teeth: It would be great to see a revitalized version of this once-prolific jam that has turned rather stale in the 3.0 era. Chances of this, however, feel like they are slim to none.
9. “Wolfman’s” or “Bathtub Gin” In Set Two: Both of these songs have turned into tame, unidirectional first-set jams. I hope to see the band place one or both of these under the spotlight during the main event, as each song has been begging for some love for quite a while now.
10. Passion: Whatever happens at MSG and whatever songs are played, let’s hope the band comes with a serious intent to blow the room apart. Madison Square Garden is a venue of great legend in Phish history, though the band hasn’t treated the round room to a full-on musical assault in this era. Let’s hope this run contains that elusive MSG show we’ve been dreaming about since the band’s ’09 return.
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Jam of the Day:
“Mike’s Song” 12.31.95 II
Speaking of full-on musical assaults…
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/2-08-Mike-Song.mp3]=====
Cover (AJ Masthay)
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Tags: 2012, New Years
NYC post offices are no fun. Best part of moving to a little town is shit like that being so much easier. Downside is a brutally long winter with no live music or movie theaters…
This happened in my town in jerz. Usually a nice dude but he fell down his stairs and is doped up spacey style.
I hope to never step foot in a NYC post office for as long as I live.
Sent by the wife to the post office in the heart of midtown yesterday to get “festive” stamps….sheeesh. Wasn’t so bad though cause they had a line just for stamps/$ orders. Government workers apparently have little incentive to put in the extra effort that is “customer service”.
On the plus side NYC does have a 24hr post office which I have found useful once or twice
i asked a post lady one time in the 90s about why she thought so many post office workers “went postal”. she started screaming at me that everyone has stressful jobs, and people go crazy and shoot people all the time but they only make a big deal about it because its a government job. thought she was going to shoot ME.
Anyone have an opinion on this GA West bandbox?
Do I want to be stuck in that little cage? Might prefer a trade for good 100 or even 200 level seats.
Love to move around and watch from a few diff spots. It’s one thing to be in the front of the floor, that shit I can live with…
bandbox? hadn’t heard of it. which night is it for?
no i just mean the little area they calling GA west…
Well, this is interesting…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandbox
Morning dudes….Thursday.
a guess depending on how many tickets they sold plus all the people that will jump down after lights go down it would depend. west looks to be a lot bigger than east. which night you have? ive got 200s to trade. id think that it would be easy to leave the floor and move around though
^^^depending on depends…a sure sign im getting old
I mean GA East as well. The farthest from stage.
Coffee deficient here.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/12/13/nirvana_members_and_paul_mccartney_perform_cut_me_some_slack_video.html#
I’ve understood people going postal at my job. When you see a never ending line of cranky people eagerly awaiting your help and repeatedly get treated like shit, its enough to send you overboard.
Genius Bar tales on twitter is awesome. #thisiswhywedrink
haha. im there on 29th. will let you know.
did anyone see any of the show from the west balcony last year. looks like a cool spot unless the sound is bad
Sound is muddy up there @xpun, but it is a fun spot to check out for a tune or two.
Great panorama of the venue and lots of space.
Hey @Mitch—sent you a PM with a shirt idea
made a msg 11 playlist today. really isn’t that good. the light>GA segue has to be amongst the worst ever. the entire band resists. fish throws a fucking tantrum on the kit trying to avoid it.
12 will rage.
Is west balcony the one behind the stage? If so we loved it last year on the 28th. Great vantage, of Fish especially. Not too picky about sound details so I appreciated the room to dance and chill vibe up there
Oh and thanks to the kind BBers who got that So Inclined to me. Wow gumbo!
greetings all! Snowing outside and this guy is about to enjoy some pow turns. Anyone have a line of any dead neville brothers recordings? I think there might be a sick iko and pocky way out there. Might also be jer band though.
Couch confirmation
http://livephish.com/phish/New-Years-2012-MSG-Webcast.asp
12-13 webcast announcement like clockwork
This is fun @dusty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNp6iUmRXYY
Also, this podcast might suit your powder day..
http://www.dead.net/features/grateful-dead-hour-no-135
Annnnnd I need to get some work done.
greetings, BB.
been rocking the 11.17.97 show in my car for the past couple weeks. Keep coming back to the Ghost. I understand why mia was pampin that things so hard. tickles my fancy every time. brilliant, funky, fun music. $$$.
doing a black peter showdown now. 10.1.77 vs. 1.31.78.
that dead hour link no good. sry