A Mile High

7.14.13 (Andrea Nusinov)

7.14.13 (Andrea Nusinov)

This time around, Denver’s summer farewell feels more like a party than a pronouncement. Although we’ve yet to hear a note, this stand-alone weekend already serves as a punctuation mark on a triumphant season of music. This summer, Phish began to carve new sonic pathways again, jamming with intent and efficiency and birthing original music with a magical consistency. Finally adding fluidity and set craftsmanship to their modern repertoire, entire shows—well, mostly entire second sets—elevated like never before in this era. Adding some new songs to the rotation—”Energy” and “Yarmouth Road”—and reviving some old ones—”Steam,” “David Bowie,” and “Split Open and Melt”—the band played their best start to finish tour of 3.0. Now, as we step into our favorite soccer stadium for three shows that will, undoubtedly, contain plenty of action, the only question that remains to be answered is, “Will this weekend top it all?”

In each of the past two years, Phish showcased fireworks in their Rockies swan song. After setlist trickery on both opening nights, one can expect some sort of prank as we approach tonight’s performance. Musically, in 2011, the band played one of their finest jams of the year in 9.3’s “Tweezer,” while dotting the weekend with a stellar second set sequence of “Twist > Piper > Hood” and a rocking “Ghost” taboot. Last year, however, Dick’s opened the gateway to the improvisational glory we have witnessed since that star-crossed weekend. A couple all-star jams over New Year’s bridged the community to this summer tour, when creativity and Phish met at the crossroads of destiny. So many jams, so many sets, so many shows this summer surpassed most of what we have seen over the past few years; a true renaissance of the highest degree. And it all started back at this soccer stadium one year ago with antics and musical triumphs that few saw coming.

First the band came out jamming with a “Fuck You” opening set that featured one of 3.0’s finest moments in “Undermind.” The second half contained another jam of the year in “Chalk Dust” not to mention a long-form “Runaway Jim.” Then came “Light.” Setting a new precedent for modern jamming, Phish unleashed a masterpiece on the second night of Labor Day weekend 2012. Spanning emotive feels, heavy groove and a cathartic blues rock crescendo, Dick’s “Light” immediately stood head to head with the Gorge’s “Rock and Roll” of 2011 for the magnum opus of the modern era, immediately upping the legend of the corporate-named stadium on the outskirts of Denver. A cosmically connected version of “Sand,” yet another timeless gem, cemented the weekend of legend  the final night of summer tour.

So what will happen this time around? What jams will we be talking about for the six-week offseason as we get ready for Fall? Though it really matters not what goes down this weekend—for the band has nothing to prove—something tells me it will be one of great memories. What they will be made of we will soon find out… 

576 Responses to “A Mile High”

  1. voopa Says:

    Best

  2. sniveling sneven Says:

    For those of us at home on the webcast, this is a true dickpunch… ouch

  3. phishm Says:

    1st woo

  4. phishm Says:

    perfect again. Love slave

  5. HarryHood Says:

    BestShowsSpellSomething

  6. HarryHood Says:

    Oops. Voopa called that already…

  7. [an unrelated] wilson Says:

    We are quickly running out of permutations.

  8. sniveling sneven Says:

    BEST SHOWS SPELL SOMETHING

    Goodnight folks

  9. jp Says:

    slave > energy > bold as love?

  10. sniveling sneven Says:

    Emotional rescue, bold as love

  11. HarryHood Says:

    Emotional Resque, Bathtub gin

  12. Plord Says:

    Rift, I didn’t know, first tube.

  13. Plord Says:

    Rift, I didn’t know, first tube.

  14. MrCompletely Says:

    I didn’t hear any of set 2, were there jams in there or just the gag?

  15. Plord Says:

    And a paddlin’

  16. jp Says:

    how was the ghost?

    like the bathtub call!

    how about a 8.7.09 late set 2 bathtub style?

    it’s been a while

  17. sniveling sneven Says:

    Jams… jams

  18. jp Says:

    was wondering about first option, nice call

  19. Plord Says:

    Nothing mind blowing C but other than a rough ending to Sand it was pretty hot.

  20. sniveling sneven Says:

    HOT SHOWS SPELL SOMETHING

  21. jp Says:

    the mostest!! nice

  22. Plord Says:

    Most?

  23. phishm Says:

    Loved it.

  24. sniveling sneven Says:

    MOST SHOWS SPELL SOMETHING… Makisupa ?

  25. MrCompletely Says:

    So some of you will have seen this but probably not all and it has a lot of levels you can enjoy it on, ironic and otherwise

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQh19pokOxk

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