MR. MINER'S PHISH THOUGHTS

Yet To Become

Songs and setlists are sure to shift in the upcoming chapter of Phish.  While they will almost certainly retain a number of classic songs, their frequency possibly decreasing, more room will need to be carved for new material.  Not only for the songs that already exist in Trey’s catalog, but also for songs yet to be written.  Somewhere within this return, you can be sure Phish will find their way back into the studio to create another, if not multiple, new albums.  In finding an equilibrium with their future setlists, you can be sure the band will dip into their post-hiatus material.  Despite a lot of negative fan feedback, I personally think the two post-hiatus albums are amazing.  I am not trying to prove any point here, but they really are the only two Phish albums I listen to- Round Room and Undermind.  Both albums flow beautifully from beginning to end, and have distinct vibes.  Yet, my point here is not to defend these albums, but to discuss all the material on these albums that Phish barely got to explore in their brief “second phase” of existence.

Featuring so many creative songs, these albums will certainly provide improvisational vehicles for the future Phish.  We got a glimpse into the potential of some of these songs, and others- not so much.  Let me get a little more specific here.  Round Room brought us such launch pads as Seven Below, Waves, Pebbles and Marbles, Round Room, and Walls of the Cave.  All five of these songs have proven that they are legitimate Phish jams, with Seven Below and Waves having already gone to incredibly deep and psychedelic places.  In terms of Undermind, we have already bore witness to sacred explorations of Scents and Subtle Sounds and The Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, while they were still in their infancy.  Let’s familiarize ourselves with what will most likely be resuscitated from Phish’s sudden demise.

ALBUM: ROUND ROOM

Seven Below is already synonymous with “Phish jam.”  A proven monster, you knew this song had big things in store with its majestic New Years Eve debut, amidst new crystals of snow.  Having been played significantly during ’03 and ’04, almost all versions went off in one direction or another.  Sandwiched in Disease in Vegas ’03, and busting out of its shell at the Chicago show of the same winter, Seven Below earned its stripes unusually quickly.  With a ridiculously dark and psychedelic jam deep into the second night of the Gorge, the song officially became a huge vehicle.  Featured in the IT’s Rock and Roll > Seven Below > Scents, and blowing up into a dark groovefest at Alpine June of ’04, the song was as big as any during the post-hiatus era.  Expect a lot more from this one!

Waves

Another song that has already reached great heights and depths, Waves will almost surely return as a massive jam in the future.  Some of post-hiatus’ most interesting jams grew from the nautical epic- see 8.2.03’s 40-minute dark triumph, SPAC ’04 first set’s intricate and ambient exploration that eventually segues into the intro of Bowie, or Lakewood 03’s Waves > Tweezer.  A great set opener as well, Waves is a versatile masterpiece that can remain in composed shallow water or plunge into the abyss at any moment.

Round Room

A personal favorite, this song has provided two beautiful and ambient journeys with its Vegas ’03 and Nassau ’03 winter appearances.  Only performed four times ever, this is one that Phish held back on.  A syncopated rhythmic melody that inadvertently evokes musical references to Blondie’s reggae cover, “The Tide Is High,” this song has a quirky calypso and very Phishy feel.  With great potential for patient, layered jams that could define a large part of the new Phish, Round Room is a song to look out for in the future.

Walls of the Cave

While performed quite a bit within the year and a half it was alive, the song never really reached its potential. Generally remaining within sped up rock territory, it only appeared as a true improvisational vehicle at the LA Forum on Valentine’s Day, as the massive second set centerpiece of Walls > Carini.  Almost two distinct songs within one, the compositional part carries the feel of an eerie fable, symbolically referencing the Twin Towers tragedy, while the disjointed jam takes off as a straight rock and roll romp through the silent trees.  Placed in significant slots, closing several sets, Walls served its purpose.  Hopefully, if it remains as part of Phish’s setlists, it will begin to do much more.

Pebbles and Marbles

A beautiful and poetic Trey composition, Pebbles and Marbles is a Phish song whose jam never did much in its six appearances.  With its most extended improvisation coming as part of the much maligned Vegas ’04 run, this is another song whose potential has yet to unfold.  As it has appeared, its Phish-rock jam resembles the textures of standard Down With Disease improv.  Another song that could evolve into great jams during Phish’s next stage, we will wait and see what the future holds for this potential beast.

ALBUM: UNDERMIND

Scents and Subtle Sounds

The most majestic of the post-hiatus compositions, Scents has already illustrated a propensity for both bliss and psychedelia.  With mystical opening verses about living in the moment, appreciating the subtleties of life, and finding a metaphysical way to experience the magic of the moment forever, the song gives way to a gorgeous uplifting jam that resembles a modern-day Harry Hood.  Taking no time at all to establish itself as a jam vehicle, this quickly became a fan favorite in the summer of ’03.  With quintessential explorations happening in Camden, NJ during both summers of ’03 and ’04, the band has proven that the song can be used to build ambient sky-reaching soundscapes, as well as provide gorgeous climbing journies.  I can only hope they decide to put the song back together, and perform the initial verses, instead of starting the song halfway through.  Losing its continuity after its truncation, Scents was never short on producing intense improvisation.  Expect a lot more from Scents, as it seems like the perfect song for Phish to keep under the magnifying glass.

The Song I Heard the Ocean Sing

Phish’s performance of this song at SPAC on 6.19.04, immediately vaulted itself into the “best Phish jams ever.”  With a dark composed section leading into virgin territory, what came out were sinister grooves, newly discovered psychedelic realms, and a melodic guitar led resolution for the ages.  This is one of those jams that practically sounds composed, with some Trey licks for history.  I will put this jam up against any other- it’s that good.  All of this in the second time it was ever played- the first being an “album length” version at Coney Island.  I’ve gotta’ believe that this will be one of the newest and brightest launch pads for Phish in the forthcoming era, and I am incredibly excited to see the future songs that will spring from the Ocean.

Nothing

Having been brought out only two times, its second Deer Creek ’04 performance led into a mellow ambient segment eventually turning into Slave.  A whimsical song about the transient nature of life, its catchy melodies and lyrics fit its subject well.  This delicate jam could definitely grow into a more patient, mature piece of Phish improv.  We will see what happens, but if Phish continues to play this one expect some very unique textures to result.

Undermind

Untouched by Phish, I called this as the second set opener for most of those June ’04 shows.  Unfortunately, I was never right.  Having been played a couple times pre-Undermind (the album) by Trey’s solo band, it seemed like a likely addition to Phish shows.  With symbolic, yet fun lyrics, and an infectious groove, Phish could build some creative jams out of the title track from their last album.  I still feel Phish will open one of the Hampton sets with this song- it just seems so appropriate, but I’m no longer putting any money on it. You can be sure when Phish does finally play this, I will be one of the happiest cats in the building.

Maybe the band will play all of these, and maybe they will play none at all.  Its hard to say what will make up their yet-to-form newest musical portfolio. Odds are that at least some of these post-hiatus launch pads will find their way into regular rotation.  And let me just say, it is just so great to be talking about what might be in Phish’s upcoming rotation!  Anyhow, look out for these 2.0 jams to make a significant splash in v.3.

(I would have made a compilation- there are so many great post-hiatus moments-but I can’t post official sbds.  Oh well.)

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The show directly before the all-night Glens Falls Halloween affair, this one is a segue-laced, well-played show that features bust outs of Buffalo Bill after 220 shows and two years, and The Who cover, “Sparks.”  With a Sleeping Monkey sandwiched in a second set Antelope, and a significant mid-set YEM, this show is full of high paced Phish fun.  This pristine soundboard recording provides a crystal clear replica of the evening before Phish’s initial musical costume.

I: My Friend My Friend, Sparkle, Simple, Runaway Jim, Foam, Lawn Boy, Split Open and Melt > Buffalo Bill > Makisupa Policeman > Rift

II: Down With Disease > TMWSIY > Avenu Malkenu > TMWSIY > Sparks> Uncle Pen, You Enjoy Myself, HYHU> Bike > Run Like an Antelope > Sleeping Monkey > Run Like an Antelope

E: Harry Hood

Songs and setlists are sure to shift in the upcoming chapter of Phish.  While they will almost certainly retain a number of classic songs, their frequency possibly decreasing, more room will need to be carved for new material.  Not only for the songs that already exist in Trey’s catalog, but also for songs yet to …

Yet To Become Read More »

Where Did That Come From?!

If you have seen Phish enough, you know they are musical acrobats with the ability to go anywhere at anytime.  Ultimate improvisers, you never necessarily knew where the next surprise would come from.  When they dropped into a Tweezer, Mike’s, Reba, Bowie, or YEM, we knew to get our dancing shoes on, because the heat was coming.  However, some of the most improvisationally transcendent moments at Phish shows often occurred when the band decided to dig deep and launch an exploratory jam off of a song that doesn’t usually include one.  There are many examples of this throughout their career, from the Nassau ’98 Roses to the Charlotte ’03 Hood.  From the Camden ’03 Scents and Subtle Sounds to the Memphis ’96 Simple, or the IT’s Yamar,  Phish has been known for picking and choosing their spots to go big, and below are a choice selection of some of their many unexpected massive jams.  (The tracks are compiled and downloadable below)

1. Boogie On Reggae Woman 9.18.99 Chula Vista, CA

Opening the second set with the percussive rhythms of the Stevie Wonder cover, logic would have had it that they were just opening the set with some fun before dropping into the heat.  Having been inserted in setlists rather routinely since Phish brought the song out of a nine year retirement at Dayton ’97,  this version begins with some typical extended, structured funk most all versions feature.  But when you think this is all about to wind down, Trey starts leading with some solo lines, and all of a sudden the band is moving away from the straight funk into some Phishy territory.  Soon the band picks up on the fact that they are turning this into a different monster all together, and the other members begin to play divergent lines until the structure of the song has given way to pure Phish music- blissfully pure improvisation.  A triumphant and masterful jam that stood out far after the tour ended, this Boogie On is a one-time-wonder.

2. Fluffhead 7.24.99 Alpine Valley

The ultimate old-school Phish composition, Fluffhead was always a showcase of the band’s virtuoso talent and insane precision.  A multi-part composition that defined the early years of Phish- combining jazz, rock, and classical fugues- Fluffhead illustrated the band’s accuracy in nailing  longer complex compositions, akin to Divided Sky.  Yet, this first set Fluffhead, in the friendly wooden confines of Alpine, would take another course all together.  Blowing out the ending guitar solo of the song, the band decided to side step the finish line in favor of an incredibly psychedelic section with wailing guitar over some heavy bass lines and cacophonous groove.  The jam settles into a bouncy place where Mike’s bass echoes fully throughout the large pavilion, carrying the music.  Transitioning from a maddening jam into a smooth dance session, the band takes a wonderfully improvised, groove-laced section out for an extremely long time.  Sitting into some laid back improv that seemed like it had to have initiated from another song, and carrying the audience on a funky ride through a Phish carnival, the likes of this 32 minute Fluffhead have not been seen before or after this explosion.

3. Character Zero 11.26.97 Hartford, CT

Almost exclusively a short set closer, and often considered a buzz kill, this night was the one large exception in the rock song’s career.  Taking the ending Hendrix-esque talking guitar solo to the next level, Trey led the band away from the ending vocal harmonies and into a primordial soup of sinister dissonance.  This jam gets excessively dirty with Mike throwing down hard unique bass patterns, as Trey wails over Page and Fish’s sound sculpture.  The band decides to dive head first into a ridiculously psychedelic roller coaster ride through the dark side.  Locked into musical patterns that sound like the inside of a lunatic’s mind, Fish and Mike retain the band’s groove throughout, and Trey begins to solo as if captain of this futuristic space vessel.  One of my favorite jams from Fall ’97, if not ever, the band segues smoothly, in a shimmering bass led fashion, into a raunchy 2001.  This is some of the best stuff ever.

4. Crosseyed and Painless 11.2.96 West Palm Beach, FL

11.2.96 – jawrat.com

Two days after Phish awed their audience with a masterful rendition of Talking Heads’ Remain In Light in Atlanta’s Omni for Halloween, they found themselves in Florida, ready to revisit their musical costume.  Coming out in the second set with a invigorating Crosseyed opener, the band took the Talking Heads’ song way beyond its normal ending, creating one of the most listened to Fall ’96 highlights.  After tearing through over twenty minutes of uptempo collaborative jamming, and the consistent vocal reprise of, “Still Waiting…,” we had finally waited long enough, as the band segued from the improvisational odyssey into an equally enthusiastic Antelope.  With this pre-FM soundboard, this is always a great listen.

5. Jibboo 7.4.00 Camden, NJ

In a summer where the band opened one of their sets with Jibboo every other night, fans expected something out of the ordinary for the second set July 4th opener.  When the band began with the chords of Jibboo, people on tour were besides themselves- almost laughing.  Were they serious!?  Well, it turns out they were.  While all Jibboos of the summer stayed within the standard structure of its groovy jam, this one, as Emeril would say, “Kicked it up a notch!”  With a half-hour of improvisation, Phish used their normally fun jam vehicle to create something larger.  With improvised melodies from Mike and Trey, the jam begins to get very interesting as they begin to leave Jibboo, but are still carrying the rhythmic patterns of the song.  About twelve and half minutes in, you began to realize that they were not necessarily heading for the ending- and from this point out, the jam becomes very unique, while never losing its infectious danceability.   Approaching Antelope-esque territory, the jam built in intensity over the course of the last twenty minutes, eventually losing any attachment to the song structure and morphing into a triumphant July 4th masterpiece.

While Fees are sometimes known for containing little melodic tails on their ends, this second-song Fee is the longest ever played.  Clocking in at over 22 minutes, this jam begins in the fairy tale melodies of the song’s ending, but after some minutes, Fish picks up the beat and the whole band jumps aboard as it is clear they are moving outward.  Turning into some truly inspirational upbeat improvisation, this little known Fee provides quite a journey into the unknown as the show had just begun.  Trey exercises his soloing muscle for a period of this jam, stirring some gorgeous melodies into the mix.  Turning quite dissonant and intense, this jam leaves its launching point far below its trajectory as it soars to uncharted realms.  A treat, especially if you don’t know it, this version of many people’s “first favorite Phish song” goes deep into the band’s improvisational portfolio.

7. The Mango Song 9.17.00 Columbia, MD

Known for its poppy melodies and catchy chorus, The Mango Song is usually played in a standard way that everyone loves.  Typically well placed in a set, Mango can provide light at the perfect time.  Yet, this night in Columbia, MD, the light of the song gave way to some extended psychedelic debauchery that would prove to be the most creative music ever to emerge from the old school composition.  As Trey maintained the final staccato guitar notes, the band created an interesting musical mattress under him as he eventually joined them in a bass led groove that began to lead to alternate places.  The jam remains relatively mellow for a very short time, the band adds layers upon layers, soon creating a rich melange of sound and texture with Mike and Fish holding down a patient groove.  The jam soon evolves into an ambient soundscape, with all band members contributing many effects to the musical monster.  Incredibly creative and out there, this eventually gives way to a bombastic set-ending, Free.  If you don’t know this jam, it will make you listen twice to take it all in.

8. Funky Bitch 11.22.94 Columbia, MO

Popularized as filler on one of the Live Phish releases, this jam finally got its due respect.  Opening the second set, on this night the standard bluesy funk cover got down right nasty.  Phish uses the natural ending point of the song to launch directly into a completely different type of jam with Page playing masterfully from the onset.  This is typical of ’94 improvisation in its sense of unbridled adventure.  At a time when you really never knew where the band would go next, this jam serves as a precise illustration of this phenomenon.  Moving through several very different segments, this jam is a golden relic from the monstrous month of November ’94.

9. Johnny B. Goode 11.17.97 Denver, CO

I always feel that when Phish plays this song, they are grasping for something that is truly not them.  With the Dead having covered the ground-breaking Chuck Berry rock and roll classic, Phish probably should have just left it alone.  However, in one of the band’s greatest shows, the song appeared in an oddly constructed second set, and wound up being the improvisational centerpiece.  In a show that is known for its outlandish first set, the second usually goes unmentioned.  Yet, as the band built from Disease into Oblivious Fool (old school version) and finally into Johnny B. Goode, it seemed like they were having a lot of fun.  As soon as the song was coming to a conclusion, they carried out the high paced rock groove for a few bars and then switched gears into some truly crazy Phish music.  Nothing but pure improvisation on a night where the band could only spin magical tales, this jam is the one and only time Johhny B. Goode has added something to a Phish show.  It added one of the best jams to one of the best shows of Fall ’97.

1. Boogie On Reggae Woman 9.18.99 Chula Vista, CA

2. Fluffhead 7.24.99 Alpine Valley, WI

3,4,5. Character Zero > 2001 > Cities 11.26.97 Hartford, CT

6,7. Crosseyed and Painless > Antelope 11.2.96 West Palm Beach, FL

8,9,10. Jibboo > I Saw It Again > Magilla 7.4.00 Camden, NJ

11. Fee 7.8.99 Virginia Beach, VA

12,13,14. The Mango Song > jam > Free 9.17.00 Columbia, MD

15,16. Funky Bitch > Jam 11.22.94 Columbia, MO

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Another classic relic from the analog era, this soundboard copy will re-up your old school XL II.  Playing in their backyard, Phish ripped a typically loony and adventurous old-school show featuring many transitions and balls to the wall jamming.  This show also features the debut of Axilla, Fast Enough For You, Lengthwise, and I Walk the Line, as well as the first Big Ball Jam complete with Trey’s explanation of the concept.  With Gordon Stone on guitar for three songs, and an “Ice, Ice Baby” interpretation in the Mike’s jam, this show has more than enough to keep you engaged.  As if that were not enough to mark this night as special, Bold As Love was brought back after a two and a half year, 318 show, absence for the encore.

I: Maze, Fee > Foam, Glide, Split Open and Melt, Mound, The Divided Sky*, Esther, Axilla#, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Run Like an Antelope**

II: Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Bouncing Around the Room, It’s Ice, I Walk the Line#, Tweezer## > Big Black Furry Creature From Mars## > Tweezer Reprise, Big Ball Jam+, Poor Heart^, Fast Enough for You#^, Llama, Lengthwise#^, Cavern

E: Bold as Love

*Trey teases “Those Were the Days” (“All in the Family” theme by Adams/Strouse) during his solo. #First time played. **With “Those Were the Days” and “Lizards” teases, and “All Fall Down” language. ##With “I Walk the Line” teases. +First time played; followed by explanation of how the “Big Ball Jam” works. ^With Gordon Stone on pedal steel.

Source Notes: Sets I and II were at two different decibel levels and set II had a couple significant level changes throughout the set.  I evened everything out a little more with WaveLab4 prior to resampling.

If you have seen Phish enough, you know they are musical acrobats with the ability to go anywhere at anytime.  Ultimate improvisers, you never necessarily knew where the next surprise would come from.  When they dropped into a Tweezer, Mike’s, Reba, Bowie, or YEM, we knew to get our dancing shoes on, because the heat …

Where Did That Come From?! Read More »

A New Beginning: 10.8.00

Eight years ago today the sun came up for the first time without Phish.  Rising over the East Bay, visible from my apartment, the feeling was surreal as we watched the dawning of a new age.   Looking out from the floor to ceiling windows, across the Panhandle, to Haight-Ashbury- where all this madness began, my cohorts and I had a different post-show vibe than any before.  We were friends due to Phish, all about to go through a transition to a life without Phish- our magical dreamlike experiences would be deferred, or put “on hiatus” indefinitely.  Things would be different now.

Nobody knew the break would be so short- a mere year and a half later, the announcement of MSG and Hampton came.  For all we knew, “the hiatus” might have been permanent.  I treated that last show at Shoreline like it was the last Phish show I’d ever see- and it was a classic showcase of the band and their music.  It was a proper exit, as opposed to the “messy” exit up in Coventry.  The band left it all out on the stage in Mountain View, as they took on the idea of an uncertain future for the first time since college.  As the post-show music of “Let It Be” rang through the pavilion, and the crew broke down the stage, many fans stayed- clapping, crying, cheering, – emotions swirling.

We had just witnessed a definitive last statement from the band, a statement that seemed to sum things up perfectly.  From start to finish, this show was perfect.  They played exactly what they were supposed to play on an evening that was about the grandeur of Phish and the mutual love and appreciation between the band and their loyal fans- a relationship unparalleled in music today.

Complete with a fiery First Tube opener, a classic Mike’s Groove, an emotionally driven and celebratory Bathtub Gin, and the now-seemingly symbolic, Glide- the first set smoked from start to finish.  It was clear that Phish was not planning on wasting any time on stage during their last foreseeable performance.  The setbreak took on an odd feeling, one that couldn’t have been predicted.  The next set would be the last, and it was clear from the band’s opening statement that they were about to blow things up.  (Roll over song links and listen while you read!)

Opening with the latter years staple of Twist, the band moved through the Latin sounding grooves into some mellow psychedelia with Page on piano and Trey playing some rhythm chords, before turning back into the end of the song.  This Twist moved out of the way for the final 2001 dance session.  I can remember just taking it in, reminding myself that tomorrow would be so drastically different.  As the snare hit kicked, Shoreline exploded following the few minute buildup.  This version was super charged from the get go, carrying a sense of urgency to it that many 2001’s leave behind in favor of wide open funk-scapes.  For eleven minutes, the band led us through an array of high octane Phish grooves, eventually oozing into the opening licks of Tweezer.  Yes, they were most definitely leaving it all on stage.

The sixteen-minute Tweezer shied from any overt funk and went directly into a guitar-led and chunky jam that built in sound and intensity rather quickly; Trey taking the liberty to shred atop the evolving groove.  Moving away from its smooth inception, about halfway through, this Tweezer took a turn into a more abstract and dirty place, stylistically resembling a jam from 1994.  Settling beautifully in Velvet Sea, Phish seemed to be playing all their biggest, most poignant songs on this evening.  Often sold short for being a ballad, Velvet Sea is an incredibly Phishy song to play after some serious music has just gone down.  A beautiful composition with a crying guitar solo, this version was all the more emotional given the circumstances.

Just when things seemed the most bittersweet, the beginning of Meatstick whispered through the speakers.  A perfect placement for not only some comic relief, but for the theme of Phish’s final two years, Meatstick simply had to be played for this show to be complete- and no one would have said that before hand- that’s why Phish is so great.  Finally, the quintessential show closer, David Bowie, made one last, albeit brief appearance.  Yet, instead of saving the Tweezer Reprise for the encore, they decided to drop it in the much more climactic and unexpected slot of set closer.  The place simply couldn’t have responded more enthusiastically.  YEM encore.  Perfection.

I’ve often thought of this show as one of the more “perfect” shows I have ever seen. That doesn’t mean the best, or the craziest- just simply perfect.  (You could substitute the My Soul first set closer.) Sometimes a show flows naturally from beginning to end, without any glitches or slow points, and this was one of them- it had to be.

As the DAT of the second set provided the soundtrack for our surreal San Francisco sunrise, we all felt a sense of thankfulness for having been a part of the Phish experience.  So many different factors in life could have made our lives just slightly different, and we would have missed Phish, and all of each other, without even knowing it.  Hard to imagine who we’d have been without Phish, it was a powerful moment of realization and appreciation for the opportunity we had been given to experience the magic.  We decided it didn’t really matter whether they came back from this “haitus” or not- we had been there.  Someone along the way blessed us with the good fortune of discovery, and we never looked back.  Memories lasted forever, and we already had enough of those to carry us through eternity.  Regardless of Phish’s destiny, we had made friends with some of the greatest people on earth, and discovered ourselves along the way.  Phish had given us everything, and owed us nothing.

So remember these things as we sit on the brink of Phish’s second comeback.  They are coming back on their own terms, and not on ours.  This is about happiness, not about catching the six songs you never saw before.  Phish owes us nothing- and never have.  Their gift is a constant portal to the mysteries of the universe, a way to access unimaginable places and realms you never thought existed.  Phish has provided us a way of experiencing life that we couldn’t have accessed in any other corner of  the globe; an indelible and irreplaceable force on the rest of our time.

Get ready to ride again!

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You just read about it.  I think it’s perfect.  Check it out and decide for yourself.

I: First Tube, Mike’s Song > Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Fee, Bathtub Gin, Glide, My Soul

II: Twist > 2001 > Tweezer, Wading in the Velvet Sea, Meatstick > David Bowie, Tweezer Reprise

E: You Enjoy Myself

Thanks to phishows.com for hooking it up.

(Sorry for the lower than usual 192 – 200ish kbps.)

Eight years ago today the sun came up for the first time without Phish.  Rising over the East Bay, visible from my apartment, the feeling was surreal as we watched the dawning of a new age.   Looking out from the floor to ceiling windows, across the Panhandle, to Haight-Ashbury- where all this madness began, my …

A New Beginning: 10.8.00 Read More »

The Comeback…Again

So Phish is coming back…again.  I can’t seem to think about much else these days.  Sitting already with fluttering anticipation of the Hampton shows, I can’t help but think back to New Years Eve 2002-2003 at MSG- the first comeback, and subsequent Hampton run.  The occasion could not have been bigger- Phish’s comeback in the Garden- the thought of it was almost too intimidating.  Yet, while Phish wound up having a wonderfully adventurous 2003, closing in sunny style with four standout shows in Miami, the beginning was not as hot.  The band, obviously as anxious as we all were, played a very “safe” comeback show, and proceeded to produce very little in Hampton that held up to our memories.  Lasting only a year and a half in their return, maybe the band jumped the gun- who knows?  2009’s return, four and a half years later, has a distinctly different feel to it; the band seems to have faced the personal demons that were eating away at their fun and cohesion, and dealt with them.  How long will it last- nobody knows, “the only rule is it begins.”

Yet, let’s hope this third beginning is musically stronger than their second beginning, even if for the sake of hype and impossible tickets.  When the band returned to MSG in 2002, with no less hype, and not much easier of a ticket, they seemed tentative, unwilling to take any real musical risks.  For a band that made a career on musical risk-taking, this stark difference over the inverted New Year’s Run was palpable.  Returning with a Piper that most people heard only half of, due to the extended roar of the maddened crowd, the band opened with one of the few real jams of the evening.  The rest of first comeback set stayed very conservative, with a short set ending Bowie being the only other jam vehicle taken off the shelf.

The second set back brought slightly more adventure.  Beginning with an enchanting new song, “Waves,” whose composition and structured jam was a beautiful preview of Phish 2.0, the set moved into Divided Sky, juxtaposing the new and the old with a united theme of nature’s spirituality.  A Carini kindled memories of the colossal MSG odyssey of 12.28.98, and a late set Hood brought back the uplifting, albeit brief, improvisation of Phish- but it was really the only jam of the set.

The third set of the show brought out the best Phish of the night, as they used the debut of “Seven Below,” complete with a surreal indoor snowstorm to bring us into the new year.  On cue, the band busted into Runaway Jim as the post-Auld Lang Syne song, featuring the most interesting jam of the night as the percussive and groovy jam segued smoothly and unexpectedly into the lyrically appropriate Little Feat cover, “Time Loves A Hero.”  A solid Taste followed, before the set ended with the poignant debut of “Walls of the Cave,” within close proximity to the song’s allegorical subject of the Twin Towers.  Walls also brought some new improvisation into the mix, capping the show with one of its highlights.  A  Velvet Sea encore thematically fit the end of this emotional evening.

It was great to have Phish back- it was better than great- and Hampton was sure to blow up!  The first night was bound to be a bit tentative we convinced ourselves- wait till they get to Hampton with no pressure on them.  Well, we all got to Hampton, and the shows were no more adventurous than the one up north.  Playing it very safe, it was almost unfathomable that a Phish three-night run at Hampton could produce so few memorable jams.  In fact, thinking quickly off the top of my head, I remember the second set of the first night, with the unique 46 Days jam, My Friend, Thunderhead and Antelope, and that’s about it.  When I go back and look at the setlists, they played most of their big songs- Tweezer, YEM, Mike’s, Split, Disease, Twist, Free, and more.  The Wolfman’s was arena rock fun, and they ended the last show with 2001, but it didn’t feel the same.  I distinctly remember listening to these after the shows, as they were the first livePhish soundboard releases.  They sounded clean, but they confirmed what I had thought at the shows. There was nothing to write home about- no fire, no adventure, no explosiveness, and very little psychedelia.  After a few listens, these discs found a place in a stack of CDs on a random spool in my apartment rather quickly, never to be heard from again – the only time that has ever happened with Phish.

Before the band came out ripping the LA Forum and Thomas & Mack Center to start the Winter ’03 tour, letting us know that things were back to normal- many questioned whether Phish had lost their magic. Others wrote off the shows as obviously indicative of the time off- what were you expecting, right?  Everyone seemed to have their own opinions and theories of these comeback shows, and their significance, before the rest of 2003 brought back the Phish we knew and loved.

Hopefully, these three Hampton shows won’t be as anti-climactic as the last three comeback shows at the Coliseum.  Hopefully, the band will reunite in the Barn and sharpen their teeth before next March.  I have a strong feeling that they will- there is a sense of redemption in the air- and Phish is known for stepping up to the occasion.  I predict there will be more jaws hanging on the Coliseum floor then in the initial days of 2003.  With the likely announcement of shows in New York, Philly, and Boston over the rest of the weekends in March, I feel that the band will surely be ready to destroy their biggest markets.  They wouldn’t play it safe over the course of an entire month; they are back for different reasons this time.  They weren’t on “hiatus,” they didn’t have to come back; they were done.  Without any pressure, this time, everyone has pure motivations.  They don’t need the money- they need the Phish.

As the band prepares for what will likely be the final chapter of their career, a youthful exuberance has engulfed the community again.  Like a collective dream come true, we will all go to Phish shows again.  I get the sense  the band feels that the same exact dream has come true for them- they, as well, will get to go to Phish shows again.  Each time the lights go out, it will be a privilege for us all, an unexpected gift from the universe, at a time when the world at large seems to be moving in the opposite direction.  But as the darkness gives way to Kuroda’s colorful washes of reverie, nothing else will matter- we will all be right we are supposed to be. Our world will be right again.

The First Comeback: 12.31.02 MSG – photo: Jeremy

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A classic tape and a personal favorite of the analog era, this a classic show from the amazing Spring of ’92 highlights Phish’s musical intensity, zany humor, and unique creativity.  One of those shows where the first and second sets seem flipped, the band’s opening frame featured great versions of Split, Maze, Fluffhead, and Antelope.  With a second set that includes a full “Secret Language” explanation within the Possum intro, this show represents a young Phish playing their hearts out on the long path to success.

I: The Curtain, Split Open and Melt, Poor Heart, Guelah Papyrus, Maze, Dinner and a Movie, The Divided Sky, Mound, Fluffhead*, Run Like an Antelope** > Big Black Furry Creature From Mars > Run Like an Antelope**

II: Wilson > Brother, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, The Landlady, Lizards, My Mind’s Got a Mind of its Own, The Sloth, Rift, Cold as Ice > Love You > Cold as Ice, Possum#

E: Contact, Fire

*Trey teases “We’re Off to See the Wizard.” **With “Simpsons” language. #Trey explains the “Secret Language.”

So Phish is coming back…again.  I can’t seem to think about much else these days.  Sitting already with fluttering anticipation of the Hampton shows, I can’t help but think back to New Years Eve 2002-2003 at MSG- the first comeback, and subsequent Hampton run.  The occasion could not have been bigger- Phish’s comeback in the …

The Comeback…Again Read More »

What’s Been Goin’ On?

What a weekend it was to be alive!  The landscape of our lives has been severely altered- back to the way it was, back to the way it should be.  About to return to the source, the four-part magical mystery machine that provides our portal is coming back together.   After traveling divergent personal and musical pathways for some time, the band members’ four roads are about to merge again, each bringing their new experiences and perspectives to the table.  We all know what Phish was, but what Phish will be remains to be seen.  In a Phish-less world, Phish side-projects sometimes got overlooked or simply didn’t seem relevant.  Right now, however, all band members are playing actively, happily, and separately- something that bodes well for the future.  On the brink of a cosmic convergence, before jumping into Phish 3.0, let’s check out what each of our four super heroes have been doing in their recent musical lives, and what effect it may have on the new Phish.

The undeniable driving creative force behind the band has always been Trey– and he is at it again.  Having persevered his well-publicized addiction, arrest, and subsequent drug program, it seems that Trey is, once again, at a creative highpoint.  Having only played three shows since he’s been “back,” the new material has been astounding.  In one of these shows he debuted a thirty-minute orchestral composition, “Time Turns Elastic.”  With the emergence of a thirteen-minute solo acoustic recording from The Barn, it seems that the second movement of this piece could be arranged for Phish and turn into a mature epic.  One of those three shows was Brooklyn, in which he debuted seven- yes, seven- new songs, many which are sure to transition to Phish.  He and Tom Marshall have been writing together again, churning out as many as ten more yet-to-be played songs.  With a great diversity of new material, Trey seems to have his mojo back.  From the pop-rock of “Backwards Down The Number Line” and “Peggy” to the grooving lyrical poetry of “Valentine,” from the multi-part composition of “Greyhound Rising,” to the inspiring soundscapes of “Light,” Phish will have plenty to work with when they return to the stage. (Listen to these new songs by rolling over and clicking play on each link! Listen while you read!)  With lush multi-part harmonies (noticeably absent from TAB) and great improvisational potential, each of these could translate into Phish beautifully.

Mike is fresh off his most well received solo tour to date, boasting an eclectic band and an entire album of personally written material- including many potential Phish songs.  Fans from the road have been raving about Mike and his band killing it nightly with originals, covers, and lots of improv.  Mike, never short on the bizarre, even featured an end of the tour variety show with guest musicians, acrobats, and performers who assisted in acting out the dream sequence described in his new fan favorite, and potential Phish song, Andelmans’ Yard.  In multiple interviews, Mike has expressed sincere excitement about his new band and album, and a desire to keep playing with them regardless of Phish’s schedule.  As fate turns him back to Phish, he is certainly riding a creative wave as high as any crest in his personal career, and Gordeaux will undoubtedly bring new and rejuvenated musical ideas to Phish’s next chapter.

Page, after recording a solo album in the years away from Phish, recently sat in with old-school New Orleans funk trio, PBS- George Porter, Russell Batiste, and Brian Stoltz, for a run of four New England shows in an outfit called “Moodoo.”  Scribing solo material and improvising with legends of the Bayou, Page also took both personal and musical steps away from Phish recently that will no doubt influence his own thinking as he approaches the return of his role as “Chairman of the Boards.”

Fishman, who always seems to find a way to be playing drums with one band or another, has a two show sit-in planned with Yonder Mountain String Band next week in New York and Philly.  Throughout the last two years, he has played with the quartet for several shows, as well as joining them at Rothbury this past summer.  Backing a four piece string outfit in venues of all shapes and sizes is certainly something outside the Phish realm, and illustrates Fish’s incredible dexterity and creativity.  In addition, Fish will head up to party in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Ashville, NC, as he joins Everyone Orchestra at the Loki Music Festival directly after the Philadelphia show.  Always enthusiastic and ready for adventure, Fishman will no doubt bring his new experiences, as well as his classic zaniness and unconscious beats back to the mix.

Phish was only going to happen again if all four members found themselves with the right combination of personal happiness, health, enthusiasm, and dedication- and that time has come!  As evidenced by the band members solo endeavors, music has returned to the forefront of their lives, and whenever Trey, Mike, Page, and Fish are all playing music- they should most definitely be playing it together.  They know that, we know that, the universe knows that; and so it will be.

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Ticket Update: This lottery is getting ridiculous.  The orders started at #4300000 on Saturday afternoon, a friend made request # 4404609.  That means there is well over 105,000 ticket requests with two more days for request.  I don’t think it is silly, at this point, to think they will get 175,000 requests.  The odds of getting tickets in this lottery, where Phish has in the realm of 3-4000 tickets is incredibly slim.  Preemptive ticket transactions are happening on eBay for between $200-350 per ticket.  The Ticket Master server is gonna’ be slammed, if not overloaded, on October 18th, leaving it up to pure luck whether we will score a ticket online.  There are no TM outlet sales, so you can’t drive to Yuba City, CA or Fargo, ND to be the first in line.  There will be thousands of people both on the phone and online across the nation at 10am EDT on October 18th; I’m not sure there is an precise strategy.  This could become pretty crazy, especially with a tight per person ticket limit.  Get your friends and relatives in on the mission with you, because who know what will happen after the 18th!  (Mind you, it is probable they will announce dates throughout the rest of March once 2009 hits.  You think they’re just gonna play three and stop?  I doubt it.)

Due to corrupted files, I’m not positive everyone who downloaded the Miner’s Picks: Phish Returns! compilation on Saturday got all the tracks.  I wanted to put up links here to make sure everyone gets them, because this is like one five-hour Phish set of pure fire.  The track listing and descriptions of selections are in the post below.

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A standout show in a climactic December 1999 run leading up to Big Cypress, this one took place on campus at NC State with an oddly dispersed crowd.  Styling if you were on the empty floor- not so much if you were in the packed fieldhouse seats, Phish threw down huge.  A boisterous beginning of Wilson > Chalkdust got things revved up, while a late set combo of Camel Walk, Possum brought it back to the old school.  The second set, as usual, is where things got crazy.  Opening with a twenty-two minute Sand, one the best of the many ’99 Sands, you were knee deep in this set within four minutes.  Beginning with his mini-keyboard, Trey rips a very cool melody over the heavily textured backdrop as the band churns out dissonant grooves.  Hopping off keys and grabbing his guitar, Trey puts this one in the the books.  A very ’99-esque late set Tweezer with heavy walls of sound, building into a Slave jam, makes this one a personal favorite.

I: Wilson > Chalk Dust Torture, Lawn Boy, Limb by Limb, Horn, Get Back On The Train, Roggae, Heavy Things, Camel Walk, Possum

II: Sand, The Mango Song, Wading in the Velvet Sea > Jam > Tweezer > Runaway Jim

E: Bittersweet Motel > Tweezer Reprise

What a weekend it was to be alive!  The landscape of our lives has been severely altered- back to the way it was, back to the way it should be.  About to return to the source, the four-part magical mystery machine that provides our portal is coming back together.   After traveling divergent personal and …

What’s Been Goin’ On? Read More »

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