One of the tightest musical segments of Hampton, and certainly one of the most exciting, was the “Twist > 2001 > Moma” late on night three. Combining three of the last remaining songs in their eighty tune
repertoire for the weekend, Phish put together the run’s biggest musical climax. In a show that featured the most precise and highest-energy playing from the band, these jams fit right in. This crowd pleasing knockout punch featured some of the biggest outright dance grooves of a weekend that focused more on composition and abstract jamming.
Trey growled out of the composed section of “Twist,” speaking through his raunchiest, uncompressed tone, and Mike shot laser beam bass lines, similar to several ambient ’03 “Twists.” Their interplay to start the jam stood out; Mike taking the lead melody as Trey spat distorted, yet expressive, licks with his guitar. Page chimed in with some electro-sounds, adding a completely new sonic element to the puzzle. This music represented some supremely different electro-Phish, as all three non-drummers used unique and over the top tones. The band morphed into a dark psychedelic milieu before the music slowed down quite a bit. Turning blissfully ambient, Phish used their “amoeba-like jamming” to create surreal textures. But minutes into this deepening musical path, the band subtly- on the drop of a dime- slipped out of the sonic stew into the beginning of “2001!” Trey led the way with a beautiful descending melody, carrying everyone into outer space as Mike revved up the bass-heavy groove.
In one of the slyest transitions of the weekend, Phish transformed
Hampton Coliseum into “The Mothership,” and the venue careened through the corridors of outer space. With slammin’ funk grooves, the band initiated a short, but oh-so-sweet, dance session that brought the highest energy of the night. An old-school version, this “2001” was simple, chunky, and ripping. Like candy for the mind, the rhythmic patterns dusted off a part of our soul that had lay dormant for five years. As the band quickly reached the second peak of the song, what would they launch into? What did they have left?
As Phish sustained the climax of the song for seconds after the last note, they collectively made the hugest drop of the weekend into the tar-thick funk of “Moma Dance.” It was virtually a joke how well this setlist was written, forcing everyone to dig deep into their reserves of energy- but no one had any trouble finding them. A song with a bit of Hampton history, this performance gave a raucous nod to 1997’s epic “Tweezer > Black-Eyed Katy.” Page absolutely tore up the clav all over this song, much like every other song over the weekend with one keyboard or another. With the smoothest lounge-funk, Phish completed what was the tightest and most energetic excursion of the run.
Phish saved some of their most spectacular playing for late in their three-day magic show. Leaving the audience with the best music of the run throughout the last set, the band left people jonesing for more. Blowing up one of the standout musical stanzas of all three shows right near the end, Phish left many a fan with the question, “Is it June yet?”
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DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY:
3.7.09 Hampton Coliseum < LINK
3.7.09 Hampton Coliseum < TORRENT LINK
I: Get Back On The Train, Runaway Jim, Brian and Robert, Split Open and Melt, Heavy Things, Punch You in the Eye, Gumbo, Reba > Mexican Cousin, It’s Ice, Halley’s Comet, Beauty of a Broken Heart, Guelah Papyrus, Lawn Boy, Run Like An Antelope
II: Rock and Roll > Limb By Limb, Ghost > Piper > Birds of a Feather, Wolfman’s Brother, Prince Caspian, Mike’s Song > I am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Character Zero
E: A Day in the Life
Source: (FOB) Schoeps mk22 > kc5 > cmc6xt > Audiomagic Hyperconductors > Grace Design Lunatec V2 > Darktrain Custom Cables > Sound Devices 744t (@ 24 bit / 48 kHz)
Transferred by: Jason Sobel; A Team BTG Production brought to you by:Dave F, Scott G, baustin, Greg L, Mikey K, Carrington C, Matthew, Rick, Eliot, Oliver, Foxy, Steve F, Tara, Jimbo, BHadella, Jenny, Jerryfreak, and more…
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“3.6.09 Encore” Photo by Jeff Kravitz @ insidecelebpics.com
