MR. MINER'S PHISH THOUGHTS

Quite the Site

10/30 1:29 am

As people continue to trickle into Festival 8, this site is shaping up to be quite the host for a weekend of Phish. Speckled with palm trees and carpeted with soft grass, the lush desert surroundings of California provide a completely different vibe than past Northeast weekends. The Empire Polo Grounds boasts a walk-ability that creates an atmosphere of over-sized intimacy very different from the endless airforce bases of lore. With campgrounds – all named, as expected, for eight remaining albums – within a 10-15 minute walk of the concert grounds, the entire festival feels a bit more within reach.

From The Archives Video Show (A.Lansing)

A relatively thorough search greeted everyone at the gate; but no harm no foul. Getting in and setting up, I was busy watching the Yankees tie the World Series while The Bunny broadcast Phish’s soundcheck. Through word of mouth, the band broke out a few new songs off Party Time, highlighted by a ten-minute jam of “Liquid Time.” Look forward for that one coming up this weekend! The evening was highlighted by video “From the Archives” show at The Overlook, the central part of Festival 8 with multiple bars, food stands, and tented areas. Featuring amazing Halloween footage from all of Phish’s past musical costumes, fans congregated, danced, smoked, and drank while watching the massive video screen. When the video mix broke into an unknown “Tube” followed by a “Tube Reprise” we soon realized we were seeing exclusive footage of 11.2.98. When the “Tube” jam ended, the video spliced into the beginning of Dark Side of the Moon, and proceeded to play highlights from the memorable performance. After the Utah portion ended, it had grown freakin’ cold and I headed back to the RV to listen to Shapiro’s archives show on The Bunny, which so far had unleashed two of my favorite jams ever in re-upped SBD quality – the Cypress “Split” and the Winston-Salem “Bathtub Gin!” That’s all for now, the festival calls.

10/30 11:13 am

Just wakin’ up to a gorgeous Indio day. The sun in shining bright and coffee tastes good as we prepare for day one of the weekend. California’ Dreamin…

2:37 pm

Got the turntables set up, and have been enjoying a daytime Phish set spun by myself and various others. Highlights included the the “Rebas” from The Gorge in ’98 and Laguna Seca ’94, the Barcelona ’98 “Tweezer,” Lemonwheel’s “Ghost” and assorted other summer funk. The vibe here is beyond chill once you are through the gates, and the weather seems to be coming through perfectly. Got a chance to hear “Liquid Time;” definitely carries the sound of a new Trey song, and certainly has a wide open door to psychedelic improvisation. The band really took it out during soundcheck, and we are looking forward to what they will do come gametime. I would expect we’ll be hearing this song in a few hours from the stage. Still no real clue as to the Halloween album. Have given up thinking about it since we arrived and set up camp. Desert mountains, palm trees and Phish. Life is good.

6:01 am 10.31

A phenomenal start to the weekend. A deep-dive into a first-set “Stash” provided the improvisational moment of the set after an explosive beginning of “Party Time,” “Chalk Dust.” The second set offered a high powered festival-sized Phish sequence, highlighted by “Disease > Caspian > Wolfman’s.” The “Wolfman’s” had a distinct point when it moved from groove to Halloween music, summoning the spirits of the night before All-Hallowed’s Eve.

1:11 pm

Exile! They are handing out Phishbills on site. With singer Sharon Jones – let’s see about this one.

10/30 1:29 am As people continue to trickle into Festival 8, this site is shaping up to be quite the host for a weekend of Phish. Speckled with palm trees and carpeted with soft grass, the lush desert surroundings of California provide a completely different vibe than past Northeast weekends. The Empire Polo Grounds boasts …

Quite the Site Read More »

Your Time Is Near, The Mission’s Clear

We are T-minus 36 hours and counting from blast off. I, as I imagine many of you did, spent much of the last two days running around town getting last minute things for the biggest Phish party since the millennium. I have just put the final touches on things, packed the car, and am leaving in the morning. In fact, I’m probably on the road right now; gotta get down to SoCal before the World Series kicks off this evening. The waiting is over – the time is now!

Red Rocks and The Gorge are distant memories, and Phish is ready to put their next foot forward into the rest of their career. Phase one of the 3.0 era has ended, with nothing but continued musical evolution ahead. We are sure to hear new songs off Party Time, a release that has conveniently been pushed back beyond Halloween. And we are sure to catch a glimpse of where we might be headed. While all eyes fixate on Indio, fall tour will pop up soon after Festival 8’s final note. If the first half of this year was about getting their feet on the ground, it is now time again to see how high Phish can soar. It’s off to the races, and where we will wind up, nobody knows. But in the end, it’s all about the ride. Safe travels, folks. See you in Indio!

Let’s do this!

=====

Jam of the Day: Festival Week

“Reba” 8.17.96 I

A blissful daytime excursion from The Clifford Ball.

=====

DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY:

7.3.95 Sugarbush Summerstage, North Fayston, VT < Torrent

7.3.95 Sugarbush Summerstage, North Fayston, VT < Megaupload

Summer ’95’s finale centered around the colossal “Bowie” in the second set. Jams of this depth were par for the course during a stratospheric summer.

I: My Friend, My Friend^[1], Poor Heart, Run Like an Antelope, Loving Cup, Sparkle, It’s Ice, If I Could, Maze, Strange Design, Free, Cavern

II: Timber Ho! > David Bowie > Johnny B. Goode > David Bowie > AC/DC Bag, The Lizards^* > Big Black Furry Creature from Mars, A Day in the Life, Possum, The Squirming Coil

E: Simple, Amazing Grace

*Aborted

Source: Unknown

Tags: Festival 8

Your Time Is Near, The Mission’s Clear Read More »

Halloween Music – An Audio Post

When considering Phish’s darkest, most demonic improv, few eras – if any – can compare to Summer ’95. Waging psychedelic jihad nightly, Phish made no bones about jumping off the deep end many times per show, churning out some of the most engaging music of their career. When thinking of what type of Phish best fit the essence of Halloween, I didn’t have to think very long. Whether you are going to Indio or not, this “Halloween Music” will make for some haunted late-night listening over the holiday weekend. All selections are excerpts of much larger jams. Enjoy. I’m packing.

***

“Halloween Music – Summer ’95“

[audio:https://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/01-Halloween-Music-Summer-95.mp3]

Lossless version < Link

Tweezer 6.8 > Bowie 6.13 > Mike’s 6.20 > Free 6.26 > Runaway Jim 6.16 > Bowie 6.29 > Bowie 7.3 > Tweezer 6.14 > Tweezer 6.28 > Tweezer 6.14 > Mike’s 6.9 > Bowie 6.24 > Mike’s 6.30

=====

Phish Thoughts During Festival 8

Given the 24-hour nature of Phish festivals and the one of a kind atmosphere that we are about to encounter, my posts over the festival may be a bit more informal, and less than full-blown show reviews. I will definitely post something each day – possibly more than once a day if the wireless is legit – and will keep you abreast of the essentials. But I will most likely leave comprehensive show analysis for after Indio, as there is just too much to do at a Phish festival to be strapped to a computer for periods of time. Who knows what will happen, but disclaimer made. Thanks for understanding.

***

No Spoilers – Indio

“No Spoilers” is a go for this weekend! We will try to get the links up the night of, but given the festival atmosphere, they could go up that night or by the next afternoon. While we have a plan in place, and will try get them up asap, we may be depending on the first source posted and that’s out of our control. Worst case scenario we are looking at the following morning / early afternoon. In summary, No Spoilers – Indio is 100% go; but if its not up a few hours after the show, don’t stay up hitting refresh all night. Ya dig? Stay tuned to phishthoughts.com/nopoilers all weekend long – it’s the next best thing to being there!

=====

Check out HeadCount’s “Reality Check” Game Show at Festival 8

If you are a maestro of Phish trivia, or an expert on current events, you’ll have a chance to prove it at Festival 8. Headcount, fresh off announcing superb stastisical results from last year’s voter registration campaign, will host the “Reality Check” music and political trivia game at Festival 8. The grand prize winner will walk away will receive an uncut sheet of four Pollock Halloween masks, available at the Water Wheel table throughout Festival 8. To make the prize one-of-a-kind, Jim is doing a special illustration on one uncut sheet – meaning the winner goes home with a true Pollock original.

“Reality Check” will pit you head-to-head with another competitor as a host quizzes you on Phish history, classic albums, the news and government. Plus, there will also be a Family Feud-style “Survey Says!” question. If you win three straight times, you can advance to the Tournament of Champions, held before Phish’s final set of the weekend on Sunday, Nov. 1.

=====

Jam of the Day: Festival Week

“Sabotage > 2001” 8.16.98 III

The ballistic beginning to Lemonwheel’s final set.

=====

DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY:

7.2.95 Sugarbush Summerstage, North Fayston, VT < Torrent

7.2.95 Sugarbush Summerstage, North Fayston, VT < Megaupload

My wife’s pick from the analog era, this end-of-tour party at Sugarbush represented the precursor to The Clifford Ball in 1996. Playing to a populated side of a ski slope at the end of a musically ludicrous, Phish inched ever closer to their first-ever full-blown festival. The second set jams “Runaway Jim” and “Tweezer” provided the improvisational meat of the second set, while “Reba” and “Slave” stood out as well.

I: Sample in a Jar, The Divided Sky, Gumbo, The Curtain > Julius, Camel Walk, Reba, I Didn’t Know, Rift, While My Guitar Gently Weeps

II: Runaway Jim > Makisupa Policeman, Scent of a Mule, Tweezer > Ha Ha Ha, Sleeping Monkey, Acoustic Army, Slave to the Traffic Light

E: Halley’s Comet > Tweezer Reprise

Source: B&K4011’s

Tags: 1995, DJ mixes, Halloween

Halloween Music – An Audio Post Read More »

Five Reasons…

… why Festival 8 will be one of the greatest Phish experiences of all-time.

***

1. Holiday + Festival = Huge Phish

Combining one of the high-holy days of the Phish calendar, with their unparalleled festival tradition, the band has created an unparalleled atmosphere around Indio. The only other holiday festival was Big Cypress, and we all know how that turned out. The merging of two of Phish’s greatest rites has everyone on the edge of their seat, awaiting to see how the Halloween theme is infused throughout the vast playground of dreams. Phish festivals are among the greatest memories of all of our lives, and now, in 2009, we are about to create another weekend that will live with us eternally. No travelling or driving around necessary, no hassle or concern; all Phish, all the time, amidst a gargantuan psychedelic carnival. And the music – festival-sized Phish jams growling from speaker towers built to blow us away – all while having as much space as we’ve ever dreamt of for all of our friends to throw down; forget about it. There’s not a feeling in the world like it. And its about to happen again.

***

2. Three Days

Never has a Phish event lasted so long; not Big Cypress, not The Clifford Ball, and not Amy’s Farm. Three days and eight sets equals an unprecedented event in the band’s history. Whereas every festival but Big Cypress has occurred within a tour, Phish and their organization have had months to prepare, rehearse, and conceive of every imaginable detail for this week’s stand-alone event. Each Phish weekend of lore seemed like a flash – a psychedelic dream that ended too soon. But this time, tack on another day – then add the day before the music where everyone sets up camp – and we’ve got ourselves a four-day Phish freak scene! The ability to be in one place with your crew and relax all together, instead of jumping in separate cars and chasing highways all night long is priceless. This laid-back scenario will certainly create endless sessions of carefree chillage, where the only concern will be when the next set starts. For four days we will live a dream.

***

3. The Weather

And for those four days, the weather will be divine. While every other festival took place in the unpredictable weather of the northeastern summer, southern California in October couldn’t be more opposite. With day after day of cloudless sunshine, the Palm Springs area is the place people go to guarantee themselves a sunny vacation. This blissful detail cannot be underestimated when reflecting on the camp-wrecking downpour at The Great Went and the 100-degree temperatures at Oswego. With temperatures predicted to range between 90 and 50, and no foreseeable precipitation, both the days and nights in the desert will be delectable.

***

4. The Album Mystery

The band has hyped their Halloween mystery more than ever before, making everyone a musical detective over the past month with their own theories and reasoning. The mystery has drawn in the entire community, creating unparalleled excitement and anticipation, and a huge set-up for a prank if you ask me. Campground names have leaked, albums continue to be killed, and everyone is wrapped up in a guessing game – just how Phish wanted it. Known for toying with their fans in more ways than one, this time they have everyone, hook, line and sinker. It will be intriguing to discover how the answer unfolds; and to see if the band uses their first show as a platform for musical allusion and illusion. Instead of “Trick or Treat,” what ever happens in Indio will certainly be a “Trick and a Treat.” And I can’t freakin’ wait to get there!

***

5. The Acoustic Set

Breakfast with Phish; glazed eight-shaped donuts, coffee and a fresh California harvest will make this early affair one to remember. Whether up all night or arising for a morning serenade, Phish’s Sunday morning greeting promises to hold more than a few surprises. They have been working on and rehearsing the acoustic set, according to their own website, thus one can believe it will be more than a string of bluegrass songs. Having never done this before, this “full-length” acoustic set will represent new musical ground for the band. An intimate set on a grand scale; the juxtaposition should be interesting. If Phish is ever going to break out the Gamehendge saga again, this could be the time to do it.

=====

Jam of the Day: Festival Week

“Wolfman’s > Simple” 8.16.97 II

A classic segment from The Great Went.

=====

DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY:

12.5.97 CSU Convocation Center, Cleveland, OH < Torrent

12.5.97 CSU Convocation Center, Cleveland, OH < Megaup.

While crafting the upcoming audio archive, I found this to be the only show from Fall ’97 not posted on this site. A tremendous first set and an out of the ordinary second set kicked off a memorable midwestern run during the second half of tour. Highlights include “Ghost,” “Jim > My Friend,” Stash,” “Julius,” and “Slave.”

I: Ghost > Wilson, Funky Bitch, Black-Eyed Katy, Sparkle, Runaway Jim > My Friend, My Friend, Ginseng Sullivan, Limb By Limb, Character Zero

II: Stash, Bouncing Around the Room, Julius^*> Slave to the Traffic Light* > The Lizards, Loving Cup, Chalk Dust Torture

E: Bold As Love

*Unfinished

Source: Schoeps cmc621 > Sonosax > sv255

Tags: 2009, Festival 8

… why Festival 8 will be one of the greatest Phish experiences of all-time. *** 1. Holiday + Festival = Huge Phish Combining one of the high-holy days of the Phish calendar, with their unparalleled festival tradition, the band has created an unparalleled atmosphere around Indio. The only other holiday festival was Big Cypress, and …

Five Reasons… Read More »

Weekend Nuggets: Looking Forward Backwards

DOWNLOADS OF THE WEEKEND:

While we prepare for a seemingly ultimate Phish experience, with rumored hallucinatory art/tech installations like never seen before at a Phish fest – and a Halloween album mystery yet to be solved – everyone is also scampering for Fall tickets, which went on sale yesterday and today. This weekend, let’s take a look forward at two of the New York venues Phish will play this Fall by traveling back to stellar shows in these buildings. Featured this weekend are 12.13.97 – the tour-ending blowout at Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, NY, and 11.4.94 at Onondaga War Memorial in Syracuse, NY – the only other show Phish has played there. With a whole lot of new music right around the corner, here are a few classics from the past.

***

12.13.97 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY < Torrent

12.13.97 Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY < MegaUpload

I. Ya Mar, Axilla, Theme From the Bottom, Ginseng Sullivan, Strange Design, Sample in a Jar, Vultures, Tube, Good Times Bad Times

II: NICU, Punch You In the Eye, Ghost, Mike’s Song> Llama, When the Circus Comes, Weekapaug Groove > Catapult > Weekapaug Groove, Harry Hood

E: My Soul, The Squirming Coil

Source: Schoeps CMC641> Sonosax SX-M2> Tascam DA-P1 16/48

***

11.4.94 Onondaga War Memorial, Syracuse, NY < Torrent

11.4.94 Onondaga War Memorial, Syracuse, NY < Megaupload

I: Sample in a Jar, It’s Ice, Bouncing Around the Room, David Bowie, Colonel Forbin’s Ascent > The Vibration of Life > Colonel Forbin’s Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird, Scent of a Mule, Suzy Greenberg, Chalk Dust Torture

II. The Curtain > Mike’s Song > Simple > Mike’s Song > Tela > Weekapaug Groove^*, Ya Mar, Golgi Apparatus, Slave to the Traffic Light

E: Loving Cup, Rocky Top

*w/ “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking jam”

Source: AKG 460B/ck61 > custom pre-amp > Teac DA-P20 (@ 48kHz)

=====

Jam of the Weekend:

“Halley’s > Roses > NO2” 7.13.99 I

A quality slice of life at Great Woods ’99, before the sun went down.

=====

Phish Thoughts Ticket Exchange – Fall ’09

The ticket exchange board has been revamped for Fall Tour and is up and running. Check it out, post your extras, find the trades you need! Please touch only your posts! Thanks.

—

=====

VIDEO OF THE WEEKEND: Camden ’09

“Tube” I

“The Wedge” I

Tags: Fall ’09, Weekend Nuggets

DOWNLOADS OF THE WEEKEND: While we prepare for a seemingly ultimate Phish experience, with rumored hallucinatory art/tech installations like never seen before at a Phish fest – and a Halloween album mystery yet to be solved – everyone is also scampering for Fall tickets, which went on sale yesterday and today. This weekend, let’s take …

MR. MINER'S PHISH THOUGHTS

Quite the Site

Your Time Is Near, The Mission’s Clear

Halloween Music – An Audio Post

Five Reasons…

Weekend Nuggets: Looking Forward Backwards

Get the Book!

Island Run Pins

Recent Posts

Back Where it All Began

Holy Blankenstein: Spirituality in Sci-Fi Soldier

A Spirit Family

Dancing in a Dream

The In Sound From Way Out

Please Her with a Tweezer

A Hershey’s Kiss

Screaming Through Space

Fun and Then Some

Rooted in the Now

Links

Phish News

Miner's Picks

Contact

Back to Front Page