MR. MINER'S PHISH THOUGHTS

Summer Has Arrived!

Yesterday, Phish dodged the anticipatory workday crowd, dropping their 2010 summer tour dates around 8 pm eastern with a flash video of synchronized swimmers doing a routine to “Taste.” Before long, Fishman launches a cannonball into the middle of their formation, alluding to the band’s New Year’s Eve prank, and comically posing with the swimmers at the video’s end. Confirming a set of dates that leaked a day earlier, Summer 2010 will follow a pattern set by last year’s tour, featuring a more extensive leg in June, and a shorter leg in August, containing the more unique shows of summer. For today, let’s take a preview of June’s run, saving August for tomorrow.

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On June 11, Phish will inexplicably kick off their summer in the distinctly non-intimate confines of Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois. An enticing summer will begin in a venue that stuck out like a sore thumb in 2009. With a stage that is both high and distant from the crowd, this Chicago venue provided the most impersonal experience last summer, resulting in almost zero band-audience connection and one of the weaker shows of tour. Hopefully, Phish is cashing in big time on this gig, because other wise it makes no sense.

Blossom Music Center – Cuyahoga Falls, OH

Following up the bizarre opener, the band will travel to the unique Blossom Amphitheatre outside of Cleveland, Ohio. Having hosted Phish for a standout show in 1995 and less so in 2000, this is one venue fans hoped they’d see on the docket again. Following Blossom, the band will travel to Chocolate Town, USA and visit their old stomping grounds of Hershey Park. The Stadium at Hershey hosted Phish for a very underrated effort right before The Clifford Ball in 1996, and, like Blossom, also hosted a less-than-impressive effort in the Fall of 2000. The last show of an odd tour-opening four-pack will take the circus to the 6,500 person nTelos Wireless Pavilion on the water in Portsmouth, Virginia. This will be the first small venue of tour, and will come as welcome respite from the 20-30,000 person sheds Phish will play throughout June and July. Undercutting The Greek Theatre by 2,000, and Telluride by 2,500, Portsmouth now has the official title of “Smallest Show of Summer 2010.”

After a disorienting opening quartet, the band will hit up the well-known east coast amphitheatres of lore, beginning with The Meadows in Hartford, Connecticut – now called Comcast Theatre – for a two-night stand on June 17 and 18. Then Phish will heading up to SPAC for the 6-year anniversary of their spectacular 2004 return to the wooded venue on June 19 and 20. One of the universally loved northeastern sheds, SPAC had been gutted and redone during Phish’s five year absence when we got their for the summer finale last year. And after the biblical deluge that hit just before showtime last August, here’s to a drier SPAC 2010.

Phish will play a standalone show at Great Woods on Tuesday, June 22, before heading south for a Mid-Atlantic four-night run featuring twin bills at Camden and Merriweather. This run through a series of classic venues oozes band history from every corner. It’s a shame they didn’t book two at Great Woods and one in Merriweather, as the latter venue’s harsh “customer service” is little fun for anyone, especially those exiled to the lawn a few counties away. In a classic case of bizarre Phish routing, the band will travel north to central New York’s Finger Lake region, visiting Canandaigua for the first time since Summer ’95′s classic second set, “Theme > Tweezer > Reprise,” simply known as “The Fleezer” (Finger Lakes PAC “Tweezer”).

There’s nothing like going north before heading south, and after Canandaigua, that is what Phish will do for their final four-night set of Leg I on the irst four nights of July. On the 1st, Phish will return to their hallowed haunt of Walnut Creek Amphitheatre in Raleigh, North Carolina. The site of so many amazing Phish moments dating back to Summer ’94, this show will be a homecoming for the first time since ’03. And following Raleigh comes another amphitheatre the band hasn’t visited since 2003, Charlotte’s Verizon Wireless. Having hosted a standout 1999 show and some of summer ’03′s most indelible jams, Charlotte will provide a Phishy stop along Tobacco Road on the band’s way to Atlanta. Finalizing their 18-show run with a holiday celebration, Phish will play two shows on July 3rd and 4th to celebrate America, and the end of their tour. Instead of hitting up their classic spot at Lakewood, Phish will make their first visit to, yet, another Verizon Wireless Center, this one at Encore Park in Alpharetta, GA. Returning to Hotlanta for their second July 4th celebration and their first in 11 years, the band’s southern homecoming to The Big Peach comes rife wi anticipation, combining the tour closer with America’s birthday.

And that’s only Leg One! Stay tuned tomorrow when we’ll cruise through what Phish has in store during their special late-summer tour in August.

SUMMER 2010

6/11 – Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL
6/12 – Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
6/13 – Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA
6/15 – nTelos Pavilion, Portsmouth, VA
6/17 &18 – Comcast Theatre, Hartford, CT
6/19 & 20 – SPAC, Saratoga Springs, NY
6/22 – Great Woods, Mansfield, MA
6/24 & 25 – Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ
6/26 & 27 – Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
6/29 – CMAC Perfoming Arts Center, Canandaigua, NY
7/1 – Walnut Creek Amphithatre, Raleigh, NC
7/2 – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Charlotte, NC
7/3 & 4 – Encore Park, Alpharetta, GA
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8/5 – 7 – Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA
8/9 & 10 – Town Park, Telluride, CO
8/12 & 13 – Deer Creek, Noblesville, IN
8/14 & 15 – Alpine Valley, East Troy, WI
8/17 & 18 – Jones Beach, Wantagh, NY

Tickets are available now through Friday, March 26th at 11:59pm EDT. There is a four ticket limit per show, except for The Greek Theatre and Telluride which have a two ticket limit per request. Telluride tickets will only be sold in two-day passes.

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Jam of the Day:

“Reba” 8.17.96 I

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DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY:

11.9.1996 The Palace, Auburn Hills, MI < Torrent

11.9.1996 The Palace, Auburn Hills, MI < Megaupload

I had this one prepped before the tour dropped, or I would have picked something more seasonably appropriate. Nonetheless, significant versions of “Bowie” and “YEM” sparkle in this second set outside Detroit.

I: Buried Alive, Poor Heart, The Sloth, The Divided Sky, Horn, Tube, Talk, Split Open and Melt, The Lizards, Character Zero

II: David Bowie, A Day in the Life, You Enjoy Myself, Taste, Swept Away > Steep > Harry Hood

E: Julius

Source: (FOB) Schoeps CMC64 > Sonosax > SV-255

Summer Has Arrived! Read More »

L O S T: “Recon” Discussion Thread

The Final Season

Phish Inducts Genesis

“Watcher of the Skies” – 3.15.10 (fuse.tv)

Phish opened the 2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony last night, honoring Genesis by playing two of their songs, while in between Trey gave a gushing induction speech as their official presenter. Starting off the night with their take on the prog rock anthem “Watcher of the Skies,” Phish impressed Genesis, themselves, as bassist, Mike Rutherford, mentioned in his acceptance speech, saying “Thank you Phish! What a great version – much better than we used to do it.” Phil Collins also went out of his way to sincerely thank Trey with a smile, for such a “convincing argument” for Genesis’ induction into the Hall. Following the band’s speech, Phish took the stage again, this time playing the more popular 1981 single”No Reply At All,” all before the show cut to its first commercial break.

Aired on the cable network, Fuse, the ceremony gave the week a dash of Phishiness before the band’s expected tour announcement today. Perhaps more fun than watching the musical covers was watching Trey’s speech. In a very natural, cue-cardless, and charismatic tribute, Trey combined a well-versed career retrospective with childlike confessions of his life-long love for the band. An articulate presentation, some of Trey’s speech bears quotation. In describing Genesis’ as “rebellious, restless, and constantly striving for more than the obvious,” his description sounded parallel to the band he created. His praise of their career and personal influence went on:

Every musical rule and boundary was questioned and broken. It is impossible to overstate the impact and this musical philosophy had on me as a young musician.

In discussing Genesis’ 1970 album, Trespass, a record Trey discovered at age 13, he described his favorite track, “Stagnation.” His elaborate account gave great insight into his own vision of music.

You can feel the lightening strike on that song. You can hear the magic sound of a whole band becoming greater than its members. And that’s what this Hall of Fame is all about. It starts with Anthony Phillips playing a gorgeous seven-note guitar melody, and his playing was so critical in creating the initial Genesis road map. You hear Peter Gabriel enter with his shimmering vocals, and so longing. And there you are at the water’s edge that he’s describing. And then the whole band joins in, creating an aural painting to support the lyrics. John Mayhew taps on the bell of the cymbal and you can see drops of water falling into a crystal pond. Finally, everything lets loose, everybody jumps on the melody, and you can feel the explosion of energy. And by the end, Genesis has constructed an entire world, an alternate reality, that I could see in my head. That’s the power of the best music.

Hearing Trey’s passionate description gave us a portal into some of his own ideas and inspiration in forming the powerful Phish experience. And making a final, emphatic point Trey created another parallel between Genesis and Phish:

99% of the people who played prog rock lost their songs to their ego. Ideally, the point of music is community, not the player. Musicians are simply channels to link the audience to the music and to each other. Genesis understood that always.

Their musical performance entertained all, as the multi-faceted “Watcher of the Skies” opened the night with a healthy dose of musical drama. Decked out in suits and tuxedos, the band nailed the intricate piece and its psychedelic eccentricities. Coupled with lights and a smoke machine in a tiny ballroom of New York’s Waldorf-Astoria, the juxtaposition of stage and banquet seemed a bit comedic. As soon as Genesis finished their speech, the camera immediately cut to Phish, backed by a three-piece horn section, starting the upbeat “No Reply At All.” Trey’s vocals seemed a bit thin on this one, but the band nonetheless played a tasteful, celebratory version of the song. All in all, Phish put on quite a show at the beginning of the prestigious ceremony last night. And to see the guys in that context, in a room full of celebrities, has to make any fan proud.

Trey and Phil Collins – 3.15.10 (fuse.tv

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“Watcher of the Skies” – 3.15.10

“No Reply At All”

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Jam of the Day:

“2001 > Tweezer” 7.30.93 II

Keeping the flux capacitor set for July ’93 for now.

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DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY:

7.25.93 Waterloo Village, Stanhope, NJ SBD < Torrent

7.25.93 Waterloo Village, Stanhope, NJ SBD < Megaupload

A ripping piece of Summer ’93! The “Bowie” and “Tweezer” are worth the price of admission on their own. Tour dates dropping in t-minus…10…9…

I: Wilson, Foam, Mound, Stash, Fee, Rift, The Sloth, My Mind’s Got a Mind of its Own, I Didn’t Know, David Bowie

II: Also Sprach Zarathustra > Suzy Greenberg, Tweezer > The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Maze, The Lizards, Big Ball Jam, Purple Rain > Hold Your Head Up, Harpua, Tweezer Reprise

E: Cavern

Source: SBD

Phish Inducts Genesis Read More »

The Starting Five

With the brackets set, March Madness has officially arrived. And with three weeks of buzzer beaters, ridiculously deep three point shots, and back door cuts, there is much excitement that lies ahead. If the field could be extended by one more team, allowing a Phishy qualifier, here’s who I’m throwing out there as the team’s starting five.

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PG: “2001”

Returning to its roots this year, “Also Sprach,” as teammates like to call him, has once again began to resemble a point guard, looking to pass before shooting. Having come up through the ranks as a table-setter, always assisting the teams’s bigger stars, “Sprach” went through a four-year revolution of offensive-minded playing, often completely dominating games with extensive dance grooves. But with a stacked offensive squad this year, “Sprach” has ran the offense to a tee, once again deferring to larger jams at the tune of 8.5 assists per game.

SG: “Ghost”

Boasting the best outside jump shot of the starting five, this versatile scorer can get the ball to the hoop in just about any way possible. Be it chunky grooves or blistering solos, “Ghost” rarely falls short in clutch situations, while often the go-to-guy when the game is on the line. Enjoying a symbiotic relationship with renewed pass-first point guard, “2001,” “Ghost” thrived this year almost every time he stepped onto the hardwood.

SF: “Tweezer”

“Tweezer” is a small forward like LeBron James is a small forward – huge. Filling the stat sheet in every category, “Tweezer’s” versatility enables him to play any position at anytime with ease. The most gifted athlete on the team, this freak of nature boasts liquid moves to the goal, an ability to run the offense all by himself, and a tendency to take over close games with subconscious rhythm. “Tweezer” will surely draw double and triple teams starting in round one, making “Ghost’s” outside shooting all the more crucial, but when all and said and done, “T-Dog” will get his.

PF: “Carini”

“Carini’s” hard-nosed style and menacing presence has made him the face of the team’s defense for years. A la Dennis Rodman or Ben Wallace, any points are gravy from this low-post intimidator. Averaging 10 rebounds and 4 blocks per contest, this monster inhales anything in his path, crashing the power chords, cymbals, and offensive boards with the same notable passion.

C: “YEM”

Holding down the middle since the late-’80s, “You Enjoy Myself” has become a legend in its own time. This ageless wonder continues to play out his glory years with as much delicacy and spunk as his early days. The cornerstone of the teams offensive and defensive schemes, Phish wouldn’t be where they are today without “YEM’s” two-way contributions. Known for going on scoring runs like James Brown on his worst night, and playing stopper with vocal jams when the team needs a hold, this veteran always comes through in one way or another. Boasting meticulous footwork in the post, when “YEM” finally springs free, his explosiveness and flow to the basket can be staggering.

6^th Man: “Antelope”

You thought Vinnie “The Microwave” Johnson brought the heat off the bench for the Bad Boys of Motown? Well, “Antelope’s” energy coming off the bench rivals anything any NBA scout has ever seen. Literally running circles around the court and generally appearing out of control, his take-no-prisoner style has disrupted many an offense when he subs into the game. Look for his chaotic contributions throughout the tournament, as his unique defensive style is sure to make more than a couple highlight reels.

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Jam of the Day:

“David Bowie” 7.25.93 II

This is a particularly ripping version from Waterloo ’93, including a sublime quote of Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence.”

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DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY:

7.17.1993 Filene Center @ Wolf Trap, Vienna, VA < Torrent asap

7.17.1993 Filene Center @ Wolf Trap, Vienna, VA < Megaupload

Keeping the musical theme of the day going with some more Summer ’93.

I: The Landlady, Runaway Jim, Sample in a Jar, My Mind’s Got a Mind of its Own, Stash, Reba, Chalk Dust Torture, The Horse > Silent in the Morning

II: 2001 > Tweezer, The Squirming Coil, It’s Ice, Sparkle, Big Ball Jam, Mike’s Song > Leprechaun > Weekapaug Groove, Faht, Rift, Good Times Bad Times

E: Amazing Grace, Daniel Saw the Stone, Tweezer Reprise

Source: Schoeps mk4 > kc5 > cmc5 > Sonosax SX-M2 > Panasonic SV255 (@ 48 kHz)

The Starting Five Read More »

Weekend Nuggets: Mike’s Songs

DOWNLOAD OF THE WEEKEND:

As Mike wraps up his eight-show mini tour this weekend, let’s turn our attention to the few recordings that have been posted. Along with the tour opener, these are the only shows that have surfaced on line for now. I haven’t gotten a chance to listen to these yet, but reports from the road have been glowing. If you haven’t had a chance to check out Mike’s band, grab these for your weekend enjoyment! If you do get to see a show and would like to write a reader review, send your piece to mrminer@phishthoughts.com.

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3.7.2010 Sherman Theatre, Stroudsburg, PA < Torrent

3.7.2010 Sherman Theatre, Stroudsburg, PA < Megaupload

I. Only A Dream, Can’t Stand Still > Pretend> Can’t Stand Still, 15 Step > Midnight*, Where the Soul Of Man Never Dies*, Cruel World, Soul Food Man

II. Dig Further Down, Hap Nappy > She Said, She Said, Crumbling Bones > Morphing Again, Meat > Another Door

E: Country Boy*

*With Danny Barnes on Banjo

Source: (FOB) Busman Bsc1 (Cardoid) > Fostex FR-2LE (Busman T-mod)

******

3.9.2010 Ram’s Head Live, Baltimore, MD < Torrent

3.9.2010 Ram’s Head Live, Baltimore, MD < Megaupload

I. Frame Jam > Can’t Stand Still, Couch Lady, Be Good*, I’m Deranged^ > Walls of Time ^ > I’m Deranged ^, Emotional Railroad > Voices

II. Andelmans’ Yard, Sugar Shack, Jones > Swamp Music, Nobody’s Home, The Grid, River Niger, She Said, She Said

E: Another Door

* Debut
^ with Danny Barnes, banjo

Source: AKG C460Bs/CK 63-ULS > Naiant LittleBox > Edirol R-09HR

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Jam of the Weekend:

“Mike’s > Simple > Contact > Weekapaug” 8.16.96 II

A fierce “Mike’s” from The Clifford Ball, with all of its accompanying accoutrements.

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VIDEOS OF THE WEEKEND:

DOWNLOAD OF THE WEEKEND: As Mike wraps up his eight-show mini tour this weekend, let’s turn our attention to the few recordings that have been posted. Along with the tour opener, these are the only shows that have surfaced on line for now. I haven’t gotten a chance to listen to these yet, but reports …

MR. MINER'S PHISH THOUGHTS

Summer Has Arrived!

L O S T: “Recon” Discussion Thread

Phish Inducts Genesis

The Starting Five

Weekend Nuggets: Mike’s Songs

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