As we wind down the final week before Chicago, all thoughts are towards the future at this point. And in that vein, here are five predictions for the first leg of summer tour…
1. Two New Jam Vehicles Will Emerge and Enter the Rotation During June
With an array of new material expected this summer, I believe we will see a couple new songs debut and become springboards for improvisation almost immediately. Perhaps these jams will begin to steer the band in one particular direction or another, but regardless, I believe we’ll hear not only new songs, but legitimate jams, something that has lacked thus far on most of Joy’s offerings. Perhaps some of Joy’s jams-in-waiting (e.g. “Ocelot,” “Faulty Plan”) will come forth with greater teeth as well, but I predict Phish will debut a couple pieces will become staple jams of the this era.
2. “Light” Will Continue to Blow Up
Phish’s most significant new song from 2009 will only continue to expand this summer. A song that produced diverse and unique jams throughout last year gained notable momentum during fall tour, becoming the band’s preeminent launch pad. Peaking with uber-creative versions at MSG and Charlottesville, I believe the band has only scraped the surface of “Light’s” improvisational iceberg.
3. The Resuscitation of More Post-Hiatus Material
While the band has dipped into their 2.0 material, Phish kept, perhaps, their two most promising musical launchpads waiting in the wings throughout last year. Teasing the community with only two versions of “A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing,” neither coming within a country mile of SPAC’s ’04’s odyssey, Phish has got to cut this one loose this summer. This piece has limitless potential to be a new-school “Tweezer-eqsue” vehicle, with an ability to access heavy grooves, gorgeous melodies, ambient planes, or sinister builds at a moments notice. A young monster is drooling to be let out of its cage. For real, let’s get this one in rotation – stat!
The post-hiatus masterpiece, “Scents and Subtle Sounds,” only saw the light of day once in 2009, performed in abbreviated fashion, for the first-time indoors, at MSG. A song that blossomed during Summer ’03 is due for a renaissance in Summer 2010. With an uplifting jam that has previously proven its face-melting worth with three seminal pieces of post-hiatus improv (Camden ’03, Deer Creek ’03, Camden ’04), we know the song can reach uncharted realms. A patient piece of Phish music, this jam could hop on the back of any new direction the band decides to take their jamming this summer.
In addition, there are other songs from Round Room and Undermind we could see infused into summer setlists. Specifically: “Round Room,” “Waves,” “Nothing,” “The Connection,” and “Tomorrow’s Song.”
4. The South Will Be Hot!
And I’m not talking about temperatures. Phish’s first true dip into the south during the modern era features stops at a classic haunt in Walnut Creek, a twice-visited Verizon Wireless in Charlotte, and a two-night stand in Atlanta for July 4th weekend – all coming as the last four shows of tour! I have little doubt that when the dust settles, this tour-ending run will provide some of June’s defining jams. With a proclivity to finish off tours with what they’ve done best throughout the month, this prediction seems like a lock.
5. A New Style of Jamming Will Begin to Develop
When interviewed last year, Mike Gordon, himself, said that the idea this time around was to reinvent Phish once again. And the time is ripe to begin that process. A solid 2009 was necessary before branching into new experiments, but this is 2010. While new excursions may only begin this month, to be furthered throughout the year, one would think that by July 4th we will have some idea of where the band may be headed with their ever-expanding psychedelia.
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Jam of the Day:
“Light” 12.2.09 II
As tour approaches, let’s go back through some last year’s indelible highlights. Here is one of the more unique jams of 2009, possibly a glimpse into the future.
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DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY:
8.3.93 Bayfront Amphitheatre, Miaimi, FL < Megaupload
8.3.93 Bayfront Amphitheatre, Miaimi, FL < Torrent asap
One of the missing pieces of August ’93 from the archive.
I: Runaway Jim, Nellie Kane, Foam, Fee > Rift, Stash, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Ya Mar, Llama, Cavern
II: Lengthwise > Maze, Bouncing Around the Room, It’s Ice, You Enjoy Myself, The Lizards, Sparkle, Purple Rain > Hold Your Head Up, Golgi Apparatus
E: Poor Heart, Free Bird
Source: Nakamichi (unknown model)
