Phish has owned Camden – year in and year out – for their entire career, regardless of what the venue has been called. Having never played anything but smoking shows within the confines of the former “Tweeter Center,” Phish’s streak in Southern Jersey continued last night with a power-packed performance from beginning to end. Putting together an impeccable first set that, arguably, trumps any of tour, and a second filled with non-stop action, Phish crafted one of their strongest overall evenings of the summer last night, just across the river from Philadelphia.

When the band opened the show with a densely wound “David Bowie,” everyone could feel the energy in the air, immediately sensing a special night. As Phish continues to play more contained jams within many of their songs, their creativity-within-structure is beginning to take off. The originality on display in many first (and second) set jams last never truly broke form illustrates this developing, retro-trend; and none better than the long awaited bust-out of “Timber Ho!” Dropping into the murky abyss, Trey combined short, rhythmic notes with his bending whale tones, as Mike and Fish held down a rolling pocket of thunder. One of the most creative pieces of the entire evening never left the form of the song, a clear sign of improvisational innovation combined with musical density. Together, the band built a sinister excursion, wowing the audience late in the first set. But there was plenty of meat that came first.

Following “Bowie” with a spirited version of “Faulty Plan,” the band eased into a mid-set “Ocelot” that brought yet another strong version of the quickly-expanding song. Again illustrating their imaginative ideas within a given context, Phish crafted another highlight of the first set with their playful blues-rock. This pattern held true throughout the opening frame as Phish blew up structured versions of “Boogie On,” “Birds of a Feather,” and “Reba.” Within the set Trey released the whale early and often, tactfully using the tone to enhance jams while lending a definitively new element to Phish’s sonic brew. Phish rounded out their standout first set with two covers – a shredding version of the rare and technically difficult, “Uncle Pen,” and the debut of Led Zeppelin’s “The Rover.” The latter translated perfectly as a rocking set closer, but the question that now looms over all these new covers – “Are they one and done?” If they aren’t, their newest choice off Physical Graffiti will make a phenomenal addition to their repertoire.

Phish threw down a raging opening half, then came right back out and did it again. Led by Mike and Trey’s interplay all night long, the band darted and dove through a flowing set of high-octane Phish with but one small speed bump. A frame split into three distinct sections carried a certain flow that has been absent from the past two evenings, while the band’s on-stage communication remained incredibly efficient. “Down With Disease” bust open the dam for a flood of energy that continued until the band stepped off stage at the end of the show. Annihilating the composed jam in “Disease,” the band slowed into a segment that momentarily sounded like the second “Ghost” of summer lurked just around the bend. But the band had barely entered this sequence when they of transitioned into “Crosseyed and Painless.” Setting up this segue more carefully than others in the past few shows, Phish actually blended two songs together, and while it may not have been as seamless as 7.31.09, Phish nonetheless, proficiently flipped songs.

Carrying ferocious momentum into the jam, the band exploded in creativity, blasting ideas throughout a structured “Crosseyed” jam that would have made David Byrne proud. Riding a galloping groove, Trey precisely assassinated his leads as the piece remained anchored to the song. But as soon as the band did break form, they entered a swampy texture that began to expand quickly. Amidst a thick rhythm, on the brink of a “Camden Jam,” Trey ran like a puppy from the dark psychedelia into the welcoming arms of “Nothing,” the light, dreamy track off Undermind. Though the transition brought the welcome return of “Nothing,” Trey’s deliberate change of song was, once again, quite forced. Regardless, “Nothing’s” summertime melodies provided resolution to the non-stop dynamite that preceded, and did so tastefully. The gentle jam sounded more coherent than ever, complete with vocal harmonies layered over the ending. And thus ended Act I of Set II.

The standalone placement of “Twenty Years Later” initially felt odd, as the song has almost exclusively been used as a landing for deep improvisation. However, last night “Twenty Years Later” made the transition from landing pad into launching pad, as Phish built an abstract jam out of the song’s dark ending that has begged for attention since its debut a year ago. With heavily effected sheets of sound, the band created an intense sound sculpture that uncovered a new root for evil improv. Morphing the jam into a beat-less ambient ending, Fishman slyly rolled right into “Harry Hood.” The band used their age-old classic to resolve an exploration through one of their newest pieces, staging a zealous rendition of the life-affirming anthem. Led by Mike and Trey’s two-pronged attack, Phish wove a breathtaking version that showcased intertwined leads from the two guitarists, a musical double-helix. A stellar version that holds up to any this summer, this “Hood,” punctuated Act II of the set.

Standing on the mountain top, overlooking the valley beneath “Hood’s peak,” the band decided to follow their opus with another feel good classic – “Fluffhead.” Bringing the upbeat vibe to the end of the set, the blazing composition set the crowd afire for “Act III: The Greatest Hits.” Following one tremendous peak with another, Phish flooded the building with musical serotonin, blissing the audience out with a one-two punch. A rollicking romp through “Julius” appeared to be the set closer, but when the band didn’t leave stage, one could feel a “YEM” coming, and before long, Trey counted off their seminal work. Infusing the song with filthy inspiration, the band littered the Camden metro area with an array of dirty grooves to end the evening. Camden’s “YEM” provided a final section of slammin’ jamming, creating a perfect cap for Act III, and the ideal dance-party closer for a set filled with joyful Phish.

As the band turned the corner to the second half of tour, they opened up with a blistering show that simply never let up from the start. Playing with great creativity and musical tension Phish kicked off this weekend with a full-on performance that set the bar quite high for tomorrow night. Leave it to South Jersey to bring out the best in the band. It always has, so why stop now?

I: David Bowie, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, Water in the Sky, Ocelot, Uncle Pen, Boogie On Reggae Woman, Gumbo, Timber (Jerry),  I Didn’t Know, Birds of a Feather, Bouncing Around the Room, Reba, The Rover*

II: Down with Disease > Crosseyed and Painless > Nothing, Twenty Years Later > Harry Hood, Fluffhead, Julius, You Enjoy Myself

E: Bug

* Phish debut

****

****

I left Great Woods scratching my head last night with a question that has grown significant in the flow of recent Phish sets – “Why does Trey keep cutting off jams?” In a very good show at Great Woods that could have been great, Phish got into two sections of improvisation, out of “Sneakin’ Sally” and “Light” that reached points of greatness when Trey singularly decided to lop them off before they came to an organic endings. The flow of a potentially awesome second set became compromised, and we were left with some stellar, relatively disconnected, moments of Phish.

Within each individual jam, Phish is clearly listening to each other very proficiently, jamming as a unit quite well. But any time a piece seems to be progressing into something bigger, the band continues to push ahead in the musical concept, while Trey simply starts a new song. For examples, look no further than the two most significant pieces of last night’s show – “Sneaking Sally” and, more particularly, “Light.” Each jam brought original ideas to the table, connected in cohesive improvisation. But in both cases, (much more flagrantly in “Light”) Trey ended the piece awkwardly, suddenly starting the next song while the rest of the band was clearly still engaged. Food for thought.

Nonetheless, the highest points in the evening came in “Sally > Light,” and a phenomenal “Slave” that deserved a more complete set to punctuate. “Sally” brought a bulbous funk excursion that had the amphitheatre bumpin’ like a pinball machine. Trey, with short, high-pitched licks and searing leads, and Mike, with thumping bass lines, engaged in creative interplay, leading the band through dance realms without ever falling prey to cliche grooves. Trey briefly previewed the upcoming “Light” by changing tones within the “Sally” jam, but then prematurely chopped in with the song’s initial chords. The band adjusted quickly, resulting in only a slightly rocky transition, but why isn’t Trey allowing jams to reach their natural conclusions?

“Light” entered sublime territory, leaving the song’s build for a darker exploratory realm. Page and Mike stepped up to co-lead this forward-looking experiment while Trey accented the jam from the behind the scenes. This section was amazing, but this section lasted only two and half minutes. As the band jammed on, Trey decided it was time for “Forcety-Six Days,” inexplicably starting the blues-rock number amidst a serious groove. Once the band had left the build of “Light,” they arrived at a plane that seemed destined for greatness along the lines of Blossom’s “Number Line,” but it wasn’t given the chance to grow.

Though “46 Days” didn’t go too far, it did include an clever improvised vocal ending before the band played standard versions of “Limb” and “Golgi.” When this dip in the road ended, Phish came back with a gorgeous version of “Slave.” Incredibly patient throughout, the jam featured a quiet initial section without a beat, as the band combined gentle offerings. Listening and responding to each other meticulously, the band built a summer highlight with the apparent set closer. Then throwing the audience a bone, the band tacked on “Loving Cup” to end the summer night.

There were encouraging sections in last night’s second set, but when the dust settled, the whole wasn’t necessarily greater than the sum of its parts. The opening “Mike’s Groove” contained high energy, but straight-forward playing in both halves, as the band has yet to match the creativity of Blossom’s “Groove.” An encore of “First Tube” closed the night on a high note just before the rains came.

At this point, Camden is set up to be a complete blowout with all sorts of big guns due up in the rotation. And Phish destroys Camden as a matter of fact throughout their career. Every.Single.Year. There’s no place like Southern Jersey to get the second-half of tour underway! See you there.

First Set Notes: The jam of the first set came via “Kill Devil Falls.” A stretched out rock improvisation smoked anything in the frame with one of its best outings yet (though not in the same league as Bonnaroos’s versions from last June.) Shredding versions of “Divided Sky” and “Antelope” also dotted an opening frame that saw the debut of another original, “Dr. Gable.” This piece carries a distinctly non-Phishy sound, presenting the potential for something original to grow. Now that Phish has debuted so many new songs, the question remains – why aren’t they playing them? In the past, the band frequently repeated new material to improve it, but this summer we’ve heard a bunch of new pieces only once. Hopefully, along the second half of tour will see the development of  the new side of Phish alongside their classic jams. The band opened with a song called “Lit O Bit,” but as of right now, I do not know if its a Phish song or cover.

I: Lit O Bit^*, Camel Walk, Possum, The Divided Sky, Dirt, Sample in a Jar, Kill Devil Falls, Dr. Gabel^*, Run Like an Antelope

II: Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Sneakin’ Sally through the Alley > Light > 46 Days, Limb By Limb, Golgi Apparatus, Slave to the Traffic Light, Loving Cup

E: First Tube

*Debut

As the first leg of Summer 2010 approaches its halfway point tonight with Phish’s ninth show out of eighteen, it seems like a good time to glance over our shoulder at the highlights from the first two weeks of tour. In garnering a full head of steam over the past fortnight, Phish has begun to forge a new sound, debuted a handful of potential jam vehicles, and left more than a few improvisational highlights along the way. Still shying from exploratory playing, the band has delved into a series of pieces that are steps in that direction. With bold musical confidence, Phish shows, once again, carry the intensity that came to define the band in the first place.

The hottest discussion in the community these days has centered around Trey’s refined use of the whammy bar of 2010, better known on internet message boards as “the whale.” As Trey hones his use of this tone, he has forged one of the building blocks of the band’s summer sound. Offering understated, bending notes rather than linear lead lines at the onset of jams, Trey has allowed Mike to lay down the foundation for improv. Dictating the course of jams more than ever, Mike’s dynamic playing has been front and center since Chicago’s opening night. Often leaving “the whale” by the second half of jams, Trey has had no shortage of dizzying peaks and six-string slaughterings. With more precision than we’ve seen from Trey in years, he and Mike have been leading the band as a two-headed monster. Though some may think Trey is overusing his new tone, just go back in history and look at each time he obsessively adopts a new tactic into his arsenal; as they say, practice makes perfect.

So far this tour, Phish has debuted “Show of Life,” “Idea,” “Summer of ’89,” and “Halfway to the Moon” – four new originals written by three different members. Trey, Mike and Page have all added legitimate jam vehicles to the band’s repertoire this summer. It will be interesting what kind of treatment “Idea” and “Halfway to the Moon” get the next time around, as both songs have the potential to grow into chunky pieces of new Phish music. The inspirational “Show of Life” has already begun to find a role as a second-set closer. What will happen with “Summer of ’89” is anyone’s guess; I don’t necessarily see it entering the rotation as a fixture, but stranger things have happened.

Within tour’s first two-weeks that featured mostly structured jamming, Phish has certainly played some memorable impovisational pieces that have pushed beyond their normal confines. Here are some of summer’s most impressive open jams ( in no particular order).

“Backwards Down the Number Line” – 6.12.10 II Cuyahoga Falls, OH

Easily the jam of the tour thus far, Phish connected on another level during this sinister spy mission, improvising as if scripted. Nothing has approached the unique music created within this second set surprise.

“Drowned”-  6.13.10 II Hershey, PA

Opening one of tour’s defining sets, this “Drowned” moved through a segment of more abstract psychedelia before landing in a snapping set of grooves.

“Ghost” – 6.11.10 II Chicago, IL

The centerpiece of opening night, “the whale” surfaced for an initial swim of summer before Trey turned the corner, wailing relentlessly as he emerged from the underworld into a face-melting peak.

“Tweezer” –  6.18.10 II Hartford, CT

Mike and Trey put on a clinic in groove as the band stretched their classic vehicle with mutiple sections of dance rhythms and a unique section based around one lick that Red featured the entire evening.

“Rock and Roll” 6.19.10 II SPAC

This second-set opener brought Phish outside the box, into a flowing bass-led section of blissful music.

“Disease > Sand” – 6.17.10 II Hartford, CT

The don’t make jams any more sizzling than this these days; one of Hartford’s indelible highlights.

“Light” – 6.11.10 II Chicago, IL

The opening jam of summer is still one of the best.

“Bathtub Gin” – 6.15.10 II Portsmouth, VA

An cathartic, guitar-led monster. Trey absolutely shreds this dancy jam to bits.

After setting the table for a huge Sunday night closer at SPAC, Phish went the other way, playing a song-based show that contained barely any creativity. After an exciting opening frame with several summer bust-outs, one wasn’t wrong to think the band might come back with one of their most engaging frames of tour. But Phish pulled out of upstate New York after a choppy second set that contained their least engaging playing of tour. While maintaining their energy and tightness, Phish took no risks in a energetic show that was heavy on the setlist, but, at times in the second set, straight up boring.

Opening the weekend’s final stanza with “Carini,” the band seemed to be on the brink of launching into an evil exploration, only to pull up well short, wrapping up the jam at its deepest point for “Mango Song.” A pairing that worked like oil and water, the band aborted a psychedelic mission for some light summer music, and the pairing carried no cohesion whatsoever. And after “Mango Song,” the band sent a signal loud and clear with “Wilson,” that this set would be about fun songs and not about interesting improvisation.

The only significant jam in the entire show came in “Drowned,” a song that Phish has beaten to death since their comeback. Here we are in Summer 2010, and the big jams of the last two nights have been “Rock and Roll” and “Drowned.” Wasn’t that last year? Containing jams so similar in contour, why would Phish choose to feature “Drowned” to the exact same audience who watched them shred apart a much more impressive “Rock and Roll” the night before? As the band launched into “Saratoga Jam #2” they entered hackneyed musical territory, revving up a set of generic percussive grooves that paled in comparison to several segments just like it over the past three nights. When Phish actually tried pushing themselves outside their comfort zone, the last few minutes of “Drowned” became magical; but magic would hardly be the theme of the night.

The band did moved gracefully from “Drowned” into “Swept > Steep,” playing the same composed jam that was debuted in Miami, before paying homage to the veritable police-state that overtook SPAC this weekend with “Makisupa.” Making lyrical references to the venue within the song, the band magnified the silly spirit of the set. Unfortunately, while the band was busy making jokes amidst uneventful reggae, precious time clicked off their show. When “Makisupa” ended, it was clear that set’s next segment would be its last, and I, for one, expected at least one interesting jam. But instead, Phish spun their greatest-hit singles of “Piper > 2001 > YEM,” all of which were extremely pedestrian versions. While “2001” held up to its current, five-minute standard, and the versions of “Piper” and “YEM” were generic as they come. Maybe this glossy, jam-less set worked for the masses, but not for me. At times I found myself completely bored, wondering when they were gonna’ play “Ghost” again. But hey, you can’t win ’em all, and with the family atmosphere for Father’s Day, the vibe was one of enjoyment, not of musical seriousness. Take it for what it is, I suppose.

The first set provided more earnest excitement than the second, as its outstanding playing seemed to foreshadow something huge. Bust outs of “Brother,” “Back on the Train,” “Undermind,” “Cities,” “Roggae,” and “Sleep Again” speckled the opening stanza with excitement. The highlights of these summer debuts came in the searing “Undermind” jam and the stunning rendition of “Roggae.” A standard “Antelope” capped the set, setting the plate for the big second half that never happened. In one other first set note, Trey invited long-time friend, TAB bassist, and local, Tony Markelis, to the stage to sit-in for “Jibboo,” a song he co-wrote. With Mike on rhythm guitar, this guest spot resulted as most do – decent. Unable to replicate their normal dynamic, the usually high peak of the song fell a bit flat.

All in all, SPAC’s conclusion didn’t hold up to the other shows of tour. Trumped by the jamming in the weekend’s three previous second sets, last night’s final frame served as the Northeast denouement rather than its peak. Sure the band played some big songs, but they did little to nothing with any of them. Let’s stash this one away and move on to Great Woods.

I: Brother*, AC/DC Bag, Back on the Train, Undermind, Cities, Gotta Jibboo**, Roggae, Sleep Again, Lawn Boy, Run Like an Antelope

II: Carini > The Mango Song, Wilson, Drowned > Swept Away > Steep > Makisupa Policeman, Piper > 2001 > You Enjoy Myself

E: Frankenstein

*Band members’ children in a tub on stage. Happy Father’s Day!
**Tony Markellis on bass and Mike on a second guitar