Amounting to an extended warm up for fall tour, Phish played the ultimate festival set in Austin last night that featured a smattering of songs and little creative improv. Staying wholly within the box for the indie festival, the only surprise came in the middle of “Harry Hood’s” jam when the band smoothly segued into “Light” – the biggest and brightest piece in their repertoire right now. But for the first time in memory, Phish didn’t jam the song, ending with its lyrical refrain. This represented the unifying theme of the band’s Austin appearance – no jams. Sounding perfectly proficient the entire night, particularly strong playing came in “Chalk Dust,” “Rock and Roll > 2001,” and “Harry Hood,” but all in all, this was a big pay day for the band and not much else. While I’m sure they had fun headlining a major festival, Phish played the most straight forward show possible with no risks whatsoever, making the night a non-factor for the many fans who didn’t attend – including myself. Even Phish didn’t list Austin City Limits as part of their Fall Tour on their website, because tour starts for real on Sunday. Broomfield awaits…
Down with Disease, Cities, Possum, Wolfman’s Brother, Chalk Dust Torture, Rock and Roll > Also Sprach Zarathustra, Backwards Down the Number Line, Harry Hood > Light,Suzy Greenberg, You Enjoy Myself
E: Cavern, First Tube
