After a 420 mile drive (on the nose) from Augusta to Utica and a hearty Denny’s breakfast, last night’s full-on review will have to wait a bit. In short, Phish dropped a standout second set centered around an experimental “Light” in a gymnasium taken right out of the 1980s. Amidst a burly “Fuck Your Mike’s Groove,” Phish took “Light” into original realms, building on the revised jam format unveiled in Broomfield – improvising out of the main build into percussive and futuristic funkscapes rather than reprising the lyrics and leading the piece into ambient psychedelia. Stellar versions of “Bathtub Gin” and “Harry Hood” also highlighted the show, but the most spectacular part may have come in the encore of all places! Usually an afterthought, Phish came out and dropped a absolutely sublime and exploratory “Reba” that showcased the band’s most cohesive improv of the evening. Stopping in a brief “Manteca” tease out of a surreal sequence, the jaw-dropping highlight of the night came last – and that is a rarity. More to come in the day off – gotta catch a nap before this evening…

I: Chalk Dust Torture, Back on the Train, Torn and Frayed, Bathtub Gin, Gumbo, The Divided Sky, Jesus Just Left Chicago, Nellie Kane, 46 Days, Possum

II: Fuck Your Face > Mike’s Song* > Light > Twenty Years Later > Fast Enough for You, Weekapaug Groove, Halley’s Comet > Free, Harry Hood, Golgi Apparatus, A Day in the Life

E: Reba**, Backwards Down the Number Line

* w/ “Fuck Your Face” quotes at the beginning and end of the jam, ** w/ “Manteca” quote

Once upon a time, Phish jams routinely stretched past the fifteen minute mark, exploring funk textures and various other musical realms before coming to rest. Beginning in 1994 with “Bowies” and “Tweezers,” but more earnestly developing during the groove era of 1997-2000, the long jam became a fixture at Phish shows. Four-song sets, dance marathons, loose ambient experiments, meandering psychedelia; all of these were parts and parcels of bygone eras in Phish history. These days, while the band still drops jams that push fifteen minutes every now and again, highlights of fall shows have most often been their more compact ten to twelve minute excursions. A growing trend of musical density that was born last fall is now coming to fruition with directed, collaborative playing that continues to hit the sweet spot.

One of the most interesting parts of these compact jaunts is how much longer they feel in concert. Bombarding the audience with layers of musical ideas, these living pieces of improvisation create a time warp, stretching a ten-minute period to something that feels much longer. With seemingly effortless collaboration, and without over-thinking, the band is diving into their pieces with urgency, making good things happen right away. This is not to say Phish is being impatient – they are not – they have honed their improvisational conversations and are simply taking less time into the meat of jams. Playing with a precision and tightness unseen since in eras, the newest Phish music has a distinctly retro vibe while simultaneously pushing themselves into the future.

There have only been two (non-“YEM”) jams that have reached fifteen minutes thus far – Broomfield’s “Ghost” and Charleston’s “Crosseyed and Painless” – and the latter only got there with two lyrical reprises and three segments of improv. More than ever, with current Phish, time is nothing and music is everything. The most intense and impressive jams of the last five shows have landed smack dab in the nine to twelve minute range, something that is always a surprise upon download. There is no need to list all of the highlights that fit this framework, for they are plentiful and everyone has the tapes. But the point is that, now, Phish can be both exploratory and concise in one jam. Some obvious examples are Broomfield’s “Twist,” “Split,” and “Carini,” and Charleston’s “Disease,” “Sand,” and “Tweezer.” The band has made powerful musical statements in far shorter times, increasing the impact of each individual jam on the psyche.

Trust me, I would still love to see the band drop twenty minute jams a la The Greek’s “Light” or Alpine’s “Disease > What’s the Use?” and I’m sure that they will; it just doesn’t matter any more. Phish can just as easily play outstanding shows laced with ten to twelve minute jams a la Broomfield’s second and third nights. With the intensity of their communication better than it has been since their return, these dense pieces are only becoming more interesting. With five down and nine to go, it will be interesting to track to watch the course Phish jams over the second two-thirds of tour and to see if this trend continues.

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Notes From the Road: As the scene shifts from South to North tonight, so does the mode of transport from plane to car. Tonight’s show in Augusta, Maine is followed by an all-night cannonball run to Utica, hence, I’m not sure when my review will be posted.

Recent Halloween Rumors:

Frank Zappa – “We’re Only In It For the Money“

King Crimson – “Lark’s Tongue In Aspic” (w/ Robert Fripp on second guitar)

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On a Saturday night in North Charleston, Phish dropped their finest two-set effort of this young tour, blowing out each frame with fresh jams colored with unparalleled musicianship and communication by all four members. Juxtaposed to their endless setlists of Friday, the band crafted a show that flowed like liquid from start to finish, and almost felt like we saw two second sets worth of music. Throwing down the gauntlet from moment one, this show had IT from the get go, never moving through a single lull on the way to churning out a venue full of beaming fans. Just before a two-day break prior to entering their home turf of New England, Phish has raised the bar for the rest of tour with a show that simply never stopped.

Opening with an appetizer of “Kill Devil Falls” and “Guelah Papyrus” – both played for the first time this fall – the set got rolling in earnest with the only “Curtain (With)” of 2010. Boasting a gorgeous “With” jam this sparked a set of serious music as the tour debuts continued with an energetic “Mango Song” and a filthy “Sand.” When the band kicked into “Sand” midway through the first set, they delivered a message loud and clear – this night would be special. Shredding apart a dynamic groove Trey set the tone for his own playing for the evening – a night he annihilated from start to finish in, arguably, his best outing of fall thus far. “Sand” provided the first outright showcase for his chops, and he took liberty in leading the band through a version to be reckoned with. Flowing with lead melodies over a outstanding and changing groove, this version possessed far more passion, direction and urgency than any of this era (with Camden ’09 being the only counterargument) as the whole band interplay transcended the norm for the song. Fishman altered his beats, Mike molded diverse bass lines and the entire band shifted through connected segments of jamming in an indelible psychedelic excursion. Musical Density x Phish crack = really enjoyable times. (Or MD x PhC = $$$)

Trey’s infectious playing spilled right into “Limb By Limb” where his solo took added life, and into slammin’ “Sneakin Sally” that went without any real exploration in a first set go-round. In his only the southern stop and while having a particularly hot night, Trey pulled out the intricate Bill Monroe cover “Uncle Pen” to the delight of the Saturday night South Carolina crowd, and proceeded to lead the band through a rousing rendition. The dark-horse jam of the set came in from another 2010 premiere – “Pebbles and Marbles.” Bursting at the seams with energy, Fishman guided the jam with a hard, driving beat, urging Trey and Mike into uncharacteristically fast playing that resulted in some absolutely sublime moments. This version sprinted its way into the first set highlight reel with daring improv and blistering whole band communication that juiced more from the song than usual. Upon dropping a perfectly placed “Cavern,” Phish was ostensibly closing a smoking first set, but when the song ended, the band didn’t leave stage, and after a brief moment, revved up a bonus “David Bowie” that punctuated the opening frame far more dramatically.

But as hot as the opening half was Phish came out for set two and promptly dropped a musical statement that is among their best of the year – no bones about it. Boasting a non-stop flow and jams aplenty, the band blazed a fiery trail of music that never relented. Blindsiding everyone with “Crosseyed and Painless,” Phish came out with a multi-tiered exploration of the Talking Head’s cover. Cranking through a fiery initial expedition, Trey once again took front and center with his warp-speed soloing as the band crushed a liner, yet scorching jaunt through Crosseyed’s melodic themes. When the band pulled back into the lyrics, however, they weren’t close to done. Oozing into a space-aged ambient experiment, Trey painted eerie singular notes over a drone landscape, pushing the piece far into avant-garde abstraction. Thinking this segment would develop into the next song, Phish instead refrained “Still Waiting” once again and proceeded to move into a third section of jamming. Growing into a mid-tempo groove with a slick melodic tone, it seemed like the band wasn’t stopping. But the jam came to an natural end as they resolved the section fairly quickly to a massive ovation.

“Dirt” provided an introspective moment before Phish leapt into a mid-set “Fluffhead.” But unlike the many  modern-era versions that break up flow of the second set, this one worked perfectly as the band crushed a nearly note-perfect rendition of their collegiate composition. Building a full head of steam through the five-part piece, Phish exploded at “The Arrival,” imploding the Coliseum with a colossal peak. But when “Fluff” came to a close, the best sequence of the show was ready to unfold.

Dropping immediately into the ambient built of  “2001,” Phish wasted little time getting to business in a scorching version that is rivaled only by (but, in my opinion, smokes) Camden’s Michael Jackson-laced escapade for tops of the era. Whereas the band has generally played generic versions all over 2009 and 2010, this one contained additional octane, activity and interplay that set it far apart. Torching the building with a relentless mid-set dance session, Trey teased the opening lick of the first theme multiple times during the furious funk before taking the song to into its intial peak. And after surfing a rhythmic tsunami to its subsequent one, the band slipped into the my personal highlight of the night – a ginormous second set “Tweezer.”

Taking a divergent path than versions we’ve heard of late, Phish infused this “Tweezer” with belligerent creativity, creating an original mind-melter that left no jaw unhung. If you’re like me and get off on thick, raunchy Phish grooves, get your headphones and let this one rip, because you are in for a delectable treat! After a composed section that the band filled with all sorts of accents and enhancements, Trey came out of the gates in his raw, uncompressed, post-hiatus tone, throwing a surprising twist into things right off the bat. Getting downright menacing and swampy, the band’s rhythms complimented his ideas like a cosmic brontosaurus. Trey switched into out of his dissonant voice and began weaving strands of gold before before Fishman anchored a smooth change into a sparser groove – a move coaxed Page and Mike into prominent lead roles in this dense virtuosic journey. Dripping with crunching, forward-looking grooves, the band threw down the type of stuff that I dream about – a different monster than any 2010 incarnation and perhaps one of most indelible ten minute segments of music we’ll hear all tour. Layered with new ideas and uber-dynamic interplay between all four members – just get this one on as soon as possible!

As the “Tweezer” bust through its denouement, Trey wound up “Show of Life,” combining the two songs for the first time. Using the fall debut of his new song tactfully as a late-set bridge, the emotional anthem fit like a glove between “Tweezer” and the set’s closing “You Enjoy Myself.” Many had buzzed about the “Brickhouse YEM” from ’95 in the same building, and when the band dropped into the song’s opening arpeggios, one couldn’t help wonder the band was giving a subtle nod to the epic half-hour version. But one way or another, “YEM” – unplayed since Austin – was due up to close the show in style. And with an extremely laid-back rendition, Phish did exactly that, putting an exclamation point on a night of stellar jamming. A nuanced, whole-band conversation shied from any guitar heroics and brought all four members into collective focus in a series of swanky grooves.

As Phish set down their instruments, they knew as well as we did what just went down. They all sported shit-eating grins and stayed onstage longer than usual to soak in the raucous approval. And when they returned they capped the evening with a triple encore of “I’ve Been Around,” “Quinn the Eskimo,” and “Tweezer Reprise,” finishing off the show like they started it – on fire. With the first leg of tour now behind us, Phish prepares for the Northeast and beyond with a top-notch show under their belts and ready to drop a whole lot more.

I: Kill Devil Falls, Guelah Papyrus, The Curtain (With), The Mango Song, Sand, Limb By Limb, Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley, Uncle Pen, Pebbles and Marbles, Cavern, David Bowie

II: Crosseyed and Painless > Dirt, Fluffhead, Also Sprach Zarathustra > Tweezer > Show of Life, You Enjoy Myself

E: I Been Around, Quinn the Eskimo, Tweezer Reprise

Phish greeted the South with a song driven affair totalling 28 selections and little improvisation to note in a disjointed show that never achieved liftoff. The band played sharply but with little creativity as they delighted the noticeably-drunken audience with a show reminiscent of their Hampton recitals of ’09. Featuring quasi-bustouts in “Destiny Unbound,” “Buffalo Bill,” “Dog-Faced Boy,” “Roses Are Free,” and “Mexican Cousin,” Phish dotted the show with some rarities along the way; and though not playing anything poorly, they didn’t do anything particularly special in a show that will unquestionably be eclipsed by Saturday night.

Opening with a scalding combo of “Punch,” “Possum,” and “Bathtub Gin,” things looked promising as Page’s dad, Dr. Jack McConnell joined the band for his famed spot “Bill Bailey Won’t You Please Come Home?” But after Phish front-loaded the set, things took a turn for the generic for the rest of the frame. Only “Stash” and “Antlelope” provided notable structured improv, each boasting legitimate first set high points. An old-school “Stash” reached a supremely psychedelic peak without ever leaving its build, and featured some nasty guitar wizardry by Big Red. And when Antelope ended the set with a bang, anything seemed possible in set two.

The second half started in blistering fashion, as Phish unveiled the “Disease” that eluded Broomfield; though it would provide the only significant jamming of the second set. The band moved from high speed rock and roll into an uptempo rhythmic section that bridged the way to a legitimate ambient experiment. Drifting into “Prince Caspian” to resolve the opener, Phish slayed the anthem favoring a heavier guitar solo than the summer versions, though the song came at a time that slowed the opening vibe of the set. As the band started up the subsequent “Twist,” the show felt like it could be restoked – especially after Broomfield’s stellar rendition. But a meandering jam that noodled around the theme for its duration never developed into anything to write home about. With the onset of “Roses Are Free” amidst the second set, Phish held the fate of the show in their hands. It sure felt like they were stepping to the song for the third time of their career, as this was an unprecedented slot for the coveted cover. But just as the jam prepared to launch, Trey called for “My Friend, My Friend,” killing the possibility of a improv-based show and initiating a string of songs that would take us to the end of the set.

“My Problem Right There” featured a new bridge between verses, possibly signifying more to come from the Trey’s clever new song. And though “Tube,” “Mike’s,” “Weekapaug,” and “Slave” all look good on paper, none of these crowd favorites blossomed significantly last night, all bringing standard fare to the table in Charleston, South Carolina. And that was about it for night one. A fitting encore of “Character Zero” ended this relentless escapade of songs that will likely be balanced by a Saturday night show strewn with improv. Ya’ gotta figure, right?

I: Punch You In the Eye, Possum, Bathtub Gin, Bill Bailey Won’t You Please Come Home?*, Boogie On Reggae Woman, Destiny Unbound, Backwards Down the Number Line, Bouncing Around the Room, Stash, Joy, Buffalo Bill, Dog Faced Boy, Run Like an Antelope

II: Down with Disease > Prince Caspian > Twist, Roses Are Free > My Friend, My Friend, My Problem Right There, Tube, Mike’s Song > The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Mexican Cousin, Weekapaug Groove, Suzy Greenberg, Slave to the Traffic Light

E: Character Zero

*w/ Page’s dad