With the announcement and on-sales of Summer 2011’s opening leg behind us, the announcement of both Watkins Glen and summer’s second leg are now the next imminent off-season events. Plenty of rumors have swirled about the year’s only festival and the path of August, and now the community awaits the confirmation of both. With an announcement video looming, let’s look at the possibilities and probabilities for the rest of summer; first Watkins Glen.
Watkins Glen’s President, Michael Printup, has been blowing up his Twitter feed (@theglenprez) with not-so-subtle hints about Phish’s forthcoming festival. Last Friday, he tweeted “I think I am going phishing this weekend!” only to follow up with another message saying “I can’t wait until Monday!!!! Huge….large….biggest news ever coming from The Glen!!!” Adding one and one together, much of the community expected Phish’s rumored festival for July 1-3 to be confirmed on Monday. But when Monday came, so did another Tweet from Printup: “Oh boy….I think my good news is delayed!!! Sorry……but stayed tuned!!!! Mpp.” As fans peppered him with virtual questions, he stated both “not intentional….just trying to get a deal done!” and then seven hours later, “we are ok….just need time!” So where do all these hints leave leave us?
Well, for one, there will clearly be a Phish festival happening at Watkins Glen this summer. But with the push back of the announcement, one theory that has popped up among fans—though unlikely—is that the festival will take place at the end of Summer Tour rather than as a stand-alone, July 4th celebration. While all sources have pointed to a patriotic Phish party, perhaps the band has bumped the festival to the far more logical time—to conclude the summer (and possibly the year.) Festivals have traditionally ended summer tours, with Oswego (mid-tour), Big Cypress and Indio (standalones) as the only exceptions. The rumored Watkins Glens dates have always seemed odd, as Phish will inundate the North East (including New York state) with shows in June and then, as it has been rumored, head right back there for a massive festival on the first weekend in July? Hmmm. Soon enough we shall find out.
Perhaps the announcement of Watkins Glen will now coincide with the more significant announcement of summer’s second set of dates (loosely rumored to drop next Tuesday.) But through various tour dockets circulated on the Internet, the general path of leg two has more or less been figured out. Phish will likely start The Gorge for a hotly-anticipated multi-night stand on August 5 (with, perhaps, a show before to warm up.) From there, the most likely scenario I’ve heard is a long-awaited, one-night stop at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles before heading back up north for what could be the two of the prize shows of the summer at Harvey’s Outdoor Amphitheatre right over the California/Nevada border at Lake Tahoe. As idyllic a setting for a Phish weekend as any, Tahoe would provide the community with a couple nights in the mountains, and the intimate, 7000-person shows could turn into the only tough tickets of the summer. Phish will likely wind up their west coast stint with an appearance at San Francisco’s Outside Lands Festival, a rumor that seems all but solidified.
After this West Coast swing, the word on the street is that Phish will work their way back across the country, finishing up on the East Coast towards the end of August (just in time for a festival). The rumored stops along the way have included many of the usual suspects such as Colorado, Alpine, Deer Creek, Chicago, Star Lake, SPAC, Jones Beach and Hartford. Perhaps all of these will materialize or perhaps different dates will intersperse the mainstays, but the path of West to East during August seems like a forgone conclusion. Maybe the timing of the festival is the detail holding up both announcements and they will drop together in the near future. But until anything is posted on Phish.com, all we have are rivers of speculation. Might as well jump in.
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Jam of the Day:
“Tweezer” 11.26.97
The opener of Hartford’s 1997 installment, this is one of the lesser-known “Tweezers” of the fall.
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DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY:
2011.03.20 MGB @ The Orange Peel, Asheville, North Carolina
FLAC Torrent (via etree), Mp3 Torrent, Megaupload < Links
I: Morphing Again, What Things Seem, 15 Step, The Grid > Makisupa Policeman, Fire From a Stick, I Miss My Mind, River Niger, Flashback, Babylon Baby
II: Andelmans’ Yard, Easy To Slip > The Field, Access Me, Time (The Revelator), Spiral, No One Receiving > Weekly Time > Suskind Hotel
E: Mound
“The Grid -> Makisupa Policeman“
Source: Audix m1280/HC > Lunatec V2 > (Oade Warm) PMD-661 (24/48)
