Phish punctuated their weekend in the Mid-Atlantic with a show that boasted all sorts of energy, high-octane shredding, but only bubbled with legitimate creativity in select spots. The band’s straightforward smoker felt a bit safe on a mid-tour Sunday night in Columbia, and one would hope this is not a trend as we move into tour’s final leg in the South. Though last night’s second set featured molten guitar playing, the whole-band, however, took few risks in a show that felt like was going to blow up with so many exploratory vehicles waiting in the wings. Nonetheless, the band played a ripping show with a smooth second set to end their two-night stand at Merriweather, and most all fans left for home as happy as clams.

Kicking off the weekend’s final frame of music from out of left field, Phish dropped “Party Time” at the same venue they debuted the song two years ago. And when Phish slipped into “Crosseyed” out of the New Orleans funk stylings, one had to imagine we had been cleared for takeoff. But following an all-too-common trend, “Crosseyed”—though balls-to-the-wall intense and laced with snarling guitar shreddery—remained wholly inside the box and contained little musical adventure. Most people will love this version for its high-octane textures, but as the band has now started to use “Crosseyed” as a setlist-strengthener instead of a jam vehicle, the whole experience felt a little tame to me. We all know Trey can melt faces with his guitar playing, but the reason I go to Phish is for the unknown, and there wasn’t a hell of a lot of that in last night’s show.

Crawling out of a brief abstract tail to the jam, the band broke into their second-ever version of “Steam”—a song that holds limitless potential. Slightly reworked with a refrain of “Your souls joins mine” as they drips into the jam, Kuroda also reworked his visual effects, covering the stage in smoke every time the band sang the word “steam,” and then totally blanketing the scene in a cloud of smoke as the improvisation began. Taking the slow and sinister groove on a far more developed ride than Cleveland’s debut, “Steam” provided one of the set’s unquestionable high points. Once the band settles into this song, watch out, good things are bound to happen. Returning to the final verse, the band then built out of it with an increasingly menacing soundscape that turned into “Light” before reaching truly creative realms.

And with a head full of steam rolling into “Light,” one figured a cosmic exploration was just around the corner. But once again, the band chose the more straightforward path as the version was completely anchored by Trey’s intricate guitar solo instead of any whole-band experiment. Taking the structured jam for a ride, when Phish finally settled down into a more earnest four-part conversation, it was totally sublime for the minute or so it lasted before “The Wedge” started sequence of standalone songs that also included “Alaska” and “Halfway to the Moon.”

Aside from “Steam,” the other highlight of the second set came in “Harry Hood.” A song that has stepped it up another level each and every tour of this era, last night the band burst into the jam with a notable energy as Trey took command with gorgeous phrases comprised of several shorter notes. Playing with a four-minded passion, the band crushed this jam and then popped out directly into the final verse. The band’s interplay within—and Trey’s guitar narration—was outstanding. “Number Line”—a song the band is pushing a bit too hard right now—slid in after “Hood,” proving once again that it has no natural slot in a Phish set. A noodly and uneventful version led to a raucous “Loving Cup” closer.

And the band concluded the show in the same way they started it—by responding to audience signs. Playing “Sanity” to start a triple-encore in response to a front-rower’s sign, Trey had similarly kicked off the show with three songs that were picked from a forest of signs in the GA pit—“Buried Alive,” “Lonesome Cowboy Bill,” and “Ha Ha Ha.” The improvisational highlights of the first set came in an unusually funked-out “Boogie On” that came out of “Wolfman’s” and a stellar version of “Bathtub Gin” that provided, arguably, the most impressive jaunt of the show.

In tours of lore, Phish’s playing got more creative in nature as shows passed, but this past weekend at Camden and Merriweather represented a step backwards in the overall risk-taking that has graced this summer, and out of three shows, we are really left with only two extraordinary, innovative jams—Camden’s “Disease” and Merriweather’s “Piper.” The envelope-pushing improv that was so present throughout the first half of tour dropped off a bit this weekend for large doses of high-powered rock and roll. Let’s hope that when we get to the south, the shows are less about fun entertainment and more seriously centered on pushing musical boundaries. Will the band reconnect with the type of jamming that has made this leg such a success, or will their pioneering creativity of June peter out? Only time will tell…

I: Buried Alive, Lonesome Cowboy Bill, Ha Ha Ha, Sample in a Jar, The Divided Sky, Wolfman’s Brother -> Boogie On Reggae Woman, Gumbo, Halley’s Comet > Bathtub Gin, Jesus Just Left Chicago, Character Zero

II: Party Time, Crosseyed and Painless > Steam > Light > The Wedge, Alaska, Halfway to the Moon, Harry Hood, Backwards Down the Number Line, Loving Cup

E: Sanity, Makisupa Policeman, First Tube

Right from the “Rocky Top” opener, strange things were afoot at Camden’s Susquehanna Bank Center on Friday night. A show that never quite got off the ground featured plenty of quality playing throughout, but was held back by odd setlist choices and a quicksand-like flow that burdened the second set, particularly. When the band’s solid interplay did pop out, it was impressive, but it didn’t amount to enough to create a full-on show experience.

First let’s talk about the good. The show got off to a promising, if not off-kilter, beginning with “Mike’s Groove” following “Rocky Top” as the second selection of the show. Highlighted by a strong “Weekapaug” (though not on the level of Darien only one set before), an extended jaunt in “Stash” and a gorgeous “Curtain With” to close, the first set had its fair share of musical meat. Despite its awkward placement at the end of the set, “With” provided, arguably, the highest-level and the most passionate playing of an opening half that also featured rarities “Scent of a Mule” and “Sloth” (though its beginning was butchered).

And when the second set launched with an exploratory, multi-faceted and wildly successful jam out of “Down With Disease,” the night seemed destined for greatness. But from there, the show simply floundered in its flow despite high-quality playing by the band. Using another token “Free”—a song that has stayed inexplicably inside-the-box during this breakout summer—to resolve “Disease,” the stage was set for…another “Possum.” Call me a hater, but a “Possum” towards the beginning of any second set is a straight vibe-crusher. You know where its going and its jam will only veer so far off its preset path: a played-out and formulaic Phish climax no matter how well its jammed—and last night the band slayed the most creative version of summer. Taking the piece away from its generic build, they built multiple stages of the jam taking it down to a minimalist texture and engaging in legitimate four-part improvisation—but Phish was still playing “Possum” in the meat of the second set. And that’s just a huge speed bump in the flow of things, especially when its followed up with “Big Black Furry Creatures From Mars?!” Umm…sure. The band’s old-school prank-metal can work if coming out of a slick and dark piece of improvisation, but as a standalone song in the middle of the second set, it just didn’t.

The band continued their head-scratching setlist decisions by bringing out “Swept Away > Steep” as another standalone piece with no musical context whatsoever. By this point, the entire set felt haphazardly created, but when the band improvised out of the composed jam in “Steep” with an eerie passage that dripped into “Bowie,” they crafted a mini-segment of musical coherence. The “Bowie” featured aggressive interplay, but without moving outside its song structure for a nanosecond, the mid-second set version didn’t carry the weight that it might have.

And from there on out it was “Singles City,” as the band closed the show with four disjointed tunes in “Julius,” “Golgi,” “Fluffhead,” and “Joy” (and “Golgi” and “Fluff” were hardly clean versions.) Phish had it going in spurts during the second half , but they hardly comprised a legitimate frame of slamming Phish—something that we have come to expect out of a show in Camden, New Jersey. For the first time in their career, the band left Camden without tearing the venue to absolute shreds. An amphitheatre that has always hosted one of the band’s most explosive nights of summer, last night, hosted one of their least exciting shows of Summer 2011. Follow the lines going South, because Merriweather looks to be a blowout!

I: Rocky Top, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Stash, Tube, Guyute, Guelah Papyrus, Scent of a Mule, Cavern, The Sloth, The Curtain With

II: Down with Disease > Free, Possum, Big Black Furry Creatures From Mars, Swept Away > Steep > David Bowie, Julius, Golgi Apparatus, Fluffhead, Joy

E: Bold As Love

In their first visit back to the amusement park environs of Darien Lake since 2009, Phish dropped a spectacular second set filled with a rhythmic focus and monster grooves, providing their western New York audience with plenty of music to dance to on Wednesday night. Focusing their pristine playing of summer on anthemic groove-based improvisation, the band crafted a fun-filled second set that featured a continuous flow throughout. Lacing the opening frame with a series of summer debuts and rarities while providing the knockout blow the second, Phish played a complete show that set up a weekend blowout at Camden and Merriweather Post.

Beginning the show with a string of three bustouts—”Nellie Kane,” “Mellow Mood,” and “Buffalo Bill”—the band set an exciting mood early on and balanced this song-based excitement with high-quality, rhymically-focused escapades in “Wolfman’s” and “Undermind.” Trey jumped into his refined stacatto playing early in the night during “Wolfman’s,” and he’d continue along this path through many jams of the show. As the set rolled on, the summer debuts continued to roll out—”Ride Captain Ride,” “It’s Ice,” “Dog Faced Boy” and “Brian and Robert.” And the final improvisational highlight of the set came sandwiched between scorching doses of arena rock (“46 Days” and “Character Zero”) in a “Limb by Limb” that Trey attacked out of the gate with cathartic lead melodies. Though totaling 15 songs, the first set didn’t ever drag as the band wove together songs and jams in a combination that kept things moving right along. But when the band came out after setbreak, Phish carried a different kind of motion.

Kicking off a set-long dance-party with the third-ever cover of TV on the Radio’s “Golden Age,” the band unveiled their most developed version to date. Moving from the song’s fusion of uplifting melody and driving groove, the band added an infectious funk exchange once the song reached its usual climax. Setting the tone for the second set with high-octane dance music, the band continued down this path with a passionate roar through “Mike’s Song” that passed through the always-welcome “Fast Enough For You,” en route to one of the standout highlights of the show—”Weekapaug.”

Transcending the”Groove’s” fun-filled, thematic jam, the band dove into a far more intricate exercise in groove. Trey leapt into the fray with a high-speed tease of “Golden Age,” and the entire band hopped on for a reprise of the jam (that was teased throughout) as “Weekapaug” set sail into collaborative textures. Amidst a quick-witted interplay, the band dropped into their new-school staccato jamming-style, shredding the piece to bits with “plinko funk” improvisation. Smoothly remerging with the song’s theme, the band likened a locomotive as they collectively took the jam to its peak as Trey played with sublime phrasing—a trend of his leads throughout the night. And as the band hit the last note of “Weekapaug,” they let it drip out into a brief ambient note (in which Trey dropped another “Golden Age” tease) which quickly morphed into the post-apoalyotic soundscapes of “What’s the Use?” Phish took their patience with the surreal mid-set interlude, treating the piece with immaculate delicacy. And as the final layers resonated over the audience, Trey picked out the beginning of “Theme.”

Flowing quite well, as the band emerged out of the dark instrumental with a high-powered version of “Theme” that continued the groove-based ethos of the set. Though “Number Line” never seems to fit naturally into any slot of any show, once its jam got going everything changed. Trey immediately ripped off lightening-quick, multi-note runs that encouraged the entire band into faster and creative interplay. This dynamic piece set up a monumental exclamation point of the set in “2001 > Harry Hood.”

Drenching their laid-back space-funk escapade with full-band teases of “Golden Age” throughout much of the jam, and then crafting a ridiculous mashup with “What’s the Use?” in the piece’s final segment, Phish threw down a definitive version of “2001” that showcased their glue-tight playing and musical playfulness at this stage of the game. A full-scale throwdown of the likes we haven’t seen from the song this summer, the band used the swarthy dance excursion to tie the set together. And then Phish put their signature on the night in the form of an outstanding “Harry Hood.” Continuing their liquid phrasing of the show, both Mike and Trey stood out amidst this jam. But it was when Fishman switched from a fluttering beat into a subtle groove, taking the whole band with him, that this version really jumped off the stage. Crafting an original take on their spiritual opus, the band finalized an outstanding set with a triumphant musical conversation that shot an arrow through the heart of the audience. Trey led the way with gorgeous leads that—in the moment—brought memories of Darien ’97’s top-shelf rendition under the very same circus tents. Capping the night of fire-filled grooves with a sublime and

Weaving a non-stop second set to compliment their song-heavy opening frame, Phish played to all facets of their audience within one show last night. And as without touching any of their more exploratory jam vehicles, this weekend is looking as promising as ever…

I: Nellie Kane, Mellow Mood, Buffalo Bill, Kill Devil Falls, Wolfman’s Brother, Rift, Undermind, Ride Captain Ride, It’s Ice, Dog Faced Boy, Brian and Robert, 46 Days, Limb By Limb, Character Zero

II: Golden Age, Mike’s Song > Fast Enough for You > Weekapaug Groove, What’s the Use? > Theme From the Bottom, Backwards Down the Number Line > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Harry Hood

E: Good Times Bad Times

Following up a barn-burning weekend in the Midwest, Phish came back to New England and, in their return to Great Woods, dropped one of tour’s defining jams in “Rock and Roll.” A coherent, multi-faceted and exploratory odyssey anchored the show all by itself—it was that good. But aside for a standout first-set “Bowie,” Great Woods didn’t offer much else in the way of musical adventure, though sometimes that’s the way it goes. Throughout the history of Phish, Great Woods has been the site of so many classic shows, but in the 3.0 era, the venue seems to be a catalyst for mediocrity. This time around, Phish played a phenomenal piece of improvisation in “Rock and Roll,” but provided little support for their monster excursion. Yet in the interest of focusing on the sublime part of the show, lets get right to it.

After an energetic and extended “Back on the Train” opener, Phish put “Rock and Roll” under the second set spotlight for the first time this tour, and boy did it shine—and fly right into the stratosphere. Exiting the song’s rock textures, the band began the journey in a four-part experiment that fused ambient jamming with abstract groove. The jam jumped outside the box quickly, as Phish morphed the piece into a beautiful and uplifting segment of creative music. Trey fluttered patterns into the heavens as the band collectively sculpted one of the most surreal passages of tour. But the piece didn’t stay pretty for long. As the band organically migrated through a melodic ambient realm into a much harder-edged jam, Trey left the heavens for Lucifer’s pit, switching into seething guitar-work amidst a subconsciously-connected jam. Phish continued to push themselves into new ground as “Rock and Roll” completely changed course—in very natural fashion—into an evil, psychedelic monstrosity. Whole-band annihilation underlined this exploratory jaunt, a piece that continued moving into more experimental—and darker—realms by the second, until we were were neck deep in musical dementia. When the band finally settled out of this sinister sound sculpture, they jammed down into a summer-appropriate “Mango Song.”

Page shone on piano throughout a very clean version of “Mango Song,” and upon its ending, the band hit a crossroads of the second set. They had dropped one of tour’s defining jams in “Rock and Roll” and had resolved it perfectly with “Mango.” It seemed like an ideal slot to drop another jam vehicle, but, instead, the band chose to follow up the highlight combination with an innocuous string of songs that took the set to its end. “Pebbles and Marbles” was the one rarity contained within and the band played it well, though they still have yet to infuse any creativity into its rock-based jam (less Vegas ’04). The set-closing “Antelope” was better than many of this era and featured playful “Meatstick” teases, but it did little to salvage the set as a total experience.

The band had one other crossroads within this final portion of the show—“Halley’s Comet.” After Bethel’s breakout version—one of the highlights of tour’s opening weekend—when the band dropped into the song in the middle of the second set, one could only imagine what they were about to do to the jam. But in a move that left the audience with an 8^th grade case of blue-balls, the band chopped off any possibilities as they took a turn into “Meatstick,” deflating the show beyond resuscitation.

The first set amounted to legitimate opening half, kicking off with “Llama” and peaking with a surprise, mid-set “David Bowie” that was played with a whole-band tenacity. An intricate and collaborative version provided the other true highlight of the show in addition to “Rock and Roll.” The band’s second-ever performance of John Lennon’s “Instant Karma” was particularly sloppy, though “Divided Sky” popped with extra zest later in the frame. The debut of the Al Green’s cover “Rhymes”—a loafing blues-rock-type groove—hit me as a “take-it-or-leave-it” type of song with some potential; we’ll see if anything develops out of it.

Phish’s Tuesday night stop in Massachusetts, despite “Rock and Roll’s” outlandish adventure, felt like a bit of an exhale after a mind-numbing weekend run. But even within an exhale in Summer 2011, the band dropped one of the most sublime passages of music we’ve heard this tour; it all depends on the way you look at it. Let’s put “Rock and Roll > Mango” in a powerful slot on our ever-growing Summer 2011 mix-tape and move on to Darien! See you under the white tents tonight…

I: Llama, The Moma Dance, Possum, Cities, Instant Karma!, David Bowie, Rhymes*, The Divided Sky, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan

II: Back on the Train, Rock and Roll > The Mango Song, Bug, Pebbles and Marbles, Halley’s Comet > Meatstick, Run Like an Antelope

E Suzy Greenberg

*debut, Al Green

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