Three More Jams From June
Bethel Woods (Chris Klein)
Over the past two weeks, including the 2011 installment Ten Tunes For Friday that kicked off the celebration of this summer, we have looked at many of the band’s stellar moments from the opening leg. Today we wind down our capsule reviews of the standout jams from June as we prepare ourselves to take in many more highlights during August.
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“ Down with Disease -> Maze“ 6.14 II, Alpharetta, GA
6.14.11 - Alpharetta (G.Lucas via webcast)
Another in the series of Summer 2011 “Down With Diseases,” this version provided the highlight of Alpharetta’s opening night. Tearing out of the composition with a well-phrased solo, Trey led the band through some momentum-building rock and roll. Soaring at a breakneck pace, Mike dropped thunderous bass lines behind the high-sped jaunt. Breaking the sprint, Trey switched it up in with a series of rhythms chops that brought the band into uncharted waters. Page hopped on his Rhodes while the band shifted gears into a percussive texture with Fishman acting as the anchor of the jam. Gradually, the band oozed into a more abstract-then-ambient conversation, building the jam outwards and into a spacier milieu. Fishman’s beats carried through this experimental playing, grounding the band’s abstract playing with hard rhythms. Within the last couple minutes of the jam, Phish got into some seriously “Storage-esque” territory, foreshadowing their emerging improvisational style while touching the outer rings of the galaxy. As Fishman came in with the opening hi-hat to “Maze,” the band had found their landing point.
Taking the momentum from this creative trek and injecting it directly into “Maze,” Phish tore apart a version that sounded akin in intensity and communication to its mid-Nineties predecessors. Both Trey and Page’s solo smoked and the rest of the band contributed to complex and creative backing canvas. Coming to a face-melting peak with Trey’s solo and accompanying effects, Phish totally annihilated this “Maze,” getting in touch with the song’s essence of madness and musical mania.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/phish2011-06-14.d2t04.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/phish2011-06-14.d2t05.mp3]***
“Crosseyed and Painless” 6.27 I, Bethel, NY
Official Bethel Print (Stout)
On the first night of tour, Phish had just finished a stunning sequence of “Waves > Caspian” when they dropped into a deep-second-set “Crosseyed.” Juxtaposing the abstract and enchanting journey of “Waves”with a fire-filled and seething rendition of “Crosseyed,” the band had gone for the jugular on the first night of tour. But the most engaging music of this piece came once band reprised “Still waiting…” and collectively slowed into demonic territory. Maintaining a beat behind this menacing music, Fishman gave this section a danceable cadence as the other three members dove into the underworld. Toying with a chord progression that echoed the murky end of Walnut Creek’s epic “Mike’s” jam from 1997. It was the first night 2011 Phish, and things were already flying off the meat rack.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/ph2011-05-27t19.mp3]***
“Sand” 6.11 I, Columbia, MD
6.11.11 - Columbia, MD B.Ferguson)
During the opening leg of summer (and Super Ball), Phish played a total of six “Sands,” and every single one smoked. The second of these six came in Merriweather Post Pavilion’s first of four sets, and stood out right away with its jazz-based, lockstep interplay. Launching into the jam with a smooth be-bop lick, Trey set a jazzy tone right from the get go. While Page clavved like his life depended on it, Mike stepped up and responded to Trey’s thoughtful riffs with those of his own. In laid-back, co-leadership, the guitarists maintained the spotlight during this rendition, As the band progressed from their swanky interplay into a more aggressive exchanges, Page hopped to piano and joined in the fray. The whole band maintained a sharp focus as they collectively reached a peak in which Trey released “cries of terror” from his guitar—an effect he used throughout the tour. Though everyone will have their favorite version from tour, Merriweather’s excursion in jazz-fusion stood out immediately upon relisten.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/1.07-Sand.mp3]Tags: 2011, Jams, Summer 2011
seriously though, doesn’t surprise me. fallen soldiers left behind over the past year. won’t hurt my feelings if you pass ’em on to your roomies 😉
I saw that. good news for sure. gonna be interesting
Hey everyone – I’m looking for a decent seat at the Hollywood Bowl. Happy to pay whatever but am trying to sit center and decently close. I’ve been pretty far away at every show I’ve seen in 3.0 and would like a decent view this time. Let me know – guselephant@yahoo.com.
Already passed on one to Mike. Skunked beers, terrible smelling oils, piles of dishes, oh my!!!!
sounds like a dream
g’nite. see y’all here tomorrow.
oh boy finally giving dte its one over, this show is dope, happy bday mikey
Kurt! I’m sending your UIC in the mail tomorrow
loaded GD Dick’s Picks 10, 11, 14 on the pod
also caught up with my Seattle crew via phone -looks like we’ll be at least 6 total for the Gorge
can’t wait for some yummy Top Pot donuts while in Seattle:
http://www.toppotdoughnuts.com/
@sumodie, are you in town Thursday for a little Seattle meetup? Summer 98 and I are trying to put something together. Would be great if you could make it.
Tzara, my Seattle time is gonna be completely booked as I’ll be catching up with old friends and keeping my partner entertained
I’d love to meet up with you but I just know it won’t be possible -appreciate the offer
I was supposed to meet up with Summer98 at Darien but that didn’t work out either -maybe we’ll all be able to connect at the Gorge
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The Dick’s Colorado shows have been added to Miner’s Ticket Exchange Board (see link on right side of home page)
didn’t meet up with me at Darien either sumo, jerk 🙂
wtf, I met you and Plord super briefly at Darien! I think you were just too busy ignoring me and chatting it up with the “cool BBers” 👿
still pounding down my Labatt’s Blue in a can -will be sad to see those SBIX treasures go…….
Did you, oops. I was a little out there with the sugar cubes and all.
I saw those Labatt’s too, I should have grabbed a few. I did drink some at the Ball so that’s cool. I miss those delicious beers.
now you’re making me w a x nostalgic for leg1 & sbix
my Seattle crew was super bummed to miss sbix (that’s what you get for getting married, moving to Seattle, having kids, and not owning either Microsoft or Amazon, lol)
one more Labatt’s before zzz time…mmm, tastes like sbix’s north dakota dust, yummy
Done living the High Life here as well. Sleep well my friend.
i was doing some youtube cruising, looking for Gorge vids, and of course i kept seeing other vids that drew my attention.
i’ve noticed that it seems to be a thing where people record others dancing and they post it to make fun of them? i thought this was a one time kind of deal that caused an issue, but it appears to be pretty rampant with people recording others having fun at shows, and then goofing on them. posting that shit on youtube is not cool, and could really be damaging to some people.
i can’t say i like this one bit. not sure how i would address that, but it wouldn’t be good.
just bought my Dick’s air tic -only $327 r/t from Hartford to Denver on Southwest Air
grrr…guess I’m forced to go now
they’d better play Possum or else!
and now I sleep, Guyute. You need to close out PH2011 in Colorado!
@Tela’s: see ya in Commerce City (and/or at the Gorge). I’ll be sure to point my vidcam at YOUUUUU