After only a month off, Phish was back at it again, this time starting out west at Berkeley’s Greek Theatre. Beyond the very creative jamming that took place in the Bay, these shows also welcomed Trey’s newest weapon to the big stage—The Ocedoc. His new guitar completely altered his style of leg one, as he all but abandoning The Whale for more precise runs of notes. The band stopped at Telluride for a couple of shows before moving to the Midwest for Deer Creek and Alpine Valley—the other standout stop of tour. Finishing with two at Jones Beach, the band was gelling like never before in this era and had their sites set on fall tour filled with downsized arenas.
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“Tweezer” 8.5 II, Berkeley, CA
An underrated version filled with thick, west coast groove.
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“Simple” 8.6 II, Berkeley, CA
One of the most innovative and gorgeous jams of the year.
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“Light” 8.7 II, Berkeley, CA
This wide-open masterpiece got my for jam of the summer.
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“Harry Hood” 8.7 II, Berkeley, CA
A gorgeous version that sounded even better in The Greek’s pristine acoustics.
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“Piper > Mist” 8.9 II, Telluride, CO
After aborting “Tweezer” in the Rocky Mountains, the band salvaged the set one of the jams of summer in “Piper.”
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“Carini > Free” 8.10 II, Telluride, CO
The only piece of exploration in a seemingly out-of-place second show of Telluride.
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“Drowned > Jibboo -> Gin” 8.12 II, Noblesville, IN
This unconventional second-set trifecta anchored Deer Creek’s opening night.
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“Reba” 8.14 I, East Troy, WI
This version was a toss up with The Greek’s for best of summer.
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“Down With Disease -> What’s the Use?” 8.14 II, East Troy, WI
A spectacular jam that saw the band execute the most astounding segue of this era.
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“Ghost > Theme” 8.15 II, East Troy, WI
Nothing crazy, but plenty of great playing.
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“Legthwise -> Maze” 8.17 II, Wantagh, NY
This early-90’s combo kicked off the second set at Jones Beach
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“Number Line” 8.17 II, Wantagh, NY
Jones Beach’s “Number Line” bookended the summer’s versions with Blossom’s—perhaps the two best to date.
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THE TITLE GAME: “YEM” vs. “TWEEZER”
The votes have been tallied and the two finalists for the title of “The Most Loved Phish Song” are no surprises—”You Enjoy Myself” and “Tweezer.” While “YEM” illustrates Trey’s magnificent early song writing, there has not been a jam in history that has taken us more places than “Tweezer.” This one should be a close battle, and voting is open all the way through Tuesday to get the most accurate count possible. Cast your VOTE NOW at Trey Is My Friend’s Facebook page, and watch the votes pile up!
Semi-Final totals:
“YEM” def. “Harry Hood” — 590 – 519
“Tweezer” def. “Reba” — 666 – 437
