Traditionally a band who steps up to big occasions and knocks it out of the park, Phish, instead, plowed through 33 songs, most in painfully standard fashion, in what amounted to one long first set for the 4th of July. A centerpiece sequence of “Tweezer -> Twist” provided the single chunk of undeniably timeless music for the night, but other than a scorching jam out of “Susskind Hotel” in the first set and a few notable bust outs, there was little meat to a show that looked primed to blow up on a holiday known for explosives. When I saw signs on the highway that declared “No fireworks display at Jones Beach” driving in, I didn’t realize they were referring to the concert too. Though everything was played with energy and all that, in comparison to the many shows of summer, Phish’s holiday installment couldn’t hold a candle.

A marathon opening set contained yet another Velvet Undergound cut off Loaded—the fifth in six shows—this time “Head Held High.” Unplayed since Vegas ’98, the references to the band’s illustrious Halloween legacy continued with an enthusiastic take on the upbeat tune. Then, a real treat came in a clean version of the incredibly rare “Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday -> Avenu Malkenu -> TMWSIY.” A quality “Bowie” felt like the set closer, but the band still had a while to go, including the jam of the first half in Mike’s “Susskind Hotel.” Bursting into a chugging groove, the band redefined the possibilities for the piece with a torrid conversation that popped from the stage. The band brought out The Greasy Troll for an early-show slot, taking “Purple Rain” off the shelf complete with “tucking” antics to the delight of most fans. Closing the 18-song opening half with the “Star Spangled Banner” the band has set the stage for a more improvisationaly based second set—but it never happened.

To Phish’s credit, they really had something going through “Taste,” but the set really just fell to shambles after that. To say it fizzled would be a gargantuan understatement. But first, let’s get to the centerpiece of the show—“Tweezer > Twist.” Upon splashdown in “Tweezer’s” jam, Trey stepped right into a guitar solo, leading the band through a fairly generic build, and it looked like we might get hit with a straight rocker. After peaking the build, however, the band settled into a darkening, minimalist soundscape. Trey unleashed growls behind Page’s laser synths and a delicate, ethereal pocket. Trey then began to drop the sounds of the universe behind this experiment, as Page comped this witches brew with juxtaposed keyboard melodies of beauty. Transforming into a storage-esque sequence, the band seemed primed to go deeper when Trey turned into “Twist.” And here would unfold the true gem of the show.

If the demonic “Twist” from Riverbend had an angelic, twin brother, this jam would most definitely be his other half. Diametrically different than Cincinnati;s descent into Hades, this jam would liken an ascent into heaven. Blending into a four-headed melodic mind-meld, the band spun a stunning tale of majesty. Defining an “amoeba” jam, where nobody is necessarily leading but all are collectively pushing the music, this “Twist” reached hugely cathartic realms of sound and harmony, spinning the audience—gently—into far off galaxies. This music felt like it could have continued with its own motion for an eternity, but at some point Trey decided to move on to “Taste.” Using the polyrhythmic composition as a landing pad for the “Tweezer > Twist,” “Taste” was a fine rendition in its own right, and I was right there with them at this juncture of the set. But when Trey decided to next play “Quinn the Eskimo” in the middle of frame, it wasn’t a good sign.

The following hour plus of music would contain only several interesting minutes in “Harry Hood,” where a delicate and thrilling take on the song passed through the calypso chord progression of the famous Gorge “Light” of ’09.  But sandwiched in the midst a bunch of standard—not to mention unthinkably mellow—songs, the effect of a gorgeous “Hood” was somewhat lost in the fray. After straightforward takes on “Julius” and “Rock and Roll,” the band seemed to be recording a Phish lullaby album.  As the band strung together “Horse -> Silent,” “Hood,” Shine a Light,” “Show of Life,” and “Slave,” watching the three teenage kids next to me try to stay awake through the show was just as entertaining as any of its music. Honestly, I’m not sure what the band was thinking by combining four mellow set closers in a row, because each of them became less and less powerful as they unfolded to the point where it felt like a bad Phish-based SNL skit.

The encore of “Sleeping Monkey > Reprise” is the quintessential encore to follow a mind-expanding set of music, but when the band rolled into their classic pairing, it seemed wholly out of place last night. Interestingly, most of my friends really liked this show, and after listening back, I’m still trying to figure out what, exactly, I missed. “Tweezer -> Twist” and “Susskind” were certainly on the level, but everything else, less “Hood,” was completely standard in every way, and in a three plus hour show, that’s a lot of dead time. Diff’rent strokes for diff’rent folks, I guess.

In the context of a spectacular tour, these past two Jones Beach shows felt a bit underwhelming. Coming off seven Midwest shows of magic, of which only two trailed off significantly, these spotty shows on Long Island didn’t feel up to snuff. When playing 30 songs, there is only so much room to jam, and while Phish definitely took advantage of a couple opportunities, the show felt incredibly thin, especially considering the occasion. As we head up to SPAC for the final three shows of Leg One, I’d expect a bit more to go down in the woods of Saratoga than we saw on the beach of Long Island.

I: Alumni Blues* > Letter to Jimmy Page > Alumni Blues, Head Held High, The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday, Kill Devil Falls, Bittersweet Motel, The Moma Dance, Gumbo, David Bowie, Alaska, Susskind Hotel, Hold Your Head Up > Purple Rain > Hold Your Head Up, The Star Spangled Banner

II: Boogie On Reggae Woman, Tweezer > Twist > Taste, Quinn the Eskimo,  Julius, Rock and Roll > The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Harry Hood, Shine a Light, Show of Life, Slave to the Traffic Light

E: Sleeping Monkey > Tweezer Reprise

Losing no momentum as they hit the East Coast, Phish rumbled into New York last night with a highlight-strewn two-setter centered around “Sand -> Golden Age,” another standout jam sequence we’ll be listening to for quite some time. And though the second set didn’t flow as well as some we’ve seen this tour, instead of trotting to the finish line, the guys punctuated the night with the best “Antelope” we’ve heard since Utica. With a couple serious bust-outs in the first set, and clean playing throughout, Tuesday night at Jones Beach provided a quality kick off to Phish’s two-day Long Island stand.

After the early fireworks, the band settled into a string of standards to finish the set, less another bust out cover in “ZZ Top’s” Jesus Just Left Chicago” and a season-appropriate “Ya Mar” in which Trey graced us with his usual guitar solo unlike the truncated Portsmouth version. The nicest weather of tour came in off the water as a cool setbreak underlined the seismic weather shift from the sweltering heat of the Midwest. And as the lights dropped for set two, we were off into the comfortable summer night.

A rousing “Chalk Dust” sparked the second half before Phish dropped into the central jam sequence of the night, beginning with “Sand.” Serving a multi-course meal of groove and beyond, the band morphed between several distinct sections of connected jamming ranging from the jazzy to the abstract. Beginning with snaking solo that withered in and around his band mates snapping groove, Trey led the troops through the regular jam, but when it came to wrap it up, the band just kept right on going. At this juncture, Trey stepped into the background, allowing Page to step up on Rhodes. Trey alternated rhythm comps with palm-muted notes before he stepped even further out of the spotlight with space-aged loops, leaving Mike and Page to drive the machine. Coming to a quieter section, Trey revved up what has become a 2012 staple jam, “Golden Age.” Each time out the band seems to go further and further with the song’s improv, and last night they went all the way. Taking the groove-based cover deep into lands of transcendence, there would be no transition out of this version, instead, the guys played until the last natural note fell into silence, drawing a massive ovation from the metro area crowd.

Moving away from the funk that has defined the jam almost immediately, Trey favored a type of rhythmic playing that pushed the whole band away their comfort zone. Soon immersed in percussive quicksand, the band sunk through these collaborative layers of music and into the abstract, and this is where the greatest of moments of the show were spawned. Transforming piece into ambient psych-rock, Phish showcased their current affection for sound sculpting. With nobody leading, the band delved into some of the coolest music we’ve heard this summer. Likening a hybrid of Phish and Floyd, this final segment made this jam absolute gold. Stretching out the spacey ending the band allowed the music to fall like a feather to the ground, coming to a perfect rest.

And then—finally—a second set “Wolfman’s!” Instead of vamping over funk chords at the onset of the jam, Trey came right of the gate with his uncompressed growl, taking the band in a divergent and dirty direction. As the jam built, the guys seemed good to go deep as they passed in and out of a scat session. Coming out of a change, however, Trey picked a spot an initiated a move into “Walk Away,” a maneuver that, if responded to by Fishman, could have spelled another turn-on-a-dime, seamless segue. Despite the less-than-smooth transition, however, the band switched gears and annihilated the ending sequence of “Walk Away.” Following a mid-set “Bug,” the slot seemed ripe for a heavy-hitter, but instead, the band went for the ubiquitous second-set “Fluffhead.” Never good for set flow or second-set minutes, the guys, however, played their early-era piece quite well and used “The Wedge” to bridge to a set-closing “Antelope.”

Continuously placing “Antelope” in the second set this summer has certainly caused Phish to shine a brighter spotlight on its jam, forming several quality versions. But this one would break the mold altogether. Navigating a ferocious jam with several tangential diversions, Phish closed the show like they are capable of, one aspect of last night that was incredibly encouraging. With “Skin It Back” and “Sand -> Golden Age,” “Antelope” provided the third no-brainer highlight of the show, and a version that every fan should hear.

Although last night was, unquestionably, a quality Phish show, something tells me that we’ll be leaving Jones Beach with a different, more complete feel after tonight’s holiday performance. Though Tuesday night’s performance shone in many instances, it also possessed a discernible lull in each set and was missing that flow that makes an outstanding show greater than the sum of its parts. But last night did, indeed, have amazing parts!

I: Skin It Back, Possum, Tube, Happiness Is a Warm Gun, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Halley’s Comet > Axilla, Ya Mar, Joy, Jesus Just Left Chicago, Backwards Down the Number Line > Golgi Apparatus

II: Chalk Dust Torture, Sand -> Golden Age, Wolfman’s Brother -> Walk Away, Bug, Fluffhead, The Wedge, Run Like an Antelope

E: Character Zero

To conclude their Midwestern visit, Phish balanced Saturday night’s explosive throwdown with a Sunday performance whose highlights focused on cerebral, nouveau improvisation. Despite an inability to close the second set with authority, the band had already flexed their improvisational muscle considerably during a 25 minute segment of “Light -> Ghost” and a first set “Fee” that stands up to any ever played. Although a spottier show overall, Phish still showcased the type of fresh ideas and experimental playing that has flooded this summer’s tour. Using these three vehicles, the guys scripted a triumvirate of indelible jams that will hang in the 2012’s Hall of Fame.

During a first set consisting of all but two summer debuts, things got serious in an instant as the band slid through a wormhole out of “Fee.” Stepping through a door into the ether, the guys ascended into a spectral daydream. Elevating through patient cooperation, Page tickled the piece with “plinkofied” clav textures while Trey sprouted soul-tugging leads over a rolling pocket. Using a beatless interlude in the jam, the guys turned a corner with a series of with fresh ideas, this time snaking into even more heavenly places. A jam that only a mature Phish could pull off, the band pushed and pulled the music as a single-cell organism, discovering an exalting plain of ambient groove. Creating an alternate reality midway through the first set, Phish smashed down the walls of their bust-out jukebox with majestic and mysterious music. Supported by a slew of rarities in the first set, it sure seems that the band is taking their self-imposed, 200-song challenge to heart. Covers of “Soul Shakedown Party,” “Lonesome Cowboy Bill” and “Frankenstein” saw the stage for the first time this year, as well as Phish originals, “Vultures,” “A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing” and “Meat.” The difference with bust outs this year as opposed to the past couple, is that all songs have all been clearly practiced and performed cleanly, a facet that makes all the difference in the world when playing one-off pieces. A fun first half—with a profound swan dive into ambient adventure—set the table for some serious music come the second.

Alpine’s two-night onslaught of covers continued at the top of the main event as a fiery version of “Crosseyed and Painless” dissolved into the oft-teased Zeppelin epic, “No Quarter.” Played with particular poignancy last night, this version dripped popped with the psychedelic energy with it was birthed on “Houses of the Holy.” But when the band concluded playing the music of others and focused on two of their central launch pads of 2012, the show reached its most magnificent heights.

Crashing into “Light” out of  “No Quarter’s” dissonant residue, the band strapped on their jamming shoes and put the pedal to the medal. Following two completely original versions of their modern era epic in AC and Star Lake, the band came right back with a third. In this incarnation of the jam, the band shied from groove and took off into long-form improvisation. Favoring a rolling and melodic ambient texture, all four guys played as one unit as dramatically as any time this summer. A meticulous exercise in multi-part harmonies and symbiotic, melodic interplay, “Light” blasted into totally new places last night with free-form improv. Mike teased the bass line of “Frankie Sez” midway in the jam, and—momentarily—it seemed as thought that is where we were headed—but not even close. Continuing to push the envelope with one-minded bliss, Phish allowed the jam to blossom into a lush garden of Rhodes-laced, avant-garde tapestry. Playing with such attentive ears, each member’s musical ego dissolved into a stunningly gorgeous conversation. As Fishman dropped his beat, the band drifted further outward, melding naturally into a synth-based final segment that artistically transformed into “Ghost.”

Now we have spoken of the fresh ideas bubbling from Phish this summer, but this “Ghost” has taken that concept to new heights. Moving so far from conventions, the guys engaged in a jam that—at times—hardly sounds like Phish at all. Taking “Ghost” for its third joyride of summer, this one would, again, sound distinctly different. After the guys settled into the piece, they promptly popped out convention as Trey hit a faster lick. Fishman immediately caught on and made a change to a house beat that one might expect to hear from a “jamtronica” outfit. The entire band hopped on this out-of-character shift, and Phish took a brief foray into the type of music that legions of their one-time followers have made famous. As Fishman switched up the rhythm again, the music took another turn, this time for the abstract. Morphing smoothly into another original segment, this jam seemed to be guided by a greater force as the music spilled out as if scripted. Migrating from beauty into a menacing groove, this “Ghost” gave musical density a new meaning. Layering a slow vocal reprise of “Still Waiting” over this murky groove, the guys gradually built out of the jam with a seamless segue into “Back on the Train.” Serving as a groovy landing pad for an extended sequence of unique and transcendent jamming, “Train” centered the crowd for what was certainly shaping up to be one of the sets of the summer.

A minimalist take on “Farmhouse” shone as a mid-set breather, as the band’s the meticulous improvisation spilled into the millennial-era ballad. But once “Farmhouse” ended, the band, however, crushed their own musical momentum with a series of questionable song choices. Sputtering to the end of the show with a first-set-esque sequence of “46 Days,” “Heavy Things,” “Joy,” and “Julius,” a set that had flowed as well as any through “Farmhouse” took a nosedive and never recovered. I, honestly, think that the band shot their proverbial load on the otherworldly sequence of “Ghost -> Light,” and if they felt like they had to play songs for the rest of the set, then so be it. Sometimes when you have such strong centerpieces to a show—and “Fee,” “Light” and “Ghost” are all “type II” reveries—whatever falls around them is just gravy—too salty, or not.

When looking back on 2012’s return to Alpine Valley, many fans will rightfully recall the airtight, powerhouse second set of Saturday night. But when crafting any summer highlight reel, it will be a moral imperative to include Sunday night’s top-shelf trifecta. As the band moves beyond the Midwest and into the stretch run of Leg One, things are strong as ever in the world of Phish. Playing with a focused creativity unseen since the late-‘90s, the guys are mining musical gold on a nightly basis. Whether a set, an entire show, or—in the case of last night—a few timeless jams, one can be sure to leave any current Phish show with some form of improvisational treasure.

I: Soul Shakedown Party, Lonesome Cowboy Bill, Vultures, Gotta Jibboo, Dirt, A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing,Access Me, Meat, Frankenstein, Fee, Maze, The Squirming Coil

II: Crosseyed and Painless > No Quarter > Light -> Ghost -> Back on the Train, Farmhouse, 46 Days, Heavy Things, Joy, Julius

E: Meatstick

“That was a perfect set.” So I said to my buddy upon the finish of “Character Zero” last night. Phish had just thrown down a second half that flowed impeccably from start to finish, with every jam played to conclusion and leading naturally into the next. The non-stop stanza contained thrilling improvisation throughout as the band wove together one highlight after another. Forming a whole far greater than the sum of its standout parts, the second set carried us on true musical journey. Packing a punch—with both sets—Phish greeted Alpine Valley to one of the finest start-to-finish performances of the Summer 2012.

When Phish jumped from a standard “Number Line” opener into “Carini,” the first thematic sequence of the second set began. Beginning here, and for the entire first half of the frame, the band focused squarely on dance grooves—and it was glorious. Instead of launching into abstract or a major-key territory in “Carini,” the guys remained anchored to hard-edged groove morphing into a snarling, yet smooth texture that one might expect to hear from a “Tweezer.” Seeing this seething segment to fruition, the band had dissolved into the ether when Trey came in with the opening to “Wilson,” pairing the two dark tales. And it was but an instant upon “Wilson’s” ending that the band kicked it into overdrive for “Golden Age.”

For the second time this tour, the guys centered “Golden Age” in the second set, a song that has taken on even more meaning in the midst of this summer’s modern-era musical renaissance. And this time comin’ round, Phish just destroyed the dance floor. Adopting his minimalist summer playing to the funk realm, Trey eased back and painted this beat-driven collage with rhythms licks that could make a grown man drool. Page stepped to his clav, and Mike stepped to the forefront of the jam with precise and eclectic bass lines. All the while Fish remained in lockstep with his bassist. It seemed that everyone took a more prominent leadership role in this jam than Trey, who slunk back like an alley cat, offering delectable comps that spiced up an already thickening groove. “Golden Age” got the pavilion pulsating as the band switched feels into an ultra-textured modern-era feel—an offshoot of the “plinko” sound. Page and Trey speckled the top layer of the groove as Mike and Fish remained in an intricate pocket. Blossoming like a time-lapse film, this jam just continued to get gnarlier by the second, and the guy’s rhythmic interplay got more nuanced and insane. Producing, by far, the most post-show buzz, this jam got real on a Saturday night.

Hitting a change the sounded like the onset of “2001” the band made a quick and ultra-fluid transition into their dance anthem. Exploding Alpine Valley with this laser-like maneuver, the band continued their theatrics by lacing the compact version with the rhythmic complexities of “Golden Age.” And at the climax of this to-die-for, groovalicious centerpiece, Phish blasted right into “Rock and Roll”—a move that kept the show’s energy dial—and level of musical engagement—cranked at 11. If the opening half of the set was dance-centric, the more exploratory second half kicked off with “Rock and Roll.” Transforming from a torrid rock jam to an ethereal masterpiece within a time frame one might think required the flux capacitor, the band dropped another profound jam. If one thing has truly stood out in the many jams of 2012 is the copious ground the band covers in a short period of time with stunning fluidity. Dare I say, there are not many bands out there that can play with such a dense musical spectrum. “Rock and Roll” first moved into percussive textures before Trey swooped in with a gripping guitar lead that directed the rest of the jam. Meeting their guitarist on the astral plane, the band quickly transformed the piece into a cathartic and melody-driven, four-piece collaboration. Tearing off descending licks, Trey continued to bring the band further and further into fantasy land, and, eventually, into an ambient denouement.

And the relentless set just kept hitting as Trey subtly seeped into the long-awaited 2012 debut of “Steam.” Taking the concept of a “landing pad” to a whole new level, the band blanketed the over-sized amphitheatre with the song’s liquid groove. Laying down an infectious and bluesy solo, Trey led the guys through a brief extension of the theme, and bringing the slow groove to a head with a wash of sound and effect, one could feel “Piper” arise from within the music, signifying another choice song selection in a gift-wrapped set that kept on giving. Phish’s ever-protean, improvisational rocket ship took a high-octane journey on this night, forging some fast-paced psychedelia. Trey hit a powerful lead phrase early in the jam that became the theme of the piece, woven throughout the powerful excursion. Chugging as one, the band hit a stride in this jam in which the music seemed to roll effortlessly through them. Even when the band switched feels into a spacier milieu, the coalesced nicely as they peeled back the sonic layers, exposing a vulnerable, melodic core. As the jam trickled into nothing, Trey threw out a musical lasso to reign in the crowd in the form of “Quinn the Eskimo.” As the band concluded the rousing cover, they rolled into the increasingly rare “Harry Hood.”

Putting an effervescent stamp on the night, the band sculpted a standout version that some lost coherence at the very top, though it hardly tarnished the splendid ride to glory. Bursting out of the feel-good climax of the song, the guys dropped into “Character Zero.” Avoiding all distortion and effects, Trey just wailed out-school on this version, even adding a series of classic, late-90’s “Jean-Pierre” (Miles Davis) licks into his solo. And as the final note came crashing down, I was awed by the set’s seamless quality, not to mention top-notch jamming. There was never a single awkward moment in Saturday night’s main event, as the guys unveiled one of summer’s most outstanding efforts. Without space for breath, this airtight set will always underline Alpine’s Saturday night performance, but this whole shindig got started far earlier in the evening.

Coming on stage into a humid Wisconsin evening, Phish crafted quite an engaging first set. Dropping an early rarity in “Daniel Saw the Stone,” the show got going in earnest with the third-song “AC/DC Bag.” The guys peppered this version with extra mustard, as they did with the subsequent versions of “Moma Dance” and “Runaway Jim.” But the most sublime couplet of the opening half followed with “Let It Loose” and “Reba.” Dripping the emotional Stones ballad into the mid-summer’s, the band immediately pulled in the attention of the Alpine’s monstrous audience, and then kept it locked right there with a lush and extended “Reba.”

The meaty opening set continued with “Sloth,” and another spin-worthy “Ocelot.” Two more summer debuts—“Poor Heart” and “Circus”—provided a buffer before the true, late-set gem, “Timber.” Moving into some out-of-character, melody-driven harmonies for a part of this rendition, “Timber” immediately became a set break talking point upon its conclusion. A vigorous “Suzy Greenberg” drew a thunderous ovation from the crowd as the exclamation point of the opening half. And as we sat during setbreak and gazed into the purple sky of southern Wisconsin with a bright white waxing moon hung low in the sky, things couldn’t have been any better.

The first night of Alpine immediately jumps to the forefront of contenders for show of the summer. Not that a winner should be chosen, but last night was just that good. It is truly a blessing to bear witness to what is going down nightly on Phish tour these days. Playing with clear inspiration, the guys are—indisputably—throwing down their most creative run since their return. And the first night of Alpine stands tall in the forest of amazing summer shows. After all, it’s not every night the band plays a perfect set.

I: My Soul, Daniel Saw the Stone, AC/DC Bag, The Moma Dance, Runaway Jim, Let It Loose, Reba, Kill Devil Falls, The Sloth, Ocelot, Poor Heart, When the Circus Comes, Timber (Jerry) > The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony >Suzy Greenberg

II: Backwards Down the Number Line, Carini > Wilson > Golden Age -> Also Sprach Zarathustra > Rock and Roll > Steam -> Piper > Quinn the Eskimo, Harry Hood > Character Zero

E: Good Times Bad Times