Hitting Stride
Ameris Amphitheatre [Rene Huemer via Phish]
While “Chalkdust” was the jewel of the show and of Trey’s individual showcase, the most boundary-pushing improv of the show came two songs later. After a swanky version of “Steam” came out of “Chalkdust,” the band started up what seemed to be a cool down interlude of “Prince Caspian.” But clearly feeling the flow, the band blew out the jam into a drone, collective sound sculpture that is right up my alley. Hearkening back to their millennial sound of ’99, Phish employed layers of distortion, feedback and blurred, shoegaze effects to craft a sonic exploration that drastically veered from the clean, melodic vibe that has characterized most of their improv of this young tour. Page unfurled more of his modern synth offerings that lent an almost prog-rock element to the tonal psych-art. I really dug this mid-set surprise and would absolutely love to hear further jaunts into this realm this summer.
Phish came out with guns blazing in Alpharetta, playing an improv-laden first set filled with choice bangers. Absent of filler material and stacked with classics and crowd favorites, the opening set illustrated the band’s burgeoning confidence while immediately gripping their audience. When Trey’s playing is really on point, it elevates the band’s structured jamming, creating engaging excursions that are otherwise susceptible to the generic. Examples of this came in the set’s final pairing of “Stash” and “Bathtub Gin,” the two brightest highlights of the first half for me. His playing in “Stash,” specifically shone. Trey, and the band as a whole, built momentum throughout this set, coming out of the gate strong with “Sand” and an extended run through “Everything’s Right,” but gaining cohesion and tightness as they progressed through the opening frame. Trey’s precision with the intricacies of “Foam” provided a signpost of what was to come from him throughout the rest of the show.
As expected, it has not taken long for Phish to find their way again. Possessing telepathy like few bands in history, the band has gotten right back to business and is excelling within days of hitting the stage. After playing together for over 30 years, what’s a year and a half?
I. Sand, Everything’s Right, Turtle in the Clouds, Maze, Destiny Unbound, Foam, Stash, Bathtub Gin
II. Chalk Dust Torture > Steam > Prince Caspian > Golgi Apparatus, AC/DC Bag , Shade, Mike’s Song > Silent in the Morning > Weekapaug Groove
E: A Life Beyond The Dream, Cavern
Phish is back, Miner is back (nice review), all is well!
Great to see you back!!! Stranded in canada, unable to drive to shows. Glad your here, with all the others, lovin’ on the band!!!!!
yeah Miner, CDT/Caspian highlights that first set tho..!
Well I guess it’s time to jump on tour. Holy smokes.
So far….
Ghost
Carini
CDT>Steam>Caspian
Tweezer>Twist>Piper
Not a bad little play list.
Well it was like you called it, again, WOW that TWEEZER!!!!!!!!
I wasn’t there for the Tahoe Tweezer. I know it came at a time when they hadn’t been jamming as confident or as deep as what they were capable of. MSG Tweezer was the first really big jam that my gf saw and she hung with it the whole way. I’m not taking away from that jam whatsoever, but it was Phish doing what they are capable of doing every night. Definitely a treat. But last night was something else. It was a year and half of pent up frustrations released. The plague, politics, racial, social, lockdown, isolated from friends and family…. All of that was lost to me for 34 minutes. It was the first show where we actually formed into a a fairly legitimate little patch of dancers on the concourse just outside the pav on Page side. It was the first show that felt kinda normal to me. That I wasn’t focused more on all my friends that weren’t there and rejoicing in those that were. And Phish just kept it coming. Definitely two points I thought they were ending it and they kept us going. Carini was excellent, Saturday night was solid show “bell to bell” as my friend said, but last night was the jam we had been waiting for. This tour will only grow from there. Hope to see some of you out there. Phish Rebuilds America
Love these phishthoughts again miner.
I do think Trey moving into the occasional rhythmic role has allowed page to really step forward and the cohesive listening is really there.
I’d argue that this current sound is a far better extension of 1.0 then most of 2.0 or 3.0. Maybe even a 1.5 (historically)
Great to see you on here xpun and that you got yours last night!
“Hearkening back to their millennial sound of ’99, Phish employed layers of distortion, feedback and blurred, shoegaze effects to craft a sonic exploration that drastically veered from the clean, melodic vibe that has characterized most of their improv of this young tour.”
mmmmm, blurred shoegaze effects…