Greeting Hotlanta with a big time second set on, ironically, the coolest night of tour, Phish migrated South on Tuesday without missing a beat and opened their two-pack at the best conventional amphitheatre in the game, Verizon Wireless in Alpharetta. Centered on the theme of Led Zeppelin’s “Heartbreaker,” which the band jammed into from the set-opening “Rock and Roll,” the second half featured continuous teases of the hard rock anthem in virtually every tune. But unlike some similar sets that have become gimmicky, this one had plenty of musical meat throughout. Page seemed to take charge in many jams on Tuesday night, following a show at Merriweather in which Fishman anchored the improvisational effort, showcasing the democratic nature of modern Phish and allowing Trey to lay back and continue to dial in his whammy pedal—a tool, that believe it or not, will—and has already started to—bring the band’s new sound to the next level.

The guys played an incredibly standard opening set—especially in juxtaposition to Sunday night’s smoking first half—that even started to drag with the four-song sequence of “Army of One,” “Rift,” “Horn,” and “Possum.” But the show kicked into gear with the summer debut of “Pebbles and Marbles,” and from then on, the band meant business. Following a quick spin of the post-hiatus bustout, they dropped into a thick Southern “Ocelot” before “Cavern” seemed to end an uneventful frame. The second “Antelope” in as many shows, however, popped out of nowhere to give a bit of credence to the set’s final third. Though solid, this version didn’t pop like Merriweather’s or SPAC’s versions, let alone Bangor’s instant classic. Thus, when the lights came up on the incredibly spacious general admission dance floor after one of the least dancy sets in memory, it was quite clear that the flat cement playground would see its action after setbreak.

And just as predicted, when the lights dropped, the adventure started. Phish blew open “Rock and Roll” almost instantaneously, and only minutes into the set the band had found utter glory. Spinning into a blissful exchange, this jam elevated immediately—as if it only took a nod to surf the astral plane. The jam stayed in this happy place for some time, and when Trey played a descending lick that brought the guys out, it only took a few moments for Mike to begin tickling the bassline to “Heartbreaker.” Hopping on the Zeppelin tease, Trey led the band into the opening verse of the song, but when guys came out of that verse back into the jam, some of the filthiest music of tour went down. Page led, on clavinet, into a series of crunchy grooves that Trey painted in his uncompressed, post-hiatus growl. If you mainline Phish crack— which I highly recommend—check out this narcotic chunk of music. And while the audience was enveloped by this monstrosity, Trey orchestrated a back door segue into “Makisupa Policeman,” and the jam/song flow of the set began.

One would think that a 2013 Phish might give their reggae song some love for the first time in ages, but apparently they were saving it all for “Chalk Dust.” Placing their anthem square in the middle of the set, I couldn’t help but recall 2012’s heavily-improvised, leg two versions, while feeling we were about to witness another. And did we ever. While the aforementioned versions of 2012 were driven by melodic leads by Trey, the band opened up this jam into something different altogether and it blossomed into the highlight of the show. Launching from the actual “Chalk Dust” jam, Trey took a turn for the uplifting—similar to the initial shift of “Rock and Roll”—but this time, the band stuck with the vibe and scripted a stunning piece of new school Phish that oozed spirituality. Sounding momentarily like they were building towards “Architect,” they sidestepped the new song and continued to forge their wide-open path. Mike took the lead for much of this jam before Trey got a bit antsy and started up “Wilson,” a move that was all but forgotten when the band spilled into “Tweezer.” But how sick would it have been if they left out “Wilson” for a final section of “Chalk Dust” and segued into “Tweezer?” Hmmm…I digress.

As soon as “Tweezer’s” jam hit, Trey kicked into “Heartbreaker,” but when they dropped back into “Tweezer,” it was Fishman who took the helm, steering the ship into an ocean of hard groove. Trey played with a funky then ferocious sensibility, keeping up with Fish in a true dance floor throw down that took full advantage of the glorious concrete of Alpharetta. But just as the jam turned away from straight rhythms and began to transform into something greater, Trey dropped out, insisting the band come with him, thus they quickly—though artfully—put together a segue into “Silent in the Morning.” Call me a monkey’s uncle, but that “Tweezer” had about five more minutes of beauty left, but what can you do but count our blessings and come back tomorrow.

At this juncture, the set turned somewhat songy in contour, quasi-resembling a 2012 second half, but this time the music within those songs was far more impressive. Placing “Birds of a Feather” in the main event for the second time in three shows, they—again—tore the piece apart with creative, contained jamming. And then the parade of summer “Hoods” continued, this time highlighted by delicate rather than driving playing by Big Red. A beautiful version put a nice cap on the set, while balancing it with a final jam before “Character Zero” closed things out.

The first night in Alpharetta had “post-Northeast, mid-week let down” written all over it. If there was going to be an off night of Summer 2013 it was going to be Tuesday. Once the band hits Chicago this weekend, it’s all big time shows from there on out less Toronto. In the past few years, the guys might have come down South and tossed in a token effort last night, but that’s not how Phish 2013 rolls. In fact, they just keep on rolling and rolling and nothing in this universe seems like it can stop them. We are not quite at tour’s midway point and the sets just coming. Only one more show before Phish hits the Midway for a marquee trifecta—see you on the dance floor!

I: Kill Devil Falls, Mound, Bathtub Gin, Army of One, Rift, Horn, Possum Pebbles and Marbles, Ocelot, Cavern, Run Like an Antelope

II: Rock and Roll -> Heartbreaker^ -> Makisupa Policeman > Chalk Dust Torture^ >Wilson* > Tweezer* -> Silent in the Morning, Birds of a Feather, Joy, Harry Hood* > Character Zero*

E: A Day in the Life > Tweezer Reprise

In one of the most symbolic moments in recent years, Trey came out for the second set of Sunday night’s show at Merriweather wearing a t-shirt! In leaving his button down in the green room, Trey conveyed the comfort that he once again feels on stage at a Phish show. In the days of lore—days that may not remain as unmatched legend for much longer—Trey had a rotation of t-shirts, but ever since the comeback, it’s been collars and blazers for Big Red. The comfort Trey is feeling is clearly shared by his bandmates as well as they annihilated Merriweather Post Pavilion to close out the Northeast portion of their summer tour. Playing a ballistic show from start to finish, the band showcased why so many of our lives have changed for this band. The excitement that is swirling between the crowd and audience at shows these days is unprecedented for the modern era. For the past few years Phish has played shows using the sounds and jamming styles from their past, but starting in 2013, and exemplified by last night’s “Light” jam,” Phish has reinvented themselves and their sound once again—a hallmark of their career—while taking all their jams in new and innovative directions. I shudder to think what the Gorge and San Francisco will be like, let alone fall tour! Hide the women and children folks, this is getting serious.

Aside from “Light’s” monumental excursion, the greatest take away from last night’s show was the first set. Playing, hands down, their best opening frame of summer, the band threw down some unexpected twists taboot. After moving sharply through the first third of the set, the show elevated to another level when the guys dropped the most impressive “Stash” since post-hiatus. Taking the piece into blissful realms and then into a wah-laced segment a la Worcester ‘97, the band packed an incredible amount of action into the now-resurrected piece, and damn what a great development. “Stash” had been left for dead as nothing but first-set filler, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the song makes it into the second set before tour’s end.

Phish followed “Stash” with a “Scent of a Mule” in which the band actually used the Mule Duel to showcase their musicianship and create something different. One feature of this jam was Fishman on marimba, a new stage feature as of tonight, and—wow— it made some abstract sounds. My personal favorite surprise of the set, however, came next in “It’s Ice.” Launching from the ambient jam into a filthy dose of disco funk, this one came like a left hook from Sugar Ray Leonard as he distracted you with his rope-a-dope on the right. Check this piece out for a vivid illustration of just how damn nasty Phish is right now. Capping the opening half with scorching versions of “Tube” and “Antelope,” the band received an extended standing ovation after the first set! The addition of a throw down first set completely changes the contour of an evening with Phish, providing an incredible boost to any show.

With an interesting move that I didn’t realize until later, the band kicked off the second frame of Sunday night’s set with the exact triumvirate as they started Bangor’s—“Golden Age > Twist” and “Number Line.” And in retrospect, the sequence had a very similar flow. “Golden Age” exploded into a furious groove jam that saw Trey favor his wah pedal once again, a move that causes every Phish fan to giggle with delight. Though “Golden’s” jam stayed within normal territory, it, nonetheless, enthralled any Phish groove junkie in the audience. Bleeding into “Twist,” the band once again seemed on the verge of popping out of  structure as they turned toward home. “Number Line” provided an unwelcome second-set interlude before Phish turned the pavilion upside down with the Merriweather “Light.”

When “Light” started up last night, one could only imagine the places it would take us after witnessing the SPAC and PNC versions. The opening chords of the song are now enough to make any psychonaut drool in a pavlovian response. Continuing to push the envelope with their modern launchpad, last night the band came up with music that verges on indescribable. Some amalgam of free jazz and hard groove sprinkled with calypso and topped with an avant-garde stop-start cadence is about the best I can do. But let me tell you—this shit brought the house down. There is something incredibly awe-inspiring about witnessing greatness and being completely cognizant of it while it is going down, and that was exactly the feeling I had last night. Phish was inventing music that only they could make right there on the spot, and people were freaking the fuck out—and that’s where this whole experiment got started thirty years ago. Segueing seamlessly into “Boogie On,” the band’s unstoppable momentum spilled into the cover and spiced up the version quite a bit.

As the band tore through a hot “Julius,” there was about 45 minutes left on the clock and everyone could see the “You Enjoy Myself” from a mile away. But what nobody could see was the infectious and active jam that would spring from yet another classic that had lost its luster. Sticking to the groove paradigm last night, I don’t think it will be long before we see the band take a “YEM” into open waters—the Gorge perhaps?

As tour follows the lines going South for two shows and then takes a quick right turn out to Chicago, the trajectory of this run is mind boggling. After the show tonight I thought of all the west coast friends who will see the band at The Gorge for the first time this year and what an awakening they are in for. 2013 is the moment we’ve been waiting for since 2009. 2013 is what I thought was possible when Trey stepped in stage in Brooklyn in 2008. Now it’s all happening right before our eyes.

Is the south ready for Hurricane Phish?

I: First Tube, The Moma Dance, NICU, Roses Are Free, Chalk Dust Torture, Stash, Scent of a Mule, It’s Ice, Tube*, Run Like an Antelope

II: Golden Age > Twist, Backwards Down the Number Line, Light -> Boogie On Reggae Woman, Julius, You Enjoy Myself

E: Loving Cup

* “Ice” tease

On a night nobody in attendance will ever forget, Phish played through one of the heaviest rainstorms of their career while matching mother nature’s theatrics with plenty of their own. The use of superlatives has become useless in this torrid Phish climate of Summer 2013, as the band is on a mission to thrown down the gauntlet on a nightly basis. The amount of tremendous music they have showered us with in the first week-plus of tour just saw another sharp spike with a monstrous second set that remained in a deeply improvisational space for the duration. Opening up the groove refinery in the main event, the band cranked out a filthy centerpiece of “Tweezer -> Cities -> Wedge” in the middle of the second set—and all of that happened after a twenty minute exploratory “Rock an Roll” wound its way into “2001!” Yeah, it was a special night of Phish.

Historically, the band has responded to mammoth deluges with memorable shows—the most famous of which is the iconic date of 7.22.97 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Etched along side Antioch ’99, Columbus ’00, Darien Lake ’00 and Deer Creek ’09, history now has Jones Beach 2013. Things started out quickly as the band took the stage amidst a raging storm and punched out spirited takes of “Chalk Dust” and “Cars, Trucks, Buses.” But then Trey made some interesting song choices. “A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing” matched the fury of the moment, but songs like “Ocelot,” “My Sweet One,” “Sugar Shack” and “Number Line” seemed to suck the energy out of a crowd that may have as well have just jumped into a swimming pool.  When they started up “Number Line,” the vibe was so far off what was actually going on I looked up and realized that the band was bone dry on stage and playing a below average first set—with plenty of flubs—like it was a sunny afternoon at Great Woods. But then something clicked. Maybe Trey looked beyond the front few rows of dry fans to the thousands of others who were braving a biblical deluge to be there. When the band started “Reba,” the entire night turned around as quickly as the Dukes of Hazzard pulling a U-Turn to escape from Roscoe P Coltrane.

The rain had not let up one iota, but when the “Reba” jam dropped, it no longer mattered. The band launched into a stunning, multi-tiered rendition of their classic that saw Trey effortlessly tear off gorgeous arpeggios while bringing the jam to a monstrous peak. One had the thought that they might end the set with such a triumphant version, but instead they followed “Reba” with the most ferocious “David Bowie” we have heard in a quite some time. This 25-minute combo completely flipped the script on the evening and left the drenched amphitheater abuzz at setbreak as everyone fled for cover.

When the lights dropped after a welcome interlude, Phish wove yet another seamless set of non-stop action—all doused with original ideas while avoiding any cliché jamming whatsoever. This was the real deal Holyfield, Phish-meets-mother-nature, full-blown gauntlet. As soon as the main event kicked off with “Rock and Roll” everyone knew we were in for a treat, but little did we know we would totally forget about the inclement conditions for most of a 50-minute sequence that we will be listening to forever. “Rock and Roll’s” jam provided an interesting stylistic juxtaposition with PNC’s “Crosseyed.” While Holmdel’s centerpiece featured several staggering peaks with heart wrenching melodic work from Trey, “Rock and Roll” was more exploratory and expansive—like a freight train in your living room—without the monstrous peaks. Both jams are amazing and illustrate just how diverse and masterful the band’s jamming is right now.

The band’s relentless attack continued with a version of “2001” that served as both a landing pad for “Rock and Roll’s” voyage and a springboard into “Tweezer.” And when the “Tweezer” jam hit, the rain and wetness fell one stage deeper into our collective memory as the band threw down a groove session of monumental proportions in “Tweezer -> Cities -> Wedge.” The band has returned to sculpting super-thick, gooey soundscapes this summer as Mike and Page are using more sounds than ever while dictating the course and the sound of jams as much as Trey. Fully locked, the band served up musical crack for the duration of “Tweezer -> Cities;” the type of music that offers salvation on the dance floor. This was the stuff the band had left behind in recent years; this was the candy-grooving of lore filtered through a modern lens; this was the type of rhythmic escapade hat leaves traces on your soul forever. This was utter bliss.

The band brought “Tweezer’s jam to an emotional, “Theme”-infused arrival, and as they slid out of this section, Fishman started up beat to “The Wedge.” It sure sounded like the band would merge these two songs, but instead, Trey started a rhythmic vamp and steered the band into “Cities.” Blowing out the “Cities” jam like no time since Atlantic City 2010, the band played one of the most infectious pieces of the night. And all the while, Fishman never give up. Continuing to lay down the “Wedge’s” beat in between verses of “Cities,” and then all over the song’s uber-infectious jam, he finally got the other guys to come along and they wound down their set-long chunk of sashimi grade Phish into the Rift era piece.

All of a sudden, Summer 2013 has taken on a very retro contour. And by that I mean that the band is serving up the goods night after night after night after night. Not since the late-90’s has Phish thrown down a week of shows soaked in the quality of improvisation than the one that has just transpired. And as many fans like to note, we are have only cracked the second week of tour!

See you in a few hours!

I: Chalk Dust Torture, Cars Trucks Buses, Ocelot, My Sweet One, A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, Water in the Sky, The Sloth, Beauty of a Broken Heart, Sugar Shack, 46 Days, Backwards Down the Number Line, Reba, David Bowie

II: Rock and Roll > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Tweezer -> Cities -> The Wedge, Wading in the Velvet Sea, Character Zero

E: Sleeping Monkey > Tweezer Reprise

Another night, another phenomenal show from to start to finish—Phish tour hasn’t been this good in ages. The band stepped onto their home turf in central New Jersey and played the show of the summer on Wednesday night at PNC. Sculpting another masterpiece of a second set—their third in four shows—the band spent almost all of the time after the break in an improvisational space. Centered around a staggering “Crosseyed and Painless”—far and away the jam of the summer—the second half of the show was chock full of audacious jamming spread over two central sequences of “Crosseyed > Harry Hood” and “Sand > Light.” Though the second segue could have been a tad more patient, five-star improv was present throughout all four jams, lighting up the mud-thick Jersey air with musical fireworks all night long.

It is quite apparent that Phish is making a deliberate decision to bring their jams into fresh places at every opportunity. No longer are they falling back on the improvisational clichés that grew prevalent in the years since ‘09—’12. Two-thousand-thirteen Phish simply sounds different than ever before. Absolutely at the top of their game and peaking like they haven’t since the late-‘90s, the band is not only back to churning out innovative music, on a nightly basis, but they are once again, piecing their sets—and shows—together like no time since their glory years. I have thrown the term “Golden Age” a bit too loosely in the past couple years—I just didn’t realize the arc that we were on. But it’s safe to say that 2013—with Dick’s 2012 as the gateway—represents the bona fide “Golden Age” of the Phish from Vermont.

Not since Dick’s “Light” have we heard Phish develop a jam so throughly and thematically as they did with the “Crosseyed” that opened PNC’s second set. Fresh musical sounds and ideas rained down on Holmdel’s legendary pavilion in a jam that absolutely stole the show despite plenty of other highlights. Talking to a friend last night, we were trying to remember the last time the band had played five shows in a row with the quality of jamming that they have displayed thus far this summer. We couldn’t remember. Once again, as in the times of lore, the band is besting themselves nightly and willingly diving into the abyss each and every show, and this “Crosseyed” is but the current mantle holder. I would wager zero dollars that it will be in the same top slot after Jones Beach. This is the Phish we grew up with, the band committed to bringing us to new galaxies every.single.night. Deep into this “Crosseyed” jam, listen for echoes of the Vegas ’03 “Piper” in the rhythmic chord progression that Trey develops, it’s unmistakable. The PNC “Crosseyed” is the type of protean jam that absolutely elevates a show to another level immediately and brings every ounce of your soul right along. Pure Phish magic of the highest degree, and one of the most awe inspiring conversation I’ve heard the band have in memory, I present exhibit A for the argument that Phish is playing better than at any point in their career.

Capping this heroic journey, the band dropped into “Harry Hood”—another move that bucks setlist convention—and placed their spiritual piece in the spotlight of the second set. And damn did they deliver. Constructing an incredibly well-phrased solo with non-stop licks of glory, Trey continually brought back a gorgeous phrase that came to define the jam. Giving “Hood” the full treatment in a must-hear version, the band capped a thirty-minute song pairing that provided a microcosm of the psychedelic experience.

Taking a heavy-handed breather in “Axilla,” the guys dropped right back into action with the second “Sand” of summer. This version was night and day from the lackluster SPAC version, as Trey leapt into action immediately, slicing and dicing the night with slinky rhythm chops that coaxed the rest of the band into active participation. This jam totally exploded, bringing a sweltering dance session into an equally sweltering evening. Unlike the guitar solo wankery that Trey can easily fall into, he kept it super fresh in this version focusing on rhythm licks for the duration. And just when it seemed like they might blow “Sand” out of structure, instead Trey elected for “Light.”

When Phish plays “Light” right now, it’s like being launched out of a cannon into a original musical universe, and last’s night’s version was but our latest ride. Again, Trey sculpted an sharp and dialed solo in “Light” before the band even began to take it out.  And when they did, they once again tread on sacred ground. Providing a late-set stunner that balanced the second half of the show, the band locked into each other in yet another gospel according to Phish. And this time Trey used his wah pedal to proselytize, leading the band into staggering ground and absolutely owning it. And before we knew it, the guys had led us to the mountaintop, providing the show with a astonishing late-set peak. In the denouement, Trey extensively quotes “Maria” from “West Side Story” before bringing the piece through a seamless transition into “Good Times, Bad Times.” And the audience roared with approval. The band brought the set home with the second “Slave” of summer—a beautiful rendition that punctuated the evening with dramatic resolution.

Honestly, with Phish playing at the level they are right now, there are no lulls in the their show. At set break, a friend who was streaming at home texted me that he thought the set was kind of lame. But I had the opposite experience at the show. He asked why, and my answer was simply—“They are crushing it.” Only treading on jams with “Wolfman’s” and a ferocious “Bathtub Gin” that evoked the spirit of the all-time version in the same shed 13 years ago, the band’s playing was, nonetheless, enjoyable and entertaining from the jump. “Llama” provided a kick start to the night while “Julius” served as an injection of blues-rock shreddery. Trey finally took a solo in “Yamar” after leaving it hanging the past few times, and “Stealing Time” felt crunchier than usual. Even “Theme” seemed to have a bit more mustard than average. This is the Phish we grew up with—even a set of contained songs popped with energy and creativity.

2013 is becoming a whole ‘nother ball game, and at this rate, there is no telling how far IT will go. Once again, anything is possible on any given night and the band seems determined to remain a step ahead of the game, showering us with lightness every step of the way. It is now quite evident—whether they knew it or not—that the band’s comeback has all led up to 2013, the celebration of their 30th year together and a rejoicing of the hallowed spirit of the band. They have come out of the gates this tour as a revitalized force of nature, and when things are clicking like this in the Phish universe, there’s no place on Earth that I’d rather be.

I: Llama, Wolfman’s Brother, Sample in a Jar, Julius, Halley’s Comet > Bathtub Gin, Lawn Boy, Ya Mar, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, Theme From the Bottom > Suzy Greenberg

II: Crosseyed and Painless > Harry Hood, Axilla > Sand > Light* > Good Times Bad Times, Slave to the Traffic Light, Rocky Top, Cavern*

E: Possum*

*teases of “Maria” from “West Side Story”

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PHISH YOGA CLASSES ON TOUR 

Surrender to the Flow Yoga: The Music of Phish, The Practice of Yoga.

Perhaps you’ve heard about my brother Chris’ Phish Yoga project. In 2010 he began teaching Phish themed yoga classes that connect the philosophy of the band to the teachings of yoga. After packed classes and lots of enthusiasm on and off tour throughout 2010 and 2011, Phish Yoga has expanded. Chris brought in five other huge Phish fans that are also certified yoga teachers and this past May held the first Phish Yoga Teacher Training in New York City. Check out the brand new website created by Michael Levin, here to learn more about this unique project, the teachers, events, and a lot more.

Phish Yoga is a 90 minute asana class set to immersive experience of live Phish. Each class is thematically constructed to draw parallells between Phish and yoga, describing how these practices are similar ways of accessing higher consciousness and transcending our rational, limited understanding of existence. All proceeds of Phish Yoga are donated to The Mockingbird Foundation and Street Yoga

Summer 2013 will include pre-show classes in Chicago, New Jersey, and Washington, DC (as well as a class last weekend for the SPAC shows in Malta, NY.) This Saturday 7/13, for the Merriweather shows, STTFY will be hosting a class at Synergy Yoga and Pilates in Columbia Maryland. Kerry Contini and Michael Levin will be teaching. You can pre-register here.

Next Saturday 7/20, at Village Yoga Lincoln Park in Chicago. Class with Tracy Stonaker. Pre register here using the Pay Pal donation button. Later in tour, Chris will be teaching in San Francisco and in Denver. Check the website or like them on Facebook for up to date information.