While Phish has dipped into their post-hiatus material this go-round, for some reason they haven’t gone for some of the era’s most significant pieces. While keeping ‘”Seven Below,” 46 Days” in rotation, the band has also touched on “Undermind” from time to time. In this era of their career Phish has, not surprisingly, favored their classic vehicles to pieces from their second era whose quality is constantly debated in the community. While they continue to inexplicably ignore two of their most profound jam vehicles in “Scents and Subtle Sounds” and “A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing,” there is another post-hiatus song, yet to make its debut this era, that would fit the band’s current style congruently – “Round Room.”
Round Room (2002)
“Really?” you might ask. Yes; really. In its four appearances in 2003, “Round Room” produced four pieces of layered, abstract, and melodic jamming – a style that came into play this past summer. The post-hiatus versions, all played before the their decline, lent themselves to intricate, interwoven fairy tales. And with the whole band communicating in such fine style these days, and Fishman tearing apart rhythms behind ambient collaborations, “Round Room” could be a source of deeply engaging improvisation.
But alas, will Trey allow Mike’s song to thrive? It seemed like Red’s reputation for keeping his band mates’ songs at bay was loosening during Leg I when Phish debuted Page’s “Halfway to the Moon” and Gordon’s “Idea,” but both songs were never heard from again, and in retrospect, almost seemed like a formality. If the band does decide to dig into their post hiatus vault, one would only hope Trey sees the shining pool of possibilities that lie in his bass player’s title track to Round Room.
6.17.10 (J.Reiss)
With the band pulling out songs from throughout their career, why not take a look at this one? With the potential to morph into sessions of selfless jamming, “Round Room” seems congruent with the band’s current direction and could develop into a psychedelic trampoline. Phish is doing just fine – don’t get me wrong – but if they are looking to expand their group of live offerings, consider this a suggestion. A piece that could shoot innocent concert-goers into outer space with little warning, the island-turned-galactic anthem would make a stellar addition to the current catalog.
Here are a couple versions from 2003. See what you think.
The first night of Phish’s two-night stand at Amherst ’95. After the following night, Phish hasn’t returned to the on-campus arena – until now! This fall Phish is heading back to the venue that has already hosted four mid-90s spectacles, and is primed to make Mullins Center a central stop in their 2010’s New England path.
I: Julius, Gumbo, The Divided Sky, Punch You In the Eye, Stash, My Mind’s Got a Mind of its Own, Axilla (Part II), The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Hello My Baby, While My Guitar Gently Weeps
II: Timber Ho!, Sparkle, Ya Mar, Run Like an Antelope, Billy Breathes, Cars Trucks Buses, You Enjoy Myself, Sample in a Jar, Frankenstein
While Phish has dipped into their post-hiatus material this go-round, for some reason they haven’t gone for some of the era’s most significant pieces. While keeping ‘”Seven Below,” 46 Days” in rotation, the band has also touched on “Undermind” from time to time. In this era of their career Phish has, not surprisingly, favored their …
It was on this weekend six years ago that Phish re-established themselves in the post-hiatus era. As much of the Phish community flocked to Las Vegas for two nights at the beginning of the band’s winter comeback tour, many fans held lingering questions in their mind. The Hampton shows left a bland flavor in mouths of most fans, and aside from those who saw the “Walls > Carini” at the LA Forum on Valentine’s Day, many wondered when, and if, Phish would regain their explosiveness. Any unclarity was wiped away over the course of two demonstrative shows in which Phish musically exclaimed their return.
There was nothing like another spectacular weekend in Vegas for Phish to regain the confidence of their fan base. (Ironically, it would be a weekend in the same room about a year later that signaled the band’s imminent demise.) Returning to the Thomas and Mack Center, the site of so many special nights, the band played with a creative dynamic and that sense of urgency that was so blatantly lacking in their four-night reverse New Years Run. Weaving together lively sets all weekend long, Phish highlighted songs past and present, culminating with the much-loved second set of the 2.16.03 show; no set of the weekend better exemplified the meshing of the old and the new. The opening segment of “Disease > Seven Below > Disease” popped with intensity while the band’s playing remained incredibly intricate. With remarkable improv and seamless segues, this was one of the first big highlights of 2003, a year that would resurrect Phish and bring us all back to those mystery-laden adventures of yesteryear.
Yet, what also emerged from this Vegas weekend was a new direction in the band’s sound and playing. Not as squarely focused on groove as in the late-90’s, the band still anchored their playing in dance rhythms- though with far more texture and effect- creating a “space-like” quality to the music. This new direction would be typified by such legendary Winter ’03 jams as the Cincy Gin (2.22), the Chicago and Nassau Tweezers (2.20 & 2.28), and the Worcester Ghost (2.26). This style of dissonant-space-groove became magnified as the tour and year moved on, taking Phish’s jams to new and different places than ever before.
The colossal “Piper” that came later in 2.16’s second set also foreshadowed a post-hiatus trend; that of huge “Piper” jams. On this night, the song would fly off the handle for 22 minutes, something that became the norm throughout the year as it produced continuous highlights. Including musical references to the set’s “Seven Below” and a full “Disease Reprise,” this “Piper” soared in a new direction for the song- a launch pad for adrenalized, full-on improvisational adventures. Like this Vegas version, every time “Piper” appeared in ’03, jaw-dropping jams materialized. A full-speed canvas that the band collectively shredded to bits, “Piper” became one of the best developments of ’03, fully realizing a transformation that began as the band wound down in 2000.
While the most impressive playing came within the weekend’s final set, the others shone as well. 2.15’s “Waves > Bug,” highlighted the Round Room composition for the first time since the comeback show, and the “Ghost” that followed absolutely smoked. (Potentially in response to a banner that hung from the second level proclaiming it had been 871 days since the previous version.) The first set boasted hot versions of “Reba” and “Antelope,” while 2.16’s first set opened with a ferocious “Bowie > Catapult > Bowie,” and brought some amorphous new-school improv with the second “Round Room” ever.
This Vegas weekend back in ’03 was cause for universal celebration in the Phish scene, as they were finally back. Both inspirational and playful again, the Phishy vibe had returned in a city where it had thrived for years. These nights were the first building block for Phish 2.0, in a year that saw their playing evolve, exploring a plethora of new ideas. This was the first step (well, second and third) down a path that would culminate in Miami’s magnificent New Years’s Run.
All photos from Vegas ’03
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GUESS THE HAMPTON OPENER, WIN PHISH TIX!
Over at Jamtopia.com, they are running a Hampton opener contest! If you guess correctly, and we all know we have the right answer, you have a chance to win summer tickets. The top prize is one ticket to The Fox if you are the only person to guess the answer correctly! Give it a shot; why not? Details are on the site.
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FYI : HAMPTON AFTER-PARTIES
For those of you who won’t nearly be done with your night when the encore ends, there are Phish after-parties scheduled in the surrounding Hampton area each night. If you are arriving on the 5th, the night before the shows begin, The Disco Biscuits will be passing through Norfolk on their winter tour. After Friday’s Phish show, Bassnectar and Orchard Lounge will take The Norva Theatre’s stage starting at midnight. Following both Saturday and Sunday’s shows, Steve Kimock and Friends will be playing late-night gigs at The Norva as well. In addition, after Sunday’s show, UK psychedelic dub maestro, OTT, will be headlining a down-tempo electronica party at The Omni in Newport News. Click on artists below to buy tickets now!
A show that has always been overshadowed by the Halloween hubbub in Atlanta just a few days later, this stop in Charlotte had plenty to offer. With a second set filled with feel-good Phish anthems, the band took the most improvisational liberty with “YEM,” “Simple” and “Antelope.” This night had an upbeat feel from the beginning, and was a solid effort amidst a relatively generic east coast run to begin Fall ’96.
I: Julius, Cars Trucks Buses, Wolfman’s Brother, Reba, Train Song, Character Zero, It’s Ice, Theme From the Bottom, Sample in a Jar
II: Down With Disease, You Enjoy Myself, Sparkle, Simple, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters, Waste, Run Like An Antelope
E: Fire
It was on this weekend six years ago that Phish re-established themselves in the post-hiatus era. As much of the Phish community flocked to Las Vegas for two nights at the beginning of the band’s winter comeback tour, many fans held lingering questions in their mind. The Hampton shows left a bland flavor in mouths …
Just when we thought we’d seen it all from our band, they came up with one last stunt. We’d seen Phish play in so many contexts– atop an air control tower, on a flatbed truck rolling through the lot, from midnight to sunrise in the swamps, at Mt. Fuji, in European towns, at huge festivals, in giant hot dogs, in tiny clubs, and on multi-band bills– you name it, they had done it. Yet, on the day after SPAC on their June ’04 run, they would pull off one more spectacular act.
On June 21st, they were scheduled to play Letterman in NYC. My ride was coincidentally heading back to NYC where I was hopping a late-afternoon plane to Indianapolis. But on the way down to the to the city, we started getting text message rumors that Phish was going to play on top of the Ed Sullivan Theatre, where the show is filmed, that afternoon! Whaaat?! We were shot with 100 ccs of adrenaline knowing that we were headed directly for Phish’s next “concert.” I told myself that I’d believe it when I saw it.
When we turned onto Broadway in midtown Manhattan, we looked up to the theatre, and sure enough they were setting up equipment! Before long, the band was atop the two-story marquee for an extended soundcheck before taping their four-minute late-night promotional spot. Immediately, I called American Airlines and switched my flight to the last one of the night, giving myself ample time for whatever might happen. We got there a couple hours before it was supposed to start, and there were already fans congregating behind the metal barricades that blocked off part of the street. As time passed, fans continued to steadily stream in, creating an oversized crowd in the middle of the New York City block in broad daylight. This was surreal.
As Phish stood atop the marquee, they continuously practiced the newly-shortened version of “Scents and Subtle Sounds,” the song they would play for the show. The gorgeous jam became the soundtrack to the afternoon, as they literally must have played it through ten times. Meeting up with some others, we grabbed some rail space, watched the cars go by, and waited. New York didn’t stop for anyone, not even a spectacle like this, and that made it all the more crazy. Cars, trucks, and buses drove by like nothing was going on while over a thousand people congregated across the street and hundreds of others leaned out the windows of their apartments above the marquee. In all of the my wildest Phish dreams, never did the this scenario pop up, and that is why Phish is Phish.
When the band finally took the mini-stage for the formal filming, they evoked memories of The Beatles playing their final concert as a surprise gig atop a building while cameras rolled. As Phish started, they played “Scents and Subtle Sounds” not once, but twice! I guess they would later choose which one to air, but what would happen next was anyone’s guess. This was the discussion of the entire afternoon. How long would they play? What songs would they choose? Would they rage it? Would it be mellow? All of these questions were answered at once as Phish dropped into a mid-day “2001” in the middle of the Manhattan skyline! As they swirled the grooves around the skyscrapers, I looked up and saw Phish against the New York City backdrop speckled with the bluest sky and cloud puffs. A question we often found ourselves asking when baffled by this band seemed very appropriate here, “What the hell was going on?!” Trey stared up at the clouds above and smiled as he was having as much fun as anyone with this Phishy spectacle.
We were all blown away with the magnitude and sheer absurdity of what was going down; Phish, amidst a sea of skyscrapers, was ripping a “2001.” As the band peaked the abbreviated version, they moved right into “Wilson.” No one knew when this set would end, so every next song was like another shot of energy. The crowd played their part chanting “Wilson!” from across Broadway, and the band looked giddy with amusement. They tore into the song with utmost energy as we raged the the flat cement dance floor provided so graciously by the city. Riding the frenetic tide, Trey concluded the song and ripped into the beginning chords of his personal favorite, “Chalk Dust Torture.” We all exchanged shit-eating grins while passing some herbage, this was too cool to be true; we were five songs deep in a mini-urban-Phish set! Sure the versions were truncated, but the jamming clearly wasn’t the point here.
As the band wound up the final twist of “Chalk Dust,” it seemed perfectly reasonable that their “set” would end here. But without saying a word, Trey dropped the opening lick of “Tweezer!” I laughed so loud inside my head I’m certain that some sound came out of my mouth, but needless to say, I was speechless. Trey looked like a kid in a candy store atop the marquee melting into a “Tweezer” jam with the sun reflecting off the glass monstrosities that surrounded him. The band bounced their grooves around the urban playground, improvising directly into “Tweezer Reprise.” Now this was the way to end the afternoon! Everyone collectively freaked as Reprise bellowed through the streets of New York. Phish was having at it in one of their favorite cities of all time, playing a selection of the most boisterous tunes possible to match the midtown madness. They played to their surroundings perfectly as they always seemed to do. Whether it was 100,000 at Big Cypress or 1,100 at The Fillmore, Phish were maestros of matching the mood. With the final note of Reprise, Phish walked off the stage much more carefully than usual, leaving us with one of the most unique memories in Phish history.
With the two insane SPAC shows and this surprise appearance, New York rejuvenated the Phishy spirit one last time before the second go-round was over. A band known for their extraordinary antics and sense of spectacle, this was one last ride on the ferris wheel. Yet, as dormant as this spirit has been for the last five years, it has been reawakened, well-rested from an extended hibernation. Regardless of what music Phish decides to play this year, you can be sure it will be infused with this very spirit we have come to love.
This show gets overlooked and dogged on way more than it deserves. While it may not be the greatest show of a standout tour, it has some great segments. First and foremost, an incredibly exploratory second set “Simple” that lasted over thirty minutes. Leaving behind ’97 funk grooves, this jam goes way out, providing some abstract psychedelia. This jam dominated a show that also featured a great show ending “Harry Hood,” and the infamous and blistering first set “Stash > Hydrogen > Weekapaug” songs after the “Mike’s” opener.
I: Mike’s Song, Chalk Dust Torture, My Soul, Stash > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Dogs Stole Things, Beauty of My Dreams, Horn, Loving Cup
II: Julius, Simple > Timber Ho, Contact, Axilla, Harry Hood
E: Fire
Just when we thought we’d seen it all from our band, they came up with one last stunt. We’d seen Phish play in so many contexts– atop an air control tower, on a flatbed truck rolling through the lot, from midnight to sunrise in the swamps, at Mt. Fuji, in European towns, at huge festivals, …
Post-Hiatus; 2003-2004 Phish means so many things to so many different people. Some savor it; some don’t even really listen to it. Some trash it for petty reasons. Some were unable to drop their personal or Phish baggage and allow moments to exist and unfold in front of them. Yet, anyone who turns a cold shoulder to this segment of Phish history may be blindsided by certain shows and jams that would beg to differ. The SPAC stand in ’04 might object to such an argument. The Nassau ’03 show might want to throw its two cents into the conversation, while the near 50 minutes of Hood>Bowie from Charlotte might want to speak up. The IT certainly would rise to make a case.
To name a few more argument makers; the entire June ’04 run from Brooklyn to Alpine, Walls>Carini from the LA Forum sending its Valentine’s love, Deer Creek’s Split>Free, or the Chicago show followed by the Cincy two-night run in the winter of ’03 might raise their hands to be called upon. I could go on and on. It’s funny, because there is often so much trash talked about these two years while they are strewn with high quality shows and great jams. People would make the following point– Trey flubbed too many composed licks of Stash, or messed up the fugue in Reba; he wasn’t as accurate on the technical aspects of written pieces. First off, who goes to shows with the primary goal of hearing the composed sections of songs played immaculately? There are albums and 1993 tapes for that. The essence of Phish- and what has always been the essence of Phish- is their improvisation. And to be honest, the “post-hiatus” period was heavy in improvisation and exploratory jamming, typified by the dark-horse show in Camden on 7.30.03- five years ago today.
When Phish played two-night stands, the first night was usually reserved for darker, more experimental jamming, while night two was more often than not, a “greatest-hits” type of show, reserved for more of the crowd favorites and classic jam vehicles. This first night in Camden of ’03 follows this pattern and remains one of the strongest shows from ’03-’04. In looking at this show, we can uncover the facts that Phish, while their sound was ever evolving, and Trey’s tone dirtier and more distorted, were still producing heavy improvisational journeys for all who opened their hearts and minds to them.
On the heels of one of the more popular ’03 shows on 7/29- (the Starlake Crosseyed>Thunderhead & bustout fest), Phish did not let up on the 30th of July as they prepared for IT. Overshadowed by the next night’s more bombastic songs of Piper, Mikes>H2>Weekapaug, Free, and Hood, many don’t recognize the depth and darkness of what happened the night before. In fact, when I mention this show to people, many are not even aware of it. Let’s quickly run through the first set.
In menacing fashion, foreshadowing the rest of the evening, My Friend, My Friend opened the show, honing in on the darker side of things right away. Following Star Lake’s trend of pulling dusty songs of the shelf, Velvet Underground’s “Lonesome Cowboy Bill” batted second, put in the setlist for the first time since Halloween ’98. What followed was an absolute highlight of the show, and the entire summer tour- a sublime 30 minute performance of Scents and Subtle Sounds, the post-hiatus Anastasio/Marshall masterpiece about living life in the Moment. Steeped in blissful and surreal improvisation, this best-ever version reached abstract and psychedelic realms that would be virtually untouched by the song until the band returned to Camden the following summer. Truly a jam for the ages, words can only go so far in describing its regal nature. (See below for the track). A first ever performance of the Dylan classic, “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” followed this deep exploration, providing a respite before they launched into the rare and sought after Spock’s Brain, showing its face for the first time since 10/6/00. A more conventional end of the set included Chalkdust, On Your Way Down, Fast Enough, and Taste- a combination of commonly played and not-so-commonly played songs. The stage was set for what would be a serious second set.
After the break, the opening notes of Twist filled the pavilion. Greatly divergent in form and focus, Twists always appeared in differing forms- from the more Santana-sounding Latin grooves that typified many, to the space-funk that defined the Island Run and SPAC, to the straight alien ambience that made the Meadowlands ’03 version and the Alpine version from earlier in the summer (7.18.03) so heavy. Well, this one would also be different. The jam eased in through previously scouted Twist territory, but soon Trey began to lead the jam outwards as the rest of the band built a collective and cohesive groove underneath him. As Fishman switched beats, the feel of the jam changed and the whole band began to dig deeper, as Trey’s tone became a little dirtier and more distorted. As the band locked into a singular rhythmic pattern, the improvisation moved into darker depths. Speeding up, Phish turned into a chugging freight train with some serious non-conventional Twist jamming highlighted by a sick drum beat which Trey soon picked up on and began to speak over. This jam moved into very abstract and dissonant places which transformed into frenetic madness with Trey offering some of his deepest phrasings of the night, before it chilled out into walls of sound with lighter Trey and Page melodies on top. With a magnifying glass on evil darkness, the Twist trickled to an end as a stand alone piece without resolution within the jam itself- but as Phish can often do, they used the next song, Bug, as the release to the Twist.
The Twist>Bug is really one entity- one experience- juxtaposing crystalline guitar melodies, providing the emotional and triumphant conclusion, to the 25 minutes of darkness that preceded. Trey and Page built the Bug to a truly massive crescendo before its conclusion. The band took longer than normal after such an adventurous excursion before deciding to turn the Tweeter Center into a dance party with the opening melodies of You Enjoy Myself.
The YEM, itself, is multifaceted beginning with minimalist staccato rhythm licks from Trey over the notoriously bulbous groove, letting Mike and Page take the lead. Trey seamlessly morphed his licks into melodies, providing lead lines and rhythm patterns simultaneously, before ripping into a more typical YEM shred session that brought the crowd to energetic heights. The four-song set closed with the highly allegorical Walls of the Cave, made even more poignant in the long-cast shadows of New York City. Ending the dark and exploratory set with some high octane energy to lead the crowd off into the night, Phish had just provided a set (+ Scents) of incredibly deep improvisation which, honestly, typified a lot of summer 03 shows. Secret Smile provided the perfectly sensual ending to an evening that would live on in infamy.
Regardless of the year, 1993 or 2003, Phish are magicians. A couple of years off didn’t change that, and fours years off now will not change that either. Should we expect things to sound different when they come back for post-hiatus part deux? For sure. Will it still be magic that speaks to and explores our souls? For sure.
Pictures above are from 7.30.03 Set II. (Thanks to Phishpics.net)
Post-Hiatus; 2003-2004 Phish means so many things to so many different people. Some savor it; some don’t even really listen to it. Some trash it for petty reasons. Some were unable to drop their personal or Phish baggage and allow moments to exist and unfold in front of them. Yet, anyone who turns a cold …
