I Do Stuff…

Updated: January 17th 2012 – I have stopped trying to write a post about this and the rest of the tour.  I am just going to post a quick thought and the set list so it will be on my site.

I made it most of the way from Charlotte to Raleigh the previous night looking for a place to sleep.  My intention was to hike in the Uwharrie National Forest but I couldn’t find the entrance to the place I wanted to hike.  I spent all morning driving around with no luck.  Eventually I just gave up and headed to the hotel room to check in.  After that I went to The Pit for some BBQ but got so discouraged from the huge crowd I went to The Oxford for some Irish food and beer.  I did walk back to The Pit for dessert and a beer.  I would have to wait till Nancy and I made a trip to Raleigh before I actually got to eat their BBQ.

This time around I made it to the show with plenty of time to get a good spot on the lawn and catch the opening of the show.  I have been here before, all to see Phish play.  Back in 2000 it was called Walnut Creek, then again in 2003 under the name Alltel Pavilion and finally this year as the Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion, that’s a mouth full!

I don’t remember much detail from the show, like all of them, it kicked ass.  I do remember having one hell of a time getting back to the hotel room.  I must have spent close to two hours driving around because I thought I knew where it was.  This was before I got my new car with GPS or had a smart phone with the same capabilities.  How did we ever get along without them?

Set 1:
01. Cars Trucks Buses
02. Peaches en Regalia
03. AC/DC Bag
04. Guyute
05. Possum
06. Halley’s Comet >
07. 46 Days
08. Divided Sky
09. The Ballad of Curtis Loew
10. Run Like an Antelope

Set 2:
01. Twist
02. Rift
03. Prince Caspian >
04. Esther
05. Been Caught Stealing
06. Piper >
07. My Friend My Friend
08. Kill Devil Falls
09. Split Open and Melt
10. Golgi Apparatus
11. First Tube

encore:
12. Good Times Bad Times

For me what truly marks the start of summer is Phish tour. This year started a little earlier than usual for the band in my opinion, but they are packing an east coast leg 1, three day festival over 4th of July weekend, and then a west coast leg 2 ending in a three night run in Colorado. From what I have read after this summer tour there will be no more shows this year. They certainly have toured heavily after coming back from hiatus in 2009 and they deserve a break, just not a long one.

I was going to catch three consecutive show, the last three of the tour in fact, over a long weekend. It started in Charlotte, NC on a Friday and progress to Raleigh and finally Portsmouth on Sunday before heading back to work on Monday. I probably should have taken Monday off in hindsight, but at the time I thought I could do it, Portsmouth is only 3 hours from my house. On Friday I got an early start, not driving, just getting up, Charlotte is 6 hours from my house so in relative terms, rather close. Getting a few things done I hit the road in the rental by noon after a quick stop for gas and coffee.

The drive down was uneventful considering I had my directions and it was only to North Carolina. This time I am proud to say I didn’t miss the exit for interstate 85 like I did years ago seeing Phish in Greensboro. Things were going great till I got into Charlotte proper and started looking for the venue. The directions I had from Google were not very helpful and I got lost…..of course. It drove around for just over an hour before I finally found the venue. Poor signs are to blame for this one, not one sign saying “Venue This Way” and a street sign was totally nonexistent.

Pulling into the lot it was pretty empty at this point as the band was just about to get on stage. I followed the attendants into the way back of the lot so I knew getting out would be a bitch. I found my way to the entrance past the people milling about and headed up towards the lawn to secure a spot. This show I actually secured my first pavilion seat from mail order in as long as I can remember but decided against it. They had already finished Mike’s > H2O and started on Weekapaque, I just wanted to relax and enjoy the music. Truth be told I really like the lawn for shows like this. Summer shows with a good crowd are best experienced on the lawn. There is a vibe and plenty of space to rock out as compared to pavilion seats. I was just bummed it cost me an extra $15 for the privilege of sitting on the lawn.

The weather was pretty good for a mid-July night in Charlotte, with a slight breeze and no threat of rain. What I didn’t count on were all the mosquitoes, guess they got the schedule for the venue like I did. Even in a crowd of thousands they found me and bit the crap out of me. The welts from Charlotte lasted almost two weeks and itched like crazy for the next few days.

First set was actually good and what I expect from a late tour show from the band, the music was flowing and the jams tight. Even the song selection was great with the traditional Mike’s > H2O > Weekapauge, Bouncing, NICU. By the end of the set they conjured up some more classics with Axilla, Wolfman’s and a new song I like, Stealing Time.

During the set break I felt like I could finally relax and reflect on the journey down to Charlotte. I got a good start but got lost and was late to the show. I walked in and the magic was already happening, now it was time to lounge and get psyched for set 2 as the sun set behind me.

Set two started with Backwards Down the number line and segued for most of the night. Next up was Rock and Roll which lately they have been doing long jams in the middle of the song. The official Phish releases have separated these out as a separate jam and they are good.

Updated: January 17th 2012 – I have stopped trying to write a post about this and the rest of the tour.  I am just going to post a quick thought and the set list so it will be on my site.

Set 1:
01. Mike’s Song >
02. I am Hydrogen >
03. Weekapaug Groove
04. Bouncing Around the Room
05. NICU* >
06. Sample in a Jar
07. Colonel Forbin’s Ascent >
08. Fly Famous Mockingbird
09. Axilla
10. Wolfman’s Brother
11. Scent of a Mule^
12. Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan

Set 2:
01. Backwards Down the Number Line >
02. Rock and Roll$ >
03. Ghost >
04. Free >
05. Reba# >
06. Icculus
07. Hold Your Head Up >
08. Bike@ >
09. Hold Your Head Up
10. Chalkdust Torture
11. You Enjoy Myself

encore:
12. Wilson >
13. Loving Cup

First show of the year!  It is a shame that it took 4 months for this to happen, but it finally did.

Not long ago I got an email update from the State Theatre about the Soulive show in late April and got excited.  Way back in 2004 was the last time I saw them at this great local venue.  Over the last few years the band lineup has gone through many changes, most notable with vocals provided by Reggie Watts and Toussaint on vocals.  They also had a rotating horn section which sometimes included Sam Kininger on sax.  I was excited to find out that it was going to be only the three piece for the evening.  Even the opening act was Eric Krasno spinning records for the crowd.  Often they would bring up members from the opening act to sit in for a few songs.

Soulive, copyright Alex Leary

Jeremy and I got a late start and didn’t arrive at the club till almost a quarter to 10, parking proved to be the biggest issue for us arriving late.  Once that was squared away we meet up with a friend of Jeremy, Ben, and talked with a few other concert goers before the show started.  Now and again I would turn my attention to Eric on stage doing his thing and just couldn’t get into it.  He released a mixtape a few months ago that I got and it was alright.  I found his flow on stage to be a little lacking, he didn’t seem to know where the crowd was going and didn’t want to lead them either.  As a result the song selection was all over the place and I couldn’t make sense of it.

The pre-show conversation in our group quickly fell apart and just as we broke the house lights went dark and Soulive walked on stage.  They opened with a few classic hits and jammed out for a while.  In support of their new album Rubber Soul they covered several Beatles songs including Come Together and I Want You (She’s So Heavy).  Eric really took the lead on all the covers and made them very dark and twisted.  If you ever saw the movie Across the Universe I thought he would have been perfect to play some of the parts, just that weird dark feeling throughout the songs.  Neal and Alan tried to breath life into them but the weight of the guitar was to heavy for them to overcome.  Eric certainly nailed the cover of She’s So Heavy.

Near the end of the set they played Lenny and Tuesday Night which are always good and brought the funk back something fierce, getting the crowd going again after the Beatles.  For an encore Do It Again made its appearance in proper form, when you have an energetic crowd this can be a good song to end with.  Even though it was a Saturday night about half the crowd was already gone and most of the energy for Do It Again walked out with them.

Eric Krasno, copyright Alex Leary

I thought the shows was good but not spectacular.  I loved the three piece from yesteryear but I thought their playing was a little lacking.  Each member is a great musician in their own right with side projects they focuses on.  Collectively they needed more practice as a group before the tour started which was evident.  Eric wants to take things down a dark path.  Alan looks like he is desperate to break out and do some solos but his fingers can’t keep up while Neal is just sitting there at the drums.  He has his moments of brilliance but it was like he was waiting for the others to catch up to him and they never did.  He would take control at times but it is hard for one man to carry this group.

After the show Jeremy and I hanged around to get a soundboard recording from the show.  For years they have offered these CDs to those willing to fork over $20 and wait about 30 minutes.  For once we decided to do it and plopped down $20 each for the recording.  Popping the CD in to listen on the way home we were shocked by what we heard, garbage.  It sounds like an analog signal coming off the board into their CDR machine was way to hot.  The show was completely overloaded and un-listenable.  I am not upset at the price so much as the quality.  The recording is amateur hour at the Apollo and I expected better from the band.  One of the tapers released his recording and it is a million times better than the “official” recording.  Needless to say I will never be buying one of their live recordings and in the future will tell everyone to stay away, its a waste of your money.

Only other thing of note all night were the bitches.  You know who you two are…..

Show Starts at 10:20 pm
01. Hat Trick
02. El Ron
03. Turn It Out
04. I Know You Got Soul
05. Come Together
06. Something
07. Eleanor Rigby
08. I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
09. Lenny
10. Flurries
11. Bubble
12. Tuesday Night’s Squad Part 1 >
13. Tuesday Night’s Squad Part 2
Encore starts at 12:00 am:
14. Do It Again

House Lights on at 12:12 am

As any respectable Phish fan know, summer tour was announced last week with mail order ending on Friday.  This afternoon the first round of confirmation emails are going out and I am happy to say I scored tickets to all three shows I wanted.  Sadly this will be the first year I will be unable to attend the Merriweather shows since I started seeing Phish back in 1998.  After last years stealer two night run my heart will be a little empty that weekend while I am away on another trip.  The good news is I will be catching the last three shows of the tour in Charlotte (first time), Raleigh (2000 and 2003), and again at Portsmouth.

I look forward to the nTelos Pavilion the most as it is probably the smallest venue on the tour with a capacity of only 6500.  Then throw in the fact its the final show of the tour plus Father’s Day and you have a trifecta for a good show.  Unforeseen circumstances caused me to miss last years Father’s Day show at SPAC, but I did catch the first night for a hell of a performance.

I can’t wait to get out on the road for a long weekend.  870+ miles for three shows at three different venues in two states.  See everyone on tour!

post for MMW@9:30 Club

It has become an annual tradition that I try to see a show on or around my birthday. For the last few years Medeski, Martin and Wood has toured in late fall and hit the Washington DC area on or within a few days of my birthday and I have been lucky enough to catch a couple of the shows. The one I missed and still kick myself over was when they played with John Scofield, tickets sold out before I could purchase them.

This year I saw the 9:30 Club listed for November 12th and agreed with some friends we were going to the show at any cost. I will admit, I got tickets a few weeks in advance but it was not an issue purchasing three tickets for Nancy, Jeremy and myself. Being my birthday show we decided to make it a night on the town and head to the city early to grab some dinner before the show. Doors didn’t open till 10 and I figured the show would not start till at 11 so needless to say we had plenty of time to kill.

Seeing as the 9:30 Club is right near U street I wanted to eat at some restaurant along the corridor. Over the last few years the whole neighborhood between 14th St. and Vermont Ave. has been revamped. Many of the rundown buildings that dotted the street and surrounding areas have been demolished and new high rise condo/retail spaces have been put up. You can still find Bohemian Caverns, Twins Jazz, and Ben’s Chili Bowl along side a bunch of yuppie cafes and boutiques. When we got to the city we cruised down U St. and quickly realized there was not going to be any street parking so got a pay lot for $15 which ends up being a deal for a guarded lot all night long. Now the hunt was on for a place to eat.

As I lead the group down the street I scanned both sides trying to find some place that looked good but was also within budget. Half the places looked like slum pits but probably had some good food and the other half were to shi shi and I would not be allowed to step foot into the place because of my attire. Quickly loosing hope we crossed over 14th and I found U-topia. From the outside it looked like a whole in the wall but inside the place was packed with patrons. Looking at the menu on the window we certainly could find something for everyone. When we walked in I was surprised by the decor splattered on the walls and low ambient light. The artwork was a nice touch and gave you something to look at and I immediately felt very relaxed and welcome when we sat down at our table.

U-Topia Bar and Grill

Getting a waiter to take our order was a bit slow but once he arrived things came in rapid succession. For an appetizer we got the mussels in lemon caper cream sauce that was amazing. Nancy is not much of a sea food fan but she tried it and actually like it, eating just as many muscles as Jeremy and I. For the main course I had….actually I don’t remember, the appetizer was that good. After a few beers and some time talking we walked to the club for the show.

When we arrived just after 10pm there was a line outside the venue, the doors had yet to open with the line wrapping around the block. Waiting only a few minutes for will call tickets we got inline to actually get into the venue with everyone else. When the doors finally opened we grabbed a beer on the mail floor and headed up stairs to take up residency near the center stage bar. There was one stool remaining that Nancy took and Jeremy and I stood. It is nice to be close to the band but from the balcony we had an unobstructed view of the stage and all I needed to do was turn around to get a bar, so it worked out well.

With the late doors MMW didn’t get on stage till 11:15. Here it is close to midnight and MMW had yet to appear on stage, this was going to be a late night! Jeremy and I were debating on a two set performance or one long set. In the end it was one long sets. As the night got going I was feeling good and the music was great. Jeremy and Nancy kept feeding me beer and I was feeling just right, so when the groove of the base hit and Billy starts hitting that drum line followed by the high pitch whine of John’s keys followed suit I was in heaven. I wish I knew what the set list was but all night the song selection kicked ass. The grooves were tight and vibe was strong. After attending the MMW show with Jeremy at the Norva we were expecting a light turn out but the floor was packed well into the set. People did start dropping like flies as the time approached 1am. Jeremy and I both agreed this was a killer show and certainly in the top three of all MMW shows we have seen. It is still hard to top the double encore night at Rams Head Live! from so many years ago or the late night set at Bonnaroo in 2003, but this one came very close.

Ben's at night, Michael Williamson

When the show ended I was exhausted but satisfied. The boys put on a worthy show, well worth coming out for and staying up well past everyone’s bed time. Not wanting to end the night so soon, and being hungry, we headed back down to U Street for Ben’s Chili Bowl. I got the chili cheese fries and split them with Nancy, Jeremy ended up with a chili dog. Let me tell you, that hit the spot after a long night of dancing and drinking, making the long drive home to Stafford just a little more bearable on a full stomach.

When it comes to MMW shows I have never been disappointed with there performances. Sure they have their off nights *cough* Norva 2010 *cough* but never a bad performance every. This one is near the top of my list all time and being a birthday show made it that much more meaningful. I hope they tour again soon, still trying to make it out to a show in another country, and hopefully a return to DC around my birthday in 2011! I can’t thank Nancy and Jeremy enough for coming out and partying with me all night, especially for all the beer and extra special for Nancy driving my drunk ass home that night. When we finally did get home around 3am my ass crashed hard. The following day we were headed to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore for a special night to celebrate my birthday further. I will get the details of that wild night posted shortly (Update: finally got that post written).

Set 1 starts at 11:14pm
?
ends at 1:22am

encore starts at 1:25am
ends at 1:42am