Friday, October 15th 2010

Charleston Coliseum poster

This years fall tour was a little brutal in terms of choices.  I have been lucky with many of the last tours getting venues close to home.  This years fall tour announced no venues in my home area, if I wanted to see Phish I would have to travel.  For many reason I picked the two night run in Charleston, SC at the North Charleston Coliseum and as the shows approached I was getting excited to see the band a mere 4 months after summer tour.  Having visited Hilton Head with Nancy last winter, I knew the Charleston was a solid 8 hours from home, but at least it was a two day run.

Thursday night I was up late, partly because I was so excited I couldn’t sleep, but mostly I still needed to pack.  In fact Thursday night was when I finally got a hotel room, directions, found a library to do homework, and figured out what park I was going to hike on Sunday.  Work and personal life have been so busy recently, another reason I was looking forward to a few days on tour with Phish.

I hit the road early and it took a little over 8 hours for me to get down to Charleston.  Once there unfortunately it took almost an hour to find the hotel, the street signs are not very good and I kept getting lost.  Once I found the hotel, it took another hour to find the venue.  I was so frustrated with the lack of signs and directions in Charleston a small part of me didn’t want to see the show.  I was hoping to get the lay of the land and grab a bit to eat but unfortunately there was no time.  By the time I finally arrived it was time to head in.

Being a general admission show the whole venue was wide open, first come first serve and I liked it.  I started the night off on the floor, like thousands of others I wanted to get a good view.  The floor was jammed but the vibe was through the roof.  Phish was playing a two night run in Charleston, a city they have not visited in years.  Unfortunately Friday’s show as not sold out so I was hoping for an extra special performance that night.  I hearken back to the E Center November 2nd, 1998 when just after Halloween the boys bust out a full cover of Dark Side of the Moon.  I remember being in college and finding out the following day what the set list was, I was blown away.

Unfortunately Fridays show didn’t include an entire cover album or anything I would say was to much of a bust out.  Yes Pages dad came out for a song and they played Destiny Unbound which doesn’t get a lot of coverage any more.  But over the last few tours these kind of gags and rarities are not uncommon.  In fact it is very much expected that a bust out song or a rare cover will be performed, if there isn’t one I would say the show would be sub-par in the 3.0 era of Phish.

The first set had many highlights but the song order just seemed out of place at times.  PYITE was a great opener and a good way to get the already excited crowd going.  Bathtub is always a favorite of my and the super funky bass laden Stevie Wonder cover of Boogie on Reggae Woman kicked ass.  Destiny Unbound was most assuredly the bust out song of the night.  I know it has been getting much more play time in 2010 (4 times so far) and even got played twice in 2009.  The time before that you have to go all the way to 2003 and Nassau Coliseum, which my friend and I attended and taped.  That was a bust out version back then, tonight was just a kick ass song played at the right moment.

By about this time I had had enough of the floor and forced my way through the crowd to reach higher ground.  I don’t normally move seats during the performance but this time I had to make a special exception.  I eventually made my way to the upper level directly behind the band and enjoyed the rest of the first set and entire second set from this lofty position.  Here I was able to sit down which was nice but I also had a good view of the crowd and light show.  I know it sounds weird, but you really get an idea of what the show is like when you sit behind the band.  You get to experience the light show on the crowd instead of it blinding you in the face.

Second set included some good songs and like usually was more of a set that flowed together from song to song.  Tube, DWD, Roses are Free and the whole Mike > Horse > Silent with Mexican Cousin before wrapping it up with Weekapaug was awesome.  It was a great way to be traditional, twice in fact with Horse > Silent and the more drawn out Mike’s > Weekapaug.  More throw backs from the early days.

By the end of the show I was feeling full of energy and was already looking forward to Saturdays show.  While walking through the lot I heard a guy on his cell saying it was the worse show he ever saw.  I personally didn’t feel that was a justifiable reaction to the show.  We all wanted more from the performance, when any show starts hopes are always high, those hopes sometimes get dashed as the set rolls along.  I thoroughly enjoyed the show and certainly believe it was a better than average showing from the guys.  My post show excitement went down in flames as I drove around for 2 hours trying to find my way back to the hotel.  When I eventually made back I was so happy I immediately went to sleep dreaming of dancing antelopes.

Set 1: starts at 8:03pm
Punch You In the Eye >
Possum
Bathtub Gin
Bill Bailey Won’t You Please Come Home?*
Boogie On Reggae Woman
Destiny Unbound
Backwards Down the Number Line
Bouncing Around the Room
Stash
Joy
Buffalo Bill
Dog Faced Boy
Run Like an Antelope#
set ends at 9:34pm

Set 2: starts at 10:12pm
Down with Disease >
Prince Caspian >
Twist
Roses Are Free >
My Friend, My Friend >
My Problem Right There
Tube >
Mike’s Song >
The Horse >
Silent in the Morning
Mexican Cousin
Weekapaug Groove
Suzy Greenberg >
Slave to the Traffic Light
set ends at 11:41pm

encore:
Character Zero
houselights come up at 11:51pm

Notes:
Bill Bailey featured Page’s dad, Dr. Jack McConnell, on vocals and tap shoes.
Antelope’s Marco Esquandolas lyric was changed to “Mike-O.”

Saturday, October 16th 2010

Phish Charleston penant

The following day I had all day to kill before I needed to be back at the coliseum for the second nights performance.  I have been to Charleston before and decided to spend the afternoon in city relaxing and getting a little school work done.  Part of my research before going to the show involved find a downtown library where I could get some calculus homework done.  Here I am doing school work on vacation but it actually was pretty cool.  The main branch was very nice and I could feel my neurons firing on all cylinders while studying, a quite library has the affect on me.  The rest of the afternoon I spent mostly reading and smoking cigars in Marion Square.  Before heading to the venue I filled up on some tacos at Juanita Greenberg’s.  Good food and cheap prices, it certainly was a college dive place.

Second night had the same problems getting into the venue as the first, local security was over whelmed by the sheer number of people trying to get in.  You throw in a security pat down and the lines where long and slow.  Like usual everyone makes the most of it and we all got in without incident.  For tonight’s performance I wanted to get a primo spot.  You might be surprised to know I didn’t want to be front row center on the floor or stage level on the back wall.  No, I wanted to sit level with the band, directly behind them.  I was right on the edge and actually got the see the band walk in and out from backstage, really cool seeing them so close.

When the show started it was amazing to look over the shoulders of the band and see what they get to look at during the show.  The light bouncing off the people and ceiling making everything look good.  The stage itself was always bathed in light, hard to explain, you just have to see a show from behind the band to understand the experience.  Even the acoustics were good back behind the stage.

The first set started with a new song that rocks and I love, Kill Devil Falls.  From here on out the entire first set was a throw back to the late 90′s.  Every song they played was from the 90′s play book and had much the same feel.  I mean a Sand, Pebbles, Sneakin’, Mango, Curtain With, etc…  These songs made heavy rotations back then but not many if any appearances in the recent tours.  Especially Sand, that has such a heavy bass rift I was creaming my pants when they played it.  Just an incredible set filled with wonderful music.

During set break I again took the opportunity to once again change seats, this time heading to the upper level corner.  I wanted to get a different perspective on the lights for a while.  When the second set started I was not disappointed by the opener or the light show.  Crosseyed was fantastic, especially near the end of the song when Trey and the lights are vibrating in sync.  I can’t describe how it sounds, just listen to the tap.  But the lights would vibrate a bright white in tune with Trey’s playing.  Eventually I got tired of my surrounding company and headed to the eagle nest behind the band for the remainder of the show.  The set continued the late 90′s jam with 2001, Tweezer, YEM and the bust out Fluffhead.  2001 even had the same guitar rift/light combo as Crosseyed.  My only complaint for the whole night would be Quinn during the encore, just not a big fan of the song.

After the show the crowd was in high spirits leaving the show and continued in the lots.  Everyone could agree it was a great show and better than Friday, which in my opinion was a good show in its own right.  Being completely satisfied and tired as crap I managed to get back to the hotel in a respectable 30 minutes, no getting lost this time.

Set 1: starts at 8:08pm
Kill Devil Falls
Guelah Papyrus
The Curtain With >
The Mango Song >
Sand
Limb By Limb
Sneakin’ Sally through the Alley
Uncle Pen
Pebbles and Marbles
Cavern >
David Bowie
set ends at 9:37pm

Set 2: starts at 10:11pm
Crosseyed and Painless
Dirt >
Fluffhead >
2001 >
Tweezer >
Show of Life
You Enjoy Myself
set ends at 11:46pm

encore: starts at 11:35pm
I Been Around
Quinn the Eskimo >
Tweezer Reprise
houselights come up at 11:46pm

Notes:
The YEM vocal jam contained Guy Forget quotes.

Oh yeah!  Two more Phish shows on the current summer tour and I get to end up at my home venue, Merriweather.  For one thing I was so happy I wouldn’t have to travel all day to see a show or sleep in a hotel room.  The trip to Merriweather would only take me an hour or so and I could sleep in my own bed after each show.  It seemed like only last week that I was seeing Phish up in Saratoga Spring, oh wait I did.  ;)

June 26th – warming things up

Phish summer 2010 MMP poster

For the Saturday show I gave myself plenty of time to arrive at the venue and do a little tailgating.  Unfortunately I forgot how close Nancy is to the venue and traffic was not an issues so I arrived about three hours before show time.  No worry I just went to Columbia Mall and walked around for awhile and stuffed my face full of food while I was there.  Getting bored with the mall I decided to head in and get a good seat close on the lawn.  This meant spending over an hour in the hot sun and high humidity.  I took the opportunity to just lay out without trying to move.  I just covered my face with my hat and attempted to get a quick nap.  Plus laying out afforded me more space as the lawn filled in closers to the show start.  With show time fast approaching I couldn’t be more excited.

The set opener was a mediocre choice with Crowd Control, not my favorite but a good one.  They quickly followed it up with Kill Devil Falls and one of my favorites from Joy, Sugar Shack.  Mike seemed to flub the words and his voice cracked, on the current tour the song has not been played much but I love to bass line.  After Sugar we got a Tube which yet again was another fan request.  Trey again mentions how he can’t understand what the audience is yelling out and this is what they will play when ever the crowds start yelling.  It was great to see another request, even though it was the same song as requested at nTelos for the first set opener.  Stash was good, another old song from long ago as well as NICU.  Another new song from Joy they played was Backwards Down the Number Line.  This is another song I really dig from the new album but I got the feeling the crowd didn’t care much or the new stuff.  They certainly dug the old stuff and wanted more of the hits but we can’t always get what we want.  Suzie closed the first set out and we got another glow stick war during the “Suzie….Suzie” part which kicks ass.  I remember my first show and the glow stick war during Harry Hood, ever since then I love the fights.  To look up into the stary night and see the florescent lights streaking across the sky is cool.

Trey@MMW (copyright Keith)

Set two started with another Rock and Roll, this time with a Columbia jam according to the official release.  As I looked over the set list I was writing down, comparing it the previous two shows I attended on this tour, they looked strikingly similar.  Not only was some of the songs the same, but even the order in which they where played was the same.  That being said the show so far was full of energy and some great song selections.  Like always the sets are interspersed with slow songs that just kill the momentum, as a whole they have been very very good.  Some of the best in years.

As the set rolled on they played Sparkle which was a great upbeat tune and then busted out with a Tweezer.  After the show opener and closer Tweezer Reprise at SPAC, I was pretty certain on another Reprise at the end of the night.  In two consecutive shows I saw, Tweezer Reprise was played three times, pretty good odds of you ask me.  The audience knew about the opening and closing Reprise and was juiced for tonight’s encore.  Next up was Horse > Silent in the morning which I had not heard in years, rather slow, but the guitar work at the end by Trey is always a highlight.  The set quickly rolled on to Wolfman’s and ended with Tweezer Reprise.  Something we all knew was coming, but I didn’t expect it till the encore.  The choice for the encore could have been better in my opinion.  I would have rather heard Tweezer Reprise there and Good Times, Bad Times as set 2 closer.  The Show of Life was just two slow…..booooo.  Good Times brought things back again to end the night on a high note.

Leaving the show I took the long way back to the car.  I had to park in the business garages on the back side of the venue meaning I had to pass all the official lots as people streamed out on their way home.  In under an hour I was back home and in a comfortable bed to dream about the show I just witnessed and let my mind run wild with what would happen on Sunday.

Set 1:
01. Crowd Control
02. Kill Devil Falls
03. AC/DC Bag
04. Sugar Shack
05. Tube
06. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
07. Stash
08. Backwards Down the Number Line
09. NICU >
10. 46 Days
11. Suzy Greenberg

Set 2:
01. Rock and Roll >
02. Columbia jam >
03. Free
04. Fast Enough for You
05. Sparkle >
06. Tweezer
07. The Horse >
08. Silent in the Morning >
09. Wolfman’s Brother >
10. Slave to the Traffic Light >
11. Tweezer Reprise

encore:
12. Show of Life
13. Good Times Bad Times

Note:
Prior to the start of the first set, Mike teased Do You Feel Like We Do. This show featured the Phish debut of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (Neutral Milk Hotel).

June 27th – the best got better

must be the start of set 1 (http://blackmuddyblog.blogspot.com/)

Having arrived way to early the previous night I took my time leaving and arrived at what I would say was just in time.  I got into the pavilion at 7:30, the ticketed show start time.  But this is Phish and the show time printed on the ticket is never right, you can always add thirty minutes to that as the actual time the band will walk out on stage.  In years past the delay was not always so well defined.  They would always start late, you just couldn’t be sure how long you would have to wait.  It always pays to arrive early to the venue because you never know what traffic will be like as I found out the first time I saw Phish at Merriweather.

But I digress, back to modern times.  The weather on Sunday was not much better than Saturday, in fact it was a bit warmer but thankfully a little less humid.  As the sun was setting quickly I was hoping for things to cool off rapidly and become a pleasant evening.  In the end once the music started I didn’t even realize how hot it was, I just didn’t care any more.

The show opened with Walfredo which for me was a bust out.  I know it has been played several times over the course of Phish’s 25+ years and certainly 131 shows is not that long.  But wow what a opener!  I knew something was up when the band comes walking out on stage and immediately proceeded to different instruments (see show notes).  I kept saying to myself “this is going to be good.”  Just when I thought things couldn’t get better they played Mellow Mood by Bob Marley.  The last time I saw this performed was at IT second night, in fact it was the last time it was performed before the second night of Merriweather.  The opening of the show was very strong.

As the set rolled on other favorites and songs long put to rest made their appearance including Tela which I first heard at my first show.  Divided Sky had a great pause in the middle, it went on so long I just though the band might walk off for their set break.  Had some great blues action with My Soul.  Other set one highlights included Bathtub Gin which I remember as the classic old school lights-literally-go-out-glow-stick-war-in-sues song, love that one.  To end one of the best sets of the tour was Antelope which contained a tease from Brian and Robert.

Tela request, which they played (http://blackmuddyblog.blogspot.com/)

During the set break I was amped and ready to rock!  The sunset was beautiful to watch over the top of the trees and the temperatures were finally breaking to something mildly comfortable.  As soon as the second set started things started to heat up again.  It was pretty much a none stop roller coaster ride of kick ass songs and great playful jams.  Wilson got things going with a little crowd participation straight into Meatstick with Japan lyrics, something I remember them doing frequently during 2000 after they went to Japan for several shows.  I Saw it Again was next up and during the remainder of the set lyrics would be interjected into various songs, in fact they did an I Saw it Again reprise after Jumpin’ Jack Flash.  Old school songs Piper and Ghost flowed effortlessly from the boys as they played a new debut, Jumpin’ Jack Flash by The Rolling Stones.  At this years Halloween concert in Indio, CA their musical costume was Exile on Main Street by the Stones.  They even played two Stones songs for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon as part of that shows week long tribute to the Stones reissue of Exile on Main Street album.  That was a kick ass song that literally had people jumping out of their seats.  Then back to I Saw it Again with things cooling off a little with Contact.

I couldn’t believe the set so far and welcomed the short break while they figured out what to play next.  Thankfully they picked a great song as the set closer, one that has a tradition spot here, YEM.  So far on this tour I had not heard it and it was a good 20 minute space odyssey.  Well actually it didn’t get to spacey, but it did have alternate lyrics from I Saw it Again (“Boy man I saw it again”) with some great lead guitar work by Trey and a slight hint of leading from Mike.  It ended with the traditional vocal jam and accompanying light work from Kuroda.  The bombed dropped at the start of the set finally exploded with the high energy lights and vocals.  After the short ovation period, it was so weak from the lawn I thought they would never come out, they busted out Fire and knocked the shit out of it for four minutes.  Jimmy would have been proud.

After this kick ass show I drove home in amazement.  Of the four shows (previous 1, 2) I saw this was certainly the best.  There were several bust outs and songs that are not generally played.  The selection of songs that are more often than not played were killer and accompanied the set perfectly.  I loved the playfulness of I Saw it Again lyrics in various songs and the reprise of it after the debut of Jumpin’ Jack Flash, that was just brilliant.  The following day when the show was available from Live Phish I immediately purchased it and have listened to the full concert numerous times.  What a great show, in fact a great summer tour, a very solid performance from the band and one of the best in years.  Currently they are on hiatus before hitting the Greek Theatre in Berkley for three night and a mini-festival at Telluride Town Park .

Set 1:
01. Walfredo
02. Mellow Mood
03. Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan >
04. The Divided Sky
05. Tela
06. My Soul
07. Ginseng Sullivan
08. Sample in a Jar
09. Bathtub Gin
10. Brian and Robert
11. Run Like an Antelope

Set 2:
01. Wilson >
02. Meatstick >
03. I Saw It Again >
04. Piper >
05. Ghost >
06. Jumpin’ Jack Flash >
07. I Saw It Again >
08. Contact
09. You Enjoy Myself

encore:
10. Fire

Notes:
This show featured the first Walfredo since September 30, 2000 (131 shows). Jon on bass, Trey on keys, Mike on guitar, and Page on drums.  Antelope contained Brian and Robert teases, a It Was a Very Good year tease from Trey, and an alternate “Michael Esquandolas” lyric. Meatstick contained Japanese lyrics. Jumpin’ Jack Flash was a Phish debut. Piper, Ghost, Contact, YEM and Fire all contained Saw it Again quotes. YEM also contained Jumpin’ Jack Flash teases and, in the vocal jam, quotes of Saw It Again and Surfin’ Bird (The Trashmen). The lyrics to Fire were changed to “Let Jon Fishman take over.”

Saratoga Performing Arts Center

The second show I was able to see on Phish’s current summer tour. I just saw them at nTelos Pavilion with my friend Jeremy on Tuesday and now I was making the eight hour drive to Saratoga Springs, NY for the first night of a two night run. I was able to score lottery tickets for both shows but was only able to make the Saturday performance.  I would however be back home in time for Fathers Day at my Dad’s house, so it all worked out.

The drive up was pretty uneventful. I got a rather late start but I still managed to arrive in Saratoga Springs at about 6pm. I was hoping for a quick nap but it took over an hour to get into the venue parking lot. I was surprised it took so long as people had been gathering for hours to tailgate. I had read that cops and park police would be making a strong presence at both show, cracking down on drinking in the lots. Being a state park there is no drinking in the lot, only from the vendors inside.  Few people followed the rule and partied anyway, they were not deterred by the police presence as there is safety in numbers. The police report from the weekend does mention several arrests, mostly for drug possession and drinking. I was able to get about five minutes of shut eye before it was time to head inside and try to secure a good seat on the lawn.   Show time was scheduled for 7:30 which means they will start about 8pm for their sold out show on Saturday night.

When the show started just after eight the lawn was jumping. As the band hit it’s first note of the night a large haze of smoke rose from the audience. I just couldn’t believe everyone and their mother was smoking. No literally, there was a couple easily in their 50′s next to me that whipped out a joint and lit up. Security and cops stood on the walkways leading to the upper pavilion and looked down menacingly at everyone, but there was little they could do. They where not about to wade through the crowd to get a couple pot smokers. The crowd was also a little routy. I saw a guy climb up one of the support beams for the walkway. He certainly was a monkey hanging around there, I just didn’t want him to fall and ruin everyone’s fun.

Copyright: Dan Shinneman

The show opened with Tweezer Reprise, something I found out later was very very rare.  It had been almost 15 years since they last did that as an opener.  After the show I started reading how Hersey didn’t have a Reprise and the night before in Hartford they doubled up on the Reprise.  In fact the Coventry Blog has a really good write up about the whole Tweezer Reprise thing, well worth a read for any phan.  It was great to be a part of Phish history, and besides, the show kicked ass even without the whole Tweezer Reprise gag.

Pretty much the whole first set kicked ass.  There were a lot of older songs played that I love to hear including Runaway Jim, Chalk Dust, and one of my all time favorites Bathtub Gin.  I know that during Bathtub there was a glow stick war and surprisingly there was one during Suzy Greenberg too.  There is a the slight pause in the song and Trey then yells “Suzy….Suzy….Suzy Greenberg” there was a giant launch of glow sticks.  In fact the whole performance had several glow stick wars during both sets, I believe there were at least four in total.  It was also great to hear Fluffhead again, I had not heard it in many years and it is always a classic.

Second set was a mix of old and new.  Opening with Rock and Roll there was a great long jam in the middle of the song.  They interspersed several songs off of Joy and even some new new songs, one that had never been played before.  After attending two shows already and seeing the set list from several others, it would appear they are testing out songs for a new album.  I would expect to see something later this year or early next, just in time for a winter tour.

For the encore Squirming Coil started things off and this is always a slow song, but I love the guitar work from Trey.  As the song progresses everyone slowly fades out leaving Page playing by himself.  It is always a great way to end a set or close out a show during the encore performance.  Character Zer0 brought things back to life, just in time to complete the show with Tweezer Reprise….again.  What a great show.  In my opinion things got better as the tour progressed.  I know the SPAC and nTelos shows were less than a week apart, but things just felt much better at the SPAC show.  I have certainly not been disappointed with either show.

After the show I headed back to the lots to decompress.  It took an hour to get into the lots so I was not expecting to get out any time soon.  I took the opportunity to catch a few zzzs again while I waited for the lots to clear.  It was an eight hour drive up and I had to be back home on Sunday so I started my journey that night after the show.  I drove past Albany and stopped at a rest stop for a few more hours of sleep.  I have slept there before and it is nice to wake up and see other fans sleeping in there cars too.  Plus, they have a Star Bucks inside that really helps get my morning going and prepare me for the rest of the drive home.  Once home it was a a short 6 days before my next show, this time on home territory.  I feel that Merriweather is my base of operations when it comes to Phish.  I saw my first Phish show there and have seen every performance there but the first back in ’92.  With a two night run I was excited.  I was also hoping for a better show than last years which I thought was disappointing.  Six days and counting….

Set 1: started at 8:01
Tweezer reprise
Chalk Dust Torture
Funky Bitch
Runaway Jim
Ya Mar
Sample in a Jar
Axilla
Fluffhead
Bathtub Gin
Suzy Greenberg
ended at 9:18

Set 2: started at 9:53
Rock and Roll
Free
Backwards Down the Number Line
Halfway to the Moon*
Prince Caspian >
Joy
David Bowie
Show of Life
ended at 11:05

encore: started at 11:08
The Squirming Coil
Character Zero
Tweezer reprise
show over at 11:26

Note:
*First time played
This gig featured the first Tweezer Reprise opener since November 9, 1995 (482 shows) and the debut of Halfway to the Moon. Suzy contained a Living After Midnight (Judas Priest) tease. Tweezer Reprise closed both this show and the previous night’s show in Hartford as well, making this the first time since July 16, 1993, that two consecutive Phish shows had each closed with the same song. (Freebird closed both the July 15 and July 16, 1993, shows.)

Phish

Day two of my mini vacation with Jeremy down in the Tide Water area of Virginia.  We arrived the night before to see Medeski Martin and Wood at the Norva Theatre for a kick ass show.  Tuesday was Phish at the nTelos Pavilion.  I have never been to nTelos Pavilion before so I didn’t know what to expect from the venue.  I knew to expect a kick ass show from Phish, thus far on the tour they have been on fire!  From the look of things it was going to be a small venue right along the water.  Come to find out while watching Phish 3D I was talking to another fan about the nTelos show.  It was one of only a hand full of shows already sold out, it was just weird that Portsmouth sold out before SPAC and other venues.  I soon found out this show can seat approximately 6,500 people.  I know that number seems like a lot, but that is a rather small venue for Phish to be playing.  They could have played the VA Beach Amphitheatre and come close to selling it out, but I guess they wanted to play somewhere new.

nTelos Pavilion

We spent most of the day bumming around the region, smoking cigars and eating some good food.  When show time finally arrived we headed to the venue not knowing what to expect.  One thing I immediately noticed when we pulled off the highway was the large police presence.  Cops were everywhere in front of the venue and parking garages.  In fact anywhere a group could congregate there where police ready to protect and serve.  We found a parking spot in the local government center parking garage, this was not a good sign, but at least we were close to the venue.  Once parked we headed in to get a good spot on the tiny lawn.

Once past gate security there was little presence inside the venue.  My fear of police/security walking around on the lawn during the show never materialized thankfully.  We and everyone else where allowed to do our thing without being harassed.  With the relatively small lawn we got a good spot nice and close.  Later when I saw Phish at SPAC and two nights at Merriweather I would have killed for the nTelos lawn.  We where able to enjoy the mild temperatures and constant breeze coming off the water all night long.  Earlier in the day the temperatures neared 95 with high humidity.  Thankfully things where much more bearable down along the water.

copyright Paul Costen

The show as a whole was kick ass.  Set one immediately opened with Tube which was a fan request.  I noticed the sign when the lights dimmed and the band walked on stage.  Eventually a small chant grew into a large roar as the crowd yells “Tube” in unison.  Trey banters with the crowd about this chant.  He couldn’t understand what was being yelled, but notes the sign, “you asking for that there.”  Just before they bust out with Tube Trey says “we play requests” and “we are the all request band.” Not one note had been played yet, but I already had a good vibe about the show.

The first set had some great highlights.  In addition to the fan requested Tube opener,  they busted out some classics I love including Moma Dance and Bathtub Gin.  Years ago when I first started seeing Phish these two songs where staples in shows and I grew to love the jams.  They played a Tim Waits cover for the first time ever, Cold Water, and mixed in several slow songs during the set.  The tempo changed regularly which was a little confusing.  For instance they rocked out Kill Devil Falls and followed it up with Slave, Lawn Boy, and Poor Heart.  What?  Then back to kick ass with AC/DC and Moma, then slow.  Ugh.  Despite the short coming it was still a good set and I was impressed, I couldn’t wait for set two.

copyright Paul Costen

After a short intermission set two started with more crowd chanting, this time in response to Wilson.  The second set started with an onslaught of fast paced songs that got the audience riled up.  When they busted out 2001 I felt a chill run down my spin, what a great song.  It was played way to short and lead into Simple, a curious choice to follow 2001 if you ask me.  As the set rolled on things slowly began to wind down, as if the energy initially capped by the giant tent was slowly being released.  When the last song of the set was played, the Beatles A Day in the Life, I was certainly relaxed and thoroughly entertained.  It was sad to see the show come to an end, but at least I had the encore.  They played Heavy Things and First Tube which was really good choices.  First Tube ended with what I like to call the “monster jedi ending.”  Tube opened the show and First Tube was a great way to end it.

The small venue and being right on the water made for a splendid evening.  When the house lights finally came on I certainly thought it was the best show so far of the tour.  Phish was on fire, the jams were tight, and song selection pretty good with a few exceptions *cough* Lawn Boy *cough*.  The band was feeding off the energy of the crowd and I look forward to them returning to nTelos in the near future.

Set 1 started at 7:58
Tube
Kill Devil Falls
Slave to the Traffic Light
Lawn Boy
Poor Heart
AC/DC Bag
The Moma Dance
My Friend My Friend
Cold Water*
Bathtub Gin
Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan
ended at 9:13

Set 2 started at 9:47
Wilson >
Seven Below
46 Days
Idea**
2001 >
Simple >
Joy, Taste
Theme from the Bottom
A Day in the Life
ended at 11:01

encore: started at 11:03
Heavy Things
First Tube
house lights at 11:17

copyright: UVA

The very weekend after I got back from Panama, I was traveling again. Staying home and getting things done around the house would have been nice, but I had a concert to see. Heck I needed to unpack my suite case and do a mound of laundry. But that didn’t matter, Phish was on their winter tour. Every time they tour I try to catch as many shows as possible. For winter the closest show to my house, and the tour closer, was happening at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville. I have seen several tour closers by Phish and they are always good, in fact this past summer I saw the summer closer in Saratoga Springs and it was fantastic.

The night before was spent at Nancy’s house so it would be a slightly longer drive to get to the stadium. I was giving myself what I thought was plenty of time because of the pretty heavy snow all morning long. When I actually left Nancy’s house there were a couple inches on the road already and very slow going to my house. Once at my house I got a few things done and headed out about 4 hours before the show for what is normally a 2 hour drive. Leaving from my house I cut through the state on a route I have never taken. The whole time I was driving it was snowing, thankfully it got lighter the further south I got, but that didn’t make traffic any easier.

After getting lost in Charlottesville, I was coming from a different direction than normally, I found the arena and it was smashed. Fans littered the streets and where slowly filtering in past security. Some hard core people where tailgating, I just wanted to find a place to park and get to my seat. I skipped the $20 cash lot next to the stadium and instead parked in a garage right next door for half price.

it snowed most of the way to Charlottesville

When I got through security and to my seat it was about 7:30pm so I could relax for a few minutes before the show started. My seat was stage right, almost parallel to the band. Not the best seat in the house, but it was a different view, allowed me to get a good view of the arena. My seat was the first row behind handicap seating which was nice. If my ankle started to bother me I could always sit down and still see.

When the show started the set started off pretty good with a few standards and Stealing Time from their new album. When Ya Mar started I quickly looked down at my iPod to scribble the song tittle. (As an aside, I remember writing set lists by hand many years ago.) All of a sudden I hear the crowd start to cheer, nothing to unusual, but it only gets louder. When I look up to my surprise I see a naked guy running around the stage. First time I have seen someone rush the stage at a Phish show. The crowd loved it and the band didn’t seem to phased by the act. All through the night they made references to the naked guy.

Other set 1 highlights included Divided Sky (because of the snow) with a super long break in the middle. Trey is just looking around the arena and the crowd volume went up and down, building to a crescendo when they finally started the song back up again. A good bluesy version of Sneakin’, something I don’t think I have heard since my first show over 10 years ago at Merriweather. Cavern, David Bowie with a mighty jam, and the Wedge were all great versions. I thought the closers of Bold as Love was lame. I hate it when they close a set with slow and melancholy songs. Set closers should be upbeat, leaving the audience wanting more.

Intermission was a time to rest and get off my ankle. I was standing for the entire first set and I could use the break. As the crowd around me thinned out I also spread out some. I always look around at every show during the set break. You see nothing but tired, yet happy people milling around. They might be headed to the restroom, talking with friends, smoking, what ever. But they all have smiles on their faces and are just having a great time.

Set two was much more of a jam session with the first four songs flowing one after another. Tweezer was a great start and jammed for a long time. When it lead into Light I could tell the song changed, but I didn’t know what it was. The guy next to me provided the song title. We actually traded songs a few times, he was really good with the new stuff and I was nailing the old stuff. Near the end of Light the jam turned very dark and cosmic. It just blew my mind away, especially with the transition into Piper, I was floored. The guy next to me also caught the transition too and we both agreed it was stellar.

Once you build it you must sometimes destroy what you love and start all over. That’s what I thought of Sweet Virginia. Yeah it was great to have a song reference the state, but I thought it completely killed the mood by slowing things down. Moving on. Harry Hood had a pretty decent glow stick war and Golgi was good but way to short. By the end of the show Antelope was a great choice. When they eventually walked off the stage the crowd went nuts. After what seemed like an eternity they came back for Loving Cup (bah) and a Tweezer Reprise (no surprise there). All things considered it was a very memorable night, lest of all because of the naked guy.

I was not planning on staying the night in Charlottesville so that meant a 3 hour drive home. Because of the snow on the way down I decided to stick to the highways. Longer distance but safety out weighted the extra time I would spend driving. Bleary eyed, I arrived home well after 3am and went straight to bed with visions of naked woman dancing on stage.

Set 1: 7:58pm start
01. AC/DC Bag
02. Chalk Dust Torture
03. Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan
04. The Divided Sky
05. Ya Mar
06. Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley
07. The Old Home Place
08. Cavern
09. Funky Bitch
10. David Bowie
11. The Wedge
12. Bold as Love

set 1 ends at 9:24pm

Set 2: 10:00pm start
01. Tweezer >
02. Light >
03. Piper >
04. Free
05. Sweet Virginia
06. Harry Hood >
07. Suzy Greenberg
08. Golgi Apparatus
09. Run Like an Antelope

set 2 ends at 11:18pm

encore: 11:20 start
10. Loving Cup >
11. Tweezer Reprise

show ends at 11:31pm

Notes:
• At the start of Ya Mar, a naked guy jumped onstage and ran around for a bit before being rounded up by security, prompting Trey to observe that “Naked Guy’s” antics “took a lot of balls.” During Ya Mar, Mike changed the lyrics to “he was a naked pa.”
• Sneakin’ Sally contained a vocal jam.
• Trey sang the verses to Light out of order.
• The sound for Mike’s bass dropped out during Golgi leading Trey to label it the “trio version.”
• During the ensuing Antelope, Mike took a bass solo to make up for the bass everyone missed in Golgi.
• Antelope also contained several lyric changes referencing the naked stage crasher.