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

Day two of my mini run and the last show of the summer tour.  My day started early because of the long drive I needed to make to Saratoga Springs, NY.  I booked a camp site at Schroon River Resort which was about 45 minutes north of the venue.  It was not the closest campsite to the venue, but it was the only one with spots available.  Again I waited to the last minute, Saturday morning in fact, to start calling around for a spot.  Some of the closer campsites posted on their website they were booked for the weekend and others simply didn’t answer the phone.

copyright: Mike Wren

I was hoping to leave by 8 but didn’t hit the road till almost 9am.  The traffic was light for a Sunday and what little there was was headed south.  Actually the drive all the way up was pretty easy, never really hit any heavy traffic, even around New York.  But as I got closers to the venue I started to realize that once again, I would not be able to make it to the campsite and back to the venue before the show started.  So I skipped the campsite and drove straight to the venue down the center of town.  Arriving when I did, did not afford me enough time to fire up the grill for some burgers.  But I did get some time to relax and enjoy the scene in the over flow lot before heading into the venue.  I would have to wait till I got home before I could test out my new grill.

As show time approached I started to get a little concerned about the weather.  Ominous clouds started rolling in from the east and they looked angry.  While at one of the rest stops in New York I jumped on their free wi-fi network and checked the weather, “cloudy” is what is said.  I messaged Jeremy to have him check the weather and he reported back with “cloudy.”  Nothing said rain so I assumed I would be safe, but you know what they say about assuming.  When I got about halfway to the venue entrance, and it’s a long walk across the golf course, it started to drizzle.  No biggy, I decided to take some shelter under the trees for a while and wait for it to pass.  I know it’s a bad idea, but it was just a little rain not a thunder storm.  As I sat there with other Phisheads the rain got heavier and heavier till it as a full on down pour.  I tried to hug a tree for a while but it was fruitless, I was soaked.  At that point I decided to walk towards the venue in the rain.  Every where I walked there were puddles of water with rain coming down in buckets.  I was doing everything I could to protect my ticket.  When I reached the venue they had some covered areas that were packed with people trying to dry out before the show.

copyright: Brian Sherman

Now when I got in line to get in I was thrown back to when I first started seeing tickets.  For years now when you walk into the venue the ticket taker has some type of scanner that reads your ticket, making sure it is valid and has not been used already to enter the venue.  Because it was still raining the ticket takers couldn’t use the scanners and they had to resort to tearing off the stub to signify the ticket was used.  It was crazy seeing all these people holding out their wet tickets and the takers ripping off the stub.  Some people had print-at-home tickets that were bleeding ink all over the place and ticket takers did their best to tear off the bar code.  It is amazing how quickly things can break down when you don’t have the computers you rely on to do your job.

About the time I made it to the lawn the rain stop but dark clouds always loomed in the distance.  It already rained when it was not suppose to, so what was to prevent it from raining again.  The rain delayed the band from their usual start time and I was hoping it would lead to a better show.  Maybe get a Divided Sky or something like that.  Or hear a little banter about the rain and everyone getting soaked.  Those of us on the lawn were definitely in high spirits.  We might have been soaked but the rain couldn’t dampen our spirits.

When the show finally started the first set was peppered with great tunes, no Divided Sky however or any mention of the rain.  But the opener of Llama was a great choice and the crowd was full of energy.  Moma Dance was alright at best, they have not been hitting it like years past, just to short.  When they got into jamming the song, it’s already over.  Other set one highlights include Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chalk Dust and a mighty David Bowie.  For the closer they played one of my personal favorites, Antelope.  Throughout the first set there must have been no less than 4 glow stick wars.  The middle section of the lawn was filled with glowing pieces of plastic flying through the air.  It was so great to see the crowd getting into the spirit of the show and having some fun despite the rain, wet conditions, and thick humidity.

copyright: Brian Sherman

After the set was over I walked to the top of the lawn to stretch my legs.  The wet ground made it impossible to sit so I walked around instead.  I also just wanted to be amongst the people.  The crowd was dense but it was great rubbing shoulders with other fans in such close quarters.  Everyone was smiling and mingling with those around them.  I walked aimlessly for a while just enjoying the vibe, eventually settled down in the middle of the lawn.  If there was going to be another glow stick war, and I had little doubt, I wanted to be in the middle of it.  It is so cool to look up towards the stars when glow sticks are flying overhead with Phish playing in the background.  Surreal almost.

By the time the houselights lowered for the second set everyone was ready for a killer performance.  The first set was pretty good and now it was time to do a little jamming and exploring a deeper selection of tracks.  Set opener Number Lines was played for 20 minutes before it lead into Twenty Years.  After Halley’s Comet they played Rock & Roll by the Velvet Underground, one of many covers during the night.  When it was finished things slowed down for a minute before they busted out Harpua.  Jeremy and I talked about this at the Merriweather show and how great it would be if they busted it out.  Again Jeremy lucked out and they played it tonight, so something special was about to happened.

What followed was some crazy stuff on the part of the band.  Trey sat down at the drums and Jon took the mic to sing a song.  The night before Jon debuted a new song of his called Party Time, so I couldn’t wait to hear what was going to be playe.  The first few lines that Jon sung didn’t register, nor did the accompanying music.  But when he sang the line “I kissed a girl and I liked it” I realized what song it was.  Definitely a new interpretation of the  song, I would even say that Jon butchered it.  But covers, and new ones at that, are always cool to witness.  Next up was HYHU and back into Harpua to close this portion of the set.  Next up was YEM that dropped like a bomb on the crowd and closed out the set, a solid 20 minute performance.

copyright: Mike Wren

So here we are at the end of the set for the last show of the tour till Halloween and Festival 8.  The band walks off stage and the crowd just goes silent.  This has happened every show I went to over the summer tour, the band walks off stage and there is no cheering or clapping, nothing to bring the band back out.  At least with tonights performance there was a proper glow stick war, but when it comes to encores the audience just expects it now.  They don’t cheer or clap and with all the lights people have, they don’t even raise those.  If I was Phish I wouldn’t come back on stage unless the crowd really got into it, but that’s just me.  After a short time they walk back on stage, with not much fan fair, for the encore.

The encore included an accapella Grind, lame, and another new song, I Been Around.  It was the last song to be performed from their forth coming album and prominently featured Page on keys and vocals.  It was alright, nothing special.  The final song was yet another cover and I thought an appropriate way to end the show/tour, Highway to Hell.

With the show over it was time to head back to my car and get out of Dodge.  This time I took the road back instead of cutting across the golf course.  The sprinklers were on and I decided I didn’t want to get soaked again.  When I left it was off to a rest stop a few miles down the road.  Since I never checked into the campsite I had to settle for sleeping in my car.  But the cool air that night made for a rather comfortable nights rest.  Like always I was joined by several other car loads of fans headed home from the show making a stop to rest from the party we all just left in Saratoga Springs.

Set 1:
1. Llama
2. Moma Dance
3. Guyute
4. Anything But Me
5. Cars, Trucks, Buses
6. Chalk Dust Torture
7. Golgi Apparatus
8. David Bowie
9. Cavern >
10. Possum
11. Ocelot
12. Run Like an Antelope

Set 2:
1. Backwards Down the Number Line >
2. Twenty Years Later
3. Halley’s Comet >
4. Rock & Roll
5. Harpua >
6. I Kissed a Girl* >
7. Hold Your Head Up >
8. Harpua
9. You Enjoy Myself

encore:
10. Grind
11. I Been Around*
12. Highway to Hell

*First time played

I was able to catch two shows on the reunion tour early in the summer, Knoxville and Pittsburgh.  After they announced a second leg of their summer tour I of course wanted to score some tickets.  I was hoping to do a four show run, but decided on a more reasonable Merriweather and SPAC.  These two shows happened on a Saturday and Sunday, so less time off from work and were the last two shows of the tour.  Fortunately I lucked out and scored my tickets via mail order so I didn’t have to mess around with getting my tickets via TicketBastard.

copyright: Dave Vann

Merriweather was the place I saw my first Phish show back in 1998 and I have always had great shows here, I was excited they were coming back to this great venue.  Jeremy and I planned on tailgating so I purchased a mini grill to cook up some great tailgate food.  We arrived to late to get a spot in the lot and were forced to park in an over flow parking garage near Columbia Mall.  This meant we were not allowed to tailgate as security came around several times telling us we couldn’t tailgate, finally the cops came around and forced everyone out.  We couldn’t even sit in chairs.  We had all this time to kill and some great food to cook but were stuck doing nothing.

As the show time approached we made our way to the venue entrance to grab a good spot on the lawn.  Security was a none issue getting in, however later I read that 31 were arrested for various offenses.  Non of which made the front page like they did with the three night reunion show in Hampton.  The weather was hot but with the quickly setting sun things were starting to cool off, if we could only get ride of the humidity things would have been perfect for a concert on the lawn.

When the show started both of us were pumped!  It was great to finally have my boy out on the road with me and our hopes where high.  Memories of Sabotage (8/8/1998), Harry Hood (8/8/1998, 7/9/1999), glow stick wars, 2001 (8/8/1998), Fluffhead (9/17/2000), Rock and Roll (9/17/2000), the list goes on and on.  One of the best shows in my life was my first Phish show at Merriweather 8/8/1998.  The boys always crush it when they play here, so my hopes where very high for this show.

copyright: Dave Vann

After giving this show such a huge buildup, now it’s time for the actual show.  In short I was very disappointed with the performance.  I had heard that the night before in Hartford was off the hook and I was expecting a similar performance tonight.  Not only because the band should have been running on a high but the pedigree the venue brings to Phish shows.  Looking back the performance was a solid one, but I was expected a more upbeat show then what was delievered.  They played a ton of new songs, some of which I am a fan, others I am not.  There was just a lack of energy that night and Trey was also pretty horrible on the guitar.  Both Jeremy and I noted off key playing, missed notes, simply sloppy playing in songs like HA HA HA and Party Time.  I guess they were saving themselves for the tour closers in Saratoga.

Don’t get me wrong, there were some great highlights including another great version of Foam that was jammed out again, HA HA HA I had not heard live, a new Fishman song called Party Time (crazy vocals, the man just can NOT sing), a version of Tube which was good but waaay to short.  The second set opened strong with Tweezer that lead into Taste, I don’t get that combo.  A long version of 46 Days which was played well and a long running Merriweather staple, Harry Hood as the set closers.  That was the song I wanted to hear, at least I got that.  Jeremy was hoping for a Down with Disease, but we later found out they played that in Hartford so there was no chance of it at Merriweather.  The encore was decent, they played Tweezer Reprise, which was a surprise because of my short memory I forgot they played that as the set opener so it is always a safe bet to get the reprise some time later in the set.

copyright: Steve Moyles

On the long drive home we reflected on the performance and although we were not that satisfied with the song selection and the lack of tailgating, we agreed it was still a great trip.  Even the worst Phish show beats any other day.  I was just hoping for a killer set Sunday night in Saratoga to make up for this poor performance.

Set 1: 7:38pm start
1. Crowd Control
2. Kill Devil Falls
3. The Sloth
4. Beauty Of A Broken Heart
5. Axilla I
6. Foam
7. Esther
8. Ha Ha Ha
9. Party Time*
10. Tube
11. Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan
12. Strange Design
13. Time Turns Elastic

set 1 ends at 9:02pm

Set 2: 9:31pm start
1. Tweezer >
2. Taste
3. Alaska
4. Let Me Lie
5. 46 Days
6. Oh! Sweet Nuthin’
7. Harry Hood

set 2 ends at 10:44pm

encore: 10:46pm start
8. Good Times Bad Times
9. Tweezer Reprise

show ends at 10:55pm

notes:
*first time played