Set 1: Possum > Runaway Jim, Stash, NICU > Wolfman's Brother, Rift, Theme From the Bottom > Chalk Dust Torture, Mike's Song > Silent in the Morning > Weekapaug Groove
Set 2: Golden Age > Twist > Backwards Down the Number Line, Ocelot, Rock and Roll > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Cavern > Run Like an Antelope
Encore: Harry Hood
"They are going to play a new song to open the set" - "it's gonna be Makisupa to open since that was the first song ever written by the band" - "gonna be a monster jam setting the stage for an epic year of Phish". Everyone has their opinion in this community. That we know. And when the boys decided to bust out "Possum", putting everyone's creative guesses back into their pockets, I'm sure there were a few collective gasps. But you know what, it sure is a hell of a way to get things rolling and boy, did things roll during this first set.
We found a tight little area far over on Gordon side (formerly known as Fish side but he's back in the pocket so now that side is owned by Gordo). It would have been a perfect location if only the beer tent wasn't a mile long and you could make it to the bathroom without missing more than a single song.
After running through the motions of Possum > Runaway, it was Stash that grabbed my attention. The tension building classic has always been a favorite and they've been on point since returning from their break up. This particular version is a must hear, with a great peak that is fueled by Trey's rapid fire licks towards the end.
While Stash provided the comfort that the boys were well oiled and on point, Wolfman's Brother allowed for the dancing shoes to be taken out for a spin. There's a real sense of patience as they enter the jam and the interplay between Trey and Page is remarkable. Things get funky with Page perfectly comping Trey's funky riffs. But this patience only lasts so long, as is quite common in this era. They re-enter the standard Wolfman's jam with a few major peaks and one heck of a climax.
Rift is my bathroom break song but as was the case with the venue setup, it took me awhile just to get over so this break segued into Theme. As I was standing in th porto-o-pottie line, not even this experience could cast a cloud over the blissful sounds emanating from the stage during the Theme From The Bottom. A well-executed version not to be overlooked.
But if you are going to give only one other track a spin other than the Wolfman's from this first set, it would have to be Mike's. They found a good, dark groove, and hung on tight. The overall Groove is fun with Silent sans Horse acting as the bridge to fun city (read: Weekapaug Groove).
An old school set that was all around well played. I personally can't find much to complain about and my mood was in high spirits leading into the set two.
Phish - 7/5/13 "Wolfman's Brother" from Phish on Vimeo.
On our way up from the Portland area I had a mix put together, all non-Phish of course (see Phish tour rule book), but I did include a bunch of my favorite covers. One of which is TV on The Radio's Golden Age. This band has been a favorite ever since their Return to Cookie Mountain (2006) was dropped and I caught them at the Paradise Rock Club here in Boston during that tour. Such a great band, amazing musicianship, and the fact that Phish have chosen to cover them excites me to no end. Not only because it's a great song, but it also exposes the fan base at large to a wider selection of music. All too often I have felt this scene, and many other scenes as well, get hung up on one type of music style. It's healthy to spread your wings.
Speaking of spreading wings, this Golden Age jam finds a nice pocket of air to glide upon. After the happy, blissful jam at the tail end of the song, Trey brings back in the darker main riff of the song, allowing the rest of his bandmates to grab a hold of a groove, especially Page and his grand piano. Eventually Trey and Page lead into some harmonizing, with Trey on his wah wah and Page on his 44 key Wurlitzer. A gentle groove is a good way to describe the sound. Out of this gentel groove comes a Trey solo that includes some Gordon meatball bombs underneith, adding a layer of doom to the soundscape. Eventually the jam oozes back into the interplay groove that Trey and Page originally landed on and as Page hits the high registry with a single note, Trey throws down the chords to Twist as Page lets this note ring out. Definitely a version worth repeating.
As for the next few songs, there's not a ton to report. With Twist there's always a chance the jam can go places, such as the version from Riverbend last year. Unfortunately this jam doesn't do much and stays mostly within the standard "Oye Como Va" theme that the jam usually takes on.
What can I say about BDTNL. Sure, it's a feel good song and has a fun rocking jam to it, but in the middle of a second set I could probably do without. A statement is made with the Ocelot being placed in the second set, which it had never seen before. I think Chalk Dust Torture may want to keep an eye on this one as Trey may have a favoirte new jam to get his kicks off.
When they revved up Rock n Roll the thinking among any fan is "where are they going to take this baby". When they don't take it too far, it's hard not to be disappointed. But as with the rest of the show, the song is well played and includes a tightly packaged jam with some thrilling peaks. A few whale calls from Trey leaks us into a fun, but short, 2001.
From the dance party 2001, to the rocking Cavern to the out of this world Antelope that has a slowed down section that almost seems to harken back to the Golden Age jam, this trifecta closes the show out in style and in my opinion, makes up for the lack of mind blowing exploration.
Harry Hood in the encore is fitting, given the high energy throughout the show and old school vibe that made up most of the two sets.
All in all, I was more of a fan of this show then I think most die hard fans may have been. Part of the problem may have been the venue and some of the bad experiences folks had with how the venue was setup, which made it difficult to both get a beverage and to get to the bathroom without missing too much of the show.
Final verdit: 7/10
They could have thrown down much harder and they had some chances wtih the Twist and Rock n Roll mid second set. But they opted to keep it safe and instead throw down a rocking tour opener. This fan isn't going to complain too much.
Download taper recording (via Spreadsheet)
