| Words by: Brian Bavosa | Images by: Steven Walter Phish Festival 8 :: 10.31.09 :: Indio, CA
TRES Walking into the concert grounds, the band finally gave in and let the masses know via their traditional "Phishbill" (modeled after the Playbill you'd get at a Broadway play) that the musical costume for the night would be The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St. But before the hungry crowd could feed on Exile, there was the day set. Featuring hot weather that definitely translated into the band's performance, the afternoon set was relaxed, loose and difficult to dance to with hardly any shade in sight. Even McConnell and Anastasio looked to be conserving energy as the sun burned across their faces. Opening up with the standard guitar punch of "Sample in a Jar," the band again seemed to be playing it safe. "The Divided Sky" soared without a cloud in the sky, while "Lawnboy" saw Trey give a shout out to the beautiful venue and Page pay homage to the very grass the patrons were standing upon. Afternoon sets have always been a time for McConnell to take center stage and this one was no different, featuring his sprawling digits on the opening chaos of "Bathtub Gin" and the lullaby outro of "The Squirming Coil." Three more old school favorites, "Runaway Jim," "Possum," and "Run Like An Antelope" brought the day set to a close. Not much in the way of "bust-outs" or extraordinary versions, everything up to this point had been well executed, but seemed in many ways to be an introduction for what was to come. With a few hours before the night sets, fans gathered around jumbo TV screens to watch the World Series, touched up their costumes or chilled under palm trees awaiting the madness of Phish Halloween. QUATRO – EXILE ON MAIN ST. One of the greatest rock albums of all time, Exile on Main St. represents the very essence of what it means to be alive, in a band, and pouring your heart into rock & roll. Trey says the classic slab was ingrained in the band members' "DNA" and in the previously mentioned Phishbill, there was a superb essay by Rolling Stone magazine's David Fricke in which he explained the story of Exile, and its logical choice for the boys of Phish.
Arguably the strongest song of the set was "Torn and Frayed." Around the mid-point of the album, it was here that Phish finally made Exile its own. Built around the first big Trey jam of the night, it was hard to not see some of Anastasio in this story of a rock & roller struggling with the life he's chosen, "but never more than one great lick away from redemption" as Fricke explained. This is the story of Phish's past decade. Stardom. Pressure. Addiction. Failure. Redemption. Exile was Phish's "one great lick" on Halloween. The ninth track, "Loving Cup" was first covered by the band in '93, at the very first show that McConnell debuted his baby grand, and it has been a staple ever since. Highlighted by the guest horns and a valiant effort by each member, this take rivaled any single version of this tune over the past 16 years.
Exile on Main St. will rank with the best cover albums Phish has ever played. While the title of the album speaks of being in Exile, Phish continued their return to glory with this set. CINCO How the hell do you follow up THAT? Simple. You deliver one of the best sets of improvisational music you've played in the past decade. "Backwards Down the Number Line" began a five-song set, followed by the thumping thunder of "Fluffhead," in which Gordon took center stage. No flubs to speak of, this mega-number has certainly been a welcome addition to the band's catalogue in version 3.0.
The encore welcomed back out the horns for "Suzy Greenburg." A song that has been overplayed since the band's return, this version was easily the best one yet and again warrants talk of possibly a "best ever." Jones' vocals gave the ending jam an added boost and Page and Trey were blowing a gasket. Those onstage were having so much fun, they didn't want things to end, and when the song was about to be over, Trey led everyone back into a reprise jam, akin to the Darien Lake '00 "Suzy." Basking in the glow of fire, neon and the glory of a show this good, Phish rose to the occasion and made Halloween 2009 one for the ages. Not only did they conquer a classic in Exile, the boys turned in some of the best versions of their own classics. More photos of this show are available here. Phish perform again today in Indio. Keep an eye on jambase.com/phish for live Tweets, setlists, pics and full reviews. Complete Phish tour dates available here. Phish Festival 8 :: 10.31.09 - Halloween :: Indio, CA Set I (Afternoon): Sample In A Jar, The Divided Sky, Lawn Boy, Kill Devil Falls, Bathtub Gin, The Squirming Coil, Runaway Jim > Possum, Run Like An Antelope Set II (Night) - The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St.: Rocks Off, Rip This Joint, Shake Your Hips, Casino Boogie, Tumbling Dice, Sweet Virginia, Torn and Frayed, Sweet Black Angel, Loving Cup, Happy, Turd On The Run, Ventilator Blues > I Just Want To See His Face, Let It Loose, All Down The Line, Stop Breaking Down, Shine A Light Soul Survivor Set III (Night): Backwards Down the Number Line > Fluffhead, Ghost, When the Circus Comes, You Enjoy Myself Encore: Suzy Greenberg Exile on Main St. & Suzy Greenberg featured Sharon Jones, David Guy, Tony Jarvis, David Smith & Saundra Williams |
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Phish Festival 8 | 10.31.09 | Indio, CA
Friday, October 30, 2009
Express Lane To Phish Trivia
Those of you are feeling a bit beaten down by the Phish Crossword Experience may well
want wish to turn away from this one as well. However, if you’re feeling feisty, why not
take this on? The first person who brings a correctly completed puzzle to the Relix booth
will win a one year’s subscription and will receive (via mail) an uneaten Phish coin from
Halloween 1994…
1.Last name of the man who preceded Chris Kuroda on lights ____________
2.In what city did “Theme From The Bottom” debut ____________
3.Mike has his Corner, Fish has his… ____________
4.First name of Slip Stitch and Pass cover artist ____________
5.Picture of Nectar
producer____________6.Herbie Hancock song performed while Fishman was on the mountain ____________
7.Halloween 95 encore
____________8.Short film set to “You Enjoy Myself” that premiered at Sundance Film Festival __________
9.Last name of bassist whose band creates what Trey has described as “Music that makes me want to drive too fast” ____________
10.Song on which Page debuted the touring baby grand ____________
11.The Famous Mockingbird, NYE 1992 ____________
12.Cover artist,
13.Country where Phish has performed one show____________
14.First European fans, Rudi and____________
15.First song on which Santana joined Phish ____________
18 Steps, The Timer, aka____________16.Venue where Phish performed lone U.S. Club gig in the first half of 06
17.Dude of Life song that bears a striking resemblance to Chalkdust Torture ____________
____________18.Chris Kuroda’s first Phish show marked this holiday ____________
19.Surrender To The Air sax player
20.Second
21.Final
22.“Our intent is all for your ____________
____________Joy song debuted live by Phish ____________Joy song debuted live by Phish ____________23.Flavor rejected from final version of Phish Food
____________24.Town that hosted Phish office just before it moved to Burlington
25.Mike’s other guitar player____________
____________26.Subject of Todd Phillips’ first music documentary
27.Second Island on Island Tour ____________
28.Elton John song performed once ____________
29.Instrument that Page introduced in the summer of 1996 ____________
30.CD that presents music of Ernie Stires ____________
31.Comic/actor who also appeared on Letterman during Phish’s debut ____________
32.Name of horse on
33.Last name of Phish backdrop designer____________
____________Hoist cover ____________34.Month and year of show with first mail order tickets
35.Mike video that chronicles the making of
36.Song that induced hysterics from Click and Clack ____________
37.Nectar’s last name ____________
38.Last name of Riker’s Mailbox trombone player ____________
____________Hoist ____________39.Anastasio, Gordon and Kreutzmann
____________40.Gordon, Masefield and Perkins
41.Dave of “Energy Guide” fame ____________
42.Unperformed song from
____________The Story of the Ghost ____________43.Halley’s Comet author aka Nancy
____________44.Halloween 96 percussionist
____________45.Loaded
song that Phish debuted thirteen shows before Halloween 98 ____________46.Group that Covered “Sand” on
Sharin’ In The Groove compilation ____________47.Song that opened Halloween 94 show
48.Song that yielded
____________Dark Side cover ____________49.Athlete invoked during Phish’s
50.Venue where Phish debuted “Stash
51. 2005 release from Mike’s pal Joey____________
52. Steve Wonder song performed twice ____________
Hanging with MTV appearance ____________” ____________53. Band responsible for “Hold Your Head Up” ____________
54.“Free” single B-Side ____________
55.First Phish Gold Album
56.Original and fan-preferred name of venue where Phish has performed the most shows
outside of Vermont ____________
57.Song named by an audience vote ____________
____________58.Space that hosted Halloween 1987
59.First song back, 3/6/09 ____________
60.Venue where Trey strapped on roller blades during Weekapaug ____________
61.“Shafty” predecessor ____________
____________62.The 2001 Power of music Forum in Hartford concluded with performance by Anastasio,
Weir and ____________
63.Venue where Vida Blue debuted ____________
64.Not exactly Hall of Solace
____________65.Antecedent to The Bunny
____________66.Sum of the digits that represent the year when “Leprechaun” briefly swapped in for
“Hydrogen”
67.Word of the night, NYE 99 ____________
____________68. Year of original “Phishbill” ____________
69.Amy Skelton’s fellow “First Fan”
70.Traditional Gamehendge song that did not appear in the Great Woods version
____________
71.Co-writer (with Tom and Trey) of “Cavern,” “Limb By Limb,” and “Friday”
____________
72. Number of times that all four members of Phish have appeared together on the cover of
____________Relix
73. Year that
74. Title of Pork Tornado’s 2002 release____________
75. Tom Marshall’s bachelor party took place here ____________
BONUS: Last name of
Shapiro played the “Tweezer” from this show on Friday’s “From The Archive” show]since October 2003____________Party Time’s “The Birdwatcher” was recorded____________Express staffer who made audience chess move on 12/2/95 [Kevin
Serendipity Now with Jim Pollock
by Randy Ray
Longtime Phish poster artist Jim Pollock is on site at Festival 8 presenting a gallery of his work for the band. He has also donated original artwork as a grand prize in Head Count’s Reality Check trivia game show, which will be held all weekend, and concludes at the Tournament of Champions before Phish’s final set on Sunday. The Express sat down with the artist for a discussion about his craft, long association with Phish, his gallery exhibitions in various cities and of course, his work presented at Festival 8’s WaterWheel table gallery, where four Pollock original Halloween masks will be displayed, along with a gallery of his work.
Like many artists you did not start out this way. At Goddard College in Vermont, you began on a more structured path.
Yeah, I did a little bit of computer programming, but then I was always doing the Phish merch. Something started to click when I started doing the posters and stuff like that. It’s actually a combination of things. I have a son, and it was very helpful to do a job that I could work at night, and then take care of my son during the day. I parlayed that into full-time activity. My wife became a writer, too. She writes children’s books, and books for teachers. We decided to go it on our own at one point when my son was around 4, and we started our business. Luckily, it’s been a terrific year with [Phish] coming back.
I’ve actually had other jobs come up, not necessarily related to Phish, but it’s been a very busy year for me with Phish
coming back and other things being thrown at me.
At festivals, you are holding these nice, friendly conversations with fans, and the whole time, you’ll be working your craft, and creating art. I’ve always been fascinated by that process because it is almost medieval in the best possible way when a craftsman would work amongst the villagers, and it was quite commonplace.
Yeah, I found that really early on when I did the Great Went. People really respond when people are working, and doing
their thing. It definitely offers a different view of how the art process works. Unfortunately, this weekend, I’m not going
to be printing. I was lucky to get everything done, actually (laughs). I created a couple of posters for the merch. I did this new thing that I dreamed up with a friend of mine. There are two posters—one is a 3-D poster. We were thinking it would be cool to make a mask, and use 3-D glasses to be able to see through the mask, and see this poster. However then I re thought it and I didn’t think that people would wear these masks with 3-D glasses the whole time. I created these masks as a fundraiser for WaterWheel. We wanted to create a cheaper, more inexpensive type of merchandise to raise money for that. It’s a series of four masks that I created. This is the first time I’ve done die cuts, which is cutting the paper down to shapes. I made these fashion glasses, and put double-sided Scotch tape on them to stick on a mask, and they came out really cool. I was pleased with them. I’m hoping people really like this. Beth Montuori [Rowles from Phish, Inc.] helps out with WaterWheel, and we came out with this notion. This should be fun. It obviously goes along with the Halloween theme.
And it is all tied in with HeadCount’s Reality Check trivia game, too, right?
And it is all tied in with HeadCount’s Reality Check trivia game, too, right?
Yeah, I’m going to be donating some art for the winners of their contest. I did something last year for HeadCount, too. It
was when they were trying to get people signed on as voters. They did a great job. Every little bit helped. Fortunately, you know, the winds were going our way, as they say. Yeah, it was really good. I want to work more with them. I like that whole notion of making people a little more politically engaged at a rock concert. I always feel like, outside of people who go to concerts and stuff like that, it’s hard to talk to people. I make business contacts, and different types of connections and stuff like that at these rock shows, but it’s true—it’s a social gathering, and there’s a lot of very interesting people wanting to do some interesting projects there. I love to talk with the people. There are always all kinds of things that go on as a result of all of those conversations.
Let’s look at your evolving creative process in relation to this phenomenon. What has influenced your artistic
choices over the years?
I think it’s all serendipity. I think it’s a little like Phish. For close to 15 years, I had done T-shirt designs and stuff like that, and actually, when my wife was doing teacher education, she was doing methods of teaching art, and one of them was to do a linoleum block. I had always wanted to, but never gotten around to it. A lot of my influences are from the printmaking medium like Rembrandt, Albrecht Durer, and a lot of the German Renaissance artists. I had looked at it as inspiration, but had never done any printmaking. I started around 1994, and just never stopped, mainly linoleum carving.
I’m not sure. I guess I’m assuming I was a printer in a previous life, or something like that. (laughter) I hang aroundprint shops and love print nerds. I don’t know. I’m into the older process, an older type of print style. Most of the stuff
that I’ve done recently is in a letterpress style. Some stuff that Phish has done for merchandise has been silkscreen, but
generally, I’ve done linoleum, and now I do other types of plates, but all letterpress.
Like I said, it’s kind of serendipity. I started doing it and then realized that there aren’t many poster artists that really even work in letter press. Most people use silkscreen, and I think that really helps me stand out from other poster artists. It’s just very helpful. The actual printmaking medium is part of my style, basically. It’s what people come to expect, which is cool. Totally not planned; it just happened. It’s crazy that way.
Do you have equipment that you’ve had since the beginning?
I have one printing press that I still have, and I occasionally use. It’s a screw-top press, and I printed stuff at the Great
Went on that, the Great Went robot poster. That might have been one of the first ones I printed on there. It’s just basically a bookbinding press—very simplistic, and you have to roll the ink on.
What equipment are you using now?
I’ve graduated. I have that, and I also have a Washington iron handpress. It’s a press that is from the late 1800s, and it allows me to do much better registration. When I get a chance I do that, but a lot of the Phish stuff, I go to a printer friend of mine in Chicago who also did the masks, as well, Bruno Rohner and his letterpress. He is a fourth generation Swiss printing family, a huge printer in Chicago for years, and a lot of people know his family. It’s great to be in really, really experienced hands in that way. He teaches me a lot, and shows me things that I can do. These machines are amazing. He runs these things called Heidelberg. Most of them are from the 50s and 60s, and earlier. I learn every time I go into the print shop there.
You’ve had some exhibitions of your work in various cities over the past few years. Who is selecting the pieces for
display at these events?
Recently, I’m represented by a gallery in Miami, 101/Exhibit. It’s actually a collector who has been collecting my stuff for a long time. I’ve done some pieces for his family. His family, both his parents, has owned galleries in the past, and just opened one last year, and he asked if he could represent me. I had a gallery opening in the summer, and he curated that. Sometimes, I get someone else to pick out the art. I actually picked out the art for this one. I shoved a bunch of art into a box, and shipped it out. I kept a lot of the 1999s and 2000s out of what I’m showing at Festival 8. Part of the reason is because they’re so darned expensive. I hate shipping them around everywhere, and having to worry about them. I did bring 2003 posters and stuff that I’ve done while Phish wasn’t playing, so my more recent style is represented in this show.
You also had an exhibition at the Phish comeback shows at Hampton in March.
Oh, yeah, yeah, we did have a little show there at a hotel. It went really well. That was the first show of the year for me.
I’ve done a lot of shows this year. I’ve been out and about. It’s a nice thing. I had Bonnaroo. That was more or less a representation of the gallery stuff. They actually brought a lot of framed pieces out to Bonnaroo. (laughs) The frames got a little beat up out there. It’s a little more low tech [at Festival 8]. I can’t really afford to ship the frames all the way across the country.
Yeah, it’s a little more scaled back, more impromptu like the Hampton show—putting the prints up, and showing the work. And you won’t be working at Festival 8?
I’ll be around, but I didn’t bring my printing press. I’ll be there, talking, and hanging out. One of these times, I’d love
to come out with a nice, printed-from-scratch, on those premises. That’s what I did at Great Went, and that was a very
good situation. It created a lot of interest in my work. Part of the reason is, I think, it was such a rainy weekend, and I was printing on water-based inks so only a handful of those prints made it out of the concert in one piece. Because of the limited nature of them, they’ve become very valued. Another serendipity thing. You just never know.
What are your upcoming projects for the near future?
I’ve still got stuff on the drawing board. I just finished doing some work for Magic Hat. I’m doing some of their packaging for one of their beer labels coming out. I’m doing some more Phish stuff, and hopefully, get to do some regular old art prints and release them. But yeah, this year has just been breakneck. It really hasn’t stopped since getting ready for Bonnaroo. Right after Bonnaroo, was the art show, then I did the Alpines and the Gorge [Phish 2009 summer tour], and now this—crazy.
A bit of a break over the holiday season?
Yeah. Yeah. I’m hoping for a little bit of decompression. But I guess I have things on my plate for [Phish] for the fall tour, as well. I’m sure we’ll talk this weekend. We’ve all been so busy. It’s good to see everyone, too. It’s nice that they’re
touring around with their families. I haven’t gotten to meet the extended family of the different members. Mostly, I talk
with Page.
Yes, the two of you were roommates at Goddard College at one time.
Yeah. And the rest of the band, except for Mike moved to Goddard, as well. I got to know them there, but I mostly stay in touch with Page. I keep up with his stuff. I’m looking forward to meeting the other band members’ kids. I remember
meeting Trey’s daughters way back when, but now they’re all grown up. They’re around my son’s age. He just started high school. I’m looking forward to this weekend.
Crossword
By Brendan Emmett Quigley (www.brendanemmettquigley.com)
I n the spirit of kicking back on those Sunday mornings with coffee, doughnuts and the crossword puzzle, we offer you the Phish Crossword Experience. This puzzle was created by Quigley. We warn you in advance, it is on the order of a challenging weekend puzzle and it not exclusively comprised of Phish questions.
ACROSS
1
Ben Hunter’s nickname6
“Reba” lyricist10
during “Cracklin’ Rosie”
Word formed by Fish’s cymbals13
Biol. and chem.16
The ___ Theater (Cleveland, OHvenue)
17
Granada greeting18
Give the high sign19
“___ Puffy AmiYumi” (CartoonNetwork show)
20
Most-performed song by Phish23
Higher Ground proprietor Crothers24
Auto svc. site25
“The ___ Home Place”26
Houston Rockets superstar, familiarly27
1994/95 New Year’s Eve keepsake34
“Water in ___”36
Part 4 of “Fluff’s Travels”37
“I got an ache in my left ___”38
“Splinters of ___”39
State where 59-Down took place:Abbr.
40
8/9/1998 encore46
Motorists’ org.47
Overseas title: Abbr.48
Smart columnist Marilyn ___ Savant49
Shred50
Kin’s partner51
Military acronym53
Hanks Steve McConnell impersonated54
sequel
Song that inspired a once-performed56
Years Eve 1993
Phish favorite previewed on New59
Bas-relief medium60
name
Jamband with a period after their61
Sentences62
“Dies ___”63
“Aboard a craft bereft of ___”64
Historic opening?65
Prefix with dermis68
the Clifford Ball
One of the guest “Brother” tandem at69
Mike and Fish’s band circa 198475
“Look ___, no hands!”76
“A ___ One”77
Calendar spans: Abbr.78
Oscar ___ Renta79
“Venerable” historian81
nicknames
One of Jon Fishman’s many86
Baylor’s home87
Esther felt a “tiny tugging at her88
Nosh89
Greek salad cheese90
Site of the first Phish campingweekend
98
Cabinet dept.99
Song first roadtested by Anastasio,Lawton and Markellis
100
Tennessee footballers101
“___bucket full of thoughts”102
S.A.T. company103
Bee follower104
Brave
Monster that rescued Rutherford the105
First song back on 12/31/02DOWN
1
Late-night name2
Actor Tognazzi3
__-TURN (road sign)4
Uno + due5
Grocery chain6
Jeff Smith’s “Bone” heroine7
Drum legend Haynes Page McConnelljammed with at the 2008 Jammys
8
Kind of beetle9
“Whoopee!”10
Certain lymphocyte11
“___ Lang Syne”12
Mag mogul beginning in the ‘50s13
“Paul and ___”14
in the Fall of 1995
Goal of fans at the Greenpeace table15
Number of times Phish playedH.O.R.D.E.
19
Veronica of “Hill Street Blues”21
Best-selling album of 200122
Staff note26
Spare27
Home mortgage stats28
Robert of “The Sopranos”29
Writer Ephron30
East German inits.31
Col.’s superior32
Some degs.33
Paintings34
Lao-tzu principle35
“Uh-huh”38
With it41
Swears42
Smut43
“___ It Again”44
familiarly
Baseball’s $252 million man,45
Not bold46
Helper50
“Send me a ___ by wire”51
“Your ___ light / your eyes heavy”52
Yankee great, familiarly53
Café alternative54
Physicist Ohm55
Worse, as excuses go56
Relix editor Budnick57
Dashed58
Soaks (up)59
Groomed Ink played
Festival where MC Neoncellgap and62
Some desktops63
“Army of ___”65
It’s almost pointless66
Brazilian soccer legend67
Writer Dinesen69
Lover of Aeneas70
Many a state name in D.C.71
Word repeated in “___, ___, rocco”72
“... ___ mouse?”73
Naval inits.74
Cutting tool76
‘70s Renault offering80
Paul Languedoc’s alma mater81
The ___ Ampitheatre, WA82
__ Speedwagon83
Brewer’s need84
Rage85
“Let ___!” (“Go ahead!”)87
Real89
rerelease
Song left off the “Lawn Boy”90
Fox competitor91
Morgantown campus92
Dearie93
QB Manning94
Yellowfin tuna95
Time out?96
Alphabetical sequence97 Laugh syllable
Twenty Years Later: Thoughts on Phish’s Late Summer 2009 Tour
Published: 2009/11/03
by Charlie Dirksen
LOVING the music of a band for decades is a blessing and a curse. Caring too much about what you perceive to be the integrity of your favorite band’s music makes the refrain of “Wilson” — “Can you still have any fun !?” — a sincere question. One can miss the beauty in a moment while yearning for “the best.” And when you compare the song that you’re listening to with the most recent performances of it, or the versions performed many years ago, do you fully appreciate that THEY ARE BACK, playing for you and your friends again, right now? Are you as inspired in your listening, as the band is in their playing?
Twenty years ago, Phish performed a show on Halloween at Goddard College to benefit its sculpture building. Boxes of mac and cheese were passed out before the second set, so that fans could shake them during the hi-hat intro of “David Bowie.” The “Bowie” turned out to be one of the longest, most improvisational versions performed before November 1994. It therefore may not surprise you that many fans who first saw Phish play in the 1980’s are still showing up and paying attention today. The music has changed, the band has changed, and we’ve changed. But it is a testament to Phish’s power and passion as a rock band that having seen them in a small club in the infancy of their career is not much different than seeing them perform twenty years later on an enormous outdoor stage before tens of thousands. Yes, we are several decades and around 2900 miles from seeing Phish in a bar in Burlington or Boston, but this illusorily substantial difference in time and space is only one of degree. The boxes of mac and cheese may be gone, but the spectacle has expanded exponentially.
Phish’s basic instrumentation hasn’t changed. The sincerity of the music and the intimacy between the band and its fans is still present, as is the excitement for the next set opener, the next song, the next encore. Even the vacuum and trampolines still participate in making a Phish show unique and memorable, whether it’s your first — or two hundredth — show. And no matter how many shows you’ve seen and heard, which have made your Phish experience what it is, remember that the band has played them all. But they continue to perform with intensity and with love, as the highlights of their most recent tour demonstrated.
Phish kicked off their late Summer 2009 tour with four memorable shows at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado. On July 30, the first set contained the longest and most daring “Stash” of the year, while the second set’s “Ghost” jam featured some teasing of Fatboy Slim’s “Praise You” from Page and Trey and, later, some heavy “Windy City” teasing from Mike — even though “Windy City” didn’t debut as a song until Toyota Park in the windy city on August 11.
The July 31 show’s first set closed with a ferocious “Split Open and Melt” that swayed and twisted and soared with the swirling, roaring downpour. Although fans were soaked during the set break, they were rewarded with one of the best second sets of the year: a hose-everyone-down “Drowned” -> “Crosseyed & Painless,” followed by a precious “Joy,” a short-but-sweet “Tweezer” featuring a bit of the old dying-out-of-the-main-theme ending from versions of old, a good “Backwards Down the Number Line,” and a well-played “Fluffhead” with a “Dave’s Energy Guide” tease before “Piper” segued out of it.
The August 1 show, considered by some to be the weakest of the Red Rocks run, was nevertheless very entertaining overall. Trey used hand signals to communicate the name of the next song during much of the first set, even joking after “Jibboo” that “We do everything by hand signals now. There’s no more talking.” The second set opened with an excellent “Rock & Roll” -> “Down With Disease,” which included a brief tease of The Doors’ “L.A. Woman” by Trey. “Esther,” which hadn’t been performed since September 30, 2000, in Vegas, also returned to the relief of many fans. The fourth and final Red Rocks show on August 2 was one of the most expertly-played shows of the year. If it is highlights you seek, check out the second-set-opening “Boogie On Reggae Woman,” which has a very powerful jam, the fierce “Undermind” and fantastic “Character Zero,” both with the Grateful Dead’s Bill Kreutzmann on drums, and the sweet, show-closing “Slave.” But get the whole show from LivePhish if you like the setlist, because everything on that unforgettably gorgeous, moonlit night was cleanly performed.
Having had days off on either side of their Shoreline August 5 show, Phish played pretty loose. Despite a setlist that included crowd-favorites like “Halley’s Comet,” “Yamar,” “Cities” and “Bold As Love,” not to mention “Bowie,” “Mike’s Groove,” and the first “Oh! Sweet Nothin’” since Halloween 1998, this show was nevertheless not played as well as your average Phish show — which is, of course, nevertheless GREAT. It didn’t take long for Phish to make up for it, though, with two marvelous shows at the Gorge.
The first Gorge show on August 7 featured a must-hear, first set “Sneaking Sally” with some of the finest improvisation of the year, and phenomenally beautiful versions of “Bathtub Gin,” “Harry Hood,” and “Slave” to end the show. On August 8, while Gorge fans were treated to good versions of “Tweezer,” “Wolfman’s” and “Antelope” in the first set, as well as the debut of “Middle of the Road” (an upbeat Mike tune), the second set opened with a mind-blowing “Rock & Roll.” Curiously enough on this magical night, the mid-second-set “YEM” contained a brief tease by Trey of “Hedwig’s Theme” from Harry Potter.
Phish’s return to Chicago on August 11 at Toyota Park witnessed the first “Paul and Silas” since November 29, 1998, the debut of Page’s new tune called “Windy City,” and a wondrous “Curtain With” in the first set. The second set opened with an excellent “Backwards Down the Number Line” that abruptly segued into a very creepy “Carini” with some amusing vocals from Fishman during the jam and some spooky soloing from Trey. Worth a listen.
Shortly before the Darien Lake show on August 13, the legendary guitarist and inventor Les Paul died. As this was also Trey’s 15th wedding anniversary, it was an especially meaningful show for him. To honor Les Paul, Phish performed his original, “How High the Moon,” for the first time since March 8, 1993. Fans of “Drowned” should hear this second-set-opening version. It is looser than the Red Rocks 7/31 version, but is still great. The “First Tube” encore is also thrilling.
You’ve likely already heard about the Hartford show on August 14. Believe at least some of the hype. Sure, the playing isn’t as tight overall as, say, the August 2 Red Rocks show. But this is absolutely a classic, above “average-great” Phish show, featuring about half of the Gamehendge songs and numerous rarities. The first set is a bit routine, even though the take-no-prisoners “PYITE” opener is fun and the first “Forbin’s” > “Mockingbird” since September 30, 2000, Vegas, is a treat. The second set, however, is ridiculously electric, filled with often frenetic energy. At times during the crazy set (“DWD” > “Wilson” > “Slave,” “Piper” > “Water in the Sky,” “Ghost” -> “Psycho Killer” -> “Catapult” -> “Icculus” > “YEM”), Trey repeated and looped an astoundingly annoying electronic noise — the aural equivalent of bed bugs mating in your ears. During “Icculus,” Trey darkly mused about how people weren’t reading books anymore (“When was the last time one of you picked up a fucking book?! . . . Nobody reads anymore! . . . Put down your iPhones. Put down your DVD-things. We’re going to have an illiterate generation soon. . . .”). Hartford was yet another hysterically entertaining Phish show, and further justification for seeing them as much as possible.
After hearing such an insane set, many fans wondered what would happen the next night down south at Merriweather Post Pavillion in Maryland. The first set on August 15 saw the jovial return of Fishman’s “Ha Ha Ha,” shortly followed by the world debut of Fishman’s (also amusing) “Party Time.” (This appears to have been the only time in documented Phish history when two 100% Fish originals were performed back-to-back.) Fans were also gifted with the second appearances on tour of both “Esther” and “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’,” as well as a “46 Days” in the second set with an unusually spacey jam.
Summer tour 2009 closed at SPAC on August 16 in fine form, with one of the best second sets of the year. A 20-minute-long “Backwards Down the Number Line” – the most improvisational version to date – blew open the second set, which also saw a sweet “Halley’s” > “Rock & Roll” and a non-serious cover of Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl” (naturally with Fish on vocals) in a “Harpua” sandwich. There’s also a strong set-closing “YEM” and a triple encore: “Grind,” the debut of Page’s “I Been Around,” and “Highway to Hell.”
While your most recent “YEM” or “Mike’s Groove” might be a far cry from the best you’ve ever heard, the spirit is there, as is the hope that you will hear the best version you’ve ever heard again soon. For years, Phish performed shows only for coins in a can. Now, of course, they can afford not to perform at all, and they don’t need to make every note count. But they’re still trying to do exactly that for the sake of the music, and for all of us who love it. After 1500 live performances as a band, Phish is still aiming to please and still sharin’ in the groove. Be sure to enjoy yourself.
Recommended Listening from 2009 Shows
03/08/09 Hampton: Bathtub Gin, Down with Disease
05/31/09 Boston: Destiny Unbound, The Ballad of Curtis Loew, Time Turns Elastic
06/02/09 Jones Beach: Harry Hood
06/04/09 Jones Beach: Ocelot, Drowned
06/05/09 Jones Beach: DWD > Twist Around > Piper
06/06/09 Great Woods: Gotta Jibboo, Prince Caspian, Seven Below
06/07/09 Camden: Sugar Shack, Sand, Tweezer
06/09/09 Asheville: Kill Devil Falls, Backwards Down the Number Line, Possum
06/10/09 Knoxville: Undermind, Waves
06/12/09 Bonnaroo: Stealin’ Time, DWD, Kill Devil Falls
06/14/09 Bonnaroo: Mustang Sally, Bobby Jean, Glory Days, Rock and Roll -> Light, First Tube
06/19/09 Deer Creek: Drowned > Twist Around
06/21/09 Alpine Valley: Joy, Crosseyed and Painless -> DWD
07/30/09 Red Rocks: Stash, Ghost
07/31/09 Red Rocks: Split Open and Melt, Drowned -> Crosseyed & Painless
08/01/09 Red Rocks: Rock & Roll -> DWD
08/02/09 Red Rocks: Boogie On, Undermind, Character Zero, Slave
08/05/09 Shoreline: DWD, Oh! Sweet Nuthin’, Mike’s Song
08/07/09 Gorge: Sneaking Sally, Bathtub Gin, Harry Hood
08/08/09 Gorge: Rock & Roll
08/11/09 Toyota Park: The Curtain With, Backwards Down the Number Line > Carini
08/13/09 Darien Lake: Drowned, First Tube
08/14/09 Hartford: Second Set
08/15/09 Merriweather: Party Time, 46 Days
08/16/09 SPAC: Backwards Down the Number Line, Harpua > I Kissed A Girl > Harpua
Charlie Dirksen is an antitrust lawyer in San Francisco and is also an officer and Board member with the all-volunteer, 501©(3) non-profit Mockingbird Foundation, which was founded by Phish fans and has raised over $600,000 for music education for children. Charlie first saw Phish at the Paradise in Boston on October 6, 1989.
by Charlie Dirksen
LOVING the music of a band for decades is a blessing and a curse. Caring too much about what you perceive to be the integrity of your favorite band’s music makes the refrain of “Wilson” — “Can you still have any fun !?” — a sincere question. One can miss the beauty in a moment while yearning for “the best.” And when you compare the song that you’re listening to with the most recent performances of it, or the versions performed many years ago, do you fully appreciate that THEY ARE BACK, playing for you and your friends again, right now? Are you as inspired in your listening, as the band is in their playing?
Twenty years ago, Phish performed a show on Halloween at Goddard College to benefit its sculpture building. Boxes of mac and cheese were passed out before the second set, so that fans could shake them during the hi-hat intro of “David Bowie.” The “Bowie” turned out to be one of the longest, most improvisational versions performed before November 1994. It therefore may not surprise you that many fans who first saw Phish play in the 1980’s are still showing up and paying attention today. The music has changed, the band has changed, and we’ve changed. But it is a testament to Phish’s power and passion as a rock band that having seen them in a small club in the infancy of their career is not much different than seeing them perform twenty years later on an enormous outdoor stage before tens of thousands. Yes, we are several decades and around 2900 miles from seeing Phish in a bar in Burlington or Boston, but this illusorily substantial difference in time and space is only one of degree. The boxes of mac and cheese may be gone, but the spectacle has expanded exponentially.
Phish’s basic instrumentation hasn’t changed. The sincerity of the music and the intimacy between the band and its fans is still present, as is the excitement for the next set opener, the next song, the next encore. Even the vacuum and trampolines still participate in making a Phish show unique and memorable, whether it’s your first — or two hundredth — show. And no matter how many shows you’ve seen and heard, which have made your Phish experience what it is, remember that the band has played them all. But they continue to perform with intensity and with love, as the highlights of their most recent tour demonstrated.
Phish kicked off their late Summer 2009 tour with four memorable shows at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado. On July 30, the first set contained the longest and most daring “Stash” of the year, while the second set’s “Ghost” jam featured some teasing of Fatboy Slim’s “Praise You” from Page and Trey and, later, some heavy “Windy City” teasing from Mike — even though “Windy City” didn’t debut as a song until Toyota Park in the windy city on August 11.
The July 31 show’s first set closed with a ferocious “Split Open and Melt” that swayed and twisted and soared with the swirling, roaring downpour. Although fans were soaked during the set break, they were rewarded with one of the best second sets of the year: a hose-everyone-down “Drowned” -> “Crosseyed & Painless,” followed by a precious “Joy,” a short-but-sweet “Tweezer” featuring a bit of the old dying-out-of-the-main-theme ending from versions of old, a good “Backwards Down the Number Line,” and a well-played “Fluffhead” with a “Dave’s Energy Guide” tease before “Piper” segued out of it.
The August 1 show, considered by some to be the weakest of the Red Rocks run, was nevertheless very entertaining overall. Trey used hand signals to communicate the name of the next song during much of the first set, even joking after “Jibboo” that “We do everything by hand signals now. There’s no more talking.” The second set opened with an excellent “Rock & Roll” -> “Down With Disease,” which included a brief tease of The Doors’ “L.A. Woman” by Trey. “Esther,” which hadn’t been performed since September 30, 2000, in Vegas, also returned to the relief of many fans. The fourth and final Red Rocks show on August 2 was one of the most expertly-played shows of the year. If it is highlights you seek, check out the second-set-opening “Boogie On Reggae Woman,” which has a very powerful jam, the fierce “Undermind” and fantastic “Character Zero,” both with the Grateful Dead’s Bill Kreutzmann on drums, and the sweet, show-closing “Slave.” But get the whole show from LivePhish if you like the setlist, because everything on that unforgettably gorgeous, moonlit night was cleanly performed.
Having had days off on either side of their Shoreline August 5 show, Phish played pretty loose. Despite a setlist that included crowd-favorites like “Halley’s Comet,” “Yamar,” “Cities” and “Bold As Love,” not to mention “Bowie,” “Mike’s Groove,” and the first “Oh! Sweet Nothin’” since Halloween 1998, this show was nevertheless not played as well as your average Phish show — which is, of course, nevertheless GREAT. It didn’t take long for Phish to make up for it, though, with two marvelous shows at the Gorge.
The first Gorge show on August 7 featured a must-hear, first set “Sneaking Sally” with some of the finest improvisation of the year, and phenomenally beautiful versions of “Bathtub Gin,” “Harry Hood,” and “Slave” to end the show. On August 8, while Gorge fans were treated to good versions of “Tweezer,” “Wolfman’s” and “Antelope” in the first set, as well as the debut of “Middle of the Road” (an upbeat Mike tune), the second set opened with a mind-blowing “Rock & Roll.” Curiously enough on this magical night, the mid-second-set “YEM” contained a brief tease by Trey of “Hedwig’s Theme” from Harry Potter.
Phish’s return to Chicago on August 11 at Toyota Park witnessed the first “Paul and Silas” since November 29, 1998, the debut of Page’s new tune called “Windy City,” and a wondrous “Curtain With” in the first set. The second set opened with an excellent “Backwards Down the Number Line” that abruptly segued into a very creepy “Carini” with some amusing vocals from Fishman during the jam and some spooky soloing from Trey. Worth a listen.
Shortly before the Darien Lake show on August 13, the legendary guitarist and inventor Les Paul died. As this was also Trey’s 15th wedding anniversary, it was an especially meaningful show for him. To honor Les Paul, Phish performed his original, “How High the Moon,” for the first time since March 8, 1993. Fans of “Drowned” should hear this second-set-opening version. It is looser than the Red Rocks 7/31 version, but is still great. The “First Tube” encore is also thrilling.
You’ve likely already heard about the Hartford show on August 14. Believe at least some of the hype. Sure, the playing isn’t as tight overall as, say, the August 2 Red Rocks show. But this is absolutely a classic, above “average-great” Phish show, featuring about half of the Gamehendge songs and numerous rarities. The first set is a bit routine, even though the take-no-prisoners “PYITE” opener is fun and the first “Forbin’s” > “Mockingbird” since September 30, 2000, Vegas, is a treat. The second set, however, is ridiculously electric, filled with often frenetic energy. At times during the crazy set (“DWD” > “Wilson” > “Slave,” “Piper” > “Water in the Sky,” “Ghost” -> “Psycho Killer” -> “Catapult” -> “Icculus” > “YEM”), Trey repeated and looped an astoundingly annoying electronic noise — the aural equivalent of bed bugs mating in your ears. During “Icculus,” Trey darkly mused about how people weren’t reading books anymore (“When was the last time one of you picked up a fucking book?! . . . Nobody reads anymore! . . . Put down your iPhones. Put down your DVD-things. We’re going to have an illiterate generation soon. . . .”). Hartford was yet another hysterically entertaining Phish show, and further justification for seeing them as much as possible.
After hearing such an insane set, many fans wondered what would happen the next night down south at Merriweather Post Pavillion in Maryland. The first set on August 15 saw the jovial return of Fishman’s “Ha Ha Ha,” shortly followed by the world debut of Fishman’s (also amusing) “Party Time.” (This appears to have been the only time in documented Phish history when two 100% Fish originals were performed back-to-back.) Fans were also gifted with the second appearances on tour of both “Esther” and “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’,” as well as a “46 Days” in the second set with an unusually spacey jam.
Summer tour 2009 closed at SPAC on August 16 in fine form, with one of the best second sets of the year. A 20-minute-long “Backwards Down the Number Line” – the most improvisational version to date – blew open the second set, which also saw a sweet “Halley’s” > “Rock & Roll” and a non-serious cover of Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl” (naturally with Fish on vocals) in a “Harpua” sandwich. There’s also a strong set-closing “YEM” and a triple encore: “Grind,” the debut of Page’s “I Been Around,” and “Highway to Hell.”
While your most recent “YEM” or “Mike’s Groove” might be a far cry from the best you’ve ever heard, the spirit is there, as is the hope that you will hear the best version you’ve ever heard again soon. For years, Phish performed shows only for coins in a can. Now, of course, they can afford not to perform at all, and they don’t need to make every note count. But they’re still trying to do exactly that for the sake of the music, and for all of us who love it. After 1500 live performances as a band, Phish is still aiming to please and still sharin’ in the groove. Be sure to enjoy yourself.
Recommended Listening from 2009 Shows
03/08/09 Hampton: Bathtub Gin, Down with Disease
05/31/09 Boston: Destiny Unbound, The Ballad of Curtis Loew, Time Turns Elastic
06/02/09 Jones Beach: Harry Hood
06/04/09 Jones Beach: Ocelot, Drowned
06/05/09 Jones Beach: DWD > Twist Around > Piper
06/06/09 Great Woods: Gotta Jibboo, Prince Caspian, Seven Below
06/07/09 Camden: Sugar Shack, Sand, Tweezer
06/09/09 Asheville: Kill Devil Falls, Backwards Down the Number Line, Possum
06/10/09 Knoxville: Undermind, Waves
06/12/09 Bonnaroo: Stealin’ Time, DWD, Kill Devil Falls
06/14/09 Bonnaroo: Mustang Sally, Bobby Jean, Glory Days, Rock and Roll -> Light, First Tube
06/19/09 Deer Creek: Drowned > Twist Around
06/21/09 Alpine Valley: Joy, Crosseyed and Painless -> DWD
07/30/09 Red Rocks: Stash, Ghost
07/31/09 Red Rocks: Split Open and Melt, Drowned -> Crosseyed & Painless
08/01/09 Red Rocks: Rock & Roll -> DWD
08/02/09 Red Rocks: Boogie On, Undermind, Character Zero, Slave
08/05/09 Shoreline: DWD, Oh! Sweet Nuthin’, Mike’s Song
08/07/09 Gorge: Sneaking Sally, Bathtub Gin, Harry Hood
08/08/09 Gorge: Rock & Roll
08/11/09 Toyota Park: The Curtain With, Backwards Down the Number Line > Carini
08/13/09 Darien Lake: Drowned, First Tube
08/14/09 Hartford: Second Set
08/15/09 Merriweather: Party Time, 46 Days
08/16/09 SPAC: Backwards Down the Number Line, Harpua > I Kissed A Girl > Harpua
Charlie Dirksen is an antitrust lawyer in San Francisco and is also an officer and Board member with the all-volunteer, 501©(3) non-profit Mockingbird Foundation, which was founded by Phish fans and has raised over $600,000 for music education for children. Charlie first saw Phish at the Paradise in Boston on October 6, 1989.
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