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Countdown to Hampton: There and Back Again

Hampton Coliseum

In just a few days, Phish will break nearly five years of silence with a three night run in one of their favorite venues: Hampton Coliseum. Over the next two weeks few days, we’ll continue to take a little look back at what makes Hampton Coliseum so special to Phish, their fans, and more.

 

In 1999, Phish came back to Hampton for the fifth consecutive year; this time for two show to close out a short December tour. These would also be the last shows before the millennium ending, Big Cypress shows (that’s a whole ‘nother series of blog posts.) Modi and I went to these together and had a pretty great time (as usual.) The shows, themselves rate as ‘soundly average’ to ‘pretty good’ without really shattering any Earth. Phish held the serious muscle in reserve for New Years.

Here are the setlists:

1999-12-17 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
1: Piper, Meat > Sparkle > Gotta Jibboo > Punch You in the Eye,
When the Circus Comes, Water in the Sky, Twist
2: Birds Of A Feather, The Moma Dance > Bug, Jennifer Dances,
Split Open and Melt, Character Zero
Encore: The Old Home Place, The Squirming Coil > Loving Cup 

1999-12-18 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
1: Harry Hood, Back at the Chicken Shack, Dog Gone Dog, Tube, Heavy Things,
Back on the Train, First Tube, The Inlaw Josie Wales, You Enjoy Myself
2: Also Sprach Zarathustra > Sand, The Horse > Silent In The Morning, Possum,
Mike's Song > Simple, Weekapaug Groove > Buffalo Bill > Weekapaug Groove
E: Ya Mar, Sleeping Monkey

This was not exactly Hampton ’97 but there was some great stuff this time around. First set, first night had a strong “Piper” to open the run, a rockin’ “Punch You in the Eye”, and “Water In The Sky” with its reference to the Everglades where some of us would next be seeing Phish. “Birds of a Feather” followed by “Moma Dance” served as a great one-two punch but (I’m just gonna come out and say it) “Jennifer Dances” sucked the life out of the room. Yep. For those who don’t talk this stuff with me too much (and yet, are inexplicably reading this blog) you have found a Phish song that I hate. Moving along, the show was saved by a strong “Split Open And Melt” and a not-one, not-two but, THREE song encore that closed with an excellent version of “Loving Cup”.

The next night, from the drum shots to open “Harry Hood”, was slated to be a monster. It was a great exercise in pacing with the band being kind enough to give us breaks in between the various waves of assault from such tunes as “Hood”, “Tube”, “First Tube” and a crushing version of “You Enjoy Myself.” That’s just set one! Set two continued the same pattern with strong opening combo of “2001 > Sand” and a broken up “Mike’s Groove”. The mellower material wasn’t weak fluff like “Jennifer Dances” either; they covered Jimmy Smith, hit us with “Dog Log” (aka “Dog Gone Dog”) and the rare “Buffalo Bill”. The encore, “Ya Mar”, which is usually a lighthearted number contained a small tribute from Trey to his recently passed grandfather and was followed by a silly song with potentially stirring sentiment: “Sleeping Monkey”.

Not a bad way to end the last “typical” shows of the century.

As the story goes, Phish played Big Cypress, toured on in 2000 and decided to take a break. They called it a “hiatus”. Phish fans call it “The Hiatus”. The band took some time off, explored solo projects and, when the itch returned, so did they. In fall 2002, Phish announced that they would play Madison Square Garden on New Year’s Eve followed by three nights at the Hampton Coliseum. Continue reading →

Countdown to Hampton: Phish Lands The Mothership

Hampton Coliseum

In just two ONE week, Phish will break nearly five years of silence with a three night run in one of their favorite venues: Hampton Coliseum. Over the next two weeks, we’ll give you a little look back at what makes Hampton Coliseum so special to Phish, their fans, and more.

 

In 1995, Phish announced their fall tour and included an October date at Hampton Coliseum. I’m not sure if the Phish community at large saw this as more than just another show but I certainly did. I spread the word amongst my friends and ordered my tickets. This was a must-see, in my book. We (my girlfriend and I) stayed at the beach with my friend Rob and had a terrific time.

Here’s the setlist:

1995-11-25 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
1: Poor Heart, A Day in the Life > David Bowie, Billy Breathes > Taste That Surrounds,
Bouncing Around the Room > Rift, Wolfman's Brother, Runaway Jim
2: Timber (Jerry) > Kung, Mike's Song > Rotation Jam > Mike's Song,
My Long Journey Home, I'm Blue I'm Lonesome, Strange Design > Weekapaug Groove,
Harry Hood, Hello My Baby, Poor Heart
E: Poor Heart Reprise, Fire
Show Notes: The first set Poor Heart was the original version.
The second set Poor Heart was the slow, shuffle version.
The Poor Heart Reprise slower, but only a few lines of the song were played.

The thing with “Poor Heart” was pretty crazy. To this day, I have no explanation for that other than the band forgetting that they’d played it. Everything was immaculately played; the feel in the room was incredible; with fans just grooving and having the best time. The “Rotation Jam” was bizarre (and it might not have been “immaculately played” but that’s beside the point) and a real treat to witness. All in all, this was a great start to a long love affair between Phish and the Hampton Coliseum.

Phish '95

That weekend carries with it another hallmark; something that is, personally, more significant than the good Phish show. The next day I learned that I was going to be a father. It was for this that I missed Phish’s next two visits to Hampton.

The first, exactly eleven months after the 1995 show, came in October 1996. This show is good, but not epic. In fact, we’re going to gloss over it almost entirely save for one significant note. Trey made the following announcement from the stage during this show:

Sometimes people ask me what the uh, best rooms that we play are ah, in are. This is pretty much it, for me. Just so you know to answer the question. Good sound. Everyone gets to go where they want on the floor. You can’t beat it.

Not the most eloquent of statements but, it does suggest why they came back again in 1997 and played two of their most renowned shows.

Here’s the setlists:

1997-11-21 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
1: Emotional Rescue > Split Open and Melt, Beauty of My Dreams, Dogs Stole Things,
Punch You in the Eye > Lawn Boy, Chalk Dust Torture, Prince Caspian
2: Ghost > AC/DC Bag, Slave to the Traffic Light, Loving Cup
E: Guyute
1997-11-22 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
1: Mike's Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Harry Hood, Train Song, Billy Breathes,
Frankenstein, Izabella
2: Halley's Comet > Tweezer > Black-Eyed Katy > Piper, Run Like An Antelope
E: Bouncing Around the Room, Tweezer Reprise

Where to begin? The Rolling Stones’ “Emotional Rescue”? Really? That song, from the album of the same name is the Stones’ disco “effort” but here, after an amusingly faithful attempt to cover the song (don’t let the falsetto vocals scare you off, folks,) Phish stretches it out with an additional ten minutes of cow-funk jamming before landing in “Split Open and Melt”. The “Ghost > AC/DC Bag” is a sublime journey with some phenomenal improvisation that simply must be heard to be believed. The “Slave To The Traffic Light” that follows is spot-on too.

Phish @ Hampton

The next night doesn’t mess around either. First set opens with a killer 30+minute “Mike’s Groove” followed by a “Harry Hood”. That’s a pretty great way to spend the bulk of an hour. The fact that set two opened with a 25-minute “Halley’s Comet” does not suck at all. And, when the “Halley’s…” segues into “Tweezer” which then segues into “Black Eyed Katie” also does not even remotely suck. This is awesome stuff, folks. Don’t just take my word for it, check out the reviews at Phish.net: 11/21 & 11/22.

Jump ahead yet another year and Phish (and I) returned to the Coliseum; for two more nights. Continue reading →

Countdown to Hampton: My First Hampton Shows

Hampton Coliseum

In just two short weeks, Phish will break nearly five years of silence with a three night run in one of their favorite venues: Hampton Coliseum. Over the next two weeks, we’ll give you a little look back at what makes Hampton Coliseum so special to Phish, their fans, and more.

Growing up in nearby Virginia Beach, I came to know Hampton Coliseum as a welcome landmark along the highway, signifying our imminent arrival at home. I did not, however, have the opportunity to attend a concert there until after I’d left the area, midway through High School.

 

Spring of 1992 came around and, with it, Grateful Dead tourdates. The initial announcement included the usual run of shows at my local arena, the Capital Center, and I made plans to attend. I believe that my friend Mike, still in Virginia Beach, is the one who let me know that two shows had been added in Hampton just before the Cap Center run. This time, to skirt the ban, the band changed their name to “Bruce Hornsby and Friends”. They also limited sales to local outlets. This made it, in those pre-Internet days, all the more difficult for me to aquire a ticket. Telling my parents that Mike had one for me, I secured permission to drive down for the Friday night show.

On March 6, 1992, I skipped school, and drove to Hampton. As I had no ticket, I was not permitted to drive into the parking lot so, I parked at a nearby hotel. After securing a pizza box top and magic marker, I began walking up and down Coliseum Drive advertising, “$$ for One Ticket.”

Not ten minutes passed before success smiled upon me and I managed to secure a ticket for face value. I ditched my sign and left my car at the hotel (not advisable these days as the hotels are quite diligent about towing non-guest vehicles.) then I hustled into the lot for my second Grteful Dead show. We, of course, had no cell phones back then but Mike and I had planned to meet at the fountain in front of the coliseum. For those who have been there before for a Grateful Dead or Phish show, I’ll pause a moment so that you may recover from your laughing fit.

…

Upon reaching the fountain, I came to realize that ours was not only a silly plan, but it was not even remotely original. The area teemed with Deadheads- all looking for tickets and/or friends; selling food, crafts, or drugs; participating in or watching a large drum circle; or simply wandering aimlessly. I began to worry a little bit as I stood on the lip of the fountain and surveyed the area. With showtime rapidly approaching, I concocted a plan to go in alone and search further during the set break. I scanned the crowd one last time, noting that the drum circle was shrinking and that the flow of the masses had shifted from aimlessness toward the coliseum entrance. Biting my my lip, I set my resolve to go in alone. Continue reading →

New Year, Old Habits

So, 2009 is here and I haven’t even bothered to write to congratulate you for surviving ’08.

Let’s recap, shall we?

My son was born in May.
The United States elected an African-American to the Presidency.
Phish announced a reunion.
And some other stuff happened, too.

That about sums it up, right?

Anyway, I’m mostly writing this to see if I can manage to post from my new iPod. If you’re reading this, it worked.

Oh, and where will that image show up, I wonder? It should be a cute shot of Emmet from our Holiday Card photo shoot. (I think it comes up below this here text so I’ll stop typing.)

Writing… 

(The following is transcribed from a pocket-sized notebook.)

I used to tell people, “That’s just my job to pay the bills, feed the kids and all that. That’s not who I am.” But that’s really just a line. I’ve probably said that more to convince myself than anyone else.

“No,” I’d tell them. “I’m actually a writer. I write fiction, lyrics, whatever.”

But it’s all bull.

I do, sometimes, compose such things but, as the saying famously declares, “A Writer Writes.” Wannabes,  like myself, who go a month at a time without so much as a journal entry, are not writers. We are our jobs first and the act of writing is *gasp* a hobby. It’s a hobby that I’ll not likely convert into a future or even so much as a past-time because I lack the discipline to put a pen to paper more than once in a while. It’s not as if I don’t have ideas or passions and the time is there if I am willing to take it; it’s just that the easy path is so damned appealing.

I can ride this train each night to the end of the line with my ipod screwed into my ears and eyes closed, copping a few extra minutes of sleep. That’s cake. Inspiration strikes when it’s ready and I’m not so lazy as to ignore it but I’m also not so motivated as to keep the ink flowing in hopes that additional wit might sneak onto the page.

I’ve written a few good songs in 2008. That’s my honest (if not modest) opinion. I wonder, however, if I couldn’t have written a few more had been I writing on the regular as I did many years ago. Always, when I have been more diligent as a writer, have I produced a greater volume of presentable material. The amount of dreck increases too but, to sit idly and wait for quality to fall out of the sky seems remarkably ego-maniacal.

And so, as I made a New Year’s resolution several years ago to make no further New Year’s resolutions, I am hoping and aspiring (but not resolving) to write more in 2009. This goes for all formats: this little book, my blog, song lyrics, love letters, and epic diatribes to politicians and old friends.

I won’t aspire to be a better or successful writer- just, simply, a writer. I will endeavor to undo the silence of my apathy and give textual voice to the thoughts, questions, and images in my mind. 

Plus, there’s that cycle of dirty song parodies that I’ve always wanted to write…

-jmh