Live Music

Phish 2009-06-07, Camden, NJ

On a beautiful, early Summer, evening across the river from Philadelphia, Phish set out to demonstrate its rebirth. Well, perhaps that’s laying on the hyperbole a little thick but the show was a decided improvement over Hampton and showed distinct signs of growth for what has come to be known as Phish 3.0.

Here’s the Setlist:

2009-06-07 Susquehanna Bank Center - Camden, NJ
1: Chalk Dust Torture, Fee -> Jam, Wolfman's Brother, Guyute, My Sweet One,
46 Days, Lizards, The Wedge, Strange Design, Tube, First Tube
2: Sand, Suzy Greenberg, Limb By Limb, The Horse > Silent in the Morning,
Sugar Shack, Character Zero > Tweezer
E: Joy, Bouncing Around the Room, Run Like an Antelope > Tweezer Reprise

Opening with a rock & roll infusion, the band charged through “Chalkdust Torture” into the first ‘bust-out’ of the night, “Fee”. An old classic that has been on the shelf just after the first hiatus, “Fee” was a delight to see but it was not without a glaring lyrical gaff. Trey apologized mid verse, noting that he had no trouble with the words backstage, finished out the verses and led the band into a delightful, a-typical, five minute outro jam. This served as out first clue that Phish hoped to do more than “play” the songs; improvisation figured prominently on the menu. With this promising prelude, “Wolfman’s Brother” came to visit bringing high expectations. This version is no twenty minute epic but it is very much a strong example of the concise jamming that has, so far, been trademark of Phish 3.0. Anyone who hadn’t come to re show in dancing shoes surely began to feel inadequately equipped during this little jam. Continue reading →

Keeping Up With Phish Tour

Phish @ Fenway - by J. Neely

Phish is on the road and (per some accounts) tearing it up. Can’t go to every show? Neither can I. Fortunately, in this wonderful age of social networking on the interweb and mobile devices, you don’t have to sit home wondering what’s going down at the shows.

Here’s a list of useful resources:
Phish – From The Road: Phish’s official website is updated during the shows but it is often bogged down by traffic.

Twitter ?? I don’t use twitter but plenty of people do. Surely some of them are posting setlists on the fly. Phish has their own twitter, don’t they?

PhishTwit : as a matter of fact, there is a ton of Phish tweeting going on. This site helps bring it all together on one screen.

YEMBlog : Great Phish blog. Even when he’s not at the show, great updates, video links and more.

Flickr : Phish – From the Road has a Flickr page but there are dozens of people posting pics after each show. (check out these great Fenway pics.)

Speaking of after the show…

LivePhish : purchase soundboard recordings of each show here. Usually available overnight right after the gig!

PhishThoughts : Mr. Miner’s blog is still running the “no spoilers” download feature. Hit them up after the show and download and listen without seeing the setlist first.

Etree : Use bit torrent to download free, legal, audience recordings in the days following the shows. There’s a ton more than Phish on there so watch your disc space!

It’s really amazing how far we’ve come in 15-20 years. From tape trading via ads in the back of Relix to tape trees setup on r.m.p to today when an adventurous soul with an iPhone (and an unlimited data plan) streams audio and video of the show to the internet. Used to be, if you didn’t go to the show it could be months, or even years before you could listen to it on tape… I’ll stop rambling on about my old age and close with this: See you on tour!

Photo by J. Neely. Used with permission.

The Decemberists June 3rd, 2009 Atlanta, GA

The Decemeberists are an anomaly in today’s rock culture, a band that submits concept albums and then performs those albums at their shows. What is even more impressive is the accuracy and energy the band brings to the show, and that is what stood out most to me, when the band is at their peak it is during the first set of the show. The Hazards Of Love was performed in its entirety last night, and it was nothing short of epic. I found myself consistently getting goose bumps and this lingering feeling of being overwhelmed by what I was seeing unfold before my eyes. The album was played flawlessly live, and the added effect of costumes and lights only heightened the experience. For me, I feel like art rock is an outlier in music today, but the Decemberists bring new hope to this fading genre.

After the Hazards Of Love set was performed, a set break occurred. The Decemberists reemerged and launched through a number of tracks from their remaining albums. This is where the show lost momentum for me. To see songs from the other albums was fun, and entertaining, but it lacked the mind blowing quality of the first set. Add to it, I felt like the second set lacked flow, as the band seemed to meander through slower numbers for most of the set. I was also perturbed by the crowd itself. They seemed to be engulfed in their own indulging conversations at times during the show, which I found to be highly rude to the band. Overall, the Decemberists are a band that is on their collective “A” game in concert.

-Sophist

Phish Is Back

I’ve tried several times to wrote some sort of a review or narrative of the three reunion shows in Hampton and I’ve repeatedly drawn up short of words. It was a weekend about more than the featured music; the shows were a test of the resolve of a band that is attempting to revive itself in it’s third decade. They were a statement of intent to go forth and serve the music and its fans with the integrity that they each deserve. They were an apology for the failures of the past. How does one rate a rock band on these criteria?

Let’s cut out the objectivity for a moment and say these shows were fun, fun, fun. Being at the Coliseum with both old and new friends, soaking up the rare March warmth, dancing up a hot sweat to songs that I’ve enjoyed for ages and missed for nearly half a decade… How can you go wrong with these things? Well, as anyone who witnessed the 2003 Hampton run can tell you, it’s possible. Phish, however, seems to want to make clear that they have learned from their past. How do they do that? Lets start by opening with “Fluffhead”; a challenging and angular suite written in the 80’s (in the era of some of their most elaborate works,) that had not been played since 2000. In an interview last year, bassist, Mike Gordon noted that it was not played “Post-Hiatus” because it required more practice and dedication than the band was willing to apply. If playing “Fluffhead” (and playing it well) is not indicative of a reversal of those circumstances, I don’t know what is. Perhaps following it with one of their masterworks, “Divided Sky”?

Coming back to the stage with two of their most technically demanding compositions is not just a ballsy call; it’s a declaration of intent. Phish is reborn and ready to work; not just for our adulation which, truth be told, can sometimes be easily won, but also for their own self respect. From that stage, Phish tackled the monkeys upon its own back and showed that they do have the chops and mettle to stand at the top of the “jamband” heap. Continue reading →