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.

Objectively, I’ll acknowledge that the execution was not always perfect. However, what may have been missing in precision was more than made up for in energy. The convection of energies- from the band to the audience and back again- began flowing from the first number and scarcely let up throughout the weekend. Yes. Trey flubbed the intro of “You Enjoy Myself”, prompting him to stop and joke about how the same thing had happened “last time”. (It did, too. In 2003 when the band played Hampton after the hiatus, Trey flubbed on “YEM” and had to restart.) They started over, once again, and this time, it seemed as if they got it right.

Here are the setlists:

2009-03-06 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
1: Fluffhead, Divided Sky, Chalk Dust Torture, Sample In A Jar, Stash, I Didn't Know,
Oh Kee Pah Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg, Farmhouse, NICU, Horn, Rift, Train Song,
Water In The Sky, Squirming Coil, David Bowie
2: Backwards Down The Number Line, Tweezer, Taste, Possum, Theme From The Bottom,
First Tube, Harry Hood, Waste, You Enjoy Myself*
E:Grind**, Bouncing Around The Room, Loving Cup
*Started and stopped then restarted, **a capella

2009-03-07 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
1: Back On The Train, Runaway Jim, Brian & Robert, Split Open and Melt, Heavy Things,
Punch You In The Eye, Gumbo, Reba, Mexican Cousin, It's Ice, Halley's Comet,
Beauty of a Broken Heart, Guelah Papyrus, Lawn Boy, Run Like An Antelope
2: Rock & Roll > Limb by Limb, Story of the Ghost > Piper > Birds of a Feather,
Wolfman's Brother, Prince Caspian, Mike's Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove,
Character Zero
E: A Day In The Life

2009-03-08 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
1: Sanity, Wilson, Foam, Bathtub Gin, Undermind, AC/DC Bag, My Friend, My Friend,
Scent of a Mule, All Of These Dreams, Maze, She Thinks I Still Care*, Army of One,
Tube, Cars Trucks Buses, Free, Frankenstein**
2: Down With Disease > Seven Below, The Horse > Silent In The Morning, Twist >
2001, Moma Dance, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Wading In The Velvet Sea,
Slave To The Traffic Light
E: Contact#, Bug, Tweezer Reprise
*George Jones cover, **Page on Keytar, #Audience sings Happy Birthday to Fishman's Father

The first set was two hours long. I’ve seen major headlining rock bands play entire shows that did not last for two hours. The fact that Phish came back out and delivered almost another two hours is simply awesome. Not to mention that the bulk of the material from that show were older songs from the days when I saw Phish as an ever-improving entity with each show outstripping the last. Were the big jams in effect? No. In what seems to have been a purposeful effort to focus on getting the songs right, they left less space for major improvisation and loaded down the setlist with heavy hitting compositions. Even “Tweezer”, one of Phish’s most fertile improvisational works, was kept to a trim ten-minutes.

Second night featured a little bit more improvisation (“Back On the Train”, “Rock & Roll”, “Melt”) but the band kept themselves mostly reigned in once again. I was ecstatic to hear them play songs like “Guelah Papyrus” so well that I can still forgive the flubs in “PYITE”. For every little screw-up, there were five things done well. Personally, I’d not seen Phish play “It’s Ice” or “Day In the Life” since 1995 (I hadn’t seen “A Day In The Life” since the first time Phish played Hampton) and was thrilled to hear those numbers live once again.

Here’s a clip of the “Ghost” jam from Saturday night:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko2FQG-i-jQ[/youtube]

Night three saw things open up a bit with a ripping “Foam” and “Bathtub Gin” early on, a blistering workout of “Maze”, and my first ever “My Friend, My Friend”. (What can I say? I kept missing it.) Page McConnell stepped out from behind his keys and strapped on a massive “keytar” in order to play the first set closer, “Frankenstein”, in proper Edgar Winter fashion. A funny sight and a great performance.

Set two on Sunday opened with the biggest jam of the weekend, a twenty-two minute exploratory version of “Down With Disease” and closed with a gorgeous rendition of “Slave To The Traffic Light”. After the final encore of “Tweezer Reprise”, we walked out of Hampton Coliseum aware that we had witnessed a rebirth.

Throughought the weekend, the band was strong as a whole and as individuals. Trey played with determination and held a smile all three days. Mike was on point with a ripping tone and serious groove. Some folks have pointed to Fishman as being a little off on some cues here and there. I didn’t notice at the time nor during repeated plays of the recordings. Page has been nominated by many fans as the MVP of the run. He had several breakout solos (“Suzy Greenberg”) and contributions that really stood out and shone. 

I’ve read posts on these here intertubes from some people who feel that because Phish didn’t come out and play a sixty-minute, cowfunk version of “Ghost” they simply don’t have the skills to be Phish anymore. Personally, I’m glad they didn’t to anything of the sort. I’m of the opinion that it’s much more challenging to learn (and play reasonably well) eighty-four different songs over the course of a weekend rather than to come out and play six sets with three or four grossly jammed-out songs per set. That is the sort of thing a lazy band would have done. This band wants to work for a living. Surely, the jams will come but nothing is worse than a forced improvisation. When they feel it, we’ll feel it and the waiting will make it all the more worthwhile. 

Of course, there are always going to be detractors. A band that changes and reinvents itself is going to lose some people along the way. Is this Phish circa 1995? No. But this isn’t 1995, either. The fact that this is better than the Phish of 2003 & 2004 is enough to get me to go back and see them again. I’d venture a guess that, come June when Phish is slated to hit the road once again, they will be even tighter and more relaxed. Without the pressure of the “reunion shows” Phish can focus on being Phish, instead of feeling the need to deliver a message to their fanbase. That message has already been heard:

Phish Is Back

As this didn’t turn into a narrative of my weekend I have to take a moment to say “hello” to a whole bunch of people who helped make the weekend great:
My brothers, Slim, Igbo & EA; Blatboom, Birdman & Pie-Guy, AACB, ‘Lope19, August, Sophist, Gumbo, Mattstick, Tet, Roggae, Caravan, McGrupp, Phil, Redrum & Messengerbird.
Further HUGE thanks go to MNB for securing my first two tickets and Randall P. Custy for the third.

Lastly, I have to thank my wonderful wife, Amy, whom I love without reserve, for graciously accepting that some shows just aren’t optional. Without her understanding and sacrifice, I would not have been able to attend these shows.

See you this summer.

Note: Not all of the pics here are mine. If you spot one that is yours, drop me a line and I’ll add an attribution or remove it, which ever you prefer.