a bit more on Saturday night in Saratoga Springs

Don't know why I thought I'd get time to write anything while on tour - too busy either travelling or having a good time. Way too much travelling as it turned out but maybe more of that later. For now I am going to blog by proxy and hand you over to Pauly of the 'Tao Of Pauly' and 'Coventry Music' blogs. I empathise a lot with his thoughts on the Phish tour experience and he will tell it more eloquently than I - here's part one of his Saratoga blog... http://mcgrupp.blogspot.com/2010/06/prelude-to-spac.html

I read the Coventry Music updates every day and following them on Twitter was a really useful rolling news update on the Phish tour - helped me out a lot in the last few days with what time different things were happening and where to go/what not to do - Pauly does a great job giving you a feel for what's going on at the show. On Saturday night I was in my seat waiting for the show to start and a Coventry tweet said he was in Section 9 - and I was in Section 9 too so I looked around, worked out who it must be and went to introduce myself.

and if you're in any way interested in what I've been rambling about, I highly recommend Pauly's review of the show here: SPAC Part I: Step Into the Tweeprise

and here's a great vid of the glowstick war that erupted on the lawn during 'Suzy Greenberg'



"..a thousand barefoot children outside dancing on my lawn..."

Won't you step into the freezer...

Saratoga Performing Arts Center  Saturday 19.6.2010

Insane.... Phish came out raging from the off last night. With everyone still buzzing from the night before and the double Tweezer Reprise to end, they walked out just as it was getting a bit dusky and launched into....... Tweezer Reprise! the first time It's opened a show since November'95.... and the place went wild like nothing I've ever seen.

What an amazing venue. Had a great seat inside the pavilion and good people all around me - really intimate feel. Amazing energy

Set I

Tweezer Reprise, Chalk Dust Torture, Funky Bitch, Runaway Jim, Ya Mar, Sample In A Jar, Axilla > Fluffhead, Bathtub Gin, Suzy Greenberg

Set II

Rock & Roll > Free, Backwards Down The Number Line, Halfway To The Moon, Prince Caspian > Joy, David Bowie, Show Of Life

ENCORE

The Squirming Coil, Character Zero, Tweezer Reprise

So many highspots - Fluffhead obviously. a Bathtub that went to the outer limits, and a huge glowstick war out on the lawn during Suzy. All guns blazing throughout the first set. Some pauses for breath in Set II during the debut of Halfway To The Moon and in the quieter section of Joy, but it was obvious that the band felt at home in one of their favourite venues and the second set continued where the first had left off..... all leading to a stellar Bowie and the second outing of Show Of Life to close.

A beautiful Coil for encore, with the rest of the band staying onstage through Page's closing solo, and at the climax of Character Zero the thought occurred - they wouldn't play Tweezer Reprise for the 4th time in 24 hours would they?

There is nothing else like it

Feel good about Hood

Leaving last nights review to Mr.Miner @ phishthoughts.com

"Fireworks On A Friday Night 6.18.2010 - Hartford Comcast Center

Phish capped off two nights at Hartford, Connecticut on Friday with a completely fluid two-set show that, boasted, arguably, the standout set of the summer thus far. Putting a fierce exclamation point on the first half of the weekend, the band played with extreme cohesion and vigor, as Trey led Phish through a non-stop, guitar-led tale of wonder after setbreak. Featuring stretched out, creative annihilations of old favorites, without getting too experimental, the band came, they saw, and they conquered. Though Phish left off a big set-closer, they more than compensated with an unprecedented double-”Tweezer Reprise” encore that just about blew the roof off the Comcast Theatre.

Hartford’s second night showed what a difference a day can make. 24 hours after their only inconsistent night of Summer 2010, Phish came back with a first-rate show that featured, in my opinion, the defining set of the six-show tour. As we sail into the second half of the weekend and into the woods of upstate New York, SPAC will likely bring more special evenings, but will Phish top such a powerful endeavor? They’ve been known to…

Answers are only hours away"

I: Fee, Rift, Wolfman’s Brother, Summer of ‘89, Foam, Possum, The Moma Dance, Julius, Reba, Cavern


II: Halley’s Comet > Light > Billy Breathes, Tweezer > Theme From the Bottom, Harry Hood, Wading in the Velvet Sea, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan

E: Sleeping Monkey, Tweezer Reprise, Tweezer Reprise

Onwards to the famous SPAC - Saratoga Performing Arts Center

What an afternoon/evening - 20,000 people just having a gooood time.

In the parking lot at 3:00pm, wandered around as things gradually filled up and multiple Shakedown Streets organically emerged, soaked up the atmosphere which just built and built as the afternoon went on and the sun got hotter.... met some good people who shared their refreshments and swapped stories and guesses and wishes for the night's set.... just a really good time being had by all with a visible but completely hands-off police presence for a welcome change. Good vibes all round - where else could you get that many people together and know there is no likelihood of any trouble of any kind.

Anyway, come showtime had a great seat with my man Evan and his girlfriend Nicole. 7,000 capacity inside the pavilion, but at least another 15,000 behind on the lawn. (...only have a Lawn ticket for tonight so that will be a different experience for me) Was so excited for the first set which had lots of highs - PYITE, Stash, Walk Away, Divided, and a great Alaska stretchout. I fail to see how anyone with any interest in music and the dynamics of a live 'show' would not enjoy it....  im-possible. There were moments when it all clicked that were easily amongst the best I have ever experienced at a live music concert.

That said, it was patchy - especially in the second set  - after a Down With Disease that will surely go down as one of the best ever. Things lost their way and drifted a bit after that....... The final verdict from Mr.Miner's Phishthoughts website:

Though the Northeast’s opening night featured a half-hour of the summer’s best Phish music, the show also saw the band stumble more than a few times in a choppy affair that boasted little to no flow at all. On the brighter side, the band did pull it together in spurts, in both sets, creating some highlights that will definitely be spun all summer long..... the few earnest high points of last night were as high as any we’ve seen thus far.

Fair assessment. The highs were very high. Some sections were not up to snuff...... But they should be well warmed up for tonight.

I:
Punch You In The Eye (8:28)
Ocelot (9:59)
Dinner and a Movie (4:03)
Stash (13:28)
Esther (9:15)
Walk Away (6:50)
The Divided Sky (15:29)
When the Circus Comes (5:05)
Sugar Shack (5:23)
Alaska (10:13)
Golgi Apparatus (4:52)
II:
Party Time (5:16)Down with Disease > (16:49)

Sand > (13:24)
The Horse > (1:17)
Silent in the Morning (5:09)
Guyute (10:40)
Farmhouse (7:37)
Mike’s Song > (7:36)
I Am Hydrogen > (2:56)
Weekapaug Groove (8:49)
E:
Shine a Light (6:43)
Onstage at 8:30 - show ended at 00:15
 
Some random fotos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51265971@N07/sets/72157624178692087/

Slave To The Traffic Lights

well this travel blog idea hasn't got off to a great start.... not time to write anything...

Yesterday's trip started with me getting to the airport early (! not often I've ever said that) only to find that the plane would be leaving 90 minutes later than scheduled.... and I couldn't use my Airmiles to upgrade, or get in the lounge, or anything, because I was on a cheap ticket. So I went into the zone - reading, mooching about, not getting annoyed at the delay and then got on the plane to find I was in a tiny seat. Lucky me that the last 20 times I've flown to the US it hasn't been in economy but the seat in front had some sort of box under it and I had noooo legroom. Not happy. Then they made an announcement that there were some 'extra legroom' seats available for £30 so I got one. Best £30 I've spent for a long time. I can't believe more people didn't do it. I know money's money but I had noone sat next to me, on an otherwise full plane, and I really couldn't tell any difference from flying Premium Economy - note to self and any other travellers listening. Then we waited on the ground for over an hour because 2 passengers lost their passports (huh!?!) and had to be taken off the plane in the end, then we'd lost our slot.

At Boston airport waited in line for over an hour at Immigration so I was nearly 4 hours later than planned. Picked up rental care and with some directions and some intuition found my way downtown to meet a guy called Evan who I'd done a deal with online. Met up and he handed over my good ticket for tonight. Which leaves me with some not-so-good tickets to trade tonight, but more of that later.

Found my way out of Boston and drove the 100 miles+ to the Sheraton at Hartford Bradley International Airport - getting in at midnight (i.e. 5:00am UK time ) - tired.

Up at 07:30 to watch the Argentina game but that went out the window when the phone rang and I've been working and haven't left the hotel room since. It's now 2:30pm. Might as well be at home.

But hey - the Comcast car park should be opne now - time to go and check out the lot scene. High hopes for tonight's show. First four nights of the tour done, and the reviews have been great. I have heard most of Chicago (night 1) and Portsmouth (night 4) and Phish are sounding on top of their game, with very interesting song choices too. Lots of early stuff so far and only 1, maybe 2, each night off last year's reunion album..... new covers - The Band, John Lennon, Tom Waits - and 2 new songs already.

The band had a night off last night and should be ready to come out and rage tonight.

Time to get on down to the Hartford Comcast Center

Which tonight will look a bit more like this..........

.... only busier..... and inside, like this....

Bring it on!

Get high on a New Thing

Enuff Z'Nuff @ Camden Barfly, Tuesday 15th June 2010

It's a weird thing.... 20 years ago, EZN were Rolling Stone magazine's 'best new band of 1991'. How their career nose-dived from there is probably a story many bands could tell but they shoulda been huge. I've followed everything they've done, including hours of Donnie Vie's late-night ramblings from his subscription-only website, and they hold a special place in my heart. I can't honestly say they are one of 'the great' bands, but they mean a lot to me and whilst there's something sad and faded about them being reduced to playing a room above a pub in Camden to about 100 people (they can't possibly be making money out of it), to have already seen them in London twice in 2010 is amazing to me. Two years ago I drove from LA to Las Vegas just to see them - no casino, no Vegas strip - and drove the long road back through the desert again the next day. There couldn't have been more than 30 people watching in the 'Canyon Club' that night. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6hlXIaNjEc
Tonight I went to see Lou play at college, then went home to do some (more) work, then 'popped into town' to see Chip & Donnie. Amazing! Who'dathought?!
Setlist pretty much as expected:
Heaven And Hell
Alright
Saturday
There Goes My Heart
Baby Loves You
Dissonance
The Beast
Lazy Dazy
High
Rock N World
Wheels
Fly High Michelle
New Thing

... all I want is a taste for free

In between matches yesterday I worked out that in 7 shows (counting Festival 8 as 3) I've seen Phish play 102 different songs (not counting all of Exile at Indio) - some 2 or 3 times (and Harry Hood 4 times).

So what am I hoping they pull out at Hartford or SPAC this week that I haven't seen them play before?

The A list
- Harpua, Simple, Farmhouse, Sleeping Monkey, Llama, Back On The Train, The Lizards, The Meatstick, Scents And Subtle Sounds, Tela, Fast Enough For You, If I Could, First Tube.

Let's see how many I get.

And songs I'd be very happy to hear repeats of....
- Run Like An Antelope (every night please), Loving Cup, Fluffhead, Tweezer, Maze, Foam, Tube, Golgi Apparatus, David Bowie, Suzy Greenburg, When The Circus Comes To Town, Scent Of A Mule, Gotta Jibboo, Split Open And Melt, Bathtub Gin

Four of the B list were played last night at Hershey, PA. One more show before Hartford...

Sat, 2010-06-12 Blossom Music Center - Kill Devil Falls

Sat, 2010-06-12 Blossom Music Center

Wow - first look at the setlist says bustouts and covers. Kicking off the gig with a crowd-pleasing "Look Out, Cleveland", a first-time-played Band cover, and a debut also for "Instant Karma" in the middle of Set II, with old fave covers "Ballad Of Curtis Loew" and "Rock & Roll" thrown in in-between.

Haven't heard it or seen any reviews yet but obvious comments from the setlist would be:

- Set I has a 17m+ "Time Turns Elastic". Although TTE has a climactic ending, it really brings the energy down for the most part and many wondered if it might be dropped from rotation for this tour - seemingly not - but, followed up with the full "Mike's Groove", phans will have gone into set-break happy

- Set II has a "Cuyahoga Jam", a long "Hood" and a stretched-out "BDTNL", all of which has to be a good thing and follows-up reports of Friday night's jam-filled show

Two more shows before Hartford.

I saw you... with a ticket stub in your hand

Fri, 2010-06-11 Toyota Park

Fri, 2010-06-11 Toyota Park

Tour-opener setlist. First point of interest is a new song "Show Of Life" - which previously emerged during Trey's TAB tour back in February - to end Set II..... after an 11 minute Antelope. God I hope I get an Antelope next week. Three more shows between now and then so possible. It's always a shame when you look at the setlist of the night before you go and see one of your favourite songs, then you know they're not going to play it again the next night.

DWD opener, Wolfman's, then Possum (not usually so early in the set) - half an hour's down already - and into Boogie On Reggae Woman and Reba, the place must have been going wild.

First 45-minutes of Set II sounds like a jam-fest - a 13 minute Light, then Maze, and Ghost>Limb - which will have made everyone happy and psyched for what's ahead on this tour.

Early reports say Cactus is on fire.

Mr.Miner's '20 Questions For June'

20. What lasting impact will Joy material have in setlists?

19.What will Trey’s “show shirt” be this tour?

18. What new covers, if any, will the band incorporate into their shows?

17.”Free” : Do or Die?

16. Which shows will smoke harder – SPAC, Camden, or Atlanta?

15. What songs will emerge as the prominent jam vehicles of the month?

14. Will the band minimize or shelve “Time Turns Elastic” after leaving it off the New Year’s Run?

Exile

13. Will Exile have a lasting impact on the band’s setlists and/or style?

12. When will Phish bust out “Liquid Time?”

11. Will meathead Merriweather security guards ever stop pretending to be bouncers at New York night clubs?

10. How will the ticket scene shake out? Scarce? On the ground? In between?

9. Will Tuesdays prove tremendous at Portsmouth, Great Woods, and Canandaigua?

8. Will “Fluffhead” gracefully fade into the background as a symbol of 2009?

7. Will Miami prove to be a baseline for jams in 2010?

6. Will “Show of Life” debut in Chicago?

5. Was “Golden Age” one and done?

4. More open jamming?

3. Will “Mike’s Song” return to prominence or remain an eight-minute, custy anthem?

2. How will the Flyers fate in the NHL Finals effect Trey’s head space going into tour?

1. …Can you still have fun?

Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan

S'been a crazy week already... early mornings, late nights... busy in a way I can't describe....

Teenage Fanclub at Shepherds Bush Empire on Tuesday night - alright, they're no-one's favourite band and all their albums sound the same and they look like bank clerks etc. etc. but just a nice evening out in West London - quick drink beforehand, time it to take up a good vantage point on Level 1 just as the band hit the stage, mercifully few of the usual annoyances: people who talk all the way through the show; people who have to get up every ten minutes to get another drink or go for a piss, and there's nothing like going in with relatively low expectations and being pleasantly surprised. Even the songs on the new album (that didn't make it past track 3 on first play) sounded good, the guitar solos had a beautiful sound and they have enough back catalogue now that the 'hits' came thick and fast. I pretty much had a smile on my face from beginning to end and ain't that enough?

Crowded House at the Hammersmith Odeon on Wednesday night - again, wasn't sure if I'd be a bit bored but bought the tickets months ago having never seen them but read many times how good their live show is. There have been periods where I've listened to their albums quite a bit, but not for a long time now. I instinctively warm to the beatlesque songwriting craft and execution, but without ever being a real fan. What another pleasant surprise. Neal Finn is one clever dude - cool, confident, endearing presence, songwriting/singing skills, and no slouch on guitar or keys. The stage set, the band's demeanour, the pacing of the setlist, the understated but dramatic lighting - the whole thing was just class. Again, a back catalogue big enough to easily fill a long set with all the obvious crowd-pleasers and more. Particularly enjoyed 'Whispers And Moans' mid-set, and a version of Moonage Daydream (in honour of it being Ziggy's last venue, natch) which was inspired. Connan Hosford from support band Connan Mockasin replicated Ronno's solos perfectly with a psychedelic twinge to the extended wig-out at the end. Very tempted to go again Thursday night for some Chocolate Cake...

and now the World Cup, and Summer Tour 2010, kick off - football tomorrow and all weekend + the reveal of each night's setlists.... of which, more next....

"The only rule is it begins..."

Phish Summer Tour 2010.... announced in March and anticipation's been building since.

It's primarily East Coast, with 18 dates starting tomorrow 11th June in Chicago and culminating in a 4th July weekend run in Alpharetta, Georgia... a month off, then 11 shows, starting with a hop over to San Francisco for 3 nights at Berkeley Greek Theater - the only West Coast dates and only an 8,500 capacity, so a highly sought-after ticket, as is the 2 day mini-festival in Telluride, Colorado immediately following - before 2 night runs in Phish regular spots: Noblesville IN, East Troy WI, and Jones Beach NY.

So there we have it. Any Phish aficionado (can you say that?) would want to be at every show but for all sorts of reasons I had to settle for just a few. Here's hoping it all works out...

PHISH SUMMER TOUR 2010 from Phish on Vimeo.