12/29/11 Phish @ Madison Square Garden - New York, NY

PHISH
12/29/11
Madison Square Garden
New York, NY

I: Sloth, You Enjoy Myself, Back on the Train, Moma Dance, Maze, Roses Are Free, Funky Bitch, Halley's Comet > Run Like an Antelope

II: Crosseyed and Painless > Simple > Lifeboy, Guyute, Mike's Song > Chalkdust Torture > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Show of Life, Character Zero

E: Loving Cup



postshow P.A. music was Henry Mancini "Baby Elephant Walk"








Last Wednesday after work I drove to Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood.  I parked my vehicle in a familiar area where I knew it would be okay for several days.  Then I walked to my friend Steve's apartment.  That evening we watched the first night of Phish's 4-night run at Madison Square Garden.  This turned out to be a fairly decent show.  We watched the Chicago Blackhawks lose to the LA Kings during the webcast. 

I was on my way to the Blue Line stop at Damen by 5:15 AM.  It felt good to not have any luggage.  I took the Blue Line to the end of the line beneath O'hare.  With relative ease I was able to obtain my boarding pass and was through security.  This was my first time flying since before 9/11.  I flew Delta Shuttle from O'hare to LaGuardia.  My terminal was full of Iowa State fans heading to New York for the Pinstripes Bowl at Yankee Stadium (which they ultimately lost to Rutgers).  I was able to settle down but flying made me nervous.  The combination of not being in control and my fear of heights makes air travel less than enjoyable for me.  Also, the claustrophobic environment of the plane and having so many strange people in close proximity wasn't all that much fun.  Before long we arrived at the Marine Terminal of LaGuardia which was quite removed from the main complex.  The facility reminded me of Midway Airport. 

From my Delta Terminal I bought an mta pass at the newspaper stand and was on my way to Manhattan via the M60 bus.  In Harlem I transfered to the subway near the Apollo Theatre.  The subway (much filthier than Chicago's L trains) took me to Penn Station where I exited to the street above at Madison Square Garden.  It was fun spending the afternoon walking up 7th Ave. to Times Square.   Fueled by several cups of Starbucks I walked around the surrounding area.  For my preshow meal I had two slices of thin crust pepperoni pizza from a small restaurant.  While walking around the Times Square area I talked to several football players from my alma mater Iowa State University.  It was nice to chat with the people in the ticket release line.  These were fans who were willing to stand out in the cold just to have a chance at getting inside.  It was obvious that MSG was in the process of being renovated with scaffolding surrounding the arena facility.  The 7th Ave. entrance basically looked the same as it had previously.  My spot was about halfway up at about where center ice would be on the Page side.  We had a good group of fans in our section.

Sloth opener is usually a good omen.  Then when they dropped YEM so early in the first set the crowd erupted.  They hadn't played YEM in Denver so I was happy to hear this quintessential Phish song especially in MSG.  I liked the groove that Gordo had going but I don't think this version was as good as the one they played in Chicago back in August.  Back on the Train and Moma Dance kept the energy going.  Both were appropriate in NYC with the subways and the Museum of Modern Art.  Funky Bitch was when it became apparent that Page was having a good night.  Maze was a continuation of that with Page taking command during his solo.  Roses Are Free was seasonally fitting with the references to tinsel on the tree.  Trey burst a huge balloon during Halley's Comet with his guitar.  As soon as they reached a natural jumping off point they immediately started up Antelope.  This was a high energy set closer but it remained inside the box.  That can be said of the entire show.  It was clear they didn't do a lot of practice prior to the run so they were winging it.  The results were them falling back on energy based performances that lacked risk taking improvisation.

Crosseyed and Painless stayed true to the main bassline until they broke into some brief noise that became Simple.  I liked hearing this tune in Manhattan surrounded by skyscrapers.  This also had only a brief bit of jamming at the end before dissipating into Lifeboy.  I loved hearing that tune in the ballad slot of the second set.  Unfortunately, the crowd talked through much of this poignant song.  I wasn't wild about the selection of Guyute in that position.  Mike's Song seemed to have a little extra energy on this occasion and was followed unexpectedly by Chalkdust Torture.  The transition into I Am Hydrogen was awkward with Trey playing it at a faster pace while the rest of the band still played Chalkdust Torture.  Weekapaug Groove featured some plinko action and was probably the highlight of the entire show.  Show of Life worked as another ballad cooldown.  Character Zero rocked the house to end the set.  I predicted the Loving Cup encore as it worked with the general theme of the evening.  This was a straight forward arena rock show in the world's most famous arena.  I had a fun experience. 

After the show I took the subway back to Harlem and the M60 bus back to LaGuardia.  Early the next morning I flew back to O'hare.  Then I took the Blue Line back to my vehicle at which point I drove home.  Everything on this adventure went according to plan and I enjoyed myself.

12/9/11 The String Cheese Incident @ Aragon Ballroom - Chicago, IL

The String Cheese Incident
12/9/11
Aragon Ballroom
Chicago, IL

I: Best Feeling > Eat My Dust, Doin' My Time, So Far From Home, MLT, Born on the Wrong Planet, Way Back Home, Bumpin' Reel

II: Rosie > Bonafied Lovin' > Rosie, Las Vegas, These Waves > Drifting Away, It Is What It Is, This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody), Colorado Bluebird Sky

E: Kashmir > Whiskey Before Breakfast




I didn't have to work on Friday so I purchased my ticket the night before when an allotment was re-released to this previously sold out performance.  I hadn't seen SCI since 6/22/02 at the first Bonnaroo.  Many older fans wondered what SCI could produce if they actually toured and this fall that's what happened.  I purchased 5 shows on iclips.net for $21.99 which I felt was very reasonable.  From what I saw and heard I was impressed enough to go see them again for my 21st Incident at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.  My friend Steve and I went to Costello's in Roscoe Village before the show where I had a toasted Italian sub.  We were able to find a spot on the floor close near Kyle/Billy. 

Best Feeling was a sing-a-long to get things started.  I was unfamiliar with the next two bluesgrass numbers.  So Far from Home has been a new song on this tour which I wasn't wild about.  It wasn't until MLT that I really got into the show.  I liked the screens and felt they did a good job of augmenting the lights.  For some reason I didn't care for this take on MLT.  I was happy to hear them play Born on the Wrong Planet but was not thrilled to see Billy up there playing electric guitar.  That was a complaint I had was that he played electric too much of the show.  Jason Hann seems like a hood ornament.  This was my first time seeing a 6 piece SCI.  I was unfamiliar with the vocal intro to Way Back Home.  Bumpin' Reel is one of the newer songs that I enjoy.  I does a good job of fusing bluesgrass/irish jig/dance music.  Kang sounded great on his fiddle.  I met some Cheese fans from Oklahoma who knew the material and I was able to relate to. 

Rosie is a new Kyle song that I like.  During the jam portion I noticed Keith wake up out of his slumber and start playing a bassline that I recognized as Chromeo's Bonafide Lovin'.  Kyle did a great job on the vocals in a version that I felt was better than the one I've seen Umphrey's McGee do.  After finishing up Rosie it was Billy who took over the show with a wild version of Las Vegas.  This rarely played tune was amazing with the backing video of sin city.  It felt like we were flying down the Vegas strip.  These Waves > Drifting Away was an appropriate cooldown.  Unfortunately, the talkative Chicago crowd was not appreciative.  Drifting Away is a song that brought back a lot of memories of when I saw the band back during the Outside Inside album era.  It Is What It Is was a Kang showcase.  They do a great job with that Talking Heads cover which I always associate with the ending of the film Wall Street.  Colorado Bluebird Sky has turned into a legimate jam vehicle on this fall tour.

Ironically,they played Kashmir at the last time I had seen the band.  Whiskey Before Breakfast would wrap up the evening as I made my way toward the door.  It was a fun experience.  I didn't go in with a lot of expectations and simply had fun.  This Roots Run Deep tour has seen The String Cheese Incident return to what made them successful.  Many older fans like myself gave the band another shot on this tour and they stepped up to the plate when I saw them during the second show of their three night run in Chicago.   

11/19/11 Furthur @ Alliant Energy Center Coliseum - Madison, WI

Furthur
11/19/11
Alliant Energy Center-Coliseum
Madison, WI

I: Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion), I Need A Miracle > Wang Dang Doodle > I Need A Miracle, Althea, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues, Money for Gasoline, It Must Have Been the Roses, Throwing Stones, One More Saturday Night

II: China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Jack Straw, Unbroken Chain, Viola Lee Blues, King Soloman's Marbles, Death Don't Have No Mercy, Bertha, Good Lovin'

E: Black Muddy River


__________________________________________________



I made the drive up to Madison on Saturday by myself and chose to take two lane highways on the way there.  It was enjoyable with the rolling country and the autumnal scenery.  I passed the state semi-final football game in Morrison which they won.  When I was younger I spent a lot of time in New Glarus, WI so it was nice to drive through that area.  Before the show I had some pizza at my friends Sam and Jesse's place.  After a brief walk through the Shakedown area I made it inside the venue just in time for the opening song which I recognized from the compilation album, Skeletons in the Closet. 

Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion) got things started nicely.  First I noticed was that they had changed up their stage format since last fall when I saw them in Ames.  Phil was now on the far right with Bobby next to him.  The arena was full on the floor and the first level but the top level was empty.  I had visited that venue ten years prior for Widespread Panic.  The Miracle/Wang Dang combo put me in the mind of something I saw from The Dead in Rosemont in 09.  Althea was nicely done by Fake Jerry (John Kadlecek).   I wasn't happy with his tone though.  I would prefer he have used more Jerry wah wah.  Dylan covers usually meander too much for my liking and this Tom Thumb's was an example of this.  I liked Money for Gasoline.  The backup singers helped out nicely on that one.  Kadlecek was good on It Must Have Been the Roses.  The end of the set with Throwing Stones and One More Saturday Night had me thinking perhaps it was a Bobby setlist.  I was happy with the first set though nothing really blew me away. 

For the second set I moved down on the floor and found some good people to surround myself with.  China > Rider was well executed.  Jack Straw is a song from the Europe '72 recordings that I have been enjoying lately so that was particularly sweet.  Unbroken Chain made the night for me.  Searching for the sound.  That's what it's all about.  I was impressed with the way they performed the complex King Soloman's Marbles.  Viola Lee Blues had a lot of energy.  However, things dragged to a crawl during the blues number Death Don't Have No Mercy.  Bertha was unusually placed so late in a show.  Good Lovin' wrapped up the set.  Black Muddy River is a rare encore for Furthur so that was special.  I had a good time celebrating the music of The Grateful Dead on Saturday in Madison. 



10/31/11 Widespread Panic @ Aragon Ballroom - Chicago, IL

Widespread Panic
10/31/11
Aragon Ballroom
Chicago, IL

I: Pigeons, Radio Child, Wishbone, True To My Nature, Time Zones, Love Tractor, Degenerate, Blight, Tail Dragger, Climb To Safety

II: Godzilla > Iron Man > Godzilla, Imitation Leather Shoes > Jack, Surprise Valley > Drums > Surprise Valley > Blue Indian, I'm Losing You, Chilly Water > Bust It Big > Chilly Water

E: Outta Mind (Outta Sight), Postcard, Porch Song, Werewolves Of London



postshow P.A. music was AC/DC 'Highway to Hell'





It appeared to be a buyers market with extra tickets appearing to be plentiful on a cold Monday night. On our way into the venue I saw pigeons underneath the L train. This turned out to be an omen for the show opener. The Aragon is one of my least favorite venues. It's impossible to get comfortable with people constantly distrupting your groove. For the first set we were on the Schools side of the soundboard. Eventually we moved up by Z-man who was FOB in the center. Before the show they were playing Halloween music on the P.A. that included the Addams Family theme and the Ghostbusters theme. Big is a movie I've always liked so I appreciated Todd's costume.

With the less than ideal conditions in the venue a rock show was what the situation required and that's what Panic brought on Halloween for the most part. They hit the stage before 8 pm with WXRT doing a short awkward intro onstage. The broadcast made them get onstage earlier than normal and made for a shorter setbreak both of which I was fine with. This was 10 years after the UIC show I'd seen which was the last time Panic had brought their Halloween party to this city. I felt like Panic played a lot of their staples to mix in with their covers and this worked well. Pigeons to open followed by Radio Child was a high energy start. Admittedly I was unfamiliar with most of the covers played. JB especially did a great job with the blues numbers. The Willis Alan Ramsey cover Wishbone was well done. It seemed like most of the crowd didn't recognize a lot of the covers. I question the choices of True to My Nature and Time Zones. They seemed like standard selections. Love Tractor got the crowd going again. The Vic cover Degenerate followed by Blight was pairing that was a tribute to their fallen friend. Blight has a dark vibe that works well on Halloween. JB and Jojo especially did a good job with the Howlin' Wolf cover Tail Dragger. CTS was a strong closer to round out the set. This performance had very little in the way of jamming but rather was a straight forward rock show.

Fortunately I had not heard about the soundcheck so Godzilla > Iron Man > Godzilla was a surprise. The second set of this show was solid work all the way through. It was a bit disappointing to hear them repeat ILS from Thursday in Ames. I liked the juxtaposition of ILS/Jack. Surprise Valley > Drums > Surprise Valley was high energy. Without stopping they segued smoothly into Blue Indian. John Lennon's I'm Losing You was appropriate with much of the crowd not recognizing a lot of the covers. Chilly Water > Bust It Big > Chilly Water finished out the set with authority. The second set was impressive.

The encore seemed a bit rushed. Wilco in Chicago was a nice tip of the hat. Postcard was expected after three shows in the city. After a quick run through of Porch Song they brought out the crew for Werewolves of London. After the show as the crowd waiting to get out of the bottleneck at the back of the room they blasted AC/DC Highway to Hell on the P.A.

10/27/11 Widespread Panic @ C.Y. Stephens Auditorium - Ames, IA

Widespread Panic
10/27/11
C.Y. Stephens Auditorium
Ames, IA

I: Hope In A Hopeless World, Pleas > Mr. Soul, Dirty Side Down, Bear's Gone Fishin' > Shut Up and Drive, St. Louis, Pickin' Up The Pieces, Little Kin, Goodpeople > Dark Bar > Goodpeople, Who Do You Belong To?

II: Old Neighborhood, Imitation Leather Shoes > Worry, Down > Mercy > Drums > New Speedway Boogie, Travelin' Man > Vacation, Rebirtha, Space Wrangler

E: May Your Glass Be Filled > Are You Ready For The Country?


postshow P.A. music was Louis Armstrong 'What A Wonderful World'



I hadn't heard about the bus driver's death before the show but that puts a different perspective on the setlist.  Hope in a Hopeless world was obviously a nod to that in retrospect.  Pleas > Mr. Soul was the best segue of the night.  I thought the intro to Pleas had some Born on the Bayou hintings.  We went up to the loge on the Schools side with some old friends of mine from college during Dirty Side Down.  Bear's Gone Fishin' had perhaps the best jam of the first set.  This led into Shut Up and Drive.  St. Louis was one that really hoped to hear.  Pickin' Up the Pieces was another reference to the situation on I-35.   I thought Little Kin would end the set but they generously gave us Goodpeople complete with the Dark Bar which IMO should just be considered a part of the song.  WDYBT? worked in the closer slot.  I enjoyed the first set.  Herring has been a lot more patient this year and the rest of the band not drinking on stage makes for better playing. 

During the setbreak they turned it up to 11 and blasted Eminence Front by The Who on the P.A.  When they took the stage Old Neighborhood was a good uptempo start to the set.  ILS > Worry kept with the theme of the night.  Down, Mercy was a pairing of songs that may have been inspired by the day's events.  There was a pronounced The Other One jam during Mercy.  In lieu of Drums they did a Jam without Herring who undoubtedly was going to check on Game 6.  Schools really brought the thunder during this Jam.  This led into my first time hearing New Speedway Boogie.  Travelin' Man > Vacation was yet another tribute to their fallen driver.  Rebirtha was well timed with it being the very end of the epic baseball game.  Space Wrangler has always been their signature tune and it worked as the set closer.  They encored with MYGBF at this venue in 05 and AYRFTC? in 07.  The first song was probably another reference to their loss.  The last song of the night is always fitting in Iowa and was the second Neil Young cover of the show.  This was a well played performance with a dark theme throughout inspired by real life events.  I always enjoy seeing Widespread Panic on the campus of my alma mater Iowa State University. 

9/2-4 Phish @ Dick's Sporting Goods Park - Commerce City, CO

Phish
9/2/11
Dick's Sporting Goods Park
Commerce City, CO

I: Sample in a Jar, Sparkle, Sloth, Sweet Virginia, Suskind Hotel, Strange Design, Stash, Sneaking Sally through the Alley > Sparks, Scent of a Mule, Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan, Shine A Light, Split Open and Melt, Squirming Coil

II: Sand, Simple > Steam > Soul Shakedown Party > Seven Below > Suzy Greenberg, Scents and Subtle Sounds, Slave to the Traffic Light, Silent in the Morning, Sanity, Sweet Adeline

E: Sabotage


__________________________________________________


I drove out to Colorado on Thursday and stayed the first night in Ft. Collins with my buddy Dave.  The journey took over 12 hours from Illinois.  On Friday we made the drive down I-25 to Denver.  Commerce City as the name suggests is an industrial suburb on the north side of the city near the airport.  A long time friend from hometown Eric and his girlfriend Karla met us at the Super 8 and we all rode together to Dick's Sporting Goods Park which is the MLS home of the Colorado Rapids.  There was a good sized shakedown st. assembled in front of the venue.  The now infamous Dave Anver Incident took place in the lot directly next to where we were parked. 

The show was delayed briefly because of an electrical storm in the area.  Sample and Sparkle was an anti-climatic beginning.  It allowed late arrivals time to get inside the venue.  Sloth got things going.  This was my first time hearing Sweet Virginia.  It was at this point when I noticed the S pattern.  It was good to see Phish continue to keep Suskind Hotel in the rotation after its first appearance at Super Ball IX.  Strange Design was another ballad where one probably wasn't necessary.  It had been a rather mellow start to the show.  Stash, Sally > Sparks was the highlight of the first set.  Sally had excellent usage of the envelope filter by Gordo and patient playing by Anastasio.  This segued seemlessly into The Who's Sparks off their legendary Tommy album.  Again this was my first time hearing that cover.  I had room to do the Fiddler on the Roof style dancing during Scent of a Mule.  Stealing Time seems to vary little with each version.  Shine A Light was the second song off Exile on Main Street played during this set.  I had yet to hear Split Open and Melt in 2011 and that selection made the show for me.  Squirming Coil capped off this unusual first stanza. 

When they opened the second set with Sand it became apparent that they would continue with the S show.  Sand is the biggest gun they have at this point.  Its interesting how far that jam vehicle has come since its debut with Phish in 1999.  Its now a full band jam instead of Trey dominating.   This was another strong rendition.  Simple is another one of the best jams they have going at this point.  This bled into their newest tune Steam.  Soul Shakedown Party served as a reggae breather.   Seven Below may have been the best jam of the set.  Unfortunately, this went into yet another standard Suzy.  To my ears SaSS is a generic sounding jam that is inferior to other songs of its ilk.  Slave was an above average version and they should have probably ended the set at that point.  SiTM didn't work all that well following it up.  We were expecting Sanity.  That was my first Sweet Adeline so I appreciated that.  Sabotage was like a cherry on top of a very unique show that was tied together by all the songs starting with the letter S. 

Phish
9/3/11
Dick's Sporting Goods Park
Commerce City, CO

I: Possum, Moma Dance, The Wedge, Ocelot, The Divided Sky, Funky Bitch, Axilla, Llama, Fast Enough for You, Wolfman's Brother

II: Down With Disease > Tweezer > Golden Age > Limb By Limb, Kill Devil Falls > 2001 > Light > Julius, Cavern, Run Like An Antelope

E: Sleeping Monkey Tweezer Reprise


postshow P.A. music was Earth, Wind, and Fire 'September'

___________________________________________________


The show started out with them playing many songs that have been frequent in the rotation during the 3.0 era.  Possum and Moma Dance certainly fit into this category.  The Wedge is always enjoyable with its "take the highway" lyrics.  I've heard Ocelot too many times.  The Divided Sky and Funky Bitch are two songs I've heard quite a few times recently.  I'm not a fan of Axilla.  This was the best Llama I may have ever heard and this was when the set really started for me.  Trey's playing during Llama was early 90s-esque.  FEFY is my favorite slower Phish song.  The jam during Wolfman's Brother was clearly the highlight of the set.  The last three songs of the set redeemed it for me. 

DWD to open set II was predictable.  However, this was a rather brief version that segued smoothly into Tweezer.  The soaring jam during Tweezer turned out to be the biggest golden nugget mined out of The Rockies over Labor Day weekend.  The eventually led into Phish's best new cover, Golden Age.  I'm not a fan of a mid second set Limb by Limb but this was well played.  This was one of the best versions of Kill Devil Falls to date and it segued into 2001.  Light included a DWD reprise jam.  A fiery Julius continued this dynamic set.  Cavern worked as a faux closer and Antelope brought us home.  This may have been the most cohesive set of music the band played in Denver.  Monkey, Tweeprise was a rather standard encore.  The sounds of Earth, Wind, and Fire's September sent the masses into the night. 




Phish
9/4/11
Dick's Sporting Goods Park
Commerce City, CO

I: Maze, Back on the Train, Rift, Bathtub Gin, The Way It Goes, Halfway to the Moon, Gumbo, Halley's Comet > Tube, Timber Ho!, Roses Are Free, Chalkdust Torture

II: Rock and Roll > Come Together > Twist > Piper > Harry Hood > Roggae, Ghost > Guy Forget, Walls of the Cave

E: Backwards Down the Number Line


postshow P.A. music was Dolly Parton '9 to 5'

_________________________________________________


An unusual Maze opener got the crowd's attention.  I liked how both sets each night were under the cover of darkness.  BOTT served as a another opener of sorts.  Rift was the second tune from that album of the night.  Bathtub Gin was an impressive version and was my highlight of the first set.  However, I don't think this Gin topped the recent rendition in Chicago.  I really enjoyed Gordo's take on the Gillian Welch cover.  Halfway to the Moon is a solid new Page song that I was happy to see played.  Gumbo, Halley's, and Tube were three songs in a row that used to be jammed out that are now truncated.  Timber Ho! and Roses Are Free can lead to improvisational glory but not on this occasion.  Chalkdust was a high energy set closer. 

When they opened with Rock and Roll I had hopes of a version like the one played at the Gorge in August.  However, this was nowhere near that rendition.  I wasn't happy when they went with a familiar groove into an off the cuff cover of Come Together.  Twist was paired with its usual setlist partner Piper.  This Piper had an interesting jam that featured the band stepping into the Storage Shed for the only time of the weekend.  Harry Hood was well played on this occasion and I liked how they followed it up with Roggae.  Ghost had an interesting jam that went into my first time hearing Guy Forget.  I think everyone thought YEM was coming but instead we got WOTC at the last show before the ten year anniversary of 9/11.  BDTNL has been the 3.0 anthem so it was a fitting end to the weekend. 

8/20/11 Blues Traveler @ LeClaire Park - Davenport, IA

I went with my parents to Blues Traveler on Saturday evening at River Roots Live in Davenport, IA.  I have been to almost every incarnation of this festival over the years sans perhaps one or two years.  It has become a free music event in conjunction with the Ribfest.  There was a huge crowd and it was hard to navigate the field by the time we arrived at showtime of 9:30 pm.  You had a lot of older people who were sitting down and there were also people standing as well.  The situation was far from ideal. 

Blues Traveler played a cover of "I Want You To Want Me" by Cheap Trick early on in the set.  John Popper was entertaining on his trademark harmonica all evening.  It appeared he had gained back some of the weight he had taken off with his Al Roker surgery.  They ended the set with the second radio hit from 1995, "Hook".  The encore was interesting with them doing a cover of "What I Got" by Sublime and they ended the night with "Runaround".  This last song of course was their first hit. 

I remember Blues Traveler because they redid the Roseanne theme song and appeared in an episode.  I'd always been curious to see this band and obviously they were one of the groups involved with the original H.O.R.D.E. Tour with Phish and Widespread Panic.  This performance was a good representation of Blues Traveler.  It was almost 15 years after the peak of their commercial success yet they were still a fun live experience. 

8/15-17 Phish @ UIC Pavilion - Chicago, IL

Phish
8/15/11
UIC Pavilion
Chicago, IL

I: Back on the Train, Rift, Guelah Papyrus, Scent of a Mule, Jesus Just Left Chicago, Wolfman's Brother, Anything But Me, Babylon Baby, Reba, Alumni Blues > Letter to Jimmy Page > Alumni Blues

II: Sand > Light > Dirt, Waves > Undermind > Steam, Fire

E: Camel Walk, Guyute, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Harry Hood







The drive into Chicago was uneventful. I had worked a half day. The weather in the city was gorgeous with temperatures in the low 80s. I parked at my sister's apartment in Wicker Park and then walked to my buddy Steve's place. We drove to our pre-show gathering at Ethyl's on Racine across the Eisenhower from the Pav. It was good to see all of the Chicago crew. The lot was happening with more activity and vending than I had ever seen at that venue. We saw several tanks that had been confiscated. In the lot we also saw a guy dressed as Jesus Christ and this was appropriate with JLC being played in the first set. The posters went very fast and were gone by the time I got inside the building. It was extremely hot in the poorly ventilated, antiquated arena. They have renovated the place and were now serving booze but it was basically polishing a turd. However, I enjoy the gritty vibe of seeing Phish in venues such as UIC Pavilion.

The band hit the stage about 8:05 and it was clear there was a certain urgency to the playing right from the get go. BOTT got the energy going and this continued with Rift. I love the vocal exchanges between Trey and Page on that song. Guelah Papyrus featured its usual stop/start at the end and at this point it was clear how jacked up the crowd was. I hadn't heard Scent of a Mule since Alpine Valley last year. I wanted to do the Fiddle on the Roof dancing but there wasn't enough room in my row on the Page side in section 114. During this song there was a kid with a laser beam which was actually appropriate with the lyrics in Scent of a Mule. "I hate laserbeams". Jesus Just Left Chicago is always welcome and especially in the city of broad shoulders. Trey brought out his best blues licks. Wolfman's the obvious highlight of the first set with some very unusual playing. Page took the jam to a different level with some unique textures which Trey fed off. Anything But Me worked as the cooldown song and it seems like these are the clearer days which Trey longed for in that song back when he wrote it. Babylon Baby was a logical song from Moss for Mike to bring over to Phish. Reba was another amazing version. Once again they did the whistling at the end. Alumni Blues included Letter to Jimmy Page in the middle and during the reprise Trey took his playing to another level. The energy was through the roof which is what you want for a set closer. I was very impressed with the first set and was hoping they could continue the momentum into the second frame.

Sand got the attention of everyone and this was yet another in a series of recent great versions. This eventually led into Light which had jamming that put me in the mind of the rendition they played in Tahoe. They took a similiar approach. The choice of Dirt in the ballad slot was great. They did a fantastic job with this delicate song. I loved the organic nature of the jamming that occured during the Waves > Undermind. This was such a slick segue. They continued the set by seguing into their newest vehicle Steam. Kuroda was on point with huge amounts of fog/steam during that one. A shredding version of Fire wrapped up a short but improvisational set from Phish.

As a result they played an extended encore. Camel Walk in the encore slot put me in the mind of Alpine 99. I think I like Guyute in the encore slot. This version made me appreciate Guyute again. I thought The Horse > SITM was going to end the night. Hood caught the whole crowd off guard. Last night was an above average version. I would say the first night of UIC was one of the best shows of the modern era.





Phish
8/16/11
UIC Pavilion
Chicago, IL

I: Dinner and a Movie, Ha Ha Ha, Chalkdust Torture, Mexican Cousin, Walls of the Cave, Runaway Jim, Foam, I Didn't Know, Ocelot, Ginseng Sullivan, The Wedge, Limb by Limb, Let It Loose

II: Down with Disease > Twist, Backwards Down the Number Line, Theme from the Bottom, Golden Age > A Day in the Life, You Enjoy Myself

E: Heavy Things, Slave the Traffic Light, Rocky Top


postshow P.A. music was Heatwave "Boogie Nights"



Once again the weather was ideal in Chicago on Wednesday. My sister and I went out for dinner at Pizza Metro where we consumed a clutch pre-show meal. She dropped me off in line for the floor and I got an excellent spot very close on the floor between Trey and Page. I was closer than Antelope Greg who was located off to my left. There were some familiar characters around me on the floor. The show started a little after 8 pm with Dinner and a Movie getting things going nicely. Ha Ha Ha was a request from a banner hanging from the balcony. Chalkdust Torture had the most succesful jam of the first set but yet it didn't stray far. Mexican Cousin is fun for comedic value. Walls of the Cave is pretty tame these days compared to what it was during the post hiatus years. Runaway Jim was well played but the jam stayed type I all the way. Foam continued this song based first set. During I Didn't Know both Trey and Mike held up t-shirts with pictures of Otis Redding on them. Ocelot doesn't vary much from version to version. Ginseng Sullivan and The Wedge were well played but obviously were void of any improvisation. Limb by Limb was a highlight of the first set with the only other jam besides Chalkdust Torture in the opening frame. That was only the second time they've played Let It Loose from Exile on Main St. This was very well played but I'm not sure it worked that well as a set closer. The first set on Tuesday had nowhere near the amount of energy that the first set on Monday had.

Down with Disease was over twenty minutes long and was the obvious highlight of the show. The jam moved through many different themes before finally settling into a quiet ambient noise that segued smoothly into Twist. Twist had a very nice mellow piece of improvisation. Backwards Down the Number Line had some strong playing from Trey but this version stayed inside the box. Theme from the Bottom harkened back to the pre-hiatus versions. I became a fan of Golden Age at Super Ball IX. The "ghetto blaster" lyric is appropriate for Chicago's southside. It wasn't a very extended version but the spacey outro transitioned nicely into A Day in the Life which was a faux closer. Last night's YEM was a very strong rendition that had great licks from Trey after a solid bass groove had been established by Gordo. Tuesday had another huge encore with Heavy Things starting it off folllowed by a gorgeous Slave to the Traffic Light. Rocky Top was an energetic closer to the evening. This was a fun show. The playing was more straightforward than the night before. I preferred the Monday show to the Tuesday night performance. However, going in I knew it was going to be tough to surpass Monday's superior effort and what we got on Tuesday was a nice compliment to the previous show.







Phish
8/17/11
UIC Pavilion
Chicago, IL

I: Colonel Forbin's Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird, Gumbo, Possum, Weigh, The Divided Sky, Alaska, Bathtub Gin, Maze, Cavern, First Tube

II: Crosseyed and Painless > No Quarter, Timber Ho! > Tweezer > Prince Caspian > Piper > Ghost > Makisupa Policeman, Sleep, Buffalo Bill, Golgi Apparatus, Character Zero, Run Like An Antelope

E: Funky Bitch, Show of Life, Tweezer Reprise




I spent the morning watching coverage of President Obama's visit to my company in Atkinson, IL.  They were using our east warehouse for the town hall meeting.  My parents were in attendance.  It was amazing to see the President talking about and answering questions from people I know.  After this I watched a very frustrating Cubs loss to the Houston Astros.  I took the blue line train to Racine and walked over to Taylor St. for Al's #1 Italian Beef for dinner.  On Wednesday I was finally able to secure a poster which had a Great Chicago Fire of 1871 motif. 

Phish hit the stage a little after 8 pm with the first Colonel Forbin's opener since the 1980s.  Unlike the Super Ball IX version there was no narration moving into Fly Famous Mockingbird.  This was another weak sauce 3 minute Gumbo with the ragtime ending.  Possum has been played to death in the last few years but this was still fun.  On the way home after the show I did see a possum.  That was my first time hearing Weigh in 80 shows.  The Divided Sky harkened the 1994 version at UIC which Trey mentioned on Charlie Rose as a major spiritual moment for him.  Alaska is one of my least favorite songs in their rotation currently.  It's a poor man's Ocelot.  Most people like myself used this as the obvious bathroom/water fountain break.  Bathtub Gin was expected but I felt this was the highlight of the whole show.  The four songs they put together to end the set were all impressive and solidified the set.  I love the interplay between Page and Trey during Maze.  Cavern was the faux closer but that songs always brings the energy.  First Tube brought the house down (not like Sugarland) to close out the set.  I couldn't help but think of the fireworks from Super Ball during First Tube. 

Set II got off to a promising start with a huge dance groove with Crosseyed and Painless.  "Still waiting" would become the theme of this set as it was vocally reprised several times.  I was hoping they were heading for deeper exploration when they settled into No Quarter.  I think they need to give that one a rest after playing a few times at several high profile gigs.  Trey's guitar work was great during the Led Zeppelin though.  Timber Ho! was the third cover in a row to start off the set.  This was the first "Still waiting" moment.  Predictably this bled into Tweezer.  Tweezer was a short version but had a brontosaurus-like bassline from Gordon.  Caspian is one of Trey's favorites and this unfinished version worked nicely as a landing point for the Tweezer and as a starting point for the ensuing Piper.  This segment from Tweezer through Piper was the improvisational highlight of the second set which quickly took a song based turn after Makisupa truncated Ghost in a miniscule 3 minute version.  The key words in Makisupa were comical.  Sleep was a nice choice at this point.  Buffalo Bill is Phish's ode to Deliverance.  Trey butchered Golgi.  Next came a below average Character Zero.  Run Like an Antelope salvaged the end fo the set.  Funky Bitch in the encore wasn't a huge surprise given the sign being held up and since Son Seals was from Chicago.  I really like Show of Life and it was a nice moment of reflection before Tweezer Reprise ended the show with authority.  In my opinion this was the weakest of the three shows.  The "Still waiting" vocals in the second set gave this show a more playful vibe.  It had a more celebratory feel where the previous two shows had much more to offer in the way exploratory playing. 

7/1-3 Phish Super Ball IX @ Watkins Glen International - Watkins Glen, NY

PHISH
6/30/11
Super Ball IX
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen, NY

soundcheck: Jam > Undermind, Sleep Again, My Soul, Ginseng Sullivan, Jam



My friend Doc drove up from Decatur and we left at 10:15 pm from Geneseo, IL.  Our destination was Watkins Glen, NY for Phish Super Ball IX.  These were to be my final concerts of my twenties.  It felt like the entire 3.0 era and in the larger picture my whole time seeing Phish had led up until this moment in time and space.  The sun came up while we were on the Ohio Turnpike just west of Cleveland.  I handled the driving until we reached Pennsylvania.  The drive to the festival was quite simple with my hometown being on I-80.  We took that to Cleveland, OH where we drove on I-90 until Erie, PA where were caught up with  I-86.  As this point Doc helped with the cruise across the Southern Tier Expressway.  This was my favorite part of the drive as the scenary turned to large hills with forests and dairy farms.  At the town of Corning, NY we took 414 North to Watkins Glen International. 

We were able to keep the vehicle rolling all night long and got to the festival about an hour after the gates opened on Thursday.  The private security force that Phish hired did a thorough job of searching the vehicles upon entry.  My first impression of the festival was amazement at the lack of traffic especially when compared to the previous two east coast Phish festivals that I had attended which were IT and Coventry.  We pulled right up to the gate.  No traffic whatsoever!  I was not thrilled when they parked us in Oklahoma which was a hike from the race track itself.  We were amongst the first wave of people there and they parked us farther away than people who arrived later.  That was about the only complaint I had all weekend really and perhaps it worked out for the best because we were in relative proximity to showers and permeanant bathroom facilities as well as the food vendors. 

Camp Winning was comprised of my Saturn, the shade tent, and my large red tent.  This was our headquarters for Phish's 9th large scale festival.  I immediately made friends with the alpha hippie next to us and we had no problems with our neighbors all weekend.  There were two small girls that were there with their parents.  Though the parents did a great job at keeping the kids occupied I question how appropriate it is to bring children to an event of that nature.  Much of our downtime in our campsite was spent listening to the official onsite radio station The Bunny which we enjoyed on my ancient boombox via 1490 AM. 

We had been tipped off that the soundcheck was going to start about 4 pm and we arrived during the initial Jam.  There was a large crowd of several hundred fans who were congregated on the outside of the track to listen.  They were not allowing people inside the track into Ball Square which would be the central area of the festival.  A funky extended Undermind was the first actual song we heard from Phish at Watkins Glen.  The TAB turned Phish song Sleep Again came next.  There were several moments during the soundcheck when they would stop and adjust the various settings.  My Soul and Ginseng Sullivan came next.  By far the highlight of the first day was the final Jam of the soundcheck.  This had a wide open feel to it and was an obvious precurser to the A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing we would hear on Sunday. 

















PHISH
7/1/11
Super Ball IX
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen, NY

I: Possum, Peaches En Regalia, Moma Dance, Torn and Frayed, NICU, Bathtub Gin, Life on Mars, My Friend My Friend, Wolfman's Brother, Roses Are Free, Funky Bitch, Quinn the Eskimo

II: Crosseyed and Painless > Chalkdust Torture, Sand, The Wedge, Mike's Song > Simple > Bug, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Weekapaug Groove, Joy, Character Zero

E: Show of Life


postshow P.A. music was 'Night Fever' by The Bee Gees



During the evening it became quite cool.  I slept with a hooded sweatshirt and stocking hat.  The temperatures seemed to get warmer over the course of the weekend.  It was tough having to wait around until 8 pm when the music started.  During the day I took a nice walk to Ball Square and purchased the event T-shirt and the merit badge.  It was nice inside the air conditioned House of Live Phish.  They had couches and rows of laptops where you could download Live Phish for free.  Also, at the end of the tent they had a flatscreen with a Phish DVD playing.  I picked up my bib for the Runaway Jim 5k which would take place the next morning.  I saw some old friends.  The first being Katie from Moline and then Charlie formerly of Tinley Park.  It was good to see some familiar faces.  Doc and I found our closest spot to the stage of the weekend for the first set.  It was cool to see the facial expressions.  They were obviously filming the whole weekend for a DVD. 

Possum got things started "your end is the road".  Friday was my 75th Phish show and my first time hearing Peaches En Regalia.  This was a much cleaner version than the one they played in North Carolina in June.  Moma Dance really got things going.  I had heard Torn and Frayed at Cincy 09.  That was a nice nod to the previous festival.  NICU continued this energy filled first set.  Bathtub Gin was the initial exploration of the night but was limited by Trey's wailing.  Life on Mars was another first for me and was a great call.  MFMF showcased the compositional side of Phish.  Wolfman's Brother was the highlight of the first set.  This was extended beyond what most 3.0 versions have been.  Roses are Free was standard.  Funky Bitch worked as a pseudo set closer.  Quinn the Eskimo was a bonus to cap off the set.  As the sun set on the festival the real action had yet to unfold in night one.  I liked the decision to not use a big screen.  This emphasized the work of Chris Kuroda on lights and he rose to the occasion. 

We went back to our campsite for dinner at setbreak.  As we walked back to the stage it was easily to recognize the driving groove of Crosseyed and Painless.  After taking that out for a nice ride they settled into a well executed segueway into Chalkdust Torture.  We found a spot a little further back by my friend Jason from Massachusetts.  Sand was a song that I really wanted to hear.  This was another great recent version that had some interesting jazzy licks/grooves.  Wedge worked as an interlude between Sand and the Mike's Groove.  "Take the highway"  I was hoping they would actually put back the second jam that used to be in Mike's but that was not to be.  Simple was another song I wanted and when they went that route instead of Hydro I was thrilled.  The spacey outro turned out to be the highlight of the night.  The campgrounds were abuzz with talk about this version of Simple the next day.  I liked the choice of Bug at the end of the space excursion.  Horse>SITM worked as in the ballad slot.  Weekapaug appeared to be the end of the set.  Then they played Joy which would extend the set two more songs with Character Zero being the set closer.  Character Zero featured some rock star Trey to end the night and this was perfect.  Show of Life continues to get better.  The encore on Friday was the best version I've heard.  The sounds of The Bee Gees sent us off into the night.  This was a strong first offering.





PHISH
7/2/11
Super Ball IX
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen, NY

I: Tube, Kill Devil Falls, Ocelot, Lawn Boy, The Divided Sky, Boogie On Reggae Woman, Camel Walk, Cities, Poor Heart, 46 Days, Suskind Hotel, Circus Comes to Town, Timber Ho!, Back on the Train, Suzy Greenberg, Monkey Man

II: Runaway Jim, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters, Axilla, Birds of a Feather, Stash, Sample in a Jar, Heavy Things, Horn, It's Ice, Mango Song, Rift, Scents and Subtle Sounds, Run Like an Antelope

III: Golden Age, Prince Caspian > Piper > Tweezer > Julius, Backwards Down the Number Line, Twist > 2001 > Harry Hood, Cavern, Golgi Apparatus, A Day in the Life

E: Loving Cup, Tweezer Reprise

IV: Jam, Sleeping Monkey





I woke on Saturday and immediately turned my attention to the Runaway Jim 5k.  After some warm up jogging and light stretching I made my way to the starting area along with the other large group of runners.  Prior to the race I saw a naked guy who was approached by two sheriffs.  They made him put on a metalic blanket from a first aid kit.  Later I saw him naked again.  Before the start of the race I talked to Jim Pollack.  I was pleased with my finish during the race.  Never at any point did I walk and I was able to kick down a lot of people at the end.  My favorite part was just being able to run on a NASCAR track.  Obviously this event also brought together the more health conscious element of the festival. 

After running in the heat there was a little bit of recovery before we made our way to the field for the afternoon set.  During Tube the crowd was covered by huge balls.  Unfortunately this was another very short version.  KDF got things going.  The slinky sounds of Ocelot worked in the larger setting.  The pause during Divided Sky was one of the longest I've seen them do.  The next four songs were very radio friendly versions.  46 Days got back to the wailing of the night before.  I really enjoyed the Phish debut of the GRAB song Suskind Hotel.  The jam could be described as being similiar to Birds of a Feather.  Circus was appropriate with the masses having converged in Watkins Glen for the holiday weekend.  Timber Ho! was a highlight of the first set.  BOTT is a song they obviously enjoy playing these days.  I thought they were going to end the set in Page's House with Suzy.  However, they generously gave us the debut of The Rolling Stones Monkey Man off the Let It Bleed album.  Page did a great job with the vocals.  This was a lengthy first set in what would turn out to the longest day of Phish music since Big Cypress. 

We had a few hours to regroup.  The previous night we had Nathan's Hot Dogs on my grill.  On this occasion we bought Gyros from the stand near our campsite and it was a huge success.  Runaway Jim was predictable with the race having been that morning.  They brought out the winners.  It's always good to hear McGrupp.  Axilla is not one of my favorites.  Birds of a Feather had a different sounding jam.  Afterwords Trey played The Simpsons secret language tease.  Stash was the highlight of this set.  Another impressive recent version this was.  Sample, Heavy Things, Horn all provide some variety to the set but this definitely felt like another first set.  The lights were awesome during It's Ice and the middle breakdown sounded like a metronome clock.  Mango and Rift continued this song oriented set.  The return of the original intro to Scents and Subtle Sounds was a major highlight for me.  A high energy version of Run Like an Antelope wrapped up the set.   I got an Italian toasted sub sandwich from a stand on the Fishman side.  This was a great decision. 

Golden Age was perhaps the biggest highlight of all on Saturday.  That was my first time hearing that TV on the Radio cover.  I loved the improvisation that ensued.  The pairing of Caspian and Piper puts me in the mind of the JFK Jr. inspired Camp Oswego segue.  Piper covered some interesting territory before settling into a very well recieved Tweezer.  This was a monster version of Phish's seminal jam.  The Tweezer segue into Julius was a reprisal of what was played in Alpharetta this tour.  Number Line was a rocking interlude before we got back into outer space with Twist > 2001.  Hood was fairly brief but they worked it to a nice peak.  It seemed like the set would end with Cavern.  Golgi seemed a little out of place.  Page extended the ending and took it into A Day in the Life to close things out.  Loving Cup, Tweezer Reprise is a pretty standard encore but it worked.  I think I heard that encore about a month prior to that in Cincinnati. 

We had been back in the campground only about an hour before we saw the spotlights and heard the noises.  The experimental USA Storage set was an amazing experience.  They had speakers and spotlights going in all directions.  It was hard to figure out where Phish was playing from.  The jam eventually found its way into a unique version of Sleeping Monkey which sent us off to bed.  I felt the improvisation and production of the late night set was a huge success for Phish. 







PHISH
7/3/11
Super Ball IX
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen, NY

I: Soul Shakedown Party, AC/DC Bag, Curtain > Colonel Forbin's Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird, Destiny Unbound > Big Black Furry Creature from Mars, Wilson, Mound, A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, Time Loves a Hero, Reba, David Bowie

II: Big Balls, Down with Disease > No Quarter, Party Time, Ghost > Gotta Jibboo, Light, Waves > What's the Use > Meatstick, Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan, Star Spangled Banner

E: First Tube


postshow P.A. music was 'America' by Simon and Garfunkel





We spent the day reflecting on the enormous amount of music Phish had played on Saturday.  It was quite hot once again on Sunday.  The late night set was the talk of the festival.  Finally we made our way to the race track for the last time.  We found a good vantage point on the Page side, about even with the soundboard.  For the final day of Super Ball IX everything fell into place for us.  I felt the last day was the strongest musically. 

This was a first set that could have been played in the 1980s sans ASIHTOS.  It's about is as close to a Gamehendge set of Phish that you will probably get in 2011.  That was my first Soul Shakedown Party and AC/DC Bag got the show on the road.  It was interesting that they chose to play a Curtain without.  Forbin's > Mockingbird had an interesting narration by Trey about Watkins Glen that gave this an old school Gamehendge feel.  Destiny Unbound was extended and this led into BBFCFM which I felt actually worked in this spot.  Wilson was given a little extra treatment than usual.  This version of Mound was better than the ones I had recently seen in Worcester and Cincinnati.  ASIHTOS was the highlight for me in the first set.  The ensuing improvisation was similiar in nature to what we heard during the soundcheck on Thursday.  It had a wide open feel to it.  At this point the sunset behind the stands in the distance was absolutely beautiful with pinkish/blue hues.  This was in addition to the ferris wheel which had cool colors all weekend long.  Time Loves a Hero was another old school cover that worked in this set.  Reba was the perfect call for that moment with the previously described sunset.  I was psyched to hear them do the end whistling.  Page flubbed the end part and Trey made light of it.  This version of David Bowie was rather short but reached a nice peak to cap off this retro set of Phish.  The setbreak had a patriotic theme which ran the gamut from Neil Diamond, Tom Petty, Grand Funk Railroad, Ray Charles, and David Bowie. 

Big Balls was very well done by Fishman and was appropriate.  Balls held for pleasure are the ones I like most.  I was expecting DWD to open this final set so it was no surprise when they started up the opening noises.  This was a well connected jam that eventually led into some spacey areas.  I picked up on the No Quarter pretty early.  A guy in front of me had a Led Zeppelin t-shirt on and he was loving it.  Page nailed the vocals.  Party Time actually had a little jam tacked on it.  Ghost > Jibboo, Light, Waves was the meat and potatoes of the final set.  Waves > What's the Use was some powerful music.  Meatstick was perhaps a nod to Big Cypress.  I was expecting Slave, YEM but perhaps they were hurting for time.  Stealing Time may have been a reference to just that.   Before the encore break they did a predictable acapella Star Spangled Banner with it being the 4th of July already at that point. 

Trey thanked everyone before the encore and started up First Tube to close out the weekend.  This put me in the mind of the encore they played on the 4th of July in Alpharetta last year.  During First Tube they shot off fireworks and it was cool to see the band play with the pyrotechnics.  Finally, Phish wrapped up the song, took their bow, and left the stage for the last time with much of the crowd watching the fireworks in the other direction.  The sounds of America by Simon and Garfunkel worked perfectly for that reflective moment.  This was the final concert of my twenties.  Super Ball IX exceeded my expectations in terms of convenience, quality of music, and pretty much everything else.  I must thank my friend Doc for being my wingman on this important journey.