11/28/14 Trey Anastasio @ Aragon Ballroom - Chicago, IL

Last Friday I worked pre-load for UPS from 2:20 AM until around 9 AM.  I spent the rest of the morning getting the vehicle gased up and preparing for the journey to Chicago.  I've got the routine down pretty well after all these years.  I was prepared for massive traffic on Black Friday but that really wasn't the case.  I parked in Wicker Park and ate dinner at Pizza Metro.  Took the L train up to the Aragon.  I always chuckle to myself that the stop before Lawrence is Wilson.  Appropriate on this occasion with Trey Anasasio Band playing the ancient Aragon Ballroom which my father attended in the late 60's during its brief incarnation as a disco named the Cheetah Club.  I killed some time at the Uptown Lounge and the famous Green Mill Cocktail Lounge which was frequented by Al Capone.  Finally I loaded up on preshow caffeine at Starbucks before heading in.  I met up with my buddy Steve and we were on the railing in front of Trey.  Unfortunately a psychotic girl next to us was obsessed with her territory.  All night she fought people off.  I finally told her that's not necessarily what this experience is meant to be in my opinion. 


I've seen Trey Band 4 times this year which is plenty.  This show at least offered a little deeper look into his solo catalog.  First Tube got things going well.  Burn That Bridge is a song I heard Phish soundcheck in Charlotte on Summer 2010.  It's from the Broadway play Hands on a Hardbody that Trey helped create the music for.  Caymen Review is almost always played in a similar slot on TAB tour.  Bounce is a new song that I like the studio version they've offered fourth.  The Band cover made the first set for me.  Trey was singing from the heart and did the song justice.  Valentine was next.  Flying Machines is a reworked version of Pulsing Days which was debuted earlier this year.  Magilla and Alaska despite their ties to Phish were a lull in the set for me.  Natalie crushes 1977 with the Spanish lyrics. A rather standard Sand finished off a long first set. 


The first three songs of the second set was probably my favorite portion of the show.   Sometime After Sunset is my favorite of his new material.  Alive Again was a above average version.  Greyhound Rising is a TAB song that I hadn't heard live.  I think it would work as a cooldown Phish song.  Shine is better than it was nowadays with the horns.  Wherever You Find it was the next song which also appears on the Shine album.  This song had a ripping solo from Anastasio.  I always dig TAB's take on Sweet and Dandy by the Toots & Maytals.  STUD is one of my favs of his solo songs. I dug the pacing of the show.  He mixed in his ballads at appropriate times.  Frost is a song I'd wish Phish would try again.  During Goodbye Head I moved further back in the venue.  Architect and its God lights on Trey's guitar and Clint Eastwood appeared at their predictable points in the show.  The latter had the Looney Tunes/Warner Bros theme teases.  You also could see Push On 'Til the Day coming as well as the Gotta Jibboo encore.  At the Gazebo was a slow way to end the show but it allowed the veterans to start for the exit which is always a logjam at the Aragon.  I took the train back to my ride and drove home.  I grabbed some McD in Utica and talked to a UPS driver from Peru.  Full circle on my day.  I was awake for over 25 hours straight. 

10/31-11/2 Phish @ MGM Grand Garden Arena - Las Vegas, NV (10/31 moe. Brooklyn Bowl, 11/1 moe. Hard Rock Live)

Last Friday morning I drove from Geneseo to Wicker Park.  I left my car on the street and took the Blue Line to the Orange Line out to Midway Airport.  On the way I saw the first snow of the season.  It was 85 degrees in Las Vegas when I arrived.  The skies were clear and I could see the Rockies and the red desert canyons of Utah.  Finally, you could see the landscape transition into Nevada and its mountainous deserts.  This was my first time in that state.  I decided to walk around McCarron to the strip and it allowed me time to mentally prepare for what was about to unfold.  Frankly, I was worried about the state of Phish.  Things had gotten stale and Trey's playing seemingly was regressing.  I met up with Pat in the lobby of the Luxor.  I really liked our hotel.  Pat's old roommate Buzz and his girl friend Alexandra henceforth known as Axel stayed with us as well.  We stayed toward the top of the pyramid and it felt like we were on top of Vegas.


I applaud Phish for being able to keep their Haunted House set a secret.  I liked the hanging chandeliers and the backdrop with the moon and the trees.  When the house was still closed up it reminded me of the Storage Shed.  The first set had many of the Phish "scary" song titles.  Reba was the highlight for me.  Wolfman's was repeated in that same slot from the previous show in SF. 


Upon receiving the Phishbill there was little we could do but keep an open mind.  It had the possibility for greatness.  The set they delivered with all the theatrics and production exceeded my expectations.  This simple funk music kept the crowd moving and by the end of the set it was clear it was a huge success.  Having been holding back these riffs and jams I feel like Phish was almost punking us this Fall Tour until Halloween.  I liked how some of these sounds would work their way into the rest of the weekend.  The final set of Phish featured classic compositions in PYITE and Guyute and spacefunk exploration in the form of Golden Age > Tweezer and Sand.  The set concluded with a segue into Tweezer Reprise which had the capacity crowd on their feet cheering.  The encore was a not so subtle message to those that may not have enjoyed the second set.  You could see the Frankenstein closer coming out of the bullpen miles away but it was the most fitting end to one of the best Halloween shows of Phish's long career. 









After Phish we scrambled to find a cab up to the Brooklyn Bowl.  I wasn't wild about the demographics up by that venue.  The bowling alley was cool but the floor to the dancing area was horribly sticky.  The sound system during moe.'s setbreak was turned up way too loud.  The Big Lebowski is obviously a classic.  This show was more funny than anything else.  meat. > Water > Hector's was the highlight for me.  All the costumes and props were hilarious but Rob as Walter was my favorite.  We left toward the end of the second set.  I had been awake for over 24 hours. 







(below pics by Jon Lake)





















We spent Saturday relaxing watching Auburn and had lunch over at Mandalay Bay.  I liked the song selection in the first set.  Horn is one of my favs and also especially the choices of the two SOTG songs Frankie Says and Roggae.  Trey was impressive during the big finale to Wingsuit. 


Possum seems to have been revitalized this tour.  C&P brought forth some very successful improvisation before slowing melting into Light.  Light had them referencing The Dogs from the night before.  That was my first Lengthwise in 117 shows.  The end of Twist saw Page take over and he delivered a classy sounding transition into Wading.  Hood was a better than average version.  That continues to be used as a jam vehicle.  After that they seemed to be a little unsure of how to end the show.  The anthem at the end reminded me of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. 
















We had a little extra time to get to the venue because of the time falling back.  The security to get into the Hard Rock Live was tougher than the TSA.  The entrance itself was like some speakeasy with people entering the venue through the back of the gift shop.  The Chuckside speaker was having problems all night.  During Farmer Ben you couldn't hear Jim at all.  I'm not sure why this all couldn't have been worked out during a soundcheck.  McBain wa the highlight for me in the first set.  Also, Stranger Than Fiction was nice with its reference to Las Vegas, NV. 


The second set was a monster lineup of classic moe.  Timmy > Brent > Jazz Wank for the win.  They weren't messing around.  George and Down Boy kept the energy going through the roof.  This set was more of what I envisioned from a late night set of moe.  The Pit was an appropriate encore choice for the gambling sin city.  I liked the proximity of the Hard Rock Live to the Luxor and the MGM. 










We spent the day watching the NFL and recovering.  Doc from Decatur stopped by.  We hung out with some friends at the MGM before the show.  I liked entering the arena directly from the hotel/casino.  The first half of the set was fairly pedestrian.  ASIHTOS seemed to elevate the show.  Gin was the highlight of the first set.  Fishman got a nice dance beat going.  Free and WOTC closed out the set with authority. 


Chalkdust > Piper might have been my favorite segment of the weekend.  This was Phish firing on all cylinders.  Fishman seemingly wanted The Wedge but he was denied in favor of deeper improvisation.  This was a classic contoured Phish set.  A 28 minute YEM brought the house down.  The first ever Moma Dance encore plus Slave to the Traffic Light in the getaway slot was a very good encore.   I thought we were going to get a second encore the crowd was cheering so loud.  This was one of the best runs of Phish I've ever seen. 

9/18/14 moe. @ CEFCU Stage - Peoria, IL

On Thursday I drove down to Peoria.  I left around 5:30.  The weather was gorgeous with temps in the afternoon reaching the mid 70s.  My friend Doc got me a ticket to this show for my birthday which was generous of him.  This venue is one of the easiest to reach from my house.  Its convenient and hassle free and I've always had good times on the shores of the Illinois River beneath the I-74 bridge.  Trust me its more scenic than it sounds.  The opening act Brainchild played too long in my opinion.  I've met Roy and I realize they're a local act but moe. had a strict 11:30 curfew so perhaps they should have had a more truncated opening set.  Before the show they were playing Little Feat and ABB on the PA.  Rob was sporting a NE Patriots lid.  They didn't have much in the way of speakers and frankly it could have been louder.  Also, the house lights seemingly were on the whole show.  I had the Decatur crew to my right and the lone tapers Randy and Kris to my left. 


Timmy Tucker was a great choice to open and this was a solid version.  However, the rest of the first stanza featured too much new material from No Guts, No Glory.  I'm not a big fan of Punchline so the set somewhat fizzled for me.  The Cpt USA > WLT segue was well executed.  I thought they were going into Opium briefly during the transition.  Pretty standard first set.




Yodelittle was a monster version on this night.  They jammed this song so long that they essentially ran out of time to finish the set they'd had planned.  I thought there were hints of Moth but it became Time Ed.  Also, it should be noted a crazy hippie kid tried climbing the scaffolding.  It took security and the cops a while to get down there to apprehend the culprit.  The band watched as he spun around like a moron from one of the four support posts.  This was a huge Time Ed that had an extended Drums breakdown.  This segued into head. which is one of my favorite moe. songs.  By this point the temperature had dropped into the 50s and it had become quite windy.  When they stopped at the end of the third song I was pretty surprised.  It had been over an hour but I felt they could have played another song or two in the set.  It was only like ten after 11.  The encore was rather weak.  The final song being a nod to the curfew.  This show will be remembered as being unique for its three song second set.  However, aside from the Tucker opener and the transitions between Yod > Time Ed > head. this show was nothing spectacular.  With that said I had a fun experience and was glad I attended.

8/29-31 Phish @ Dick's Sporting Goods Park - Commerce City, CO

I left Geneseo around 7:15 on Thursday morning last week for Colorado.  This has become an annual tradition with it being my 4th year in a row seeing Phish at the home of MLS' Colorado Rapids.  The weather was nice initially but quickly deteriorated in Iowa.  It rained through most of central Iowa.  There was an accident in Urbandale that backed up traffic.  However, I was really in no rush and was enjoying my solitude on the open road.  I started the roadtrip with many of my favorite traveling albums by artists like Jamiroquai, Michael McDonald, Hall & Oates, and Crosby Stills & Nash.  When I crossed into Nebraska I put on the soundtrack from that movie by Alexander Payne.  I caught my second wind near Grand Island.  From this point forward I pretty much surfed the FM dials for anything that wasn't country (albeit I did listen to some George Strait).  When you combine the desolate terrain and the exhaustion that goes with driving all day it gets a little scary out on the plains.  I was sick of seeing cows when I reached Denver.  Rocky Mountain Way by Joe Walsh was on the radio when I rose over the horizon and finally saw the front range. 


I stayed at Bobbyluv and his wife Erin's house in Denver.  It was not far from downtown and was easy to find from the interstate.  It was good to be off the road.  Doc from Decatur was also staying there and it was good to have another familiar face.  He saw the 2011 Dick's run with me.  Later Joel Brown joined the group at the house.  I spent the day relaxing and recovering from the road.  Later in the day I made my first visit to a dispensary which was The Giving Tree on 38th Street.  There were a lot of Phish fans there shopping and working.  I liked The Grateful Dead DVD in the lobby.  That was a nice touch.  We rounded up the rest of the crew at the Renaissance (next to my old stomping grounds at the Stapleton Super 8) and headed to the lot.  They parked us in the grass lot on the other side of the practice soccer pitches.  The practice pitch became a favorite hangout for me during this run.  The well manicured fields had me daydreaming about playing the top flight leagues of Europe.  The Kroneke family who owns Dick's also owns Arsenal which is my favorite team in the English Premier League.  Preshow I had a quality grilled cheese with green chile peppers.  I met up with a friend from high school/college Matt "Iron Balls" McGaugh.  It was good to see him.  We went through the wars together playing soccer. 


Doc stubbed me down to the field.  Sunny's husband Aaron was nice enough to lend his wristband.  I really wanted to be on the field for the first night to be with our crew.  I had a feeling some sort of hijinks were in store.  We noticed the LUSHINGTON being spelled out three or four songs in.  I called the Guyute.  That along with Stash were the highlights of the first set which sacrificed cohesion in order to spell out the obscure 80s Phish tune.  Them playing Ha Ha Ha after was their response to any chance of them actually playing it.  I loved seeing the TAB ladies out for Suzy. 


I was afraid we'd just see a generic rocker 46 Days to open set two but was elated to hear them open things up.  BOTT was poorly placed.  It wasn't needed at that juncture.  Simple was where they opened a wormhole to another universe and plunged in.  Anastasio took the jam by the balls and the other complimented in turn.  Glorious stuff for sure.  Ghost was a solid version to follow but clearly they'd already taken us there after that Simple.  BDTNL was the most poorly placed song of the run. Hood continues to have improvisation and this was yet another interesting rendition.  The end fo the song led beautifully into the intro of Wading in the Velvet Sea which would have been much more poignant had they not played BDTNL.  Antelope was a high energy way to end the set.  The landing was a little shaky.  I saw the Character Zero encore coming a mile away.  The Bee Gees "How Deep Is Your Love" was the walkout music.  This was a good first offering.  Simple had everyone in the community buzzing.   We went to a bar near Bobby's house and got some burgers and tator tots that were clutch.  Then we watched the Moma Dance > Free from the Live at Brooklyn DVD.
















I slept until early afternoon and recharged my batteries.  During the afternoon we went over to a nice cookout near Fillmore/Ogden neighborhood.  There were a lot of familiar faces there to talk shop with.  We had some bratwurst for our preshow meal.  Once at the venue I met up with a high school friend of mine, Drew and his new wife.  We saw some of our first shows together.  When I went inside I met up with another friend from high school, Dave.  His girlfriend and also his buddy Shane were with him.  I'd met him at the show I flew out for last year at Dick's.  The show opened with the reverse order of the sequence we'd watched on DVD the night before.  I liked most of the song choices in this stanza.  There were two Gordon tunes with 555 and Yarmouth Road.  Things really picked up at the end with Wingsuit, Bowie, Cavern.  Dave gave me his field wristband and I watched the second set with the crew on the field.


 When they started DWD I thought perhaps it was going to be Contact with some of the pre song tunings and noises.  I liked the terrain this covered though it wasn't the best version by any means.  When it arrived at WTU? I was ecstatic.  Carini was likely the song of the night and this seamlessly went into Light which carried on the same theme that they'd previously taken on.  Slave was a good composition to juxtapose against the improvisation of earlier in the set.  I also liked the variety of Meatstick and then the Jimi cover.  Kuroda was on point with the yellow lights during the appropriate time during Bold As Love.  It was good to hear The Horse once again paired with its partner SITM.  I was familiar with the In A Hole song Trey was talking about and was hoping they'd actually play it.  Unfortunately it was not to be.  I was very surprised to hear them start up Fluffhead so late in the encore.  I was loving the "Hold the Line" by Toto postshow.  This was a nice second offering and complimented the Friday show well.  After we grabbed some late night food from Mary Jane's Pizza which was open until 4:20 am. 










Sunday was the show were they put everything together.  This was clearly my favorite offering of the year from the band that I've seen personally or otherwise.  We ate some outstanding food from Masterpiece Deli.  I had a Cubano sandwich.  After hanging out briefly at the Renaissance we made our way to the back lot for the finale. I decided to watch the whole show in the stands and befriended the groups on both sides of me.  It was a very positive vibe.  Preshow PA music was Talking Heads.  My vantage point was about 7 rows up in section 130 which is essentially my favorite viewpoint at this venue all things considered.  The first set had a little extra pop it seemed.  Trey had a little trouble during Curtain With but you have to love that choice as the opener.  Wombat once again had a nice portion of improvisation tacked on.  Trey crushed KDF with the blues rock being his forte these days.  I liked all the song choices in this set.  It made for a nice variety.  Wolfman's and Tube really got the crowd moving.  The Fuego pairing of Waiting All Night and Winterqueen was very well played, especially by Trey.  Possum was appropriate with the drive I'd have to make the next day.  Setbreak PA music was Bob Marley. 


This second set was what dreams are made of.  Chalkdust was another very good 2014 version and this led into a fairly contained Twist.  The Wedge got me thinking of the epic Chicago rendition but this stayed in the box but was appropriate with its "take the highway" ethos.  Tweezer > Sand was great stuff.  Trey was playing confidently and Fishman was a machine behind him.  They teased Tweezer during Sand.  The Piper that followed kept the energy going and gorgeously morphed into the Trey ballad, Joy.  Great placement.  Next was the first jammed out Mike's Song in ages.  Instead of slowing things down again with Hydro they kept the energy flowing like a raging Colorado river with Sneaking Sally and a spirited Weekapaug to close out this epic set.  Loving Cup and its "I'm the man from the mountain" lyrics made sense on this occasion.  Tweezer Reprise wrapped up a classic weekend of Phish in Colorado.  This was the best Dick's run since 2012 and was the highlight of this current year so far in my opinion.  The sounds of Frank Sinatra sent us off into the night.  Thanks again to Bobbyluv and Erin for letting me stay.  I had a great time.  On Monday I made the 13 hour drive back to Illinois. 

8/16/14 Los Lonely Boys @ River Roots Live in LeClaire Park - Davenport, IA

I went to River Roots Live with Craig on Saturday night.  We parked in the garage next to the Redstone Room.  I previously attended the festival in 05, 06, 08, and 12.  Admission was only ten dollars which seemed reasonable.  I had a pulled pork sandwich from the Carolina BBQ stand from Spartanburg, SC.  The weather was gorgeous with temperatures in the mid 70s on the shores of the mighty Mississippi River.  They have modernized the old bandshell.  This was the same setup that was being used in 2012 when we saw Blues Traveler.  The ferris wheel looked colorful in the background with the former John O'Donnell Stadium beyond. 


Los Lonely Boys, a trio of brothers, played a good set of music.  The beginning of the set focused heavily on their new studio release, Revelation.  Dream Away, So Sensual, and Give A Little More were tracks from that album that were played.  Mamacita was next.  There were several songs that I was not familiar with.  I was expecting a more poppy sound but rather we were treated to heavy blues.  A percussionist augmented the three brothers.  Predictably the show ended with their hit song, Heaven.  This was an enjoyable experience.  I had never seen Los Lonely Boys in the live setting before.  As a result I returned with more respect for them as a band and purchased the aforementioned Revelation album. 

7/18-20 Phish @ FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island - Chicago, IL

On Friday I worked in the morning and got on the road.  Traffic was as bad as I've ever encountered driving into Chicago.  The Stephenson was ridiculous.  I didn't get to Chicago until almost 5:30.  I parked at my friend Steve's place in Wicker Park.  Then we drove to the Soldier Field garage where we ate our carry out from a restaurant called Jerry's.  At this point I went off on my own because I was on the lawn.  Raising the stage greatly improved the experience out on the lawn. 


This first set left a lot to be desired.  I spent much of it looking for a friend of mine whom I was selling my extra Sunday ticket to.  However, I did meet up with a familiar face, Stickman.  The way I figure I wouldn't have run into him had I not been searching for the other friend.  Reba had a nice sunset jam but that was really the only highlight in the first set.  Stash and Coil they began to turn it on but this was a mere tease.  I was disappointed by repeats from Detroit.   


Golden Age was taken out for a ride on this occasion.  This wasn't on par with the outstanding Hartford rendition but I enjoyed this set opening jam.  Kuroda was on point with the lighting.  I loved the choice of Mango as the landing point.  The truncated Sand left people scratching their heads.  Piper bordered on WOO! territory however it did yield a natural segue into Halley's sans the vocal intro.  This was the best ever Wombat, confirmed.  That piece of improvisation may very well have been the highlight of the show.  Chalkdust was used as a rocker instead of a jam vehicle like it has been several times this summer. Slave was appropriate with the traffic I'd encountered.  Julius has been used several times as an encore this summer.  After the show I walked along the lakefront and around the south loop and enjoyed the city and the mild weather.   This is the only time I'll be visiting Chicago this year.  All and all it wasn't a bad first offering to the run.  The improvisation was better than the Michigan show I'd seen on Wednesday. 




































We spent the day relaxing enjoying the incredible weather.  It was like a gift compared to the horrendous situation we had gone through the previous year.  We had lunch from Big Al's  Before the show we took some Jimmy John's to eat outside the venue along the lake.  On this occasion we again parked in the Soldier Field garage but instead we took the water taxi across Burnham Harbor.  We saw Mike Gordon on a golf cart driving through the people relaxing on the museum campus preshow.  We spent the first set in the same area toward the front of the lawn but encountered some drama so we moved to the back of the lawn where the sound and view were both better. 


The first set was better than the previous night's first set but that's not saying much.  Again I didn't care for the repeats from Detroit.  Brian and Robert was a good call at that point.  Next was my first Wingsuit.  Tube and Free both really emphasized Gordo's punchy sound this tour.  Trey was really emoting well during Roggae.  Heavy Things was a nice interlude before the predictable and fairly short set closing Antelope.


Carini unfortunately didn't yield the gold like it has in recent excursions.  The lack of improve in Waves had me disappointed.  Fuego lacked any jam but it did have a nice transition into Twist.  Light was by far the best jam of the nice.  It was a percussive piece of music that allowed Kuroda to showcase his lighting equipment.  20 Years Later also had a brief bit of dark jamming before dropping into another excellent Summer 2014 Harry Hood.  I'm glad Steve and I watched this show together.  He's like an older brother to me and I appreciate him letting me stay at his apartment for this important Phish Chicago run.  Grind, Bug, Suzy isn't a bad encore.  I'm a big fan of Bug.  It always includes some great playing from Trey.  The sounds of Lionel Richie "All Night Long" sent us off into the night. 






















The Sunday show as my favorite experience of the three night run in Chicago this year.   I slept in and was able rejuvenate myself.  Before the show we got carryout from Lou Malnati's.  What a great decision that was.  We parked in the Soldier Field garage and took the water taxi.  Steve went off with some friends and I spent some reflection time by the lake.  This band and this city have been a huge part of my life.  So has the football team that plays in the stadium that was visible nearby with its iconic Roman columns. 


I had a floor ticket for Sunday and I took my spot on the floor Page side.  Antelope Greg and his cronnies were in their usual location.  Maybe it was just being closer to the stage but the first set had a little extra pop to it.  Gumbo as an opener is unusual.  Followed by a high energy Jim and the rare Tela and we were off to an old school start.  I'd heard The Line on WXRT previously in the weekend.   Scent of a Mule featured a full band drum session.  Next was a Gin that flowed like a geyster.  That was the highlight of the first like it typically is.  SITM was appropriate with July 20 being a day of mourning for the Iowa City crew and their fallen comrade.  Maze had some strong interplay between Anastasio and McConnell.  This was a better than usual Ocelot.  WOTC was a great choice to solidify a good first set. 


The last set solidified the run.  This stanza had the best flow to it of the weekend and provided a turning point in the overall arc of the tour.  DWD wasn't the greatest version but it was a classically contoured piece of improve that settled nicely into Winterqueen despite some feedback from Trey's
equipment.  Theme from the Bottom wasn't necessarily what I wanted but I feel it worked.  Mike's Song led into the most atypical version of The Wedge to date.  This is a tour highlight for sure.  Ghost was like a Studio 54 dance party and dropped seamlessly into Weekapaug.  Trey was in full on rockstar mode for First Tube and Character Zero.  This was my 111th Phish show and was my favorite of the four midwest performances I saw.

7/16/14 Phish @ DTE Energy Music Theatre - Clarkston, MI

I left Geneseo at 9 am on Wednesday.  This was my first Phish show of 2014 and I was excited to say the least.  I strongly dislike driving through that stretch of I-80 south of Chicago.  The scenery is very much akin to New Jersey.  After a brief stretch of equally scenic Indiana I was up into Michigan.  I had attended the game changing 6/3/11 show at this same venue.  That was a show that changed the course of the contemporary era of Phish.  Taking a different route this year I went through Kalamazoo and further north through Lansing and near Flint.  This helped me to avoid metro Detroit and its traffic.  Pine Knob is one of my favorite sheds.  The trees by the shakedown area create a nice vibe.  It was quite cold for summer tour with temps in the 50s by showtime.  I saw Mike on a golf cart with his daughter before the show in the parking lot.  They played The Cars on the PA system as a nod to the area's automotive history.  More importantly I was on the road for summer tour and letting the good times roll. 


The first set got off to a nice start with a decent Wolfman's.  Devotion to a Dream might be my favorite on the new album.  I really like its ethos.  I had predicted Wilson as the opener with it not being played yet on the tour.  This was a speedy version of Poor Heart to say the least.  Moma and Stealing Time were pretty typical first set fare.  I believe this was the tour's first Lawn Boy.  I'm glad to see Yarmouth still in the rotation even with it was held back for Mike's solo album.  Rift was another example of the speedjazz of the early 90s juxtaposed with the cheesepop of the current era of The Line.  It's Ice perhaps was reference to the cold weather and it did include a jam that put me in the mind of what they'd done in the previous rendition of Wombat.  46 Days was a high energy rocker but this set was largely uneventful. 


Set two got off to a promising start.  I thought that perhaps Mike's would produce the elusive 2nd jam we've been waiting for since Big Cypress.  Alas it wasn't to be as they quickly moved into Ghost.  This jam was primed to take off and explore the outer realms of the universe but it wasn't to be.  Very disappointing with Fishman seeming ready to go.  An unfinished Caspian and #Line was an unneeded break in the set.  Just when Weekapaug was taking on form Fish dropped into Cavern which was puzzling.  A rocking Piper did feature the first ever segue into Waiting All Night.  Just when Tweezer was taking off they went into Fuego.  Freezer > Fire.  It was quite cold by this point.  It was frustrating to see the Tweezer given the ripcord treatment.  Fuego had no jam whatsoever and it went into the set closing Tweeprise.  The playing had a nice crunch to it but they (Trey) weren't patient enough to let any of the improvisation to develop and it turned into a jukebox affair which continued into the encore of 2001 and Possum.  The Motown choice of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" sent the masses into the night.  I got back to Geneseo at 9 am on Thursday.

5/25/14 Summercamp @ Three Sisters Park - Chillicothe, IL

Craig and I left Geneseo around 10:30 on Sunday morning.  We took the backroad route to Chillicothe.  Upon arrival it was obvious this was the largest Summercamp in terms of attendance.  I'd estimate it was around 20,000.  After a bit of a wait to enter the grounds we arrived at the Sunshine stage during the first song of Umphrey's McGee's set.  The weather was around 80 degrees.  Dust was the only complaint but I'll take that compared to rain or extreme heat. 


The 2nd Self opener was an old school choice.  This was juxtaposed with a newer song Hourglass which I believe will be on their new album.  Visions of Parin had some improvisation and finally landed in Comma Later.  WMM was another older song selection.  Mad Love was another song from the forthcoming album.  Prowler was followed by Conduit which also had a jam.  The Allman Brothers Band's Jessica was a fun cover.  IC > Fussy Dutchman wrapped up a well played but relatively forgettable set of UM.  The wind was playing tricks with the sound from our vantage point. 


We made our way to the old Jaegermeister Stage for the moe. acoustic set.  Chromatic Nightmare opened the set but for whatever reason is not included in the recording offered by moe.  Nebraska came next and worked well in this acoustic setting.  The playful Time Again and its reference to al.'s balding was fun.  I enjoyed the debut of The Pines and the Apple Trees.  This was perfect for the acoustic format.   Smoke is one of my least favorites from the previous album but it sounds better with the acoustic guitars.  Lazarus > Time Ed was well executed.  Akimbo > Punchline included Allie Kral and a mandolin player.  I wasn't expecting much from this set but I really enjoyed this portion of the day.  After this I made my way over to Doc's camp and he cooked some burgers. 


At this point a group of us socialized on the hillside of the mainstage during the cover/guest set of Zac Brown Band.  I liked the choices of songs they made.  Jerry Douglass, Jake Cinninger, and members of moe. were amongst the guests that they brought out.  I noticed a row of golf carts with law enforcement and locals were eager to see Zac Brown Band.  Other than Willie Nelson the ZBB is the most country I think Summercamp has ever gone.  I chose not to stick around for the second set as I wanted to get my lawn chair set up in front of the soundboard for Trey Anastasio. 


Sometime After Sunset is a new one I heard in Milwaukee and was fitting for an opener as the sun was going down.  Caymen Review predictably came next.  I was happy to hear the new material Pulsing Days and Bounce since I hadn't gotten to see them live yet.  Gotta Jibboo got things moving. Dark and Down was sans lighting this year.  They wrapped up a fun set with Push On 'Til the Day. 


Night Speaks and Drifting were usual TAB fare.  That was my first time seeing Land of Nod.  Sand was probably one of the highlights I'd say.  Frost was a cooldown moment.  I'd like to see Phish keep using Frost as a ballad. Alaska actually worked in this setting with its references to bug spray and tents.  Mr. Completely included Trey remembering that they had to cancel the previous Summercamp during this song.  I was impressed with the various solos in this version.  Trey was in control of his band and they were sounding tight.  First Tube wrapped up a fun set.  I wish Trey would use some of his 99-00 effects again for that song.  Jen Hartswick really shined during Clint Eastwood and my third Black Dog encore of the year.  Though Trey's set was very predictable I was pleased with the musical quality. 


I was starting to get tired by this point.  After devouring a funnel cake I made my way to the mainstage field where so many memories have been made over the years at Summercamps.  I ended up setting up my chair by Gary the Mayor moe.down6 and Sconnie for Satan.  Four was an usual choice to start the set.  Paper Dragon was a rocking interlude before the debut of Caliphornya.  They brought out Zac Brown for The Weight.  meat. was interrupted by an appearance of Umphrey's McGee who played Puppet String.  That's one of the best songs from their forth coming album, Similar Skin.  Finally, they switched back into moe. and they finished meat and segued into Puebla.  Billy Goat was given extra attention it seemed.  Chuck was on fire wearing his Cincinnati Reds lid.  They were well past the 2 am curfew by the time they started up the one and done OKalright encore.  This was a marathon of over 13 straight hours at Three Sisters Park.  I'm satisfied just seeing Sunday at this point.  The weather was ideal and the bands I went to see stepped up to the plate. 

3/9/14 Mike Gordon @ Barrymore Theatre - Madison, WI

Mike Gordon
3/9/14
Barrymore Theatre
Madison, WI


I: Babylon Baby, Traveled Too Far > Drank Too Much Champagne > Traveled Too Far, Cruel World, Meat, Pretend, Spock's Brain, Andelman's Yard, Tiny Little World

II: Paint, Face, Peel, Another Door, Twists and Bends, Thin Black Line, Rhymes > Peel > Hap-Nappy

E: Cities





 Yesterday I drove up by myself for Mike Gordon at one of my favorite small venues the Barrymore Theatre in Madison, WI.  Since my childhood this has been my favorite of all the college towns.  The drive into the downtown area always gets me excited to see a show.  One thing I noticed though is that after seeing shows in Wisconsin for almost 15 years that I really didn't see many people I knew.  It's a rotating cast.  Show of life I guess.  I was able to find a parking spot near the venue with relative ease.  It wasn't a huge crowd on hand.  I liked the jazz before the show on the P.A.  Gordo had a type writer at the merch stand.  I left him a message.  I hadn't used a type writer since being at Grannie and Grandad's house in Lombard back in the 1980s.  The drive up was made more visible by the Day Light Savings.  I had to DVR the final True Detective.

Babylon Baby started things off around 7:45.  I've seen Phish do that one at UIC in 2011.  I believe that was the only track off Moss that we heard.  Traveled Too Far had a song with Mike/Scott singing in the middle before they reprised the song.  I've heard them play Cruel World before and it drags a bit.  It was fun to hear a different take on the Phish song Meat.  "I am a prince, I have it all".  Mike's family is very wealthy.  Something to think about with that lyric.  Pretend is a song off Green Sparrow that I like.  I went up to the balcony for a few songs.  I've never heard Phish play Spock's Brain so that was interesting to hear the MGB version.  Admittedly I was wearing my Andelman's Yard t-shirt so I appreciate that one.  Tiny Little Word is quickly becoming my favorite from the new album.  I liked the first set though none of the attempts at improvisation really paid off in any way shape or form.  Mike was too soft in the mix.  I was a bit disappointed he didn't use his envelope filter liquid bass tone more often.

I was digging the beginning of the second set.  The first three songs are all tracks I enjoy off Overstep.  Peel seemed to include the best jam of the evening.  Another Door was the 4th Green Sparrow song of the show.  I liked hear Long Black Line which was shown the CBS Morning Show.  I respect Mike giving his band members a few songs but the show seriously dragged during Twists and Bends and Rhymes.  They went back into the Peel jam before ending the set with the GRAB song Hap-Nappy.  The encore was Cities which was played more true to the Talking Heads original version.  I've seen MGB three times and I continue to be unfilled to the point where I'm likely done with them.  It's great that Mike has a project where he's the leader but I'd rather save my schillings for Phish.  I crushed some Taco Bell in Beloit on the way home.

2/5/14 Trey Anastasio @ Pabst Theatre - Milwaukee, WI

Trey Anastasio
2/5/14
Pabst Theatre
Milwaukee, WI


I: Traveler, Valentine, Alive Again, Drifting, Magilla, Ooh Child, Cayman Review, Burlap Sack and Pumps, Dark and Down, Small Axe, 1977, Money Love and Change, First Tube

II: Corona, Night Speaks to a Woman, Alaska, Pigtail, Sometime After Sunset, Last Tube, Architect, Gotta Jibboo, Scabbard, Clint Eastwood, Push On 'Til the Day

E: Sand, Black Dog









A week ago I had a horrible fever and we'd received yet another dumping of snow.  I slept most of the day sweating off as much as I could.  I used the snowblower to clear the driveway.  I left about 4 pm so as to minimalize the amount of waiting pre-show.  It started snowing when I was on I-39.  There was some SRV on the radio near East Troy which was appropriate.  I parked in my usual garage next to the Marriot.  I'm a creature of habit.  This was my first visit to the Pabst Theatre.  I liked the venue but felt the sound guy, Garry Brown, had Trey specifically turned up too loud.  I felt better after taking some cold medicine and by the time the show started I glad I'd made the journey.

It was good to be a Traveler on the road again.  I like the Tom Marshall lyric about "even if you're standing still you're still traveling too".  The first five songs were all repeats from St. Louis.  The choice of Ooh Child made the first set for me.  I always associate that song with Boyz in the Hood.  Cayman Review and Burlap Sack and Pumps really got the crowd moving.  Dark and Down once again showcased the blues rock that Trey plays so well at this point of his career.  The instrumental version of Bob Marley's Small Axe was a good call.  Natalie shined again on the 1977 cover.  MLC and First Tube rounded out a generous first set of music.

I'm glad Trey ditched the Fender for his new song, Corona.  Night Speaks to a Woman was particularly strong on this occasion.  I was not pleased with the choice of Alaska.  Pigtail got the energy going again.  It was nice to see some new material.  Trey's solo at the end of Sometime After Sunset was particularly inspired.  Last Tube was another song I hadn't heard in STL so that was fun.  The rest of the set was more or less about the same as what I'd seen previously including Push On 'Til the Day.  On this evening they played Sand in the encore paired with Black Dog to close out the show.  If you thought contemporary Phish was fairly predictable this TAB Tour was downright formulaic.  I liked the increased rock emphasis but its a pop vehicle compared to the 01-03 Afro-Cuban groove machine that was TAB.  I made it home around 3:45 after crushing some Taco Bell at the Pilot in Beloit, WI. 

2/1/14 Trey Anastasio @ Pageant Theatre - St. Louis, MO

Trey Anastasio
2/1/14
Pageant Theatre
St. Louis, MO

I: Drifting, Caymen Review, Magilla, Money Love and Change, Valentine, Frost, Burlap Sack and Pumps, Dark and Down, Simple Twist Up Dave, 1977, Devil Went Down to Georgia, First Tube

II: Alive Again, Gotta Jibboo, Pigtail, Night Speaks to a Woman, Architect, Sand, Clint Eastwood, Traveler, Push On 'Til the Day

E: Tuesday, Black Dog




___________________________



Last Saturday I started my live music calendar year of 2014 with my friend Doc.  I drove to Decatur after snowblowing the driveway.  We'd received several inches of snow overnight.  By 10 am the crews had the roads in decent condition.  Around B-N the snow turned to rain and my concern became ice.  I stopped for lunch at Steak 'N Shake and made it to Doc's house without incident.  The weather was miserable and rainy for the entire drive to STL.  We ate dinner at Pappy's which I really enjoyed.  The Halo Bar was at capacity so we chose to wait down the street at the bowling alley instead of standing in the cold rain.  We met up with Eric Leander and Jason Osborn and still watched the show from our traditional spot on the right of the floor.  

 The show began with Drifting.  I hadn't seen a show since November so it was good to be back on the road.  Ray shined on keys during the funky Caymen Review.  I'm not a huge fan of the reworking of Magilla for TAB.  MLC isn't the huge jam piece it once was.  Valentine showcased the female vocals.  I was frustrated by fans talking during the slower ballad Frost.  Burlap Sack and Pumps and Simple Twist Up Dave continue to be TAB warhorses. These songs sandwiched the bluesy Dark and Down.  I was delighted to hear Natalie do the Spanish rapping in 1977.  This song was featured in Breaking Bad.  I'd heard the Charlie Daniels cover recently on the radio at my new job so that one was appropriate.  On this tour it seems Trey is enjoying using First Tube as a first set closer.  I miss some of the textures he used on that song back in 99/00.

He had a strict curfew and perhaps that played a role in this being a fairly concise second set.  Alive Again worked well as an opener.  Jibboo was a nice choice in the showcase slot.  I don't mind Pigtail.  It seemed it got a little extra treatment this time around.  Night Speaks to a Woman was another highlight of the set.  Architect is a little cheesy with its overt religious lyrics.  Sand got the crowd moving again before Hartswick's rapping during The Gorillaz cover.  Traveler isn't a bad song.  At very least I like its sentiment.   Push On 'Til the Day is being used as the second set closer on this tour.  Tuesday is a fairly pedestrian rocker.  Jen Hartswick did a great job with Black Dog.  Trey loves Led Zeppelin and it showed in his aggressive playing during the finale.  This was a fun experience to kick off my year despite the dreadful weather.