5/24/15 Summercamp @ Three Sisters Park - Chillicothe, IL

Last Sunday my friend Craig and I drove down to Chillicothe to attend the Sunday music at Summercamp.  This was my 12th year in a row attending the event in some way shape or form. This annual kick off to summer is simply too close to my home to miss.  The days of me camping for three nights are long gone but the Sunday one day event makes sense for me.  They said they had improved the gate situation and it did move a bit faster than in previous years but this could be attributed to the fact that it poured down rain just as we arrived at Three Sisters Park. 





We missed the New York City opening song of the moe. with Bruce Hornsby set.  It was unique to see moe. play Help > Slip > Frank for the first time.  I appreciate Bruce Hornsby's solo career and his involvement with the Grateful Dead but this set and his own set both were a bit lacking.  The last couple songs without Bruce were Okayalright and Punchline and these turned out to be the highlight of the set for me.  Bruce Hornsby's set included Rainbow's Cadillac and Jack Straw.  In between these sets I caught the first song of Yonder Mountain String Band which was I Know You Rider.  These created a Grateful Dead theme to the afternoon. 







At this point Doc was nice enough to make dinner for Joel, Micah, and myself.  He had a nice campsite set up amongst the RVs.  One our way over we saw the end of the Dumpstaphunk set which really had people moving.  I was rather underwhelmed by the John Butler Trio so this was an opportune time to take a break for dinner.  It was extremely crowded at the mainstage for Steve Miller Band.  The weather really turned out nice with mild temperatures and the rain held off until midnight.  My one song I wanted to hear from this nostalgia act was Abracadabra and thankfully they obliged fairly early on.  After that I moved back to the Sunshine Stage and got ready for Widespread Panic.  The skies were threatening but as JB mentioned before the encore that the weather gods were looking out for us. 













This was my 90th Widespread Panic show but my first time seeing them with Duane Trucks on drums.  They opened with a free form Jam > to open the show.  From the beginning it was clear that Duane connected well musically with his father in law Jimmy Herring.  This made for a more dynamic musical conversation.  The band seemed in a groove with the previous two nights having gotten them warmed up yet they didn't seem exhausted like they sometimes can look like toward the end of long tours.  The result was a fun show that was impressive musically.  Little Kin was the first actual song.  Action Man made me think of American Pharaoh and the upcoming Belmont.  Tallboy was appreciated by the beer slugging crowd.  Pleas had an extended intro and eventually segued into WDYBT?  Next up was Walkin (For Your Love)   I've always been a big fan of Impossible ever since Light Fuse, Get Away.  Travelin' Light worked as a set closer.  Pleas and Impossible both had successful jams.  After a short 20 minute setbreak which included early Pink Floyd/Syd Barrett on the PA the band returned to the stage before much of the crowd was back.


Junior was a hard rocking start to the second set.  We had a conversation at setbreak about how the band had finally turned the page so Second Skin worked with that theme.  The end of Second Skin had a brief Come Together tease.  Aunt Avis, Rebirtha, and Stop Breakin' Down kept the set moving well.  SBD has JB doing the Give Me Back My Whig rap.  The highlight for me was my first time seeing Honky Red in the live setting.  This was a nasty, dirty cover that works perfectly for the current incarnation of the band.  The jam into the drums included a jam that put me in the mind of Life During Wartime.  Schools was on point during the drums and bass.  I thought I heard hintings of Stop-Go or perhaps Fire on the Mountain.  Cotton Was King and Dyin' Man weren't exactly what I wanted after Drums but Fishwater was a spirited rendition.   ILS was a short encore but at least included fireworks at the conclusion.   










I was honestly a bit disappointed with Greensky Bluegrass.  They seemed like YMSB Lite.  The tiny Starshine Stage was becoming overcrowded so I made my way over to Big Gigantic.  They really had the crowd moving.  When they were over I was able to find my spot for the final set of moe.   As previously mentioned it started raining about midnight.  While it wasn't a monsoon it was a fairly steady drizzle that continued for most of the last set.  moe.'s laser lights and video projections were enhanced by the falling rain it seemed.  HHH started things off with Chuck referencing Frampton.  After a no huddle segue into Puebla they kept the energy moving with a patient segue into Time Ed.  This was an above average version.  Do or Die included a parade by Here Comes the Mummies.  This group had everyone talking at the festival so it was appropriate that they made a cameo during the final moe. set.  Crab Eyes and Wind It Up seemed like rather pedestrian choices at this juncture.  It was 2 am and Ian Goldberg walked onstage and said something to Rob.  I was worried the set might be over.  However, they played two more songs and blew through the supposed 2 am end time.  Opium > Brent Black was the clear cut highlight of the final set.  It was one of those moments that remind you why you started liking the band in the first place.  After a rather long bday speech for Ian's wife that had me thinking about all the previous years that I'd attended Summercamp they wrapped it up with Time that was fitting in that situation.  Unfortunately we had heard Greensky Bluegrass play that same Pink Floyd cover a couple hours earlier.  We heard the sounds of Vermont jamband Twiddle as we walked out to the vehicle.  On our way out of the parking lot we were very fortunate not to have gotten stuck or in an accident as conditions had deteriorated to mud.  I drove Craig and I home on the winding backroads.  We got back around 4 am.  It was a long day of music but I'm glad we decided to go.

3/18/15 moe. @ Barrymore Theatre - Madison, WI

On Wednesday I worked until 3:30 and then hit the road for Wisconsin.  The drive up was uneventful.  Lately on road trips I tend to surf the dial looking for songs on the radio rather than listen to jambands or albums.  For whatever reason I like how this tends to bring out songs that I might not ordinarily listen to.  I always am impressed when you are driving on John Nolen just past the Coliseum and you see the capital building and the lake.  It brings back a lot of memories of UW soccer camps.  Madison has always been a special place for me and the Barrymore is my favorite venue in town.  moe.'s return to this venue after several outings at the Orpheum perhaps built up expectations for me.  I saw some familiar faces.  Angelo and Sconnie were in the house.


I parked in the neighbhorhood surrounding  the venue and stopped into see some old friends, Sam and Jesse who live behind the Barrymore.  We had just walked in when they started up Caliphornya.  BIBH is a song I always enjoy seeing.  White Lightning Turpentine was next.  Silver Sun is a tune that I like but it tends to start to drag on a bit.  Yod > CIA > Laz was solid work.  For a first set I felt this wasn't a bad effort.  They played Caliphornya and CalifornIA.  Clever. 


Time Again is a little too much hoedown for me.  That along with STF are better suited for the first set. However, I did appreciate the Las Vegas, NV reference.  That's where I had most recently seen moe. over Halloween last year.  This wasn't a bad segue into The Pit but Chuck jumped the gun a little bit.  None of these songs are ones I went in hoping to hear in the second set.  I guess that's on me.  As corny as Wicked Awesome is I really do enjoy it.  As I mentioned earlier listening to the radio and the songs the DJ plays is a part of my road trips.  I'd heard the song FM on the way.  No static at all.  Thank you for Steely Dan is my favorite lyric in the song.  On this journey I heard Big Balls.  With Phish announcing Magnaball earlier in the day that was fitting.  Thank you for AC/DC.  I wasn't wild about the placement of Four in this show.  They hadn't really made "it" happen yet and they were slowing things down.  Cpt USA > Rec Chem was a decent segue in comparison though not in the same league as that same pairing at the Riv a few years ago.  I was ready to hit the road so a brief All Roads and Blister in the Sun encore was fine with me.  Later I learned The Violent Femmes are from Madison.  This was my 77th time seeing moe. and I had not heard that cover since my very first show.  On the way home I made a run for the border at Taco Bell in Beloit.  Overall, I had fun.  I always dig Madison and the Barrymore but this show was rather forgettable. 

3/4/15 Lotus @ The Canopy Club - Urbana, IL

Last Wednesday I worked 7 until 4:30 at IFSI then made the solo trek to Urbana.  I always think of the first time I visited that venue 1/31/00 moe. with Barry and Andy.  We went to a show on school night on a college campus.  15 years later not much has changed.  I'm still going to shows on worknights and still visiting my favorite college music venues.  The Canopy Club is one of my favorite club size venues and I've been to a few.  Jay/Ian do a great job getting the talent and keeping the vibe right.  I'm contemplating breaking my 11 years of consecutive Summer Camp appearances this Memorial Day Weekend.  It feels like it's time.  However, I want to mention how much I appreciate the Goldberg family bringing so much music to Central Illinois over the years.  Before the show I grabbed an excellent slice of Manolo's BBQ pizza.  It's understandable that Cosby Sweater changed their name to Turbo Suit with the recent allegations.  They did a decent cover of a New Deal song from Gone Gone Gone.  Overall their set was once again too loud regardless of what moniker they're using. 


I've listened to most of the Lotus Winter Tour so I knew we were in store for a treat.  These guys are really elevating their game right now.  I liked the roller coaster artwork on the drum set.  The talk box on Bellwether got the show off to a funky start.  Opo kept the energy going.  Livingston Storm is one of my favs.  This was a major highlight.  I loved the dark and dirty sound post-rock sound.  They explored more than I've ever seen them do.  Molluskunk was next.  Neon Tubes was a dance party with the Daft Punk cover Around the World sandwiched in the middle.  Hammerstrike was a hard rocking end to a fun set of Lotus.  I hung with Doc and his friend behind the table on the second level of the floor which is the best vantage point and sound.  We appeared to be the only people above age 30 in the place besides the band members.  I felt like Wooderson. 


Ashcon with its "groove your body" sample is a familiar one.  Travel has been a favorite of mine so that made me the show.   This also reached some dark terrain.  The Legend of Zelda theme brought back a lot of memories from that gold NES cartridge from my youth.  They jammed it out before dropping into a huge Flower Sermon which likely was the best improvisation of the show.   Tarot was a brief lull in the action before an unbelievably smooth segue from Plant Your Root > Sunrain.  This was extremely patient playing.  This show was the best Lotus I've seen dating back to my first show at Bent River in Moline 2006.  On Facebook they asked what we wanted to hear and I suggested Strawberry Letter 23 from the Jackie Brown soundtrack and this started the encore.  At this point I hit the road as they finished the show with Disappear into a Blood Red Sky.  There was a full moon which illuminated the icy snow that covered the Illinois fields.  I didn't get any sleep before heading back to work for another 7 to 4:30.  At the end of the day it was worth it.  When you go the extra mile that's usually when you get rewarded.  This was certainly the case with Lotus at The Canopy Club this time around. 

1/30/15 The String Cheese Incident @ Aragon Ballroom - Chicago, IL

I don't start working my new job at Illinois Foundation Seed Inc. until Monday so I had time on my hands and I had the inclination to get out and see a show.  It had been since Dec. 09, 2011 at the same venue the Aragon Ballroom when I last saw The String Cheese Incident.  The drive to Chicago was uneventful.  It was cold with temps in the mid 20s.  I parked my car near the blue line in Wicker Park and transferred to the red line up toward Howard and the Aragon.  They played music from The Blues Brothers soundtrack before and during setbreak on the PA.


I get into the venue about 7 o'clock and met some cool folks from Connecticut up on the railing.  Dan and Gino were cool guys and the vibe was good.  Nershi ran onstage first and we were off.  The first set was bookended by Kyle hiphop sounding tunes. The latter of which that ended the first set had Kang on a full sized guitar.  I'm not a huge fan of So Far From Home but this version went into an L.A. Woman (The Doors) jam complete with Nershi singing the Mr. Mojo Risin vocals.  Round the Wheel had an interesting jam that saw Billy doing his best to add to the thumping beat.  Struggling Angel was a classy choice and I respect the message of that one.  Beautiful is a new song that I've enjoyed hearing over the holidays when I listened to the SCI Fall Tour on my headphones loading UPS trucks.  I liked hearing that one live.  Restless Wind reminded me of 2000 when I first discovered the band.  Roots Run Deep indeed. 


When Bill approached the microphone to start set two I knew we were in for a classic Group Hoot.  CBS has become a modern day anthem for the band.  It got me thinking about my own potential relocation to Colorado at some point.  Last time I saw them they had the video screens which was cool with the blue sky and Colorado mountains.  This time they used a more traditional lighting rig but the technology was impressive and at times was blinding almost from that close range.  Rivertrance was one I wanted to hear.    Sweet Spot is a great new Keith tune and this perhaps had the biggest peak of the show surprisingly.  Travis and Hann switched places for that one.   Just One Story kept this set moving in the right direction.  Next came the rarely played Don't Say which I've always liked.  Search is one of their catchier tunes though.  Texas made the show for me.  Nershi was straight killing it on his acoustic.  I was impressed with the second set. 


I made my way toward the back of the venue and prepared my exit.  The first song of the encore was the second reference to Mojo during the show.  I Know You Rider was a nice way to end things.  The next time I come to Chicago will be for another band that plays that song too.  During my train ride there was a disturbance in the car behind us and they had to bring in the police.  On my way home I stopped at the McD in Utica and crushed a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit.  I saw the same UPS driver I talked to after Trey at the Aragon in November.  As I exited the interstate and was almost home I switched radio stations and caught the second half of L.A. Woman by The Doors.  This was my 22nd Incident. 

12/31-1/3 Phish @ AmericanAirlines Arena - Miami, FL

It's been a week since I've returned to real life and the harsh frigid cold of the Midwest.  I'm still trying to wrap my mind around what transpired in south Florida.  The experience exceeded my expectations.  We left Geneseo, IL on Sunday December 28th.  As other lesser jambands were starting their new years runs all I could do was wait.  I'd been binging on The Wire before we left on HBO.  Terminology and characters from that show were mentioned frequently (by me) on this roadtrip.  Pat and Buzz were back visiting family over the holidays and they picked me up on the way south.  The special guest on this part of the journey was Pat's dog, Greta.  We listened to the Packers vs Lions.  Pat handled most of the driving on this journey which I appreciate.  I was not in my wheelhouse driving through mountains in the south in the night while it was raining.  When we passed Oak Mountain it brought back memories of when I went see Widespread Panic there in 2002.  From there I'd never been that far south in Alabama so it was all new territory.  We passed through Montgomery in the middle of the night.  Finally, we made it to Auburn very early in the morning on Monday.  I was impressed with that college town.  It had a nice downtown area with that adjacent college.  We continued The Wire binging as we waited to head south. 




On Tuesday afternoon we gathered the other members of our crew.  Buzz and Sarah left in his vehicle earlier in the day and eventually got us a hotey at the Super 8 near Universal Studios in Orlando  Pat and I were joined by Heather and Ryan in the Suburu (sans dog).    We stopped near Valdosta for food and in Gainesville for fuel and you could feel it getting warmer.  The next morning we saw a horrible accident south of Orlando.  We stopped for a note worthy breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts and reassessed our routing after seeing the traffic buildup.  It was fun in broad daylight to see the landscape of Florida change as we headed south along the coast.  Just north of Miami we stopped at a gas station around lunchtime and it was like being in the Caribbean.  Very little English was being spoken.  We arrived at our condo and the weather was gorgeous in the low 80s with the sun shining we'd made it.  We walked down the block to the waterfront.  It felt good to see the ocean.


Our room while snug and offering little in the way of television options provided everything I was looking for.  It had a nice kitchenette that we used all week.  The XM Sirius Grateful Dead station was used heavily.  Our friends had a room in the same place and the people who operated it were very friendly.  It was about a mile down Biscayne to AmericanAirlines Arena.  We had a Publix, a convenience store, and several food options nearby.  When we got to the venue it was lit up with the Fishman donuts and the Phish logo.  We visited the infamous rage cage which was reminiscent of Hampsterdam from The Wire.  The venue was almost full with the top sections behind the stage empty.  While it was technically sold out there were tickets to be had in the secondary market many of which likely went unused.  The rest of the run had a curtain in these sections and were not sold out but were more or less full. 







I had been listening to a lot of 1994 Phish lately so I had a new found appreciation for the Hoist era material (Sample, Wolfman's, Axilla).  Wedge early on was a nod to our taking the highway to get down there.  555 seemed to have a little more punch on this occasion.  Heavy Things was well placed in this set followed by a very funky Wolfman's though I wouldn't go as far as to called that jammed out.  Halfway to the Moon was played in about the same slot last NYE.  I really enjoyed Bouncin' Around the Room as it seemed to be given a little extra gusto.  That was one of the first songs I was exposed to as a Phish fan back in high school.  KDF featured some really impressive work from CK5.  He took a minimalist approach brining all the lights down and then build from there and it worked perfectly in psych with the music.  I guess I hadn't realized that Train Song hadn't been played in awhile.  Waiting All Night featured an even better solo from Trey than we heard in Vegas.  Axilla and a scary, dark ASIHTOS finished off a solid, but if not rather safe opening set from Phish.  They hadn't played together in about two months so it was about what I expected. 







I watched most of the run from the 100's sections but during the 2nd set on NYE.  I retreated to my actual seat up in 310 after the opening BOAF and an amazing Ghost that featured some excellent peaks from Trey.  During Theme from the Bottom I made my way up to the top of the venue.  It was an unbelievable segue into Cities that solidified this set as a clearcut winner.  After a standard CDT they gave us what we wanted in the form of the Halloween set closer Martian Monster.   Gordo was dropping some bombs that shook the foundation of the entire venue.  I was glad I had that vantage point for that moment because the crowd was going nuts. 







Dem Bones definitely seemed familiar from my childhood.  The NYE gag was funny but a little tame in comparison to previous years.  The "big" themed PA music leading up to the set made sense now.  ALS led into another Halloween kickdown in the form of The Dogs.  Tweezer with all the balloons definitely reminded me of Bittersweet Motel.  This version of Tweezer is actually pretty decent.  I appreciated the choice of Simple at this juncture of the NYE show.  This led into Limb by Limb which stayed in the box.  Bug had some of the best playing of the evening from Trey.  He held one note while peaking out the song.  BDTNL in this slot really let the air out of the room.  This show needed a YEM to finish it off.  The Horse > Silent in the Morning and finally Julius was rather anticlimactic.  A particularly sloppy Golgi was followed by Tweezer Reprise to finish up the show.  Gordon took a moment to stop and smell the roses which had been thrown onstage before he exited.    The meat and potatoes of this performance clearly came in the second set.   Jimmy Dean "Big Bad John" sent the crowd into the warm south Florida evening. 










We spent most of New Years Day recovering and watching college football.  Wisconsin beat Auburn in a game the rest of my companions were quite interested in.  I was more concerned with the Winter Classic which saw the Blackhawks lose to the Caps.  We watched some of the first semi-final game before making our way back to the arena for Round 2. 


The jazz music preshow set the mood for a mellow affair.  However, this show started off promising with four older school tunes.  Tube and Gumbo both were reverted to their original non-jammed out formats.  Page did add a little extra to the end of Gumbo.  Bowie was a solid version.  Next came Page crooning Lawn Boy.  From here the set changed to newer selections.  Undermind continues to mature.  Yarmouth Road is always well received.  Wingsuit had some emotive playing from Anastasio.  After a quick Poor Heart we got the clear cut highlight of the set in the form of Bathtub Gin.  This was a rather short first set which the previously mentioned Gin being the only foray outside the box. 







You win some, you lose some.  I understand the band was tired as was the fanbase so perhaps this show made sense.  It just seemed like they phoned in the second set.  The common pairing of Twist > Piper got me excited but neither produced anything fruitful. Caspian always sucks the energy from the set.  I don't mind 20 Years Later but not after Prince Caspian necessarily in the middle of a second set.  So the pace of the show has slowed to a crawl what do they decide to do next?  Drop Winterqueen and Wading the Velvet Sea.  So if you're counting that's 4 slower tunes in a row.  That's just not very good setlist construction by a band who knows better.  Yeah I understand the concept of playing a ballad in the middle of the set to drop the energy and then build it back up.  However, you can't let all the energy out of the room.  A very rushed Antelope came next which saw Trey botch the peak landing moment.  A short version of Rock and Roll ended the set.  None of the second set tunes surpassed ten minutes in duration.  Disappointing effort.  A quick one and done Meatstick sent us off into the night.  We were able to watch the end of the second semi-final game over at a friends' room at the Hilton because the show got over so early.  This was one of the weaker shows I've seen from Phish since OKC '12 and Rochester '13. 







I knew that after a very tame show the night before that we'd be in for a treat on Friday night.  The opening pairing reminded me of Saturday night at Dick's.  Possum returned to the first set after being used as a second set opener in Vegas.  This set had a lot of standard first set fare.  Roggae is always appreciated.  Stash really didn't stray too far.  Back on the Train was standard this time.  It's hard not to think of the 2009 version of that song in the same building.  Trey wanted The Line but Gordon started up Sugar Shack.  It was somewhat amusing.  He finally got his way the next song.  Ocelot?  Yawn.  A gorgeous Squirming Coil saved this set from being totally unforgettable.  This was somewhat expected as some point with the "I saw Satan on the beach" lyrics.  Great work by Page. 







What transpired next was a smooth flowing set of Phish that dreams are made of.  I wouldn't go as far as to called this Mike's jammed out but it was definitely extended.  46 Days provided the meat of the groove sandwich and this was also improvised before finally heading into Weekapaug.  What seemed at first like a normal version became extremely atypical when Anastasio started playing Fishman's Marimba Lumina.  Gordon then picked up the Langeudoc and started playing guitar.  Trey was playing a nasty (almost Axel F) style bassline with that machine while Mike channeled his inner David Gilmour.  It was over 15 minutes of extremely unique music.  Fuego had a brief jam that melted effortlessly into Slave.  Great work by Trey.  2001 was well placed during this show and gave everyone the dance party they were craving.  WOTC was another great choice at this juncture.  What we got during this second set was all killer, no filler Phish.  The classy encore choice of Sleeping Monkey, Rocky Top has been used many times before in Phish history.  Postshow was a nod to the recently departed Joe Cocker with "Feelin' Alright" on the PA system.  It was a perfect way to end my 120th time seeing Phish. 
















We spent Saturday relaxing at Miami Beach.  It was a fun drive to get out there.  I got in the water briefly but the Atlantic Ocean was a bit chilly despite the 80 degree sunny weather.  That salt water taste got in my mouth when I submerged.  I'm not a beach guy per se but I'm glad we checked it out one of the days. 


When they opened with Maze it seemed like they were getting right down to business.  AC/DC Bag worked as a second opener.  Divided Sky featured many in the crowd to pull out lighters during the quiet part.  That reminded me of the 90s Phish scene.  Cavern in that mid set slot was unsual.  Scent of a Mule did not feature Fishman on the Marimba, perhaps since it got such a good work out the night before.  Plasma has been a pleasant addition since its been called up from the minors (TAB)  I like Devotion to a Dream and it worked well in that slot.  Water in the Sky was appropriate with its reference to the everglades.  Split Open and Melt reached some nasty, dark terrain and they actually got the ending done pretty well.  That's something you can't always say in the 3.0 era with SOAM.  A rocking Character Zero finished off the most cohesive first set of the run.  Setbreak was David Bowie "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust".






The final set of the run was where they sealed the deal.  Stealing Time was appropriate with my mind feeling like a blank space after four days.  I was expecting DWD to open the set.  This was a masterful version that was as good as anything they did in the jamming department in 2014.  It's promising for a better year.  The NYE show was an energy based affair.  Then after that each show got progressively better culminating with the Saturday show which in retrospect was a special performance.  This DWD was over 25 minutes and was extremely dynamic.  Fishman and Gordon seemed to lock in and start up a new section of the jamming.  Extremely tight work.  The final climax from Anastasio reminded me of the late 90's when I first started seeing Phish.  Light > Sally was more amazing improvisation from the band.  The latter included the vocal jam.  Sand was appropriate with our adventure at the beach earlier in the day. Each song seemed to be the perfect call in this set.  Harry Hood was an emotive version that had me pondering my future in 2015.  Suzy Greenberg wrapped up the set.  The Good Times Bad Times was a good call to end the run.  This felt like a classic Phish show. 


The next day they dropped me off in Fort Lauderdale at the airport.  Thanks again to Pat for putting the Miami adventure together.  I enjoyed the crew we had in our room.  It was nice meeting Ryan, Heather, and Sarah.  The warm weather was something I really needed after a long peak season of working UPS in Illinois.  However, once I arrived at the airport my flight was delayed.  It seemingly took forever to get off the airplane when we finally did land at frigid Midway Airport where my parents picked me up.  The subzero weather with snow on the ground was a harsh return to reality.  This Miami NYE run was a great follow up to Las Vegas.  I'm extremely appreciative of the great experiences I had in 2014 and look forward to new possibilities in 2015. 

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.