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

The journey to Colorado was the big road trip for me this year.  My companion for this ride was my friend Craig who I've been seeing shows with since 1999.  I left my house at 4:30 on Thursday.  With it still dark I picked him up in Davenport and we were on our way by 5:55 am.  I crushed Iowa with relative ease and made it until Lexington, NE before we switched drivers.  We went through Cheyenne, WY and down I-25 to Fort Collins. Upon arrival we explored the town and got dinner and watched the Broncos preseason game at McClellan's on Taft Hill Rd. not far from Whisker's place where we stayed.

The next day we made the stressful drive down I-25 to Denver and eventually Commerce City.  We stopped at Walmart off Quebec.  It was good to see my old Super 8 where I stayed for Dick's 2011, 2012, and 2013.  It was shortly after the noon opening time for the camping.  We let some of the initial rush get inside before we arrived.  Weather was in the low 80s and sunny.  I had stayed with Mike Sands in 2014 and 2015.  I was eager to try the Dick's Sporting Goods Park camping experience this year.  Our friend Drew drove down from near Vail and met us.  We had plenty of room on the practice fields for our little campsite.  Our shade tent turned out to be a failure but it provided entertainment. There was a general store and several food trucks.  The first day we cooked bratwurst on my stove.  That thing has been through the wars.  This weekend was the first time I'd used my tent since Superball IX.  With Phish not doing a festival this year this camping experience was the next best thing.

Whisker and his buddy Shane drove down from Fort Collins for the first night.  I was the very first person to donate canned goods for the food drive.  I've participated in that every year.  It was convenient having all my tickets scanned and getting my wristband.  I went inside early and got the blue version of the poster.  Its the same artist who did the Deer Creek print who many think was the best of the summer.  I also grabbed the event shirt and the magnet.  We were able to congregate a nice group of us from Geneseo on the Gordo side in 105.  I randomly met Barry and his buddy Joe and they joined us camping for the rest of the weekend.  Gordo was the MVP of this run so it was appropriate I saw all three shows from his side.  I think the band heard the grumblings about the lack of jamming this summer.  The result was a jamfest all three nights.  No filler.

The weekend started with an energy packed Ghost.  Next was the best version of No Man's they played so far.  I was glad Whisker got to hear some of the new material.  I am sad Ass Handed isn't on the album.  At the time we had no idea what the track listing would be.  Stash and 46 Days were also noteworthy in the first set.  This was a powerhouse Antelope but the landing was slightly botched.  The crowd approved of the busting out of Mercury which hadn't been played since Dick's 2015.  Seven Below was a good call at this juncture.  BOAF though not explored continued the energy.  This was a rather unique Tweezer late in the set.  The segue into Runaway Jim was very smooth.  Bug, Tweeprise sent us back to the campground more than satisfied with the first offering.

I was able to get a better night sleep on Friday.  Thursday I was still too caffeinated from the road.  The drunken crew next to us made napping difficult.  We watched the second night from about the same spot.  The Slave opener was very unusual.  A precise, finished version of DWD followed.  Even frequently played songs like 555 and Wolfman's had an extra pop. At setbreak I left Team Geneseo and joined up with the Auburn crew on the floor.  This set flowed well.  I thought we were going to get a Piper at one point especially after Twist.  Blaze On was jammed.  Simple was probably the highlight.  This encore was one we'll never forget with Gordo taking the solo at the end of Squirming Coil.  Did I say Mike was the MVP?  Postshow PA music was "I Keep Forgettin" by Michael McDonald.  I laughed at that because I made Frank listen to that album on the way out.  After the show the campgrounds were bumping.  It was a festive atmosphere.  I was happy that Phish had put together two excellent shows back to back.

It was nice not leaving the Dick's Sporting Goods Park property the whole weekend.  The camping pass is like $85.  However, they don't charge you to park so you save the $15 a night on that end.  On Sunday I tried to take a nap but it was difficult with it heating up into the 80s during the daytime.  I went off on my own for the first set.  That was the closest to the stage I've been for any of the Dick's shows.  The show started off fairly standard but it was clear by the playing, particularly from Gordo that this was a good night.  SOAM isn't played all that often anymore.  Gin was the highlight.  This was a hint of things to come.  I moved back with the Auburn crew for the final set not far from where we were for the THANK YOU encore the year before.  It became quite cool.  I had to custy up again and buy the Summer Tour 2016 longsleeve.  I was hoping this third night would be a nice end to the weekend.  It turned out to be the best show of the run.  What happened next was a set for the ages.  They found a wormhole during Crosseyed and Painless and took us with them. The energy of this jam was unbelievable. It was peak after peak before finally arriving seamlessly into Steam.  This flowed into an amazing 20 minute Piper complete with a drum breakdown with Trey on the Marimba Lumina.  Every song in the set reprised the "still waiting" vocals.  They managed to do so in a classy manner avoiding making this special set gimmicky.  Light contained more improvisation. That was great placement for Lizards.  "the trick is to surrender to the flow" is one of my favorite Phish lyrics.  First Tube ended this set in a triumphant manner.  WOTC worked well as an encore and made sense 7 days before the 15 year anniversary of 9/11.  Kim Wilde "Kids in America" sent the crowd into the night after just witnessing one of the best three night runs of this era.  When Frank, Drew, and I started seeing shows we were 17 years old.  Literally we were kids still in high school.  Now we are 35 years old.

The next morning we disassembled our campsite and shifted scenes up into the mountains and stayed until Wednesday morning at Drew's place in Edwards, CO.  On Tuesday he took us on a fun dirt road drive through the National Forest near Vail.  It felt like we were experiencing real Colorado.  We saw a couple moose which we wouldn't have seen from a plane.  Thanks again to Drew and Shelby for the hospitality and for grilling out.  We got an early start for home and were on the road by 5 am.  Again Frank was a champion behind the wheel in Colorado and Nebraska.  On the way home the Saturn went over 200,000 miles.  This was one of the better road trips I've been on.  Thanks again to Frank for coming with.  It's not an experience if you can't bring someone along.  I made it home in time for the Mr. Robot at 9 pm.

8/22/16 Gov't Mule @ CEFCU Stage - Peoria, IL

Gov't Mule
08.22.2016 CEFCU Center Stage , Peoria, IL

One Set:
Slackjaw Jezebel 
Larger Than Life >
World Gone Wild
Million Miles From Yesterday
Pass The Peas with Stratus tease
Which Way Do We Run?
Brighter Days
Broke Down On The Brazos >
Tributary Jam
Left Coast Groovies
About To Rage
Unring The Bell with Shakedown Street tease
Endless Parade
Just Got Paid
I'm A Ram > with Black Dog tease
Love Me Do >
I'm A Ram

Encore:
Cowgirl In The Sand with Charlie Starr
Rocking In The Free World > with Charlie Starr
Machine Gun (Instrumental) > with Charlie Starr
Rocking In The Free World with Charlie Starr





On Monday night I drove down to Peoria afternoon for Gov't Mule.  I'm not even sure how many times I've seen them.  I'd guess around a dozen starting in 2004.  This setlist lacked a lot of their staples which led to the band digging deeper into their catalog. It was a beautiful evening with temps much cooler than what I'd experienced at this same venue for Umphrey's McGee a few weeks prior.  Upon arrival I saw Ben and Eugenia tailgating.  One year earlier on this date I was at Magnaball with his brother Pat.  Appropriately enough I'd seen the Walters Brothers Harley Davidson billboard on the way into Peoria.  This show was at the CEFCU Stage next to the river.  The Umphrey's show was on the other side of the depot.  I went inside at 7 pm when Blackberry Smoke started.  It was impressive how many fans were clearly there for the opening band.  Dressed in cowboy boots and chewing tobacco this was a different element than what I was accustomed to.  They played for an hour and we enjoyed their set.  I met up with my friend Doc.  There was no where to sit so we took a spot in the back of the pit.  That's how crowded it was.  I was the only person I saw sporting Phish attire.  When Mule started the older blues/Allman Bros. crowd filed in. 


Gov't Mule played for two hours.  I'm not going to go through each song.  The setlist above speaks for itself if you know their repertoire.  Highlights for me were About to Rage and Endless Parade.  These are two of my favorites.  Warren was really on his game.  It seems now that the ABB is done that he appears to be in better shape.  Jorgen Carlson's bass playing and Matt Abts's drumming had me grooving all evening.  I enjoy seeing shows at that location with the I-74 bridge in the background.  Ten years ago I got more into this band when the High and Mighty album came out.  They played several tracks off that one including A Million Miles from Yesterday.  I went into the show with very little in the way of expectations and perhaps that's why I enjoyed myself so much. Anyone who has followed along with this knows these writings are less of a show review and more of a journal of my experience.  I started writing them for fun way back in the day.  Then it became an excuse to stay sober at the shows after I stopped drinking.  Now I still do it as a way to reflect. 


I spent the month of August exercising, reading, and binge watching Oz.  This is probably the last "summer break" I may ever have.  After the stint at Casey's I decided that will be my final foray into food service.  Also, that's the last part time job I intend to get.  I want one more season in the sun in the fall working in the corn research game.  Hopefully, the Cubs can take care of business.  I'll be seeing Phish this fall in a city (Nashville) that I've never seen live music in.  Then it's back to my alma mater ten years after for what appears to be the final Widespread Panic concert at Iowa State University in Ames.  Beyond that I'll intensify my search for a full time job and eventually find an apartment of my own.  I see the path ahead of me...  Now the scene turns to Dick's Spoting Goods Park in Commerce City, CO for what has become the highlight of the Phish year.

8/4/16 Umphrey's McGee @ James W. Baldwin Festival Park - Peoria, IL

It's been a strange summer in certain regards.  The Phish shows I saw in June were enjoyable experiences.  The road trips went about as smoothly as possible.  I think after 17 years I'm starting to get the hang of this.  However, musically I was underwhelmed by the Phish output.  So fast forward a month without any live music.  That's the first July without concerts for me since 1998.  I've now turned 35 years old.  I worked my 8th season of pollinating.  The weather was very hot the last few weeks.  My attempt to work a second job at Casey's led to me burning the candle at both ends.  Having ended that brief return to food service I was able to reassess what's important.  I really enjoy the corn research work and it's allowed me the freedom to see as much live music as possible. 


In 2017 though I intend to find a full time job in the Quad Cities or Denver.  I'm keeping my options open.  My parents have done enough.  I want to allow them time to themselves.  We wrapped up the summer work on Thursday with a roadtrip that took us to Washington, IA and Macomb, IL.  So I was actually further south of Peoria earlier in the day.  The timing was nice so I would have Friday off.  I listened to the David Gilmour self titled album both ways.  Since I went to Colorado last Labor Day I've pretty much been grinding continuously with one job or another.  Even the time off I took I spent flying to New York City for Phish and The Disco Biscuits and having surgery on an infected pilonidal cyst.  The days off I took in June I spent driving home all night from Minnesota and Indianapolis.  It's important to get enough sleep, eat properly, and to exercise.  I got away from these principals while attempting to work too much while not maintaining my engine.  This August I'm going to recharge my batteries.


So I got back from Macomb around 3 pm and took a few hours to clean up.  Then I got back on I-74 and made the easy journey down to the Peoria riverfront.  The venue is the last exit before the Illinois River.  I love this venue because it's easy to get to and parking is free and convenient.  I talked to Ian Goldberg before the show.  In retrospect I wished I'd thanked him for putting on shows at this location over the years.  Doc and Troy arrived just after me in the lot.  They kicked me down a Red Bull as we saw Scott and Adam who I was seated next to at the first night of Wrigley Field Phish.  The sun was going down but it was extremely hot with temps still in the high 80s.  For whatever reason this show was not at the traditional CEFCU Stage by the river but rather on the other side of the depot at the James W. Baldwin Festival Park grounds.  This location is more spread out and offers some shade.  I'd seen them here before when the other stage flooded several years ago.  The opening act The Main Squeeze was pretty decent.  I saw Leander and Nickmo.  It'd been a while for me since I'd talked to them.  I got burnt out on Umphrey's.  Too many Higgins, Plungers, Bottom Halfs.  However, it seemed like there were a lot of older long time fans in attendance and the band responded with a setlist appropriate of such an occasion. 


They opened with an instrumental version of The Message by Grandmaster Flash around 7:45.  Then the rest of the first set was an All in Time sandwich.  Hourglass and Educated Guess were two newer songs in the first set that I really enjoyed.  The whole show had a pretty heavy theme.  Eat and its King Crimson-like prog rock was juxtaposed with the gorgeous piano playing of Joel Cummins during Orfeo.  I saw Cory from Iowa and also Isaac who I used to work with at Fareway.  Apparently they played In a Silent Way?  It sounded like tuning to me.  Push the Pig reminds me of seeing UM back at the Union Bar in Iowa City back in the day.  Solid groove by Stasik with some hintings of The Crunge by Led Zeppelin.  Resolution had a soaring jam before dropping into the end of AIT to end the set.  Impressive first set for sure. 


I made myself a ham sandwich and brought it along.  The grassy area under the I-74 bridge was perfect for my setbreak picnic.  DBK is always a song I like to see live.  Kula is a rarity these days.  Ringo included a Muscle Shoals jam.  The Triple Wide brought the best dancing platform of the night.  Complete with Rhiannon (Fleetwood Mac) teases this was probably my favorite part of the show.  Forks and Make It Right were more newer songs that continue to improve.  There was a Kabump in between those which was a bit of an energy lull at that late junction.  Waiting Room and Mulche's sent the crowd out into the night just before 11 pm.  I'm glad I went.  This was my 156th time seeing Umphrey's McGee.  I was home by 12:15.  The drive back included a spectacular lightning show and at times intense rain. 

6/26/16 Phish @ Klipsch Music Center - Noblesville, IN

I woke on Sunday morning at the Congress Plaza Hotel.  I was able to get an early start and avoid any of the parade traffic.  I heard Lido Shuffle by Boz Skaggs on the way down and after the show on FM radio.  This was to be one more for the road.  Prior to the tour I had expectations for this one.  Perhaps that was the problem.  Wrigley Field exceeded them.  Unfortunately this one did not.  I had White Castle for lunch which has become sort of a Deer Creek tradition for me.  I met Doc and BC at the Studio 6 Hotel in Fishers.  They had a couple younger fans seeing Phish for the first time with them. We parked and roasted under the hot sun.  However, the extreme weather was about to continue in the form of a storm that delayed the opening of the doors until 8 pm.  The show started about 9 pm.  I was able to procure a poster and had a decent seat on the Page side.  This was my 135th Phish show. 


Sometimes you don't get the show you want but instead see the show you need.  I was looking for deep improvisation.  Instead we got an early tour show that felt somewhat rushed and was played close to the vest.  After how well they were playing at the end of the summer and over the NYE run it was a little disappointing.  Perhaps though as I approach 35 years of age that its indeed time to scale back my involvement with Phish.  They are only putting in six weeks of work and it shows.  The whole thing has become very predictable.  Sometimes I wonder if Trey is void of creative ideas or if he simply doesn't want to explore and take risks anymore.  Either way I'm satisfied with what I've seen.  I don't need to live and die with this anymore.  That was the lesson of this show.  The first set was pretty much standard 3.0.  I did like the debut of the new song.  There was a very colorful sunset before more rain come through.  Songs that once were interesting are now truncated i.e. Halley's and Tube.  Maze was the highlight of the first stanza for me along with the set closing First Tube.  It was good seeing Joel Brown on the way inside before the show.  For set two I went out on the lawn where it was still drizzling to enjoy some of the show with the Auburn crew: Pat, Keisha, Ryan, and Heather.  Eventually I went back down to my original spot.  My cousin Dan who teaches at Purdue was at this show but I wasn't able to meet up with him. 


Punch You in the Eye was a nice start to this set.  I wanted to them jam out BOTT.  It was not to be.  Light was the only improvisation and even that wasn't anything too outrageous.  The rest of the set relied on energy based playing to get the job done.  The new Trey ballad Shade was  one of my favorite parts of the night.  The placement for that was perfect.  Possum was appropriate with the fanbase getting back on the road.  Rock and Roll reached a nice peak and was an above average encore.  After the show I drove all the way home stopping only in Champaign and LP. I enjoyed St. Paul > Chicago > Noblesville.  The music wasn't necessarily mind blowing but the experience was enjoyable.

6/24-25 Phish @ Wrigley Field - Chicago, IL

Friday June 24th, 2016 was a glorious day for our family with the arrival of my second cousin Teagan.  Congrats to Kelly and Nick.  Months beforehand they'd offered to let me stay at their place but I hedged my bets and found another option.  I stayed with Ryan and Heather from Auburn at the Congress Plaza Hotel which really worked out well.  The proximity to the Red Line (and Dunkin Donuts) made this a convenient locale for the weekend.  I drove from Geneseo to Wicker Park with relative ease.  It's Friday in the summer in Chicago and you're going to have traffic.  Dinner was a slice at Pizza Metro on Division St.  I took the Blue Line down to the loop and stopped in at the hotel before heading up to the Addison stop of the Red Line.  My first walk around to the marquee and I just happened to meet up with Doc and his buddies.  The weather was amazing on Friday.  This confluence of Phish and my favorite sports venue had been something I'd really been looking forward to.


They eased into this show.  It wasn't until the Free with the sun going down behind the 3rd base grandstand did this performance take off.  Miss You is a slower new Trey song that appears to be about his late sister.  A fiery set closing Blaze On was another note worthy moment in the first set. 


The improvisation we saw during DWD and Twist are top shelf moments of this tour so far.  Even the Fuego in between was extended.  Later in this set was a dance party 2001 that had Trey working the echo effects.  Waste was a poignant moment that reminded me of my very first Phish show.  That was one of the better versions of 2001 I've seen.  Perfect for that moment.  The set closing Loving Cup was appropriate in this ballpark setting. Waste and Loving Cup both have farming references which I enjoy.  The Bowie tribute in the encore was a memorable moment for sure.  Run Like an Antelope wrapped up a great experience on Chicago's northside.  After the show I headed back to the hotel room and watched Reservoir Dogs.


Saturday was much warmer.  I spent most of the day relaxing and getting caught up on my sleep.  I went to Dunkin Donuts during the afternoon which was the extent of sight seeing.  My seat was in the right field corner and had excellent sound.  The first set on Saturday was more cohesive than the previous night.  The Divided Sky worked well as the sunset.  Cavern appeared to end the set before a raging take on Led Zeppelin's Good Times Bad Times. 


Someone had made a Carini/Cubs lot shirt and I had that in my mind when they started that up.  This version explored some interesting terrain as did the ensuing Tweezer but neither reached the peaks that the improvisation reached the previous night.  The first Fluffhead since Dick's 2014 was the highlight for me.  The combo of Piper>Steam reminded me of the Sunday show from last year's Labor Day run.  They were short on time so that was a fairly brief take on Harry Hood.  I am the Walrus reminds me of when I saw 70 Volt Parade at the Auditorium Theatre in 2005 which is coincidentally across the street from where I was staying, The Congress Plaza Hotel.  After the show on Lake Street I stopped at Subway.  The sandwich was lackluster and made me realize why I stopped eating their food long ago whenever given other options.  The big crowds were distracting with thousands of casual beer head fans.  You know that was going to be the case though with this being a ballpark.  With Phish playing Wrigley this year and the Cubs having the best team of my lifetime it seems like the planets are aligning.  Ever since high school I've enjoyed seeing shows in Chicagoland because that's where I'm originally from.  I saw lots of good people during the course of this weekend.  After the show I went back to the hotel and watched Back to the Future part III.  Overall, this Chicago run was good for the soul.

6/22/16 Phish @ Xcel Energy Center - St. Paul, MN

I attended the previous Minnesota show which was back in 2000.  This time the band was playing St. Paul at the home of the Minnesota Wild hockey team, the Xcel Energy Center.  It was almost a 6 hour drive which I handled by myself.  I parked in a garage a few blocks from the arena.  They had metal detectors at the door which is increasingly becoming the norm following the attacks in Paris last year.  I saw Brody from Geneseo and my college friend Sarah J who both happened to have seats in my section 117 on the Page side.  We watched the show six rows off the floor. I liked the Al Green on the PA before the show.  The first set seemed like it had been rehearsed.  The playing was very tight but close to the vest and largely void of any jamming.  Stash was the only excursion in the first set which was highlighted by the bustout of The Beatles Dear Prudence for the first time since 10/31/94.  The new lighting at times was a bit over the top and distracting from the actual rig.  I liked the overall feel of the first set. 


Set two had a lot of energy especially in the opening Mike's > Hydro > Groove but I kept waiting for them to take some risks.  It was almost as if when they started up a late set Bathtub Gin they felt like they HAD to make it happen.  This type of music isn't forced.  Trey stepped outside the box for a brief while but it was too little too late for my tastes.  It just felt like a rather vanilla second set aside from The Velvet Underground tune that emerged from Simple.  For the encore I was hoping for a bit more than Water in the Sky and Character Zero.  I wasn't disappointed with the performance but I wasn't blown away either.  Over this Phish offseason I've wondered if last summer was a peak that they likely can't top.  I guess time will tell.  I don't mind the band trying new things and searching new sounds but it's disappointing when they could take improvisation into deeper territory and Trey simply doesn't feel like it.  It makes me not want to spend as much time and money on Phish.  The decision to stop Ghost and start up The Line still is a head scratcher.  As the sun came up the weather became extremely foggy.  The song Eastbound and Down came on the radio and gave me a second wind.  I stopped for breakfast at McD at The World's Largest Truck Stop in Walcott, IA.  On this run it was good to see my friends from Auburn in Chicago and Doc down in Indiana.  However, I still enjoy seeing shows Han Solo.  You become more in tune with the music.  The experience is what you make of it. 

5/29/16 Summercamp @ Three Sisters Park - Chillicothe, IL

Last Sunday my friend Craig and I drove down for Summercamp.  To put this into perspective this was the 12th year in a row I've attended.  This is the third year in a row that I've scaled back to only the Sunday festivities with Craig.  Once upon a time I used to camp all out.  Then for a few years I commuted each day.  Now I'm content with the Sunday afternoon/evening.  I decided against going for Umphrey's McGee.  Getting down there that early makes for a long day in the sun.  The weather in Illinois over Memorial Day weekend is like playing Russian Roulette.  We got lucky this year with clear skies and weather in the 80s.  Summercamp has grown over the years because of the loyalty that Jay Goldberg has shown to moe. and handful of other bands.  While its encouraging to see bands like Lotus step their game up and it was even more satisfying to see old friends moe. show me why I became a fan of their live music in the first place.  Once again moe. stepped up on a property that I've now seen them 30 times.  It wouldn't be Summercamp with a walk over to Camp Decatur with some hot dogs on the grill and a Red Bull.  Thanks again to Doc for the food while the sound of Twiddle could be heard in the distance. 


We started our day with Yonder Mountain String Band.  I frankly think they're better without Jeff Austin and with the addition of Allie Kral.  I went for a walk through the woods and it brought back a lot of memories of past years.  It conjured up thoughts of friends no longer with us figuratively and literally.  George Clinton was a bit of a disappointment.  There were a million people onstage.  The real music started with Lotus.  This group is on the rise.  Their newer material Cold Facts and Eats the Light carried the set.  Another obvious highlight was a guest spot by the keyboard player from The Motet during Greet the Mind and a Sunrain sandwich which ended the set.  Solid work in a fairly compact timeslot.


Tom Petty is a legend.  I recently watched his documentary on Netflix.  This made me appreciate what Mudcrutch meant in the overall story of his career.  They played most of their two albums.  Hearing his voice reminded me of Lucky from King of the Hill.  Mike Campbell really played well on guitar as well.  During Crystal River we made our way back to the mainstage for moe.  Appropriately they were playing "Damn the Torpedoes" on the PA system. 


Rob really played well on this occasion and it made for one of the best moe. shows I've seen in a long time.   Chuck struggled with the Baba O'Riley vocals but that was overshadowed by Allie Kral's amazing work which made this a memorable cover.  Spine > Buster is obviously classic moe.  Buster was an above average version.  Jazz Wank is an instrumental I could hear at every moe. show.  This was perhaps the best version of Rebubula I've ever seen.  With this weekend being Rob's anniversary this anthem to his wife is expected but the patient breakdown in the middle with the loops made this a rendition for the ages. 


 The setbreak included a thank you from Ian Goldberg and the Summercamp organization.  This was the largest attendance ever for the festival.  When Rec Chem started up the stage area was fairly empty but that didn't stop them from throwing down a 30 minute monster version.  Rob teased Bring It Back Home before starting up Kids.  There was a slick segue into Down Boy.  Silver Sun reminds me of seeing moe. late night in Las Vegas after Phish in 2014.  Timmy Tucker was another great song selection though this version stayed in the box for the most part.  The encore choice of Cream's White Room wrapped up an enjoyable evening of music in Chillicothe, IL.