7/19-21 Phish @ FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island - Chicago, IL

I worked Friday morning.  We had our cookout which provided my lunch.  I was on the road by about 1:45.  Traffic was horrendous.  These days I take 80 to 55 to 90/94.   Usually traffic isn't bad until you hit the Dan Ryan but it was really bad all the way out to Midway.  My parents were visiting my sister so I met up with all of them at her new apartment.  Her new place, while much nicer than her previous accommodations, lacked the character of the Wicker Park apartments.  I took the blue line to Jackson and walked across Grant Park and soaked in the beautiful weather.  Buckingham Fountain reminded me of Married with Children.  CPD was there to keep the peace.  They did not allow any Shakedown St. in the Aquarium or Planetarium parking lots.  For Friday I had a lawn ticket and met up with my friend Kelly.  Later Sam and Jesse were able to find us.  Cell phone service wasn't good on the peninsula that formerly was Meigs Field.  Most of the lawn couldn't see the stage which I thought was criminal.  Without obstructed view printed on the ticket I feel that Live Nation is committing fraud.  Now on with the show.

They had several high definition video screens which allowed the lawn to see the action.  I liked the selection in the first set for the most part.  Suzy has been played to death this summer.  I felt that Wolfman's was the highlight of the set.  Trey gave the peak of the jam just a little extra.  I was glad to get #Line out of the way early.  It's Ice was not as good as the recent one from out east.  Moma and My Soul kept things going nicely.  Perfect for the sunlight setting.  Scent of a Mule was an excuse to use Fishman's new toy.  46 Days was another example of Anastasio taking the peak the extra mile.  Limb by Limb worked well in this slot.  More great soloing from Trey.  This version stayed in the box for the most part.  A ripping, bluesy Julius closed off the set. 

We were offered a great view of the Chicago Skyline from the lawn which was the whole appeal of the venue for me.  DWD to open set two was just what the doctor ordered but was disappointing when the jam lacked any real direction.  Even worse was what followed when they started up Prince Caspian only to have it aborted by Page's announcement that the impending storm was going to force the venue to be evacuated.  You win some, you lose some. 

















I awoke from my nap to find out that Phish was going to play a three set performance to make up for the truncated second set the evening before.  I took the blue line to the loop once again and made the arduous hike across the park and the museum campus.  Once again I was on the lawn and found the one small area on the Page side that could see even a partial view of the stage. 

Predictably they opened with Prince Caspian.  Twist included the Oye Como Va teases.  Ha Ha Ha and Possum back to back might have been the band having a bit of fun.  I wish they would have continued that Cities jam a bit more.  Page gave us a shout out during Lawn Boy.  They next five tunes were rather forgettable though I liked the combination of Cavern and Bowie to close things out. 

The second set had a light drizzle falling for most of it.  Musically it turned out to be the most impressive of the evening.  BOTT and Mike's Groove got the crowd moving.  I especially enjoyed the Theme from the Bottom they sandwiched in the middle.  This was a strong beginning to the set but the ensuing run of songs is what secured the victory on this middle night in the windy city.  Golden Age > Waves > Piper > Slave for the win.  I saw my buddy Brandon from Geneseo at setbreak.

I was hoping for Jibboo to open set III.  Meatstick was a little more playful than what I was looking for in that situation.  A short BOAF was next and then when they started Ocelot I was letdown with the play calling.  However, it turned out to the be the definitive version to date as they almost stepped out of the box on that tune for the first time.  Light > Hood made me feel good.  With the drama that my sister forced upon me earlier in the day it was fitting that they played Good Times, Bad Times.  They were hurting for time so a short Shine A Light encore worked.  On the way out on the PA "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" by McFadden and Whitehead from The Boogie Nights soundtrack could be heard.  Despite the weather and bullshit from my sister Jennifer there would be no stopping us now. 





PHISH
7/21/13
FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
Chicago, IL

I: Dinner and a Movie, AC/DC Bag > Maze, Mound, Funky Bitch > Bathtub Gin, Wilson, Water in the Sky, Boogie On Reggae Woman

II: Energy > Ghost > Lizards, Harpua*, Run Like an Antelope

E: Character Zero 



* w/ the cast of Second City





I spent Sunday lounging about in the morning catching up on my sleep.  I left my sisters apartment and took the blue line to the red line up to a friend's condo.  For lunch we went to the Billy Goat Tavern.  Double cheese!  We cabbed it up and down Michigan Ave. which was good for people watching.  I was really feeling the pulse of the city.  I was born in Winfield, IL and I consider Chicagoland to be my original home.  It's always fun to spend a few days in what I consider to be the greatest city in the world.  Over the years I've stayed for concerts primarily with my cousin Shawn and my sister Jennifer.  From this point forward I've decided to either commute home or get myself a hotel room.  With me working a full time job I no longer need to impose upon relatives.  I appreciate them allowing me to enjoy music in Chicago over the years.  Each of us are on our own journey and I will not be made to feel less important because of the path that I've purposefully chosen. 

Phish continues to be the most important thing to me for a variety of reasons.  To reach a 100 shows with any one band requires a certain amount of selfishness.  Relationships with friends and relatives become strained as a result.  People judge your priorities in life.  Others are jealous that someone has the free time and disposable income to do such things.  I'm no trust fund hippie and have always had a job of some sort to keep the music going.  I will be the first to admit that my parents are the ones responsible for making this incredible ride happen for 14 years.  They let me chase my dreams.  By providing housing and food for me and moral support they have allowed me to travel to 42 states and see sights that I'll never be able to fully comprehend.  I'm forever grateful to them for this. 

Dinner and a Movie has always been a favorite of mine from Junta.  I upgraded my ticket to the floor through the Live Nation rerelease and was able to recoup most of my money from the lawn ticket I had.  Bag got the show on the road. Maze was high energy.  Funky Bitch in Chicago is always appropriate.  Bathtub really hit the spot.  Perfect placement.  Unfortunately, this was when shit got real and it started raining during Wilson.  During the fitting Water in the Sky it started raining even harder.  They played Boogie On just to keep the crowd moving during what had now become a torrential downpour.  The crew attempted to cover the equipment as the speakers began to give out squeaks and strange noises.  Trey tried to start Antelope before the authorities declared setbreak.  "We WILL be back" Page declared defiantly as he exited the stage in obvious reference to Friday night.  I took shelter on the side of one of the bleachers.  It finally stopped raining after about an hour and I bought a dry t-shirt.  By the Waterwheel table I stopped and talked to Jim Pollack. 

Energy to start set two was exactly what I wanted as a wide open springboard for improvisation.  This soaring version eventually found its way into Ghost which continued the vibe of the previously mentioned jam.  Mike was paving the way for a smooth transition into Seven Below but apparently the ginger beard man was the only person in the venue not to hear it.  I'm not going to complain about his choice of Lizards though.  This was perfect placement.  At one point I viewed back and saw the moon through the clouds.  "Look the storms gone" I thought to myself.  Sure enough Harpua was next, though it was obvious the Second City cast had been planted in the crowd and weren't just random fans.  A fiery Antelope closed off a most unusual but powerful set.  I called the Character Zero encore.  God only knows what I'd be without Phish.

7/7/13 Umphrey's McGee @ CEFCU Stage - Peoria, IL

I spent the day recovering from the roadtrip to Des Moines.  I watched the Cubs defeat the Pirates before I left for Peoria.  The hour and half drive to the riverfront landing was uneventful.  I went to this show by myself.  I saw Doc, Nickmo, and Steve right away.  There were a lot of people I knew in attendance at this show.  The stage was set up in a different location than in previous years.  It was on the side of the train station building.  I actually liked this setup better. 

Drink My Drank was the intro they walked out to and eventually started playing.  This is the way most UM shows start these days.  PTP turned out to be fruitful ont his occasion.  Jajunk also had a decent jam.  Anchor Drops next to the Illinois River worked well.  Kabump had another piece of successful first set improvisation that landed in 2nd Self.  I've seen Stanley Jordan play with UM and he's talented but he takes over when he's onstage.  GA and Fame wrapped up a good first set. 

Bridgeless to open set II was one of the highlights of the night.  This was left unfinished.  GITV is one of my favorites.  I wasn't thrilled to see Stanley Jordan again for M.O. but I was happy with the selection of Lenny as a cover choice.  Fir was the highlight of the night.  The Snoop Dogg jam and then the outro jam were both huge. Rocker II led into the end of the unfinished Jajunk from the first set.  Everyone assumed the end of Bridgeless would be included in the encore but it was not.  The transition from Reso into SF II was some funky stuff.  Africa sent everyone off into the night.  UM played a very well rounded show that was much more nuanced than the one setters I'd seen in Milwaukee and Des Moines. 

7/6/13 Umphrey's McGee @ Wooly's - Des Moines, IA

Last Saturday I worked until 4 pm.  I did not attend the afternoon show at the 80/35 Festival.  The late night set did not start until 11 pm.  After eating dinner we left around 7:15.  Once again my neighbor Jamie was along for the ride.  He went with me to the 2012 Umphrey's show at Wooly's.  I know that stretch of I-80 pretty well from my Iowa State days.  This was my 150th Umphrey's McGee show. 

It was extremely hot inside the long narrow room.  The bar is on the left with booths on the right.  There are a series of pillars that obstruct the view.  Joel only had two keyboards on the small stage.  They started shortly after 11 and quickly got to work.  1348 and its driving groove provided a perfect sandwich for this late night affair.  The segue into Synco was smooth.  Red Tape has been a consistent jam vehicle and this was no different and included another transition into Mulches.  This show was more about the energy in the room rather than improvisation.  ITK was fairly straightforward but was noteworthy because of its return to the end of the song which was very well executed.  MFF was probably the jam of the night.  Mullet (Over) is a song that has been played at many of the Iowa shows over the years and worked as a brief interlude from the dance music.  The Ringo they played at Wooly's in 2012 was better than this one.  Tribute was surprising so late in the set.  This went into the end of 1348 to wrap it up.  All in Time was a perfect encore and was an above average version.  On the way home we stopped for McDonald's at the Iowa Speedway exit near Newton.  The sun was up as we arrived home. 

7/2/13 Umphrey's McGee @ Summerfest - Milwaukee, WI

Umphrey's McGee
7/2/13
Summerfest - Briggs and Stratton Stage
Milwaukee, WI

O: Leblitz > Plunger, Turn and Dub > Mail Package > Wife Soup, It's So Easy, Robot World > Out of Order, Pay the Snucka^, Let's Dance^, Bright Lights > Another Brick in the Wall pt. II, 2x2 > No Comment > 2x2

E: Deeper, Miss Tinkle's Overture, Dear Lord, Pay the Snucka pt. III

^ w/ Kevin Sinclair on saxophone





On Tuesday I worked my normal truck day shift and was able to get on the road by about 5:45.  My neighbor Jamie was my companion for the roadtrip.  The familiar 3 hour drive to Milwaukee was uneventful.  We were able to find a parking spot in one of the nearby lots for $15.  Admission to Summerfest only cost $17 but I was willing to pay the premium for parking because we were short on time.  The stage was down toward the Marcus Amphitheatre where New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, and 98 Degrees were playing.  I hate the bleachers that everyone stands on.  Why they insist on having those I'll never know but they've been there every year I've attended this event which has been 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, and now 2013.   My friend from high school, Craig, lives in the area and met us at the show.

This was a  noob friendly rock show but obviously that was what this setting required.  Leblitz was the opening instrumental jam that sounded like something out of Miami Vice.  Plunger was sans improv.  Turn and Dub did feature jamming but I felt the success was limited.  It seemed like the time off may have taken its toll early on.  Jake pulled off a good transition into Mail Package.  They did a no huddle segue into Wife Soup.  Craig recognized the Guns 'N Roses cover right away.  I hadn't heard that since Lawrence, KS 5/7/04.  Robot World developed into one of the highlights of the evening before they segued into Out of Order.  The saxophone guest really augmented the sound during the first two parts of Pay the Snucka and especially during the ensuing David Bowie cover, Let's Dance.  Bright Lights was one of the few dancey moments but that as impossible given that we were standing on bleachers.  This slowly became the third cover of the evening which I could have done without.  2x2 is classic Umphrey's and they did a well executed sandwich of No Comment in the middle to end the set.  A generous but rather disjointed four song encore was highlighted by Miss Tinkle's Overture which my buddy mentioned that it put him in the mind of something out of Top Gun.  Snucka pt. III wrapped up the show and ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky" sent us off into the night.  This was a fun experience.