10/18-19 Phish @ Ascend Amphitheater - Nashville, TN

It's been a month since I drove to Decatur on that Monday night before the Nashville run.  There was a huge harvest moon in the sky and the fields were bustling with harvest activity.  I'd worked a full day.  I don't like to miss work for shows anymore.  This run was midweek and required me missing three days of shelling corn.  However, I'd never seen live music in the Music City and these were the closest shows on the Fall Tour.  I grabbed some Jimmy John's on the way and Doc and I  watched the ALCS on TV at his house on Lake Decatur. 


We got an early start the next morning and took Doc's vehicle as he handled the driving.  We went directly south through Vandalia and saw plenty of farm equipment in action.  Lunch was Wendy's as we made our way through southern Illinois and into Kentucky and ultimately Tennessee.  I remembered the spot along I-24 where Frank broke down going to WSP NYE '01.  Upon arrival at the ghetto Days Inn we promptly decided to switch over the equally ghetto Motel 6.  I think Tom Bodette's light was burnt out at this location.  Dinner was Jack Cawthorn's BBQ.  The brisket was excellent and I liked their spicy sauce.  We parked in the Nissan Stadium parking lot and crossed the pedestrian bridge over the river to downtown and the venue.  The weather was almost 90 degrees and beautiful.  Unbelievable fall tour weather.  As soon as we arrived I recognized Bobby's voice singing Walkin' Blues.  The hopes and rumors were indeed true. 


I had driven through Nashville many times but I was really impressed with the downtown area.  The venue itself is about 7,000 people and is nestled right next to the river with an amazing view of the city.  I was able to grab a poster, shirt, and magnet at the merch stand.  The steps on the poster remind me of the pedestrian bridge.  Preshow PA music was Paul McCartney "Ram".  The first set on Tuesday packed a mean punch.  In retrospect they probably made sure to bring a big first set with the guest spot taking up most of the second set.  At setbreak I met up with my friend Angie and her husband.  We watched the second set together.  After three songs they brought out Bobby for the rest of the second set.  Doc wasn't feeling good so we bailed during the encore.  The highlight of the guest spot was by far Samson and Delilah.  Weir sounded great during that one.  However, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that he was very lost during Twist. I like the sentiment of having Bobby sing Miss You but there are so many better songs he could have sang than a Trey Anastasio original.  I liked the Dead style jamming during Playing in the Band.  I get the message of the song choices but it went on a bit too long.  In the big picture though this was only the second time Bob Weir had ever sat in with Phish and this was a moment in Phish history to be appreciated for what it was. 


After grabbing some coffee the next morning at Waffle House we made our way downtown to Arnold's for lunch.  This was an authentic experience that was a highlight of the trip.  I had the roast beef.  Doc went next door to the guitar store.  Next we decided to tour the historic Ryman Auditorium.  I've never seen a show there and it was worth the $20.  The Bob Weir solo tour stage equipment was all set up and that made the tour even more interesting for me.  We talked to a roadie from his tour.  After that we walked down Broadway and I was blown away by all the activity at 2 pm on a Wednesday.  Coincidentally we ran into Pat, Keisha, Ryan, and Heather in the candy store and we would watch that evening show with them.  It was good to be back with team War Eagle. We listened to soundcheck as we roamed the meager southern lot scene.


That night's show was much more of a classic experience.  The opener of Theme from the Bottom was unusual.  Keep what's important and know who is your friend.  I liked the choices in this set.  My Soul always gets the energy going early.  That was my first time hearing Petrichor.  It worked better in the live setting than I had imagined.  I loved hearing the debut of Running Out of Time.  The whistling at the end is a bit corny but I connect with the sentiment.  The second set in Nashville was why I took three days off work and did this road trip.  Golden Age represents this 3.0 that we've been so lucky to enjoy.  The first Tweezer of Fall Tour came next.  This set just had that type of flow you look for.  No Man's continued the energy and creative playing.  Plasma had been soundchecked but it was great to see that stay in the Phish rotation and actually be used in the second set.  Hood had the woos that reminded me of the famous Tahoe Tweezer.  Suzy had a My Woman From Tokyo tease by Trey.  WOTC was the encore at Dick's and Nashville but no complaints from me.  Tweeprise sent us into the night and back to Illinois.  Postshow PA music was Kenny Rodgers and Dolly Parton "Islands in the Stream". 


Thus ending my calendar year with Phish.  I saw 10 shows with relative ease.  This year didn't match 2015 but I don't think there was any way of topping that.  It's time to move my life forward and with Phish doing less next year it seems like a logical time to search for a full time job.  After the show Doc drove us back to Decatur.  I got some sleep on the way.  When we got back to Illinois it was 50 degrees and raining.  Back to reality.  I got on the road right away and was home by about 9 am