Phish 10/13-15 United Center - Chicago, IL

Phish 10/10-11 Erwin J. Nutter Center - Dayton, OH

Phish 10/6-8 Bridgestone Arena - Nashville, TN

moe. 9/28/23 Riverfront Park - Peoria, IL

Spafford 9/13/23 Gabe’s - Iowa City, IA

Phish 8/31-9/3 DICK’S Sporting Goods Park - Commerce City, CO

Phish 7/21-22 @ Pavilion at Star Lake - Burgettstown, PA

Last Friday morning I woke up early and made the pilgrimage from Illinois to Pennsylvania for Phish. This route on the turnpikes brings back memories of visiting family in Pittsburgh when I was a kid. I heard some Jackson 5 in Northern Indiana which I thought was appropriate. Later in the evening during the setbreak they played the “Dancing Machine” album on the PA system. The trip was going smooth until the Ohio Turnpike turned into a parking lot for about a half hour. I stayed at the Microtel by the airport in Pittsburgh. It was an easy commute down Route 22 to Burgettstown. The first night I arrived closer to showtime and got put into the very back lot of the venue behind the shakedown. I met a guy from Ohio with Icculus license plates named Jason. It was good to have some conversation after the long drive. Once inside I saw Ryan from Iowa City who I hadn’t talked to since Alpharetta 2018. He was generous and bought me the event magnet. Thanks again! I bought the Welker Summer Tour shirt and the event sticker. This run I returned to being Pageside. He’s the most soulful member of the band. I’m not going to go through every song. The technology is to the point where the music is readily available. The weather was gorgeous all weekend long. I noticed Trey’s new equipment onstage. To my ears the band sounded like they had a little more punch than last summer. Stash was a highlight of the first set. S&SS made up for the version the show before when they had to stop the Wilmington performance. Outstanding work. The second set didn’t have a huge centerpiece jam but showcased some very funky, smooth segueways. The debut of Pillow Jets was my favorite part of the second set. This new song has jam potential. Fishman seemed to spearhead that David Bowie which was followed by a well received Cities. There was a very slick transition into Fuego. Ruby Waves was unexpected that late in the game but it worked. I made my way to my vehicle during Character Zero and Slave to the Traffic Light. This allowed me to beat the traffic out. Fun show. The next day I got to the lot when it opened at 3:30. Hanover Township had uniformed officers in the lots making arrests all afternoon. I saw at least half a dozen people get tickets written. It reminded me of Alpine Valley or Tinley Park in the late 90’s. The soundcheck was Clear Your Mind and Grind. Both would get played that evening. The first set was well played. Everything’s Right was the jam of the weekend. Soul Planet also produced some interesting work. The debut of Monsters was perhaps my favorite part of the weekend at Star Lake. The lyrics describe Trey having bad dreams. It’s a darker tune. 2001 was a dance party which was followed by a high energy Rock and Roll and it was alright. Grind, Tube, Ghost was unusual encore but they allowed me to make my way to my vehicle while still listening to the music. This is how it’s done at Star Lake. Otherwise you’re going to be waiting in line all night. This was my 192nd time seeing Phish. They still find ways to make it interesting. This was a long solo drive after working a lot this summer. I’m glad I went though. I get on phantasytour and read so many “critical” reviews. At some point this is going to be done and we are all going to miss it. My approach at this juncture is to appreciate what Phish can still do well. I’ve seen a nice mix of music in the last 10 months but this band is still my favorite. Phish brought the energy both nights at Star Lake.

Dead & Co. 6/10/23 @ Wrigley Field - Chicago, IL

6/9/23 Billy Strings @ Chaifetz Arena - St. Louis, MO

5/28/23 Summercamp @ Three Sisters Park - Chillicothe, IL

4/13/23 Goose @ The Sylvee - Madison, WI

3/2/23 Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros. @ Stephens Auditorium - Ames, IA

Last Thursday I drove out to Ames, IA for Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros. at Stephens Auditorium on the campus of Iowa State University. It was nostalgic having gone to college and gotten my degree there. I couldn’t help but think of the very first time I visited Ames seeing Phish in 1999. The Des Moines metropolitan area has exploded lately. Over time I’ve come to really appreciate the lyrical power of the Grateful Dead. This was on full display with a reinvigorated Bobby and a versatile band in one of my favorite music venues. The show started pretty early by live music standards around 7:15. “Across the lazy river”. My journey saw me cross the Mississippi so the opener was appropriate. Salt Lake City mentions Des Moines so again it worked on this occasion. He’s Gone post 1995 should make any fan think of Jerry. I’d never noticed the agrarian lyrics in Brown Eyed Women. “Pick up the yoke and plow the fields around”. Passenger was a major highlight though it misses Donna Jean. This show tonight was "the only game in town". Maggie’s Farm, Weather Report Suite > Let It Grow was obviously a nod to Iowa State University being an ag school. Weather Report Suite sounds great with this band. It was really fun to see a few familiar faces from the past. I’d seen Further in this same room in 2010 in addition to several Widespread Panic performances, and moe. Also, the Nutcracker Suite. It is a very acoustically sound room with interesting architecture. Playing in the Band opened the second frame. This choice from the 50 year old “Ace” album went on to become a Grateful Dead staple. It’s ethos captures the whole experience pretty well. It’s rough to not include Fire on the Mountain after Scarlet Begonias but Viola Lee Blues was the call. They’ve done a solid job with Come Together on this tour. This version included a jazz cover in the middle to honor a fallen musician, Wayne Shorter. Josephine isn’t played very often these days in any of Bobby’s groups so that was unique. I Need A Miracle was probably my favorite part of the second set. I could have done without the second Dylan cover. I’ve seen Dead and Co. do that one. Black Peter was a slow selection for that juncture of the evening. Casey Jones was an accessible anthem for the crowd to end the set on. Liberty works in Iowa as there are several towns with that word in their name. The reprisal of Playing in the Band wrapped up the music for the night. Bobby is in pretty good shape for his age. I appreciate him still bringing this music to the people.

2/14/23 Lotus @ Majestic Theatre - Madison, WI

On Valentine’s Day I drove to Madison for my first live music of 2023 to see Lotus. It poured with rain the entire way up. I parked in the Overture Center garage. I got to the Majestic Theatre pretty early and got an elevated spot just off the floor. They started about 8:15. It was good to see Jenny and her friends. I met several nice people over the course of the evening. This was my 15th time seeing Lotus. Madison has always been one of my favorite places to visit. This seemed like a perfect opportunity to check out their new guitar player Tim Palmeiri. His playing style worked well with the band. The setlist from this show wasn’t filled with many of my favorites but there was strong energy all evening long. The first set was highlighted by a cover of ‘You Should Be Dancing’ by The Bee Gees. This evening led into Greet the Mind which had a huge peak. Lotus was clearly in mid tour form. Their jams were patient builds. Greenfield is a beast on drums. Chuck is a very tasteful percussion player. It’s All Clear to Me Now was probably the best part of the second set. It’s sad that Mike Rempel left the band but I am going to embrace the current lineup. Palmeiri really shredded at times. The brothers Miller are the heart and soul of the band. Bellwether to close out the set was big energy. After the encore I talked to Jesse at the merch table and thanked him for an enjoyable night of music.

12/30/22 Disco Biscuits @ Riviera Theatre - Chicago, IL