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.
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