2/24/17 Lotus @ Orpheum Theatre - Madison, WI

On Friday I saw my first live music of 2017.  There's been a lot of change over the winter.  I left my job in December.  For a month and half I delivered pizza for Happy Joe's in Colona.  I wasn't worried about what the perception people would have.  It was just about moving the story forward.  That brings us to today where I've been hired on at a new full time job.  While this may mean in the short term I have to vamp down on the music it's a positive turn of events.  If I have to change my touring paradigm to achieve a better life then so be it.


Before this show I was feeling somewhat down about my state of affairs.  By the end of this it made me realize there's plenty to look forward to.  That's what a good show can do.  Preshow I grabbed a slice at Pizza Di Roma.  I got rid of my extra tickets before the show.  I've taken the time and the effort to learn the Lotus repertoire.  In my opinion they are on top of the jamtronica acts right now.  This first set at the Orpheum was kind of a statement in my eyes.  The opening act was a British DJ named Jack London (not the author of White Fang) and his buddy on guitar.  During Lotus I saw him in the balcony where we were Rempel side.  He liked my Arsenal jersey.  Inspector Norse > Age of Inexperience was top shelf playing right from the start.  The balcony was probably 3/4 empty so the show was far from sold out.  Hammerstrike explored some womped out terrain with Jesse on the keyboard bass.  Blue Giant has been a favorite of mine ever since I first discovered the band on MySpace.  Sleep When We're Dead has gotten some treatment on this tour. Caywood was a great choice.  Solid selections throughout the first set.  128 was a total banger to end the first stanza.  Incredible set.  Those familiar with the band outside at setbreak were talking about what had just gone down. 


I saw this show with my friend Soren and his girlfriend Melissa.  It was snowing outside at setbreak. Cold Facts indeed.  I prefer Luke when he plays the keys and this is an example of why.  Shimmer > Sid > Shimmer was very well executed.  You could tell it was a band in late tour form but yet had a day off to recover.  Pretty much ideal.   Arupa was a major highlight for me.  I loved the usage of the horizontal lighting strips.  I've Been A Fool was the night's second tune off the new album.  Umbilical Moonrise, Greet the Mind > Moonset > Greet the Mind was impressive.  The band was really tight and were able to turn on a dime when they chose.  All told it was definitely one of the best Lotus shows I've seen.  Disappear into a Blood Red-Sky and What Did I Do Wrong sent us off into the snowy cold Wisconsin evening.  Even though it was snowing I decided to chance the drive home.  This show was good for the soul. 

11/19/16 Mike Gordon @ Majestic Theatre - Madison, WI

On Saturday I got on the road for Wisconsin around 3 pm.  It was very windy but the sun was out.  The day before it felt like winter had arrived.  This was to be the last final music of the year for me.  On the way up I stopped at the rest area at the border and texted my friend Soren.  I stopped by his place in Minona on my way into town and saw him and his girlfriend Melissa.  Soren was born ten days after me and they lived behind our now recently departed old house in Glen Ellyn, IL.  I parked in the Overture Center garage out of familiarity.  Pizza Di Roma was my choice for dinner. 
They had a nice remembrance of Sharon Jones on the Orpheum Theatre marquee.  It was sad to see the encampment of homeless across the street from the State Capital.  They had to be freezing in the 20 degree weather.  This was my first visit to the Majestic Theatre.  I liked the overall vibe of the place.  I found a spot in the balcony with a table and a padded seat.  My location between the speakers provided great sound. 


The setlist was fairly similar in some regards to the show I saw in STL last year.  Horizon Line opened the show.  Cruel World is a Max Creek song they seem to play a lot.  Meat kept the Phish-centric fans happy.  Ether was the highlight of the first set.  They explored a lot of different sonic textures before finally settling into The Long Black Line which ended the first set a little after an hour.  During setbreak it sure hadn't gotten any warmer.  I saw old Dave who is a mainstay at Madison shows as well as Nick Clutter.  Wanding everyone on their way back inside at setbreak in sub-arctic weather seemed excessive. 


I didn't really talk to anyone in the crowd but it was an older demographic.  The usual Madison people were there but it was not a typical college crowd per se.  Mike's band uses Yarmouth Road as a jam vehicle which was interesting.  Daisy Hill Grove and The Field were a bit of a lull.  They got things going again with Say Something which was a highlight for me.  I heard them play Robert Palmer's Looking For Clues in STL last year but it's a great addition to their repetoire.  Mike turns his head from side to side as he's looking for clues.  This led into them bringing out the REEL toy for the crowd on the floor who played along.  How Many People Are You? was my favorite part of the show.  I heard Phish play that at Magnaball and it works well for Mike.  Funky Bitch sent the crowd into the frigid night.  This was one of the best Mike Gordon solo band shows I've seen.  The addition of Robert Walter on keys and John Kimock on drums have been crucial.  After the show I drove home and made it back around 3 am. 
This was my final live music of 2016.  I don't think I need to do these roadtrips as often going forward.  Phish is my favorite live act and other concerts seem a little tame in comparison.  I feel like I crafted a great fall tour this year.  I was able to visit cultural centers like Nashville and Chicago as well as my favorite college towns Ames and Madison.  I'm thankful for the last 17 years of adventure.  I've been pretty lucky. 

11/5/16 Lotus w/ Spafford @ Vic Theatre - Chicago, IL

This show will forever be in the shadow of the Cubs winning the World Series and the parade/rally the day before.  I couldn't believe the amount of traffic on I-55.  The city was happening.  I parked in Bucktown and had Big Al's #1 Italian Beef at the Milwaukee Ave. location.  It was unseasonably warm for early November.  Over the last ten years Lotus has become one of my favorite bands.  I really dig their music but admittedly I feel a bit out of place amongst their younger EDM crowd.  I was glad I was able to catch some of the Spafford opening set.  They are an act on the rise.  The Vic is probably my favorite room in the city all things considered.  The staff was a lot more courteous than the Concord.  I found a spot in the back row of the balcony where I had plenty of room and a place to sit.


Bellwether is an effective opening song.  I am still learning the repertoire but I knew most of the first stanza.  Travel is one that I really enjoy.  Neon Tubes from their Build album was a highlight for me. Anti-Gravity is a tune from the new album that worked well in the live setting.  They had a screen onstage with featured the artist singing the vocals.  Spiritualize is probably their best song and that anchored the first set. 


Cold Facts opened the second set.  I liked hearing that one at Summercamp.  They should have put that on the new album.  Lucid Awakening is classic Lotus.  Mike Rempel is an incredible guitar player and he really shines on that one.  Kesey Seed came next.  Move Too Fast also featured the woman on the screen singing the vocal samples.  Rempel was a wildman during Intro a Cell on guitar.  Absolute shredding.  By this point it was getting late and I had to drive home.  Lotus didn't start until 9:45.  I was a little turned off by the Gabe Otto vocal guest spot and decided to peace out.  From that point I took the L train back to my car and stopped at Dunkin Donut in Morris on the way home.


I was born in the suburbs and lived there for ten years  I've always loved going into the city and feeling the energy.  With that said I don't need to live there.  I'm thankful that I get to enjoy the fun parts of the city without dealing with the bullshit that the living in Chicago entails. 

10/26/16 Widespread Panic @ Stephens Auditorium - Ames, IA

I saw this show the week after the Phish Nashville run.  I graduated from Iowa State University in August 2006.  This was the de facto 10 year reunion.  There aren't that many people that I still care about that live in Ames.  However, seeing some of this Widespread Panic show with Josh Tanke made the experience for me.  We enjoyed a lot of good times out there.  I picked up our buddy Nate in Coralville on the way and we met Josh at the show.  Also, I was glad to see Jesse and Luther Danneman and was able to offer my thoughts abouts Anna who recently passed away.  The Dannemans were good to me when I lived in Ames.  I worked a full day at IFSI and we barely made it to Stephens Auditorium in time for the show.  A blustery, overcast day made way for a chilly autumnal evening. I was sixth row on the Dave Schools side.  I should have bought the poster.  Upon arrival the guy next to me recognized me.  It was Brent a longtime fan who I met at Harmony Park 7/4/01.  I was impressed with his memory. 


The opening pair of instrumentals got the show going well.  This was a fairly old school first set and had several farming references which is to be expected at Iowa State University.  Glory is a track off Bombs and Butterflies I've always liked.  Aunt Avis reminded me of seeing Vic Chestnutt at the M-Shop in Ames.  I like that now with Jimmy Herring they play No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature a little more true to the original with the intro.  I saw a lot of the usual Iowa faces at setbreak out on the patio which was watched by police.  I liked that the PA music at setbreak included The Five Stairsteps "Ooh Child". 


It was an older crowd that's for sure.  With Widespread Panic going into semi-retirement this figured to be the final show at this great venue on our campus.  It was sad to think about that but my time has passed out there anyways.  I didn't see all that many people I knew.  Weight of the World and Pleas had great energy.  This show had a pretty nasty post Drums segment of Honky Red and the Vic Chestnutt Protein Drink/Sewing Machine.   "Momma makes my cape on a sewing machine".  Perfect for this pre-Halloween affair.  Let's Get the Show on the Road was appropriate with me heading back to the Illinois right after the show.  They generously kept the theme of Black Sabbath covers going with the debut of Warning.  Postshow music was Joe Walsh "Rocky Mountain Way" with the band heading west to Colorado.  This show wasn't mind blowing but it was a professional performance from a band that meant a lot to me when I was going to college.  Nate and I had a good time seeing Josh.  Panic may not be my favorite band anymore but John Bell will always worth the price of admission. 

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

9/24/16 moe. @ Concord Music Hall - Chicago, IL

On Saturday I slept most of the morning.  I watched some of Arsenal v Chelsea and the Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals.  We learned via Facebook that most of the band was at Wrigley.  I chose not to go to the Friday performance because I feared I'd be tired after working all day.  Originally I was going to skip this run altogether so I suppose this was a compromise.  Part of the appeal was that I'd never been to this venue situated between Wicker Park and Logan Square.  One of the things I've tried to attempt this year is to visit some new venues.  However, in this case the venue turned out to the be a bummer.  The gestapo search and presence really put a damper on the vibe. 


The drive into the city on I-80 and I-55 was uneventful.  I parked where I typically do for Chicago shows in Wicker Park.  Before the show I had Big Al's #1 Italian Beef on Milwaukee.  This always reminds me of seeing shows at UIC and staying with my cousin on Taylor St.  The weather was perfect for the walk down Milwaukee to the venue. It was a modern, clean venue but was kept too cold and I've already discussed the security.  This show had several highlights and was well played but my favorite part of the experience was seeing my friend Craig and his brother Curt.  I don't see Craig very often.  It was also good to be reunited with my partner from the Colorado roadtrip, Frank.  We watched from the middle of the floor.  Preshow PA was Styx. I was disappointed with the sound at first but it improved over the course of the night.  It wasn't quite loud enough during moe.  However, during the opening act Mungion's set it was almost to the point of the being too loud.  The bass was rattling.  Billy Goat was extended as the opener and made its way into the first part of meat.  I was particularly happy to hear Montego for the first time live. This was my 80th moe. show and I've been enjoying them more lately.  I really like Chuck's guitar tone.  He is currently sporting a beard.  During Puebla I went outside to the smoking pen and met some good people.  That was a theme of the night.  Everyone we met was pretty nice.  Setbreak PA was The Police. 


The segue from Spine of the Dog into Plane Crash was the highlight of the show.  It had heavy Buster hintings.  Letter Home was another song from Tin Cans that I've always liked.  They had cut Thorazine Shuffle the previous night so this wasn't a shocker.  Rob sounds great on that bass part.  Chuck did a good job on the guitar and vocals.  She was explored continuing the trend of improvisation during this show.  This wasn't my favorite moe. show but it certainly wasn't for lack of trying.  The "now you were gone" ending of Down Boy was repeated more than usual providing the beginning of a slow return to the end of meat.  Threw It All Away sent the crowd into the night.  I've seen moe. in most of the venues in the city and this was one of my least favorites.  After the show I made the relatively easy cruise home.  I heard The Chain by Fleetwood Mac driving through Annawan which Rob had jokingly teased between songs in the second set.  Coming on the heels of the spectacular Phish Dick's 2016 run this event had a distinctively junior varsity feeling.  I enjoy seeing moe. but I've come to terms with the fact that they are basically a bar band. 

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.