, attached to 1998-08-15
[b]Doses. Doses. Doses[/b]. I’ll take ten, I say to the dude. I figured I should eat six because I ate three the day prior. Woah. At 19 or 20 years old I didn’t know that there were differences in strength. Needless to say during the third set my mind had a mind of its own and for the life of me I searched the grass for my keys, which were in the tent. But I liked and looked while my mind couldn’t grasp anything that was real. So a friend of mine, thank you Mr Lerch, Lee me by the hand two these three “angels” dressed in all white. We played with glowing toys and I regained my composure until…. At this point Trey is announcing the ambient set. But his words were something to the effect of we are going to light the ring of fire around the top of the circular walled enclosure of the green. My irrational mind went into a misinterpretation of the candle light set. I remember thinking I’m not going to stay while everyone burns in the ring of fire. lol. So I missed the ambient jam while I wandered aimlessly toward the hissing. My friends knew just where to find me sitting in the grass next to the tank. Just recently at mondegreen I had a very similar trip where logic escapes me. Good times to say the least.
Review by Wgtym
[b]Doses. Doses. Doses[/b]. I’ll take ten, I say to the dude. I figured I should eat six because I ate three the day prior. Woah. At 19 or 20 years old I didn’t know that there were differences in strength. Needless to say during the third set my mind had a mind of its own and for the life of me I searched the grass for my keys, which were in the tent. But I liked and looked while my mind couldn’t grasp anything that was real. So a friend of mine, thank you Mr Lerch, Lee me by the hand two these three “angels” dressed in all white. We played with glowing toys and I regained my composure until…. At this point Trey is announcing the ambient set. But his words were something to the effect of we are going to light the ring of fire around the top of the circular walled enclosure of the green. My irrational mind went into a misinterpretation of the candle light set. I remember thinking I’m not going to stay while everyone burns in the ring of fire. lol. So I missed the ambient jam while I wandered aimlessly toward the hissing. My friends knew just where to find me sitting in the grass next to the tank. Just recently at mondegreen I had a very similar trip where logic escapes me. Good times to say the least.
, attached to 2012-07-07
On July 7th, 2012 I woke up in a Hilton Garden Inn or a Holiday Inn or some such place in Saratoga Springs, following a night of Phish at the wonderful Saratoga Performing Arts Center and anticipating two more nights of the same (but different). And speaking (parenthetically) of “different”, I’d had a bit of an odd experience throughout the night when one of the people m’lady and I were sharing a room with accidentally crawled into the wrong bed after a bathroom break and snuggled up to me for a hug.
But that’s a story I’ve shared elsewhere so here’s another:
Following our pre-set plans for the weekend m’lady and I changed rooms (I insist this had nothing to do with the snafu I just alluded to). I’m pretty sure we were only able to book a room for the last two nights which is why we’d bunked down with Bernie and his girlfriend on night one. Anyways, m’lady and I checked into the new room and dropped our bags on the bed. I got to beering the fridge when a knock came at the door. “That must be Linda and Mike,” m’lady accurately predicted, opening the door and greeting her two long lost Phish friends who would be sharing the room with us for the remainder of the weekend. “Hi!” I blurted, bounding to the door and introducing myself. “Who wants a beer!”
“I’ll have one,” answered Mike. I eagerly snatched two bottles out of the fridge. Turns out they weren’t twisties but that was no problem, I knew a little trick. I angled one beer upside down so the lip of its cap was leveraged under the lip of the beercap I was intending to open. Then I gave one bottle a quick jerk with the other and voilà!
All hell broke loose.
(I’d like to quickly interject that I have since learned that it is crucial that one hooks the side and not the edge of the leveraging beercap underneath the targeted beercap. In fact, this was pretty much the very moment that I figured out this very important detail but alas, all hell had to break loose for me to learn it.)
Because I was leveraging one edge against another it was basically a 50-50 split on which cap would come off. It was like wishing on a wishbone, and I lost. To wit: when the cap of the leveraging bottle unexpectedly came off, the quick jerking motion I’d added gave just the right shake to the bottle to cause the carbonated contents inside to spray directly upwards and into my shocked face like I was staring down a water hose. The gushing beer careened off of my surprised face and into the surprised moustachioed face of Mike, who was standing right next to me, before continuing on to spray the ceiling and spatter the walls. Half-blind with foam-covered glasses I thrust the still unopened target beer towards Mike. “Perhaps you have a bottle opener?” I suggested, my face and hair drenched and dripping. I’m all about first impressions.
Amazingly, m’lady and I have gone on to share hotel rooms with Mike and Linda several times since then.
Getting to the Phish concert, once the show began deep in the forested Saratoga Springs State Park we were treated to another cover-laden night of groovy, dance-a-licious fun. They opened the show with their barbershop musical life-count tally [i]Grind[/i] before continuing with a set that consisted almost entirely of personal favourites of mine: [i]Possum[/i]>[i]Golgi[/i], [i]Moma Dance[/i], [i]Torn and Frayed[/i], [i]Rift[/i], [i]Cities[/i]>[i]Maze[/i], [i]Lawn Boy[/i], [i]Peaches[/i], [i]Bathtub Gin[/i], and[i] Good Times Bad Times[/i].
You can’t argue with that!
And believe it or don’t, once the second set started the show got even better! [i]Down With Disease[/i] went into [i]Blister In the Sun[/i] and then went back into itself again before morphing into [i]Boogie On Reggae Woman[/i]. In fact, the whole second set was one big unending stream of music, as the band went into-into-into through [i]2001[/i], [i]Mike’s[/i], [i]Contact[/i], [i]Backwards Down the Number Line[/i], and another tear halfway through [i]Blister In the Sun[/i]. And tons more of course.
And then – are you sitting down? – for the encore Phish played [i]Sabotage[/i] for the fifth (and as of this writing, final) time, dedicating the song to Adam Yauch who had passed away two months earlier. Not to cast mirth after sombre, but [i]Sabotage[/i] seemed like a perfect cap to my error-riddled day (pun intended, of course).
[i]I can’t stand rockin’ when I’m in this place
Because I feel disgrace because you’re all in my face[/i]…
And I can’t even [i]begin[/i] to tell you about all the aftershow shenanigoats.
https://toddmanout.com/
Review by toddmanout
On July 7th, 2012 I woke up in a Hilton Garden Inn or a Holiday Inn or some such place in Saratoga Springs, following a night of Phish at the wonderful Saratoga Performing Arts Center and anticipating two more nights of the same (but different). And speaking (parenthetically) of “different”, I’d had a bit of an odd experience throughout the night when one of the people m’lady and I were sharing a room with accidentally crawled into the wrong bed after a bathroom break and snuggled up to me for a hug.
But that’s a story I’ve shared elsewhere so here’s another:
Following our pre-set plans for the weekend m’lady and I changed rooms (I insist this had nothing to do with the snafu I just alluded to). I’m pretty sure we were only able to book a room for the last two nights which is why we’d bunked down with Bernie and his girlfriend on night one. Anyways, m’lady and I checked into the new room and dropped our bags on the bed. I got to beering the fridge when a knock came at the door. “That must be Linda and Mike,” m’lady accurately predicted, opening the door and greeting her two long lost Phish friends who would be sharing the room with us for the remainder of the weekend. “Hi!” I blurted, bounding to the door and introducing myself. “Who wants a beer!”
“I’ll have one,” answered Mike. I eagerly snatched two bottles out of the fridge. Turns out they weren’t twisties but that was no problem, I knew a little trick. I angled one beer upside down so the lip of its cap was leveraged under the lip of the beercap I was intending to open. Then I gave one bottle a quick jerk with the other and voilà!
All hell broke loose.
(I’d like to quickly interject that I have since learned that it is crucial that one hooks the side and not the edge of the leveraging beercap underneath the targeted beercap. In fact, this was pretty much the very moment that I figured out this very important detail but alas, all hell had to break loose for me to learn it.)
Because I was leveraging one edge against another it was basically a 50-50 split on which cap would come off. It was like wishing on a wishbone, and I lost. To wit: when the cap of the leveraging bottle unexpectedly came off, the quick jerking motion I’d added gave just the right shake to the bottle to cause the carbonated contents inside to spray directly upwards and into my shocked face like I was staring down a water hose. The gushing beer careened off of my surprised face and into the surprised moustachioed face of Mike, who was standing right next to me, before continuing on to spray the ceiling and spatter the walls. Half-blind with foam-covered glasses I thrust the still unopened target beer towards Mike. “Perhaps you have a bottle opener?” I suggested, my face and hair drenched and dripping. I’m all about first impressions.
Amazingly, m’lady and I have gone on to share hotel rooms with Mike and Linda several times since then.
Getting to the Phish concert, once the show began deep in the forested Saratoga Springs State Park we were treated to another cover-laden night of groovy, dance-a-licious fun. They opened the show with their barbershop musical life-count tally [i]Grind[/i] before continuing with a set that consisted almost entirely of personal favourites of mine: [i]Possum[/i]>[i]Golgi[/i], [i]Moma Dance[/i], [i]Torn and Frayed[/i], [i]Rift[/i], [i]Cities[/i]>[i]Maze[/i], [i]Lawn Boy[/i], [i]Peaches[/i], [i]Bathtub Gin[/i], and[i] Good Times Bad Times[/i].
You can’t argue with that!
And believe it or don’t, once the second set started the show got even better! [i]Down With Disease[/i] went into [i]Blister In the Sun[/i] and then went back into itself again before morphing into [i]Boogie On Reggae Woman[/i]. In fact, the whole second set was one big unending stream of music, as the band went into-into-into through [i]2001[/i], [i]Mike’s[/i], [i]Contact[/i], [i]Backwards Down the Number Line[/i], and another tear halfway through [i]Blister In the Sun[/i]. And tons more of course.
And then – are you sitting down? – for the encore Phish played [i]Sabotage[/i] for the fifth (and as of this writing, final) time, dedicating the song to Adam Yauch who had passed away two months earlier. Not to cast mirth after sombre, but [i]Sabotage[/i] seemed like a perfect cap to my error-riddled day (pun intended, of course).
[i]I can’t stand rockin’ when I’m in this place
Because I feel disgrace because you’re all in my face[/i]…
And I can’t even [i]begin[/i] to tell you about all the aftershow shenanigoats.
https://toddmanout.com/
, attached to 1997-11-21
I walked out of this show completely wrecked by the music I heard. Somewhere between Emotional Rescue and SOAM, we achieved liftoff. Sure, I never saw more than a handful of shows per year dispersed amongst most years the band has toured from 1990 through present. Nevertheless almost 27 years later, this run continues to stand at or near the top of the heap for me. I remember walking out of the venue thinking: "I will never again see [b]this[/b] band play like [b]that[/b] ever again. And that is just fine." The next night was almost as great for me. Better than everything thereafter, certainly.
Review by adamopp
I walked out of this show completely wrecked by the music I heard. Somewhere between Emotional Rescue and SOAM, we achieved liftoff. Sure, I never saw more than a handful of shows per year dispersed amongst most years the band has toured from 1990 through present. Nevertheless almost 27 years later, this run continues to stand at or near the top of the heap for me. I remember walking out of the venue thinking: "I will never again see [b]this[/b] band play like [b]that[/b] ever again. And that is just fine." The next night was almost as great for me. Better than everything thereafter, certainly.
, attached to 2024-08-03
Listened to the show on LP and just came to comment on Appstrophe riff after C&P. One of the many things I love about this band is when something familiar emerges from a jam and I can’t place it right away. Then it hits me, but now they’re playing Guy Forget. Don’t listen to a show with expectations, but expect the unexpected!
Review by Mandersen
Listened to the show on LP and just came to comment on Appstrophe riff after C&P. One of the many things I love about this band is when something familiar emerges from a jam and I can’t place it right away. Then it hits me, but now they’re playing Guy Forget. Don’t listen to a show with expectations, but expect the unexpected!
, attached to 1998-07-21
This was my first show, and tbh, I only went because a girl I was seeing was into them. I was a deadhead, saw Jerry at 16, his last show. Didn't know one Phish song, and was not interested. Or at least that's what I thought. All I remember is that by the time Fluffhead was done I was planning how I could go on tour, which I did. Fall 98 was amazing. What I did not remember, was that Bag>Fluff was the opener. We went to the show, four of us, and immediately broke up to find tickets and other things. When we met back up, everyone was impressed that I scored four tickets and mushys, or L, I can't remember which, possibly both. They were "kids" and came up empty while I wandered into their scene and quickly navigated the channels. The tickets were from a journalist, and were traded for $20 worth of Mexican "grass". My memory is that Fluffhead was the end of second set, or the encore, and I was not sold until then, at which time I became a true believer and offered to sign over all my possessions to the band. Knowing that it was the first song of my first show makes it all the more impressive, at least in my head. That girl? Well we got married and have 6 kids who are all doctors. Ok, for real, I went over for booty calls more than once, and she would literally have other dudes(FWB) in her living room playing video games. She partied like a rock star, even saw her cat snort blow. I bet , now, she has a family and is super successful, and is happy. She was awesome, then, and super smart. But a trainwreck in a hurricane. But she was 100% right about Phish, and I owe her a thank you and a big hug if I ever see her again. I think her name was Kate or Katie.
Review by Darkstar421
This was my first show, and tbh, I only went because a girl I was seeing was into them. I was a deadhead, saw Jerry at 16, his last show. Didn't know one Phish song, and was not interested. Or at least that's what I thought. All I remember is that by the time Fluffhead was done I was planning how I could go on tour, which I did. Fall 98 was amazing. What I did not remember, was that Bag>Fluff was the opener. We went to the show, four of us, and immediately broke up to find tickets and other things. When we met back up, everyone was impressed that I scored four tickets and mushys, or L, I can't remember which, possibly both. They were "kids" and came up empty while I wandered into their scene and quickly navigated the channels. The tickets were from a journalist, and were traded for $20 worth of Mexican "grass". My memory is that Fluffhead was the end of second set, or the encore, and I was not sold until then, at which time I became a true believer and offered to sign over all my possessions to the band. Knowing that it was the first song of my first show makes it all the more impressive, at least in my head. That girl? Well we got married and have 6 kids who are all doctors. Ok, for real, I went over for booty calls more than once, and she would literally have other dudes(FWB) in her living room playing video games. She partied like a rock star, even saw her cat snort blow. I bet , now, she has a family and is super successful, and is happy. She was awesome, then, and super smart. But a trainwreck in a hurricane. But she was 100% right about Phish, and I owe her a thank you and a big hug if I ever see her again. I think her name was Kate or Katie.
, attached to 1994-07-05
On July 5th, 1994 I had a few drinks and strolled a handful of blocks between my house and the Ottawa Congress Centre to see a band I had been hearing a bit about called Phish. I had missed them before in Montreal when a friend that I had seen the Grateful Dead with all but insisted I come with her to see Phish at Metropolis. I remember bowing out with the excuse that I had been out several nights in the past week seeing local bands in Ottawa and could use a night off.
Ouch.
But a few days before Phish played their one and only show in Canada’s capital city another friend of mine played me a cut off of the band’s Junta album, a catchy rock number with the unlikely title [i]Golgi Apparatus[/i]. “Pretty good,” I said, not entirely convinced. He put on one more song that he thought would hook me, and he nailed it with [i]Contact[/i]. The bass-driven song was quirky, weird, and clever; I was in.
The venue was sparsely attended to say the least, with perhaps 200 people in a room that could hold three thousand or more. I grabbed a couple of drinks from the bar and walked right up to the stage and stood audience-right in front of the drum kit.
That was odd (thought I), having the drum kit set up on stage left instead of in the middle.
No matter, I had the whole area to myself and if I remember correctly I even used the stage as a table to set my drinks upon. Soon the band came on and changed me.
They opened with [i]Rift[/i] and then [i]Sample[/i] before [i]The Curtain[/i] went into the first [i]Letter to Jimmy Page[/i] in several years. The second set had the first [i]Cities[/i] played in half a decade but none of that meant anything to me - I had never heard any of this before. Frankly, I had never heard anything like this before.
For me the show was a mind-bending display of musical and instrumental pyrotechnics that poured out of the four guys with a never-ending cavalcade of shock and surprise. Nothing went the way I thought it would, the music was utterly unpredictable with sharp turns and right angles all over the place; time signatures overlapped each other in ways I had never heard before…vocal harmonies that shouldn’t have worked landed perfectly on top of jagged melodies that were unforgettable.
I was flabbergasted, sonically and otherwise.
At the time I was just finishing up my music degree and I was in a band that I thought played some pretty crazy, off-kilter rock and roll so I was completely ready for this Phish concert whilst simultaneously not at all ready for it.
The gorgeous instrumental beauty juxtaposed with the Dada-esque lyrics of [i]Stash[/i], the miraculously original melody of [i]Bathtub Gin[/i] (how had nobody found that one yet?), the absolutely jaw-dropping[i] YEM[/i] with an intro that pits Trey’s 11/8 guitar part over Mikes 5/8 bass line and Page’s 10/8 keyboard part while Fishman pounds 4/4 underneath plus the vocal outro jam and oh yeah, they were jumping up and down on trampolines? I mean c’mon now! I was thoroughly humbled and awed.
Oh, and then the band plays Pink Floyd’s [i]Great Gig In The Sky [/i]with the drummer doing the solo by blowing into an old vacuum cleaner, then they performed two songs with no amplification whatsoever, just melodica/standup bass*/acoustic guitar with the crowd alternating between hushed applause and shush-ing each other, then they did a couple of barbershop quartet classics and ended the set with that very first song my friend had played for me a few days earlier, Golgi Apparatus. I was dancing like a fool laid out to dry. My t-shirt long wrenched from my body, I flailed away banshee-like with the entire Fishman-side floor area all to myself.
Capping the show as they did with a [i]Good Times, Bad Times[/i] encore was perfect, proof that Phish could tear up a straight-ahead rock and roller without any gimmicks quite fine, thank-you very much. The show I had just seen had changed how I looked at rock music and to see them Zep out and nail it hard for my walkaway song felt like a kudos to the history of the genre…a reminder of what rock music used to sound like now that I had seen its future.
To date I have seen the band 131 times. I’ve travelled all over North America and met friends from a thousand places while following Phish around, so yeah, this was a pretty big show for me.
*Wait now…there couldn’t have been a doublebass could there? Mike must have been playing his electric bass.
https://toddmanout.com/
Review by toddmanout
On July 5th, 1994 I had a few drinks and strolled a handful of blocks between my house and the Ottawa Congress Centre to see a band I had been hearing a bit about called Phish. I had missed them before in Montreal when a friend that I had seen the Grateful Dead with all but insisted I come with her to see Phish at Metropolis. I remember bowing out with the excuse that I had been out several nights in the past week seeing local bands in Ottawa and could use a night off.
Ouch.
But a few days before Phish played their one and only show in Canada’s capital city another friend of mine played me a cut off of the band’s Junta album, a catchy rock number with the unlikely title [i]Golgi Apparatus[/i]. “Pretty good,” I said, not entirely convinced. He put on one more song that he thought would hook me, and he nailed it with [i]Contact[/i]. The bass-driven song was quirky, weird, and clever; I was in.
The venue was sparsely attended to say the least, with perhaps 200 people in a room that could hold three thousand or more. I grabbed a couple of drinks from the bar and walked right up to the stage and stood audience-right in front of the drum kit.
That was odd (thought I), having the drum kit set up on stage left instead of in the middle.
No matter, I had the whole area to myself and if I remember correctly I even used the stage as a table to set my drinks upon. Soon the band came on and changed me.
They opened with [i]Rift[/i] and then [i]Sample[/i] before [i]The Curtain[/i] went into the first [i]Letter to Jimmy Page[/i] in several years. The second set had the first [i]Cities[/i] played in half a decade but none of that meant anything to me - I had never heard any of this before. Frankly, I had never heard anything like this before.
For me the show was a mind-bending display of musical and instrumental pyrotechnics that poured out of the four guys with a never-ending cavalcade of shock and surprise. Nothing went the way I thought it would, the music was utterly unpredictable with sharp turns and right angles all over the place; time signatures overlapped each other in ways I had never heard before…vocal harmonies that shouldn’t have worked landed perfectly on top of jagged melodies that were unforgettable.
I was flabbergasted, sonically and otherwise.
At the time I was just finishing up my music degree and I was in a band that I thought played some pretty crazy, off-kilter rock and roll so I was completely ready for this Phish concert whilst simultaneously not at all ready for it.
The gorgeous instrumental beauty juxtaposed with the Dada-esque lyrics of [i]Stash[/i], the miraculously original melody of [i]Bathtub Gin[/i] (how had nobody found that one yet?), the absolutely jaw-dropping[i] YEM[/i] with an intro that pits Trey’s 11/8 guitar part over Mikes 5/8 bass line and Page’s 10/8 keyboard part while Fishman pounds 4/4 underneath plus the vocal outro jam and oh yeah, they were jumping up and down on trampolines? I mean c’mon now! I was thoroughly humbled and awed.
Oh, and then the band plays Pink Floyd’s [i]Great Gig In The Sky [/i]with the drummer doing the solo by blowing into an old vacuum cleaner, then they performed two songs with no amplification whatsoever, just melodica/standup bass*/acoustic guitar with the crowd alternating between hushed applause and shush-ing each other, then they did a couple of barbershop quartet classics and ended the set with that very first song my friend had played for me a few days earlier, Golgi Apparatus. I was dancing like a fool laid out to dry. My t-shirt long wrenched from my body, I flailed away banshee-like with the entire Fishman-side floor area all to myself.
Capping the show as they did with a [i]Good Times, Bad Times[/i] encore was perfect, proof that Phish could tear up a straight-ahead rock and roller without any gimmicks quite fine, thank-you very much. The show I had just seen had changed how I looked at rock music and to see them Zep out and nail it hard for my walkaway song felt like a kudos to the history of the genre…a reminder of what rock music used to sound like now that I had seen its future.
To date I have seen the band 131 times. I’ve travelled all over North America and met friends from a thousand places while following Phish around, so yeah, this was a pretty big show for me.
*Wait now…there couldn’t have been a doublebass could there? Mike must have been playing his electric bass.
https://toddmanout.com/
, attached to 2014-10-31
Since we are on the heel of a 10 year anniversary of this particular night in the town they call sin city in Nevada, I feel like it’s a good time to write my review of this show.
Now, I’m a 3.0 baby (Hampton 09 Sunday). But by 2014 I had seen my fair share of shows. There was always this silly debate on what, and how the band has been playing since coming back, especially when it comes to the jams (or lack there off?!). Bear with me, because it ties in very well with this show.
I somehow managed to score 2 tickets to 10/31/14 during the on sale (only show I did of the run). I was 25 at the time, and living with my future ex-wife. I pretty much told her “this is where we’ll be on Halloween” she obliged.
I managed to score a strip of WoW the night before we leave to the airport. We arrived on 10/31 probably around 1:30 or 2pm. Check in, get dressed in our costumes (pulp fiction), and go hit the strip. About 2 hours before show time (or ticket time) I’m like “oh yea, take this”. I rip the strip in 1/2 and off we went….
Now I barely remember how we found our seats, but we did. They were in the behind the stage, about 20 rows up Mike Side. At that point I couldn’t care less, the energy in that building was electric.
Set I: The lights go down and they open up with Buried Alive (oh snap!!), now for me there are just a handful of songs that sets the tone that the show your about to witness is going to be Fire. Buried Alive is one of them (Soul Shakedown is another one that comes to mind).
Ghost > “of course they play ghost, duh it’s halloweeeeen” is probably the only thought that crept in my gooey brain. Decent Ghost, nothing groundbreaking, but it was more of statement piece.
SOAM kept in the “creepy Halloween” music genre quite nicely. Having witness the one in Chicago that summer, I thought it was good, but not quite as immersives
Reba…. My favorite song of all time by any band. “Of course they’d play Reba, it’s a sure sign of a heady Halloween show like 10/31/94, or 10/31/96!! Well although that Reba didn’t touch either of those, it was still a Reba, and a Reba can only be appreciated and criticized in the scheme that no matter what, Reba jams are godly to see and experience. Def shorter jam version of what I caught in Chicago that summer, but it ripped, and I was on cloud 9.
Rest of the set with 46 days, BBFCFM, Saw it again felt like the “spooky songs” to keep the Halloween vibes to a max.
Set II: now Keep in mind I was completely disconnected on what was going to happen. Neither me or my future ex wife even got the Bill when we managed to get into the venue. I also don’t remember being able to look or read my phone for a good 12 hours that night. By the time the lights went down for set II, we both couldn’t communicate, and would just give each other a little head nod every 30 mins or so telepathically communicating “you good?” “Yea I’m good”.
Remember how I had seats behind the stage? Oh yea, well the combo of being on a head full, not seeing anything in front of me but fractals, and those seats, I didn’t even realized that they were playing on top of haunted house. I didn’t see the graves, nor did I even knew there were dancers. All I knew was that Phish was inside this Box a few yards away from me. (Storage jam!?? Part 2?!?) and they were playing music I had never heard before. Before the big revealed of the elevated stage, I was so confused. I thought it sounded like they were playing “Wipeout”. “Are they doing Beach Boys this Halloween!?”. Lol, no they’re not. Once “The Dogs” started, and I was finally able to see them, I realize that they were using some types of samples and were just jamming.
This whole set for Me was a big jam. Broken down in different parts by these specific samples the band was using, and it was electric! Pet cats, The Birds were ridiculous, I remember dancing like there was no tomorrow during those songs the arena was pulsating. Martian Monster was just insane. Having Trey tell You “your trippin your trippin your trippin” over this infectious groove sent me to the stratosphere. Over all, I loved every single notes. Again, for me it was just one big jam because 1. I had 0 idea what they were doing, and 2. All the songs weren’t “songs” in the same way Wingsuit was an album and performed the prior year. Just amazing, weird, funky music.
Set III: We both managed to go hit the bathroom, and got us some waters at concession. Both of us were “still good”. I loved Set III so much. You could tell the band was so loose from having delivered that incredible set II. Sand, Tweezer are highlights for me. Guyute was also awesome to hear. Heavy things I thought Trey was saying “boooo boooo hahaha” like a cute little ghost to be like “gotcha mother fuckers, you didn’t expect that did you?”.
Then the encore: I was by no mean a cohen fan, nor do I think I had even heard that song before in my life. But it was the most perfect and beautiful cover I have ever heard. Perfectly placed and played for this occasion. This cemented my feeling that Phish was quite in tune with its fanbase (is this what you wanted!?).
Yes phish, this was everything I ever wanted out of my first Vegas and Halloween show.
10 years will now have passed here in less than a few months of me writing this review. And I wish I could still live in that Haunted house for one more night.
Review by McGrupp1989
Since we are on the heel of a 10 year anniversary of this particular night in the town they call sin city in Nevada, I feel like it’s a good time to write my review of this show.
Now, I’m a 3.0 baby (Hampton 09 Sunday). But by 2014 I had seen my fair share of shows. There was always this silly debate on what, and how the band has been playing since coming back, especially when it comes to the jams (or lack there off?!). Bear with me, because it ties in very well with this show.
I somehow managed to score 2 tickets to 10/31/14 during the on sale (only show I did of the run). I was 25 at the time, and living with my future ex-wife. I pretty much told her “this is where we’ll be on Halloween” she obliged.
I managed to score a strip of WoW the night before we leave to the airport. We arrived on 10/31 probably around 1:30 or 2pm. Check in, get dressed in our costumes (pulp fiction), and go hit the strip. About 2 hours before show time (or ticket time) I’m like “oh yea, take this”. I rip the strip in 1/2 and off we went….
Now I barely remember how we found our seats, but we did. They were in the behind the stage, about 20 rows up Mike Side. At that point I couldn’t care less, the energy in that building was electric.
Set I: The lights go down and they open up with Buried Alive (oh snap!!), now for me there are just a handful of songs that sets the tone that the show your about to witness is going to be Fire. Buried Alive is one of them (Soul Shakedown is another one that comes to mind).
Ghost > “of course they play ghost, duh it’s halloweeeeen” is probably the only thought that crept in my gooey brain. Decent Ghost, nothing groundbreaking, but it was more of statement piece.
SOAM kept in the “creepy Halloween” music genre quite nicely. Having witness the one in Chicago that summer, I thought it was good, but not quite as immersives
Reba…. My favorite song of all time by any band. “Of course they’d play Reba, it’s a sure sign of a heady Halloween show like 10/31/94, or 10/31/96!! Well although that Reba didn’t touch either of those, it was still a Reba, and a Reba can only be appreciated and criticized in the scheme that no matter what, Reba jams are godly to see and experience. Def shorter jam version of what I caught in Chicago that summer, but it ripped, and I was on cloud 9.
Rest of the set with 46 days, BBFCFM, Saw it again felt like the “spooky songs” to keep the Halloween vibes to a max.
Set II: now Keep in mind I was completely disconnected on what was going to happen. Neither me or my future ex wife even got the Bill when we managed to get into the venue. I also don’t remember being able to look or read my phone for a good 12 hours that night. By the time the lights went down for set II, we both couldn’t communicate, and would just give each other a little head nod every 30 mins or so telepathically communicating “you good?” “Yea I’m good”.
Remember how I had seats behind the stage? Oh yea, well the combo of being on a head full, not seeing anything in front of me but fractals, and those seats, I didn’t even realized that they were playing on top of haunted house. I didn’t see the graves, nor did I even knew there were dancers. All I knew was that Phish was inside this Box a few yards away from me. (Storage jam!?? Part 2?!?) and they were playing music I had never heard before. Before the big revealed of the elevated stage, I was so confused. I thought it sounded like they were playing “Wipeout”. “Are they doing Beach Boys this Halloween!?”. Lol, no they’re not. Once “The Dogs” started, and I was finally able to see them, I realize that they were using some types of samples and were just jamming.
This whole set for Me was a big jam. Broken down in different parts by these specific samples the band was using, and it was electric! Pet cats, The Birds were ridiculous, I remember dancing like there was no tomorrow during those songs the arena was pulsating. Martian Monster was just insane. Having Trey tell You “your trippin your trippin your trippin” over this infectious groove sent me to the stratosphere. Over all, I loved every single notes. Again, for me it was just one big jam because 1. I had 0 idea what they were doing, and 2. All the songs weren’t “songs” in the same way Wingsuit was an album and performed the prior year. Just amazing, weird, funky music.
Set III: We both managed to go hit the bathroom, and got us some waters at concession. Both of us were “still good”. I loved Set III so much. You could tell the band was so loose from having delivered that incredible set II. Sand, Tweezer are highlights for me. Guyute was also awesome to hear. Heavy things I thought Trey was saying “boooo boooo hahaha” like a cute little ghost to be like “gotcha mother fuckers, you didn’t expect that did you?”.
Then the encore: I was by no mean a cohen fan, nor do I think I had even heard that song before in my life. But it was the most perfect and beautiful cover I have ever heard. Perfectly placed and played for this occasion. This cemented my feeling that Phish was quite in tune with its fanbase (is this what you wanted!?).
Yes phish, this was everything I ever wanted out of my first Vegas and Halloween show.
10 years will now have passed here in less than a few months of me writing this review. And I wish I could still live in that Haunted house for one more night.
, attached to 2024-08-31
The rating of this show (currently hovering around 4.00) is bonkers. If 2024 Phish has taught us anything, it's to actually listen to the show instead of just rating it based on the setlist alone. In 2024 the song - any song - has become mere pretext to wildly exploratory and transformative jamming. This phenomenon has slowly been asserting itself since mid-2022, was reinforced all this summer, and got supercharged by the spectacular ambient set at Mondegreen. Need proof? How about Thursday night? Ether Edge (a song I have dismissed as Christian Rock-lite and might actively dislike) goes deep and thick in the first set and the second set explodes with 40+ minutes of Sigma Oasis>Pillow Jets. Setlist lurkers alone probably look at that and think "meh">"meh", but you'd be sadly mistaken.
Saturday showcases more of the same. The first set is so hot it feels much more like the third set of Friday's masterpiece. Every song is loose yet confident and ready for liftoff. 46 Days brings the wah soaked funk right off the bat in the jam. Oblivion blossoms and devolves and blooms anew. Evil Phish and bliss peaking in one package. The Gin is 19 minutes of fire. Maze features an incredible extended Page Peak. And MEAP finally gets the attention it deserves - well sung, well played - demolishing the final chord progression that has been begging for hose ever since it was written. Trey loved it so much you can very clearly hear him shout "yeah!" at 8:29. The floor at Dick's (Mike's side just behind the stack - respect the boogie yall) straight exploded.
You reviewers might not have loved it, but the second set opener of Cup is pretty stark evidence that the band thought they were doing just fine, thank you very much. What follows is another setlist reviewer blind spot - KDF>WGTYM. Or more like KDFalls Apart>WGTYMindf@&*k. At just under 26 minutes, the KDF jam is loose limbed, brave and spectacular. Multiple movements. Tempo changes. Fully formed passages built, deconstructed and scuttled for new ground. Then it all collapses into noise followed by a neat segue into WGTYM. Like many newer Trey compositions the song itself feels a bit too cute and on the nose, but it's just a jumping off point. They leave the song structure entirely and go industrial evil, nudging up to the effects laden jamming of Mexico 2024 and rising to a tidy peak before chording into C&P. Combined - 42 minutes of inspiration. And somehow if those exact same jams were in a DWD, Tweezer, Bowie or any other old school, tent pole jam vehicle, the .net would be raving about back to back all-timers.
Often in these reviews the reviewer mentions what's "worth" listening to. Howsabout we try listening to the whole damn thing? I know my brain got wired before the advent of a la carte music via Spotify, etc., but if you are rating a show it deserves your full attention. Looking at the setlist alone in 2024 gives you very little information about the quality of show itself. Many of the highlights of this show, and of the entire Dick's run, just don't stand out on paper. Cities. Ether Edge. Sigma Oasis. Pillow Jets. Steam. Oblivion. KDF. WGTYM. MYFY. SYSF. Not exactly crusty vet setlist magic. But these are the foundational jams of 3 1/2 nights of incredibly nimble and explosive music. Hell, even the outtro jam of Monsters has some extra sauce on it.
We have been extolled through the years to Read The Book. I'd like to add Listen To The Show to the mantra as well.
Thank you to the Texas crew, Maui crew, Cali crew and security personnel getting the bleep down at the floor entrance just to the right of the stack Mike's side on all four nights. Apologies to the chompers and standers that we joyfully and gently ushered past our collectively swirling mass.
Review by mattybweston
The rating of this show (currently hovering around 4.00) is bonkers. If 2024 Phish has taught us anything, it's to actually listen to the show instead of just rating it based on the setlist alone. In 2024 the song - any song - has become mere pretext to wildly exploratory and transformative jamming. This phenomenon has slowly been asserting itself since mid-2022, was reinforced all this summer, and got supercharged by the spectacular ambient set at Mondegreen. Need proof? How about Thursday night? Ether Edge (a song I have dismissed as Christian Rock-lite and might actively dislike) goes deep and thick in the first set and the second set explodes with 40+ minutes of Sigma Oasis>Pillow Jets. Setlist lurkers alone probably look at that and think "meh">"meh", but you'd be sadly mistaken.
Saturday showcases more of the same. The first set is so hot it feels much more like the third set of Friday's masterpiece. Every song is loose yet confident and ready for liftoff. 46 Days brings the wah soaked funk right off the bat in the jam. Oblivion blossoms and devolves and blooms anew. Evil Phish and bliss peaking in one package. The Gin is 19 minutes of fire. Maze features an incredible extended Page Peak. And MEAP finally gets the attention it deserves - well sung, well played - demolishing the final chord progression that has been begging for hose ever since it was written. Trey loved it so much you can very clearly hear him shout "yeah!" at 8:29. The floor at Dick's (Mike's side just behind the stack - respect the boogie yall) straight exploded.
You reviewers might not have loved it, but the second set opener of Cup is pretty stark evidence that the band thought they were doing just fine, thank you very much. What follows is another setlist reviewer blind spot - KDF>WGTYM. Or more like KDFalls Apart>WGTYMindf@&*k. At just under 26 minutes, the KDF jam is loose limbed, brave and spectacular. Multiple movements. Tempo changes. Fully formed passages built, deconstructed and scuttled for new ground. Then it all collapses into noise followed by a neat segue into WGTYM. Like many newer Trey compositions the song itself feels a bit too cute and on the nose, but it's just a jumping off point. They leave the song structure entirely and go industrial evil, nudging up to the effects laden jamming of Mexico 2024 and rising to a tidy peak before chording into C&P. Combined - 42 minutes of inspiration. And somehow if those exact same jams were in a DWD, Tweezer, Bowie or any other old school, tent pole jam vehicle, the .net would be raving about back to back all-timers.
Often in these reviews the reviewer mentions what's "worth" listening to. Howsabout we try listening to the whole damn thing? I know my brain got wired before the advent of a la carte music via Spotify, etc., but if you are rating a show it deserves your full attention. Looking at the setlist alone in 2024 gives you very little information about the quality of show itself. Many of the highlights of this show, and of the entire Dick's run, just don't stand out on paper. Cities. Ether Edge. Sigma Oasis. Pillow Jets. Steam. Oblivion. KDF. WGTYM. MYFY. SYSF. Not exactly crusty vet setlist magic. But these are the foundational jams of 3 1/2 nights of incredibly nimble and explosive music. Hell, even the outtro jam of Monsters has some extra sauce on it.
We have been extolled through the years to Read The Book. I'd like to add Listen To The Show to the mantra as well.
Thank you to the Texas crew, Maui crew, Cali crew and security personnel getting the bleep down at the floor entrance just to the right of the stack Mike's side on all four nights. Apologies to the chompers and standers that we joyfully and gently ushered past our collectively swirling mass.
, attached to 2010-06-18
On June 18th, 2010 a crowd of us woke up and stretched ourselves awake from various beds, couches and inflatable mattresses at our friend’s house in the ‘burbs of Hartford, Connecticut. It was a beautiful day so we spent it lounging around their lovely backyard pool with drinks and guitars working up an appetite for the epic barbecue that was promised and delivered.
Come showtime we cracked beers for the ride (open liquor laws in Hartford are so very civilized) and got to the venue. I believe our hosts once again showed off their in-your-face stealth style of smuggling liquor into the show, an admirable display that has one brother lob a two-liter bottle to the other brother once the latter has cleared security. It’s an over-the-shoulder football catch that invariably arouses cheers from the crowd lined up to get in that in turn create confused looks on the faces of security, so busy searching bags and purses that they miss the whole maneuver.
It’s beautiful, victimless anarchy and just a joy to behold.
M’lady and I were in the pavilion for the show – which didn’t really matter because it wasn’t raining – but it was nice to be fairly close and central. The show was great from the get-go with a particularly fun three-song second set punch in the form of [i]Tweezer[/i]/[i]Theme From The Bottom[/i]/[i]Harry Hood[/i], a musical triumvirate of personal favourites.
Speaking of favourites, given the haphazard nature of a Phish non-setlist set it’s very tempting to turn to the person next to you and make a guess at to what the next song might be. Anytime I hear even the slightest musical tweak, a particular chord or snare hit, or just get the same gut feeling that helps me pick numbers when I play roulette I turn to m’lady and confidently tell her what song is coming next.
Of course I’m usually wrong. It’s not like I’m some sort of gambling millionaire or anything.
Because of this, and out of an abundance of sympathetic empathy to a habit that must get quite annoying I resist stating these guesses out loud whenever I can, which I’m sure isn’t often enough.
Now, when you get to the encore of a show (like this one) where the band has played [i]Tweezer[/i] but they haven’t yet played the nearly-ubiquitous follow-up [i]Tweezer Reprise[/i] (like this show) there’s certainly no cache in turning to your lady and calling for a [i]Reprise[/i]. To do so would be the newbiest newb move ever; in this situation everybody knows the reprise is coming.
And come it did, right after [i]Sleeping Monkey[/i].
However, on very rare occasions the band forgets to bookend [i]Tweezer[/i] with [i]Tweezer Reprise[/i], and as they were finishing up it occurred to me this had been the case the last time they played [i]Tweezer[/i], just a few shows before.
And so just as the band was going into the riff that wraps up the song and bid us all goodnight I had a thought. It was an exciting thought and it came like a flash. It went like this: “Phish should play the reprise twice in a row to make up for skipping it at the Hershey show!”
Of course the notion was silly and to my eternal lot-cred detriment I somehow resisted stating my prediction out loud. And then just a few seconds later, wouldn’t you know it, Trey said this:
“You know what? We’re all having such a great time and we’ve only got a couple of minutes before they kick us off the stage, and we played, uh, [i]Tweezer [/i]at Hershey Park where we never did [i]Tweezer Reprise[/i] so we’re going to play it again! This is for Hershey Park!”
Then Trey tore into the riff to restart the song and the crowd went bananas. Especially me.
“I called it in my head!” I screamed with delight, jumping up and down.
But really, could a claim be much feebler? “I knew they were gonna do that…” Harumph. My one chance to be a Phish genius, blown by a courtesy.
Me and my little mouth.
https://toddmanout.com/
Review by toddmanout
On June 18th, 2010 a crowd of us woke up and stretched ourselves awake from various beds, couches and inflatable mattresses at our friend’s house in the ‘burbs of Hartford, Connecticut. It was a beautiful day so we spent it lounging around their lovely backyard pool with drinks and guitars working up an appetite for the epic barbecue that was promised and delivered.
Come showtime we cracked beers for the ride (open liquor laws in Hartford are so very civilized) and got to the venue. I believe our hosts once again showed off their in-your-face stealth style of smuggling liquor into the show, an admirable display that has one brother lob a two-liter bottle to the other brother once the latter has cleared security. It’s an over-the-shoulder football catch that invariably arouses cheers from the crowd lined up to get in that in turn create confused looks on the faces of security, so busy searching bags and purses that they miss the whole maneuver.
It’s beautiful, victimless anarchy and just a joy to behold.
M’lady and I were in the pavilion for the show – which didn’t really matter because it wasn’t raining – but it was nice to be fairly close and central. The show was great from the get-go with a particularly fun three-song second set punch in the form of [i]Tweezer[/i]/[i]Theme From The Bottom[/i]/[i]Harry Hood[/i], a musical triumvirate of personal favourites.
Speaking of favourites, given the haphazard nature of a Phish non-setlist set it’s very tempting to turn to the person next to you and make a guess at to what the next song might be. Anytime I hear even the slightest musical tweak, a particular chord or snare hit, or just get the same gut feeling that helps me pick numbers when I play roulette I turn to m’lady and confidently tell her what song is coming next.
Of course I’m usually wrong. It’s not like I’m some sort of gambling millionaire or anything.
Because of this, and out of an abundance of sympathetic empathy to a habit that must get quite annoying I resist stating these guesses out loud whenever I can, which I’m sure isn’t often enough.
Now, when you get to the encore of a show (like this one) where the band has played [i]Tweezer[/i] but they haven’t yet played the nearly-ubiquitous follow-up [i]Tweezer Reprise[/i] (like this show) there’s certainly no cache in turning to your lady and calling for a [i]Reprise[/i]. To do so would be the newbiest newb move ever; in this situation everybody knows the reprise is coming.
And come it did, right after [i]Sleeping Monkey[/i].
However, on very rare occasions the band forgets to bookend [i]Tweezer[/i] with [i]Tweezer Reprise[/i], and as they were finishing up it occurred to me this had been the case the last time they played [i]Tweezer[/i], just a few shows before.
And so just as the band was going into the riff that wraps up the song and bid us all goodnight I had a thought. It was an exciting thought and it came like a flash. It went like this: “Phish should play the reprise twice in a row to make up for skipping it at the Hershey show!”
Of course the notion was silly and to my eternal lot-cred detriment I somehow resisted stating my prediction out loud. And then just a few seconds later, wouldn’t you know it, Trey said this:
“You know what? We’re all having such a great time and we’ve only got a couple of minutes before they kick us off the stage, and we played, uh, [i]Tweezer [/i]at Hershey Park where we never did [i]Tweezer Reprise[/i] so we’re going to play it again! This is for Hershey Park!”
Then Trey tore into the riff to restart the song and the crowd went bananas. Especially me.
“I called it in my head!” I screamed with delight, jumping up and down.
But really, could a claim be much feebler? “I knew they were gonna do that…” Harumph. My one chance to be a Phish genius, blown by a courtesy.
Me and my little mouth.
https://toddmanout.com/
, attached to 2024-08-18
This is just not the way this epic weekend was supposed to end. If the band KNEW they were on a time limit (which they should have considering they moved the show up 5 hours ahead of schedule) the setlist COULD have been an absolute heater. Sunday could have been something special. Instead, it’s singularly a super forgettable experience. No real jams, no rarities, no bust outs. Even the songs like Izabella and Ya Mar were played the previous weekend! Why not do something interesting for the 40,000 people in attendance? I guess I am just frustrated with this ending. Sorry for the negativity. Peace and love.
Review by ocelot22
This is just not the way this epic weekend was supposed to end. If the band KNEW they were on a time limit (which they should have considering they moved the show up 5 hours ahead of schedule) the setlist COULD have been an absolute heater. Sunday could have been something special. Instead, it’s singularly a super forgettable experience. No real jams, no rarities, no bust outs. Even the songs like Izabella and Ya Mar were played the previous weekend! Why not do something interesting for the 40,000 people in attendance? I guess I am just frustrated with this ending. Sorry for the negativity. Peace and love.
, attached to 2024-08-31
Loved this one. Band sounded engaged all night and never bored or going through the motions. Inventive sections tucked into so many songs throughout the night. Zero BS. KDF and Gin prob the two big highlights but I think this is a show that will reward repeated listening over time — the band was easily tapping into the thing all night.
Review by ontape
Loved this one. Band sounded engaged all night and never bored or going through the motions. Inventive sections tucked into so many songs throughout the night. Zero BS. KDF and Gin prob the two big highlights but I think this is a show that will reward repeated listening over time — the band was easily tapping into the thing all night.
, attached to 2024-09-01
What a summer. I had a lot of fun going to Bethel and Mondegreen, and saw some sick shows, made some great memories. As this tour draws to a close and we prepare to go a few months without new Phish, I think we deserved a show as good as this one. The first set is truly one of my favorite 1st sets in recent Phish memory, setlist and playing are fantastic. A+ stuff. I was prepared for some crazy stuff in this 2nd set.
2nd set did not get that A+ rating as well but it was still fantastic, love and light, uplifting Phish. And that has its time and place. after a long summer these are the vibes I am okay with. As far as this encore, Sabotage kicks ass and that was a nice gift with the tweeprise.
Was this an all timer show to talk about forever? No. Was this first set incredible, must hear Phish? Yes. I just think Dicks overall got a sick 4 night run and this was a very strong tour (stop crying about repeats, look at the 90s!) And we hav a fuck ton to be happy about. We know this band exists and that goes a long way. See you guys at MSG to close it out.
Must Hears: ENTIRE first set, Caspian -> SYSF -> Tweezer, Sabotage > Tweeprise
Review by DownWithSteam
What a summer. I had a lot of fun going to Bethel and Mondegreen, and saw some sick shows, made some great memories. As this tour draws to a close and we prepare to go a few months without new Phish, I think we deserved a show as good as this one. The first set is truly one of my favorite 1st sets in recent Phish memory, setlist and playing are fantastic. A+ stuff. I was prepared for some crazy stuff in this 2nd set.
2nd set did not get that A+ rating as well but it was still fantastic, love and light, uplifting Phish. And that has its time and place. after a long summer these are the vibes I am okay with. As far as this encore, Sabotage kicks ass and that was a nice gift with the tweeprise.
Was this an all timer show to talk about forever? No. Was this first set incredible, must hear Phish? Yes. I just think Dicks overall got a sick 4 night run and this was a very strong tour (stop crying about repeats, look at the 90s!) And we hav a fuck ton to be happy about. We know this band exists and that goes a long way. See you guys at MSG to close it out.
Must Hears: ENTIRE first set, Caspian -> SYSF -> Tweezer, Sabotage > Tweeprise
, attached to 2024-09-01
A classic heavy first set is always welcome! MFMF going out for another long walk, that was awesome. Tube and stash were short but punchy. Life Saving gun closes it out in style with a ripping jam. Second set is not my favorite but tweezer saves it, great jam, lots of fun interplay. SABOTAGE , they went hard with that. I’ll take some bust outs and a few heavy hitting jams for show #50.
All in all really great dicks run with Friday taking the gold medal. No rain, is the curse broken? Let’s find out next year.
Review by youenjoymyghost
A classic heavy first set is always welcome! MFMF going out for another long walk, that was awesome. Tube and stash were short but punchy. Life Saving gun closes it out in style with a ripping jam. Second set is not my favorite but tweezer saves it, great jam, lots of fun interplay. SABOTAGE , they went hard with that. I’ll take some bust outs and a few heavy hitting jams for show #50.
All in all really great dicks run with Friday taking the gold medal. No rain, is the curse broken? Let’s find out next year.
, attached to 2024-08-31
I'll preface by saying that even a bad Phish show is still a good Phish show. And I'll also preface with saying it wasn't bad, but not necessarily good either. This show was like a rollercoaster with a lot of highs and a lot of lows. Setlist choice and flow/momentum had a lot to do with it. Songs felt out of place in this particular rotation they used. Energy was either really up (Loving Cup > KDF) and then really down (SOAM, monsters). I hate when they do this shit. Play an absolute banger then kill the vibe by playing a slow ballot. It was evident too as I heard mumbles and groans around me and saw people in droves going to take a piss break (SOAM, Monsters). Speaking of SOAM, what was up with that 3 minute part where it sounded like absolute chaos in the jam towards the end? I saw it on the looks of everyone around me like: "Is it supposed to sound like this?", "This doesn't sound good." People stopped dancing and vibing too. It was very bad on the ears and vibes. The encore was meh. Bug is a nice ballot and First Tube is always good no matter what. I give the show like a 3.4-3.8
I'm being nit-picky maybe because my expectations were high. But they should be since they are coming off 2 absolute bangers of shows. And I'm only critical because I love this band so much. I think that I traveled far and expected a lot is what let me down. It was still fun, it was still Phish. But I wish they did better in the setlist selection and jammed more songs out in the 2nd set.
Review by kingralph
I'll preface by saying that even a bad Phish show is still a good Phish show. And I'll also preface with saying it wasn't bad, but not necessarily good either. This show was like a rollercoaster with a lot of highs and a lot of lows. Setlist choice and flow/momentum had a lot to do with it. Songs felt out of place in this particular rotation they used. Energy was either really up (Loving Cup > KDF) and then really down (SOAM, monsters). I hate when they do this shit. Play an absolute banger then kill the vibe by playing a slow ballot. It was evident too as I heard mumbles and groans around me and saw people in droves going to take a piss break (SOAM, Monsters). Speaking of SOAM, what was up with that 3 minute part where it sounded like absolute chaos in the jam towards the end? I saw it on the looks of everyone around me like: "Is it supposed to sound like this?", "This doesn't sound good." People stopped dancing and vibing too. It was very bad on the ears and vibes. The encore was meh. Bug is a nice ballot and First Tube is always good no matter what. I give the show like a 3.4-3.8
I'm being nit-picky maybe because my expectations were high. But they should be since they are coming off 2 absolute bangers of shows. And I'm only critical because I love this band so much. I think that I traveled far and expected a lot is what let me down. It was still fun, it was still Phish. But I wish they did better in the setlist selection and jammed more songs out in the 2nd set.
, attached to 2024-08-31
Full disclosure:
The last of the dozen shows I've been to was 10 years ago. I enjoy the streaming broadcasts, and still occasionally listen to the '94 Gamehenge in West Virginia front to back.
Rather than spew negatives, instead I will ask a simple question out of curiosity.
Why is maze never mentioned in any reviews? Do they fuck it up every time? It's a quintessential Phish tune, for musicianship and the frantic high speed solos.
I've also never understood Rift or Horn turning people off. The dynamics and composition are A+.
I could listen to every album from Junta to undermind forward and back.
The sheer brilliance of cohesion on stage peaked somewhere between 1994 and 1999. Just IMHO.
Rock on phans.
Review by MrStevietRI
Full disclosure:
The last of the dozen shows I've been to was 10 years ago. I enjoy the streaming broadcasts, and still occasionally listen to the '94 Gamehenge in West Virginia front to back.
Rather than spew negatives, instead I will ask a simple question out of curiosity.
Why is maze never mentioned in any reviews? Do they fuck it up every time? It's a quintessential Phish tune, for musicianship and the frantic high speed solos.
I've also never understood Rift or Horn turning people off. The dynamics and composition are A+.
I could listen to every album from Junta to undermind forward and back.
The sheer brilliance of cohesion on stage peaked somewhere between 1994 and 1999. Just IMHO.
Rock on phans.
, attached to 2024-08-31
Unfortunately, it seems the 'ratings mafia' got ahold of this one early. In fact, they're busy down-voting Friday's spectacular show as well. I understand that a lot of people spent a lot of money on Mondegreen and skipped Dick's this year, but this run has produced three excellent shows with no sign of letting up. The FOMO among East Coasters is real and it's palpable. Don't let their bitterness color your opinion of this one.
After such a scorcher on Friday, I tried to temper my expectations going into this show. How could the band replicate that sort of success? The 46 Days opener was unremarkable, but served its purpose and kicked off the show on a positive note. The first real jam comes by way of Oblivion, which has been slowly building momentum since its debut last year. I haven't listened to every version they've turned in so far, but I suspect this 18-minute shapeshifter is one of the better takes. The slinky rhythm of this one seems to lend itself to easy jamming. A fiery Axilla II sets the stage for a lovely transition from the outro jam into Bathtub Gin, the night's second major outing. Also clocking in around 18 minutes, this jam is more streamlined and less exploratory than Oblivion's, but it hits the spot.
The second quarter dials back the type II explorations in favor of standard readings of Undermind, Maze, and Free. The tempos are hot and the solo breaks are rollicking. With a little time left on the clock, the band dropped into a surprise set-closing Most Events Aren't Planned. A curveball of sorts, this one settles into its role as a set closer and builds to a satisfying peak. All in all, a solid first set.
After a truncated setbreak, the band wasted no time in getting energy back up with a set-opening singalong. Unmoored from its typical role as a closer/encore, Loving Cup immediately brings the crowd to its feet. With no real jam opportunity, the band swiftly transitions to KDF and the first chance for some exploration in the second set. Clocking in around 25 minutes, this jam is undoubtedly the centerpiece of the set. It covers so much ground it's difficult to describe after just a couple listens, but its easy rock and roll groves stand in contrast to Friday's nervy, peaky liquid magma improv. It probably won't make any best-of lists, but it's worth hearing just the same.
As KDF concludes, we're treated to another new track: What's Going Through Your Mind. Making only its third appearance, the one seemed to elicit confused looks from casual fans. Many in the stands took a seat while trying to comprehend the story behind the song's unquestionably Phishy lyrics. In prime position for an extended jam, the band wastes no time in peppering the simple chord progression with darkness and mystery. Though shorter than proceeding jam, this one proves to be equally interesting. If you're trying to familiarize yourself with this song's capabilities, this would be a GREAT version to listen to.
The fourth quarter, while slim on the big jams, finally delivers some of the fabled "Saturday Night dance party" vibes we're all craving. First, we get a red-hot Crosseyed that never lets up. Next, the band tosses out a rare mid-set Melt, offering some mind-bending psychedelic fury that coalesces into a rhythmless melange of sound. Shorter than usual, this Melt is transitional — a comma rather than an exclamation point. Our cool-down comes by way of another new track, Monsters, making just its fifth appearance. This dark, somber ballad seems to fit this show in both tenor and concept, bridging two the band's most monstrous tracks and providing a brief respite before giving way to a massive set-closing Carini. Like Loving Cup before it, Carini is unmoored from its usual role as a jam vehicle. This version hits the gas and drives like a banshee toward the finish line. I was quite content with how it turned out.
Finally, we get a succinct one-two encore of the always-enjoyable Bug and a screaming First Tube. While it pales in comparison to Friday's YEM bonus jam, this encore still wraps up the show nicely.
While it might not have reached the heights of Friday's jam spectacular, this show was a perfectly serviceable follow-up performance. It provided enough color and contrast to distinguish itself. It produced at least four massive jams that occupied about half of its total runtime. It also featured a number of red-hot type I outings that were more about energy than form. I think there's a little something for everyone here. It's certainly worth a listen.
Review by DevinB
Unfortunately, it seems the 'ratings mafia' got ahold of this one early. In fact, they're busy down-voting Friday's spectacular show as well. I understand that a lot of people spent a lot of money on Mondegreen and skipped Dick's this year, but this run has produced three excellent shows with no sign of letting up. The FOMO among East Coasters is real and it's palpable. Don't let their bitterness color your opinion of this one.
After such a scorcher on Friday, I tried to temper my expectations going into this show. How could the band replicate that sort of success? The 46 Days opener was unremarkable, but served its purpose and kicked off the show on a positive note. The first real jam comes by way of Oblivion, which has been slowly building momentum since its debut last year. I haven't listened to every version they've turned in so far, but I suspect this 18-minute shapeshifter is one of the better takes. The slinky rhythm of this one seems to lend itself to easy jamming. A fiery Axilla II sets the stage for a lovely transition from the outro jam into Bathtub Gin, the night's second major outing. Also clocking in around 18 minutes, this jam is more streamlined and less exploratory than Oblivion's, but it hits the spot.
The second quarter dials back the type II explorations in favor of standard readings of Undermind, Maze, and Free. The tempos are hot and the solo breaks are rollicking. With a little time left on the clock, the band dropped into a surprise set-closing Most Events Aren't Planned. A curveball of sorts, this one settles into its role as a set closer and builds to a satisfying peak. All in all, a solid first set.
After a truncated setbreak, the band wasted no time in getting energy back up with a set-opening singalong. Unmoored from its typical role as a closer/encore, Loving Cup immediately brings the crowd to its feet. With no real jam opportunity, the band swiftly transitions to KDF and the first chance for some exploration in the second set. Clocking in around 25 minutes, this jam is undoubtedly the centerpiece of the set. It covers so much ground it's difficult to describe after just a couple listens, but its easy rock and roll groves stand in contrast to Friday's nervy, peaky liquid magma improv. It probably won't make any best-of lists, but it's worth hearing just the same.
As KDF concludes, we're treated to another new track: What's Going Through Your Mind. Making only its third appearance, the one seemed to elicit confused looks from casual fans. Many in the stands took a seat while trying to comprehend the story behind the song's unquestionably Phishy lyrics. In prime position for an extended jam, the band wastes no time in peppering the simple chord progression with darkness and mystery. Though shorter than proceeding jam, this one proves to be equally interesting. If you're trying to familiarize yourself with this song's capabilities, this would be a GREAT version to listen to.
The fourth quarter, while slim on the big jams, finally delivers some of the fabled "Saturday Night dance party" vibes we're all craving. First, we get a red-hot Crosseyed that never lets up. Next, the band tosses out a rare mid-set Melt, offering some mind-bending psychedelic fury that coalesces into a rhythmless melange of sound. Shorter than usual, this Melt is transitional — a comma rather than an exclamation point. Our cool-down comes by way of another new track, Monsters, making just its fifth appearance. This dark, somber ballad seems to fit this show in both tenor and concept, bridging two the band's most monstrous tracks and providing a brief respite before giving way to a massive set-closing Carini. Like Loving Cup before it, Carini is unmoored from its usual role as a jam vehicle. This version hits the gas and drives like a banshee toward the finish line. I was quite content with how it turned out.
Finally, we get a succinct one-two encore of the always-enjoyable Bug and a screaming First Tube. While it pales in comparison to Friday's YEM bonus jam, this encore still wraps up the show nicely.
While it might not have reached the heights of Friday's jam spectacular, this show was a perfectly serviceable follow-up performance. It provided enough color and contrast to distinguish itself. It produced at least four massive jams that occupied about half of its total runtime. It also featured a number of red-hot type I outings that were more about energy than form. I think there's a little something for everyone here. It's certainly worth a listen.
, attached to 2023-12-31
Something I thought was impossible to get as a 3.0 era fan of the band. I have witnessed a lot of dope shit from this band since getting hooked back at Magnaball. I did the entire Baker’s Dozen, haven’t missed a NYE, Halloween or festival run since I started seeing this band. This was just magical and totally unexpected. My only disappointment was their reluctance to throw Icculus, my most illusive chase, into the mix. I thought it was fitting even though it isn’t apart of the original gamehendge saga. My friends were congratulating me from all around the venue and those near and far that weren’t physically in attendance well before anything was set in stone. They didn’t know that it wasn’t apart of the original saga, but I did, and unfortunately I let their optimism myself take over. The personal disappointment aside, this show was bonkers and covered a lot of area that couldn’t have possibly left any singular fan of this band not satisfied in one way or another (unless you decided to skip NYE to budget for Sphere shows). I had the luxury of not having to worry about choosing one or the other. I chose both.
Review by PostersNuts92
Something I thought was impossible to get as a 3.0 era fan of the band. I have witnessed a lot of dope shit from this band since getting hooked back at Magnaball. I did the entire Baker’s Dozen, haven’t missed a NYE, Halloween or festival run since I started seeing this band. This was just magical and totally unexpected. My only disappointment was their reluctance to throw Icculus, my most illusive chase, into the mix. I thought it was fitting even though it isn’t apart of the original gamehendge saga. My friends were congratulating me from all around the venue and those near and far that weren’t physically in attendance well before anything was set in stone. They didn’t know that it wasn’t apart of the original saga, but I did, and unfortunately I let their optimism myself take over. The personal disappointment aside, this show was bonkers and covered a lot of area that couldn’t have possibly left any singular fan of this band not satisfied in one way or another (unless you decided to skip NYE to budget for Sphere shows). I had the luxury of not having to worry about choosing one or the other. I chose both.
, attached to 2024-08-31
Down voters are invading, this is a 4.4/5 - maybe a tad lower than Friday’s performance given the epic encore. Maybe mondegreen folks are annoyed due to the letdown of Sunday, but I count at least 5 songs that will be revisited - Oblivion, Gin, KDF!!, WGTYM, C&P and even Melt. Let’s face it, the boys knew they missed a chance to put a stamp on this epic tour at Mondegreen - they’re certainly making up for it the first three days at Dicks!
Review by MagnaGin40
Down voters are invading, this is a 4.4/5 - maybe a tad lower than Friday’s performance given the epic encore. Maybe mondegreen folks are annoyed due to the letdown of Sunday, but I count at least 5 songs that will be revisited - Oblivion, Gin, KDF!!, WGTYM, C&P and even Melt. Let’s face it, the boys knew they missed a chance to put a stamp on this epic tour at Mondegreen - they’re certainly making up for it the first three days at Dicks!
, attached to 2010-08-12
Ok so this show is so good. I remember the 1st set being pretty good outside of TTE (just doesn’t do it for me). Set II is where the goods are at.
Now I’m writing this review 14 years removed from chilling on the lawn page side at deer creek. But I can still remember it like it was yesterday. For some reason this set II gets played a lot by me, and I will tell you why.
Drowned > the jam is beautiful, this jam became what we know as “Waiting all night”, but that was 2 years prior.
Jiboo was standard, a little bit of whale call here and there but still a good Jiboo. Not sure I was in love with placement of the song but it works.
The Gin, now I remember when Page started to tickle that piano witch, I was hoping they were going to take that one to the house (maybe like the one I caught at the Gorge in 09?!), although they didn’t. it is a very well played type I by Trey. You don’t really get this sort of speed from him after 2015 imo. Good version.
MFMF, Buffalo Bill, Twist, Horse > Silent were all good.
One thing I’d like to note about early 3.0 Phish (09-12) is that although the jams were harder to come by on a show to show basis, the set lists were always on point. You knew that once TTE, Alaska, BDTN, Ocelot or KDF were played, you were going to get a pretty old school set list.
This show is just that. Set II is just an old school set list.
Split open and Melt > Dog Faced Boy; are you kidding me? How sick is that? That’s pretty rare now a days. I personally love this SOAM, compare to the current style of SOAM they’ve been playing in recent years (dissonant, psych, drum space) this one is a lot more laid back, builds a groove, and dissolved into Dog faced boy. IMO it’s worth checking out.
Harry Hood > Golgi to close out this old school set and both are played beautifully.
The encore was just crazy, (helicopters).
Again, phish has pretty much re-embraced the jams since 2021 full stop. But looking back at shows like this, it makes me happy that I got to experience banger set lists such as this one.
Set II + Encore = A+ Phish.
Review by McGrupp1989
Ok so this show is so good. I remember the 1st set being pretty good outside of TTE (just doesn’t do it for me). Set II is where the goods are at.
Now I’m writing this review 14 years removed from chilling on the lawn page side at deer creek. But I can still remember it like it was yesterday. For some reason this set II gets played a lot by me, and I will tell you why.
Drowned > the jam is beautiful, this jam became what we know as “Waiting all night”, but that was 2 years prior.
Jiboo was standard, a little bit of whale call here and there but still a good Jiboo. Not sure I was in love with placement of the song but it works.
The Gin, now I remember when Page started to tickle that piano witch, I was hoping they were going to take that one to the house (maybe like the one I caught at the Gorge in 09?!), although they didn’t. it is a very well played type I by Trey. You don’t really get this sort of speed from him after 2015 imo. Good version.
MFMF, Buffalo Bill, Twist, Horse > Silent were all good.
One thing I’d like to note about early 3.0 Phish (09-12) is that although the jams were harder to come by on a show to show basis, the set lists were always on point. You knew that once TTE, Alaska, BDTN, Ocelot or KDF were played, you were going to get a pretty old school set list.
This show is just that. Set II is just an old school set list.
Split open and Melt > Dog Faced Boy; are you kidding me? How sick is that? That’s pretty rare now a days. I personally love this SOAM, compare to the current style of SOAM they’ve been playing in recent years (dissonant, psych, drum space) this one is a lot more laid back, builds a groove, and dissolved into Dog faced boy. IMO it’s worth checking out.
Harry Hood > Golgi to close out this old school set and both are played beautifully.
The encore was just crazy, (helicopters).
Again, phish has pretty much re-embraced the jams since 2021 full stop. But looking back at shows like this, it makes me happy that I got to experience banger set lists such as this one.
Set II + Encore = A+ Phish.
, attached to 2024-08-30
What’s a band to do?
You drop a flawless Gamehenge and deliver us wet and screaming into the new year. You could have taken the next 364 days off. But no. You hit the beach in February and steal fire from the gods. Four nights of Promethean jams. We could have feasted on those shows for months and still be tasting something new with every bite.
What’s a band to do?
If you’re this band, you come back two months later and set an impossible standard at the cuttingest-edge venue on the planet. No one except the most obnoxious of the jaded could ask for anything more out of 2024, so Phish raises the stakes. Again. Mandelbaum simply abusing all of us mere Seinfelds. They rain down a festival after nine years of drought. Because why not?
What’s the fuck’s a band to do?
For the band with nothing left to prove, Friday night at Dick’s is apparently the answer. We all know Fridays at Dick’s have traditionally been exceptional shows, yet somehow our favorite band has leveled up. If last night’s show proved anything, it’s that the most insatiable fan base in the world will never be a big enough boss to defeat the Phish. They’re going to beat this video game.
If you crave USDA certified prime Phish red meat, put on your best headphones or turn up your highest fidelity system and press play on the second set of this show. It’s a masterclass in psychedelia.
This is as good as Phish gets.
The first set is a strong, solid, technically masterful first set. Each of the five-ish 10+ minute jams (BOAT was only nine) contains seeds of what would branch out and blossom in the second set.
If opening songs hint at what’s to come, BOAT serves up a Sylvia Plath metaphor: Once we leave the station, there’s no getting off. The ensuing Wolfman’s features a quiet jam, each instrument playing its own little song in a beautifully disjointed interplay. The short Hey Stranger improv gives Page a moment to shine with a funky little keyboard riff, and Trey follows with a bluesy solo. Guelah Papyrus, like the Strange Design that comes later in the set, is a nice once-a-year treat. In each case, our boys from Vermont hit every note perfectly. [chef’s kiss.]
The NMINML, Steam, and Antelope jams are the highlights of the set. Each opens in fairly standard fashion, but each then probes, delves, and burrows our neural pathways. At the midpoint of No Men’s, the band launches into a fresh groove; the music gets a little more urgent, a little more effects-laden, a bit darker. The jam starts to drive, then drops into a gurgling valley as Mike and Fish get soupy before re-emerging into the final composed segment. It’s this vibe that the band will pick up and develop more fully in the Chalk Dust jam that opens the second set. In Steam, a slow peak develops over the final minutes of the jam and ends with a Close Encounters of the Third Kind spacey-synthy peak, replete with a CK5 flying saucer effect as the light rig angles like some descending UFO. Antelope achieves precisely what it does best: Just when we all think we’ve hit the peak, the band smiles like Inigo Montoya dueling lefty and the jam makes a quantum leap… and then another.
The lights go up and we can breathe.
At this point in the review, I recommend you stop reading and just listen to the second set. Words simply won’t get the job done.
Sublime.
Exquisite.
Superb.
Epic.
These mere arrangements of letters deserve The Gong Show gong. But in the spirit of trying to capture the moment (for posterity, as the six-fingered man might say), here are a few thoughts.
A set like this makes living better.
Those of us who track and study setlists would be best served ignoring what’s on paper for this one. The titles are mere pretext. There are four geniuses on stage and they want to ply their craft. Verses and choruses are straightjackets. For every song (except Possum), the band rushes flawlessly through the composed sections, which serve as mere platforms from which they dive headlong directly into type-II waters.
In the two years since the near-perfect single set Friday at Dick’s in 2022, Chalk Dust Torture has found a really nice home as a set closer. It was almost jarring to hear the opening riff coming out of the setbreak. The members of Phish are experts at jarring.
The jam starts in the sixth minute and explores infinite territory for the next 20+. Simply the band in its finest form. (Simply, hah!) It’s the sort of jam that feels twice as long as it is. When they re-emerged into the composed finale, it felt like the opener could have legitimately been the final song of the set.
Sand gets its lyrics out of the way and resolves into a preemptive rebuttal to reviewers who might suggest the band explored infinity in the Chalk Dust. Somehow, they found new frontiers in a minimalist arcade jam that felt like the musical version Plinko.
As the set progresses, Phish hits every possible vibe and creates every conceivable atmosphere–constantly reminding us all of something we never knew in the first place.
Since Alpine 2019, Ruby Waves has been one of the band’s most reliable “cut through the red tape of composition” songs, so it fits perfectly in the anchor spot of the set. The jam covers ground that somehow wasn’t mapped in either of the first two songs. It goes from heavy to cow-funkish to plaintive to guttural.
Also, it goes without saying, but just for the record: Kuroda and his crew impressed the intrenchant air with the keen sword of their lights. Just as the band is delivering the finest music being played on Earth, the visual show is somehow breaking new ground. Thunderbolts of Zeus raining from the mothership all f’n night.
What’s the Use? silences 27,000 fans like Blackthought whispering bars of Step into the Realm. A perfect lead into a set-closing Possum.
Except the set wasn’t over. Everything’s Right felt like extra innings. Bonus round. Only a mixed metaphor could possibly capture it. And the shit wasn’t perfunctory. It was like every other jam in the set: A tightly run race through the sheet music and then a spectacular set closing jam that miraculously covers whatever trails haven’t already been blazed and milks the anthemic “nah-nah-nah-nah” for everything it's worth.
Fee encore? Yes please. Few things are more pleasurable.
This is a band that could have rested on its laurels after NYE. They could have rested on their laurels after Mexico or The Sphere. They could have rested on their laurels after Mondegreen. But this is a band that won’t rest at 11pm on the laurels of the peak they reached at 10pm.
Which is what brings us to that YEM > YEM Reprise.
They didn’t even have to do that. They could have closed with a vocal jam and taken their bows. But they want to keep playing. And that’s what it felt like: Playing. As in, playful. Phish one-upped themselves with a series of final YEM peaks on the tail end of a jam that felt like we were in a dorm room with them back in the mid-eighties.
We are so fortunate to be let in on their 40-year inside joke.
Thank you Page, Trey, Jon, Mike, and the whole crew.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Review by simplelight
What’s a band to do?
You drop a flawless Gamehenge and deliver us wet and screaming into the new year. You could have taken the next 364 days off. But no. You hit the beach in February and steal fire from the gods. Four nights of Promethean jams. We could have feasted on those shows for months and still be tasting something new with every bite.
What’s a band to do?
If you’re this band, you come back two months later and set an impossible standard at the cuttingest-edge venue on the planet. No one except the most obnoxious of the jaded could ask for anything more out of 2024, so Phish raises the stakes. Again. Mandelbaum simply abusing all of us mere Seinfelds. They rain down a festival after nine years of drought. Because why not?
What’s the fuck’s a band to do?
For the band with nothing left to prove, Friday night at Dick’s is apparently the answer. We all know Fridays at Dick’s have traditionally been exceptional shows, yet somehow our favorite band has leveled up. If last night’s show proved anything, it’s that the most insatiable fan base in the world will never be a big enough boss to defeat the Phish. They’re going to beat this video game.
If you crave USDA certified prime Phish red meat, put on your best headphones or turn up your highest fidelity system and press play on the second set of this show. It’s a masterclass in psychedelia.
This is as good as Phish gets.
The first set is a strong, solid, technically masterful first set. Each of the five-ish 10+ minute jams (BOAT was only nine) contains seeds of what would branch out and blossom in the second set.
If opening songs hint at what’s to come, BOAT serves up a Sylvia Plath metaphor: Once we leave the station, there’s no getting off. The ensuing Wolfman’s features a quiet jam, each instrument playing its own little song in a beautifully disjointed interplay. The short Hey Stranger improv gives Page a moment to shine with a funky little keyboard riff, and Trey follows with a bluesy solo. Guelah Papyrus, like the Strange Design that comes later in the set, is a nice once-a-year treat. In each case, our boys from Vermont hit every note perfectly. [chef’s kiss.]
The NMINML, Steam, and Antelope jams are the highlights of the set. Each opens in fairly standard fashion, but each then probes, delves, and burrows our neural pathways. At the midpoint of No Men’s, the band launches into a fresh groove; the music gets a little more urgent, a little more effects-laden, a bit darker. The jam starts to drive, then drops into a gurgling valley as Mike and Fish get soupy before re-emerging into the final composed segment. It’s this vibe that the band will pick up and develop more fully in the Chalk Dust jam that opens the second set. In Steam, a slow peak develops over the final minutes of the jam and ends with a Close Encounters of the Third Kind spacey-synthy peak, replete with a CK5 flying saucer effect as the light rig angles like some descending UFO. Antelope achieves precisely what it does best: Just when we all think we’ve hit the peak, the band smiles like Inigo Montoya dueling lefty and the jam makes a quantum leap… and then another.
The lights go up and we can breathe.
At this point in the review, I recommend you stop reading and just listen to the second set. Words simply won’t get the job done.
Sublime.
Exquisite.
Superb.
Epic.
These mere arrangements of letters deserve The Gong Show gong. But in the spirit of trying to capture the moment (for posterity, as the six-fingered man might say), here are a few thoughts.
A set like this makes living better.
Those of us who track and study setlists would be best served ignoring what’s on paper for this one. The titles are mere pretext. There are four geniuses on stage and they want to ply their craft. Verses and choruses are straightjackets. For every song (except Possum), the band rushes flawlessly through the composed sections, which serve as mere platforms from which they dive headlong directly into type-II waters.
In the two years since the near-perfect single set Friday at Dick’s in 2022, Chalk Dust Torture has found a really nice home as a set closer. It was almost jarring to hear the opening riff coming out of the setbreak. The members of Phish are experts at jarring.
The jam starts in the sixth minute and explores infinite territory for the next 20+. Simply the band in its finest form. (Simply, hah!) It’s the sort of jam that feels twice as long as it is. When they re-emerged into the composed finale, it felt like the opener could have legitimately been the final song of the set.
Sand gets its lyrics out of the way and resolves into a preemptive rebuttal to reviewers who might suggest the band explored infinity in the Chalk Dust. Somehow, they found new frontiers in a minimalist arcade jam that felt like the musical version Plinko.
As the set progresses, Phish hits every possible vibe and creates every conceivable atmosphere–constantly reminding us all of something we never knew in the first place.
Since Alpine 2019, Ruby Waves has been one of the band’s most reliable “cut through the red tape of composition” songs, so it fits perfectly in the anchor spot of the set. The jam covers ground that somehow wasn’t mapped in either of the first two songs. It goes from heavy to cow-funkish to plaintive to guttural.
Also, it goes without saying, but just for the record: Kuroda and his crew impressed the intrenchant air with the keen sword of their lights. Just as the band is delivering the finest music being played on Earth, the visual show is somehow breaking new ground. Thunderbolts of Zeus raining from the mothership all f’n night.
What’s the Use? silences 27,000 fans like Blackthought whispering bars of Step into the Realm. A perfect lead into a set-closing Possum.
Except the set wasn’t over. Everything’s Right felt like extra innings. Bonus round. Only a mixed metaphor could possibly capture it. And the shit wasn’t perfunctory. It was like every other jam in the set: A tightly run race through the sheet music and then a spectacular set closing jam that miraculously covers whatever trails haven’t already been blazed and milks the anthemic “nah-nah-nah-nah” for everything it's worth.
Fee encore? Yes please. Few things are more pleasurable.
This is a band that could have rested on its laurels after NYE. They could have rested on their laurels after Mexico or The Sphere. They could have rested on their laurels after Mondegreen. But this is a band that won’t rest at 11pm on the laurels of the peak they reached at 10pm.
Which is what brings us to that YEM > YEM Reprise.
They didn’t even have to do that. They could have closed with a vocal jam and taken their bows. But they want to keep playing. And that’s what it felt like: Playing. As in, playful. Phish one-upped themselves with a series of final YEM peaks on the tail end of a jam that felt like we were in a dorm room with them back in the mid-eighties.
We are so fortunate to be let in on their 40-year inside joke.
Thank you Page, Trey, Jon, Mike, and the whole crew.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
, attached to 2024-08-07
As of this writing, the rating of this show sits at an average 3.9 score, which of course is laughable to anyone who actually attended this show or watched the webcast in real time. I mean, we know what we saw and heard, and it's your loss if you're too hung up on the "But, but, Billy Strings was onstage for a wHoLe hOuR!!" narrative. Chew on this: It's true Billy played for an hour, but both nights in Grand Rapids clocked in at an impressive 3.25 hours, so you still got more than 2 hours of alone time with Phish. And not to be overshadowed by the Billy guest appearance, Phish's performance up to that point was mostly clicking too.
Believe it or not, I do sympathize with those naysayers somewhat, because I'm of a similar mindset when it comes to sit-ins... but in this case, Billy jumped into the Phish tank and helped create a monster hybrid with the boys. These weren't "Freebird"-type extended wank fests, but a 5-headed Phish still taking risks, many of those risks a rousing success.
Personally, I think this show (and the night before, definitely) is essential listening. Of course, it's already being drowned out by chatter about other shows at the usual "sexier" venues, so this has quickly become an overlooked stop on the tour. Many of us who attended will tell you Grand Rapids was the stop of the summer, so I guess it's up to you to see for yourself, and see for yourself without prejudice...
Review by art_vandelay
As of this writing, the rating of this show sits at an average 3.9 score, which of course is laughable to anyone who actually attended this show or watched the webcast in real time. I mean, we know what we saw and heard, and it's your loss if you're too hung up on the "But, but, Billy Strings was onstage for a wHoLe hOuR!!" narrative. Chew on this: It's true Billy played for an hour, but both nights in Grand Rapids clocked in at an impressive 3.25 hours, so you still got more than 2 hours of alone time with Phish. And not to be overshadowed by the Billy guest appearance, Phish's performance up to that point was mostly clicking too.
Believe it or not, I do sympathize with those naysayers somewhat, because I'm of a similar mindset when it comes to sit-ins... but in this case, Billy jumped into the Phish tank and helped create a monster hybrid with the boys. These weren't "Freebird"-type extended wank fests, but a 5-headed Phish still taking risks, many of those risks a rousing success.
Personally, I think this show (and the night before, definitely) is essential listening. Of course, it's already being drowned out by chatter about other shows at the usual "sexier" venues, so this has quickly become an overlooked stop on the tour. Many of us who attended will tell you Grand Rapids was the stop of the summer, so I guess it's up to you to see for yourself, and see for yourself without prejudice...
, attached to 2024-08-30
The second set is getting well-deserved attention but the first set was not something to gloss over. Back on the Train was about as well executed as the song gets with some excellent guitar work by Trey. Wolfman’s Brother had a gradual, creeping jam that blossomed into to a satisfying jam and seamless transition back to the theme.
I’m old enough enough to have been at the first performance of Guelah Papyrus in February 1991 and it was a treat to see it after a 2 year break (and over a decade since the last performance at Dick’s). The band absolutely NAILED the complicated instrumental section that starts at the 2 minute mark. Take a re-listen and judge for yourself.
Another enjoyable Dick’s NMINML and then a really interesting and powerful jam in Steam with excellent keyboards from Paige. The jam from the 7 minute mark forward is wonderful stuff. Evolve is another polarizing song for some reason but I’ve enjoyed it from TAB and Page had nice moments int his one. Strange Design - another short and well played treat. Antelope was a MONSTER.
The second set is one for the ages and I agree with all the comments so far. You could tell the band was enjoying themselves and I remember at one point seeing Page’s face light up with a wowed expression at a particularly awesome moment. Mike and Henrietta were incredible ALL night and very tight holding down the grooves.
I feel very fortunate to have shared last night at Dicks with a friendly crowd listening to 3.5 hours of awe-inspiring playing from the BEST band in the world.
Review by harpua2626
The second set is getting well-deserved attention but the first set was not something to gloss over. Back on the Train was about as well executed as the song gets with some excellent guitar work by Trey. Wolfman’s Brother had a gradual, creeping jam that blossomed into to a satisfying jam and seamless transition back to the theme.
I’m old enough enough to have been at the first performance of Guelah Papyrus in February 1991 and it was a treat to see it after a 2 year break (and over a decade since the last performance at Dick’s). The band absolutely NAILED the complicated instrumental section that starts at the 2 minute mark. Take a re-listen and judge for yourself.
Another enjoyable Dick’s NMINML and then a really interesting and powerful jam in Steam with excellent keyboards from Paige. The jam from the 7 minute mark forward is wonderful stuff. Evolve is another polarizing song for some reason but I’ve enjoyed it from TAB and Page had nice moments int his one. Strange Design - another short and well played treat. Antelope was a MONSTER.
The second set is one for the ages and I agree with all the comments so far. You could tell the band was enjoying themselves and I remember at one point seeing Page’s face light up with a wowed expression at a particularly awesome moment. Mike and Henrietta were incredible ALL night and very tight holding down the grooves.
I feel very fortunate to have shared last night at Dicks with a friendly crowd listening to 3.5 hours of awe-inspiring playing from the BEST band in the world.
, attached to 2024-08-30
I’ve been to a fair amount of shows dating back to ‘95.
Last night had me questioning if it was the best show I’ve been to and I was at The Great Went.
First set was great…Back on the train had a little extra juice and the Wolfman’s was great. I was hoping for a Hey Stranger and this version kicked serious ass. Super thick and funky albiet short. Guelah was a fantastic bust-out and they nailed it. NMINML and evolve were ok….the strange design was absolutely beautify and sung perfectly by Page. Brought me back to the mid-ninety’s. Antelope tore the side roofs off of Dicks and I knew the second set would absolutely crush. The guy in front of me said he thought they blew their wad with the Antelope and I had to explain that he was severely mistaken.
Second set was truly incredible. To me it was the perfect example of why you can never judge a show based on the setlist. Truth be told Chalkdust and Ruby Waves are not songs I chase or love to hear if I’m being honest, but Phish was ready to flip the sculpt and make me a believer. Both songs delivered at the highest levels and the Ruby Waves had my jaw on the floor. Sand was an old-school throwback to ‘99 and they were so patient while exploring some amazingly beautiful territory. WTU was the cool down song of the set. Need I say more?
Possum was next and it delivered. They could have walked off the stage at that moment and I’d still be claiming this set as an all-timer. Instead we get a very good ER to close out.
After the Fee I told my daughter it’s time to go and started to walk up the stairs…nope….Phish had other ideas. They proceed to explode everyone’s heads with the best version of YEM in a very, very long time, complete with a second jam after the vocal jam.
I consider myself a seasoned Phish veteran, but last night kicked my ass up and down and left me for dead. I’m evacuated and so excited I get two more nights of my favorite band. Thank you Phish!
.
Review by thesloth11
I’ve been to a fair amount of shows dating back to ‘95.
Last night had me questioning if it was the best show I’ve been to and I was at The Great Went.
First set was great…Back on the train had a little extra juice and the Wolfman’s was great. I was hoping for a Hey Stranger and this version kicked serious ass. Super thick and funky albiet short. Guelah was a fantastic bust-out and they nailed it. NMINML and evolve were ok….the strange design was absolutely beautify and sung perfectly by Page. Brought me back to the mid-ninety’s. Antelope tore the side roofs off of Dicks and I knew the second set would absolutely crush. The guy in front of me said he thought they blew their wad with the Antelope and I had to explain that he was severely mistaken.
Second set was truly incredible. To me it was the perfect example of why you can never judge a show based on the setlist. Truth be told Chalkdust and Ruby Waves are not songs I chase or love to hear if I’m being honest, but Phish was ready to flip the sculpt and make me a believer. Both songs delivered at the highest levels and the Ruby Waves had my jaw on the floor. Sand was an old-school throwback to ‘99 and they were so patient while exploring some amazingly beautiful territory. WTU was the cool down song of the set. Need I say more?
Possum was next and it delivered. They could have walked off the stage at that moment and I’d still be claiming this set as an all-timer. Instead we get a very good ER to close out.
After the Fee I told my daughter it’s time to go and started to walk up the stairs…nope….Phish had other ideas. They proceed to explode everyone’s heads with the best version of YEM in a very, very long time, complete with a second jam after the vocal jam.
I consider myself a seasoned Phish veteran, but last night kicked my ass up and down and left me for dead. I’m evacuated and so excited I get two more nights of my favorite band. Thank you Phish!
.
, attached to 2012-06-23
Now that I am 12 years removed from walking away from the lower pavilion to head back to our camp completely melted, I thought I’d share what I think of this show.
It’s interesting to see how Phish has changed during this time, just as I have. This show is a reminder to anyone that you need to enjoy the moment for what it is. And let me tell you what it was…
Throughout this show, the playing is pretty tight from Trey. Set I was very well played, and I remember everyone (incl. myself) just jumping for joy when they started YEM.
Now onto set II, Gotta Jiboo was a nice way to start the set, Mikes was well played, Simple gets spacey, now let’s talk about the Light > Weekapaug. For me this is a reminder of how fast Trey use to be able to play, very little time wasted on fiddling effect pedals, the band is locked in. I think they took me to so many different place musically during those 2 songs that it’s hard to grasp that it’s only like a 23 min segment of a show. Just straight gas, no breaks, and this goes for the rest of the set.
The Lizards encore was just the cherry on the cake.
As I listen back to 2012 (did the whole PA>OH>Deer Creek>Alpine) although they didn’t throw that many 15+ and no 25+ min jam, Trey’s guitar playing was unreal. Very reminiscent of a “standard” 93 show, where although nothing breaks those 15 min marks, the amount of music they crammed is nothing but remarkable.
Review by McGrupp1989
Now that I am 12 years removed from walking away from the lower pavilion to head back to our camp completely melted, I thought I’d share what I think of this show.
It’s interesting to see how Phish has changed during this time, just as I have. This show is a reminder to anyone that you need to enjoy the moment for what it is. And let me tell you what it was…
Throughout this show, the playing is pretty tight from Trey. Set I was very well played, and I remember everyone (incl. myself) just jumping for joy when they started YEM.
Now onto set II, Gotta Jiboo was a nice way to start the set, Mikes was well played, Simple gets spacey, now let’s talk about the Light > Weekapaug. For me this is a reminder of how fast Trey use to be able to play, very little time wasted on fiddling effect pedals, the band is locked in. I think they took me to so many different place musically during those 2 songs that it’s hard to grasp that it’s only like a 23 min segment of a show. Just straight gas, no breaks, and this goes for the rest of the set.
The Lizards encore was just the cherry on the cake.
As I listen back to 2012 (did the whole PA>OH>Deer Creek>Alpine) although they didn’t throw that many 15+ and no 25+ min jam, Trey’s guitar playing was unreal. Very reminiscent of a “standard” 93 show, where although nothing breaks those 15 min marks, the amount of music they crammed is nothing but remarkable.
, attached to 2024-08-30
After that lope closer I knew they were going to come out and blast off…phish opened the fire hose and the handle broke off in the open position. Steam and Lope in the first set connected and blew the top off the place.
The second set is some of the most inspired playing I’ve ever seen, a lovingly crafted story arc that encapsulates so much emotion. Our crew, ranging from 100+ shows to their very first, were in awe of the gravity of that performance. CDT is probably as good as I’ve ever seen, each member of the band taking a turn pushing further and further. They dive into a deep melt jam immediately and work their way into a beautiful peak. Sand was delicate and gorgeous, 99/00 eske that brought the entire area to near silence. Ruby waves -> WTU incredible, masterful just wow. The rest of the set is extremely well played and full of energy. Then they come out with fee AND YEM AND A SECOND JAM.
I’m so so so happy to have witnessed that level of playing. Phish was in extremely rare form last night. Let’s do it again tonight yall
Review by youenjoymyghost
After that lope closer I knew they were going to come out and blast off…phish opened the fire hose and the handle broke off in the open position. Steam and Lope in the first set connected and blew the top off the place.
The second set is some of the most inspired playing I’ve ever seen, a lovingly crafted story arc that encapsulates so much emotion. Our crew, ranging from 100+ shows to their very first, were in awe of the gravity of that performance. CDT is probably as good as I’ve ever seen, each member of the band taking a turn pushing further and further. They dive into a deep melt jam immediately and work their way into a beautiful peak. Sand was delicate and gorgeous, 99/00 eske that brought the entire area to near silence. Ruby waves -> WTU incredible, masterful just wow. The rest of the set is extremely well played and full of energy. Then they come out with fee AND YEM AND A SECOND JAM.
I’m so so so happy to have witnessed that level of playing. Phish was in extremely rare form last night. Let’s do it again tonight yall
, attached to 2024-08-30
I've seen a lot of shows in all the eras and have never left a review. But I feel compelled to tonight because this show is why nobody should ever skip a phish show ever. Never. Always go to every single show you can find a way to make. Always. The first set was really good and then the second set came along and somehow made it look pedestrian...Chalkdust through YEM is perfect.
Review by BrianMinusRobert
I've seen a lot of shows in all the eras and have never left a review. But I feel compelled to tonight because this show is why nobody should ever skip a phish show ever. Never. Always go to every single show you can find a way to make. Always. The first set was really good and then the second set came along and somehow made it look pedestrian...Chalkdust through YEM is perfect.
, attached to 2024-08-30
I've seen a lot of shows in all the eras and have never left a review. But I feel compelled to tonight because this show is why nobody should ever skip a phish show ever. Never. Always go to every single show you can find a way to make. Always. The first set was really good and then the second set came along and somehow made it look pedestrian...Chalkdust through YEM is perfect.
Review by BrianMinusRobert
I've seen a lot of shows in all the eras and have never left a review. But I feel compelled to tonight because this show is why nobody should ever skip a phish show ever. Never. Always go to every single show you can find a way to make. Always. The first set was really good and then the second set came along and somehow made it look pedestrian...Chalkdust through YEM is perfect.
, attached to 2024-08-30
Been seeing them for 28 years. I also left a lukewarm review on last night’s show. Tonight was the reason I still see them. Glad I brought my Dad too! Absolute dynamite of a show! They wrote a novel with their jamming tonight and song selection was nearly A+. Weather was also perfect once again. See ya tomorrow.
Review by JonnyRingo
Been seeing them for 28 years. I also left a lukewarm review on last night’s show. Tonight was the reason I still see them. Glad I brought my Dad too! Absolute dynamite of a show! They wrote a novel with their jamming tonight and song selection was nearly A+. Weather was also perfect once again. See ya tomorrow.
, attached to 2024-08-30
Drop a needle anywhere in the second set, it's all top shelf, connected, high energy and inspired playing from all 4 band members. A dream set and some of the best playing I’ve ever heard. The only rub is not being there in person. Congratulations to those who were. Gonna be listening to this on repeat until the end of time.
Review by CreatureoftheNight
Drop a needle anywhere in the second set, it's all top shelf, connected, high energy and inspired playing from all 4 band members. A dream set and some of the best playing I’ve ever heard. The only rub is not being there in person. Congratulations to those who were. Gonna be listening to this on repeat until the end of time.
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Review by Thekwa