Phishy Dreams

Dunno if reading this article about reprogramming our dreams just before a nap influenced this at all, but I just woke up from a good one...

Cue Wayne and Garth and the "do-do-do, do-do-do" that takes us into dreamland...

I was at a small musical venue with Riley. It was a slow night at the venue, a Sunday or Monday perhaps and we're there waiting for some band to come on when behind us we hear the opening to Phish's "Squirming Coil". We turn and can't see anything at first, but then a spotlight illuminates a small stage in the back and it's Jon Fishman leading a band of unknowns in a rendition of that tune. No Trey. No Page. No Mike. Fishman on lead guitar.
The audience (myself included) is pretty fired up. Many turn to take pictures. Riley doesn't hesitate and runs to the stage though (w/ his guitar. In dreamland he could've had it in his back pocket.). He is at first slowed down by Fishman's bandmates as he tries to climb onstage, but after some words w/ Fishman he is welcomed to join the band for the song.
They plug him in and Fishman looks at me and asks if he knows how to play. To which I respond "Turn him up to 11, he'll get it." This doesn't make a lot of sense since Riley has an acoustic guitar but in the dreamworld they do just this. Riley fumbles through the start, but by the solo he is owning it. It was awesome. Riley triumphantly placed his guitar upside down and raised his arms to crowd applause.

Then for some reason I went on a quest to find one of those old school sprayers for pesticide because I wanted to shoot a can of soda water on everyone...weird, but I woke up in a good mood and thought I'd share.

The Squirming Coil of sunset
I keep within my reach
Tried yesterday to get away
and hitchhiked to the beach



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Album Review: Phish - Joy

I've had about a month to digest this one.

Upon first listen I found it hard to get into and not want to just put on Picture of Nectar. But that's expected.

Now returning again after repeated listens, followed by a solid week or so off from Phish, I am immediately drawn in on the lead track 'Backwards Down The Number Line'. Some great guitar and keys work on this one and it keeps up right on through 'Stealing Time From Faulty Plan' which includes my favorite guitar solo of the album (2:15 - 3:35 Trey kills it). It is always an interesting thing listening to albums by bands already established and beloved. Your brain is torn between wanting the familiar and something new and it can't really have both. There is really no way to please. I had heard enough bashing of Time Turns Elastic all summer during Phish's tour and was nervous as hell when I first scored the new album. Nervous about what? nervous about being let down, nervous that I'd turn it on and they would piss in my ears. As I cautiously gave a first listen I was rescued from my discomfort by 'Ocelot.' Arguably the best track on the album, I had grown to love this jam at the Phish show I saw in August. More than catchy lyrics, the rhythm of this song is Phish. Immediately it puts you in a groove. They didn't even play this song at Alpine and it brings back memories of walking up over the hill there and reaching the steep view down on stage with thousands of people getting their noodle on. It's just one of those songs I could listen to over and over. 'Kill Devil Falls' is a great follow up and it is at this point that the album really peaks. The album of course isn't all pleasing. Can't say I care for 'Twenty Years Later' or 'Light' but overall I respect the album and who knows in time these songs could be favorites of mine. Hard to not be biased since Phish is basically the band that really took my love for music beyond Ugly Kid Joe (thank god) but I really think the album will appeal to Phans old and new.

-Riley


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Phish @ Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL 8/11/09 (Set list + Pics)

First of all, I'd just like to say I'm thankful they played Loving Cup as an encore. That song has been a favorite of mine for a long time and its always seemed like something they play a lot just had never been when I was in attendance.

Hustled out of work and met up with the crew. We had WK, Dato (his 1st show), JB, and myself this time around. Dodged traffic on super secret alternate route to Bridgeview and got down there in time to hit a local liquor store, or in this case a 7/11. A few quick lot beers and WK tells us it is his birthday at midnight. What a way to celebrate a birthday. Not a lot of time to kill so into the show we go. We purchase beers and carve out some decent real estate as they kick off Kill Devil Falls. It was shortly after this, sometime during Ocelot, that Dato disappears into the night and it won't be until after the show that we see him again. Luckily he made it out alive and had a good experience despite wandering alone for basically the entire show.



more below the fold, including pictures and set list

As for Phish's performance they killed it. Forget the Phan Snobbery and whatever you hear about Trey and the boys losing their chops. If I hear one more kid say it was an average show with a mediocre encore I'll lose it, let alone if you tell me Widespread Panic is a better band/live show. It is all hogwash. Just take a peak at the set list. To be honest even the new commonly bashed song, Time Turns Elastic, is beginning to grow on me, theres a great build up in that song and it closed out the first set well. I always love hearing Gumbo, and all us Chicagoans appreciated Windy City. The 2nd blew us away, so much I almost resorted to urinating in a water bottle amongst the crowd. 2001 was unreal! I could go on and on. KZ had a camera from where she was sitting and shared these pictures. Unfortunately none us had a camera because there would have been some choice mementos.

:::SET 1:::
Kill Devil Falls (7:59)
Sample in a Jar (5:40)
Ocelot (10:23)
Paul and Silas (3:04)
Windy City (6:08)
The Curtain With (13:59)
Train Song (3:17)
Gumbo (5:51)
Heavy Things (7:04)
Time Turns Elastic (17:29)

:::SET 2:::
Backwards Down the Number Line (14:08)
Carini (7:23)
Gotta Jibboo (10:05)
Theme from the Bottom (8:30)
Wilson (5:58)
2001 (8:41)
Chalk Dust Torture (8:55)
Harry Hood (13:23)
The Squirming Coil (10:16)

:::ENCORE:::
Loving Cup (7:27)








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Phish Announce Festival 8 @ Empire Polo Club Indio, CA 10/30-11/1

This has been rumored for some time now, but today the announcement was made official. Phish will be playing a three day festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA 10/30-11/1. Tickets go on sale this Monday at 10AM PST. Now we just need to decide if/how we can get there...

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Phish 'Save The Date' 10/30-11/1, But Where?

Is it ever too early to start with the Phish fall ’09 rumors? Never. There is a rather dubious list of possible concert dates posted by one Dan Shin to facebook. Since it is typed and printed off a computer does that make it real? I dunno where this thing comes from. The dates are below, but full disclaimer: NONE ARE CONFIRMED.

10/26 - Cricket Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ
10/27 - Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA
10/28 - The Tonight Show, Universal Studios, Universal City, CA
10/30 - Save The Date, Empire Polo Club, Indio, CA
10/31 - Save The Date, Empire Polo Club, Indio, CA
11/1 - Save The Date, Empire Polo Club, Indio, CA
11/2 - The Warfield Theater, San Francisco, CA
11/4 - Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
11/5 - Austin Music Hall, Austin, TX
11/7 - Phillips Arena, Atlanta, GA
11/8 - Phillips Arena, Atlanta, GA
11/10 - Allstate Arena, Rosemont, IL
11/12 - Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
11/13 - Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
11/14 - Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
11/15 - Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
11/17 - TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA
11/18 - Times Union Center, Albany, NY
11/21 - Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
11/22 - Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

What IS confirmed is that Phish will be hosting a festival over the Halloween weekend 10/30-11/1. The question that remains is WHERE said festival will be held. Heading to Phish.com you can see the states that have been eliminated, with more being blacked out every day. Early hype has it headed for Indio, CA. Who the F knows? I’m sure they’ll have us guessing ‘til the end. Wherever it ends up being it would make for a heckuva Halloween. Would a Golgi Apparatus costume be feasible?

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Concert Review: Phish @ Jones Beach, NY 6/5 (w/ video)

Another submission from our West Coast representative, JB. He returned to his roots for the 6/5 Phish show at Jones Beach. Read all about it below…or at his blog. Thanks Joe.


From joebrundige.com: It always sucks when it rains at a show, but Phish sucks particularly hard because the only parking lot I'd rather be at is a UCLA/ND golf course tailgate at the Rose Bowl and there's hardly anything damper than a cold June rain on Long Island. I live in Los Angeles, but I made the somewhat embarrassing weekend trek to Long Island for this show because I was excited Phish is back out on the road and this band and this venue has some significance to me. I say embarrassing because it's tough to admit to co-workers and married friends that I traveled 6000 miles to see a jam band, and the only people I could find to go with me were 12 years old when I headed to Burlington for college. It was at Jones Beach almost exactly 15 years ago that I saw my first Phish show and one of my first real un-chaperoned concerts. 7-15-94 (the first solar powered show...was there a second?) was the date and it was a classic Junta/Hoist show that I would definitely appreciate a little more today rather than at 15.

But back to the event at hand. Underdressed for the monsoon and on a mission to get a buzz we packed 5 poeple into my dad's Chevy tahoe and slammed hippie beer (thanks Eric) and petron. Everyone waited to the last minute to get into the venue rather than sit on a wet seat so the security line took close to 20 minutes and the band went on late. As we walked to our seats it was a bit strange hearing Mike bang out the first E notes to "Wilson" to open the show as it seems almost yesterday that Trey was nearly crying (at another rain soaked debacle) that here was Wilson "for the laaast time". What an f'ing liar, huh? Or a drug addict that just needed a break. Either way, when we finally made it to our staircase (getting to an actual seat proved impossible), we were pleased to find that Phish is definitely back. They were both loose in demeanor and tight in performance. Everything seemed to be in stark contrast to the last time I'd seen the band at their "final" show at Coventry -- longwinded speeches, visible intoxication, and missed notes and segways were replaced with sober, tight and occassionaly inspired takes on old classics and one or two new tunes from the forthcoming album. Despite a great rendition of A Day in the Life I was a little surprised by the one song Encore, but that seems the norm these days for a band that now reminds me of an old crazy friend who got a little older, quit blow and now only comes to the bar to tell a couple stories. But the stories are still good and it's better than breaking up a bar fight at four in the morning or not seeing the old friend at all. I'm excited to see what the new chapter will bring for this incredibly creative and fun band.

Phish Jones Beach 6/5/09 from Joe Brundige on Vimeo.

Set One
Wilson
Buried Alive
Kill Devil Falls
AC/DC Bag
I Didn't Know
My Friend, My Friend
Ya Mar
Theme From The Bottom
Boogie On Reggae Woman
Split Open and Melt

Set Two
Down With Disease
Twist Around ^ >
Piper >
Backwards Down the Number Line >
Free
Twenty Years Later *
2001
Slave to the Traffic Light

Encore
A Day in the Life

Notes
^ with extended Oye Como Va jam
* First Time Played

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Phish @ Alpine Valley 6/21/09 (pics & setlist)

Day 2 b!tches. A few differences for today's show; 1) plenty more lot time before the show, and 2) Our favorite bizarro Trey, DANK was in the house, and 3) we had glo sticks. Coming back full circle to have 3/4's of our crew from the 8/9/97 show meant that this was going to be a big day. No disappointments there. Great times...until the late night drive home, but that doesn't overshadow what was another great F-ing night at Alpine.

On a quick sidenote pretty cool that all the guys brought out their kids prior to the show in honor of it being Father's Day. They're all grows up...kinda. Fun versions of 'I Didn't Know' and 'Grind' in there and some jams in the last three before the encore; 'Velvet Sea', 'Boogie On', 'Slave'? Man...boy...

Phish
6/21/09 Alpine Valley Music Theatre , East Troy, WI

SET ONE
Brother (5:42)
Wolfman's Brother (9:04)
Funky Bitch (5:03)
The Divided Sky (15:31)
Joy (5:22)
Back on the Train (7:41)
Taste (8:54)
Poor Heart (2:26)
The Horse (1:06)
Silent In The Morning (4:50)
The Man Who Stepped into Yesterday (2:44)
Avenu Malkanu (3:13)
The Man Who Stepped into Yesterday (1:43)
Time Turns Elastic (16:51)

SET TWO
Crosseyed and Painless (5:53)
Alpine Jam (9:16)
Down with Disease (13:18)
Bug (8:04)
Piper (12:50)
Wading in the Velvet Sea (6:15)
Boogie On Reggae Woman (5:48)
Slave to the Traffic Light (13:54)

ENCORE
Grind (2:33)
Frankenstein (5:46)


More pics under the fold...




I think that's actually me. Probably had too much fun with the glo-sticks.

Wish I knew what tune had us all hunched over like this. Divided Sky maybe?

I wonder if it's his first Phish show! Check the baby's headphones out.

What a night. What a weekend. Anybody want to go to Red Rocks?

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Phish @ Alpine Valley 6/20/09 (Pics & Setlist)

I don't know what to say about the Phish shows from this past weekend. I'm still a little sleep deprived and dehydrated and haven't totally processed the whole thing, but I know this; there were a lot of people (37,000+) that had a keeeeck ahhhhsss time dancing around southeastern Wisconsin. Maybe the coolest thing on the weekend was the anticipation and absolute joy that was shared by the crowd as the first notes of 'Punch You In The Eye' were played at 7:48 PM on Saturday night. Anyone looking around the crowd would have seem smile after smile and a lotta high fives as fans were treated to the first live Phish at Alpine since '04. The band always has haters and everyone has a right to their opinion, but I'm not sure that any band's music makes its crowds that HAPPY! Everyone was cheesing as the guys went into 'Runaway Jim' and then 'Stash'.
That's an F-ing start. They wouldn't let up. It was a serious greatest hits concert with a little something for everybody. Check it. The Makisupa alternate lyrics were pretty funny as Trey changed it up a little bit and poked fun at his clean living these days:

"Woke up this morning,
Pissin' in jah cup.
Woke up this afternoon,
Called my probation officer."

Phish
6/20/09 Alpine Valley Music Theatre , East Troy, WI

SET ONE
Punch You in the Eye (9:17)
Runaway Jim (9:32)
Stash (12:08)
Ya Mar (7:14)
Bathtub Gin (13:05)
Kill Devil Falls (8:20)
Train Song (2:47)
Farmhouse (4:55)
Sparkle (3:47)
Run Like an Antelope (10:25)

SET TWO
Waves (8:23)
Sample in a Jar (5:20)
Maze (11:37)
Makisupa Policeman (5:13)
Ghost (11:58)
The Lizards (10:31)
You Enjoy Myself (12:27)
NICU (4:56)
Prince Caspian (6:49)
Waste (5:32)
Fire (5:15)

ENCORE
Character Zero (7:37)


We still got tomorrow? Man, sh!t... Favorite tunes of the night? Leave us a comment.

More pics below.





I-I see the man mulcahey!

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Sunday 6/14/09 Bonnaroo Phish w/ The Boss

photo by Jeff Kravitz

I was curious to see how Phish would handle the Sunday night slot after playing Friday. Sunday is an altogether different beast as most everyone is winding down from four days of a lotta bouncing around the room.
They played a decidedly more noodle friendly set, but the highlight had to be the band bringing the Boss on stage for 'Mustang Sally', 'Bobby Jean', and 'Glory Days'. GLORY DAYS? A proud day for the state of New Jersey.

Set One

* AC/DC Bag
* NICU
* Gotta Jibboo
* Punch You in the Eye >
* Sparkle >
* Bathtub Gin
* Character Zero >
* Tweezer >
* The Horse >
* Silent in the Morning
* Run Like An Antelope
* Mustang Sally
* Bobby Jean >
* Glory Days

Set Two

* Roll and Roll >
* Light >
* 46 Days
* Limb By Limb
* Farmhouse
* Backwards Down the Number Line >
* Prince Caspian
* First Tube

Encore

* Suzy Greenberg >
* Tweezer Reprise

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Phish Friday 6/12/09 @ Bonnaroo Setlist, Strong to Quite Strong

They weren't F-ing around with this one. Check it.

Phish
6/12/09 Bonnaroo Music Festival, Manchester, TN

Chalk Dust Torture (8:07)
Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan (5:08)
The Divided Sky (13:48)
Possum (8:00)
Down with Disease (17:23)
Alaska (7:40)
Stash (14:56)
Golgi Apparatus (4:43)
Wolfman's Brother (8:50)
Poor Heart (2:25)
Kill Devil Falls (15:18)
Free (8:53)
Wading in the Velvet Sea (5:56)
Harry Hood (14:31)
Highway to Hell (3:41)
2001 (7:22)
You Enjoy Myself (10:49)
Wilson (5:48)
You Enjoy Myself (7:54)

ENCORE
A Day in the Life (5:19)

That's no joke. Kinda rattled that I wasn't there for that YEM=>Wilson=>YEM run. Unreal down the home stretch. Get the download over at LivePhish.com.

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