One could argue I could not have come up with a more cliche rear windshield title for my first blog. As a seasoned hater I despise the phrase seemingly most associated with touring with our beloved Phish, and my reasons are completely snobbish. The phrase reminds me of other cliche terms like "newb" or "wook", whether appropriate or not, which could serve as further evidence of my snobbish attitude towards things I deem lame. Before you judge, I'm not alone; but before I attempt to justify mine or my peer's aforementioned attitudes, the "Little Man Inside My Head", or Limmy (last name 'Intuition') as he'll be known whenever referenced, reminds me that I was once the very thing I attempt to ridicule. Ahhh, maturity. What a ridiculous state of mind we pretend to achieve in our later years. I think the true definition of maturity should be: finally coming to terms with who you are, and not giving a shit what others think about it. But that's another blog, because we've gone Phishin'.
The First Leg of 2011 Summer Tour (ST11:1) begins in Bethel, NY, the same geographical area where the original - and ONLY one worth acknowledging - Woodstock took place in 1969. What a great way to kick off a summer of Phish by being reminded of our predecessors and the birth of a counter culture that traveled far and wide to see music, among other things. While you're there think about the original Woodstock, the surrounding rolling farms, the socio-economic state of the country at the time, the Vietnam War, the sacrifices, the strength, determination, and spirit of the people that made said sacrifices and made the counter culture movement possible. It was these people and their families living in that time that set the blueprint for the musical, socio-economic, and cultural anthrosphere we take for granted today. Sure, our current state might seem to parallel those times with gas prices, war, and political strife, but remember, that generation proved that these obstacles can be overcome. It may seem cheesy, but take that minute to think about these things as you enter the Bethel area, it's worth the feeling of gratitude. Anyway...
Memorial Day Weekend (5/27-29), Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel, NY
The first three shows of ST11:1 kick off in historic Bethel for the first time, but certainly not the first time in New York - Phish has played in New York 20 times since the start of 3.0 alone. Expect the atmosphere to be busting as Phish begins another summer of touring after a six month break, the band sets into their comfortable little niche in upstate New York, and the crowd soaks in the scene that represents a microcosm of what went down 43 years ago. As for the music, I wouldn't expect much the first weekend, save maybe Sunday. Rarely do the boys start popping off within the first night or two. Regardless, it's the beginning of Phish tour. In seven day the lights go out, the boys walk out on stage, and Trey noodles to make sure he's in tune. Liftoff.
5/31-6/1, PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ
The first mid-week shows of ST11:1 belong to Holmdel, NJ and the infamous - depending on perspective - PNC Bank Arts Center. Phish hasn't rocked out one of their "home town" spots in a minute - 5, 725, 440 minutes to be exact; it's been over 10 years since Phish set Holmdel ablaze. The last show Phish played PNC (6/29/00) featured a gem First Set (Funky Bitch > Wilson, LBL, Drowned > Rock 'n' Roll), and a crazy Second Set with Birds > Catapult, Sand, and a Meatstick > Cities > Walk Away > Antelope > Frankenstein that had Pete Carini chasing fans off the stage, leading to raucous alternate lyrics in Meatstick. Shit show. PNC always rocks. Period.
6/3 DTE Energy Center, Clarkson, MI
6/4 Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
6/5 Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, OH
The second weekend run of ST11:1 brings us through the recently tortured Detroit, be it economically or sports-ly, and into the beautiful Ohio Valley. Phish has only played the Motor City twice in their long career, most recently at the Cobo Center. That Fall Tour 2009 opener seems relatively standard on paper, but I'll take (1) AC/DC, Foam, Kill Devil Falls, It's Ice, Horn, 46 days, Bowie and (2) DWD > Free > Waste, Mike's Groove, Cavern any day. "Standard shows" need to be put into perspective, and I'm betting no one in Detroit was disappointed in this opener. Expect Gordon's birthday show to get Michigan phan's motors going...sorry. All bad puns aside, as Fall 2010 Tour seemed to indicate, Phish loves to bring life to hurting towns. Expect nothing different in ST11.
On Saturday night the band revisits Cuyahoga Falls, OH for the second straight summer. I've never seen a more esthetically pleasing amphitheater. Last summer the band ripped the roof off on the first note of The Band's "Look Out Cleveland" and never looked back. A ripping Curtis Loew was followed by a getting-darker-by-the-tour Mike's Groove. The Second Set opened with a Rock 'n' Roll > Hood > BDTNL that left the crowd begging for a break, which the band granted with 20 Years Later. The Second Set did fizzle out a bit, but we raved the entire ride to Hershey about the aforementioned segue. Oh, Ohio.
The second weekend of ST11:1 wraps up in Cincinnati at the Riverbend Music Center, Phish's first return to the 'Bend in over 10 years. Lets hope we get another burner like the '00 crowd received weeks before Phish's first hiatus: (1) Mike's > Simple > TMWSIY > Avenu Malkenu > Weekapaug; (2) Killer unfinished It's Ice, Sand, Guyute > BBFCFM, Drowned. Lets put it this way: Phish plays only five "Midwest" shows the entire summer. This can be resolved in a simple equation: MI + OH(2) + Chicago(3) = Heat.
6/7 Comcast Theater, Mansfield, MA
6/8 Darien Lake Center for the Performing Arts, Darien Center, NY
The second set of mid-week shows brings us - at least our crew - back home to Massachusetts for the seemingly annual 3.0 Great Woods...err...Comcast Theater show in Mansfield. Rumor has it Phish tried to book Mansfield for two nights, but was denied because of a prior commitment, hence the head-scratching bolt to Darien Lake, NY the following night. No matter, this is "home town week" and we're happy with anything. Mansfield 2010 was a personal favorite of mine, if not for anything other than my several year Camel Walk chase had finally ended (no, I wasn't in Philly in '09...don't remind me). Any way you look at it Phish rocked Gordon's home state with a Lit 'O' Bit debut opener, followed by my long-awaited Camel Walk, a sick Divided Sky and Kill Devil Falls, and a Dr. Gabel debut. The second set featured a chest-ripping Mike's groove and a Sneakin' Sally > Light > 46 Days that probably left several fans dead.
The last Darien Lake show in 2009 featured a dedication of How High The Moon (last played 710 shows ago) to Les Paul, who had died earlier that day. The show also featured Dinner And A Movie, a fan favorite. I liken the Darien Lake show to the roller coasters outside the amphitheater...you can figure that one out. Still...Wednesday...many tickets left...rager.
6/10 Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ
6/11-12 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
I can barely contain myself as I write a preview/review of the third batch of ST11:1 weekend shows. We return to Camden-Merriweather, the site of the best Phish of Summer 2010, if not all of 2010. If you felt you were a scorned Phish fan, perhaps copping an attitude towards 3.0, but desperately seeking the feelings you forgot, the Camden-Merriweather run of 2010 had to make you a born-again Phishfan (say it fast, it sounds like christian...don't steal my obsolete shirt idea). If 2010 was any indication of things to come, I suggest making sure your brain is securely fastened within your skull, because you might lose it. David Bowie kicked off the "Mason-Dixon Line" run last year and it set the tone for a rowdy weekend. Not long after Bowie we were treated to a rare 2.0/3.0 Uncle Pen, and a drop-legged Boogie On, followed by a thick Gumbo > Timber(Jerry) > I Didn't Know. The first set ENDED with Birds, Bouncing, an unfinished Reba, and Phish's debut cover of Rover, the classic Zeppelin tune. As if that wasn't enough, Phish launched the second set with face peeling versions of DWD > Crosseyed > Nothing > 20 Years Later > Hood > Fluffhead > Julius. Wow. Just for good measure they ended with YEM and encored with Bug.
Everyone was still breathing heavily when they entered Susquehanna Bank Center for night two, but that didn't stop Phish from pressing on, not during the anniversary of Michael Jackson's death. WARNING: If you have a weak heart or are an overly emotional person, especially when considering Phish, I would advise you skip the next section. Miguel Cocineros, one of my closest Phish homeboys, nearly lost his shit with the first chord out of Trey's guitar. I was a bit slower than he, but by the 4th or 5th chord I was equally excited: Alumni Blues (222 shows)! Then > Letters To Jimmy Page (587 shows...debated)!! They followed this historic segue with BBFCFM, which set the place on fire. As the initial mayhem subsided the band grooved along through some classics and debuted Free Man in Paris. The second set opened with the best Chalkdust Torture in years. We labored then grooved then straight got down through Prince Caspian > Heavy Things > Alaska as the beat morphed into 2001. Something was in the air. Phish had just ripped through a thick Alaska jam and showed no signs of slowing...this 2001 had an epic feel. Then the sky fell. I had considered blaming psilocybin for the "Wanna Be Startin' Something" teases I thought I was hearing Trey noodle until seasoned veteran and good friend Matt Grosik turned to me and said "I told you they would bust out MJ". Bust out they did. The 10+ minute 2001 featured Wanna Be Startin' Something, Billy Jean and Thriller teases throughout, and thrilling doesn't come close to describing it. From Trey figuring out the melody and mixing it in, to Cactus REFUSING to let the Billy Jean bass line die long after it could have, to the sheer energy of 20,000 heads grooving to the man they grew up listening to - it was magic. Pure magic.
Buzzing is an understated way to describe the atmosphere around the Merriweather lot before Saturday night's show after what went down in Camden. For the second year in a row Phish opened with Crowd Control, perhaps in reference to the herds of drunken quasi-southerners that flock to Merriweather every season. A somewhat standard but rocking show ensued, with gems such as Kill Devil Falls, the debut cover of Aeroplane Over The Sea, BDTNL, 46 Days, Rock 'n' Roll, Fast Enough For You, Tweezer and more Zeppelin love with Moby Dick teases and a GTBT encore.
The next night was a key example as to why one should NEVER MISS A SHOW. Sunday night's show opened with the first Walfredo since 1.0. Mellow Mood followed and it was on. Divided Sky and Tela satisfied the Gamehenge junkies while Ginseng Sullivan satisfied the hillbillies. Brian & Robert followed by Antelope ended the set. All was well. In Set Two Phish erupted: Wilson > Meatstick (Japanese) > Saw It Again > Piper > Ghost > Jumpin' Jack Flash > Saw It Again > Contact, YEM, E: Fire. Read that again if you have to. I should probably remind you they teased Saw It Again through the entire set. Now read it again. Yeah.
Wait a minute, this is supposed to be a preview as well. OK, why would we expect 2011 to be any different? Bombs go off on the Mason-Dixon line.
6/14-15 Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Alpharetta, GA
The band returns to Alpharetta, GA , the site of last summer's epic 4th of July weekend shows, for the final set of ST11:1 mid-week shows. Opening night in Alpharetta '10 delivered the first Character Zero opener in history. It also took the pit sign craze to new levels, which seemed to dictate many of Phish's choices the remainder of the summer right through the fall. Destiny, Rift, McGrupp, Gin, Mountains in the Mist, NICU, Gumbo, My Sweet One, STFTFP, Strange Design, Sanity, Antelope set the First Set tone. A slightly over-played but always craved Rock 'n' Roll opened the Second Set, which was followed by Tweezer and several other jammy standards. Sleeping Monkey preceded RepriZe to close the show.
An obligatory Independence Day Star Spangled Banner followed by head favorite launching pad PYITE got the pot boiling. We lost our minds on the first few chords of Colonel Forbin's and no one rested until Lawn Boy (Forbin's > Mockingbird, Camel Walk, Ocelot, Heavy Things, My Friend > Lawn Boy). Lawn Boy was every one's dip in the pool, but Bowie and Jibboo sweat the place right back up. Second Set things began to unravel...inside my brain. DWD > Piper > Ghost > Waste. As if this wasn't sublime enough in itself, Phish decides to crank it up a notch by lighting this fuse: Julius > Mike's > Tela, Harpua > Killing In The Name > Harpua > Weekapaug. Huh? Has anyone ever seen a mosh pit? Really? OK, well have you ever seen a mosh pit at a Phish show? I doubt it, and that's what attendees witnessed on July 4th, 2010. No one was punching each others brains out though - Mike's bass took care of that. I've experienced many things in 128 shows since 11/30/97, but I have NEVER experienced anything like that mid-Mike's Groove scene, before or since. It was beautiful and powerful. And hilarious. I mean, I still question whether I really saw tie-dyes, Birkenstocks, dreads, and quartz crystals MOSHING. But we did. Venues become the places of legend, and when you tear down a place from the get-go, there's no place to go but...up. I expect the band to continue to rage Alpharetta as long as they go there. Lets just keep the fireworks to a minimum though, huh locals? This isn't a SEC football game, it's a Phish show, which requires eyes and ears to fully enjoy. No offense, I'm just saying.
6/17 Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Charlotte, NC
6/18 Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion, Raleigh, NC
6/19 nTelos Wireless Pavilion, Portsmouth, VA
The final set of weekend shows finishes ST11:1, and to start we'll have Carolina on the mind. North Carolina that is, and let me start with this quick message to all those planning to attend. I contacted both of the venues in Charlotte and Raleigh and got this information directly from the venue staff: All local woman are required to wear sun dresses.
Friday kicks off in Charlotte, and last year's Charlotte show peeled wigs off. Buried Alive opener...these shows should come with a warning label... > AC/DC, Vultures, Wolfman, Back On The Train, Wedge, Mexican Cousin, Stash, Sparkle, Chalkdust. Rager. We had phamily in the first row. We were in the 10th. Kuroda wouldn't take the shirt we'd been trying to give him the whole tour. The locals kept telling us that we were in the "new Phish mecca" (i.e., not the northeast). The south was rising again. We were just getting started. We were Drowned for 46 Days to open Set Two, and what seemed like 20 Years Later, we got the first Lizards in over a year. ST11:1 Mosh Pit 2 began with Carini, which > Fuck Your Face (1,413 fucking shows!!!) > 2001. Jesus, dude. You said it, man. The best comment of Summer Tour '10 came from a guy in our row, also from Massachusetts:
To Miguel Cocineros and me: "Hey, were you guys at the last Fuck Your Face at Nectar's in 1987?"
Us back to him, confused: "No..."
Him: "NEITHER WAS I!!!"
It was classic. At that moment, every Phish fan from later years was suddenly connected to Phish fans past. The legends, the stories, the Pharmer's Almanac blurbs, the tapes, the dream that someday you'd be lucky enough to hear one of those legendary allusive songs. That was that day for many of us. (Side note: lets pretend for a minute they didn't play FYF 100 times during the subsequent Fall Tour.) The set ended with YEM, which included Proud Mary and Get Back vocals. They kept the Beatle theme going through the encore with A Day In The Life. Just like Alpharetta, we're dying to get back to this place.
We tread on to Raleigh for Saturday's show to the legendary Walnut Creek Pavilion. Like our beloved Great Woods in Massachusetts, this fine venue, one of the best on tour in my opinion, has had it's name forsaken for a corporate entity. Comcast holds our venue hostage, Time Warner yours. Regardless, the atmosphere never changes. The First Set opened in 2010 with the second Llama of 3.0 (at the time), followed by Roses Are Free, Kill Devil Falls, Time Loves A Hero (127 shows), Alaska, Water In The Sky, Runaway Jim, Moma Dance, Divided Sky, Cavern. Heat - and I'm not talking NC, because it was unseasonably cool. BDTNL - one of the bands best newer jams - got the Second Set rolling, followed by a Haley's > Light (killer), Fluffhead > Have Mercy (189 shows - epic), and Light It Up Or Leave Me Alone (181 shows...light it up) > Free. Wading, Coil, and Suzy Greenberg left some of us feeling limp until Phish encored one of the best Boogies in band history. The take home message? The south is where it's at.
The First Leg ends in Portsmouth, VA the site of the first official sell out of ST11:1. The nTelos Pavilion is small, but its potential is huge considering the fire Phish set there last summer. The first set featured many standards on steroids as well as the debut of Cold Water, a Tom Waits cover. If the Second Set of the 2011 First Leg closer is anything like the crowd got in the Second Set from the 2010 Portsmouth show, we're going to be chomping at the bit for SuperBall IX July 4th weekend. Wilson > Seven Below > 46 Days > Idea (Phish original debut) > 2001 > Simple > Joy, Taste, Theme > Day In The Life. Portsmouth, Virginia. Who knew? A TAB heavy encore included Heavy Things and First Tube. More math: Small venue + east coast + last show of the leg = Cardiac arrest. You've been warned.
Most of us would admit we weren't really convinced until Summer Tour 2010. Correct me if you know I'm wrong, stay in denial, or just pretend it's all great all the time, but lets get real: Phish fully morphed into Phish again during Summer Tour 2010 and they haven't looked back. Trey returned to his roots belting out blissful, piercing solos while opening musical gateways, and subtly laying down perfectly appropriate melodies; Fishman regained his form; Page, the seemingly ever present steady figure through hiatuses past, fills as well as ever; Cactus is pricking ears and making them bleed. And while we're on the subject Mike "Air" Gordon is now the MVP of this band and the MVP is popping off. Get used to it.
So the excitement for Phish Summer Tour 2011 is at a fever pitch, and for good reason. Summer Tour 2010 put things back into perspective. Bust-outs abound and the teases and jams part of every show. Why wouldn't Summer Tour 2011 be any different? Why wouldn't it be better?? So get ready for another summer of Phish tour traveling from city to city, conducting negotium umquam on lot, and guessing at and preparing for that first note. What will it be? It's the question that drives most of us.
As of right now there is one week left until ST11:1. I can barely handle it. We're ready and we'll be there, Headstock shirts poppin', hat pins blingin', dance moves perfected. We'll see you there.
- Trigger Treinta Uno
Trigger31.com
(Special thanks to crew contributors Colonel Phortin, Miguel Cocineros, SeriousLeigh, and Henry The Third for memories, reminders and suggestions & to phish.net for setlist help)
All images taken by author unless otherwise noted.
I would appreciate feedback on the first of hopefully many useful, informative, thought-and-debate-provoking, and completely useless blogs. Please feel free to send any comments, questions, or constructive criticisms to triggertreintauno@gmail.com or comment on the Blogger site directly. I suppose nonconstructive criticism is OK, if you're an asshole like me. My credentials: I'm a non-traditional graduate student studying geomicrobiology and micropaleontolgy, have played and studied sports for 28 years, and have been on Phish tour since 1997. Science, sports, and Phish. This is what I blog about, this is what I know. I consider myself an expert on all three subjects. People have refuted my expertise on all three subjects. You be the judge. Thanks for reading.
