Note: Unfortunately due to a phamily emergency, we were not able to attend Friday night's opener in Bethel Woods. Because of this unforeseen event the first show review will not offer the same insight as subsequent reviews, however, our crew has righted the ship once again and Sunday's review will be as originally promised. Regardless, I plan to offer my opinions of last night's show. PLEASE feel free to comment on the scene, venue, or show.
One of the things people hate most in life is being wrong; I know I loathe it. Some of our readers might remember me saying that although Bethel would be off the chains in terms of scene, atmosphere, etc., I made the relatively bold statement "don't expect much from the boys this weekend, rarely do they ever pop off within the first night or two." Well that could be true if you don't consider a TWEEZER OPENER POPPING OFF! FUCK!! The place must have exploded. From what I've heard and read, they sound tight. Speculation is running wild that the boys must have been rehearsing...a lot. And that's EXACTLY what we wanted to hear. No warming up, just popping off. One complaint: I hate <10 minute Tweezers. Did I just bitch after the first song? You ain't got to lie Craig, you ain't got to liiiieeee - you agree.
No matter because My Friend segued from Tweezer in a scene that must have had at least 10,000 people saying "Dude, are these guys fucking serious? Tweezer > My Friend...it's going to be a SWEATY summer". The band must have sensed the cries of heart-pumping joy, because the boys let their sympathies be know with Poor Heart. A horribly short but phan favorite cover Roses Are Free blasted out of Poor Heart, which was followed by Funky Bitch, just to make sure the ladies were feeling the love. Then the roof caved in. Wolfman's > Walk Away...what are they doing? Dude, this is the FIRST FUCKING NIGHT!!!! Unreal...especially the Streets of Cairo tease in Wolfman's.
Stash got the lighters popping as people wiped the sweat from their Walked Away fractured domes, then the crowd got to relax with the cherry-popping custie favorite Bouncing 'Round The Room. Good, at least EVERY song wasn't raging right off the bat. The set rounded out with one of my newish favorites, Kill Devil Falls, which must have been HEAT at 13+ minutes...fucking HEAT (no, not the basketball team, but while we're on the subject I fucking HATE them...Dallas in 6). Anyway, in a move many 'heads probably eventually expected at Bethel, Phish closed Set One with Bold As Love, a favorite cover by the man that closed out Woodstock 43 years ago.
Set Two opened with Carini. This is the band telling us they want us to a start fighting in the pit. They demanded lumpy heads and then got Back On The Train to take us to Funkytonk. After a nearly 17 minute burner the band decided some of their phans still needed to shed some pounds so they launched into a 9-minute Boogie On Reggae Woman..that never ended...HEAT...Boogie > Waves (13:50) > Caspian (7:33) > CROSSEYED AND PAINLESS (12:03) > Wading (7:35) > Possum (8:58). Holy shit. Call some of those choices predictable...call the Caspian middle lame...maybe you can't stand Wading. It doesn't matter. What you got if you went was ONE HOUR of HEAT. If Crosseyed didn't buckle your knees then just go home. Now.
A standard 'Coil closed the set of what looks like the best opener of 3.0. But just when you thought you might be safe from changing your shirt for the drive home, Julius blasted the encore ears. No brother was sleeping during this fiasco. This is why we do it folks, for the heat of the moment. Every moment. Every show...unless you encounter a phamily emergency.
So now things are getting back to normal for our crew and we'll be in partial attendance for Night Two - and we couldn't be more pumped after Night One. The show is back on the road. Again we apologize for the short, insight-lacking review of Night One, but phamily comes first. Come back tomorrow and check for a review of Night Two. Thanks for reading!
The boys are back in Town.
- Trigger Treinta Uno
Trigger31.com
Thanks to Phish.net for setlist help, and You Know My Esteez for the effort - see you soon.
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