(Note: Sorry, no song times for 5/31/11 – possibly later) My first live Phish tune in exactly five months was Chalkdust Torture – how fitting. An absolutely appropriate – for me anyway – Roggae followed. The circus IS the place for us, and we DO love the shiny music that descends from overhead. Then the shore and sand references started pouring in as we sat a few miles from the Jersey Shore. By the way, I saw Snooky on the lot…that’s not true. PYITE ripped through our ears as everyone prepared for liftoff. Moma Dance > Rock ‘n’ Roll (sick), Sand (dedicated to “Max”), Tube (everyone, STOP screaming that every chance you get!!!) > Divided Sky. HEAT. And that includes Trey fucking up Divided Sky so bad that at one point he gave up and asked the crowd to hum the guitar part. I love interplay, and I don’t mind Trey fucking up, but I wish it wasn’t during the Gamehenge songs, especially Divided Sky. That song has serious spiritual meaning for me, and Trey seems to fuck it up often. Nothing like those mid-90’s, huh??? Anyway, Character Zero ended the set.
Set Two is the type – Type II to be exact –of shit that that keeps people hungry. After Midnight kicked off Set Two (reference to the curfew, perhaps?), which > into Holmdel Jam #1, a seriously thick fucking jam. A swampy Possum followed before we were treated to a yet another ocean reference (the ocean was fucking freezing) and the second monster jam of the night as the boys dropped a Drowned > Holmdel Jam #2 bomb on our heads. Maze followed this bombish jam before we all got a breather with the lovely Dirt. Set Two ended with a monster YEM that included Cactus-induced It’s Ice teases. Cactus also took over the encore and set the place on Fire. Holmdel, Night One. Hot outside, hotter inside. But every person leaving that venue planning to return Wednesday knew the band was just getting warmed up.
The temperature was down a bit, but the humidity way up Wednesday as we rolled off the LBI beaches into the venue. Rain threatened the lot scene and lawn boys, but spirits were juiced while newbs abound. Pockets of rain showered the lot off-and-on as the meathead NJ State Troopers ‘roided their way through the lots taking beers and kicking asses, and it looked like they were almost out of taking beers. So much jealousy, such envy. I would be jealous and envious too if my best shot at a rocking scene was a Toby Keith show. I can just see those cops getting drunk and swaying to Bomb The Taliban. A certain NWA song comes to mind…
1st Tube (8:01) kicked off the Wednesday show as we raged the 12th row. A STFTFP (7:22) followed, which still has people talking. I’m telling you, almost all these Joy songs all have liftoff potential…except Joy, coincidentally enough. A real strut-worthy Camel Walk (6:05) was followed by a bouncy Heavy Things (6:04), which led to a 10-and-a-half-minute Jibboo that really set the tone for the remainder of the set into Set Two. We hated on Wilson for 4:17 > Seven Below (8:07) > Kill Devil Falls (8:01). FUCKING HEAT. You know when KDF kicks off, those two sick guitar chords that scream right before the groove starts? I have a powerful dance move for that part, which includes me holding my arms up, almost like I’m signaling ‘touchdown’, and forcefully bringing my elbows back to my rib cage. It’s powerful and I’m not small. Well unfortunately some poor girl decided that was the moment to dip under my side to try to get around me – bad move. I elbowed her in the head so hard that I almost knocked her out. If you’re reading, again, I apologize (she was fine, and smiling seconds later). The take-home message? Stay the fuck away from me. Axilla I (3:30) followed the hot segue, which > a Split Open (12:08) that could have been a bit better as we’ve been starved for Splits lately. Suzy (7:36) closed the set.
Set Two brought the pain. Maybe literally for some lawn folks as the sky opened up dropping rain and lightning all over the venue. Regardless, Phish brought the pain to every phan lucky enough to witness a RIPPING Tweezer (13:12) > the debut of No Quarter (10:04). DUDE, IT WAS ONE OF THE SICKEST SEGUES EVER. IT WAS ONE OF THE SICKEST COVERS EVER. IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST MOMENTS EVER. PAGE FUCKING NAILED IT. HE FUCKING NAILED IT. I CLOSED MY EYES AND THOUGHT IT WAS 1973. I OPNED THEM AND THOUGH PLANT HAD LEARNED PIANO AND GONE BALD. PHISH! AAARRRGGGHHH!! FUCK!!! Lumpy heads ensued for 6:19 > Piper (way too short at 6:02) > Twist (8:55, SICK) > Ghost (deep, dark with No Quarter teases) > BDTNL (10:55, OUTRAGEOUS, also w/ No Quarter teases). You have to read that again: Tweezer > No Quarter, Carini > Piper > Twist > Ghost > BDTNL. Seven songs. Seven degrees of heat. I wasn’t at Bethel, but I don’t care. That was the highlight of the summer so far. If it weren’t for the tornadoes that ripped through our neighborhoods at home in MA, and the fact that some of our phamily dogs were in the middle of the damage in their kennels, it would have been the most jubilant time of the summer so far. Fortunately everyone we know is safe, but our thoughts go out to those affected. But as far as Phish goes, Wednesday was HEAT. Show of Life (5:58) > TweepriZe (3:59) ended the wild show, leaving people scrambling to make Detroit plans.
So here we are, 130 miles from Detroit and Gordo’s birthday show. I don’t know what to expect other than the fact that it’s going to be mayhem. I’m thinking Weigh, Clone, a Groove, maybe some Meat…it’s going to rage. If one the most popular nerds in history isn’t born outside of Boston 46 years ago our entire lives are different. Think about that as we sing Happy Birthday to one of our favorite people as he walks on stage tonight.
Let’s do this.
- Trigger Treinta Uno
Trigger31.com
Thanks to LivePhish & Phish.net for set list help.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.