Nice to see them stretching things out. It sounds like they've been doing quite a bit of that as the tour has gotten going.
I got about halfway though that video. It wasn't doing much for me, but then I almost always have a difficult time staying interested in streams/videos. With those guys it's always better for me to be in the room.
I have a soft spot for Simple, as I was at the show when it was played for the first time, at the Warfield in '94. The song just sort of rose out of a 2nd set jam, very trippy and played without the dopy bridge (or whatever the middle part of a song is called).
That show is the best Phish show I've ever seen, and the 2nd set remains one of the best sets of music I've ever seen ANY band play, so I'm always happy to hear a Simple.
It's amazing how this guy Doolittle sees the truth that so, so, so many others have missed for well over 30 years. Why isn't this great visionary in charge of something important?
Or maybe it's you doolittle who just doesn't get it. It's OK to not get something you know. Nobody "gets" everything, and in this case you just have to look at the shear tonnage of evidence to the contrary and admit to yourself that something must be there, you just can't find it.
All that takes is a little self-awareness and a little self-confidence.
Try to remember this, and as a nod to the OP, it really is a 'simple' truth... Just because you don't like something doesn't mean it's not good.
I'll go ahead and link the show, but you probably shouldn't waste your time listening to it because you clearly don't like Phish.
For those that do, the 1st set is nothing special, but the 2nd set is epic, filled with amazing playing and overflowing with "soul". It goes so many different places, starting off with ear shredding rock, a Zappa cover, more strange & rockin' electric music.
Then, right when they have us all jamming and sweaty and our ears ringing they bring out a guest or two and do what they often used to do in small venues, step in front of the microphones and sing and play acoustic with no amplification, just the natural sound, which really shifts one's ear & head.
After the two acoustic bluegrass songs it's right back into ripping electric leading into the strange version of Simple, the jam getting quieter & quieter until it's just a whisper of Trey's guitar, and then... what's this? A large black woman coming out to the front of the stage? An opera singer? Singing an aria acapella, again in front of the microphones, just her pure powerful voice soaring through the Warfield? That was amazing and a total trip.
Then, as she's walking off the stage and we're trying to get our heads around what THAT just was... what are they doing now? Passing out boxes of something from the stage that's being passed backward among the crowd... boxes of instant macaroni & cheese? What??? For the crowd to shake along with to the set closer of course.
So beyond the ripping music played by a young, rising big-league improvisational rock band who were starting to really hit their stride, there were multiple really strange peaks, odd valleys & bizarre angles to that set, especially noticeable being in the room.
They manipulated our ears, our bodies, our emotions and our brains, and threw in some silly humor as well. They pretty much showed everything they were and are in that set, and at the time I was just figuring out the complex language of Phish, which helped as well.
I had a bit of an epiphany during that set that I remember clearly and often think of to this day. As I was jamming along to Julius I looked around at the joyous young Warfield crowd rockin' and rollin' and I thought...
"Damn, I'm the oldest person in the room (I was 34 at the time). The Grateful Dead are an old and tired caricature of themselves, and their scene is a massive, dirty, laborious cancer, while this is all young and just starting to grow. When the GD play now it's an ugly siege on an entire region that requires multiple contentious meetings between the promoter & local officials and a week's preparation before and a week's cleanup after. Here it's a young, small group of real fans totally into their band, and right outside the door on Market Street no one has a clue what's going on in here."
I really did think all that. It's amazing what the mind will do when locked in a groove.
Anyway, it was a good night.
If you listen I hope you enjoy it, but remember, like any language no matter how rhythmic or beautiful, if you don't understand it it's all just gibberish.
Yeah, well I was watching an epically intense Giants baseball game while I was writing that, and the game was so long & tense that the writing just kept going, and that kept me sane.
If that post is too verbose, blame the Giants, not me.
(Although I stand behind everything I said)
And the Giants pulled it out!!!
Damn, that game was crazy.
Almost as crazy as an opera singer at a rock show.
>>>>Damn, I'm the oldest person in the room (I was 34 at the time).
My exact thought when I first started seeing Phish in 1994 (five days before the show Lance discussed above). I was 25 at the time and felt like I was the oldest dude on the lot. But yeah, the energy and freshness of early Phish was off the chart. Seemed like the silly lyrics were necessary to counterbalance the over the top sick jams. Stopped seeing them soon after Jerry died and all the dregs from Dead tour migrated over to Phish tour and didn't start see them again until 2009.
Actually ken it was the phish dregs who infiltrated the dead scene 94-95 that fucked it up royally, ruined it actually. I bust phish balls a lot, deservedly so,, but at times they jam the shit out of tunes. I have a buddy, frankie boy, who keeps giving me shows to turn me full phishhead,, not gonna happen. Not sure how to put it but I'll try,, it's like they go from quantum level physics grad school jamming to kindergarten jams, sometimes within the same song,, and I just can't deal with such an about face. But they do have their moments.
This band has as much, or more Soul, consciousness and cohesive musical ability than any other band. Once in while you can get shown the light..... and, for all your sakes, I just hope you have the good fortune to get shown!! What's going on with this band, their music, their shows, their incredible effort appreciation and even profound humor is arguably way beyond anything else going on in the jam band scene. They learned a LOT from the Grateful Dead and built on it so increidbly well. Remember when you were following the Dead around and all the clueless people said the GD had no soul, their music and fans were a joke, etc., etc..... whelp history is repeating itself and some of you don't even know your on that clueless end of things! But then again, that's just an opinion!! :-) Rock on and enjoy whatever you enjoy!
What’s on the schedule
What’s on your plan
Do you ever ignore
What you don’t understand
Don’t ask me ’cause i don’t know
I just fasten my seat belt wherever i go
It’s been perfectly planned
It’s completely insane
It’s a revolving cast
But it’s the same old game.......
>>>> it was the phish dregs who infiltrated the dead scene 94-95
During summer GD tour in 94, we were traveling with one dude who hated Phish with a passion. If he saw anybody on the Dead lot in a Phish shirt, he would confront them and tell them that they were at the wrong show.
saw em about 30 times between 89(Syracuse) and 98(Island Tour), really gave it the college try... saw a few of what are considered to be top shows of the era(cmac 95, providence98) attended the Clifford Ball and generally enjoyed myself at the time. Have tried revisiting from time to time but it grates quickly. Good musicians
I don't like a lot of their songs, but their jams can truly take you on a ride. And Fishman is a marathoning monster. I do like the fact that they still seem truly happy playing together and have remained friends for well over 30 years in an occupation that can easily tear apart friendships and personal overall health. It's nice to see them happy and healthy and enjoying what they do. They constantly make me wish Jerry hadn't given up on himself, starting whenever his briefcase became more important than the music.
Went to the opener in AR and both nights of Nashville.
This is a different band that left the stage before Covid and I'm very grateful for it.
Fishman was the weak link in AR, but the Free was cathartic and the Slave was sublime, with the entire effort imo.
Nashville was phenomenal.
Fish was back on his game by the second show in Alabama and it's been all cylinders since then, imo.
Trey is playing like a man possessed, tasteful judicious use of his dad rock songs, not dominating sets with them and his interplay with Fishman cannot be understated. Page has a new synth that brings ethereal Pink Floyd textures to the mix and the lights are the best rig they"ve ever had.
Kuroda was "soloing" during the Nashville Melt and it amounted to a light ballet.
He is a virtuoso in his craft.
The moving rig combined with the new light bars were reminding me of the morphing/ folding buildings in Dr Strange. It was stunning.
The Split Open and Melt from Nashville was something else. It ceased being a song at some point, becoming a place as they tore the time space fabric wide open and melded space, place, light, sound and time into one coherent peak at Eternity. No one else can do this or even knows to try.
I was a huge critic of the playing and much of the new material for the few years leading up to the covid break. It just bored me to tears, but these first 8 shows have all been right up my alley. Trey seems full of ideas, is mostly nailing the composed sections, is willing to jam and Fishman is just a machine. Relentless. The connection between these two cannot be understated and is huge part why Phish works when it works.
Resting up for AC and excited for a Phish seemingly playing every show like it's their last.
>>You've got that backwards. It was the Dead dregs that drifted over to the Phish scene after Aug '95
Correct. A lot of people like the revisionist history, but it's not quite true. There really weren't too many dirty spoogers doing Phish before 95. Most fans were college kids.
I was fortunate enough to be at that Warfield show as well Tom and I think your assessment of the show is SPOT ON!
Also appreciate your takes on tour so far Smiley... you've been posting about Phish as much as anyone here over the years so love the feedback. Streams so far have sounded grand.
I've had my ups and downs with the band and can see clearly both arguments. I stopped seeing them in 97 only to come back in the past 4 years and see a few shows and have overall enjoyed them. I think if you're going for the grateful dead experience, you're looking in the wrong direction. Enjoy it for what it is.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lance minimum goad Newberry
Nice to see them stretching
Nice to see them stretching things out. It sounds like they've been doing quite a bit of that as the tour has gotten going.
I got about halfway though that video. It wasn't doing much for me, but then I almost always have a difficult time staying interested in streams/videos. With those guys it's always better for me to be in the room.
I have a soft spot for Simple, as I was at the show when it was played for the first time, at the Warfield in '94. The song just sort of rose out of a 2nd set jam, very trippy and played without the dopy bridge (or whatever the middle part of a song is called).
That show is the best Phish show I've ever seen, and the 2nd set remains one of the best sets of music I've ever seen ANY band play, so I'm always happy to hear a Simple.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: doctor
Care to share a link Lance as
Care to share a link Lance as I've never heard a Phish show that intrigues me enough to spend money on them.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: fishcane
I went to a show once where
I went to a show once where almost the entire 2nd set was Tweezer. Folks said it was epic. Guess I wasn't in on it
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: I rang a silent bell
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: doctor
Sam Cutler is right about
Sam Cutler is right about them IMHO!!
Yes they can play but have no SOUL!
Copycats of real soul.
White wannabes
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: fishcane
I find that true of Billy
I find that true of Billy strings also...it doesn't reach inside a touch my soul
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Hitchhiker awaiting "true call"
Can you soul aficionados
Can you soul aficionados describe soul's relation with race?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: nevermind
Aficionados. lol
Aficionados. lol
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lance minimum goad Newberry
It's amazing how this guy Doolittle sees the truth that so, so, so many others have missed for well over 30 years. Why isn't this great visionary in charge of something important?
Or maybe it's you doolittle who just doesn't get it. It's OK to not get something you know. Nobody "gets" everything, and in this case you just have to look at the shear tonnage of evidence to the contrary and admit to yourself that something must be there, you just can't find it.
All that takes is a little self-awareness and a little self-confidence.
Try to remember this, and as a nod to the OP, it really is a 'simple' truth... Just because you don't like something doesn't mean it's not good.
I'll go ahead and link the show, but you probably shouldn't waste your time listening to it because you clearly don't like Phish.
For those that do, the 1st set is nothing special, but the 2nd set is epic, filled with amazing playing and overflowing with "soul". It goes so many different places, starting off with ear shredding rock, a Zappa cover, more strange & rockin' electric music.
Then, right when they have us all jamming and sweaty and our ears ringing they bring out a guest or two and do what they often used to do in small venues, step in front of the microphones and sing and play acoustic with no amplification, just the natural sound, which really shifts one's ear & head.
After the two acoustic bluegrass songs it's right back into ripping electric leading into the strange version of Simple, the jam getting quieter & quieter until it's just a whisper of Trey's guitar, and then... what's this? A large black woman coming out to the front of the stage? An opera singer? Singing an aria acapella, again in front of the microphones, just her pure powerful voice soaring through the Warfield? That was amazing and a total trip.
Then, as she's walking off the stage and we're trying to get our heads around what THAT just was... what are they doing now? Passing out boxes of something from the stage that's being passed backward among the crowd... boxes of instant macaroni & cheese? What??? For the crowd to shake along with to the set closer of course.
So beyond the ripping music played by a young, rising big-league improvisational rock band who were starting to really hit their stride, there were multiple really strange peaks, odd valleys & bizarre angles to that set, especially noticeable being in the room.
They manipulated our ears, our bodies, our emotions and our brains, and threw in some silly humor as well. They pretty much showed everything they were and are in that set, and at the time I was just figuring out the complex language of Phish, which helped as well.
I had a bit of an epiphany during that set that I remember clearly and often think of to this day. As I was jamming along to Julius I looked around at the joyous young Warfield crowd rockin' and rollin' and I thought...
"Damn, I'm the oldest person in the room (I was 34 at the time). The Grateful Dead are an old and tired caricature of themselves, and their scene is a massive, dirty, laborious cancer, while this is all young and just starting to grow. When the GD play now it's an ugly siege on an entire region that requires multiple contentious meetings between the promoter & local officials and a week's preparation before and a week's cleanup after. Here it's a young, small group of real fans totally into their band, and right outside the door on Market Street no one has a clue what's going on in here."
I really did think all that. It's amazing what the mind will do when locked in a groove.
Anyway, it was a good night.
If you listen I hope you enjoy it, but remember, like any language no matter how rhythmic or beautiful, if you don't understand it it's all just gibberish.
https://relisten.net/phish/1994/05/27
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lance minimum goad Newberry
Oh, BTW, the show is 5/27/94.
Oh, BTW, the show is 5/27/94.
I don't use Relisten very often, and which show might not be totally clear.
Carry on.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: nevermind
Epic post, Lance, and I
Epic post, Lance, and I really liked this observation: "I really did think all that. It's amazing what the mind will do when locked in a groove."
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lance minimum goad Newberry
Yeah, well I was watching an
Yeah, well I was watching an epically intense Giants baseball game while I was writing that, and the game was so long & tense that the writing just kept going, and that kept me sane.
If that post is too verbose, blame the Giants, not me.
(Although I stand behind everything I said)
And the Giants pulled it out!!!
Damn, that game was crazy.
Almost as crazy as an opera singer at a rock show.
GTTS!!!!!!!!!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Ken D.
>>>>Damn, I'm the oldest
>>>>Damn, I'm the oldest person in the room (I was 34 at the time).
My exact thought when I first started seeing Phish in 1994 (five days before the show Lance discussed above). I was 25 at the time and felt like I was the oldest dude on the lot. But yeah, the energy and freshness of early Phish was off the chart. Seemed like the silly lyrics were necessary to counterbalance the over the top sick jams. Stopped seeing them soon after Jerry died and all the dregs from Dead tour migrated over to Phish tour and didn't start see them again until 2009.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Rasputin O'Leary
I bust phish balls a lot,
Actually ken it was the phish dregs who infiltrated the dead scene 94-95 that fucked it up royally, ruined it actually. I bust phish balls a lot, deservedly so,, but at times they jam the shit out of tunes. I have a buddy, frankie boy, who keeps giving me shows to turn me full phishhead,, not gonna happen. Not sure how to put it but I'll try,, it's like they go from quantum level physics grad school jamming to kindergarten jams, sometimes within the same song,, and I just can't deal with such an about face. But they do have their moments.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: skyjunk
I need to get off my ass and
I need to get off my ass and go see these guys once. never been a fan but the light show looks awesome and the crowds is having fun.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Starkdar
This band has as much, or
This band has as much, or more Soul, consciousness and cohesive musical ability than any other band. Once in while you can get shown the light..... and, for all your sakes, I just hope you have the good fortune to get shown!! What's going on with this band, their music, their shows, their incredible effort appreciation and even profound humor is arguably way beyond anything else going on in the jam band scene. They learned a LOT from the Grateful Dead and built on it so increidbly well. Remember when you were following the Dead around and all the clueless people said the GD had no soul, their music and fans were a joke, etc., etc..... whelp history is repeating itself and some of you don't even know your on that clueless end of things! But then again, that's just an opinion!! :-) Rock on and enjoy whatever you enjoy!
What’s on the schedule
What’s on your plan
Do you ever ignore
What you don’t understand
Don’t ask me ’cause i don’t know
I just fasten my seat belt wherever i go
It’s been perfectly planned
It’s completely insane
It’s a revolving cast
But it’s the same old game.......
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Ken D.
>>>> it was the phish dregs
>>>> it was the phish dregs who infiltrated the dead scene 94-95
During summer GD tour in 94, we were traveling with one dude who hated Phish with a passion. If he saw anybody on the Dead lot in a Phish shirt, he would confront them and tell them that they were at the wrong show.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: genXrated
the very best part is i used
the very best part is i used to be like the haters
then i surrendered to the phlow
(((PHISHES)))
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: fishcane
I used to be like the
I used to be like the phishies
saw em about 30 times between 89(Syracuse) and 98(Island Tour), really gave it the college try... saw a few of what are considered to be top shows of the era(cmac 95, providence98) attended the Clifford Ball and generally enjoyed myself at the time. Have tried revisiting from time to time but it grates quickly. Good musicians
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: ismelltoadsmoke
I don't like a lot of their
I don't like a lot of their songs, but their jams can truly take you on a ride. And Fishman is a marathoning monster. I do like the fact that they still seem truly happy playing together and have remained friends for well over 30 years in an occupation that can easily tear apart friendships and personal overall health. It's nice to see them happy and healthy and enjoying what they do. They constantly make me wish Jerry hadn't given up on himself, starting whenever his briefcase became more important than the music.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: smiley
Went to the opener in AR and
Went to the opener in AR and both nights of Nashville.
This is a different band that left the stage before Covid and I'm very grateful for it.
Fishman was the weak link in AR, but the Free was cathartic and the Slave was sublime, with the entire effort imo.
Nashville was phenomenal.
Fish was back on his game by the second show in Alabama and it's been all cylinders since then, imo.
Trey is playing like a man possessed, tasteful judicious use of his dad rock songs, not dominating sets with them and his interplay with Fishman cannot be understated. Page has a new synth that brings ethereal Pink Floyd textures to the mix and the lights are the best rig they"ve ever had.
Kuroda was "soloing" during the Nashville Melt and it amounted to a light ballet.
He is a virtuoso in his craft.
The moving rig combined with the new light bars were reminding me of the morphing/ folding buildings in Dr Strange. It was stunning.
The Split Open and Melt from Nashville was something else. It ceased being a song at some point, becoming a place as they tore the time space fabric wide open and melded space, place, light, sound and time into one coherent peak at Eternity. No one else can do this or even knows to try.
I was a huge critic of the playing and much of the new material for the few years leading up to the covid break. It just bored me to tears, but these first 8 shows have all been right up my alley. Trey seems full of ideas, is mostly nailing the composed sections, is willing to jam and Fishman is just a machine. Relentless. The connection between these two cannot be understated and is huge part why Phish works when it works.
Resting up for AC and excited for a Phish seemingly playing every show like it's their last.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: smiley
<<< it was the phish dregs
<<< it was the phish dregs who infiltrated the dead scene 94-95
You've got that backwards. It was the Dead dregs that drifted over to the Phish scene after Aug '95.
Was never the same after that.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: aiq
My favorite thing I have
My favorite thing I have heard is night four from Baker's Dozen, Jam Filled.
Yeah, like all of them, I like it when the singing ends and the improv starts. Like here at around 2:30.
https://youtu.be/CUzurJ4Nm5U
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: I rang a silent bell
I was at the jam filled show
I was at the jam filled show and it was awesome!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Briank
>>You've got that backwards.
>>You've got that backwards. It was the Dead dregs that drifted over to the Phish scene after Aug '95
Correct. A lot of people like the revisionist history, but it's not quite true. There really weren't too many dirty spoogers doing Phish before 95. Most fans were college kids.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: nebulous nelly
Listening to last night's show, solid performance so far
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Hitchhiker awaiting "true call"
Not liking phish because of
Not liking phish because of the vocals is like not liking jrad because of the vocals.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Rando
I was fortunate enough to be
I was fortunate enough to be at that Warfield show as well Tom and I think your assessment of the show is SPOT ON!
Also appreciate your takes on tour so far Smiley... you've been posting about Phish as much as anyone here over the years so love the feedback. Streams so far have sounded grand.
looking forward to Tahoe!!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Frank3
My 3rd Phish
My 3rd Phish
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: genXrated
Smiley i am loving your
Smiley i am loving your review
Enjoy AC !
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Zzzzzz
I've had my ups and downs
I've had my ups and downs with the band and can see clearly both arguments. I stopped seeing them in 97 only to come back in the past 4 years and see a few shows and have overall enjoyed them. I think if you're going for the grateful dead experience, you're looking in the wrong direction. Enjoy it for what it is.
This is a fun nugget from Metallica.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F36O3bD0_ts
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: genXrated
omg zang
omg zang
((((((full circle musical luv)))))