If absence makes the heart grow fonder, I was about ready to send an entire rose garden to the four members of Phish out of affection and love for the music they’ve made, the feelings they’ve given me throughout the years and the unforgettable memories of shows past. But, alas, it had been nearly five years since I had seen them live, and for anyone who was at Coventry or listened to much of the pre-breakup 2004 tour, you know that wasn’t really Phish.
I didn’t win the Hampton Reunion lottery and I didn’t have half a million dollars to pay scalpers for three nights worth of music plus transportation and lodging. But like a true phan, I sat by my computer from 8pm to midnight on March 6th, 7th and 8th, furiously pressing the refresh button on phish.com for set list updates. I was even fortunate enough to have some phriends call me from the shows and let me listen in via cell phone. Meanwhile, I longed for the day when I would once again be amongst the phrenzied Phisheads as Big Red, Leo, Cactus and the Bearded Lady took the stage and took me away to a place I had not been since 2004.
That day came on June 10th. Thanks to a great phriend (more like a brother), I was given a ticket to see the Phearsome Phoursome in Knoxville, TN… home to the Gators‘ rival Tennessee Douchebags, er, Volunteers. “Fine, that’s fine,” I said. It was well worth it to step onto enemy territory for the chance to see the greatest band in the world play live again.
With that same vim and vigor, Ryan and I set off from G’ville at approximately 9:30 in the morning, our destination seven hours away. We arrived in Knoville about two hours before showtime and promptly met up with the rest of our crew to find our seats. They were amazing. We were situated left-center stage in the third tier, affording us the perfect angle to see the band, the crowd and Chris Kuroda‘s eye-popping, mind-melting light show.
As the clock struck 8:30 (and Ryan and I finished our 20th game of Connect Four on his iPhone… he won all but one game I think), the lights dimmed, the crowd roared and I was about to spontaneously combust from excitement. Trey started strumming the three main chords in Runaway Jim – a typical upbeat opener – and that long-lost feeling that had been absent for half a decade was immediately replaced with a familiarity that seemed to have risen to the surface after an extended period of dormancy.
Runaway Jim ended after a very brief jam and the band took a quick breath before zipping into a spine-tingling Punch You In The Eye. Trey mastered every note with speed and efficiency while Page laid down the perfect accompanying riffs to make the entire crowd elevate to a level the Jim opener simply could not do.
PYITE was followed by one of the band’s new ditties, Ocelot, which offered a short-but-sweet solo and left me very excited for their impending new album. After Ocelot came the oh-so-funky Foam, which is always a delight. The only complaint I had (and I know Ryan shares this sentiment) was that Trey provided a short-lived, rather subdued jam instead of taking it to exotic heights like in years past.
To slow things down a bit, the boys played Train Song, with Ryan turning to me and singing on cue, “or you can tune up your car,” which brought a shit-eating grin to my face. I was glad to catch a Mike Gordon bluegrass song during this show… they’re always some of my favorite “unwinding” songs after a heavier offering.
A rare but exciting Undermind was next, which provided the best jam to that point in the show. That’s the great thing about Phish shows… you could have an amazing set list on paper and the one song you’d expect to be low-key (comparatively) ends up being the heaviest and hardest hitting. This was certainly true for Undermind.
The groovetastic Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove ensued shortly thereafter, prompting the first real roller coaster feeling of the evening, which the band navigated perfectly. Not for nothing, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful and gut-wrenching song than Hydrogen. Of course, those emotions are blown to smithereens as soon as the first note of Weekapaug Groove is played.
After the Mike’s Groove, I was certain the first set was over. I was wrong. The band moved into a stunning Squirming Coil, with Page taking over towards the end and laying down one of the best solos of the night. One thing I’m really digging about post-breakup Phish is Page’s role as 1b to Trey’s 1a. His jazzy, classical undertones are the perfect compliment to Big Red’s fierce, fiery licks on the Languedoc.
To close out the first set, the band absolutely nailed Character Zero. Kuroda’s lights on this song were particularly special, helping to take the crowd to new plateaus. And just like that, the house lights came up and we were left blue balled and wanting that sweet, sweet release.
Set two began with another standard opener – Back On The Train. I always like the light, fun songs like that for set openers… they help get you back into the groove and build you up for what’s to come. Speaking of…
Waves, which is one of the most underrated songs in the band’s catalog, offered that very release I was left yearning for after the Character Zero set one closer. The jam was complex, with peaks and valleys that segued seamlessly into a brief trance-laden jam I was sure was an intro to David Bowie. I was wrong. The band started the first few notes of A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing. At that point, I knew I was witnessing a special show.
After that came the Bowie I was looking for. I can’t speak highly enough about this jam. I’ve listened to nearly every show Phish has played in the past 10 or so years and this was definitely one of (if not THE) best Bowie jams in that time frame. Trey shredded his way into the composed outro, sending the entire audience to cloud nine.
Page’s soulful, sentimental Army Of One followed the epic Bowie, giving the band and the crowd a much-needed reprieve, if only for a few minutes. I say “if only for a few minutes” because as soon as that song ended, the band tore into Reba, taking an already-frenzied audience into absolute pandemonium. The boys nailed every note and laid down a smooth, well-woven jam that climaxed at just the right moment. I was overcome with joy and my cheeks hurt from smiling so much.
After Reba came a brief acapella Hello My Baby, with the band huddled directly in front of us, left-center stage. When the boys were done harmonizing, they returned to their stations, grabbed their gear and zipped into the ever-upbeat Julius. As if that weren’t enough, fan favorite Cavern followed, with the entire audience singing alone in unison with the band. Then came the moment I was waiting for, not just all night, but for nearly five years.
Without question, my favorite Phish song is Harry Hood. To me, it is one of the most complete, complex and awe-inspiring compositions ever created. It features happy reggae beats, dark, ominous patterns and an angelic jam packed into the middle. As Fish played the first few notes on his drum kit, I was so overcome with joy, I almost cried.
Just as I had hoped, Hood provided a heavenly jam that took me to a place seemingly lost in the depths of my mind and the hallows of my heart. As soon as the band and audience began chanting “you can feel good, good, good about Hood,” I knew that feeling was back to stay. It was the perfect ending to a perfect set and a perfect show.
Of course, the cherry on top was the Frankenstein encore with Page on the keytar he made famous at the Hampton Reunion. I love Edgar Winter and I really love when Phish covers him, so I couldn’t have been happier leaving an unforgettable evening with such an uproarious tune like Frankenstein.
Yes, Phish is back in full force and I was glad to be sharin’ in the groove once more after such a long reprieve. Of the many things Ryan and I talked about on the ride back to G’ville, one thing we discussed and agreed on was the breakup or hiatus or whatever you’d call it was a blessing in disguise. This band is so in-tune with each other, feeding off each other’s jams with precision and excellence. It may have taken them a long time to get back on train, but trust me, the ride is worthwhile.
Set List
Runaway Jim
Punch You In The Eye
Ocelot
Foam
Train Song
Undermind
Mike’s Song >
I Am Hydrogen >
Weekapaug Groove
The Squirming Coil
Character Zero
Back On The Train
Waves >
A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing >
David Bowie
Army Of One
Reba
Hello My Baby
Julius >
Cavern >
Harry Hood
Frankenstein *
Notes
* – Page on keytar
