Some early flashes of malevolent energy in the back half of 555. They sound good, loose. #Phish #CouchTour
A pause, then straight into Farmhouse, a personal fav after Chula Vista 2016, but a tune they don’t often sink much energy into. #Phish #CouchTour
Halfway to the Moon is a pause that allows a little showcase of Page on honky-tonk bordello piano, Mike thrumming a rolling bass groove. Trey joins in with a tight-line riff in the latter half. Now building, building... and stop. #Phish #CouchTour
Sticking with the whimsical lyrics side of the repertoire, the intro to My Friend My Friend always catches me of guard, seemingly foreshadowing a different tune altogether. The malevolent tone returns right on schedule. Spot on. #Phish #CouchTour
Maze arrives, seemingly on cue. Note for note, this go around. Straight ahead. #Phish #CouchTour
Oof. Never get out of this Maze indeed. That was a close one. #Phish #CouchTour
Bathtub Gin offers a chance to recover some balance... but time will tell. Patience is often rewarded mightily with this one. #Phish #CouchTour
Light rigging on the move, undulating... #Phish #CouchTour
Still Bathtub... now they’ve settled into a space they can work with... easy, easy... Trey solo trickles ahead, leading us further into the forest... #Phish
... building, accelerating...
Klunk... and okay, we’re going *this* way now, apparently... an abrupt turn down a side path into another dark little space... #Phish #CouchTour
Everybody’s caught up and on board now... punching through the thicket with unified energy... #Phish #CouchTour
Exercising full command now... clicking, driving. #Phish #CouchTour
No band I know can find there way to a unique space like this with such remarkable frequency... and a sick turn back into the opening notes. Wow. Nice. #Phish #CouchTour
End Set I.
And yes I know, it’s *their. Can’t type. Dancin’!
And yes I know, it’s *their. Can’t type. Dancin’!
Set I Recap. A relatively pedestrian 1st set (though a run of the mill show from this band tops most band’s career days). A very impressive Bathtub Gin capped the largely solid work throughout an interesting set list, setting the stage for who knows in Set II. #Phish #CouchTour
They’ve had so many flat out *mind-boggling* shows since late Summer (to my ear), the band is kind of their own worst enemy, in that they set the bar for themselves so damned high. #Phish #CouchTour
What other band can you indulge a greedy demand for magic each night and be rewarded again and again? “You must blow my mind in new and interesting ways, previously unimagined, each show!” And the band goes, umm, ok. BOOM! #Phish #CouchTour
Set II.
Why yes, Down with Disease *would* be a good place to start. Thank you! #Phish #CouchTour
Not in any hurry, though the lyrics are already a distant memory. Steady pace, patient, straight ahead... then into a clearing. Lots of directions to go from here... no decision yet... #Phish #CouchTour
... annnd they’re still thinking about it... a few smatters from Fishman seems to pose the question... then descent... heading towards the primordial ooze, down, down... #Phish #CouchTour
... in dark trees now... malevolent tones re-emerge... now creeping to a near stop... and Crosseyed! #Phish #CouchTour
For the uninitiated, that’s Crosseyed and Painless from the Talking Heads’ Remain in Light album, which Phish chose as their “musical costume” one epic Halloween show. Crosseyed has remained in the rotation since. #Phish #CouchTour
Trey content to let the others drive for the time being, while he comfortably noodles about with warps and quarks and squiggles. #Crosseyed #Phish #CouchTour
... getting ready to switch up... and there it is. Nicely done. Scents and Subtle Sounds. They dial it back a notch. Deep cut. #Phish #CouchTour
This has built slowly back into a big sound jam, with room for a Talking Heads tease for a sec, then Party Time, and now they’re just fuckin’ with us. #Phish #CouchTour
... now into a nice, space-filled Mike-led jam space... #Phish #CouchTour
Two thumbs up for whatever the funk this is...! #Phish #CouchTour
NMINML. They’ve been doing some interesting things with this tune lately... it has fully left behind that awkward “here’s one from the new album” stage; now def a live tune. Let’s see what they’ve got tonight... #Phish #CouchTour
Fully endorse. And now, aww shit, I’m laughing... Boogie on Reggae Woman. They’re in a nice place right now. Let’s not leave soon. #Phish #CouchTour
Trey joyously pounces on the solo... head bobbing... #Phish #CouchTour
Mike’s bass line remains the star of this song, of course, but right now each instrument in equal measure... #Phish #CouchTour
Harry Hood... because they’re not ready to turn us back out to the cold twisted world just yet... c’mon, stay a while and ponder: where *does* he go when the lights go out? #Phish #CouchTour
Phish songs are like children... you can’t choose between them, play favorites. You love them all the sam... aww, fuckit, who am I kidding, it’s Harry Hood, goddammit! Thank you Mr. Miner! #Phish #CouchTour
Harry Hood has the unique ability of being very accessible to newer ears while retaining rich rewards for veterans who are anticipating every note... as currently on display here. Golly. #Phish #CouchTour
... four-piece symphonic rock and roll majesty... #Phish #CouchTour
Quick shot of the crowd... girl in a blue tee right in front of the stage, joyously bouncing with an ear-to-ear smile as Hood winds to a close. Perfect. #Phish #CouchTour
End Set II.
Meh. Not bad. 😂 (Holy smokes!)
Meh. Not bad. 😂 (Holy smokes!)
Encore: Run Like an Antelope
Not by-the-book to start, everybody off on their own mini-tangent, bouncing around each other’s line, then meshed back together into a note-for-note rendition as the song begins the climb to cruising altitude... #Phish
Not by-the-book to start, everybody off on their own mini-tangent, bouncing around each other’s line, then meshed back together into a note-for-note rendition as the song begins the climb to cruising altitude... #Phish
Clicking, ripping jam as befitting the tune.... Trey’s voice sounds blown out as he tries to hit the “still waiting...” flashback tease, but he is forgiven. “Marco Esquandolas...” #Phish
</Fin>
