Last night Phish closed their fourth consecutive Labor Day run at Dick's Sporting Goods Park outside of Denver. In that relatively short period of time, the band has done more than just play twelve mostly above average shows at the otherwise soulless soccer stadium; they've created a new tradition. New Years Eve and Halloween will likely always be the two most hallowed days on the Phish calendar, but pencil in the Dick's run right below those. Fans are on notice, if they weren't already, that this isn't just another three-show run. Miss these shows at your peril, because it's no longer coincidence that Phish delivers outstanding shows at Dick's.
After two great shows to open the run, we knew we were going to be pouring from the proverbial gravy boat all night. Even a run of the mill show couldn't really tarnish either the run or the Dick's legacy, but the band made it clear with a cleanly played "Curtain With" opener, that there would be no need to entertain those possibilities. It's always good times when the boys take the stage looking for fun and a playful "Wombat" declared those intentions. Straight forward versions of "Kill Devil Falls," "Bouncing" and "Poor Heart" continued to show the band in good form, even if they didn't offer groundbreaking improvisation. "ASIHTOS" (aka "Assy Toes") provided the first, albeit brief, glimpse of deep improv. "Lawn Boy" let everyone catch their breath before jumping right back into the deep end with a stellar "Wolfman's Brother." Rather than proceed directly to the swampy funk peak as many versions tend to do, this "Wolfman's" took its time, hitting several slinky grooves along the way. Don't miss this one.
Photo © Andrea Nusinov
The Fuego combo of "Waiting All Night" and "Winterqueen" followed at which point many probably figured "Funky Bitch" would close the set. Phish had other ideas, though, and threw a quick "Tube" at us before closing the set with "Possum." Cooked low and slow, this "Possum" had a little extra mustard in the sauce as it finished off the best first set of the run on a high note.
As the Dick's run becomes a Labor Day tradition, Phish continues to build several traditions within the tradition. The most obvious is, of course, the first night spelling sets. Less obvious, but more rewarding, is the annual running of the Dick's "Chalk Dust Torture." Phish played standout versions of the song in the second sets of both the 2012 and 2013 runs and would do so again in 2014 (for the third consecutive year, on 8/31). Unlike the prior two years, type-II renditions of "CDT" have become expected over the course of 2014. But that doesn't make them any less appreciated, and this was certainly a keeper. Fish drove the band to deep space and back in this version. As the band returned from the beyond into a soaring jam, it appeared we might be heading from the land of "very good" into "great." Alas, just as Mike seemed to be starting up the third phase of the jam, Trey opted for what turned out to be a fairly standard "Twist." "The Wedge" followed and, while it, too, stuck to the script, this was a hot version.
At this point, everyone knew we were due for the "Tweezer" and the band did not disappoint. "Tweezer" methodically built to a rock peak vaguely reminiscent of the Dick's "Light," before melting into a "Sand" that would serve as the high point of the evening. Trey took immediate control of "Sand. " At the show it sure seemed like he led everyone back into "Tweezer," but, on reflection, it was probably just a tease. Whether the rest of the jam is "Tweezer" or "Sand" may be up for debate, but what is not is that this was pure insanity -- a jam from another dimension and the reason so many of us continue to travel so far to see as many shows as we can. A brief but fiery "Piper" kept the energy up before "Joy" provided the sole breather of the set.
Any thoughts that Phish would be ending the Sunday festivities on the early side were thrown to the wind when they started up "Mike's" just before 11:30 local time. There are three things I will take away from the 2014 Dick's run. The first is the "Simple" from night one that is, in my estimation, the single best jam of 2014. The second is the "Tweezer" -> "Sand" segment I just described. But in terms of pure elation, I'm not sure either of those moments will top being reunited with an old friend. "Mike's Song" has come in for its share of criticism in the 3.0 era as being too by-the-numbers. Grass roots campaigns to bring back the fabled "second jam" have been brought to band members' attention on at least two occasions. Those pleas have gone unanswered and we didn't get the second jam last night either. But what we did get was a truly unique and inspired reading of "Mike's Song" for the first time in nearly fifteen years. Deep into the gravy boat at this point, the band launched into "Sneaking Sally" in the traditional "Hydrogen" spot (as "Hydrogen" still has yet to make an appearance in 2014). "Weekapaug" served as the exclamation point to the deceptively jammy ten-song second set.
"Loving Cup" (rather than "Lushington") and "Tweezer Reprise" closed the book on Dick's 2014, as the band made their presumed midnight curfew with mere seconds to spare. As the house lights came on to chants of "We love Dick's," what we should have been chanting was "FOUR MORE YEARS!!!!!" See everyone next September 4th.
If you liked this blog post, one way you could "like" it is to make a donation to The Mockingbird Foundation, the sponsor of Phish.net. Support music education for children, and you just might change the world.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Phish.net is a non-commercial project run by Phish fans and for Phish fans under the auspices of the all-volunteer, non-profit Mockingbird Foundation.
This project serves to compile, preserve, and protect encyclopedic information about Phish and their music.
Credits | Terms Of Use | Legal | DMCA
The Mockingbird Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Phish fans in 1996 to generate charitable proceeds from the Phish community.
And since we're entirely volunteer – with no office, salaries, or paid staff – administrative costs are less than 2% of revenues! So far, we've distributed over $2 million to support music education for children – hundreds of grants in all 50 states, with more on the way.
I get it. Reviews devoid of perspective can be frustrating, especially ones that believe that every new version is the "best ever" (not to accuse this reviewer of that). But that notwithstanding, I for one would love to hear others' perspective instead of attacks. There were many great things about last night and this weekend in general. Was it an excellent Simple? Undoubtedly. Was it the best ever or, rather, where does it rank amongst the great ones? Only time and repeated listens/comparisons will tell. Last nights show was, from one who was there, a visibly concentrated, group effort reminiscent of the late 90s when the band was consistently on fire, churning out great jam after great jam. They delivered on a lot of versions of songs last night. Were they all 20+ outstanding versions? No. But were they compact, focused Type I jams that delivered? Absolutely. Did they venture into some Type II territory, getting dark and spacey? Yup. Did all of that equal a far above average show? Yes. Could we quibble over song selection, sour notes, missed opportunity to go the extra mile for that one jam to enter the pantheon of greats? Maybe. No show was ever perfect, start to finish. Back in the 90s or now. Being a jamband has its quirks and hiccups. Seeking perfection in others is a zero sum game, but as fans we can hope they strive to achieve it; and therein deliver memorable jams, moments, and overall goodness. Last night was a lot of fun to be a part of, along with 27,000 other like-minded people, and it was clear the band was having fun. I for one am glad to be part of a collective consciousness that appreciates the effort, the delivery, and the sense of community that surrounds these fellows that continually make us happy day after day. Thanks to the band, and those around that contribute to the positive experience that these shows continue to be.
It was a real good time and I'm glad glad glad I was in attendance. Thanks for the tunes boys! We got monster rock, good jams, tidy versions, and I appreciate the heart in the new tunes. Phish rips like no other - and frankly, the most recent show IS always the best or you aren't living in the present. Stay home and listen to your Simple Greek 8/10 over and over - I will dance of you at the gig.
set two will be my favorite soundtrack now in an urban pedestrian lifestyle
thank you phish.net for the points and historical notes in the review. i agree that set two was a superlative experience. a must listen - excellent to see the band exit summer tour in superb musical form.
thank you to the phish from vermont - see you next fall
we love you and we love dicks and...
four - more - years!!!!
You might even want to offer a competing review, where you provide your own commentary about the show, instead of just bashing somebody else who actually appears to be literate and able to communicate in English above the 5th grade level.
Just saying....
Sand was hot stuff, and that late set Mike's was very nice.
Trey even started Sneaking Sally in the right key for once.
Great show. Nice writeup.
In sum, .net setlist is correct imo. Livephish is knockin' on the fun.
In sum, .net setlist was correct this morning. Livephish (now .net) is knockin' on the fun.
While last year's Dick's run seemed rather flat at times and a step down from the peak of late summer during the Gorge, Tahoe and Bill Graham shows, this year's version was not a step down at all but really capped the tour wonderfully.
I feel like a little kid in Willy Wonkaland......I can't afford to download all the shows I want to own these last two years. The band is enjoying a true renaissance.
Loved the Tweezer through Piper segment. I think Tweezer tease in Sand is the right call, as Fish never leaves the Sand beat and Page never returns to Tweezer chords. Any way you write it up, though, it kicks ass.
Just a short 24 months ago this show would have been lauded as a watermark. We're getting spoiled.
Mike's> Sally> Paug was a strong finish, by any era's standard.
[1] Unfinished. Is there a rule against this? Is it possible for a song to be jammed out of, then back into, yet still unfinished? As long as there is a recognizable return to the theme, which the 08/31/2014 Tweezer Sandwich most certainly contains, it should not be impossible for it to be marked as such.
Not that any of this really matters. Jam is just as tasty no matter what we call it.
But Gin.....
Were you there, because I was there and there was absolutely no flagging energy. It was a dance party all night long. *ahem* Joy... You may be excused from aforementioned dance party..
On a side note... What credentials do I need to be a diehard like you... It's obviously the path which I yearn to go down. Posts like these piss me off as much as the 400 fucking balloons littering the parking lot of my hotel this morning when I left Denver. Amateur hour. Grow up.
Clearly he forgets that "best" is a subjective term. An opinion based on one's own experience. But, @THE_OGuyforget is entitled to his/her opinion.
On that note, call me a newb, but personally, I think that Simple is easily up there with the best jams of 2014.
A) They break up; or,
B) Every tour is subpar from now on.
I hope neither of those come to pass.
Great recap, @lumpblockclod (you friggin' N00bie von N00benhammer )
I enjoyed the weekend thoroughly and thought this review was spot on.
Night 2 was the highlight---the whole band played with confidence, and the soloing is always more profound when the band members solo confidently. Trey is forever hot-cold when it comes to his guitar playing, and it all has to do with his confidence and hesitating or being cautious with his fingers on the frets. The best moments in phish improv come when the band members aren't trying not to make mistakes, when their playing is so fast that mistakes get weaved into the flow and what some would call a mistake becomes dissonance waiting for resolution or controlled tension-release.
Either way, I thought the band played their best show night 2, the Saturday show. I was not a fan of the venue due to sitting in GA stands. After getting almost front row all three nights of Randalls Island, I was dissappointed with the low energy of the crowd in the stands. The band can rage into miracle territory, and half the audience will always be too high to fully engage or enjoy the intensity of a jam.
I'm pretty sure that Page does, sometimes he gives Trey these really ticked off looks. Fish is probably used to it by now.
The Curtain With is my favorite Phish song and they butchered it on Sunday, full stop. The gorgeous slow part before the jam was just sad, it was painful to listen to, even the jam went nowhere. It seems to be a pattern: their more prog rock songs like TCW, Divided Sky and so on aren't setlist regulars anymore and when they do get played, they sound like they could have used some serious rehearsal time. *sigh*
it was awesome to place this show and it's abundance of legal weed in the counterculture timeline.
Hmmm.....maybe that's why.....
half the audience will always be too high to fully engage or enjoy the intensity of a jam
I puff a little before a show, have a few beers, but I never get so wasted that I'm blacking out or need help. I just don't get people who go through all the trouble and expense of going to a show and then get totally wasted. I sure as hell don't want to be anywhere near them after the show either.....
to my previous point about the band sounding tired; I get it, if you were there it was a blast. it had to be right? how could it not be? my impression of the band appearing and sounding tired was based on watching and listening to the feed sans distractions. And they looked/sounded flat most of the night, save for tweezwich and some of mikes. and i think it's an assessment that's fair and agreed upon by many fans in the phish community.
Deadhead since '89. Phish vet since '92. Saw the Dead 12 times (once with Brent, 11 with Vince). Jerry was literally dying on stage from '92 on. Loved the music dearly (still do) and loved going to the shows but knew it was something (much) less than what it used to be. Actually disappointed at several shows I attended, and I'm not one of those guys! I can't listen to anything post '90 now because it's really just terrible for the most part. I only say all of this because I know what it is to watch a band crumble.
Now to Phish. Saw about 15 shows between '92 and 2000. Started going again in 2011 and have seen another 12 shows. Phish today is as relevant and imaginative and plain old fun as they've ever been. Period. I'll grant that Trey is no-longer the gunslinger he used to be but that's ok. Michael Jordan went from holy-shit-did-you-see-that-dunk machine in the first half of his career to dead-eye jumpshooter in the second half. Just as effective and just as deadly. Trey's doing the same thing and he's still at the top of his game. And as far as I'm concerned, neither Mike, Page nor Fish have lost even a half-step, in fact they could be on steroids because they've all gotten better as time has gone on.
Bottom line, I watched the Dead fade away. Phish is picking up steam and going to their shows is a fucking treat, even though not every one is truly epic. And they're still writing great new tunes. I was there in '92-'93 when tons of songs were played back to back nights because they didn't have all that many (and several were awful tunes that thank god are no longer in their repertoire). I pull out shows from '11 just as soon as I'd pull out a '97 just for the great variety, not to mention growth in playing.
So quit yer whinin', feel free to critique versions of this vs. that - that's what we do. As someone who absolutely loves '90s shredding machine-gun Trey, stop with the whole they ain't what they used to be. Some nights they're better, some nights they're worse. Grow up and enjoy.
There are people who put the band on a pedestal and expectation level to near ridiculousness. There are newbies (no pun intended) that will write how they view their experience. Their best songs will differ from a more experience phans' songs. Then there are people who get IT! The IT crew don't put too much emphasis on the best ever, don't expect too much from the band and wants the band to play well. High expectation for the band from individuals is setting up for a miserable time. Why bother if you own head is going to play the expectation game?? The most important thing is how well the band is playing. If they're on, hold on to your jacket and get ready to take a ride....
Before going further, I have to mention the Fuego album. Personally, I think this is the most focused album since the 1.0 hiatus. The songs are catchy and potential to be exploratory. I've seen Fuego 6 times (including the Halloween show) and will say SPAC and Mann Center versions are my new "Dark Star". If you listen carefully, you'll hear that they are taking us on a journey. The album is a "rough draft" what the band can do. I'm truly looking for fresh, new exploratory, and improvisational territory. The fall tour should be a very interesting time...
Now onto Dicks: The 1st night 1st set was very cool. LUSHINGTON followed by the joke is on us "Ha Ha Ha", then Suzy Greenberg with Jennifer Hartswick and Natalie Cressman. I liked Trey stepping up to the mike after Ha Ha Ha and said "You Asked, We Delivered"! The highlight of the 1st set was Guyute and No Quarter. Guyute had a nice buildup in the middle section that kept going and going before reaching a crescendo, then coming back to earth. Very well played version for 1st played in 2014. No Quarter was a nice mini-breakout (Worcester 10/26/13) and was hauntingly beautiful. Page's vocal was blending in the music so well that it was sounding downright creepy! Enjoyed this 1st set better than the night 2 & 3 1st set lists.
2nd set was shockingly good! Some of my friends thought this was the best 2nd set of the run. I thought all 3 nights had plenty of great moments. Night 1 was without question "Dick's Simple" into "Story of the Ghost". 46 days was more exploratory than recent versions (hit the 10 mins mark) into a solid Back on the Train. Then came Simple. Personally, the lyric is quirky and sophomoric, yet the jam that came out of the lyric was one for the ages. I would be a hypocrite (as I said earlier about the best ever) to say this was one of my "live" favorite versions ever. I would have to go back and listen to some of the previous versions I've seen (seen 27 times as per phish.net - by the way thank goodness for this site to keep track of my phishistory - keep up the great work!). Yet, I loved every second of it! Ghost was another expansive, exploration, and innovative music by Phish. This band is so good these days, it's no wonder why I keep going to shows!
Night 2 highlights was the 2nd set. The 1st set was good and fun, but no real exploratory, kick your face type of jams. Also, there were some sloppiness on the lyrics as Trey's brain went haywire during Cavern and turned the microphone toward the fans as he was tongue tied. Probably the weakest set of the run. 2nd set was a 180 turn. Down with Disease> What The Use?, Carini> Light> Fuego> Slave To the Traffic Light, Meatstick> Bold as Love. With the exception of Fuego (very standard), the rest of the set had a great flow! I'm not going to provide not the minute details, yet I would strongly suggest listening to the set I got to hear it again hanging out at a friend's room in Embassy Suites - and it was better than I expected. Have a listen....
Night 3 - Thoroughly enjoyed The Curtain With as an opener. 1st time opening slot since 1987?? Something need to be said about that. Wombat got the crowd moving with the FUNK! I love how they play this song. A little hip-hoppish vocals with the funky music. The show "FISH" with Abe Vigoda! Very fun version. This is a song I can see going out into a nice exploration trip. The next favorite was Lawn Boy. I understand this is Page's time to shine. However, Page gave Mike Gordon a well deserved salute and the crowd applauded after he finished his solo. Wolfman's brother is another great song in Phish's repertoire that every fans can't wait to hear the jam out of the song. This version did not disappoint! The rest of the set was well played.
Set 2 was probably my favorite of the weekend, yet all 3 nights was so close to each other in terms of playing, that you can pick out of a hat and be happy with any of them. CDT has been very consistent staying at a high level. This version was very upbeat for the entire 14:26 of the song. It was great! Twist Around and The Wedge was a nice version. Tweezer> Sand> and whatever anyone wants to call it - I heard Sand the entire time with other songs being dropped during the jams. Tweezer> Sand was the highlight for me that was borderline filthy and creepiness followed by a nasty throw down of Mike's Song> Sneakin Sally> Weekapaug that was 25 minutes of bliss! The Mike's version was disgustingly dirty and dark that kept up for a solid 9 minutes into a surprisingly Sneakin Sally. Come to think of it, this should not have comes as a surprise as Mike's Song> Sneakin' Sally ended the 2nd set at Mann Center (7/9/14). Sneakin was really good as it segue into Weekapaug cleanly. This was a great version. Loving Cup was a pleasant surprise and it was fantastic - OOOOHHH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL BUZZZZZZZZZ as being in Colorado was a Surrealistic Heaven! Tweezer reprise is one of the greatest rock 'n' roll songs closer in history (as said by a friend). The song ripped into shredding monster that always have Trey bouncing and shaking his head up and down again and again. This was truly a great weekend of music. The band is as good as ever and I'm not joking. Remember 2009 was the "New Beginning", 2014 is as good as ever.
One last note, being in Colorado was absolute HEAVEN. Went to my first legal "dispensary" and was blown away by the operation (Green Solutions - 4440 Grape Street off of Rt. 70 on the south side between exit 277 and 278. Must get off at exit 277 from either directions). I've been to Amsterdam 13 times and never get tired. However, this being in United States of America where I never thought I would see a legal shop, it was magical. We had to wait 20 minutes before a person escorted us through the buying process to cashing out. Nice selections and a very clean, safe facility. Highly recommend!
Combined with the legalization and Phish playing at Dick's, this was a match made in Heaven. I hope for many more years at Dick's. Thank you Phish for being a big part of my life these days...
Really, though, the creative and musically interesting period of the Dead was for the most part over by mid-'78. If you listen to older GD it's like a completely different band than the '80's.
You are right about Phish. They are different now, too, but not in a "disentegrating" way. I worry about Trey over the last year or so, as his playing is really much sloppier than it was just a couple short years ago. Yet, he seems perfectly coherent and engaged, they are smiling and enjoying each other's playing....
Trey "seems" sharper when he plays with TAB, which leads me to believe that the sloppiness I hear (that we all hear) with Phish is a result of him pushing and experimenting with ideas and stylings. He has been much more of an engaged listener to his bandmates in general over the last year and a half than previous, I think, and I believe the result has been more inventive and creative playing from his mates.
Jerrry Garcia could not get outside the box effectively over the last years of his career because he was barely alive most of the time. So the band just did what they could.
Phish is actively pushing the boundaries this year, presenting new music, reinterpreting old tunes and generally hitting home runs frequently. I mean, what they've done with Harry Hood this year is quite something and it obviously started last year in Hollywood Bowl. Back in '10 I never would have guessed that the Hood would ever stray beyond its perscribed limits again. I used to dread it's prescence in second sets because it was so predictable. Not anymore. Now, their most beautiful singular piece of music has been reignited with fresh life. That is not the work of a band "playing out the string".
I agree with your sentiments entirely. If there had been a blog in the '80's that used the same stringent criteria of judgment that we put against Phish these days, I can only imagine what we would have read.
Let's see.....set-killers, momentum-killers, rote playing, type 1, type 2, set construction, flubs, etc.etc. We're pretty tough on the Phish of Vermont and all they do is continue to impress.
I was at that Amsterdam show, and it was the single WORST musical performance I've seen the band play (in 80 shows). Everyone was just too stoned. This past weekend was a much different story. Let us rejoice, then, in the music from the 1st Legal Weed Phish show!
The work of Lesh and Weir in their respective projects the many years after Jerry's passing sort of prove the point. They had plenty left in the tank, it turned out.
One of the most harrowing quotes I ever read belonged to Phil Lesh after Jerry passed:
"In the end, drugs were more important to him than the music."
That quote from Phil, easily his closest friend in the band, was a cutting statement of reality as a postmortum sentiment. In other words, more important than his friends.
I couldn't stick around to watch it happen, meaning the end of Jerry. He meant too much to me in memory to watch him go the way he did.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion and while I agree Phish is currently at their best in a very, very long time, this show fell flat...for me. If you wanted style over substance, then I guess this is your show: a bunch of mostly popular songs played straightforward. If you sought risk taking, curve ball playing, and dynamic flow, then it didn't deliver, save for Tweezer> Sand.
It was a safe show and this run will not be acknowledged much in the future when discussing "Best Of" shows and runs, in any era of Phish.
Another comment in response to reading anything objective included "Almost none of you get it and that's a real shame. I've been around a long while and NOW is where it's at with Phish," by cuddlybutmuscular.
I get IT. Have for a long while. Long before we started calling the "x factor" IT. If an objective opinion is now considered "whinin" or "not getting it" then shame on the few who can't handle valid discussion.
FWIW, I feel Phish is on the verge of peaking again overall, which is why I can't entirely agree with Ivy_Light either. This summer has proved that; the MPP shows were the best run in that particular venue all-time imo and I was at every MPP show since they headlined in 98. The best Wedge all-time? I think you'd have to say Northerly Wedge makes a strong case. Best Chalkdust? Randall's compares nicely to Camden 99. The list could go on and on really.
So while me not thinking this particular Dick's show was all that OR that it likely would not land on a "Best of Dicks" list in their entire four years there might piss some people off, I stand by my opinion. Sorry phanners.
And to add to the GD discussion. I was fortunate enough to catch the tail end of the Dead (or unfortunate as some of you probably believe). Believe me though, there's not a day that goes by I don't listen to the boys and imagine "what if." It's a cruel game to play, but damn if I wouldn't trade seeing Phish 50 shows today for one more night with Jerry. My 2c.
Good comments. Agree with your sentiment on the Dead. I was neutral to your comments knocking the show down a peg.
I can understand your reaction to folks that can't handle criticisms. I wasn't crazy about Alpharetta and I made a lot of folks upset there.
Personally, I thought the two Portsmouth shows were stronger than MPP, but I'm not as high on the Tweezerfest as most are. It was a great show but I felt it was a bit gimmicky. Then again, I thought that the FuckYourFace show on 8/31/12 was the weakest of the three that weekend. I actually feel that the second set of 9/1/12 was the best set, along with 8/19/12 at Bill Graham, that year.
Everyone hears what they hear. Agree with you about the peak thing. I just wish Trey would lay down the whale and go back to the Ocedoc.
And the very next words following "quit yer whinin'" acknowledged that what we as fans love to do is to compare this vs. that. That's what makes us truly insane fans who write messages on the internet.
Oh, and "objective opinion" - that's not a thing. Just sayin'.
we are on the same page.