On July 26 and 27, 2013, I will be returning to Quincy (or is it George?), Washington for the seventh Celebration of the Lizards at the Gorge. I have not missed a Phish show at this amphitheater hewn from the living rock of Gamehendge...and you really shouldn’t either. Each of the twin-bills to date (1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2009, and 2011) has to me musically portrayed in graphic detail the myriad geologic processes that formed the stunning otherworldly landscape that supports and surrounds the venue. This blog post is intended to highlight the tastiest jams from each of the “Cave P” vintages past while exploring the rugged terrain that provided the terroir for the tunes. The Gorge Amphitheater lies in a land shaped by both fire and ice. Over the course of their past six visits, the music Phish has produced in this setting has covered every emotional facies change from happiness to sorrow. Such a traverse obviously includes some time spent in sonic puddles of lukewarm water. Digging down deep, we’ll work our way from the bottom to the top, chronologically speaking.

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