SPAC 3 RECAP: SPAC LETDOWN PARTY
By Craig Hillwig
Phish closed out their three-night run at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center with their 20th show at this historic outdoor venue. There are few places as lovely as downtown Saratoga Springs on a summer weekend, with its eclectic mix of boutique shops, gourmet restaurants, and seedy looking motor lodges. And when Phish is in town, the hilarious intermingling of fans with the wedding parties, family reunions and church gatherings that typically frequent this tony Upstate New York vacation spot always makes me wonder why on earth they would ever invite us back.
Ample sunshine and comfortable breezes set the stage for a lazy Sunday, as we rallied for a New Orleans style brunch at Hattie’s with old friends and new. The perfect weather also made for a vibrant lot scene, with fans in high (and, unlike Friday, dry) spirits. We pulled with ease into the Gideon Putnam lot, where more old friends greeted us with open arms and open coolers. Tailgating under the shade of the tall trees, our anticipation grew as regaled each other with lore of legendary Sunday shows of yesteryear. And then came the show.
I’m not going to say it was a bad show, but it certainly was not a good show. Okay, it was a bad show. In some spots, excruciatingly bad.
We all have bad shows. The band is entitled to them, and — much like a marriage is “for better or worse” — we are obliged by our fandom to accept the bad shows along with the good and the great. And like all “Phishwives,” we should feel entitled to complain about our musical “spouse” on the Internet and be willing to endure the inevitable flames in response.
Things started off well enough with the opening triad of “The Wedge,” “Heavy Things” and “Tube,” and we didn’t really mind all that much that they were repeats from earlier in the tour. But Phish stumbled through much of the rest of the set, sometimes badly so, with numerous cringe-worthy moments in the more challenging and composed sections of “Sugar Shack,” “Sparkle,” and “It’s Ice.” One bright spot was “Guelah Papyrus,” in which the band deftly executed the “Asse Festival” section and offered some hope of smooth sailing ahead. But for the most part, this was the “worse” that we’d vowed to endure.
If the “Soul Shakedown Party” set two opener seemed like an apology of sorts, then the “Moma Dance” that followed was the make-up sex. After the final chorus, the band shifted tempo and stayed with a funk theme for several minutes before turning on a dime into type-II territory. From there, Trey led the band through several different themes and mode changes. Some will say it was the best version ever and I would not bet against them. Nor would I have blamed you for hoping that the “Twist” would follow suit and open up more improvisation, but this peppy and crisp version stayed strictly type-I.
From that point on, the afterglow quickly subsided as set two followed the trend of song-heavy fourth quarters. Sure, it was a lot less flubby than the first set, but following the “Joy” > “Breath and Burning” sequence, we grabbed our pillow and decided to sleep on the couch.
And like a lot of married couples, we got up this morning and decided that the “better” still outweighs the “worse.”
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Phish.net
The Mockingbird Foundation
Having said that, if you were there, I hope you had a good time. It is possible, after all, - easy, even - to have a great time at a bad Phish show.
I was there, and I disagree. The only song that really got butchered was Sugar Shack. The highlights of Guelah, Mule, and that superb Moma Dance definitely outweigh the low points.
Spac 1 - The Seduction
Spac 2 - The Fuckfest
Spac 3 - The Marriage
The tour has been average so far, and has resembled early 2011 more than the last 3-4 years. That's just the facts.
Yes there were some moments, but Phish always has moments in every show.
They sucked last night.
Nothing worked the way it should have. Watching it felt like that moment when you invite your parents to the final night of your leading role in the high school play only to trip on a mike cord as you walk onto the stage and break your nose. It was embarrassing.
It was more than embarrassing, it was cover-your-eyes-awful, go-to-bed-early, lie-awake-thinking-about-the-future-of-humanity embarrassing.
These feelings only happen when you're in love and your girl refuses to kiss you goodnight. That's how it felt.
When Phish wows us we say so, and when they drop a deuce on camera somebody needs to say so. This review was right on. There was nothing else to say about it.
Possum, while a bit on the short side, is a solid version and boasts excellent playing by a Trey clearly out in front. I much prefer this type of Possum to the Page solo / Trey solo variety that have become so common of late.
I think the compact Hood is quite strong - it packs a lot of punch in a relatively short time frame. There are different types of Hood jams. Some languish and gradually work up to a simmer and boil. Others are more like putting the pot of water on the stove with the burner on high from the start - this one has energy and momentum from the get-go and builds to a nice peak, and like Possum, Trey's playing is strong.
Lastly, for all those folks complaining that they didn't get a Tweezer, Ghost or YEM at SPAC, I imagine if you replaced the first five minutes of Moma with the first five minutes of Ghost or Tweezer, that people's perspective on this show would be vastly more generous. Hard to believe it all boils down to which 5 minutes of composed music the band chose to play.
also big thanks for taping 11-22-97 back in the day. i still listen to that recording all the time!
But it was not 5 minutes. It was the flaccidness of the entire run which culminated in the disappointment of 45 minutes of elevator music to close out the final frame.
And no Tweezer.
Moma will stand up against time; Summer 16 pales so far against summer 15, and so on - all valid.
This tour they seem to be willing to explore far and wide within one song each second set. After that, it feels about like clock punching.
And yet, I'd choose Phish clock-punching on the couch over Game of Thrones any day.
On to Portland.
There's definitely space and need for considered criticism, of course, especially when evaluating the 'historical' significance and repeat-listening quality of this wondrously organic, evolving music. I welcome .net recaps that offer the author's own experience of the show, no matter how critical.
But at least recap the whole show -- don't flub or phone in your impressions, skipping songs and details, just because you think the band did. Recaps are at their best when they balance considered criticism with the kind of knowledge and analysis that comes from deep appreciation of the band, which is .net's specialty. SPAC2's recap was spot on in this way.
And yes. It's unfortunate that we can't make this point without sounding like snobs, because OF COURSE we're snobs. But it's just so clear to me whether I'm reading the comments of a younger or older fan on these reviews. Whoever said it's really easy to have fun at ANY phish show hit the nail on the head. I don't think that you should be allowed to review a show in person, as weird as that sounds! We've all been there, disappointed after listening back to a jam we thought was a killer. The best shows sound better with age, stand up to the best of 30 years of music. I watched last night's show on my couch and couldn't help thinking, "No one would ever go back and listen to this again." Except maybe the Moma.
This tour has been scary. Fall 2013-Summer 2015 better not have been the latter-day peak. They've got plenty of time to figure it out, and we've seen them do it before! See you in Hartford. Hoping they're firing on all cylinders by then!
I 'couch toured' for the first time this weekend on Saturday and Sunday with my son. I will say that couch touring brings a whole different, slightly more critical vibe to the experience. Let me also say that no matter how you take in Phish, it is all incredibly good. I grew up with The Dead, went to Cornell '77 and worked through all the challenges in the early '90's with those guys. No matter what, The Dead and Phish just bring me ultimate joy every time I listen.
I found Saturday's show more pleasure from 'the couch' than Sunday's. Sunday's show had very good moments (Moma Dance was scary good and I always love watching Trey play Rock n Roll) but the band just seemed to stop a good flow when it was happening. You would think they were going to go on a run and then they slowed it down. My son and I both commented on the 'weirdness' of the set list, especially set 2. I noticed that Trey ran off the stage pretty quickly last night before the encore and was wondering if anything was going on (maybe reading too much into it). I'm trying to not be a Magna Ball snob but something seems a little different this year. Not sure why I think that, but perhaps some of the more seasoned vets can give insight.
Regardless, I'll take this band's 'bad' over any other band's 'great' anytime. No other band can grab you with their music, hold your hand through the journey, let you experience all that is good about music and keep you coming back for more. My analogy for Sunday - the Red Sox lost 6-2 but Ortiz hit two home runs. They may have lost but I always love the Sox and it's always good seeing Papi hit home runs....
These guys will NEVER let me down...
I agree with upontheroof that this was an off night, not a truly bad show like Coventry or most of 2004 for that matter (except SPAC). There was some slop, Trey was downright embarrassing in Sugar Shack, but it pales in comparison to the depressing train wreck of the band's nadir. And let's not forget, Trey celebrated the idea of fans getting online and talking about whether a show was good or bad in Bittersweet Motel. Calling them out for a bum show doesn't mean we hate them.
Late 3rd to mid 4th quarters have been ballads, no type II, etc. And sometimes, when you go back weeks and months later you will find parts of a show more enjoyable than you did in real time.
A similar argument has been made at other points in the history of phish, but IMO if you don't like this (i.e. what they are currently doing in the middle of second sets), you probably aren't going to come away from many shows raving. But often they are still good shows with great moments.
It sounds like SPAC III had some flub type issues as well. You compound those two things and some people aren't happy.
For me, it's mostly about set list flow, transitions and "Type II" jamming. I can understand a brief cool down song in the second set to catch one's breath, but when the third or fourth quarter has a treacly ballad like "Joy" or "Show of Life", it brings me back down to earth instantly. We were on the way to the parking lots as the encore played to beat the crowds.
Anyone is entitled to his opinion, and I applaud the reviewer for his candor and risking the wrath of those for whom Phish can do no wrong and is "better than any other band on it's worst night" (you're missing a lot of good music, friends!) and for whom "negativity" is a sin in the Church of Phish. The marriage analogy is a good one, and anyone who thinks this guy is a "hater" has probably never seen the Phish tattoo on his ankle or realized he taped many of the audience tapes of the 90s shows you have probably listened to.
I certainly won't want to suffer the pain of hearing this show again, but those who disagree are welcome to my code: 736549167169 .
I will say, SPAC3 may not have been great as a whole, but that Moma Dance is incredible. Same with SPAC1's Set II opening triad. The song execution isn't always there so far this tour, but there are moments when they are tapping into something very deep and contemplative. At times they are improvising as though nobody is watching. I love it.
Coming off last summer's Tour and MSG run I was very excited for more of the same this year. Went to both Wrigley shows, Friday was ok and Saturday better. Unfortunately both shows fell short of the quality from many of last summer's shows.
On to SPAC... I watched Saturday (average at best) and Sunday night shows. Sunday night was a huge disappointment, especially that second set! Joy and that new ballad must have taken the energy out of the whole venue, by then I started flipping channels...
Looking back, that Wrigley 6/25/16 Set 2 sounds better and better compared to all of this past week's shows (Sunday's SPAC show clearly being the poorest this tour). Let's hope Saturday night at Wrigley doesn't turn out to be the Summer tour highlight.
Plenty of time for our favorite band to rally though!!
You said flaccidness.
I had hope that after a lackluster first set, Moma Dance would bring us into the exploratory, explosive jaminess of SPAC1 Chalkdust (or Wrigley2 Carini, for that matter), and was disappointed with the cookie-cutter Twist that followed.
In general, the usual excitement and over-the-top energy just wasn't there that night. Compared to previous shows on the tour, I found this one to be lacking, and at times a little lazy.
With Phish, the outcome -- the product, the recording -- is much less important than the process by which it's generated on the night through improvisation. That process is the 'sacred' thing. The extraordinary sense of possibility, openness, risk, which is central to the Phish experience: that's the feeling you don't actually get from other bands. Not because Phish are 'better at jamming' than everyone, but because they go about their job in a way that leaves them weirdly present and vulnerable night after night, and we in the audience can feel it.
I haven't heard Sunday's show. It may've been shit; sometimes you get a bad show. It doesn't happen often to Phish, but they do play clunkers. That said, 'all "Type I"' does not equal 'clunker' in my estimation, not at all. But that's a separate set of questions.
We can't help feeling disappointed, obviously. 'Fan' is short for 'fanatic,' which is not a compliment.
But we can make an effort to talk about what happened without rancor and (if possible) ego, to listen hard to the music and figure out what's going on, to see that as part of the same process that produces classic shows -- a continuum of musical experience rather than two buckets labeled 'hear at all costs' and 'you are dumb for listening to these' -- and then to shrug and laugh because the whole thing's utterly ludicrous. The best show is the next one; it has to be. I know that for me, the best thing I can do when it comes to Phish is try to embrace that attitude, and not get bummed out because the show didn't sound like I wanted.
So for instance complaining about slow/quiet songs, or about Twist not being an exploratory jam vehicle on a given night, or about Trey preferring a stretch of shorter songs to a final blowout in the 'fourth quarter'...get yer feelings out, say you don't like it, these things are important. But then we put it behind us, because Trey's song choices aren't our business, and the band's mood really actually is four adults' shared private feelings, and when the band is on fire Phish's 'Type I' jamming really is harder and more rewarding than almost anything your second-favourite band does. So as long as we can temper our disappointment with the grownup sense that we're not owed anything -- this is hard to do and I fail at it all the time -- then we're doing fine and no one's actually hurt by a Bad Review or indeed even a case of what the kids call 'Butthurt.'
@chillwig speaks for himself and, to an extent, for a crew of likeminded fans. If you don't think he speaks for you, then speak up, and try to make it about your experiences and not The Other Person Having BadWrongFun or whatever.
Meanwhile I'll be over here in the corner listening to Milton Nascimento's MINAS, which (when the handwringing is done) I recommend to everyone else, too.
Flaccidness: 1 a : not firm or stiff; also : lacking normal or youthful firmness <flaccid muscles> b of a plant part : deficient in turgor. 2 : lacking vigor or force <flaccid leadership>
Yer - is 'your'.
The reviewer, like myself, was there. The show stunk and criticizing a show does not make anyone a slob. It means we can discern between a band that is locked in, focused, practiced and on the same page from a band that is just throwing crap against the wall during both sets. The flubs, mis-chords and lack of focus were readily apparent, unless this is your first time seeing a band. The tour has been weak, the band does not seem focused and together and there is very little magic. Those are the facts and judging by the amount of chatter going on around me in the latter 2nd set of SPAC 3, many folks were not into what the band was offering. I love this band just like the rest of you, but the reviewer is right to call out what is going on so far this tour, and particularly Sunday night SPAC 3.
Phish try every night to accomplish something that Wilco, on their best night, couldn't dream of (and I say this despite loving Nels Cline's improv w/MMW, and Tweedy's songwriting). On an off night, Phish aim for total musical synchronization and end up playing nothing more than Unprecedentedly Coherent Improvised Rock, which is still totally worth the ticket price as long as they don't completely butcher all the writtens, I think.
Now if they're having trouble syncing up, or are noticeably rusty, well -- that's frustrating, and embarrassing if they didn't put in the work to tighten up for tour. But if they're putting nose to grindstone and making interesting music with some technical errors, that seems a fair tradeoff. I wasn't there, haven't heard, don't know -- but that evaluative framework seems sensible to me for now.
"After listening to night 3 and a re-listen of night two. I agree they were off (way off) a few (okay, more than a few) times this weekend. Much like any longtime fan, its tough to take when you know what they are capable of. I started listening in '94 and was blessed to really start digging into this band in their "glory years". I consumed every tape I could get my hands on. So many Maxell XL-II's sent across the country. I loved the ripping fire that was the outro of Bowie when Trey played 32nd notes with an incredible (almost unnatural) precision. The cohesiveness of the structured parts of Reba, The Asse Festival, Oh Kee Pah, YEM, etc.. They sounded like a band that practiced together 4 hours a day, 5 days a week. They breathed together back then. It was so cool to see and as a young musician, blew my mind that a group could be so tight. Then came the cowfunk of '97 and all the greatness that came along with a band at the top of their game. To me, they could do no wrong. Then came the drugs (and families and real life) and we all know what happened from there.
When you were present for those early days it makes the flubs so much harder to take now. I take it with a grain of salt, because I know life gets in the way. I've played guitar for 20+ years and my hands have slowed down and I just don't have the time to practice that I did in my late teens and early 20's. This is not an excuse for the sloppiness because I'm not a professional musician. Trey is. And, for better or for worse, he is the rock upon which Phish is built. I don't know what the disconnect was this weekend. I do know they'll find their way back to form. They always seem to. One of the things I really love about webcasts is you can see the band and how into it they are. Trey is generally always smiling and moving like the rockstar he is. Mike's head is bobbing just as much as it used too, you just cant see that curly mop flopping around anymore. Page is still jumping all over the boards and killing it. And Fishman is always squarely in the groove, eyes squinted with concentration, absolutely rock-steady."
You don't always get the fire, but a lot of us remember when it seemed like every other show was a face-melter. I originally defended the band this weekend, but after some re-listens. There's some pretty shoddy work that went on.
@chillwig speaks for himself as everyone who writes for the blog does. Period. I get your insinuation and it is offensive.
Thank you waxbanks. That was precisely my sentiment. I cherish music and do listen to as much as I can and as many genre's as I can. But Phish just take me to a whole different level by the way they improvise, feed off of each other, make mistakes, test the boundaries, etc...
And I agree with Parker that your attack on @chillwig and "like minded fans" is unbecoming. Discerning Phish fans seem to agree on the rough relative ranking of some great and not so great shows and eras, and those opinions seem more well founded and realistic than the "it's all good (great)" lack of discernment (or sobriety on the part of some).
Except they didn't play Bathtub Gin. But if you have a chance to give us a run down on how it sounded I'll read it. We all have our own journey, dude.
Ya my bad I meant the Harry Hood, doesn't change the fact that it was a shitty review
When I was in college having sex with hot women, I tried to delay the orgasm and savor the moment, sometimes to the point of not being able to orgasm. I think they're intentionally keeping it in the box, exploring new moves and savoring the moment instead of actually living the moment.
They'll get comfortable soon enough, lots of rest was needed after last tour, just a long wake up is all.
At least what Phish does as a band is so hard that mistakes-in Human's context- or in this case nights like this actually CAN happen unlike, for example; the numerous EDM DJ/producers and/or Rap acts that dominate today's pop music & festival circuit with their cheap, craven, pre programmed, NON HUMAN "robot sets" or shows (we've all seen Bob Weirs jab at this in National Lampoon's Electric Apricot, even if it is a mockumentary). Not the best comparison but I went to my first Coachella (2nd weekend) this year after scoring a free VIP wristband from a friend and wow, what a mess. Aside from LCD Soundsystem, a couple solid real DJ's/ bands, crossing G&R off my bucket list and the obvious eye candy bombardment it was musically very bad/contrived; especially compared to a Phish show cuz hell, we all know that even their light show is performed in real time #ck5.
When I was at Wrigley 2 I sincerely believed (especially after the review of said show here validated my theory) that they snuck in the GTBT first set "encore" after Cavern as a way to make up for or even rationalize-through lyrics-Fishman's "dead air" flub in Cavern. As cheesy as it might be Human would also serve as a hilarious post mess up song for them to start playing I think because after all, they're only Human.
The thing I don't understand is the people who say that their truly bad shows are better than literally any other artist's best shows. There's sticking with your beloved band through thick and thin, and then there's just not knowing the difference between competently and incompetently performed music. "The band struggled to get it together all night and Trey butchered everything, but that's still better than any other band in the world." I don't get it.
This tour definitely has been underwhelming so far, especially compared to the greatness just last year. It is a bit disconcerting to see them go back to jukebox mode again at around the 40 minute mark of set II, because I felt like last year they had become unpredictable again. They were throwing out jams at every point of set II's, it seemed like they could just flip a switch and end a set perfectly with raging type II peak. Last year I really got what people say about 1.0, about them 'bringing it every night.' I felt like I was no longer looking at the clock and realizing 40 minutes had passed, so there would just be some songs > > > > end of show.
And yet (there's always an and yet), this is really nothing out of the ordinary for 3.0. With so much time off between tours, there's really no continuity. Dicks '12 was some amazing Phish ... and then they had 9 months off other than MSG, and by the time summer '13 rolled around it was the whale tone. I took until Tahoe and then fall '13 to really get going again.
I totally expect there to be some great shows by the end of this year, but if you're expecting this year to be '98 to last years '97, you might end up disappointed. In 1.0 Trey had a plan, and if that plan was cow funk or space funk he was going to go out and play that night in night out. In contradistinction, 3.0 tours start from scratch and build organically from there. Take it from somebody whose listened to a loooooot of 3.0. I'm not saying there won't be another August '15 in our future, but it really depends on the bands intent and if they're not distracted by other things (like trying to bring out new songs).
1. Please do not come to Portland without tickets.
2. Please pick up after yourselves! "Nothing but footprints - we're serious."
3. Please do not throw glow-sticks at the band, accidentally or otherwise!
4. If you didn't wait outside the venue doors for two hours before they open, and then again on the concrete floor for another two hours to be front and center on the barrier for the show, please don't buy the delusion that you are somehow magically entitled to rudely elbow your way up to the front once the show starts!
6. Enjoy the show! I have a feeling this one's gonna get weird......
~Nigel
I don't judge shows by the long jams. I'm an execution/flow guy. I love the jams like everyone but if the playing is sloppy and the set construction is clunky and awkward, a single exploratory jam isn't going to save the show for me.
Now, when I have my Phish on shuffle and I can cherry pick that one jam for the mix, then great. But you have to remember the larger context of this show. It was a three-night run. Any three night run in Phish land is a big deal and when it hasn't been very good, you're really rooting for a grand slam to end on a good note. This factor is significant in the evaluation of this performance. It might seem unfair to you, but context is everything.
Besides, like many others on this thread you are reacting to what you think is an overstatement, and yet you didn't listen to it. More importantly, you didn't hear it live. Most of the negative comments, including the review itself, are from people who experienced it in real time.
Spac 1 - The Seduction
Spac 2 - The Fuckfest
Spac 3 - The Marriage"
-->
First of all, I disagree that Trey is human. I think he's a hybrid, but he's a good "impersonator." *smile*. I enjoyed SPAC with my wife and infant very much. It was our first time at the venue and we loved it. The first night was the highlight for us. Like others have said, these guys play a lot; it's just not fair to wage a holy war on every show that didn't perfectly get played with all your favorite songs. These guys are having fun and so are we. The holy war is coming. Save your energy.
How about a little effort on practicing one of Mike's tunes, Trey?
anyway i changed locations for the 2nd set (pretty much middle lawn) and really enjoyed it, thought the energy was super high, however while I like Joy I agree that the combination of it with Breath and burning took things down a notch before being picked back up again big time with Axilla and then Theme, followed by a very good Hood. Hood is one of my all time favorites and I always love when they end a set with it, however they threw in Show of life, which I know some people also had an issue with - I know I would of preferred a rocker, suzy would have fit nicely
not my favorite of the 3 nights but in my opinion not as bad as the OP feels
2015 was a special year, but enough already it's not gonna repeat itself and that doesn't make this a bad show.
You're upset because you didn't get what you wanted when you wanted it, you know who else acts like that? Small children.
Just be happy that you still have shows to go to, with the original cast members all intact and not some rag tag nonsense tribute band fumbling their way through he classics.
-We are blessed this band is still playing at an above respectable rate and sometimes still have extremely top of the line shows
-They won't be around forever
-If you aren't having fun at a Phish show WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU DO FOR FUN. Are you kidding? What kind of fun-sucking shmuck who likes a band, hates on them for not being a [insert your favorite namedrop year] version of themselves? Do you go to any other show and absolutely love every single song they play?
We're soon coming up on 35 years. Name one band that remotely comes close to playing what can be called a respectable version of themselves.
There is literally only 1 artist I can think of who has been around for as long or longer who still puts on a killer show reminiscent of days of their old- Bruce Springsteen, and I'm not even a huge Bruce guy but DAMN he's still got it.
Actually there's a whole bunch of them: Doobies, Chicago, Aerosmith, until recently Eagles, The Mac, Carlos, Steveland Morris, Young, Fogerty, and yes Bruce for sure are all kicking ass as good as 40 years ago which is amazing.
Managing to carry it over from 2014 the boys came out hot for shows one and two in 2015 which carried through. Maybe they will get it back this tour and maybe not but let's hope so.
...which would be a terrible application of your undoubtedly expensive time machine.
When this band is over and Trey is gone, maybe you will appreciate this "clunker" of a show. For those in attendance, it was a beautiful night and sounded great, even if not "note perfect". Aint no place I woulda rather been that night. I'll dance through a "bad" show on a summer night whenever Phish graces a stage within reasonable driving distance (schedule permitting, I have a life too).
Be thankful they still tour, keep your complaints to yourself and keep dancing!
"Aint no time to hate"
Peace!