Thursday 06/27/2019 by phishnet

BANGOR2 RECAP: "THE BIG THREE IN BANGOR"

Photo: William Stark - Used With Permission
Photo: William Stark - Used With Permission

[Thank you William "Billy" Stark user @mikebomb24 for recapping last night's show in Bangor, Maine. -Ed.]

I had high hopes for Bangor night two. Summer tour has been relatively hot to date and Night one brought big jams in the “Down With Disease”, and “Simple.” I was certainly not alone in having a transcendent experience during the Type II “Limb by Limb”. On top of that Bangor seemed to be the perfect place to see a Phish show. The Northeastern Wookery was felt deeply, and tickets were almost too easy to come by with people miracling pits on lot. Driving deep into central Maine was certainly a treat, and as the pines multiplied in abundance and the Atlantic Ocean came into sight I experienced a tremendous amount of gratitude for Jonathan Fishman. The band could have profited more in a bigger venue elsewhere, but Fishmans dedication to his northern tribe is demonstrably deep. The music of phish feels at home in the north country, returning to the crucible of ice, snow, and forests in which it was originally forged in Vermont.

Theres no getting around it, night two looks absolutely atrocious on paper. The Big Three, as we aptly named the second set sequence and blunder of “Prince Caspian”, “Farmhouse”, and “Backwards Down the Number Line” may seem unrecoverable to most. In fact, when I explained the triad to our Pleasant Hill Campground neighbor, Mike, post show, he literally fell backwards in his chair in laughter. After getting up, he capped off the fall by saying his physical fall was not as bad as the emotional fall from grace that was the Big Three. Despite Mike’s analogy, the live experience was not nearly as bad as perhaps the disappointment felt by those that simply peaked at .net prior to their trip to the illustrious Camden, New Jersey. Onto the song by song.

I accepted “Crowd Control” for the warm up song that it is, expecting it to be a foil for bigger things to come. I’ve always loved its lyrics, though the song itself is underwhelming. “Plasma” in the two spot was an excellent call. It got the jam juices flowing, and it felt like they were picking it up right where they had left off the previous night. I have nothing in particular to say about "Army of One" except that Page’s singing was cute. “Alaska” was fun with inspired melodic jamming from Trey. It kept in good faith with Phishy humor to play it on the opposite northern end of the continent.

When the opening riff of “Kill Devil Falls” rang out, I began to get a little nervous. It continued the pattern of somewhat lackluster song selection at a point where I really felt it needed to be broken. I enjoyed “How Many People Are You.” As an avid lover of all things Mike, the song seems to embody one of his many mantras in a wondrously weird composition that featured some lead Mike playing. I also had the pleasure of overhearing a dosed Wook respond to the song’s refrain with, “I think we’re just all one, man.” “Petrichor” was beautiful, and after heavy rain and several camping woes that puddled our tent, it felt nice to have the band acknowledge our wet struggles. The contrast between "Petrichor" and the immediate "Saw It Again” which followed left me smirking in the latter tune’s auditory darkness. “Sand” was righteous. The band was in lockstep, and drove the jam to a raging peak. Mike has been loud in the mix these days, and has been taking a lead role in the jams more and more. He has been talking on social media about how he has adjusted his hand position to rely less on momentum with his pick. This, Mike explains, allows him to access his inner muse and more readily channel higher energies when jamming. He has also come to a greater understanding that in each note he has both melody and groove, and he doesn’t have to struggle to balance those two musical principles. This made sense during the "Sand."

Turtle in the Clouds”, was a great second set opener. Probably my favorite Kasvot Vaxt song, it got the crowd hyped and excited for what was to come. “Gotta Jibboo“ kept the groove going in a tight and standard rendition. Next up was the headiest excursion of the night, the deeply type II “Fuego" -> "Cities”. The "Fuego" wandered into some interesting territory.

Well into the jam, Fishman began a polyrhythm that was very much against the grain of the groove and created a rhythmic rift in the jam. When he returned to the groove it unleashed a palpable store of potential energy which charged up the band and propelled the jam to flow for a few more minutes before Trey led a clean transition into a romping “Cities”. The "Citie"s jam began with Trey teasing "Fuego" and quickly ascended into deep full band improv. Fishman reminded us that it was the eastern most stop on tour with a notably high amount of China cymbal usage. Trey then interpreted Fishman’s James Brown-esque yelling during the funky latter part of the jam as a cue into more Kasvot. “The Final Hurrah” began without disrupting the infectious groove of the previous jam and featured a powerful Type 1 jam itself. The set was looking great so far.

Then came the big three.

There’s not much more to say about the following three songs except that it seemed as though the audience was doing their best to keep their cool throughout. The transition into “Prince Caspian” from "Final Hurrah" was mind boggling, a true head scratcher of a ripcord. As the "Caspian" entered some spacey and emotive territory, Mike turned on his octave pedal and played some inspired runs which seemingly suggested the band was heading towards some of the most exploratory territory of the night. But just as they stepped into that territory, then came “Farmhouse”. And then ”Backwards Down the Number Line”, which did have some nice, somewhat redemptive jamming at the end. The “Chalk Dust Torture” felt like a call back to the "Sand." Also at the end of the set, it’s energy and Trey’s shredding peak served as damage control for what had just occurred prior. All in all the difficult 15 minutes of the second went by quickly enough, but dropped the overall quality and flow of the set considerably.

As Trey strummed the first chord of "Lizards" my friend giddily geared up for his “second "Tela”. He wasn’t disappointed when he realized his mistake, and the crowd raged for the chorus and was awestruck as always by the outro. Suzy Greenberg was fun. Fishman got a little too silly during the neurologist line, which gave everyone, Trey included, a hearty laugh as they found themselves back into one place for the final chorus.

The Big Three and the audience’s reception of it has a lot to teach us. Unlike on the Reddit forums, I didn’t see anybody complaining post show. While watching disappointing setlist call after disappoint setlist call I was struck by the resilience of the audience and the band alike. I observed an unspoken agreement between the band and audience. The audience creates a space in which the band is allowed to make mistakes and questionable calls. This space is what enables Phish to take the risks it does and reach the improvisational highs that only they can. I watched as after a collective suppressed groan, the audience succumbed, danced and even sang along to "Farmhouse." By "Chalkdust," everyone was raging hard again. This trust and acceptance, even during the Big Three, is what makes a Phish show what it is, and allows them, even in an otherwise lackluster show, to drop big gems like the "Fuego->Cities->final Hurrah."

I’d also like to give a special shoutout to our neighbors at the Pleasant Hill Campground for rescuing us from a near tent collapse disaster in the pouring rain. Universal help and support like this is what makes the Phish community special.

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Comments

, comment by fukuoka_gumbo
fukuoka_gumbo “Unlike on the Reddit forums, I didn’t see anybody complaining post show.“

Lol reddit doesn’t complain enough.

But I feel ya. Even the worst Phish show is a pretty good time and this was far from their worst show.
, comment by DeepBlueSky
DeepBlueSky 'The Big Three'.... what a negative and awfully jaded way to look at things...

A lot of people like those songs.. I know one longtime fan whose favorite tune is 'Farmhouse'.

The sometimes seeming negative consensus found on .net is fortunately not what much of the fanbase embraces.
, comment by vtspeedy
vtspeedy Thanks for an informed and well-written review. I wasn’t there and have no opinion about the show but at once, I recognize the deflationary feeling of a set list not panning out, and the acceptance of the seemingly randomness of “that” show - Charlotte anybody? It’s possible to hold all of those points of view at the same time, and it’s all good. We keep coming back because when it’s meh, it’s still good and when it’s good it’s mind-altering. See you at the next show. Or SPAC actually, for those of you keeping score at home.
, comment by Ceviche_Mixto
Ceviche_Mixto Appreciate & enjoyed your review, thanks for taking the time. I actually felt it to be rather optimistic considering how the show looks on paper, and it sounds like you - as well as the rest of the crowd - supported the band and had a great time in spite of the set list not necessarily living up to the preferred song selection. Caspian, Farmhouse & Backwards are all great songs that I listed to often, but played consecutively during the second set makes for a 'slower' night, which many of us have experienced. I'm sure the playing was still fantastic, and even if the show is not the best of the run, tour or year, I always find myself wanting to return for as many Phish shows as possible.
, comment by central_blaze
central_blaze Being a New Hampshire native and proud New Englander it was awesome to see the boys back "home". I am fortunate enough to try to see a show every couple of years now with family and life in general taking priority. Last being during the BD. Traveling up to our airbnb about an hour outside of Bangor the stage was set for a great family adventure. We certainly made the best of the time with the consistent rain but the show weather was tremendously clear given the weather we had up north to this point. I agree with other folks in that the big 3 may be slower but honestly that second set up to that point was unbelievably awesome for jamming and improvisation. I though Fishman stole the show. With my wife next to me these three songs were really a jump start to getting her back into the show with some "songy" choices :-) It made for a wonderful post show adventure! I love the send off from Trey in regards to the home show and giving props to Fishman. Honestly getting carried away in Suzy just made me laugh and really appreciate that yes any Phish show is a great show. It is all in your expectation and for me simply dancing and have a great time with my wife for 3+ hours was absolutely perfect. As for the Lizards I thought we were going to Heavy Things and got a Caspian. Gotta love it! Also I felt like I was in a Fuego Fest 2nd set :-) Thank you for the nice review!
, comment by JMart
JMart Thanks for the review. I found it fairly balanced given how I might have reacted after that raging sequence to start the second set. Very similar to what happened during the second set of 6/22 and BOTH sets of 6/23.
I hope we can all agree phish has earned the right to play whatever they want at this point, but don’t act shocked when you play three songy songs (and I personally like #line) deep in the second set and the energy vanishes.
Let’s be honest: 36 years in, phish is going to put together competent rock shows for stretches and they’re going to choose their spot to unload. If you can’t accept that, you’re begging for disappointment.
, comment by jshortultimate
jshortultimate Show was garbage, let's be honest. Hadn't originally planned on being in Maine for these shows, but when things aligned I jumped at the chance. Made a last second decision to stop at MPP for the Saturday show, and had high hopes for both shows in Maine. Night 1 did not disappoint. Night 2 was the complete opposite- Army of One, Petrichor, Kill Devil Falls, Alaska, etc.? There was nothing to get excited about. Sure it's fun in and of itself being at a Phish show, but it's not that fun when the band plays a whole show full of crap.
, comment by EducateFright
EducateFright I appreciated how the author of the blog was able to eloquently express his well-thought-out opinions.
Also nice to see a lack of mud-slinging here in the comments.
Naturally people experience the same show in different ways. I enjoy reading well-expressed opinions, even when they differ from my own. Sometimes it's purely entertaining, and sometimes It helps me appreciate the music in different ways.
And the band keeps changing. They're not getting any younger, you know? Now there's a big maturity in their playing, in the lyrics, and a certain level of maturity in their song selection, too.
, comment by dipped
dipped I assumed “The Big 3” referred to the Fuego>Cities>Hurrah inspired spectacular that will stand up with other highlights of this tour. Worth the price of admission.
, comment by Doppelgangsta
Doppelgangsta If I had made the trip to Bangor for the show and it was my only show of the summer, I would’ve been disappointed. When viewed in the context of the entire Summer ‘19 tour however, the Bangor2 setlist is a nice respite from the jam-heavy shows they’ve been throwing down. Listening, I got the sense the band played this as a show for long-time fans and friends since they were so close to home, feeling comfortable to explore songs and lyrics not normally heard. At times it even felt like a TAB show, which is usually a much more intimate affair. While there is no doubt the set list looks disappointing on paper, the show itself was a good display of how phish is much more than a few great instrumentalists; there is also depth and lyrical quality to be enjoyed. I wouldn’t want to hear a similar set list at every show but the good news is you won’t have to.
, comment by WhoIsMike
WhoIsMike Chatting with a friend post-show, I said, "any Phish show is a good Phish show." His response, a bit tongue in cheek, was, "don't give me that dad crap!" I am a dad, but I've also weathered the ups and downs of the hiatuses. Many of us remember when there was no Phish for a while. It sucked.

Look, if your favorite musician is Beethoven or Miles Davis, awesome. But can you go see them live? My favorite musicians are in the same band, and I get to see them every year.

Someday there will be no Phish. Until then, any Phish show is a good Phish show.
, comment by Lee_Fordham
Lee_Fordham I've got zero issues with Caspian, and honestly can't understand people's beef with the song.
, comment by Harponut
Harponut Really enjoyed your review! I thought it was well written, entertaining and concise (which is a good thing imo). The problem with the big-three isn't that all three songs "suck." A one-song reprieve from the heavy, complex sequences a la the Feugo-Cities-Hurrah triumvirate is necessary to give balance to a show. The problem is jamming 'em back to back at the end of the second set. Musically, they're all similar: linear in nature and less complex (or nuanced) than the strongest parts of Phish's catalog.

What reeeeally bothers me is when people hate on 3.0 songs because there isn't the same feeling of nostalgia that's associated with the Bathtub Gin's and Mike's grooves of the world. They have too much music to always be happy with which parts of their catalog they tap for any given set. Enjoy the variety, enjoy the experimentation, enjoy the longevity.

See you out there this weekend!
, comment by lizardneck
lizardneck it’s not the “big three” unless you “step to the line”
, comment by lysergic
lysergic @WhoIsMike said:
Chatting with a friend post-show, I said, "any Phish show is a good Phish show." His response, a bit tongue in cheek, was, "don't give me that dad crap!" I am a dad, but I've also weathered the ups and downs of the hiatuses. Many of us remember when there was no Phish for a while. It sucked.

Look, if your favorite musician is Beethoven or Miles Davis, awesome. But can you go see them live? My favorite musicians are in the same band, and I get to see them every year.

Someday there will be no Phish. Until then, any Phish show is a good Phish show.
I strongly agree with this. At the same time, some shows are better than others. There's just no getting around that.

Also, it's OK to dislike certain songs. The point is, if you look for the good stuff in any given Phish show you're gonna find it. It's up to you what you choose to focus on, the flaws or the beauty.
, comment by lysergic
lysergic I also want to add that I'm a fan of Caspian. It's a great song. Simple, fun, sometimes jammed out.

I'm a fan of Farmhouse, too. I liked it before I got obsessed with the band. It's like a lullaby for grownups.

Then there's BDTNL, which I love. Clever lyrics. Really fun to play on guitar. Nice jam at the end. Just a great, upbeat song. And more than that, to me it's symbolic of the totality of 3.0, because it was written during the period when it wasn't clear whether the band would reunite. Presumably Trey loves it so much partly because it helped bring Phish back into existence.

I'm not trying to convince anyone else to like these songs. I really don't care. I just am trying to counterbalance the imaginary "consensus" some people assume around these songs. The author of this recap describes the audience as charitably masking their distaste for these tunes. Perhaps some people actually enjoyed them?
, comment by joegaff76
joegaff76 @Lee_Fordham said:
I've got zero issues with Caspian, and honestly can't understand people's beef with the song.
I have to agree. Has everyone forgotten Caspian was one of THE highlights from Magnaball?
, comment by infectedferret
infectedferret I was in attendance both nights in Bangor and I thought night 2 was excellent. It was nice to hear some of the lesser played songs, even if they were a little slower in tempo. I thought the first set fit well with the environment, especially the Army of One, Alaska, KDF sequence. We hopped on in Charlotte and hopped off after Bangor, and while neither Bangor shows were my “favorite” of our five show run, to me, they were still above average. Being from North Carolina but now having seen Phish at least ten times in the Northeast/New England, I know without a doubt that New England Phish is the best Phish.
, comment by LookAtTheEyesMurray
LookAtTheEyesMurray The worst show from the worst tour of all time. They phoned it in again for a pay check. Hopefully the band formerly known as Phish
will wake up from their coma and get to the stage soon, for the tour is halfway over now. I thought after the Bakers Dozen they were back, but that was passing fancy. Game, set, match.
, comment by samboard
samboard @WhoIsMike said:
Chatting with a friend post-show, I said, "any Phish show is a good Phish show." His response, a bit tongue in cheek, was, "don't give me that dad crap!" I am a dad, but I've also weathered the ups and downs of the hiatuses. Many of us remember when there was no Phish for a while. It sucked...
Absolutely 100% correct.

I'll admit I winced at the start of each of those songs, but I quickly realized what I was reacting to, the band I've been going to see since 1991.

The band that I watched disentegrate and thought was completely done in 2004.

The band that I watched rise from the ashes, be reborn, and continue to make new music. Not just new, really fucking good music.

And after my initial wince, I danced like nobody was watching and had a great time with great people!

Awesome.
, comment by JMart
JMart @samboard said:
@WhoIsMike said:
Chatting with a friend post-show, I said, "any Phish show is a good Phish show." His response, a bit tongue in cheek, was, "don't give me that dad crap!" I am a dad, but I've also weathered the ups and downs of the hiatuses. Many of us remember when there was no Phish for a while. It sucked...
Absolutely 100% correct.

I'll admit I winced at the start of each of those songs, but I quickly realized what I was reacting to, the band I've been going to see since 1991.

The band that I watched disentegrate and thought was completely done in 2004.

The band that I watched rise from the ashes, be reborn, and continue to make new music. Not just new, really fucking good music.

And after my initial wince, I danced like nobody was watching and had a great time with great people!

Awesome.
You’re totally right. I had some pretty unflattering thoughts when I walked out of mpp2. Like the chick in front of me at New Years said (and sorry if I’ve used this one before): “I’ve seen a world without phish. It wasn’t pretty.” That’s not carte blanche to fuck up or steal my money, but I know they’re trying most nights even if it doesn’t happen.
, comment by starlessandbibleblack
starlessandbibleblack We made the journey north after MPP and had a blast both nights. Today's Phish, in a venue this small and intimate, is worth the price of admission times 10 imho...
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