Dancing and raging, my first Phish show

I'm from France and after listing to Phish for 16 years with attending a show, I finally been able to make the trip the USA on October 29th 2013.

Lights switched off.
Speakers muted.
People screaming.
Phish coming on stage for the first time in Reading, PA.
Phish coming on stage for the first time in front of my eyes.

First Set

My first Phish song caught me by surprise.
When I thought about what would be my dream setlist, I came up with too many songs to fit in a regular show, even in a two days/three sets festival, actually ! And yet, I didn't thing about this one, even though I had a kind of obsession for it several years ago.
Cars, trucks, buses.
What a fit choice after the countless hours of travels I had that day !
What a way to start a week of concerts I've been waiting for so long !
The rest of the set was like a dream too, like the dream I had so many times but better : Stealing Time from the Fault Plan (one of my favorite, maybe a little more favorite than my other favorties), Divided Sky (the pause seemed endless, I felt suspended on air), Sparkle (I used to sing this one a lot when I played the guitar), that Split Open and Melt jam...
Like I had expected, the glance of the band coming on stage haven't driven me nuts. I was over-happy and bouncing of course, but I've watched so many videos, dvds or webcasts along the years, that I have had no real shock when the show started. I felt like I was in my element, like I've always meant to be here. I made eye contact with everyone around me, smiling and sharing high-fives. I've always loved watching people at concerts, sometimes more than looking at the stage actually. Everybody was so cheerful, so happy, so nice, so welcoming. I've never felt this at any other concert in my life. It was the first time but I felt at home, in my family.
My Phish family, at long last.

Setbreak

I went to buy some water. The access to the first floor was tight and crowded but everybody was laughing, joking... I met Gilles (my friend from Switzerland) at the Waterwheel Foundation table, an easy way to find each other. We spoke about these great first set. We felt very lucky to see the band at this time in their career. I hadn't listened to anything from this fall tour yet but all I had heard about it from the Web and Gilles were praises.
During setbreak, several fans stopped by me to ask if it really was a french flag I was carrying. One guy specificaly, Ken, was amazed to find a french fan at this show : his wife's family have been traveling from France to visit them this very day ! I asked him where do they come from in France. He said Lyon. No way ! I'm from Lyon too !! We couldn't stop laughing. That was crazy indeed ! He asked Gilles to take a picture of us with the flag. I gave him my card so that he can send me the picture by email and I received it a few days ago.
You should definitely check out his photographs on his website, they rock : www.kenscelfo.tumblr.com />
Second Set

I was very lucky to have a general admission floor ticket but after my back problems the week before I didn't want to risk anything. So I decided it would be safer to see the second set in one of the sections with a seat at hand if my back hurted too much.
I ended in Section 103, on Page side (Rage side), with Gilles. We had a nice view from above the stage and quite close too. I was surprised how good the sound was even if we weren't facing the band. There were speakers all around the stage, even some directed to the back sections. This kind of set up (multi-direction speakers and seats behind the stage) doesn't exist in Europe, at least I've never heard of it.
This second set was fantastic. We had great jams, long and diverse. During the whole concert, we had a little bit of everything in terme of jam and songs. We had jazz, rock, bluegrass, funk, dissonant explorations, spacy moments, bluesy improvisations...
When Twenty Years Later started, Gilles gave me a claps on my shoulder : it was his piss-song. We laughed about that in the car during the day. I couldn't understand how people could skip a song during a concert. Especialy from my point of view, I've never had the chance to see my favortie band live and those fans have the luxury to choose to piss instead of listening to the show.
But when the band started to jam extensively the song for the first time ever, I started laughing.
There can't be no piss-song ! Every song is important ! Phish is important !
The boys really were at the top of their game. I'm yet to listen to this show again (I actually received my livephish CDs today) but I'm sure it's one of the best I've ever heard, and I don't say that because it was my first show. I think I managed to listen to the music with the same ears as when I listen to a show with my headphones in France.
After 5 jams in the second set, they even treat us with a beautiful You Enjoy Myself. Even the vocal jam at the end, which I don't always like, was really melodic and surprising.
Wasn't that enought ?
What about an a cappela song ?
I wouldn't have dream to hear one and there it was, Grind, on my first show ! For the records, here are the number of days for the October 29th 2013 :
Page = 18428
Jon = 17784
Trey = 17926
Mike = 17680
Total = 71818
Mine = 12096

Encore

When they came back for the encore, I didn't want it to end. But with Bouncing Around the Room, I thought it would be short. I was wrong.
I love this song. I first heard it as the very first song of A Live One, my second Phish record ever avec Junta. So I was very glad to hear it tonight. I also thought it was another commom piss-song and as an encore, I guess some people left the arena early to avoid traffic jam.
But at the end of the song, they didn't leave, instead, they jump right into Reba ! I was already aware I was witnessing a unique show tonight. The kind of show about which we'll be talking in years to come. But when they started Reba, I felt part of a historic moment.
With Phish, you never know what will happen next. I loved that feeling when you don't know what will happen. Phish is capable of everything, especially what you don't expect. It's like being on top of a mountain, looking down and ready to jump, but you don't know when the wind will blow and push you.
And after this beautiful surprise, they put an end to this evening with a rocker : Good Times, Bad Times.

For their first show in Reading, Phish really knew how to please their fans. Too bad they won't play here anymore...

No, they won't, ever.
Yes, I have a theory :
The only 4 times Reba has been played as an encore (10/29/2013, 10/19/2010, 09/21/1999, 03/31/1991) were the first and only times Phish played a full show at these venues. That means if Phish plays a venue for the first time ever, you may expect a Reba encore (but you won't always have it). On the other way around, if Phish has already played the venue, you won't have a Reba encore. And if Phish does play a Reba encore, the band will never play the venue again ! Simple facts ! ;-)

Originally post here : http://www.bouncingaroundeuroom.eu/post/2013/11/27/Dancing-and-raging-my-first-Phish-show.aspx