Tonight we have a show from a very controversial run, Vegas ‘04. I personally think these shows are a wee bit over-hated. I think there’s some great material here, but it’ll be tough to beat Night 2. It is definitely a more stable show than the last two nights, the guys definitely have their bearings here, or at least more so than before.

Soul Shakedown Party is a very mellow, but suitable opener. The guys seem really relaxed in this one. The energy picks up with Halley’s Comet, which quickly evolves into an angry jam, with Trey paving the way, though everyone is locked in wonderfully. The jam slows down a little, and Trey brings us -> one of the haziest, funkiest Tweezers you’ll hear. Seriously, hide your kids from this one, it’s downright sleazy. Mike and Page really lay it on thick pretty early on in this one. Fish keeps a very steady beat throughout, and eventually turns it into a stop-go jam. Trey soes some really scary shit around 7 minutes in, and keeps a more dirty tone for the rest of the jam. Mike’s tone can best be compared to puddles of goo, real funky stuff. As if you thought the jam couldn’t get any more nasty, Fish heightens the tension, and we get REALLY dirty. Dark and dirty, just how I like ‘em. The peak is very satisfying, and they slow it down into a very groggy ending. Excellent stuff. Ginseng Sullivan is definitely needed after a jam like that, there’s nothing like a grass tune to lock you back in to reality. Very pleasant playing all around > A fairly solid Horn. This one really shows how shot Trey’s voice was at these shows, but we’re not really listening to Phish to criticize their voices; if their playing is good, who gives two? > a pretty standard Sample in a Jar. You gotta have your veggies, you can’t get to the meat if you don’t eat your veggies. Piper starts off really strong, with Trey and Page acting as the powerhouses through most of the jam. Page is kinda quiet in some parts, but listen closely to what he’s doing, really cool. The jam gets into a more mellow (but energetic) groove, and Trey keeps such a solid rhythm through the whole thing, but eventually gets real grimey with his effects, as if his guitar were melting (a 2004 staple). Fish picks up the pace, and turns the it into a heavy rock type jam until we get -> a seamless transition into Frankenstein, a very well executed one, at that. Perfect placement, too > a very solid David Bowie. Mike really dominates the jam. He and Trey duel multiple times throughout. There’s a lot of tension early on, but they all take their time to ride it out properly. There’s a lot of thought in this jam and I like it a lot. I love to listen to everyone individually; they’re all doing such complex things, but they weave together so seamlessly. I could relisten to this one many times. The energy in during the end is un-matchable.

We start off set 2 with Meatstick, and thus creates a theme for the rest of the set. This particular Meatstick is average, but does a good job of establishing energy. Page gives us some very pleasant synth stuff. Meatstick will return, but, in the meantime, we have Pebbles and Marbles, which is always welcome in my book. This one is just seething with energy, and the intro feels much like a pot nearly boiling over the edge, just waiting to be let loose. Trey eventually takes the lid off the pot, and the jam that emerges is just non-stop fire; a complete tornado of sound. He carries most of the jam, until it gets to a tight groove near the end, where Mike and Page do most of the talking. They all slow down, and Page gives a beautiful lead > a charming and well-placed Caspian, with a lot more mustard than usual; Mike shows a lot of range in his playing, and Trey gives a very raw performance, where the mix of his wah and his overdrive gives a dirty, visceral effect. This Caspian is short, but pretty great -> a short but very pleasant Simple. Mike’s playing is beautiful in this one; the end gets really slow and mellow, and he gives us some amazing material. Very serene ending > a standard Friday. Mike’s playing here is pretty nice, but there aren’t many other highlights. Trey is pretty sloppy here and there. I don’t think this is inherently a bad song (unlike most people), but this one was kinda meh. We didn’t really need it in the setlist. Mike starts up Ghost, and continues to shine through the rest of the heavy jam. This one has a lot of energy, but remains in the same territory for most of it. This YEM is extremely good, there’s a lot of variation where you normally wouldn’t see it. Everyone shines in this one. Fish gives a nice drum solo while Trey does the Meatstick dance (you can hear the crowd singing along), and they return to the jam in spectacular fashion. This happens twice more after a Mike and Page solo. We get some heavy Meatstick jamming near the end, and In lieu of a vocal jam, the ending is very dark, and brings us swiftly -> an intense Tweeprise, with Meatstick quotes up the wazoo. Perfect closer.

Wolfman is solid, and always a great encore choice. Most Wolfmen in 2004 are pretty great. It has a lot of weird teases, and is overall quite a chill experience. I honestly can’t think of a better song to end a show than Coil; the piano solo is one of the greatest pieces of Phish media, it leaves the audience with a sense of closure and appreciation, and there’s no better feeling to capstone a show with. This Coil is very well played, and the ending is just… perfect. I love these guys.

This is a slightly above average show, with some solid highlights throughout. This is a very suitable ending of this run; it’s much more composed than the last 2 nights, but still holds its’ own as a monster in its’ own right. I still don’t think these shows deserve the hate, but they’re not necessarily the best 2004 can offer. Check out the Halley’s > Tweezer, Piper -> Frankenstein, YEM, and maybe the Pebbles and Marbles, if you have the energy for it.