Two Words: Tunnel Jam

Sax tunnel jam was most definitely the highlight of the night. Homeboy was KILLIN IT

Awesome 2nd set!!! Two songs, what we've all been waiting for. Or not.

What started out as a very enjoyable scene headed south. Let me get this straight we were sent from one area "outside" to another area "outside" to wait it out. We fans were no safer 100 feet from where we were originally standing. I think Live Nation just didn't want people to die on there immediate property, but rather in the parking lot, well that's just a fine spot to stand. I saw people seeking refuge under campus trees. Not safe by any measure! The walk back in town was actually quite amusing. Most people took a very scenic route back stopping to star gaze at the lightning show in the horizon over the well lit city skyline. The rapid tempurature drop combined with gusting wind, a beautiful view and the companionship of my ten thousand friends made it feel like the show had not yet ended. When I arrived to my hotel I was greeted by hotel staff telling me I had to park down the street in the rain as there parking lot was full. Is it wrong of me to think that when you pay $200 per night it should include a parking space? But as most of us in the phish family always do. We just smile and try to make the best of any given situation. However I can't help feeling there is a higher power at work here. I think Phish could have easily played five more songs before a single drop of rain fell which could have saved them a butt load of time and money. Now I need a refund for the rip cord was premature on this one guys. How's that napkin for a roof? I hope they bring heat tomorrow!

My excitement for this three day run never ceased -- from rumor to announcement to show time, I was 100% amped! We drove into town late Friday afternoon and had just enough time to get to the venue. The show got off to a great start with a fun Suzy/Wolfman’s combo. Wolfman’s got particularly sharp with plucky funk midway through. BDTNL was also well-played, adding just a bit more kindling to our budding fires. I had a strong feeling we’d get It’s Ice after watching an inflatable Stanley Cup dance over the crowd. Last time I’d heard it was ’09 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The band sang the national anthem for a Red Wings game just before hitting the stage that night; hearing it in Chi was similarly apropos. The band forgot the “OW!” (or maybe they were waiting for the crowd to provide it -- we tried, but it was weak, haha). Overall, this version seemed a little out of sync to me. I guess Fishman got the blame since they followed up with Moma Dance, haha. Great selection for a night on the lake, and the execution was tight. My first My Soul was as rousing as I expected, with fun, boogie-woogie charm.

I was pretty psyched for Scent of a Mule. This was my first run of the summer, so I was hoping that the band would showcase some of the new gadgets they were using. Fishman treated us to an eerie, haunting soundscape on the marimba, fitting for a song about UFOs and elegance. 46 Days, Limb by Limb (short, beautiful Trey solo here, ending with a nice sustained note) and Julius closed the first set in zealous fashion.

During setbreak, we heard about the postponement of the Pearl Jam show at Wrigley (about 10 miles north of our location). We could see lightening in the northwestern sky creeping towards us, and we expected rain with a possible delay…we did not expect a full evacuation. Set two started with a heated DWD, followed by “Oh, to be Prince Caspian, people…ooh, to be Prince Caspian”, and the venue’s eventual evacuation due to weather concerns.

On the way out, I joked that the city was using us as guinea pigs to prove to the venue’s critics that they were capable of evacuating the island in an orderly manner, haha. Initially, I felt a little deflated and unfulfilled walking away from what was an awesome start to our three day run, but that feeling quickly faded since I couldn't fault anyone for making that decision. I’m glad they made safety a priority, especially considering the uniqueness of the show’s location and its limited accessibility. The night before the show, I read an article about 9 farmers who were struck by lightning while working in a field in Colorado. Safety first!

We lingered in the venue a little too long and got caught in the rain as we walked back to our hotel, argh! It was great seeing everyone making the best of the situation (tunnel parties, huddling in doorways and various alcoves with strangers/new friends, etc), and we felt fortunate that we still had two more days of music!

First time I've webcast a show. When Page walked over to Trey a few moments into Caspian, I said to my wife, that's really odd. I mean, Caspian isn't exactly a Page showcase, but still. Then the bad news.

Anyway, up to that point, I would call it a solid but certainly standard show. Reasonably well played, but nothing really stood out to me. Opening with Suzy I found encouraging, but from there it fit well within this tour's seeming theme of solid but safe first sets.

Set II I really don't see how you can analyze. The DWD was decent and I actually thought the segue into Caspian was solid, though Caspian is oddly placed as 2nd song 2nd set. And we only got about 30 seconds into it.

Hopefully for those who are there for the run they will make up for this Sat and Sun.

Well I hate to say it, but there's not much to see here. Wolfman's was standardly decent. Disease seemed like it was headed somewhere before an extremely jarring ripcord into Caspian, which of course was unfinished. Pearl Jam and Pitchfork had delays rather than cancellation. I can only speculate that the park district had something to do with pulling the plug. A delay of 90 minutes would've taken care of it. Oh well, I expect good things for tomorrow.

Not to mention that the 2nd Alpharetta show was almost cancelled part way through as well. I was there and know the supervisor of security who said the call was a 50/50 to stop the show. Rain and tstormed all nite.

Webcast review. Well played, Chicago blues themes in My Soul, and 46 Days. Scent of a Mule had Fish on xylophone. Limb By Limb definitely a highlight, had a Hoody jam feel. Julius with some more searing blues. Opener pick for 7/20, Prince Caspian.

Webcast review. Well played, Chicago blues themes in My Soul, and 46 Days. Scent of a Mule had Fish on xylophone. Limb By Limb definitely a highlight, had a Hoody jam feel. Julius with some more searing blues. Opener pick for 7/20, Prince Caspian.

Was watching this on the official webcast. First set was fun, danceable despite some timing issues between the band members (most notably in It's Ice). Second set started out hot with a very fun DwD jam, and a good segue into Caspian, which of course was cut short by the lightning storm death knell for the show. Oh well, some phish is better than no phish!

Anticipation ran high for this run, but let's just say anticipation would keep building after this show. Well, I've never seen one like this...

Suzy- This was a nice, unexpected, rocking opener. It certainly got the party started!! Page, as always, was on point.

Wolfmans- This followed Suzy very well. It kept the Friday night/party vibe rolling. Trey and Mike pave the way on a scorching funk jam. The climax hits hard. All that said, it still lands in the middle of the pack amongst 3.0 versions, but hell, it's a consistently good song.

Number Line- I was glad to see it pop up in the first set and not kill a 2nd set jam. That's all I've got to say about that.

It's Ice- This was a very fluid version. The SPAC version, while being technically proficient, still felt a bit stiff. They sound checked it there, and had to run through the reentry 3 or so times. Well, by Chicago, they were back on track. This one had that great Phish loose but still tight feel. Trey and Fishman were on point. Great version.

Moma Dance- Straight forward funk. It fit well after Ice.

My Soul- As overplayed as this was from '97 on, it has become a bit of a rarity. This was a strong, well-received version. Trey's solo was short but strong.

SOA Mule- BOOM!! This is a favorite of mine, and I hadn't seen one since '03. The Marimba Lumina added a nice change to the middle section and fit in with the duel well. I love it on this song, but I hope it works its way into other songs/jams.

46 Days- This is not one that I particularly clamor for, but it fit well after Mule. Not to mention, it's a solid pick for the first set. It didn't do anything crazy, but it did provide Trey with another opportunity to belt out a nice bluesy solo.

Limb by Limb- This one seemed to be a touch more ambitious than most first set versions. Trey and Page dug down fairly deep and came out roses on the back end.

Julius- A bit cheesy for my taste, but it seemed to fit the bluesy/rocky/party vibe of this set.

Set 2:
DwD- I like to get the predictable out of the way early in a run, and it doesn't get much more predictable than a second set DwD opener. Trey led the charge on a solid version. This was a well-paced jam. They landed in a nice realm. As it dissolved into space, everything felt very natural. You could see a guy w/ a head set on come talk to Page as Trey steered everyone into...

Caspian- It's no secret. I hate this song. That said, there's one thing that I learned that I hate more than Caspian. That is cancelled shows!!

At first, I thought they were just fucking the song up, but then Trey awkwardly stepped up to the mic to tell everyone they needed to go back to their cars. He apologized but explained that a massive storm was coming. Now, anyone that was at Deer Creek in '09 didn't budge. We'd heard this before, and the people that left at set break there missed some fire. We milled around for a while, but once a security guard told me to leave, I left. There were confused, glassy-eyed wonders everywhere. Some were optimistic and thought the should would go on. Once I left the gates with the masses, I knew getting everyone back inside would be too much of a shit show for this show to pick back up. As I left the venue, I joked "Hey, tomorrow we get three sets, right?" Sure, I was completely bullshitting, but I was right! Either way, as bummed as I was to leave the first night of a highly anticipated run after two (mediocre) songs into second set, I knew the Phish would make it right. Some would say this was the run from hell. Some would say it was just a tough road to victory. In my opinion, this show was the hard road to victory.

Overall:
I would have to rate this as the worst show I saw, but that is simply because the second set was called short. Playing in the first set was strong. Sure, DwD was not an all time keeper and Caspian is Caspian, but the playing was solid as the second set got rolling. There is no reason to believe that something big was not on the way.

Highlights:
Ice, Mule, Limb

Not really sure what people are talking about(they must of webcasted or were on the lawn) I enjoyed the the first set actually a lot and being on the floor all nights was a MUST for this venue.

It just seems all the reviews are from people who webcasted and didnt really get the "feel" or "energy" of the crowd!

Rockin set in my opinion!

This show was my first of the 2013 Summer tour, here's my experience. On Thursday I worked my last 10 hrs before my first 4 days off in over a month, and man did that week drag leading up to this. After work on Thursday I drove the 3 hours to Green Bay where I would leave with my brother to barely make the train from Milwaukee to Chicago. We met up with a friend and dropped off our gear at my cousin's apt. and made our way to the venue. Spirits were high, especially after I scored my tickets through CashorTrade which happened to be PTMBs.
We got our spots on the lawn front left and made friends with everyone around us. Suzy blasted and I started hooting for Page as he was already burning it down! wolfman's got the people moving with a nice little jam. I laughed when #line came on because somebody said "hey at least its out of the way" (I don't mind #line). It's Ice through Mule were just awesome, especially the drop into Moma and the DULE. 46 Days had our group headbanging real hard.
Set ends soon after and a Nice Disease to start Set 2, as the craziest Caspian I've ever seen culminates into what is not a joke, my friends and I evacuate to Soldier field. We hung out there for a while until the rain passed and we went home. I had no idea what to think tomorrow had in store. Interesting yet fun experience.

What the hell? Why did I get down-voted for that? I said it was the Year of the Mule! This is the second Scent of a Mule this week and I love it! So soooooorry for loving Scent of a Mule so much. Jesus.

It was a beautiful night and a positive first set. I felt Page and Gordon played great and shined the most. The lawn exceeded my expectations. Lots of space, speakers spread throughout out to give a nice full sound. I loved the live video on the big crystal clear screens. The camera work was outstanding! From facial expressions to the nails on their fingers, I felt I was right in front with them. Also, there was plenty of food and drink options. Connies Pizza never tasted so good. Usually, their za is just average at our local ballparks and fests...Of course, my fellow phans were in great spirits and loving every minute of the night which always keeps the vibe most positive.
Second set felt like it was taking off to be a memorable one with a solid segway into Prince from a DWD... I predict tonight will start promptly at 7 with Friday's unfinished Prince Caspian. Then hold your on to your hats for a 3 setter that will sure bring surprises and most likely a special guest or two. I can't wait!!! Peace

It was a beautiful night and a positive first set. I felt Page and Gordon played great and shined the most. The lawn exceeded my expectations. Lots of space, speakers spread throughout out to give a nice full sound. I loved the live video on the big crystal clear screens. The camera work was outstanding! From facial expressions to the nails on their fingers, I felt I was right in front with them. Also, there was plenty of food and drink options. Connies Pizza never tasted so good. Usually, their za is just average at our local ballparks and fests...Of course, my fellow phans were in great spirits and loving every minute of the night which always keeps the vibe most positive.
Second set felt like it was taking off to be a memorable one with a solid segway into Prince from a DWD... I predict tonight will start promptly at 7 with Friday's unfinished Prince Caspian. Then hold your on to your hats for a 3 setter that will sure bring surprises and most likely a special guest or two. I can't wait!!! Peace

Year of the Mule!

Toronto flooding, torrential rain in Jones Beach, thunderstorms in Chitown..

The first set seemed solid. I was digging It's Ice, but it seemed like Trey and/or Fish didn't link up on something during the long instrumental stretch leading to its end. So, they went to Moma which was great. My Soul is a classic, tight version.

Such a bummer it got called off.

The show started out great. We were eye-ing the weather weeks in advance given the tour to that point. Things were looking ominous, but what are you going to do, not go?

It started getting windy early, but nothing too crazy. First set was good, but nothing super memorable.

Second started out hot. Very red. DWD really dug deep, and the crowd was ready, with most people feeling they were on borrowed time due to the incoming extreme storm. DWD was the only song worth really diving into this show. When they said they had to stop, I think many people were saying "haha, very funny. See you soon." Then the winds came. Dangerous winds, the speakers systems were swinging aggressively and then the PA system told us to evacuate. That escalated quickly. Then they starting sprinting to take down the backdrop and lights, and we knew it was for real.

So we started moo-ing through grant park until we got to the tunnel. There was a rumble, something out of place.

Hundreds of people were close to a certain point, and the sound was just echoing of cheers. We walked right up to the nucleus which was an amplified saxophone player jamming to "wild wild west" among so much more. Someone dished out a crisp $2 bill for a tip, that got the crowd wild. Literally torrential rain and lightening outside of the tunnel, which provided a brief moment of inspiration until a police officer drove through the tunnel to ruin-Mc-fun.

Good spirits all around, despite the circumstances. We were all ready for the next night.

Pretty standard first set here. While fun, nothing too much stood out. Wolfman's was fun. I was personally waiting for an Ice for a few years, so it was a personal win to finally get that. Really enjoyed Fish's solo during SOAMule. Great playing all around to welcome us to what would end up being quite a weekend.
Second set started out promising as Disease began to rumble. Jam was tight and felt like it was going to settle in for a bit of a ride. Trey struck up Caspian (which I personally enjoy most of the time). Initially thought Page had other ideas as he walked up awkwardly, then walked away, then walked back to Trey...Not to be...We were doomed. Out the doors we went.
Let me say that there is no cover to be had within a mile of the venue. We took shelter against a brick utilities building and waited for what we thought would be the rest of the second set. Not to be.

Overall, disappointed. The boys would make up for it though...

Besides the rain I thoroughly enjoyed the show. Seems like everyone was having a good time regardless. I was really feeling DWD. First set was solid.

I thought this was a great set one? I think people are just made because this show got canceled. Had a power set 2 been inserted the set one part of this show would be great for a set 1.... IMO

and that Scent of a Mule was Amazing

just sucked it got cancel but then they gave us an extra set..

First set was promising sign of things to come tonight and tomorrow. 4+ hour rager tonight (hopefully)

See ya kids there.

This is one of the reasons I prefer indoor shows to amphitheaters.

I can't consider this a full review since the show wasn't completed, but based on what I saw/heard on the LivePhish webcast, we got a very decent first set with highlights including a sultry groove-inflected version of Wolfman's Brother and a wicked fun Scent of a Mule featuring Fish on marimba lumina, and Trey and Mike doing a little dance in unison to a very gypsy sounding rhythm toward the end. Fun stuff.

The 2nd set DWD opener seemed like it was going to take off for outer space, then about 10 minutes in the whole thing melted down and they aborted (awkardly) into Prince Caspian, and ultimately for naught, as this is where the show got shut down.

Oh to be Prince Caspian. Poor sucker.

On July 19th, 2013 I woke up in a cheap motel after much too little sleep and completed my drive to Chicago. I arrived to a city full of traffic, as most travellers to Chicago tend to do.

Sometimes seeing that many cars gives me pause (pun intended) – it makes me think about just how big the world is. Funny, I don’t get that sensation when I’m standing in a crowd of people, but cars are another thing for some reason.

I was in town for three nights of Phish so there were a lot of people to meet. I had been invited to stay with a friendly couple who of course had invited multitudes. When I arrived I found the party in full swing; handshakes and hugs were being thrown around like loose change in a penny arcade. Friendships were reignited or made outright, snacks were snacked, drinks were drunk and soon we were too.

When it came time to go we left en masse like some demented kindergarten for tie-dyed adults as we were led almost holding hands to the subway. I remember someone had loaded up a subway card and he zapped us all in. I thought that was pretty classy.

The show was on Northerly Island, a museum park on the water. The stage was set up big and tall on asphalt that was marked with lettered rows. I really liked that; you could easily find your way back to your spot by following the grid painted on the ground.

The band started and all was happy-happy-joy-joy. As the first set plowed on one could see an ominous darkness approaching from behind the city’s skyline, but no worries, from where me and my crew stood it was a lovely evening. The day had been brutally hot but the beer lines were quick – even at setbreak – and when the second set started I doubt anyone in the crowd imagined the show would soon get canceled due to weather.

Early in the set Trey started into Prince Caspian when Page tried to get his attention. “A major storm is imminent,” Page tells him and then us. “We’ll be standing right backstage and hopefully we’ll be back on soon.”

Then a stagehand took the mic. “Ladies and gentlemen, there is a storm coming. Hopefully it will blow over quickly and the show can resume, but for now we all have to evacuate the grounds immediately!”

Blink, blink, went thousands of eyes. Nobody moved.

Five minutes later the same guy comes back onstage.

“Okay everyone, we must leave the venue RIGHT NOW! Phish is 100% not coming back onstage tonight!”

That got people moving.

With a collective shrug we all started out of the venue towards a thousand homes. Huge raindrops started falling; sporadically at first and quickly increasing. As we were heading out through a break in the weather a thought occurred to me.

“Coventry,” I said.

“What?”

“At Coventry they told us all to go home too, but the show went on after all. What if we’re being Coventried again?” I implored.

That gave us pause as we all remembered. This wasn’t the first time Phish had told us to leave. So we all stood there allowing forces to pull us in different directions. Meanwhile the drops got fatter and more frequent. Unspoken, we all agreed to race for cover within earshot of the venue and bolted.

We found ourselves jammed into a concrete roofed area near the marina, squished in with about a hundred and fifty others. And then the rains came, and they came hard.

Huddled together, dry and drunk and watching it pour down, somewhere behind me a sole voice began. “Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide…” and then someone else joined in, “…No escape from reality…” The next line caught a few more people and the next a bunch more, and by the time we got to the “…easy come, easy go…” part we were all in, 150-strong and singing our hearts out. We even sang the solo together à la Wayne’s World. It was glorious and something I’ve tried again without success.

By the time the rain started to let up it was clearly too late for any more Phish so back into the subway we went. When anyone mentioned how lame it was that the show had been cancelled I would try to convey the horror of watching the stage collapse on top of Cheap Trick at The Ottawa Bluesfest.

I was fine with them cancelling. As far as I’m concerned with a three-night run there’s little reason to sweat it if one of the shows goes a bit wonky. That’s what the other two nights are for.

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