Good first set - Camel Walk makes a welcome return, they slay It's Ice again like they have the whole tour, Yarmouth Road is getting tighter and tighter, and they play a very nice, tightly wound Stash that grips at the throat and squeezes at about the 8 minute mark. You don't care.

The second set...three thoughts here:

1) I've talked a *lot* the past couple days about how much I like what Phish is doing with their sets now - stringing together songs via jamming, creating cohesive sets of music instead of big long jam/rest/big long jam, that sort of thing. I was expecting that by the time we got to Dick's they'd have turned this form of music making into an art form. I was not expecting them to take everything they'd been doing all tour and channel it all into the eighth longest jam in their history (info courtesy the estimable Scott Marks on Twitter). Nobody could.

2) Which makes the rapturous response to this jam (my rapturous response will be coming up in a jiffy, don't worry) kind of interesting, because there's just as much jamming here as in Gorge 2 or Alpharetta 1 or (heck) most of the shows so far, only *entirely concentrated into one jam*. I mean, let's think of this as a mental exercise. If you took away the third quarter, what would you have? Tela? Well, everyone likes Tela. A red-hot Twist? Hey, that's nice. Architect/Bouncing...um, well...jeez, this is kinda a short Antelope...where the hell's the jamming? This show must have sucked! Of course, nobody would ever think this, because there WAS a jam, and it was in one song, and it was everything you could have asked for.

So next time they play 5 songs full of great jamming, but none of the jams exceeds 15 minutes, I'd just ask that you pay that some mind. Anyway.

3) So, yes, 36 minute Tweezer, return to the old days, blah dee blah dee blah. But here's the thing - this is not a return to the old days, because the old days of big time long jams featured moments where the band was clearly either marking time, playing some weird idea they probably shouldn't have pursued in the past, or dicking around, and there is not a single ounce of any of that here. Look, I love Bangor and Bozeman and the Fleezer and some of those seguefests, but you can pare away some fat in those jams and be better for it. Not here. Every single segment here *works* - big loud jamming, puddling into bliss, the cathartic moment when they begin start-stopping and urging on the "woo!"s, classic rock freak-outs - and every segment is organically moved into with hardly a pause or moment to catch your breath. They played a jam unlike anything in 3.0 - hell, barely like anything in any era. It's a defining jam. We'll be talking about it forever.

Final thoughts - Phish has played a lot of shows. Almost all of them are fun shows. A select number of them are "classic" shows. And then there are "I was there" shows. For the people in attendance tonight, they got an "I was there" show. Congratulations.

...you lucky bastards.

Review of the Tweezer

This jam really has five distinct sections (in my opinion), with a final Tweezer breakdown at the end.

Regular Tweezer Jam
4:44 Jam drops- Page on Grand Piano, Fishman on open hi-hat driving beat, Gordo thumping, Trey playing subtle rhythmic melodies.
8:12 Page goes to keyboard. Trey does some cool scratches with the wah, Gordon then puts on an effect.
9:40 Page unleashes the deep space effect.
10:25 Jam dissolves into space.

First jam:
11:45 Fishman enters with a drum beat. Heavy effects from Page and Trey, with Gordon dropping the meatball. Very cool ambient peak seemingly out of nowhere.
13:55 Jam has built with Trey rhythmically playing a riff and attacking the higher fretboard for sustained notes, extremely tasteful playing. Page echoes on the Grand Piano nicely.
15:20 Fishman drops into a nice beat on the toms. Trey plays a very dark heavily distorted riff. Mike drops in at 16:02 with the PEDAL. Initially Trey and Mike are both playing melodies but Trey sustains a note, Mike goes off, Fishman goes crazy on the fills, and Page builds the sound and Trey reenters at 17:00.
17:55 Jam fizzles into space.

Second Jam
19:30 Trey starts a simple strumming pattern with Page on the Grand piano. 20:55 Fishman comes in with a beat.Trey basically vamps rhythm as Page and Mike drive the jam
22:16 Trey comes in with solo.
23:10 Page/Trey interplay in this segment is top notch. Page lets out of a line of notes that Trey soon emulates. *23:23 TREY FIRES. Page lays on some organ to continue to build the jam.
24:35 Mike puts on an effect, Trey drops to some rhythm, Fishman switches up the beat. This next minute is some serious Phish jamming. Trey and Mike specifically show amazing chemistry here.

Third Jam
26:08 Jam slows up, Mike plays a riff and the rest of the band immediately respond and change on a dime to a two chord vamp. This leads into a stop/start segment. Gordon owns this segment by cleverly placing notes over the stop/start segment.
*27:41 Holy shit.
29:13 Holy shit again, the band can create energy at the drop of a hat.

Fourth Jam
30:25 Trey aggressively plays some chords out of the jam segment and Fishman does not hesitate to immediately drop the Tweezer beat. Page has better ideas and continues to jam with Trey quickly joining.
*31:15 Amazing Page/Fishman playing.
32:33 Fishman drops back into a beat, Trey does some reggae upstroke. This goes into another stop/start segment. 33:11 has another explosion of energy. This jam hits a major peak.

Second Tweezer Jam
34:55 Fishman and Trey both come back in with Tweezer theme. Lots of fun stop/start action here.

I have struggled to understand Phish. When my brother, @Penn42, starting listening to them years ago they almost gave me a headache. I didn't understand what they were doing. Despite this, I agreed to go see the gorge shows of theirs in 2011. Those shows helped me understand what Phish was doing, and I started to enjoy listening to them more. But when listening to Phish, I still grew old of jams that were extremely long, they lost me.

Now although 2011 gorge had some awesome jams, I was too new to be able to follow them or appreciate them. Last night though, I followed Tweezer every note of the way, and loved it! Afterwards my bro took a guess, when I asked, at how long Tweezer was, he said 20-25 minutes. I remember thinking it felt short (cause it was so awesome) and that it was, at most 20-25. Then we find out it's 36 minutes, and for me to not have gotten bored or have zoned out for the 36 minutes of jamming is just too cool!

I'm excited to listen to more long jams from Phish now, as the gorge shows helped me understand basic phish, Tweezer was my gateway jam!

The rest of the show was real solid. After Tweezer I wanted another big jam song, but I think they all laid down what they had on Tweezer. Lawn Boy, camel walk, Tela, all very cool to hear. A fun show, im going to love re-listening to it.

'Show had some rarities! Camel Walk, Brian and Robert, Lawn Boy, and Tela all in the same show? That alone is pretty notable! Not to mention one of the longest jams ever! This Tweezer is a great great jam. So great, in fact, that it renders any complaints someone may have about this show moot; it's strong enough to hold the show on its own. Really, the whole set is pretty stellar. The triple-T-triumvirate to open is great, the Architect is easily the best to date, Bouncing was Bouncing, and Amtelope raged really hard. But enough about all that stuff, lets talk about the Tweezer!

If I had only three words to describe it, I'd say "humor and hose". They really milk the crowd for the "woos", making the Twist later in the set that much more appropriate. And the hose sections to follow the humorous "woo" sections are all unbelievable. It's interesting that for a jam so long, it would stay so relatively straightforward. I don't mean that as a slight to the jam, but the jam is really only made up of several repetitions of the "build -> hose -> breather" formula. It is definitely type II, shit doesn't sound like Tweezer except at the very beginning and very end, but it isn't a super "heady" jam for its length. Its accessibility is probably part of what makes it so great! Unlike the Bangor, or Bozeman, or a whole slew of other Tweezers, here is a jam that would be relatively safe to show a noob. Yet it simultaneously satisfys us non-noobs as well. Truly a jam for the ages!

Now a few thoughts on actually witnessing it live. First: OMFGOEIWNANQLSPDJENWKA. Second: I'm not much of a jumper at concerts, but this jam made me jump a couple times. Those jumps were involuntary too! I knew they happened, but I never made a conscious decision to jump. Third: my throat hurts from yelling "woo" so loud so many times!

So excited to re-listen to that jam and second set many many times!

THIS is the reason why people go to Phish shows, and the reason they keep coming back for more.

When I give a show 5 stars I want it to be one where every song from the opening note to the final encore is through the roof. Then there are shows that come along which merit 5 stars for specific moments of euphoria that trump anything else from the rest of the show, which will ultimately be forgotten. This is one of those shows.

Years from now, when we're all in the old folks' home for Phans, nobody's going to be reminiscing about anything out of the first set. Nobody's going be talking about the excellent 2nd set renditions of Antelope (one of the best of 3.0,) Bouncing around the Room, or the rare appearance of Tela. Those were all great, but will ultimately fade with time.

But oh, that Tweezer!

That Tweezer is what we'll be talking about with Uncle Ebenezer and his geriatric compadres as we play bingo or gin rummy.

There are too many moments to point out, but I'll just say that the final 10 minutes are the apex of creativity and truly blew my mind. It represents everything Phish is about. Starting with the first "woo" segment, this jam takes the musical experience into a realm where the band and audience are literally playing as one. It's a religious experience.

The other thing I'll point out is how this Tweezer separates itself from nearly all other all-time jams in that it's made up of what to my ears sound like 5 or 6 completely new songs made up on the spot. It's not like they just play with one riff for 30 seconds before moving on to the next idea, as they usually do in a jam. Not this one. They are listening to each other and playing out ideas for the length of what would normally be a full song, with bridges, crescendos, choruses and the like. I kept thinking to myself "what SONG is that? That's so good!" And then a few minutes later, the same thing. And then again. They're just so locked in during this jam it's insane. It's like they're reading each other's minds.

I'll stop there. Please, just give this Tweezer a listen. It's going to be on your all-time playlist FOREVER and will never cease to leave you grinning ear to ear by the end.

Sometimes....the stars align perfectly and each one of us is treated to something so special, that it creates a buzz that no one outside of this phamily will ever understand. What I mean by that is every phan is feeling the exact same way today. Complete euphoria and awe combined with an appreciation for this band still even existing.

Ive been listening all day like each one of you has, grinning ear to ear, saying "Wow", and just admiring what these 4 guys are capable of. This is truly why we are all here on this site and at these shows...for moments like last night.

Cheers to the greatest band in the world!

I've said this before about other shows but obviously I don't think I quite knew what the hell I was talking about.

THIS show is where IT's at.

I'll say it again.

THIS show. Is where IT's at.

My favorite band has such a tight grasp of their art right now. It's not just jamming for the sake of jamming anymore. Not just a whim or an experiment. It is basically the four of them connected telepathically.

In my humble opinion.

twas there.

first set runs down like this:

no bullshit CDT
funky ass Camel (HUMP DAAAAAAAAAAAAAY)
standard but rockabilly type BOTT
another top shelf 3.0 Ice
a tear jerking breather in Brian and Robert
Yarmouth gets better every time they play it
KDF - I reached for a beer and was glad I was there
perfectly fitting Lawn Boy; sung with soul of a thousand pages
BEST OCELOT eva? maybe so....
second best Stash of summer (see MPP2 for #1)

second set highlights:
Tweezer..........read the fucking book.
Tela, Twist, Arch, and BATR was gravy
Antelope was fierce

encore:
Julius and Tweeprise equates to a FYF

this show is worth a couple of listens at least

Hi everyone:

Long time reader, first time reviewer.

Coming into the second set, we had no reason to think we were going to get what we did. The first set of first night was great. The second set, while featuring some great individual jams, really suffered from near-total breakdown between songs (see segue from boogie on into ghost). The first set second night was filled with very slow songs and I'm not a big enough fan of Brian & Robert to really revel in its breakout status. So, again, my hopes were not particularly high as the band took the stage for the final set.

HOWEVER, they launched into Tweezer and the crowd immediately responded. The opening salvo was played confidently and as they settled into the first jam, all ears were keenly focused on what was about to happen.
What happened was IT.
The first real sign that IT was going to happen was the encore appearance of the 10 foot beach ball that debuted at the second set of Gorge II, courtesy of my friend Heather. As the Tweezer jam rolled on, dudes in the back on Page side started blowing up a massive beach ball. I turned her attention to this, and she screamed "THAT'S MY FUCKING BALL!" As the jam turned another corner, the ball was let loose, and that's when things really started getting crazy.
There are decent enough reviews of the actual song already on this site, so I won't repeat them. What I do want to say is that it was incredibly obvious to everyone in the crowd that we were in on something big.
Pay attention to when Trey brings back the main Tweezer theme. Usually it takes everyone in the band a few measures to all get back on the same tempo, but everyone IMMEDIATELY jumped back on they slammed the door on the back end. Amazing music. Just amazing. It's moments like those that make all the bullshit, all the money, all the hassles of traveling worth every single bit of it.
Now that that's been said, don't sleep on the Twist or the Antelope. The pace was so blistering and everyone was dancing so hard that the bleachers were swaying and the wood floor boards (literally) started to crack. For those who get to watch some video, pay attention to Trey's body language. Usually during a jam he looks like he's squinting really hard to see to the back of the arena, as if he's trying to see what he's supposed to play next. For large parts of the second set, he was basically motionless, staring at his feet, just absolutely shredding the life out of his guitar. To be honest, I thought the days of his (or their) playing as well as he (and they) did were in the past. I was wrong.
I will end by saying this: Next to love of God, and then of a good woman, there is no feeling that will compare to being at a Phish show when THAT MOMENT happens. And there may not be a worse feeling than listening to that same show later and realizing it wasn't nearly as good as you thought it was. That's why I'm going to just sit on this show for a long time before I listen to it again.
THANK YOU PHISH. See you in San Francisco.

All I know is that I'm on my 4th consecutive play through of last night's magnificent Tweezer and it hasn't gotten remotely repetitive yet- I agree 100% with those who point out its total lack of searching- just bam bam bam- the goodest of stuff! Yes, goodest. The judges will also accept bestest. THANK YOU BOYS.

Really enjoying this listen, and very encouraged at how *loose* the playing feels... Even night one of Tahoe, for it's imperfections, had a looseness that reminded me of older times, even 80's vintage, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants Phish. So great to hear. I'd rather hear that looseness because IT is what allows the magic to happen - to creep in.

After hearing about this show I was really stoked to give it a listen, and just have - enjoyed the hell out of it. Loving the Camel Walk and Stash!

I'll be the differing opinion on the Tweezer - while it is a MONSTER, I much prefer the first half (pre-Wooooo). The second half feels a bit more stitched together, as fun as it is. A return to an almost identical Chalkdust jam that opened the show, and then a Frampton 'Do You Feel Like We Do' themed jam... Super fun and upbeat, but much less interesting music IMO than the first half...

But I am sitting here with my headphones on... I know without a doubt that if I had been at that show and witnessed that high-powered jam in person I would have been goosebumped to the core...

So glad to hear the band having fun, TAKING CHANCES... Perhaps eschewing the super tight, constrained jams, and allowing a bit more hey-hole flow to happen. I hope the evolution continues for years to come. Really looking forward to see what the rest of this tour has in store.

After a great party show where everyone in our group was predicting almost every song, we started Wed night trying to repeat our telepathic feat. I said Chalkdust, Backwards and Possum because the tour stats helped a lot Tue night. My buddy asked me, what about the second set? How about a Tweezer? Well, all I really want at any show is a transcendental jam. Maybe that's why Tue night's show (which we all enjoyed very much) was the lowest rated show of the year, no big lifer jam. I had no idea how well the band would grant my request! Even the usually reserved Tom Marshall, perched above our bleachers, was in outer space during parts of the Tweezer jam. Woos and spontaneous cheers echoed across Lake Tahoe all night. Thanks Phish for exceeding all of our wildest expectations once again!

This entire show for me, is excellent. I only recently started listening to Phish, and I wasn't totally hooked until I heard this Tweezer. I appreciated Phish and what they were doing, but they didn't become part of my daily routine until I heard Tweezer. It is everything I look for in the music that I like. I'm really happy I found Phish, thanks to my Algebra teacher! The 27:40 mark on Tweezer is absolutely pure bliss, and will never cease to put me in a good mood. I can do nothing but have the widest smile I can manage in my face when I hear that!

As far as the rest of the show goes, I really love it. I think this is the best version of Yarmouth they have played so far. It is really tight, with some nice vocal harmonies, and Mike leading the rest of the band with his bass. Trey has some really tasteful licks and this type of major mode jamming at the end of the song is really what showcases his ability and sound best. Yarmouth is definitely in my Top 5 favorite Phish songs. Kill Devil Falls is very strong, again with great Trey playing. The jam after the main song section is strong, with great build up, and then Lawn Boy right after is very tastefully done. Ocelot seems like a song that could really drag if the band is low on energy. This version, however, is strong all the way through and doesn't slouch on.

Architect is played very well, in my opinion. While many people may think that this song is like a really cliche AB rhyme pattern song, it still holds up and you can really tell, that while it may be one of those songs, Phish's sound still rings true throughout and is a great song.

Well, that's the end of my first review here on the Phish net, and I hope to have many more to come.

Thank you so much Phish for all your music and this Tahoe Tweezer! Phish has become my daily listening thanks to this Tweezer, and have discovered so many other amazing songs since then!

thanks, Brian

The 8/30 post-show buzz was all about people leaving Tahoe to hit up the Hornings Festival. It is my firm belief that Phish played such a killer 8/31 show to reward the loyal phans that didn't leave for the Hornings Festival.

This was a magical day from the start. I killed a 6er of Magic Hat #9 on my hotel balcony (not bad for $50 a night) and then headed over to check out the lot scene. On my way over, I heard a guitar playing from the stage and stopped to listen. It was Trey playing by himself (http://youtu.be/ZqhwI9LfSz0). I wondered if this was a regular thing that I didn't know about or if it really was a special type of moment. Regardless, it was special for me and the other five people who stood there behind the stage listening until Trey was finished.

I then proceeded to the lot and jammed on a mandolin with some dirty hippie strangers in the woods. We shared moonshine and good vibes. At one point, the pregame festivities hit me so hard I thought to myself "I can't believe the show is over already" when in reality it hadn't even started yet I then waited in the gate line for a few hours and randomly ran into my Gorge friends from Texas. That's when the night went to the next level. My Gorge friends and I united our energy and buckled up for a ride into the unknown. Little did we know how known that unknown would soon become.

This Tweezer was so good that people hardly even mention the Tela that followed it!

To the band (if you read this) thank you for everything!

about 31 minutes into tweeter, trey starts what's being referred to as the dear Mr fantasy jam. just wanted to point it that this is the same chord progression as the second major ham found in 12-29-94 monster bowie. no idea if this was intentional, or something trey reverts to in acknowledging. an awesome jam our what, but it's just perfect.

2nd best Tweezer ever and there are hundreds of great Tweezers i even love the funky underrated short 14 minute one in 2019 the least amount of Tweezers played year by far. But this 5 part jam is epic and I have it memorized. The other great ones include the 2 from the Live Phish color volumes I am still hoping for a green of the Halloween releases Ziggy Stardust Little Feat Thrilling Chilling Exile on Main Street Bowie being my favorite and they can leave off the 2 original Phish albums from the future Sci Fi Soldier and Kasvot Though Kasvot is growing on me that is some major CHOMPER song action I for one hate all songs on there except DDHVL and Passing Through and Turtle in the Clouds is growing on me with the Pussy Drop Interupt or Interlock or whatever the fuck they are saying. . .Passing Through needs to be played more often that song is a great ender The ender songs to their halloween and just albums in general are so great like Caspian Petrichor Passing Through ok maybe not In Miami I am Me bullshit Here I am in Miami or whatever the fuck it is called that Mike song accapella is garbage but You Never Know off the then called Wingsuit shoulda stayed as Wingsuit not Fago I am not a big fan of Feugo but I did love the most recent one not Dicks 2023 if played there but the 30 minute epic one at MSG 2023 7-30 if I recall the dates right. If they do not go that Halloween route and this is if they ever do GREEN for weed and dedicated to our Makisupa Policemen and Firemen all around the world . . .hitting those hoes in dem low lows girl I still got love for the street beat cops its the DRE Of course number 24 would have to be Big Cypress so maybe all 4 be the great festivals Make number 21 be The Great Went 22 be Lemonwheel 23 be Dover Downs Curveball part 2 w no camping being the Curveball Hippies sleeping on the beaches of Rehobeth Beach my hometown Conowingo closest beach and home to gays and hippies alike not so much transgenders but the community is diverse as fuck and a cool scene but NASCAR and Phish do not mix just keeping it real but I appreciate Phish trying to make it LESS MUDDY so as not to be a repeat of Coventry or Curveball no more C word festivals The air force base is badass for all those military family Phish phans like me my uncle fixes WW2 planes and works w the navy and marines most. Patrick Lewis I married his niece out of respect for military blood now in my in law

BEST Tweezer ever is probably still the one that opened the show in 1999 w the Fire ending the first set but this one is in the top 5 for sure w 2-28-2003 and MSG 1997 Clifford Ball Big Cypress I got a decent one and my only 2 at Hershey Park 2010 and Camden 6-7-2009 with a great final set song version strange placement but epic Sand during that show overshadowed even the Freezer oh yes and Hershey did not have a reprise so they did it twice at the next city to make up for it so I missed out on that but Bold as Love is such a great Hendrix tune how could i be upset. I got my worst ever Tweezer at MPP in 2011 and 2009 but an amazing 6-27-2010 made up for it even had a super duper rare Walfredo maybe even more rare than Harpua and Col Forbins and Icculus but Id have to look up the stats on rarity I almost shit myself when I saw Trey go for the drum kit and Mike for Treys guitar not his bass and Page to the bass I dont even like the song but the MD blue crab lyrics we were eating crabs at MPost Walfredo where did you go ? How much did you get paid?
What is your favorite Tweezer? This is number 3 I think for me but that is a tall order to have a trinity of Freezers and which one stacks up as Whirlpool GE or Kenmore epic pleasing of the tweezer nipple titty twister that makes you wet even in a cold cold cold gonna be cold

I feel like this show has a kind of synaesthetical feel to it that reflects a Phish of less intensity throughout the majority of the show than I've come to love them for, and in that way this is a good show with a huge jam rather than a great show. The fabled "Tahoe Tweezer" is not really my kind of jam, in that it may have symphonically inclined elements but the whole of which doesn't pay off with the revelatory euphoria of some of the earlier big excursions that Phish did which could pay off over a shorter duration and which were part of coherent artistic statements occurring within the arc of a coherent artistic statement of a career or part in Phishtory. Nevermind that I find the woos facile and inimically entrenched thereafter such that the band may have had an idea about how to incorporate them but here they give vent to a tendency among phans to take shortcuts to true, durable connectivity within the scene. I'm really glad that people are so excited even now about this show and this jam, but to me it feels like an average-great night with an admittedly admirable attempt to recapture some of the sustained peaks of the Oh Kee Pa Ceremony-type intersubjectivity that was so endemic and integral to earlier days but that wouldn't feel fully at home in the contemporary era until the Baker's Dozen or--generously--Magnaball, and that became possible due to intentionally shedding resource constraints and settling into an indentity that makes sense in overview. Some phans may call this momentous occasion highly successful and inspirational, yet I find it a case of the phenomenon Jon Fishman once described regarding listening while drumming whereby if one focuses too much on one aspect of the music it's like the brain is a sponge and the other parts dry up due to disuse or even neglect. I love big, long jams, and I think in some ways the post-hiatus/pre-breakup Phish was a lot more keen in that regard because it didn't have to be a pivotal, Badouian "event" to go deep; it was happening vibrantly every show and with far less tentativity than this show can offer.

I was relistening to 7/20 Chicago Set 3 today, and when I got to the Light I was amazed to hear several musical pieces that were rocked in the THE TWEEZER present; most specifically the passages that transition from the Spacey Jam to the Start-Stop Woo passage. Like the Chicago Light, LOVE this Tweezer.

Tweezer....it's fantastic. I was lucky enough to hear the 2/28/03 Tweezer in person and I see a lot of similarities. Every single part of the Nassau Tweezer sounded composed. It was like a piece of classical music where each movement fit together perfectly. This Tweezer echoes that structure, although, Nassau is still tops in my book. Kudos to you guys for being able to drop this 10 years later. I love this f-ing band!

Gotta love this scene.
Just when a lot of us are busy apologizing on the boys' behalf with comments like "they don't get to practice enough", and, "let's face it...they're 50 now, they're not 25 anymore...", and, "They can't play those rare tunes anymore, they forgot how...", and, "Trey just can't bring it anymore...".......
Just then....

The grizzled ole' vets OPEN A SERIOUS CAN OF FUCKING WHOOPASS AND DROP IT LIKE ITS HOT!!

Woooooooooooooo

On July 31st, 2013 I woke up hungry and hungover, having experienced a heck of a first night of Phish at Lake Tahoe that led well into the wee hours.

It was everything I could do to crawl out of bed in time for the full breakfast that comes included with the room. With just ten minutes to get myself downstairs to the restaurant I started clamouring for the room key and simply could. not. find. it. Through blurry eyes I searched and searched, and only my inability to feel anything at all kept me from utterly weeping with frustration.

I finally found the stupid key and booted it downstairs just in time to see them wheel away the final food tray. Now that I was up there was no going back down for the sleep I desperately needed so I went back to the room and made a peanut butter sandwich, puttered around, grabbed a newspaper, tried to type things on the computer and did anything I could to not feel like I should be dead, somewhat unsuccessfully.

M’lady woke up just before noon and decided she was as hungry as I was. It was her birthday so we called down for room service, a first for me. After waiting for an hour I called back and was told that not only had no order been placed, because we had called before noon there was no way someone would have answered the phone and taken our order.

I weakly asked how long it would be if we re-ordered. “We could have your soup and sandwich up there in about an hour, or you could just visit our restaurant.” Little did I know, the person on the other end of the phone was setting a trap.

As we approached the hostess at the restaurant downstairs we ran into some friends, so the five of us waited for a table together. When we were finally seated we waited even longer to be served. I noticed the next table over speaking to the manager. Something about waiting forever for their food. Strange, the place wasn’t that busy.

Then our waiter came out. I can’t help thinking now that perhaps he had never been in a restaurant before. Maybe he was raised by wolves?

“I’ll bring water,” he said. No, he didn’t.

“Oh, let me grab ketchup for you,” and he’s gone forever.

“Friends,” I declared, mustering my last remaining strength, “Our waiter is a pathological liar, and he may be trying to kill us.”

When the food finally came the guy says, “Who ordered the Mexican club sandwich?” Nobody had.

“That’s close enough,” I answered, ecstatic that there was now a plate of food in front of me.

“Oh, did you order the regular club?” he asked, reaching to take the plate away. “I can change that for you,” he lied.

Wild-eyed with hunger I literally threw my body over the plate like a hero jumping on a live hand grenade. “No! No! No!” I screamed. “Go away. You are not taking away anything!”

We still tipped. I so, so don’t understand tipping.

After lunch m’lady and I strolled down to the beach area for a bit of a sit-around. We ran into some friends from San Francisco and stayed as long as I could stand the sun. Then we went back at the hotel where I hit the free-drinks happy hour, but I assure you after the last night’s debacle I didn’t hit it very hard. Dramatically more sober than the previous night we crossed the street for another night of Phish.

The venue was a temporary stage thrown up in the back parking lot of Harvey’s Casino. The asphalt square measured about a hundred and twenty feet wide by maybe seventy five feet deep and was surrounded on three sides with seven rows of temporary, aluminium bleachers. Basically it felt like we were seeing Phish at the mall with a few thousand other people. It’s no iconic venue but I thought it was a great place to see the band.

The first set was great but it’s the second set that will forever stand out in Phish lore. They opened set two with their riff-fiesta Tweezer and just kept at it. The song morphed into it’s standard jam and the standard jam turned into an exploration and the exploration turned into a really-listening-to-each- other game of follow the leader, and still on and on it went. Back in ’95 I saw them do an extended Tweezer jam in Finger Lakes but I haven’t seen much like it since; they were gleefully going out on a limb and it was great.

Locked into a groove and all eyes on each other, at one point the band hit a shot and dropped out for a bar. Somewhere, someone yelled “woo”. Eight bars later another break came up and a few dozen people added their own “woo”. That’s all it took, we were all on board and everyone knew it. The jam now featured four musicians and several thousand vocalists, and it felt good. I suppose there will always be at least three hundred people that will claim to be the person that started it, but that doesn’t matter, we were all in this jam together. It was invigorating, it was exciting, it felt special, and clearly the band was loving it.

So we all woo’d through what turned into the seventh-longest live Phish song ever and with one big final night-ending “WOO” we were all back on the street. At every afterparty all the talk was on the monumental Tweezer. It was a standout moment in the history of the scene and we were all happy to have played our part.

M’lady and I quit the evening around 4am just as a pickup Frisbee tourney was taking shape on the street outside of our friend’s rented house, and when we left the party we were in much better shape than the night before. Our noticeable lack of staggering got us back to our hotel in no time, where crisp sheets and soft beds were be the focus of the next handful of hours.

Woo.

http://www.toddmanout.com

After an up and down first set I had a feeling we were in store for something special in the second set and even though I made this declaration to my friend I had no idea how right i'd be. The second set blew way past my expectations and has put a smile on my face that is sure to stay for quite some time.

Finallly!! I've waited this whole tour for them to take a tune for a serious ride and last night's Tweezer was IT. no bailing out, no ripchord, no under ten minute jam like we have seen most of this tour. This is the phish I know and love. Hopefully this will be the catalyst for more jams like this to come the remainder of tour. I really really hope that's the case at least. This show is all about the tweezer period.