Phish Camden and Merriweather Summer 2010

   Middle of January, single digits outside, and the Steelers playing in the AFC Championship Game, but I’m already thinking about Summer Tour. How can one not? Phish announced they’re releasing remastered copies of Merriweather 6/27/10 and rumors abound of Hampton over Memorial Day weekend and a festival at Watkins Glen, NY over Fourth of July weekend. So what better time than republish (with a little bit of editing) my last giant email I sent out before starting Kempepedia, celebrating the four day run that was Camden/ Merriweather MidAtlantic Madness. Note:this also contains the origin story of HMLL.



The week of June 21st marked the 20th anniversary of myself going to see live shows. I can not think of a better way to celebrate than by going to see Phish 4 nights in a row.
    The first two shows were in Camden on Thursday and Friday. Christine and myself were just going to do Thursday and rest up Friday for Saturday. The Hershey Park show two weeks ago was so good that I talked her into going both nights. Got my tix at a discount and sold my extra Merriweather tix at a discount so that all evened out. We of course rolled out really early and were sitting in the Camden Lot (no shade tents allowed. Why? So the satellite over Camden can see down on the lot. Camden NJ, the most dangerous city in America, has a space program?)  Christine was also feeling a bit ill so it looked like we might have to drive back to Marrieta Thursday night or Friday morning. Luckily, Tour healed her and she was fine.
     However, before we made it to the lot, we got lost and the GPS wasn’t working right and it was balls hot and I was massively sweating and frustrated and angry. With perfect timing Christine goes, “If it makes you feel any better, I need someone to put sunscreen on my back” If you know Christine and myself, that might have been the most perfect thing to say to get me back on track. We were there but a half an hour and a massive, Wizard of Oz thunderstorm rolls through. It was raining sideways and the wind was blowing so hard my car was rocking. When it slowed up, Christine rolled down the window and the air temp had dropped by 40 degrees. It felt like a supermodel’s ass rubbing up against my face. (Yes, I know what that feels like. Not recently, but back in the day……) The storm shut down all the public transportation in Philly and spawned a tornado, shutting down the Turnpike. That’s why I get to the lots early.
    So we spend the rest of the time in the lot kicking it with two New Yorkers from the Upper and Lower East Side. The show was raging. Highlights: Everything, but the Bowie opener was awesome. I texted the Disease>Crosseyed made me feel like my balls were on fire. Hood>Fluffhead, mind-blowing! We were staying at Meg Rhodes place, right across the river in Philly. The GPS got us there safe and sound. It was an old factory the owner converted into the most amazing loft I’ve ever seen. Exposed brick with central air. Lots of windows and a dining room table that looked like the table Led Zeppelin met around to plot out their tours. Got a good nights sleep and were ready to rage Friday.
     Switzer and Delorean rolled into Philly in the world’s largest truck driven by a heady chick. Meg and her friend Brent (who remembered meeting me at the apartment Dan and myself had way back in 1996-97. Glad he remembered because I didn’t.) Christine’s friend Todd rolled in and got lassoed into driving. He did an amazing job driving through some hellacious traffic. We needed to get 8 tixs for all our peeps. We did it and even got a miracle out of it. We raged and ruled the lot, but that’s how it is when you roll with High Maintenance Lot Ladies (Can you hold this? Can you light this? Can you open this? Can you take a picture?) Had a close encounter of the worst kind but it worked out. Highlights Alumni Blues (1st since 1999)>Letter to Jimmy Page (1st since 1994)>Alumni Blues. I really thought I’d never see that song. So WOOHOO!!!! Not the biggest fan of Time Turns Elastic, but even that was ripping it up. They did a super funky 2001>Thiller Jam>2001 that left my mind a crater. I then called the encore “Shine a Light” by the Stones. As good as that all was, I still had two shows at Merriweather. God, I love Tour.
     I had to bring D Lo back to Hanover for her grandfather’s surprise birthday party and then a wedding that night. (The wedding was planned before the shows. She lives in San Fran so was able to come home, see two shows and then head back.) I also had to bring Courtney, Vermont friend of Switzer’s down to the show to meet other people from VT. We got to my apartment at 12:15 and were on the road by 1:15. Had the Quik Shade rocking the Lot like no one else. Had the whole Hanover crew down there. The show had two new debut cover songs (one that only two people knew) . Andy Miller recognized the Neutral Milk Hotel cover and I remember reading how much Trey liked their stuff.  But the second set is where they blew it up. Spacey funk 2.0 jamming was the order of the day. The Rock and Roll>Free started things off right. The Tweezer was the other highlight of the second set.
     The last day was bittersweet but still a whole lot of fun. Saw some of the Argentina –Mexico match in the lot. Meet up with even more people. The show started off with Walfredo and a raging Antelope first set closer. The second set was all about I Saw It Again. Weaving it throughout the rest of the second set (reminiscent of what they would do with Guyute later in October in Utica) and destroying Jumping Jack Flash. WOW! I called the Walfredo opener. When I get on the road, I become one with the Tour. Made it back safe and sound. Hope everyone had a blast and thanks to Phish for 4 of the best days of my life.