Well hello everybody. Hope you all had a great weekend. I just did my usual thing, 3 nights of mind-blowing music and fun with my incredable friends and a little band called Phish. Once again, Phish shows how much they love Hanover, PA and the cool peeps that live here by scheduling their MidAtlantic run around it. We’re just 2 and half-hours from Philly and 55 minutes from Merriweather. So without further ado, let’s get this show on the road!
Myself and my friend Justin hit the road about 10 am Friday. No traffic or other issues as we hit my friend Meg’s super deluxe penthouse style crib. It’s in a nondescript factory building in the Liberty Heights neighborhood in Philly. It is only 10 minutes from Camden. The first floor is a furniture factory. Meg’s roommate redid the top floor, all exposed ceilings, hardwood floors and the most amazing dining room table ever. I always described it as the table that Led Zeppelin sat around while they plotted out their tours. It is super smooth as if sanded down by topless Papua New Guanines using the finest grit sandpaper known to man. It’s that good. But there is a weird almost unlived-in-ness to the apartment. One plate on the top of the shelf had black lines all over it. It was from tar leaking though the roof. And a multiweek old bowl of clam chowder on the counter. Again just weirdness.
We hung out until 3 and myself, Justin, the OG HMLL Christine and her boyfriend Todd hit the Lot. The GPS took me on all these back streets through Philly proper and then Bam; we’re on the bridge crossing the Delaware River into lovely and safe Camden NJ. Camden is a rundown Rust Belt city in a rundown Rust Belt state. They made national headlines last year when due to budget cuts, they had to lay off a third or half of their police force. So needless to say, the Camden lot was really raging.
We were in the Lot next to the Shakedown Lot and Shakedown was all over the place. Three or four rows with sellers hawking their wares everywhere. Anything and everything was available for sale. The sun was out but there was a nice breeze. Everyday this weekend was calling for a chance of scattered strong thunderstorms. We lucked out with the weather 2 weeks before in Bethel. I had faith Mother Nature loves Phish and hoped for the best.
We rage the Lot properly. Our neighbors were from Portland, OR but the one chick and myself shared the same first Phish show, 4/8/94 Penn State Rec Hall. Christine was posing with the girls and remarked it was like they were on the Lot red carpet. I then yelled ala a reporter, “Who are you wearing?” Response “Some chick on the Lot”. That’s how HMLL’s roll. I was standing with 3 guys and this hippie chick came up and asked me to take their picture. The HMLL’s gift to me, glitter all over my arm and chest. It was still there come Sunday morning, and yes i DID shower.
I had some peeps in the pavilion and some on the lawn so I set up shop next to sound tower 4 and got ready for the show. And please allow me to just say how much I love Summer Tour. All the ladies wearing peasant dresses and hippie chick halter-tops .... ahh yes. And nearly every chick I saw looked beautiful. No secret how much I love hippie chicks. Thank God the music is really good. Cause if a Lawrence Welk death metal tribute band attracted a crowd like Phish does, you know I’d be there.
Friday, 06/10/2011
Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ
Soundcheck: Halfway to the Moon
Set 1: Rocky Top, Mike's Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Stash, Tube > Guyute, Guelah Papyrus > Scent of a Mule, Cavern, The Sloth, The Curtain With
Set 2: Down with Disease, Free, Possum, Big Black Furry Creature from Mars, Swept Away > Steep, David Bowie, Julius, Golgi Apparatus > Fluffhead > Joy
Encore: Bold As Love
Notes: Trey teased the Theme from Rocky before Rocky Top and Pop Goes the Weasel before Down With Disease.
My friend Tom called the Rocky Top as a tip of the cap to Bonnaroo, which was kicking of its 10th anniversary edition this weekend as well. I was surprised they did Mike’s on back to back nights but who am I to complain. The Weekapaugh was much better than the one I saw in Bethel. The whole first set was solid and the Curtain With’s ending jam was really spot on. I feel that’s one of the quintessential Phish songs. Goofy lyrics and amazingly structured jams that require a lot of practice.
The Disease was nice and followed by a typical nonjammed out Free. Possum had some interesting moments. The BBFCFM was a nice change of pace. The whole ending of the second set was solid. Haven’t listened to anything again yet so not too many details. Joy was actually a strong set closer, which I would have never guessed.
Kicked it a little post show in the Lot and then headed back to the coolest apartment in Philly.
Passed out sooner rather than later and was up 8:30 am for the ride back to Hanover. Quick shower and met up with my friend Abbey and we head down to the Lot. Hit Merriweather Lot by 2:30 and get the Quik Shade set up next to Tower 3. Everyone and I mean everyone from Hanover stops by. Great seeing Jay Dewald of the Jay Dewald Experience, rocking a vintage Devolver shirt. I have one Devolver shirt and everyone else has a dozen. What!?!? Old school Head Dion stopped by, AYC people! (That’s Adams York County for the uninitiated)
We watched a big black bird fight with two other smaller birds. They made their way across the Lot sky and then 10 minutes later came back but only one of the smaller birds made it. I joked the large bird was a raven and the smaller birds were from Pittsburgh. Stash everyone’s stuff in my car and head onto the lawn to grab our spot.
Link Saturday, 06/11/2011
Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
Set 1: Daniel Saw the Stone, AC/DC Bag, Ocelot, Access Me, Vultures, Wilson > Sand, Roses Are Free > Reba[1], On Your Way Down, Run Like an Antelope[2]
Set 2: Birds of a Feather, Tweezer > The Horse > Silent in the Morning > Waves > Chalk Dust Torture[3], Rock and Roll -> Albuquerque > Piper > Wading in the Velvet Sea > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan > Suzy Greenberg
Encore: Show of Life > Tweezer Reprise
[1] No whistling.
[2] On Your Way Down teases from Trey.
[3] BOAF tease.
Notes: Daniel Saw The Stone was played for the first time since August 3, 2003 (137 shows). Reba did not contain the whistling ending. Antelope included an On Your Way Down tease from Trey. Chalkdust included a BOAF tease.
We just get inside after Merriweather’s super lax security and they come onstage. Daniel opener.. woohoo! First time catching that gospel classic. Nice paced first set. Remember the whole Wilson through the end being really strong. No ending for Reba but that is typical. The Sand had some cool little themes in it. The Antelope was super high energy. At one point during setbreak, a group of six or seven YOUNG hippie chicks formed a line and made their way through our group. I dubbed them High Maintenance Jail Bait. We also had peeps spanning friendships of 20 + years from York and Hanover in the house. We had a huge area on the lawn just for the coolest people we know.
Second set starts and it’s Birds of a Feather. I guess Trey saw the birds fighting in the Lot. The Tweezer was short but had some really nice runs in it. The whole run from Tweezer through the end was really good. I liked the pacing of a high energy song followed by a slightly chill song. I think everyone was expecting a monster Chalkdust ala Camden but it was still very high energy. Merriweather has a new HD screen for the lawn and it kicks ass. Page’s look of ecstasy and release when he was singing the second lyric to Rock and Roll was mind-blowing. You know her life was saved by rock and roll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m man enough to admit I enjoy seeing Page sing.
The Piper was all energy and it really sounded like they were gonna go into No Quarter before they went into Velvet Sea. But again, the course of this set was perfect so no complaints. 2001 had some nice funk but no where near the sick James Brown licks they were throwing down on 6/3. Suzy had the band screaming “What?!” over and over. If any of that was directed at my me and something that is going on in my life, then bravo boys. Again, just about perfect. An always raging Reprise and sent us on our way. I got to sleep in my own bed while on Tour and was ready to finish strong on Sunday.
Got down to the Lot with Abbey about the same time but some how ended up parking right in front of the entrance of the venue. I literally could not have been any closer to walking in or leaving the Lot. Lots of friends stopping by. We even managed to save 4 parking spots for our friends. Christine and Todd followed shortly by Switzer and Josh showed up and took their lot spaces right up front. Because that’s how HMLL’s roll bitches!!!!!!!!!! It rained for 10 minutes, just enough to settle the dust as a friend once remarked. Baltimore got crushed by downpours but once again, Mother Nature loves Tour. 6 days with strong scattered thunderstorms yet barely a drop on me. Gotta give a shoutout to Sean from VT. Did first half of Tour without a car, always having it work out. Ahh, the magic of Tour. I have to give another shout out to Frank Vecera and Brianna Weaver for bringing their 6 month old son Owen to the show. With the power vested in me by Rolling Stone and Ken Kesey, I hereby dub Owen the Headiest Baby in the US. First show at 6 months, that's how we do it!!!
Got in a little bit earlier than we did on Sat. Walked in with a Gatorade and a security guard says, “You can’t take in Gatorade”. I reply I’ll drink it before I go in and then just walk in with it. Bethel maybe Mike’s house but Merriweather is MY house. Find our normal spot on the lawn and get ready. The lawn is where it’s at. It’s like seeing a show in your backyard. Nowhere near as crowded as Sat night. The people in front of us had 7 hoops on the lawn. For 2 chicks. What!?!?
Sunday, 06/12/2011
Merriweather Post Pavillion, Columbia, MD
Set 1: Buried Alive, Lonesome Cowboy Bill, Ha Ha Ha, Sample in a Jar > The Divided Sky, Wolfman's Brother -> Boogie On Reggae Woman > Gumbo, Halley's Comet > Bathtub Gin > Jesus Just Left Chicago, Character Zero
Set 2: Party Time, Crosseyed and Painless > Steam > Light > The Wedge, Alaska, Halfway to the Moon, Harry Hood > Backwards Down the Number Line, Loving Cup
Encore: Sanity > Makisupa Policeman[1] > First Tube
[1] With lyrics referencing blunts and bundt cake.
Notes: Lonesome Cowboy Bill was played for the first time since July 30, 2003 (141 shows). Makisupa included lyrics referencing blunts and a moist bundt cake.
Buried Alive opener from a fan with a sign. Lonesome Cowboy Bill. Ha Ha Ha. Nice opening. The transition in Boogie On was phenomenal. Halley’s was really short with no jam but Bathtub had some nice moments. I think I last saw Jesus back in 1998. Nice long first set setting us up for a final set of our MidAtlantic run.
Party Time! Few lyrics but an amazing groove. My defining image of the whole run is being behind Switzer as she rocked the fuck out of Crosseyed. That is what it is all about. First time I heard Steam and I like it. The jam at the end was really, really psychedelic and you know it has to be out there if that’s how I describe it. Light wasn’t the longest version but the transition into it was stellar. The encore blew what was left of our minds into the night sky.
In Markisupa, Trey’s keyword was a blunt. Before the show, Jay remarked that because his wife is Canadian, he had some authentic Cuban cigars and we talked about super high end blunts with illegal Cuban cigars. I mentioned that I have never smoked a blunt. Our friend whose nickname is Blunt was also in attendence. And then Trey talks about blunts??!?!? What?!?! We are as much as part of the Phish Tour Experience as we are for Devolver and Boxcar Social Tour. God I love this life!!!!!!
Chilled in the Lot until the police made their presence known. After an eventful ride home (Some douchebag was going 5 miles per hour on the Beltway. Almost rear ended him and was really worried about getting it myself), spent a restful night in my own crib. Today is all about cleaning up and writing. Thank you all my friends and aquaintnces that I have met on the way and make this life such an incredable journey. See you all at SuperBall IX!!!!!!!!!!!
Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD Rock and Roll
No comments:
Post a Comment