Greetings everyone. Hope you all managed to survive the heatwave this week. The temp in at work this week had to be well north of 110 degrees. But neither rain, nor snow, nor instant swamp ass inducing humidity and heat will stop me from doing Tour. So without further ado, let me regal you with tales of insanity and wonder from Furthur at the Mann Music Center on July 23, 2011.
I picked up my friend Emily from Mechanicsburg and was shooting to get to the Lot around 4. I went a little later than normal on account of the heat. We got to the same spot as last year, under the trees on the grass by the statues. Set up the Quik Shade and were ready to rock and roll. George Shcrippa showed up (Independent George in the house). Dion and his friend Christie showed up as well. It was all about chilling out under the shade and conserving energy. Did a quick swing by Shakedown Street. Not too much going on there. Bureau of Licensing and Permits was out in force and telling people vending to close up shop. Weak sauce. Saw Jamie Lee, Greg, and Suze from my adventures at the Tower Theatre back in March on Shakedown. The heat index made it feel like it was over 110 degrees. It was 20 degrees hotter on the asphalt. We made a quick retreat back to the campsite.
Christine and her crew showed up after 5. She saw a green Quik Shade but knew it was mine because of the blue HMLL shirt hanging from it. It serves as a beacon for all the ladies on the Lot.
They were late because they had to wait an hour to check in and still couldn’t do it. However, they did see our neighbor from SuperBall 9, Dave from here, there, and everywhere. I love it when you see the same people on different tours. Vanessa had an even larger tent, so we moved mine and had a huge spot made in the shade. Saw one guy pass out from balloons/dehydration. Cops and EMTs were right on the spot. Seemed like the guy was OK. More nitrous than you can shake a stick at. Complimented the police on taking away some of the tanks but they hardly put a dent in it.
Our friends on tour told us that Furthur had been starting early every night so we went in early. Avoided a huge backup at the gates getting into the venue by 7. Famous mandolin genius Paul Kraft said it took him an hour to get into the show. That really sucks. He missed them covering Boxcar Social. We ran into half of Frank Miller’s Beard. They played earlier in the day at the 3D Hempfest in Wrightsville.
Set 1
Sitting On Top of the World, Greatest Story ever Told, High on A Mountain, Masterpiece, Ruben and Cerise, Loser, The Last Time, The Mighty Quinn
Set 2
Shakedown St, Women are Smarter, Any Road, Playin>Help>Slip>Franklin’s Tower>Playin Reprise, Death Don’t Have No Mercy, Midnight Hour
E: Fool in the Rain, One More Sat Night
Sitting was a nice opener. First Greatest since 3/21/94 for me. (Don’t freakout, I had to look it up. But on the lawn I said early 90’s, so I wasn’t that far off) The Last Time was really good. I get a Stones cover almost every show I go to. George saw a time and temp sign that said it was 97 at 9pm. The Quinn was the third one I saw this summer, 2 by Phish and 1 by Furthur. Shakedown had a nice ’79 vibe. Women Are got all the ladies dancing. The meat of the set was the Playin’ sandwich. All of it executed flawlessly. Finally got my first Death Don’t and a rocking Midnight Hour. Can’t beat a show that ends with a little Pigpen. I was super surprised when they did a double encore. Would have bet we would only get One More Sat Night. But low and behold, Emily got her Fool in the Rain. I love the sambaesque rocking out they do at the end of the song.
Hung in the Lot a little bit after the show and then hit the road. It was still over 90 at midnight. Ran into Butch and Sean at the rest stop. Emily remarked I knew everyone everywhere but was very pleased with the local turnout at the show. I love the life I live and live the life I love.
One last moment that sums up what this is all about. Frank and Miller stopped by again during set break. At some point during the show, 8 of Emily’s friends showed up. So it was myself and 7 smoking hot chicks sitting on my blanket. Frank asked “Kemp, is this your harem?” My reply “HMLL’s man. They follow me everywhere” I do always have the hottest chicks on the Lot in my general vicinity. How do I do it? The beard, a full head of hair, and 21 years of going to shows. Furthur!!
Dave Kemp
BA in American Studies
PhD in Rock and Roll
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Tales from the Devolver Side: Jan 2002. Dave and Kyle try to buy a van
Hello everyone. Hope those of you that went to AllGood had a wonderful time. I’m kind of spoiled after the RV experience that was Super Ball 9. I have a Furthur show next week at the beautiful Mann Music Center in Philly so I decided what better time to reminisce about the golden age of Devolver. Today I tell you all about the time myself and Kyle tried to buy a van
It was January of 2002. The Miller’s Caravan minivan had given its all for rock and roll. The DeWald’s conversion van had made a gallant effort but lost the battle of the West Virginia hills and Jake’s lead foot. We needed something to get the gear to and from the shows. We had been doing it hodge podge, using everyone’s vehicles but that was only a short-term solution. I shattered the back window of my Omni taking gear to Kclinger’s that month. I got really hammered and had 2 ladies trying to put their hands (filled with ice) down my pants. Who were they? I guess that will have to wait for another entry. We also had a string of 2 weeks worth of shows booked stretching from North Carolina down to Atlanta and had to solve this issue pronto.
It was obvious that we had to buy a van. I figured with the local once a month steady gigs in the area (The Depot in York, Kclinger’s and Lupita’s in Hanover, and the Old Mill in New Oxford) plus other shows, there would be enough positive cash flow to cover the payments. However, because all of the band members still lived at home and had no real credit history to speak of, I was the only option to get a car loan. So putting my sterling credit score on the line, I said I would take out the loan to by the band a van. Yes I was that dedicated to Devolver and that batshit crazy.
Kyle’s dad Timbo, was a master salesman. He sold heavy industrial machinery for a living and claimed he paid 8000 bucks under MRSP on his last new car. He was going to help us get a good deal. Since I had no problem getting the bank to pre-approve the loan, Kyle and myself checked out used car dealerships in the area. We found a good van at a place in Dillsburg. I remembered Kyle being impressed by 2 things
1) The van had one of those sensors that beeped when you backed it up.
2) Pink’s “Get This Party Started” was on the radio when we did a test-drive.
But for whatever reason, we didn’t buy that van. We did find exactly what we needed at Ruth Motors on Route 30 in Thomasville.
I don’t remember the name of the salesman we dealt with, nor do I know if he is representative of the establishment. But the following is what happened. We found a van that was within our price range. We had a mechanic check it out and said it needed a new universal joint. The salesman said he would replace it. So we arranged for Timbo to accompany us when we went up to negotiate a price. However, Timbo bailed at the last minute. He did give us a five-minute lesson on how to get a lower price. This was a pointless exercise. The only bargaining I have ever done was in the Lot so I didn’t feel too confident going in. Kyle had done a little bit of online research for the Kelly Blue Book value. So, with a limited amount of arrows in our quiver, we went into battle against the scourge of capitalism, the used car salesman.
First the salesman said he replaced the joint. I asked to see the old part and he said they already threw it out. First red flag. When we tried to get a better deal, he got really pissed and said the price was what it was. Kyle said he found different numbers on the Internet. The salesman proclaimed he didn’t care what Kyle found on “his” Internet. Kyle’s response: “Well, it’s not my Internet.” We left without buying a van.
Andy quit the band within the next 2 weeks. He said he had to pull the trigger because he didn’t want me to have to pay for the van if the band broke up or couldn’t afford it. I knew he was unhappy with the grind of being in a band at that level and not really making any money off of it. From the bottom of my heart I want to thank him for that.
Soon after, my car failed inspection and that meant I had to buy a new car. 2 car payments would have been much more than what my budget could afford. The boys did the southern swing without Andy and shortly thereafter relocated to Atlanta to attend a music school there.I hope you all enjoyed this slice of life and blast from the past. Everyone have a good week and I’ll see some of you at Furthur
Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD in Rock and Roll
It was January of 2002. The Miller’s Caravan minivan had given its all for rock and roll. The DeWald’s conversion van had made a gallant effort but lost the battle of the West Virginia hills and Jake’s lead foot. We needed something to get the gear to and from the shows. We had been doing it hodge podge, using everyone’s vehicles but that was only a short-term solution. I shattered the back window of my Omni taking gear to Kclinger’s that month. I got really hammered and had 2 ladies trying to put their hands (filled with ice) down my pants. Who were they? I guess that will have to wait for another entry. We also had a string of 2 weeks worth of shows booked stretching from North Carolina down to Atlanta and had to solve this issue pronto.
It was obvious that we had to buy a van. I figured with the local once a month steady gigs in the area (The Depot in York, Kclinger’s and Lupita’s in Hanover, and the Old Mill in New Oxford) plus other shows, there would be enough positive cash flow to cover the payments. However, because all of the band members still lived at home and had no real credit history to speak of, I was the only option to get a car loan. So putting my sterling credit score on the line, I said I would take out the loan to by the band a van. Yes I was that dedicated to Devolver and that batshit crazy.
Kyle’s dad Timbo, was a master salesman. He sold heavy industrial machinery for a living and claimed he paid 8000 bucks under MRSP on his last new car. He was going to help us get a good deal. Since I had no problem getting the bank to pre-approve the loan, Kyle and myself checked out used car dealerships in the area. We found a good van at a place in Dillsburg. I remembered Kyle being impressed by 2 things
1) The van had one of those sensors that beeped when you backed it up.
2) Pink’s “Get This Party Started” was on the radio when we did a test-drive.
But for whatever reason, we didn’t buy that van. We did find exactly what we needed at Ruth Motors on Route 30 in Thomasville.
I don’t remember the name of the salesman we dealt with, nor do I know if he is representative of the establishment. But the following is what happened. We found a van that was within our price range. We had a mechanic check it out and said it needed a new universal joint. The salesman said he would replace it. So we arranged for Timbo to accompany us when we went up to negotiate a price. However, Timbo bailed at the last minute. He did give us a five-minute lesson on how to get a lower price. This was a pointless exercise. The only bargaining I have ever done was in the Lot so I didn’t feel too confident going in. Kyle had done a little bit of online research for the Kelly Blue Book value. So, with a limited amount of arrows in our quiver, we went into battle against the scourge of capitalism, the used car salesman.
First the salesman said he replaced the joint. I asked to see the old part and he said they already threw it out. First red flag. When we tried to get a better deal, he got really pissed and said the price was what it was. Kyle said he found different numbers on the Internet. The salesman proclaimed he didn’t care what Kyle found on “his” Internet. Kyle’s response: “Well, it’s not my Internet.” We left without buying a van.
Andy quit the band within the next 2 weeks. He said he had to pull the trigger because he didn’t want me to have to pay for the van if the band broke up or couldn’t afford it. I knew he was unhappy with the grind of being in a band at that level and not really making any money off of it. From the bottom of my heart I want to thank him for that.
Soon after, my car failed inspection and that meant I had to buy a new car. 2 car payments would have been much more than what my budget could afford. The boys did the southern swing without Andy and shortly thereafter relocated to Atlanta to attend a music school there.I hope you all enjoyed this slice of life and blast from the past. Everyone have a good week and I’ll see some of you at Furthur
Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD in Rock and Roll
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
More thoughts on Phish Superball 9
Hello everybody. Hope things are good in your hood. Just a week removed from SuperBall IX and Trey’s guitar is still echoing through my skull. So I’m going to take this opportunity to add a few things to my original posting last week. That was written under the threat of a deadline, so there were a few points I missed and would like to revisit. So without further ado, I present SuperBall 2.0 review.
On July 3rd, the setbreak music was all American themed songs. Born in the USA, American Girl and Young Americans were among the tunes that were spun. One glaring omission was US Blues by the Grateful Dead. I know Phish has spent most of their career avoiding the Dead comparisons but I think they missed the boat on not playing this one. I bet most people would have gotten up and danced. And does any song speak more to the challenging times that we live in right now?
I also found it curious how many Stones songs they played. Torn and Frayed was great because Exile is one of my favorite albums and I missed Festival 8. I missed it because I was putting on a show featuring Devolver and the Winter House Band. We also got Loving Cup and one of my all time favorite Stone’s songs, Monkey Man, off the album Let It Bleed. The people across the street in the RV camping were actually playing Let It Bleed before the first set on Sat. This album is associated with Altamont Speedway concert, which is generally viewed as the end of the peace and love ideals of the 1960’s. Here’s what phish.net had to say and they said it pretty damn well.
Released on November 28, 1969, The Rolling Stones' Let It Bleed album somehow represents all of the grit, dirt, funk and sometimes despair felt by the flower child generation as the 1960's withered and mutated. The formerly young Utopians that had once practiced "peace, love and dope" had now gathered enough real world experience to realize the reality of it all. Fittingly, the music that fueled that movement turned darker, led by spokesmen like The Stones.
After all, the album opens with the harrowing "Gimme Shelter," includes the gory title track and begins the second side with a tale of murder before finally ending with a coda entitled "You Can't Always Get What You Want" that is somehow uplifting after all that comes before it... Huh?
But directly before we get to that crescendo, we have “Monkey Man.” In an abstract way the song seems to describe the weary physical and mental condition of the band (and the general feeling of an exhausted generation). This after the trials, tribulations and general craziness of the previous five years or so. One gets the feeling that “Monkey Man” is, in a way, a celebration of letting it all hang out and being comfortable with that. Happy with being "a me" in the impending "Me Decade," no matter how misanthropic that might be.
Although played extensively on Page’s Summer 2007 Tour, the song entered the Phish canon on the second day of SuperBall IX on 7/2/11 (though it was teased nearly thirteen years earlier in the 11/2/98 “Moma Dance”). This version tracks a little more than a minute and a half longer than the Stones' album version due to a relatively short Trey-led foray into Solo Land and a slight rave up during the extended ending. However, this debut is otherwise generally faithful to the original; right down to the chunky, signature guitar and bass interplay. Page even does a fine job growling a Jagger-esque "I'm a Monkeeeeeey, Man!!!" at the peak. However, there is indeed room to stretch out within this song. SuperBall IX has opened the door. Let's see where it leads.
Posted on phish.net by Phil Nazzaro
I find it somewhat curious that the boys chose a song off of an album associated with a concert disaster, the Altamont Speedway show. Even weirder is that they were doing a show at a speedway. What’s Altamont? Well according the good people at wikipedia and my own encyclopedic knowledge of rock and roll, it was a free concert the Stones threw at the end of their American 1969 tour. They hired the Hells Angles to be security. They paid them with 500 dollars worth of beer. It was a disaster from the getgo. First, the show was supposed to be a secret surprise show in Golden Gate Park. Mick Jagger left the cat out of the bag and it had to be moved less than a week before the event. The stage wasn’t even 3 feet high. There was no barrier between the crowd and the stage, just he Angels and their bikes. And you never want to touch an Angels’ bike. So beatings with pool cues and stompings with boots quickly became the order of the day. Marty Balin of the Jefferson Airplane was even beaten. The Dead bailed because the vibes were so bad. The Stones did close out the night and a man was killed by the Angels during Sympathy for the Devil. All of this is captured on the amazing concert film ” Gimme Shelter”.
I saw a biker on a chopper after the first set on July 2nd, so it was a rather strange vibe for a little bit. I would like to emphasize that the overall vibe of the weekend was just outstanding. But within my massive craniumial cavity, there was just a little bit of doubt.
I was also surprised by what they didn’t play. As always, I fully expected to hear the Prep School Hippie breakout but alas, was denied again. I saw 9 shows on the first leg and did not see YEM. Other notable missing songs: Bouncin’, Free, Fluffhead, Contact, Theme, Split Open and Melt, Slave, and Guyute, Not complaining about what I did get to see (Peaches!!), just some observations.
Hope everyone’s return to reality wasn’t too harsh. Got a week off then back on the bus for Furthur at the Mann Music Center.
Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD Rock and Roll
On July 3rd, the setbreak music was all American themed songs. Born in the USA, American Girl and Young Americans were among the tunes that were spun. One glaring omission was US Blues by the Grateful Dead. I know Phish has spent most of their career avoiding the Dead comparisons but I think they missed the boat on not playing this one. I bet most people would have gotten up and danced. And does any song speak more to the challenging times that we live in right now?
I also found it curious how many Stones songs they played. Torn and Frayed was great because Exile is one of my favorite albums and I missed Festival 8. I missed it because I was putting on a show featuring Devolver and the Winter House Band. We also got Loving Cup and one of my all time favorite Stone’s songs, Monkey Man, off the album Let It Bleed. The people across the street in the RV camping were actually playing Let It Bleed before the first set on Sat. This album is associated with Altamont Speedway concert, which is generally viewed as the end of the peace and love ideals of the 1960’s. Here’s what phish.net had to say and they said it pretty damn well.
Released on November 28, 1969, The Rolling Stones' Let It Bleed album somehow represents all of the grit, dirt, funk and sometimes despair felt by the flower child generation as the 1960's withered and mutated. The formerly young Utopians that had once practiced "peace, love and dope" had now gathered enough real world experience to realize the reality of it all. Fittingly, the music that fueled that movement turned darker, led by spokesmen like The Stones.
After all, the album opens with the harrowing "Gimme Shelter," includes the gory title track and begins the second side with a tale of murder before finally ending with a coda entitled "You Can't Always Get What You Want" that is somehow uplifting after all that comes before it... Huh?
But directly before we get to that crescendo, we have “Monkey Man.” In an abstract way the song seems to describe the weary physical and mental condition of the band (and the general feeling of an exhausted generation). This after the trials, tribulations and general craziness of the previous five years or so. One gets the feeling that “Monkey Man” is, in a way, a celebration of letting it all hang out and being comfortable with that. Happy with being "a me" in the impending "Me Decade," no matter how misanthropic that might be.
Although played extensively on Page’s Summer 2007 Tour, the song entered the Phish canon on the second day of SuperBall IX on 7/2/11 (though it was teased nearly thirteen years earlier in the 11/2/98 “Moma Dance”). This version tracks a little more than a minute and a half longer than the Stones' album version due to a relatively short Trey-led foray into Solo Land and a slight rave up during the extended ending. However, this debut is otherwise generally faithful to the original; right down to the chunky, signature guitar and bass interplay. Page even does a fine job growling a Jagger-esque "I'm a Monkeeeeeey, Man!!!" at the peak. However, there is indeed room to stretch out within this song. SuperBall IX has opened the door. Let's see where it leads.
Posted on phish.net by Phil Nazzaro
I find it somewhat curious that the boys chose a song off of an album associated with a concert disaster, the Altamont Speedway show. Even weirder is that they were doing a show at a speedway. What’s Altamont? Well according the good people at wikipedia and my own encyclopedic knowledge of rock and roll, it was a free concert the Stones threw at the end of their American 1969 tour. They hired the Hells Angles to be security. They paid them with 500 dollars worth of beer. It was a disaster from the getgo. First, the show was supposed to be a secret surprise show in Golden Gate Park. Mick Jagger left the cat out of the bag and it had to be moved less than a week before the event. The stage wasn’t even 3 feet high. There was no barrier between the crowd and the stage, just he Angels and their bikes. And you never want to touch an Angels’ bike. So beatings with pool cues and stompings with boots quickly became the order of the day. Marty Balin of the Jefferson Airplane was even beaten. The Dead bailed because the vibes were so bad. The Stones did close out the night and a man was killed by the Angels during Sympathy for the Devil. All of this is captured on the amazing concert film ” Gimme Shelter”.
I saw a biker on a chopper after the first set on July 2nd, so it was a rather strange vibe for a little bit. I would like to emphasize that the overall vibe of the weekend was just outstanding. But within my massive craniumial cavity, there was just a little bit of doubt.
I was also surprised by what they didn’t play. As always, I fully expected to hear the Prep School Hippie breakout but alas, was denied again. I saw 9 shows on the first leg and did not see YEM. Other notable missing songs: Bouncin’, Free, Fluffhead, Contact, Theme, Split Open and Melt, Slave, and Guyute, Not complaining about what I did get to see (Peaches!!), just some observations.
Hope everyone’s return to reality wasn’t too harsh. Got a week off then back on the bus for Furthur at the Mann Music Center.
Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD Rock and Roll
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Phish Superball IX July 1-3, 2011
Greetings everyone. Hope you all had a safe and enjoyable weekend. I spent mine at the amazing spectacle that was SuperBall IX, held at the Watkins Glen International Speedway in Watkins Glen NY. So without further ado, let’s get this show on the road!
I went up with Christine, Todd, Nate, and Christie. We decided back when it was announced that we were going to do a RV. And boy did we ever. It could sleep 6 and had the 2 most important things for a pimpin’ festie experience, a bathroom and a shower. I’ve been to a lot of festivals but never had the exquisite pleasure of having a clean bathroom available instantly. No lines, no feels like being in an oven, and no overwhelming odor of whatever had been cooking up over the weekend. It had one shortcoming; as my brother would remark, “No third leg room.” The shower wasn’t bad either. No words exist when it comes to describing the joy of not having to worry about chafing at a festie. Gold’s powder helps alot too.
We met up at Christie’s and Nate’s crib. Load up and head out. Nate had researched the RV we acquired and even found websites that had tips on driving a big RV. He was like Capt. Kirk kicking Klingon ass. No traffic on the way up and took a ninja backway into the racetrack. No line to get in. First Wow of the weekend. My previous Phish Fests had waits of 6 hours at the Clifford Ball and 18 at It. The search was interesting. They asked us if we had any weapons, glass, drugs etc. They missed the coffeepot on the counter. They missed the cutting knives including a meat clever. They did take the maple syrup bottle and Pyrex measuring cup. Missed the wine bottles and barely dug into our coolers. I stepped out to smoke a cig and by the time it was done, we were rolling into the show.
We got a good spot overlooking the valley and nearby hills. What an amazing view. Green rolling hills all around us. We set up our 3 Quik Shades (We don’t mess around people!). Our neighbors said hi and the one chick casually mentioned they had PA. We had tables, a lot of candles, christmas lights, and even Asianesque lanterns hanging. We had a Gonzo flag on top and an HMLL t-shirt hanging loud and proud from a tent. That’s how you know where we were at. Matt and Alicia made a surprise early visit, bring the AYC (Adams York County) to the Ball. Camp Gonzo was ready.
Christine decided to rock out with her cocktail out right from the get go. She made it until 7:30 and then crashed. This was surprising for a couple reasons. One, she ain’t no noobie. She’s been on more band buses than you’ve been to festivals and is the OG HMLL. But even she was no match for the awesomeness that is Superball IX. She passed out but woke up to greet Switzer who showed up around midnight.
Switzer and her husband Josh rolled down from the luscious green state of Vermont early evening Thursday. They had a friend with them who had an all access pass to the fest. She got them an all access parking pass and they camped at a friend’s RV a block over from us. Perfect. HMLL’s unite! General tomfoolery ensued as our neighbor set up his PA and was only moderately annoying doing DJing until the wee hours of the morning.
I must now devote an entire paragraph to how well Christie and Nate do Tour. I’m blown away. They had everything you could need. Nate is an amazing cook who did an outstanding job. I give him a super rare 5 beard rating for the food. We never repeated a meal and had a wide variety of grub. Turkey burgers infused with blue cheese and herbs and spices from their garden was up first. Christine commented she’s used to doing tour on 3 days of grilled cheese and oatmeal. 5 kinds of cheese. A huge variety of fresh fruit. Most of it was local from Lancaster county. He is truly the Gonzo Gourmet.
We had 3 propane gas grills plus the stove in the RV. Nate’s brand new vintage model wouldn’t work. Then my propane stove would work. I’ve had that bad boy since the mid 90’s. It’s been everywhere and made more grill cheese than one can comprehend. I want to save it because it has some amazing stickers on it. We shall see.
After getting a great nights sleep in the modern day comfort of air conditioning, we arose to greet day one of the Fest. Took forever for the RV section to fill in. Eggs, bacon, toast and some fantastic coffee to start the day. Then just chilling out in the constant breeze that blew all weekend. Was supposed to meet up with a chick I met at greensingles.net but she never got ahold of me. Your loss sister. Never even made it to Shakedown. The scene was so perfect in the RV section I had no reason to move. Matt and Alicia showed up in their Fishman dress inspired outfits. Dinner was steamed green beans and sausage with a kick ass raman noodle/walnut/something else side. He also carved up a pineapple. Man do we know how to roll. Delicious!!
We head in and get a spot rather close on Fishman’s side. Interesting people around us. Group in front was a sight. The guy had these big black Raybans on. He would go up to people he didn’t know and bob his head inside their personal space. He looked like a European tennis pro from the 1970’s. A short asian chick was rocking out next to him in a style that looked like she was flexing, kickboxing, and doing taebo all at the same time. How she didn’t elbow me in the stomach is a miracle.
Friday, 07/01/2011
Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY
Set 1: Possum, Peaches en Regalia > The Moma Dance, Torn and Frayed > NICU > Bathtub Gin, Life on Mars?, My Friend, My Friend, Wolfman's Brother, Roses Are Free > Funky Bitch, Quinn the Eskimo
Set 2: Jam > Crosseyed and Painless -> Chalk Dust Torture, Sand > The Wedge, Mike's Song > Simple[1] > Bug, The Horse > Silent in the Morning > Weekapaug Groove > Joy > Character Zero
Encore: Show of Life
[1] Third Stone from the Sun teases
Notes: This was the first of the three-show SuperBall IX festival. Life on Mars? was played for the first time since February 15, 2003 (175 shows). Simple contained Third Stone From the Sun teases
They played the overplayed Possum right off the back to get it out of the way. Peaches woohoo! Been looking for that one since my first show. Moma had a nice jam. Finally got my Torn and Frayed off of Exile. Life on Mars made a welcome return. A nice long first set, a beautiful omen for the rest of the weekend.
Very short set break caught us still getting beers at the far end of the Square. Nice song selection with an almost old school Mike’s. Haven’t relistened to it yet so just going by memory on all the music. Head back to the camp ground to chill out and listen to the crappy ass DJ play crappy ass music at a reasonable level. While hanging, we observed the people across the way try to set up their pop up. 2 guys had a hell of a time opening one of the popups but were doing it with as little energy expended as possible. Nate remarked they looked like zombies which sent myself into fits of laughter. Marcus made his way to our camp but it was after we had crashed. He knew it was ours by the Gonzo flag and the HMLL t shirt. Rock and roll!!!
Day 2 opened just like day 1; perfect weather and a constant breeze. Took a shower which made me feel like a new man. Marcus Pivic stopped by. Marcus is an old friend from the Devolver family who now has a family of his own and flies jets for the Air Force. Though luck and sheer force of will, he got out of his first training run to go to the Fest. Mad props to our citizens that serve in the armed forces. Because of what you guys do, I can go to festies like this one, so thank you very much. He was a one man Walmart and more than made a profit selling heady beer and sake jello shots. Never saw that on the Lot before.
A lot can go wrong with a rented RV. The people next to us had their generator battery die. People across the road had their water tank leaking inside and out. We had our waste tanks emptied but the human waste tank still read 2/3 full. Nate harangued and Todd ripped them a new one. They said a piece of toilet paper was blocking a sensor. Wrong. It went to full later in the day and we had to get in emptied again the next day. But that was our only issue. 3 sets today so after a kick ass breakfast of waffles, made on an actual waffle maker, we were ready to go. Got on Fishman’s side again, next to the king and settled in.
Saturday, 07/02/2011
Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY
Set 1: Tube, Kill Devil Falls > Ocelot, Lawn Boy, The Divided Sky, Boogie On Reggae Woman > Camel Walk, Cities > Poor Heart > 46 Days > Suskind Hotel[1], When the Circus Comes, Timber (Jerry) > Back on the Train > Suzy Greenberg, Monkey Man[1]
Set 2: Runaway Jim[2] > McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters, Axilla > Birds of a Feather, Stash, Sample in a Jar, Heavy Things > Horn > It's Ice > The Mango Song > Rift > Scents and Subtle Sounds > Run Like an Antelope
Set 3: Golden Age > Prince Caspian > Piper > Tweezer[3] > Julius > Backwards Down the Number Line > Twist > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Harry Hood > Cavern > Golgi Apparatus > A Day in the Life
Encore: Loving Cup, Tweezer Reprise
Encore 2: Storage Jam, Sleeping Monkey
[1] Phish debut.
[2] Introductions of Runaway Jim 5K winners.
[3] Scents and Subtle Sounds teases from Mike.
Notes: This was the second of the three-show SuperBall IX festival. This gig featured the Phish debuts of Suskind Hotel and Monkey Man. Runaway Jim included introductions and trophy awards for the winners of the Runaway Jim 5K road race held earlier in the day. The first Secret Language of 3.0 was a Simpsons Signal after BOAF. Tweezer contained Scents and Subtle Sounds teases from Mike.
High energy right off the bat. We had the sun to our back so we could rage as required. Camel Walk and Cities back to back gave us all the funk we needed. Suskind Hotel had a cool little jam. The highlight of the entire fest for me was the closing song, Monkeyman by the Rolling Stones. It’s one of my favorite Stones songs. Devolver did it first but I recognized it from the opening notes. The snaking bass line and piano parts had me jumping up and down, screaming like a maniac well before the vocals started. I still can’t believe they played it. I was so geeked and blown away I forgot about my poncho on the ground. I’ve had it since ’98 or ’99. I’m sorry I left you on the battlefield old friend. You will be missed.
Made our way back to camp to grab some grub what with it being an extra long set break. Had cheesesteaks lot style along with fresh cut watermelon. Gave away a lot of it to peeps in our hood. Had seats a little further back by a stop sign where Switzer and some of the Vermont crew had gotten a sweet spot. That became our base for the next 2 days. Hoover found me there and Marcus made his way over there as well. Trey introduced the winners of the Memorial Runaway Jim 5K winners during Runaway Jim. I had wanted a McGrupp for a long time and was rewarded for my patience. A rocking Antelope closed out the second set. The Golden Age is a great song and crackled with energy. The Tweezer and Twist were the highlights of the rest of the set. Beatles to end the set followed by a Stones song and a Reprise. Yes sir!!!
We hung out afterwards because the rumor was Phish was going to play a late night set. Got a good spot next to the Superball and waited. We couldn’t see anything and just hung out while Phish played some really spaced out stuff. We later found out we were on the wrong side of the “stage”. Some of us left before the end but not Christine. She got her Sleeping Monkey along with everything else she wanted to hear. Why? Cause she’s HMLL. Represent!! Call it a night in order to rest up for the final push.
Slept in once again thanks to the modern comforts of a RV. Eggs and bacon to start the day off right. Conserved energy all day and hung with our cool neighbors, Blake, Dave, and Lana. They were parked with the DJ crew. Blake lives in the woods outside of Asheville and has 3 black bears that roam his property. Damn all I have is that squirrel.
Sunday, 07/03/2011
Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY
Set 1: Soul Shakedown Party, AC/DC Bag > The Curtain > Colonel Forbin's Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird, Destiny Unbound > Big Black Furry Creature from Mars[1] > Wilson > Mound, A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, Time Loves a Hero, Reba[2] -> David Bowie
Set 2: Big Balls[3] > Down with Disease[4] -> No Quarter > Party Time, Ghost > Gotta Jibboo > Light, Waves > What's the Use?, Meatstick[5] > Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, The Star Spangled Banner
Encore: First Tube
[1] Theme from Leave it to Beaver tease from Mike.
[2] Dave's Energy Guide tease.
[3] Phish debut
[4] Unfinished.
[5] Japanese lyrics.
Notes: This show was the third of the three-show Super Ball IX festival. The Curtain was played for the first time since September 9, 2000 (202 shows). The narration preceding Mockingbird, (the first since September 30, 2000 (188 shows)), referenced the previous night's fourth set Storage Jam and explained that all of SBIX was merely a mental projection of a reality that the band created in 1988 on their way to Colorado. Mike teased the theme from Leave it to Beaver during BBFCFM. Reba contained Dave's Energy Guide teases. The setbreak featured All-American themed music. This show featured the Phish debut of Big Balls. Disease was unfinished. Meatstick included Japanese lyrics. Before the encore, Trey thanked each of the crew, management and artists who helped make Super Ball IX happen. First Tube was followed by fireworks.
They opened up with Soul Shakedown Party. Christine remarked it was almost like they were writing the setlists for her. Then Christie had line of the weekend.
“I like it when Christine gets excited about things” Hells yes! The Col’s/Famous Mockingbird with narration was just about spot on. Loved the return of Song I heard the Ocean Sing.
Big Balls by ACDC kicks off the last set. The Disease had some nice jams and No Quarter just destroyed the place. They even had the cool vocal effects. All of the set was high energy. Trey thanked everyone and then a First Tube along with a lot of fireworks sent us on our way.
We get back for some chilling out but DJ Asshole next store decides that everyone in the campsite needs to hear his shitty music. This was definitely the loudest and bass heavy of the 3 nights. We can’t have a glass syrup bottle but this douchbag can bring in a PA because everyone is just dying to hear his mix. Child please. He finally stopped around 8 AM, I guess his ketamine finally wore off.
We packed up everything relatively quickly and were on our way. Mad mad props to Nate and Christie for the planning and preping for this spectacular event. You guys really know how to roll. A big thanks to everyone who showed up, hung out, and made the weekend so much fun. And thanks to Phish for having the imagination to put on such an amazing event.
Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD Rock and Roll
I went up with Christine, Todd, Nate, and Christie. We decided back when it was announced that we were going to do a RV. And boy did we ever. It could sleep 6 and had the 2 most important things for a pimpin’ festie experience, a bathroom and a shower. I’ve been to a lot of festivals but never had the exquisite pleasure of having a clean bathroom available instantly. No lines, no feels like being in an oven, and no overwhelming odor of whatever had been cooking up over the weekend. It had one shortcoming; as my brother would remark, “No third leg room.” The shower wasn’t bad either. No words exist when it comes to describing the joy of not having to worry about chafing at a festie. Gold’s powder helps alot too.
We met up at Christie’s and Nate’s crib. Load up and head out. Nate had researched the RV we acquired and even found websites that had tips on driving a big RV. He was like Capt. Kirk kicking Klingon ass. No traffic on the way up and took a ninja backway into the racetrack. No line to get in. First Wow of the weekend. My previous Phish Fests had waits of 6 hours at the Clifford Ball and 18 at It. The search was interesting. They asked us if we had any weapons, glass, drugs etc. They missed the coffeepot on the counter. They missed the cutting knives including a meat clever. They did take the maple syrup bottle and Pyrex measuring cup. Missed the wine bottles and barely dug into our coolers. I stepped out to smoke a cig and by the time it was done, we were rolling into the show.
We got a good spot overlooking the valley and nearby hills. What an amazing view. Green rolling hills all around us. We set up our 3 Quik Shades (We don’t mess around people!). Our neighbors said hi and the one chick casually mentioned they had PA. We had tables, a lot of candles, christmas lights, and even Asianesque lanterns hanging. We had a Gonzo flag on top and an HMLL t-shirt hanging loud and proud from a tent. That’s how you know where we were at. Matt and Alicia made a surprise early visit, bring the AYC (Adams York County) to the Ball. Camp Gonzo was ready.
Christine decided to rock out with her cocktail out right from the get go. She made it until 7:30 and then crashed. This was surprising for a couple reasons. One, she ain’t no noobie. She’s been on more band buses than you’ve been to festivals and is the OG HMLL. But even she was no match for the awesomeness that is Superball IX. She passed out but woke up to greet Switzer who showed up around midnight.
Switzer and her husband Josh rolled down from the luscious green state of Vermont early evening Thursday. They had a friend with them who had an all access pass to the fest. She got them an all access parking pass and they camped at a friend’s RV a block over from us. Perfect. HMLL’s unite! General tomfoolery ensued as our neighbor set up his PA and was only moderately annoying doing DJing until the wee hours of the morning.
I must now devote an entire paragraph to how well Christie and Nate do Tour. I’m blown away. They had everything you could need. Nate is an amazing cook who did an outstanding job. I give him a super rare 5 beard rating for the food. We never repeated a meal and had a wide variety of grub. Turkey burgers infused with blue cheese and herbs and spices from their garden was up first. Christine commented she’s used to doing tour on 3 days of grilled cheese and oatmeal. 5 kinds of cheese. A huge variety of fresh fruit. Most of it was local from Lancaster county. He is truly the Gonzo Gourmet.
We had 3 propane gas grills plus the stove in the RV. Nate’s brand new vintage model wouldn’t work. Then my propane stove would work. I’ve had that bad boy since the mid 90’s. It’s been everywhere and made more grill cheese than one can comprehend. I want to save it because it has some amazing stickers on it. We shall see.
After getting a great nights sleep in the modern day comfort of air conditioning, we arose to greet day one of the Fest. Took forever for the RV section to fill in. Eggs, bacon, toast and some fantastic coffee to start the day. Then just chilling out in the constant breeze that blew all weekend. Was supposed to meet up with a chick I met at greensingles.net but she never got ahold of me. Your loss sister. Never even made it to Shakedown. The scene was so perfect in the RV section I had no reason to move. Matt and Alicia showed up in their Fishman dress inspired outfits. Dinner was steamed green beans and sausage with a kick ass raman noodle/walnut/something else side. He also carved up a pineapple. Man do we know how to roll. Delicious!!
We head in and get a spot rather close on Fishman’s side. Interesting people around us. Group in front was a sight. The guy had these big black Raybans on. He would go up to people he didn’t know and bob his head inside their personal space. He looked like a European tennis pro from the 1970’s. A short asian chick was rocking out next to him in a style that looked like she was flexing, kickboxing, and doing taebo all at the same time. How she didn’t elbow me in the stomach is a miracle.
Friday, 07/01/2011
Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY
Set 1: Possum, Peaches en Regalia > The Moma Dance, Torn and Frayed > NICU > Bathtub Gin, Life on Mars?, My Friend, My Friend, Wolfman's Brother, Roses Are Free > Funky Bitch, Quinn the Eskimo
Set 2: Jam > Crosseyed and Painless -> Chalk Dust Torture, Sand > The Wedge, Mike's Song > Simple[1] > Bug, The Horse > Silent in the Morning > Weekapaug Groove > Joy > Character Zero
Encore: Show of Life
[1] Third Stone from the Sun teases
Notes: This was the first of the three-show SuperBall IX festival. Life on Mars? was played for the first time since February 15, 2003 (175 shows). Simple contained Third Stone From the Sun teases
They played the overplayed Possum right off the back to get it out of the way. Peaches woohoo! Been looking for that one since my first show. Moma had a nice jam. Finally got my Torn and Frayed off of Exile. Life on Mars made a welcome return. A nice long first set, a beautiful omen for the rest of the weekend.
Very short set break caught us still getting beers at the far end of the Square. Nice song selection with an almost old school Mike’s. Haven’t relistened to it yet so just going by memory on all the music. Head back to the camp ground to chill out and listen to the crappy ass DJ play crappy ass music at a reasonable level. While hanging, we observed the people across the way try to set up their pop up. 2 guys had a hell of a time opening one of the popups but were doing it with as little energy expended as possible. Nate remarked they looked like zombies which sent myself into fits of laughter. Marcus made his way to our camp but it was after we had crashed. He knew it was ours by the Gonzo flag and the HMLL t shirt. Rock and roll!!!
Day 2 opened just like day 1; perfect weather and a constant breeze. Took a shower which made me feel like a new man. Marcus Pivic stopped by. Marcus is an old friend from the Devolver family who now has a family of his own and flies jets for the Air Force. Though luck and sheer force of will, he got out of his first training run to go to the Fest. Mad props to our citizens that serve in the armed forces. Because of what you guys do, I can go to festies like this one, so thank you very much. He was a one man Walmart and more than made a profit selling heady beer and sake jello shots. Never saw that on the Lot before.
A lot can go wrong with a rented RV. The people next to us had their generator battery die. People across the road had their water tank leaking inside and out. We had our waste tanks emptied but the human waste tank still read 2/3 full. Nate harangued and Todd ripped them a new one. They said a piece of toilet paper was blocking a sensor. Wrong. It went to full later in the day and we had to get in emptied again the next day. But that was our only issue. 3 sets today so after a kick ass breakfast of waffles, made on an actual waffle maker, we were ready to go. Got on Fishman’s side again, next to the king and settled in.
Saturday, 07/02/2011
Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY
Set 1: Tube, Kill Devil Falls > Ocelot, Lawn Boy, The Divided Sky, Boogie On Reggae Woman > Camel Walk, Cities > Poor Heart > 46 Days > Suskind Hotel[1], When the Circus Comes, Timber (Jerry) > Back on the Train > Suzy Greenberg, Monkey Man[1]
Set 2: Runaway Jim[2] > McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters, Axilla > Birds of a Feather, Stash, Sample in a Jar, Heavy Things > Horn > It's Ice > The Mango Song > Rift > Scents and Subtle Sounds > Run Like an Antelope
Set 3: Golden Age > Prince Caspian > Piper > Tweezer[3] > Julius > Backwards Down the Number Line > Twist > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Harry Hood > Cavern > Golgi Apparatus > A Day in the Life
Encore: Loving Cup, Tweezer Reprise
Encore 2: Storage Jam, Sleeping Monkey
[1] Phish debut.
[2] Introductions of Runaway Jim 5K winners.
[3] Scents and Subtle Sounds teases from Mike.
Notes: This was the second of the three-show SuperBall IX festival. This gig featured the Phish debuts of Suskind Hotel and Monkey Man. Runaway Jim included introductions and trophy awards for the winners of the Runaway Jim 5K road race held earlier in the day. The first Secret Language of 3.0 was a Simpsons Signal after BOAF. Tweezer contained Scents and Subtle Sounds teases from Mike.
High energy right off the bat. We had the sun to our back so we could rage as required. Camel Walk and Cities back to back gave us all the funk we needed. Suskind Hotel had a cool little jam. The highlight of the entire fest for me was the closing song, Monkeyman by the Rolling Stones. It’s one of my favorite Stones songs. Devolver did it first but I recognized it from the opening notes. The snaking bass line and piano parts had me jumping up and down, screaming like a maniac well before the vocals started. I still can’t believe they played it. I was so geeked and blown away I forgot about my poncho on the ground. I’ve had it since ’98 or ’99. I’m sorry I left you on the battlefield old friend. You will be missed.
Made our way back to camp to grab some grub what with it being an extra long set break. Had cheesesteaks lot style along with fresh cut watermelon. Gave away a lot of it to peeps in our hood. Had seats a little further back by a stop sign where Switzer and some of the Vermont crew had gotten a sweet spot. That became our base for the next 2 days. Hoover found me there and Marcus made his way over there as well. Trey introduced the winners of the Memorial Runaway Jim 5K winners during Runaway Jim. I had wanted a McGrupp for a long time and was rewarded for my patience. A rocking Antelope closed out the second set. The Golden Age is a great song and crackled with energy. The Tweezer and Twist were the highlights of the rest of the set. Beatles to end the set followed by a Stones song and a Reprise. Yes sir!!!
We hung out afterwards because the rumor was Phish was going to play a late night set. Got a good spot next to the Superball and waited. We couldn’t see anything and just hung out while Phish played some really spaced out stuff. We later found out we were on the wrong side of the “stage”. Some of us left before the end but not Christine. She got her Sleeping Monkey along with everything else she wanted to hear. Why? Cause she’s HMLL. Represent!! Call it a night in order to rest up for the final push.
Slept in once again thanks to the modern comforts of a RV. Eggs and bacon to start the day off right. Conserved energy all day and hung with our cool neighbors, Blake, Dave, and Lana. They were parked with the DJ crew. Blake lives in the woods outside of Asheville and has 3 black bears that roam his property. Damn all I have is that squirrel.
Sunday, 07/03/2011
Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY
Set 1: Soul Shakedown Party, AC/DC Bag > The Curtain > Colonel Forbin's Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird, Destiny Unbound > Big Black Furry Creature from Mars[1] > Wilson > Mound, A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, Time Loves a Hero, Reba[2] -> David Bowie
Set 2: Big Balls[3] > Down with Disease[4] -> No Quarter > Party Time, Ghost > Gotta Jibboo > Light, Waves > What's the Use?, Meatstick[5] > Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, The Star Spangled Banner
Encore: First Tube
[1] Theme from Leave it to Beaver tease from Mike.
[2] Dave's Energy Guide tease.
[3] Phish debut
[4] Unfinished.
[5] Japanese lyrics.
Notes: This show was the third of the three-show Super Ball IX festival. The Curtain was played for the first time since September 9, 2000 (202 shows). The narration preceding Mockingbird, (the first since September 30, 2000 (188 shows)), referenced the previous night's fourth set Storage Jam and explained that all of SBIX was merely a mental projection of a reality that the band created in 1988 on their way to Colorado. Mike teased the theme from Leave it to Beaver during BBFCFM. Reba contained Dave's Energy Guide teases. The setbreak featured All-American themed music. This show featured the Phish debut of Big Balls. Disease was unfinished. Meatstick included Japanese lyrics. Before the encore, Trey thanked each of the crew, management and artists who helped make Super Ball IX happen. First Tube was followed by fireworks.
They opened up with Soul Shakedown Party. Christine remarked it was almost like they were writing the setlists for her. Then Christie had line of the weekend.
“I like it when Christine gets excited about things” Hells yes! The Col’s/Famous Mockingbird with narration was just about spot on. Loved the return of Song I heard the Ocean Sing.
Big Balls by ACDC kicks off the last set. The Disease had some nice jams and No Quarter just destroyed the place. They even had the cool vocal effects. All of the set was high energy. Trey thanked everyone and then a First Tube along with a lot of fireworks sent us on our way.
We get back for some chilling out but DJ Asshole next store decides that everyone in the campsite needs to hear his shitty music. This was definitely the loudest and bass heavy of the 3 nights. We can’t have a glass syrup bottle but this douchbag can bring in a PA because everyone is just dying to hear his mix. Child please. He finally stopped around 8 AM, I guess his ketamine finally wore off.
We packed up everything relatively quickly and were on our way. Mad mad props to Nate and Christie for the planning and preping for this spectacular event. You guys really know how to roll. A big thanks to everyone who showed up, hung out, and made the weekend so much fun. And thanks to Phish for having the imagination to put on such an amazing event.
Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD Rock and Roll
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