Greetings everyone. Hope you are enjoying the last few weeks of cultural summer. My summer has been a weird one show wise. All my fun has been jammed into one month. I saw Dear Jerry at Merriweather back in May and then nothing until August 1st when I saw Tedechsi Trucks Band/Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings in Baltimore. But now I have finally arrived at what Summer is all about, Phish. So with the boys on fire, I finally get around to seeing them live for 2 nights at my home away from home, Merriweather Post Pavilion on August 15th and 16th.
These two shows were kind of the end of Tour. Magnaball fest is kind of its own thing and Dick's is over 2 weeks away. It was forecast to be a blistering hot weekend with no chance for rain. Adding to the excitement, Switzer and her hubby were coming down for the shows. Bonus, she is 7 months pregnant. So the next time you complain about the heat or lines, at least you aren't touring for 2.
Saturday,
08/15/2015
Merriweather
Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
Soundcheck: Sparkle, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters,
Friday, Nothing (x5), Stir It Up (instrumental)Set 1: Simple > Glide, Buried Alive > McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters > Roggae > Limb By Limb > Big Black Furry Creature from Mars > Your Pet Cat > Big Black Furry Creature from Mars, Horn > Blaze On > Run Like an Antelope[1]
Set 2: Halley's Comet > 46 Days -> Bug > Steam > What's the Use? > Steam -> Piper -> Tweezer[2] -> NO2 -> Tweezer > Walls of the Cave
Encore: Sleeping Monkey > Tweezer Reprise
[1] Marco Esquandolas lyric changed to "Gaktoidler Esquandolas."
[2] Trey on megaphone.
Teases:
· Magilla tease in Simple
· Your Pet Cat quote in Big Black Furry Creature from Mars
· Call to the Post tease in Run Like an Antelope
· Sleeping Monkey quote in Tweezer Reprise
· Martian Monster quote in NO2
Notes: This show was webcast via LivePhish. Simple included a Magilla tease. The first Big Black Furry Creature from Mars included a Your Pet Cat quote. Run Like an Antelope included a Call To The Post tease and the lyrics were changed to "Gaktoidler Esquandolas." Piper included a Steam tease. Tweezer included Trey on megaphone. NO2 was last played August 12, 2010 (202 shows) and included a Martian Monster quote. During the intro to Sleeping Monkey, Trey said that backstage the band had read a website that ranked Phish songs and they were surprised that Page's all-time favorite song was not on the top of the list, so they were going to play it for the crowd right now. Trey then said every night walking off during encore breaks Page asks to play it and Mike says, "No Page, not tonight, tonight's not your night, man." Tweezer Reprise included a Sleeping Monkey quote from Fish.
You can stream it here
I haven't listened to them again so everything is going off of my memory. Simple opener is super cool. Whole first set was nice mix of old school stuff and the newer material. I love Blaze On and the Pet Cat stuff in the middle of BBFCFM was perfect. The Antelope even had a different little jam in it, which everyone I talked to agreed it was a superior version. My only complaint? The amount to people running their yaps during the whole first set. That is so old by now. Why even come to the show if your aren't going to listen to the music.
The second set first jam of note was 46 Days. I really liked the sandwiches they did for Tweezer and Steam. I'm sure most people didn't even know the weirdness with the megaphone was NO2. I really liked the second part of Tweezer, although it was short. And the encore was a rather unique Sleeping Monkey. The coolest thing about the Monkey? It was Christine’s 60th show and anniversary of her first show. And what is the favorite song of the OG HMLL? Sleeping Monkey. Not too shabby.
The next day was even hotter so of course we got to the Lot earlier.
Sun, Aug 16, 2015
Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
Soundcheck: Foam, The Mango Song, My Soul
Set 1: Golgi Apparatus > Undermind, Julius, 555, Nothing, No Men In No Man's Land, Stash, David Bowie > Possum
Set 2: Down with Disease[1] -> Slave to the Traffic Light > Light -> Twist, Shine a Light, Fuego > Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley > You Enjoy Myself
Encore: Backwards Down the Number Line
[1] Lyrics changed to "Mike's head." Unfinished.
Notes: This show is being webcast via LivePhish. Sleeping Monkey was teased and quoted before the show and also quoted in the YEM vocal jam. Mike teased "Charge!" before the show as well. Nothing was played for the first time since June 7, 2012 (139 shows). DWD's lyrics were changed to reference "Mike's head." DWD was also unfinished.
After faking us out with some Sleeping Monkey teases, the first set got under way. Glad I got No Man's Land, which along with Blaze On, are my two favorite new songs. Stash and Bowie were the improv highlights of the first set. Second set was solid. An early in the set appearance of Slave was cool. The Shine A Light is always welcome and Sneakin' was very cool, as they have been going light on the covers this tour. I really liked the vocal part of YEM.
So there you have it. With these shows, Merriweather is my most seen Phish venue and Columbia, MD is my most seen city, barely edging out Philly. Up next, living the high life at MagnaBall in a phatty RV.
Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD Rock and Roll
No comments:
Post a Comment