Friday, September 9, 2016

Phish, Sept. 2th,3rd, and 4th, 2016, Dick's, Labor Day Weekend

     Greetings everyone. So ready for the start of football season. But while I wait for repetitive brain damage to begin, I've got to tell the world about the healing power of music. And which music? How about the face melting, brain obliterating, soul a-blazin' music that is Phish. And I got a full dose in Denver. So here it is, Phish, Live in Denver, Colorado, Sept 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, 2016.
Casey and myself decided long before dates were announced that we were doing Dick's this year. We had done a festival and Halloween together, so now it was time for something else. Our plan was to fly into Denver and spend Thursday night in Boulder. I also did this in 2012, and you can read about that here. I'm in the middle of about 50 people from Vermont. In Colorado. 


     We rolled in about 3 or 1 hour after the campground opened. The ticket said one thing and the website said another. But we got a camping spot situated nicely, except for the young kids next to us who blasted EDM really loud and really late the first night. I know it's a fest but I'm an old man and need my sleep. There should be a separate People Who Saw 1.0 Shows and Need Their Rest Camping Area. .
But back to the important stuff.

Friday, 09/02/2016 Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO

Soundcheck: Mercury -> Low Rider Jam -> Camel Walk, Waiting All Night, Swingtown Jam
[1] First half performed in a swing style.
Teases:
·Stashtease in The Wedge
·Light Up Or Leave Me Alonetease
·Seven Below tease in Runaway Jim
·The Birds quote in Birds of a Feather
Notes: This show was webcast via LivePhish. Mike teased Light Up or Leave Me Alone before Stash. Fish performed the first part of Ass Handed in a swing style. Trey teased Stash during The Wedge. The Birds was quoted at the end of Birds of a Feather. Runaway Jim contained a Seven Below tease.

You can stream it here

     We went to Shakedown to check things out before the show. We got the best thing we ate all weekend, a salad with apples, arugula, spicy ailoi, and hempseed. Unbelievable, from the Farm to Truck food truck in Denver. While we were eating, we heard the soundcheck clear as a bell.
     By the time the show started, I was REALLY ready for them. And they open with Ghost! To say I was surprised is an understatement. Deep space, just like we were in the middle of the second set. They then have a discussion and launch into No Man's. And this was even better. Deep super funk disco. It was so good. The rest of the set was standard first set stuff with Stash having some tasty morsels.
     Second set, how about an Antelope opener! Wow, really mixing up tonight. Mercury seemed like it was stretched out a little more than normal. Wombat is a favorite funk tune of mine. And then, TWEEZER? This late in a set, wow. And they didn't mess around. I read one review that said this was the Tweezer we had been looking for all summer. And then Jim, which had some sick teases of 7 Below within it. After the encore we staggered back to the campsite and tried to get some sleep. I wasn't too successful.

      Sat. we took a bus tour of Denver arranged by Surrender to the Flow. If you don't know what that is, it's a free newsletter that Christie has down for every Tour and every run since 1998. I wrote for it for the Fall Tour 2014 issue and hopefully the Fall 2016 issue as well. We went to a few dispensaries and to a glass museum that has to be seen to believed. They are still working on their website

Made it back in time. Went in early but still timed things much better.

 Saturday, 09/03/2016 Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO

Soundcheck: Dogs Stole Things, My Soul
Encore: The Squirming Coil[2]
[1] Trey on Marimba Lumina.
[2] With closing bass solo.
Notes: This show was webcast via LivePhish. Simple featured Trey on Marimba Lumina. Squirming Coil ended with Trey, Fish, and finally Page walking off, leaving Mike to take a bass solo to finish the song for the first time in Phish history..

You can stream it here


     A Slave opener? Now we have gone through the looking glass. I'll admit, it flashed through my mind that it was the end of a show. Then Disease, and this didn't skimp on the jam. Followed by What's The Use! Indeed. The Maze was extra hot as well. Divided late in the first set is unusual and the crowd down front chanted “We love Dick's. Trey loves Dick's”. And one of my fav covers to close out the wacky first set. You know his life was saved by rock and roll!!
     The Blaze On was the highlight of the second set for me. Got really deep and distorted. The Simple had some nice moments. The 2001 had some nifty things going on before the first chorus that I never heard before, and this was confirmed by another reviewer. And the whole set flowed right into the next song. And the encore? A Coil to get every jaded vet to rush for the exits and then Don Gordelone surprises everyone in the universe and takes the ending solo. Wow, and he nailed it.
     After a much more restful night's sleep, we had one day to go. We went into Denver to grab a bite to eat. We went to City o' City. http://www.cityocitydenver.com/ Super dope and they had pics of Kerouac and Burroughs up on the wall. Neil Cassidy was raised by a hobo alcoholic father in Denver, and my mind wandered to him, haunting these streets many years ago.

 Sunday, 09/04/2016
Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO

Soundcheck: Dog Log, My Soul
[1] Trey on Marimba Lumina, Mike and Page on percussion.
Teases:
·San-Ho-Zay tease in Weekapaug Groove
·Crosseyed and Painless tease in Steam
·Crosseyed and Painless tease & quote in Light
·Crosseyed and Painless tease & quote in First Tube
·Crosseyed and Painless tease & quote in Walls of the Cave
·Crosseyed and Painless tease & quote in Piper
Notes: This show was webcast via LivePhish. Trey teased San-Ho-Zay during Weekapaug and teased Crosseyed during Steam, Piper, Light, First Tube and Walls of The Cave. Piper featured a Fishman-driven and inspired improvisation with Trey on Marimba Lumina and Mike and Page on percussion. Piper, Light, First Tube, and Walls Of The Cave also included Crosseyed quotes.

You can stream it here

     Went in early again but were on the floor this time, Mike's side. I actually heard people groan when they did Wingsuit. Sigh, come on people. Any Phish is good Phish. The Gin>Melt was really cool, having 2 monsters back to back.
     But this show was all about the second set, specifically Crosseyed. About ten minutes in it is a major key jam of bliss. 2 separate jams by my count. There was a lot of meatball at the end. And then Steam. But they never really stop playing Crosseyed. Over the course of the set (with the exception of Lizards, 'cause that's Gamehendge shit), they kept teasing and quoting Crosseyed. I'd love for someone to sit down and mark each time they did it. It was truly remarkable to witness. The Piper had a Drumz segment. I know the Marimba Lumina is a point of debate but it was cool. Just not every show please. Piper closes out with a sick jam. Light is no slouch either. During the encore break, people were chanting “Still Waiting”.
     I sleep for about 5 hours if that and froze my balls off. Pretty sure it was lower 50's. But we tore down camp, returned rental car and got through security to make it home safe and sound. And do you remember in the beginning I mentioned the healing power of music? 6 days before we are scheduled to fly out, I had an accident at work and had a 9 in long laceration on my calf. No nerves, veins, arteries, or ligaments were cut. The sac that surrounds my calf was nicked and required stitches. I needed 12 staples to close the would. Hardly bled. I am so lucky it wasn't worse. 3 inches lower it hits my Achilles. 3 inches up it hits a knee ligament. Worked there for 14 years and this was my first accident.
     But after attending the shows, my mind and leg are A OK. I got a lot of thinking done there and the future has never looked so bright. On to maybe writing for STTF again and Nashville on a Fall Southern Tour. Yea haw!

Dave Kemp
BA American Studies

PhD Rock and Roll
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