It Was 20 Years Ago Today: Phish, Live at the Cap Centre, Landover, MD 12/28/97

     Hello everyone. I hope you had a joyous holiday season. So far, so good up here. It is EXTREMELY cold up here. The high today was 4 and it will be a week of single digits until we hit the teens. Yes its crazy but part of the price of living in the beautiful state of Vermont. But as I get ready to celebrate the New Year tomorrow night at Cabinet, my mind drifts back to one of the more anticipated NYE runs, 1997. It Was 20 Years Ago Today: Phish, Live at the Cap Centre, Dec. 28, 1997, Landover, MD

     The name of the arena at the time was the USAir arena but I saw nearly a third of all my Dead shows there, so I am calling it the Cap Centre. I know George and Adrian went down, and I remember there really wasn’t a Lot scene because it rained.

Soundcheck: Sample in a Jar, Drowned, Black-Eyed Katy, Funky Bitch

SET 1: Julius, Cities > The Curtain > Sample in a Jar, The Old Home Place > Runaway Jim, Farmhouse, Funky Bitch, Split Open and Melt, Bouncing Around the Room, Character Zero

SET 2: Axilla > Simple, Ghost > Drowned > Scent of a Mule^[1], Halley's Comet > Slave to the Traffic Light, Rocky Top > Cavern

ENCORE: Bold As Love

[1] The Mule Duel contained a slow jam instead of the traditional duel.

The Mule Duel contained Roundabout teases and a slow jam instead of the traditional duel. Between Simple and Ghost, Trey talked about feedback problems and the “ghosts in the machine.”

You can stream it here

http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1997-12-28

First set was great, but nothing that was super epic. My favorite tune was probably Cities. Second set felt disjointed and the tapes confirm it. Axilla wasn’t the jam vehicle people wanted and a roar goes up when the band starts into Simple. Ghost into Drowned is really sick, definitely the highlight of the show for me. Looking back on it, it almost is like the band and crowd were so geeked about a multi night NYE run that this show suffered for it. Still really good, just none of that top shelf ’97 magic.

Have a safe NYE and I will be writing about the 3^rd to last show of NE PA’s Cabinet until their indefinite hiatus.

Dave Kemp

BA American Studies

PhD Rock and Roll

It Was 20 Years Ago Today: Phish, Live at the Worcester Centrum Centre, Nov. 28th and 29th, 1997, Worcester, MA

  Hello everyone, hope you are enjoying yourselves as we approach Thanksgiving. And while I have seen many a Thanksgiving run (Phish 1995, 1998, 2009, WSP 1999, Devolver, too many to count), none compares to what I observed in the fabled Fall Tour of 1997, aka Phish Destroys America. So with no fanfare, here it is It Was 20 Years Ago Today: Phish, Live at the Worcester Centrum Centre, November 28^th and 29^th, 1997, Worcester, MA.

      Having just witnessed the sickness that was Hampton the weekend before Thanksgiving, I was out of my mind in anticipation for the weekend after Thanksgiving. My first show in Massachusetts, the closest shows to Vermont on the Tour, a holiday weekend, and their new found jamming powers???? Peak human experience stuff right there folks.

     Myself, Uncle Patrick (not my uncle, but somebody’s) CC, and JS went up Black Friday morning, checked into our hotel and then hit the Lot. Old school venue, a little bigger than Hampton, right downtown in a post industrial suburb of Boston. OH YEAH!!!

WORCESTER CENTRUM CENTRE

Worcester, MA

SET 1: The Curtain > You Enjoy Myself ^[1] -> I Didn't Know, Maze, Farmhouse, Black-Eyed Katy, Theme From the Bottom >Rocky Top

SET 2: Timber Ho! > Limb By Limb, Slave to the Traffic Light > Ghost  > Johnny B. Goode

ENCORE: My Soul

[1] No bass and drums segment.

YEM featured Crosseyed and Painless teases, did not include the bass and drums segment, and ended with a shortened vocal jam that segued into I Didn’t Know.

You can stream it here

http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1997-11-28

     And did I mention November 28^th was my birthday? And Uncle Patrick’s?  How crazy is that. Got way out that night for sure.  YEM second song? Wow, the crowd went apeshit and this had a nice long jam with some sick teases and then a great transition into I Didn’t Know. All high energy in the first set. Then the second set, Aye Curumba! The Timber has some great jamming as did Limb by Limb but the monster is the Ghost. Just pure 1997 awesomeness. Slave was almost like a breather before we got, I don’t know, DESTROYED by Phish. Like I said, peak human experiences. First real birthday show in the books. Let’s go rest up for night 2!

     Pretty sure this was the night where our seats were right behind some people from Hanover.  Uncle Patrick knew them but I evidently had met them before but just didn’t recall.  We were up near the top on Page’s side. I have seen many shows from that general vicinity, but this was the best.

WORCESTER CENTRUM CENTRE

Worcester, MA

SET 1: The Wedge, Foam , Simple -> The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday, The Sloth, Ginseng Sullivan, Saw It Again, Horn, Water in the Sky, David Bowie

SET 2: Runaway Jim ^[1] > Strange Design > Harry Hood > Prince Caspian, Suzy Greenberg

ENCORE: Buffalo Bill, Moby Dick^[2] > Fire

[1] Almost an hour long.
[2] Trey imitated Robert Plant's intro to Moby Dick from the album The Song Remains the Same. 

This Runaway Jim is one of the longest versions of any song ever played by Phish. It ran slightly under an hour and included Beauty of My Dreams, Harry Hood, and Super Bad teases and a strong Weekapaug jam where the entire melody of Weekapaug was played. Buffalo Bill was announced as Fish’s favorite song. Moby Dick was performed for the first time since February 19, 1993 (435 shows) and featured Trey imitating Robert Plant’s intro to Moby Dick from the album The Song Remains the Same.

You can stream it

http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1997-11-29

     The show starts off fine enough.  The Foam is really sweet with jamming within its structure.  Nice variety and flow to the first set. Dipping their toes into almost all the styles of the band and a Bowie to end the first set. Hell yes.

     Then the second set. They open up with Runaway Jim. About 7 minutes into it, they start going outside the structure of the song. Around the 14 minute mark, they find a new theme and start to bring it. Most bluesy and noodle, but still moving places and keeping us engaged. Around the 22 minute mark, another charging jam takes us onward. At some point, I thought that this was going to be the entire second set. Little did I know we were only half way done with Jim. After 49 minutes, they venture as close as they would come from leaving the song. They definitely do a serious Weekapaugh Jam but Phish tracks doesn’t consider it separate and neither does phish.net nor my tape I had back in the day. One side of the J card just said Runaway Jam. When they do finally get to the end of the song, it’s Strange Design for all of us to sit back and try to come to terms with what the hell we just witnessed. The Tahoe Tweezer edges this out as the greatest thing I ever saw because of the audience participation aspect of it. Yes, the Wooing.

     Nice transition from Hood to Prince Caspian and then Suzy G to finish the second set. But they weren’t finished yet. A short triple encore with Moby Dick. Wow, it was almost too much. Seriously, what a night.

     I know what some of you are thinking; You were up there, why didn’t you stick around for the last night? Believe me, I really wanted to but I think work was the issue. I know I made myself super clear to JS and CC that we were leaving on Sunday. It led to a little bit of drama but oh well. No permanent hard feelings, besides my own anger over missing a sick ass show. But sometimes reality intrudes, even on Phish Tour.  

     So there you have it. While I wish I could have seen more shows on this Tour, like close to home shows in State College and 2 mid-week nights in Philly, I still feel lucky and blessed to have witnessed my favorite musicians peaking out and giving us the pure unfiltered HOSE.

Dave Kemp

BA American Studies

PhD Rock and Roll

It Was 20 Years Ago Today: Phish, Nov. 22nd, 1997, Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA

     Hello everyone. I hope you are staying warm. What’s that you say? It’s not cold where you are at? Isn't that pleasant. High in the mid 20’s today, with a serious wind chill straight from the Great White North of zero this AM up here in Burlington. Part of the price of living in such a cool place. Today I am here to talk about my all time favorite Tour (and lots of other people I imagine as well), Fall 1997 aka Phish Destroys America. It actually said that on some of the official posters. Who knew cow funk at its peak could wreak so much havoc. So let’s chill out on the couch and fire up the laptop and groove to one of the shows that made Hampton Hampton, Phish Live at the Hampton Coliseum, Nov. 22^nd, 1997.

     Of all the show I have attended, I am most proud of seeing three on this historic Tour. You always have high expectations for Halloween, NYE, and festivals. But almost an entire Tour? One can only wish. But Phish did it. After showing some flashes of brilliance on the Summer Tour, they had everything dialed in after 2 shows.

     Which brings us to the Hampton Coliseum, aka The Mothership. I was a yearly stop for the Dead, surrounded by hotels with a very much laid back community. A local told me the locals decided the coliseum was the only economic engine they had, so they should be as welcoming as possible. But it really entered the gallery of all time great venues when the Dead did the Formerly the Warlock shows there on their fabled ’89 Fall tour. Phish had played there in 1995 and 96 but they were just typical Phish shows.

     Now I know what you are thinking? Hey Kemp, Mr. Live Music, why didn’t you do both nights? Honestly, I have no idea. A bunch of went down so it might have been an issue of getting tickets. Or maybe getting days off? Anyway, some of our crew was down there for the first night and were raving about it including an Emotional Rescue. I can still hear CC saying in a high falsetto, “I will be your knight in shining armor”.  We stayed at the semi decent Days Inn, 7 to the room. After this, it was the Courtyard by Marriot Suites all the way.

SET 1: Mike's Song  -> I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove , Harry Hood > Train Song, Billy Breathes, Frankenstein >Izabella

SET 2: Halley's Comet  > Tweezer > Black-Eyed Katy > Piper > Run Like an Antelope^[1]

ENCORE: Bouncing Around the Room > Tweezer Reprise

[1] Lyric changed to "Michael Esquandolas."

Mike's Song and Tweezer both contained BEK teases, with the ones in Tweezer taking place well before the segue into BEK. Fans of stage banter will want to seek out the second set for Trey’s humorous response to the crowd’s Destiny Unbound chant before Halley’s. The "Marco Esquandolas" lyric in Antelope was changed to "Michael Esquandolas." This show was released as part of the Hampton/Winston-Salem '97 box set.

You can stream it here

http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1997-11-22

     Mike’s to open? YES! Think jamming, a second jam, BE Katy tease, what isn’t there to love? The Weekapaugh has one of the stop starts at the end. Then Hood, with a spooky keyboard lick right before the Harry! part. That is burned in my cranium. Train Song and Billy Breathes allowed us to catch our breath because we were about to absorb a Frankenstein>Izabella for the ages. I love Izabella. Trey gets to unleash his inner Hendrix and hoses the crowd down. Finally, set break so we could gather ourselves for the awesome sauce of the second set.

     Everything flows into one another, always a great sign. The highlight for me was Halley’s.  The Tweezer isn’t too shabby either. The BE Katy just oozes ’97 funk.  You like the old school slow intro to Piper? Gotcha covered. Listening to this show again makes me wish I had the money for the box set lol.

     So there you go, my first experience of the Fall Tour that was 1997. Up next, the old school venue and post Thanksgiving celebration that is the Centrum in Worcester, MA.

Dave Kemp

BA American Studies

PhD Rock and Roll

Cabinet, Live at the Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, South Burlington, VT Sept. 30, 2017

     Hello everyone. I hope you are enjoying this crispy fall weather we are having.  It has been an absolute beautiful if rather warm September. I have been in Vermont for 2 months now and things are starting to come together. I am working around 40 hours a week at Price Chopper supermarket doing produce. I am in charge of the greens wall, which includes everything green, plus peppers and mushrooms. Yes, I am the head mushroom guy lol. This job will give me the experience I need to get into the City Market Coop. I am also working about 10 to 15 hours a week at Big Lots running the cash register. It gives me money handling experience and Point of Sale experience. I need that to get into the medicinal dispensary or more likely a regular old dispensary once it is legalized up here.  So I have a plan and am executing it, rather than being executed financially.

     It also just so happens that my work schedule is rather incredible. There is no delivery on Wednesday at PC so I have off. And nearly every Tuesday is Dead Set at Nectar’s. And it has been some unfucking believable good music. Different bands, playing different styles of the Dead. I have seen more good music in the last month than I have since college back in the 90’s.

     And to celebrate 2 months here, it just so happened that NE PA’s favorite bluegrass band Cabinet is playing at the Higher Ground in South Burlington. And here is the transplanted Pennslytuckian’s take on the show and the scene. Cabinet. Live at the Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, Sept. 30, 2017.

     The day after the show was my first day off in 12 days, so I was really ready to rage. Caught an Uber and my driver was a recent immigrant from Libya. He said the first winter here he didn’t leave his apartment. Just looked out the window and watched the people walk through the snow. He also never saw snow before. I must say I love the diversity of Burlington. In my neighborhood, there are Bhutanese, Tibetans, and a lot of Africans. The Association of Africans Living in Vermont meets at the school by my apartment.

     So I got to the show and they hadn’t started yet. I struck up a conversation with a guy and three female friends came over to greet him. The three women were Pappy’s (banjo player in Cabinet) sisters. They did not like my Steelers hat but I was representing PA that night. I also meet Keith, the archivist for the band and a VT head I will just call Ph. He said he saw Phish a lot when they were just a bar band. He also said he had 80 tapes of his in the Phish vault including the Livephish release of 8/26/89. How crazy is that? But then it was show time!!

Cabinet, Live at the Higher Ground Showcase Lounge, Sept 30. 2017

Cool River>Treesap>Heavy Rain, Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow, Mysterio>Arco Arena#, The Distance#, Bottom of the Sea, Oh Darlin’, Miss Molly*, Catfish John*, Po’s Reel, Gumboots, Caroline>Shined Like the Sun, Shady Grove*

 Encore: Easy Wind

# Without JP

*With Justin Mazer on guitar

You can stream it here

https://archive.org/details/cabinet2017-09-30.litzenberger.sbd.akg414.flac16

    Incredibly, I have seen Pappy perform with 3 different bands in the last 2 weeks. He was in Groundhog, the one-time only all-star band that played the after show party at Metronome (the club above Nectar’s). It was after Trey’s closing set at the Grand North Point. Then this past Tuesday, he was at the Dead Set and that was amazing.  He lives in Vergennes so I am more of a local than him lol.

    The show was outstanding, full of my favs. Loved the distortion on the fiddle during Heavy Rain. They really stretched out Isn’t Gonne Work. Another highlight was Catfish John. Gumboots was cool as that is one of the tunes I saw them do at my first show. My favorite part of the show was the serious tease of I Know You Rider in Caroline. I was talking to someone and said Sorry, I need to rock out to this. Listen for the Slipknot teases in Caroline. The Easy Wind encore was the perfect ending to the show. It was a hell of a process to get up here but I am settled and I LOVE BURLINGTON!

Dave Kemp

BA American Studies

PhD Rock and Roll

TAB Live at the Grand Point North Fest, Burlington Waterfront, Burlington, VT Sept 17th, 2017

     Hello everyone. I hope you are having a fine day today. I am blissed out of my mind and my soul is filled like it hasn’t been since 2001. Why? Because I just had a super locavore music experience in Burlington which is incredibly fitting because I am now a local Burlington music devourer. An event so epic, it was about 35 plus years in the making. TAB live at the Grand Point North Festival, on the Waterfront, Burlington Vermont, and Sept 17^th, 2017.

     I first have to say if this had happened 3 weeks ago, no way I would have enjoyed it as much.  I wasn’t anywhere near as set up.  I start my second job this week after securing a 40 week job (no benefits…….. yet) chopping prices on produce in the south end of town.  My second job is cashiering at Big Lots in Essex (discount on furniture for my HMLL’s!). The produce gig will get me into the coop and the cashiering job gives me point of sale experience which will lead me into a dispensary gig once they legalize. I already am certified as a bud tender via Hempstaff. So I have a plan and am executing it, rather well if I do say so myself.

     As soon as I figured out I was going to be moving to Vermont, Switzer hit me up and said Trey band was playing at a festival on the Waterfront in September. Well I have to attend that. It ends up being a 10 minute walk from my house. I never even had too many Devolver shows I could walk to in Hanover. I purchased the ticket in May and just kept it in the back of my mind. Once up here and first job secured, I started checking out the music scene. And what a scene! Variety beyond belief. And a huge Grateful Dead presence because how could there not be.

     Every Tuesday night Nectar’s has the Dead Set, where different bands play amazing Grateful Dead music. I have seen Disco Dead which had Zach Nugent from JGB with Melvin Seals. They do an album in its entirety and then mix dance music with the dead. Imagine BE Women>Get Lucky>BE Women and having it work incredibly well. Saw another band, Local Strangers, do Jazz is Dead style tunes. They had 3 guest vocalists including Haley Jane, a local singer songwriter who is going places. It really feels good to be part of a thriving local music scene.

     But I got a HUGE heaping taste of the local music scene last night. I strolled to the park after enjoying the hell out of a Sunday. Fantasy football, gambling on football, making vegan chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, walking Hobbs in the amazing September weather. I arrived at the waterfront to catch Grace Potter’s set. This is her festival and she normally headlines both nights. But she decided to have Trey headline. She used to follow Phish around so I am sure she was geeked beyond belief to have Trey there. It was half of her rocking stuff and half of her more poppy stuff. It’s local and I loved all of it immensely.

     Then Trey Band, right on time. Switz and J showed up right as they started playing. The third or fourth song was Sand. Switz leaned over to me and said “My jam, my hometown”. And Trey crushed it. I was having too much fun to keep a setlist but it was all killer. Grace and Mike came out for a country heavy version of Water in the Sky with Trey on acoustic. He told stories about the first time he visited Burlington and saw and met the current bass player for TAB. He was getting choked up at the memories. But not like at Bonnaroo 2002.  I can’t even imagine what goes through his mind. He just did something no band will ever top, the Bakers Dozen. And that pales in comparison how much it means to him to play Burlington proper for the first time in close to 20 years, I think. All the old school Heads in the crowd. Their after party must have been beyond belief. Page came out and played on First Tube. It was all too much. But I wanted more.

All Photos by Bryan Lasky

     So we head to Nectars. Hung out downstairs and listened to a reggae/dancehall dj spin and it was awesome. The dj looked like an extra from the Harder They Come. Then another dj took over and he was even better. I then eventually migrated upstairs to see GROUNDHOG.

     This was a one off group of local musicians. One of them was from Pink Talking Phish. The guitarist Seth Yacovone, local Burlington mainstay, did a lot of the vocals and leads. And my boy Pappy from Cabinet was there too. He lives in Vergennes I have been told. They did some fantastic covers and I had the time of my life. Honestly, I have to go back to the beginning of Devolver or even further back to Penn State when Cousin Dave told me about a party to describe how high I am from all of this. The band was Dogtown Rd and they played some jazz influenced stuff that was just amazing. It had that same local vibe. A vibe that I am now part of. A community that I am now part of.

    The divorce, putting down Noah, and the stress of the move was the toughest run I might have ever had. But as I remarked, all that pain will make my rebirth in Burlington all the more sweeter. And that is really starting to be true now.

Dave Kemp

BA American Studies

PhD Rock and Roll

Disco Dead, Live at Nectar's, Burlington VT Aug. 29, 2017

     Hello everyone. I hope you are enjoying these last days of summer before Labor Day weekend. As many of you are aware, I have relocated to the beautiful city of Burlington. A few people have told me August is the most beautiful month up here and I am inclined to believe them. I celebrated the last days of summer checking out some live local music, Zach Nugent’s Disco Dead, Live at Nectar’s, Burlington VT Aug. 29, 2017.

     Zach plays lead guitar, a replica of Jerry’s Tiger, no less, in the JGB with Melvin Seals. The rest of the band includes members of Johnny K’s Band and the Dead Set Allstars. Steve Kimock’s brother was guesting on drums.  Here is as much as I remembered

Set 1. Terrapin Station album

Estimated Prophet, Dancin’ in the Streets, Passenger, Samson and Delilah, Catfish John, Peggy O, Terrapin Station

Set 2 Disco Dead

Brown Eyed Women>Get Lucky> BE Women, Shakedown St.> Funky Town>Shakedown Street, Scarlet

     I didn’t write the setlist down but what I do remember is pretty complete. When they opened with Estimated, I knew what they were going to do. They stretched out everything but did it very well. Zach’s vocals were a bit rough in the beginning but I think it was more a sound issue. He wore out his wah wah pedal on a Tiger replica, which I didn’t know existed. The Dancin was really great, total dance party. The crowd was a lot younger. Some 18 to 21 yo, with giant black x’s on their hands. A few older heads, like myself, and then college kids. But it was very chill and I loved it.

     I was racking my brain trying to remember which Donna Jean song, Heart of Me or Sunrise, was on terrapin. It’s Sunrise but they skipped it in favor of Peggy O and Catfish John, both of which were recorded around that time and appear as outtakes on the reissued copy back in 2004.

     As they began Passenger, some kid ran away from the band. I guess he couldn’t handle the awesomeness. The highlight of the set was definitely Terrapin. The nailed it, with the loud parts powerful and the quiet parts delicate.

     After about a 30 min. setbreak, they came back out, all dressed in all white, similar to the Go to Heaven album cover.

     The Disco part? Most definitely there. Reminded me of dancing our asses of to a disco bus at Lemonwheel after Phish’s set. One of the best times of my life. These guys are all top notch players. The transition in Get Lucky (no vocals) was flawless.  Def the highlight of the second set.

     For those that have never been to Nectar’s, it is not the same stage Phish played on but still really small cozy place. Great pics all over the place. My favorite is the one of John Belushi and Jerry Garcia.

I was even carded. Not too shabby.

Dave Kemp

BA American Studies

PhD Rock and Roll

It Was 20 Years Ago Today: Phish, Live at the Great Went, Aug. 16th and 17th, 1997 Limestone, ME

     Hello people. I am coming to live from Burlington VT, land of maple syrup and Phish. I have finally managed to get everything in my new crib just exactly right. All I need is a jobby job and I will be right as rain. And since I am in the cradle of what spawned quite possibly the greatest band the rock and roll world has ever seen, what better time to look back on a Phish festival that happened 20 years ago today. So without further ado, here it is. It Was 20 Years Ago Today: Phish, Live at the Great Went, Aug. 16^th and 17^th, 1997, Loring Air Force Base, Limestone, ME.

     My crew rolled up on the Friday. Don’t remember if we caught the soundcheck. But it doesn’t matter because nothing will top the Clifford Ball soundcheck. This was also the only festival where I experienced a lot of rain until Coventry, and the less said about that the better. My tent had a little bit rain come in, but the way I had my stuff arranged, it all stayed dry. Some of my crew were not so lucky

LORING COMMERCE CENTRE

Limestone , ME

SET 1: Makisupa Policeman -> Harpua^[1] > Chalk Dust Torture, Theme From the Bottom > Punch You In the Eye > Ghost >Ginseng Sullivan, You Enjoy Myself > Train Song > Character Zero, The Squirming Coil

SET 2: Wolfman's Brother  -> Simple -> My Soul, Jam -> Slave to the Traffic Light > Rocky Top > Julius^[2]

SET 3: Halley's Comet -> Cities^[3] -> Llama > Lawn Boy, Limb By Limb  > Funky Bitch^[4]

ENCORE: Contact > Loving Cup

[1] Picked up where the Clifford Ball Harpua left off.
[2] Intro performed a cappella with finger snaps.
[3] Trey altered lyrics to reference "Fishman sleeping in the daytime."
[4] Fireworks.

This was the first show of The Great Went festival. Harpua picked up where the Clifford Ball Harpua left off. After Chalk Dust, Trey remarked that the first three songs served as the soundcheck, which the band did not do before the show. The jam out of Simple, the beginning of My Soul, and the jam before Slave included Odd Couple theme teases. The jam before Slave also contained an Entrance of the Gladiators tease. Halley’s Comet included On Your Way Down teases. The lyrics in Cities were changed to reference Fishman sleeping in the daytime. The Julius intro was partially performed a cappellawith finger snaps. Funky Bitch featured a fireworks display behind the stage that culminated as the song ended. After the show, the members of Phish DJ’d under pseudonyms at a festival tent in what has become known as the “Disco Set.”

You can stream the show here

http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1997-08-16

     I loved the opening. I totally got right away they were finishing the Harpua from Clifford Ball. The Chalk Dust also has a really sweet little breakdown towards the end. Trey messes around with the Chalk Dust rift. It is one of my favorite little things, totally burned into my skull. The Ghost went pretty deep for as young into its career it was. The YEM was long, with more guitar heroics towards the end.

     Second set was all about the Wolfman’s Brother. This one gets way out there. Nice little preview of what we would see in the Fall. The transition into Simple is really good.  The Jam after My Soul was really weird. They played around with the theme from the TV show The Odd Couple, which aired in the 1970’s. Because I absorbed so much pop culture when I was young and we only had 4 television channels, I recognized it. Some of my younger readers are like, Go home old man. But with age comes wisdom. During the Halloween 2013 set, when Abe Vigoda made an appearance, I mistakenly remembered this and thought they did the Barney Miller theme. One of many things I got wrong that night.

    The last set was all about a really long and jammy Halley’s. When people talk about Halley’s of the past, this is one of them. The Limb was also stretched out, with a nice ending. But it was now time to get some sleep. I remember never really able to dry out. I could feel the cold in my bones even though it was summer in Maine.

LORING COMMERCE CENTRE

Limestone , ME

SET 1: The Wedge, Beauty of My Dreams, Dogs Stole Things, Vultures, Water in the Sky > Maze, Bouncing Around the Room> Tweezer -> Taste, Carolina

SET 2: Down with Disease ^[1] -> Bathtub Gin ^[1] > Uncle Pen, Also Sprach Zarathustra  -> Art Jam > Harry Hood 

SET 3: Buffalo Bill  -> NICU, Weigh, Guyute, Dirt, Scent of a Mule  -> Digital Delay Loop Jam  -> Scent of a Mule ,Prince Caspian

ENCORE: When the Circus Comes, Tweezer Reprise

[1] Unfinished.

This was the second show of The Great Went festival. Tweezer featured a Cities-like jam and Simple teases, and the Digital Delay Loop Jam included London Bridge is Falling Down teases. Disease was unfinished. Bathtub Gin contained a Proud Mary tease from Page. Throughout the weekend, fans painted pieces of wood that were assembled into an Art Tower. During Disease, Page and Fish painted their portions of the Art Tower; Mike and Trey painted theirs during 2001. The Art Jam saw the crowd carry the pieces of the band’s art to the side of the venue where it was hoisted onto the Art Tower and added to the fans' art. During Tweezer Reprise, the Art Tower was burned to the ground as The Great Went came to a close. As the Hood jam kicked in, Trey asked Chris to turn the lights off and the band jammed while the front section of the audience engaged in the first Hood glowstick war. Trey remarked to the crowd at the end of the jam that the visual display was cool. Between the first and second sets, the Bangor Symphony Orchestra performed selections from Stravinsky and Debussy as a red-smoke-spewing glider synchronized its swoops and dives to the music. Buffalo Bill was played for the first time since December 31, 1994 (204 shows).

You can stream it here.

http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1997-08-17

     First set was solid. Highlight is obviously the Tweezer>Taste. Taste was definitely reaching peak renditions in its history and this is no exception. The transition between the 2 is fantastic. Words can’t do it justice so listen for yourself.

     The second set is a monster. It has to be up there with all-time sets. It is in my mind. First, Down with Disease. Long lengthy version that flows in Bathtub Gin. And this Gin? G.O.A.T all the way. The peak is just to die for. The Uncle Penn gives us a chance to catch our breath. As I listened to 2001 in my new apartment, I closed my eyes and immersed myself in the song. Standing in the dark, a good ways back from the stage. It starts, and you feel the slow buildup of the song. Page sprinkling notes, Trey doing that siren thing. I was transported back to that moment. The whole song is just one long cosmic dance party.

     And then the Hood to end it all. After Trey filling us in on how we the audience and the band are actually making a physical piece of art, they go into their warhorse. And this Hood is no slouch. It also was the first glow stick war, which inspired Trey to new heights. I swear I saw Trey catch a glow stick and then use it as a slide. But who knows??

     Third set was almost like a victory lap. The transition from Bill into NICU was really sweet. The Mule was really crazy with lots of improvisation. And to end the Great Went? They torched the art piece designed and built by the band and the audience. They had a giant matchstick swing down and ignite it. I am getting goosebumps just remembering it. And lo and behold, here is a video of it! Would love to know how they got this pro shot footage!?!??!?!?!?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fduYPetr2cY

     So there you have it. A festival that was definitely an improvement and outgrowth of everything they learned from the Clifford Ball. And with my new home base, if they ever decide to glide up to Maine one last time, I am ready.

Dave Kemp

BA American Studies

PhD Rock and Roll

Phish, Live in Pittsburgh, PA July 19th, 2017

     Hello everyone. I hope you are enjoying your summer. My summer has been mostly crying, healing, and getting ready to move to Burlington VT. Since my almost ex-wife told me she was leaving me, I have cried at least a little every day since April 30^th, and it is incredibly therapeutic. Just to let you know. But I am not crying now, because it’s all about my last show as Pennsylvania Dave Kemp (as opposed to the Montana Dave Kemp). So without further ado, here is my take on Phish, Live at the Peterson Events Center in Pittsburgh, PA on July 19^th, 2017.

     Went out solo as this was somewhat of a journey. While I have been to A LOT of shows solo, this was the first one in over 3 years (when I met my 40 days until official in the eyes of the Law) ex-wife. No reason to go solo then. But I needed to get back in the game and roll out for the almost 4 hour long drive. I parked and Uber’d it to The Double Wide Grill where I chowed down on some great vegan wings. Their selection of vegan and vegetarian is outstanding. But they also have pulled pork and brisket.

     Meet up with my friends, 2 current members and one former member of the Winter House Band. Yes, when I go to see Phish, I always have a backup musical plan.

Soundcheck: Home, Come Together (this soundcheck is possibly incomplete)

SET 1: My Soul, NICU, Halley's Comet > Undermind, Divided Sky, Marissa^[1], Home > Prince Caspian

SET 2: Punch You In the Eye > Mr. Completely > Mercury -> Come Together^[1], Contact, Axilla > Steam > Backwards Down the Number Line

ENCORE: Things People Do, Bug > Rocky Top

[1] Phish debut.

This show featured the Phish debuts of Marissa and Come Together. Mr. Completely was played for the first time since July 15, 2003 (380 shows).

You can stream it here

http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/2017-07-19

     We were behind the stage and might have had the most unique view I have ever had at a show. I’ve been behind the stage before (most memorably at 12/17/99, Hampton) but I could see all the faces of the crowd on the floor, probably because I wasn’t preoccupied seeing lots of other things, some of which might actually be in this reality. It was almost like being on the stage itself.

     The place was really small and intimate. The first highlight of the opening set was Divided Sky. The pause seemed to go on even longer than normal. And the crowd was really loud. I mean really, really, loud. I also got to witness what the band sees. Some people were screaming right off the bat. I saw a few that just stood there, then slowly get worked up. A few looked like they were crazed demons ready to attack something, anything. I am not overstating how loud and crazy it got for this moment. When Trey finally hit that not, all the pressure and tension was released.  I have seen Divided Sky 20 times but this was the peak version. Yes, even better than the first night of Clifford Ball.

     The set proceeded until Prince Caspian. I figured this and a quick, high energy song would end the first set. Nope. Definitely the best Caspian since the Tweezerpants of MagnaBall, and probably the best stand-alone Caspian ever. It went deep and had those fantastic peaks trey has been able to conjure up the last few years. And Mike was all over it with his Taurus pedal.  What a way to end a set!

     The setbreak seemed shorter than usual.  Punch was a nice high energy start to the show, even if I was really sure we were getting Tweezer. And then Mr. Completely. I knew they hadn’t played it in a good, long time. I wasn’t surprised as it seems they have been playing more TAB tunes. And then about 4 minutes in, it was obvious that this was going to be different.  I counted three separate jams. My favorite is the one at about the 11 minute mark. Pure bliss for over 20 minutes. That was definitely the highlight of the second set. I liked the different song placement but I know people are going to bitch about normal first set songs being played late in the show. Oh well. Nice triple encore!

Official video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP1V6YLKIBg

   

   Drove straight back home, much easier when listening to a podcast. But I had to do it. So that is my last show as Dave Kemp PA. But you know what? Dave Kemp Vermont has a nice ring to it. Farewell PA, too many memories to remember.

Dave Kemp

PhD Rock and Roll

BA American Studies