Phish, 8/1, 8/2, and 8/3 aka The Southern Swing

      Hello everyone. I hope you all had some luck with the ticket lottery/Ticketbastard. But before I start thinking about the awesomeness that is a West Coast Fall Tour, I still have to take care of business with the end of the Summer Tour. So without further ado, here is the true tale of a bunch of Yankees invading the South for the best band to ever come out of New England. Phish live at Orange Beach, AL, Pelham, AL, and Alpharetta, GA, aka The Southern Swing


      Myself and my crew flew into Atlanta on July 31^st. We had a 5 hour drive to Orange Beach and got there a little after the sun had set. Some kids were also unloading and they even broke out a tank right there in the parking lot of the hotel. Geez, are we at the Mann in Philly? We went to stock up and booze and the liquor store had …...Yuengling Lager. What? Way down South they have my favorite beer? One of the many pleasant surprises I had when it came to my preconceived notions about the South.
      We ended up going to 2 bars. The town of Orange Beach has a van/shuttle system, 5 bucks per person. It's a really good deal. At the first bar, we ran into friends from Vermont that hit most of the shows. Among their crew were 2 guys, Andy and Louie. I started talking about music the way I do. I don't remember too much about what I said but I must have made an impression because their friend Mark told me they had major man crushes on my and they cheered and applauded me when ever we saw them on the rest of the run. Here is a photo with another fan of mine

Out next stop was a bar called FloBama. It straddles the state line, so my run of not being in Florida (or America's penis, as Stew Beef calls it) has ended.

       I preceded to get seriously drunk. Mixed drinks were 5 dollars. Yes, you read that right. I'm so used to traveling to see Phish and paying out the ass for everything (SF, Tahoe, NYC, Vegas). It was a pleasant surprise how cheap everything was. We made it home and I went face first out of the van. I ripped up the cuticle on the left hand middle finger (how am I supposed to communicate now??) and scraped my knee. We all were in super rough shape the next morning but we had big plans, as we were renting a party/pontoon boat to cruise the bay.
      Capt Flatbrim was in charge and he had to sign about 200 pages of documents. We finally made it out and it was a blast and a half. We beached on a small island and proceeded to get down. Very chill scene. We also cruised around the bay and saw some pretty swanky houses that all had boat docks and cranes that lifted all of the boats out of the water. Seriously, every single boat house had one of these contraptions. High living indeed.

      So we got back to the hotel and cleaned up. Unfortunately, we waited too long to reserve a shuttle and would have had to wait until 7 for a ride. So we walked next door, ran into a shuttle waiting for people and invited ourselves on to it. All four of us squeezed into the back row and got to the show in plenty of time. While in the Lot, Team Talbert ran into the DUDE OF LIFE. It was really cool to meet him and I gave him props on his solo album, which came out more than 20 years ago. Evidently, he's hitting a lot more shows, so this was super cool.

And here is a link to his highly rated solo album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Uduv2m3sFc&list=ALBTKoXRg38BADhb5Xey3pRFY9GbMALiRA

I had one more cool person to meet up with, and that would be one Kyle McKershner from a little band called Devolver. It was great to see him again and he was really pumped for his first show since 2000. We ended up getting funneled through the VIP Terence to alleviate the long lines. And then this photo from Phish's Twitter account happened. Mad props to Adrian Assi for spying it.

Friday, 08/01/2014
Amphitheater at the Wharf, Orange Beach, AL

Set 1: Chalk Dust Torture, The Moma Dance, Heavy Things, 555, Rift > 46 Days, Tube, Devotion To a Dream, Wolfman's Brother, The Ballad of Curtis Loew, Free > Character Zero
Set 2: Down with Disease > Theme From the Bottom > Tweezer > Prince Caspian > Waiting All Night > Fuego > Slave to the Traffic Light > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Boogie On Reggae Woman -> Run Like an Antelope
Encore: Bouncing Around the Room > Tweezer Reprise
Teases:
· Boogie On Reggae Woman and Theme from The Munsters teases in Run Like an Antelope
· Tweezer jam in Fuego
· Setting Sail quote in Tweezer Reprise
Notes: Fuego included a brief Tweezer jam. Antelope contained Boogie On and Munsters theme teases. Fishman quoted Setting Sail in Tweezer Reprise.

You can stream it here

http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/2014-08-01

      We saw a guy with a CDT Reprise sign, so he had to be geeked at the opener. First set was solid with very few repeats from the other 4 shows I saw. Curtis Loew was a nice tip of the hat to the Skynard South. The DWD was 20 minutes of pure hose. I thought it was the highlight of the run for myself. The boys really did a great mashup of Boogie and Antelope, or Boogalope as someone called it.
      We made it back to the hotel and chilled out on the beach with the show playing over Switzer's phone. That time on the beach might have been the most fun I had all weekend.
This whole run was definitely an old school run. 3 shows, 3 days, 3 different cities. It seemed like Phish had realized how convenient 3 day runs in the same city were, but they said nope, we're gonna rage it like its the late 90's. Which was rather nice as my cellphone had a nervous breakdown right before the run started and it was more a pain in the ass than anything.
      After another rather long drive, we arrived in Pelham, right outside of Birmingham. Our hotel was right next to the venue, ala Hampton. Our window overlooked one of the Lots. And what a Lot it was. Full blown shakedown, just like it was back in the day. After a rather long walk, we made it in and found our seats in the uncovered pavilion.

You can stream it here

http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/2014-08-02

Saturday, 08/02/2014
Oak Mountain Amphitheatre, Pelham, AL

Soundcheck: Sing Monica, Wombat
Set 1: AC/DC Bag > Poor Heart, Cities, Kill Devil Falls, Reba > Possum, Sample in a Jar, Funky Bitch > Maze, Ocelot > Sparkle > Cavern, Wingsuit
Set 2: Carini > Ghost > Mike's Song > Simple > Joy > Weekapaug Groove > Julius, Sand > Wading in the Velvet Sea, You Enjoy Myself
Encore: Quinn the Eskimo
Teases:
· San-Ho-Zay and Simple teases in Ghost
Notes: Ghost contained San-Ho-Zay and Simple teases.
      Trey was very talkative. The Reba was the highlight of the first set for myself. Wingsuit was a weird way to end the first set, but other than that Happy Happy Joy Joy.
Second set was all about the Carini>Ghost. Trey couldn't wait to play Simple. He really teased it right before launching into Mike's Song. The YEM had a really good vocal jam and some cool dancing from Big Red. The encore was another new cover, and even if it was the day after Jerry's birthday, I will still take it.
      During set break, I was talking to my neighbor Rex. He proceeded to tell me about his family history. His farm has been in his family since 1812 and he could trace his ancestors back to 1750. It was really cool getting a sense of history. And he was an Auburn fan, so he was still riding high from the Iron Bowl the year before. He asked if I was being bored and I replied, no way, I have an American Studies degree. I was eating it up.
      After the show, a bunch of us retired to our room. We had enough people up and in attendance we ordered two pizzas, one regular, one a meatza. They said it would be an hour. As we waited, people passed out and left. So by the time an hour and changed rolled around, it was just myself and Josh. Way too much pizza for two guys. As I answered the door, the delivery guy was there. There also was some wasted guy, trying to give the delivery guy a 20 to come back with another pizza. By now, it was 1:30 2:00 am. I offered the guy a pizza for the 20, he took it and I shut the door. He complained no pepperoni but tough titties. So tip included, we paid 10 bucks for one pizza, with nothing to go to waste. This is why we rule Tour.
      Another day, another city. Along the way to Atlanta, which was a much shorter ride than any of the other legs of our journey, I actually saw this sign on the side of the road.

     I also saw a Sons of the Confederacy sign celebrating their 150 anniversary. But for the most part, the part of the South I saw really wasn't all that different living in Pennsyltucky.
      A friend told us about a really sweet hotel, the Highlands Inn. It seemed to be in a hip part of Atlanta. I based this on my observation of a place called the CupCake Factory, a barbershop that specialized in mustaches, and a vegetarian soul food joint right next door. Ran into a friend of Dave Kemp Montana. We had met at Halloween 2013 but he couldn't remember my name. He showed me southern hospitality was for REAL. We rented and Uber cab/SUV for the decent price of 20 per person.
      The Lot at this show was raging. It was definitely the best one of the whole run. There are 2 lots in Alpharetta, Lot A and B. A is the one they designate for Shakedown St. People were looking to buy the parking passes for this lot. And we enjoyed the Lot to its fullest.

Sunday, 08/03/2014
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, Alpharetta, GA

Set 1: My Soul > Bathtub Gin, 555, Pebbles and Marbles, The Line, Vultures, Fast Enough for You, Back on the Train, Taste, Gumbo, Halfway to the Moon, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan > Suzy Greenberg
Set 2: Chalk Dust Torture^[1] -> Scents and Subtle Sounds > Twist > Fuego, The Wedge, Light > Harry Hood > First Tube
Encore: Fluffhead
[1] Unfinished
Teases:
· Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan quote in Suzy Greenberg
· Call to the Post tease
Notes: This show was webcast for free via LivePhish. Suzy Greenberg contained a quote of Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan by Trey. Trey teased Call to the Post before CDT. Chalk Dust Torture was unfinished. Scents and Subtle Sounds was last played on September 2, 2011 (109 shows). Harry Hood featured a duel section in which Trey traded solos with Mike, Fishman, and Page in turn.

      I thought this was solid from start to end. The Gin was a great second song to get us dancing. The Gumbo was stretched out like it was 1997. First time in a long time we got that. The Hood had a crazy dueling segment and then led to its usual peak. And First Tube? WOWOWOWOWOW!
Our ride back was about the same except that Uber bases their rates on supply and demand. And demand was high as we paid double to get back to the hotel. But it was worth it as no one could drive nor did we even have a vehicle there.
      So for the last 3 years, I have closed out the Summer Tour. And as with last year, I get off Tour and have holds on my credit cards for Fall Tour tickets. So now the countdown has begun for the SF>Vegas run including yet another Halloween. “He started dancin' to that fine, fine music, You know his life was saved by rock and roll!”



Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD Rock and Roll
   

Phish, July 26th and 27th, 2014, Merriweather Post Pavillion, Columbia, MD

      Wowowowowow. That's all I can say about the 2 night run at Merriweather this year. I'm kind of pressed for time as I have to work 2 12 hour shifts Tues and Wed and then I fly out for the Southern Swing of the Tour. So, here are some random thoughts and coherent sentences all about our favorite band, the Phish from Vermont.
      Found a prime spot in the new and improved super chill Lot at Merriweather. Honestly, you really had to be going out of your way to antagonize the police this past weekend. And the weather was perfect. After some BS with the parking staff, we got our 3 Quick Shades up and were ready to party.
      Continuing with our theme of local food in the Lot, Nate grilled up crab cakes the first night (if you remember, we had cheese steaks at the Mann). Lots and lots of people stopped by and it was too much fun.

You can stream it here

http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/2014-07-26

Phish: Sat, Jul 26, 2014
Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
Soundcheck: If I Could, I Been Around
Set 1: Sample in a Jar, The Moma Dance, Wombat, Backwards Down the Number Line, Roggae, The Wedge, Wolfman's Brother, Nellie Kane, Lawn Boy, The Line, Stash, Suzy Greenberg
Set 2: Carini -> Ghost > Steam -> The Mango Song > Sing Monica > Light -> Also Sprach Zarathustra > Harry Hood
Encore: Julius




      I thought the first set was really good. I love Wombat and the Wolfman's Brah was jammed out. Nellie Kane was a rare treat and the Suzy was exquisite according to my friend Paul. Carini and Ghost both had fully formed jams with no ripcords in sight. NOTE: This is my opinion, a few others disagreed. The transition into Ghost was really good as was Steam into the Mango Song. Light was its usual awesomeness and Page lead us into 2001. The Hood did its spacy 2014 thing. And that was night one.
      Met up with my crew and we had an even better spot the second day. Meet and saw even more friends, and met a cool dude named Issac who had an extra, and ended up hanging with us the rest of the evening. Just some random dude lol

You can stream it here

http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/2014-07-27

Phish: Sun, Jul 27, 2014
Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
Soundcheck: Sand Jam, Waiting All Night
Set 1: Fee, The Curtain With, 46 Days, 555, My Sweet One, Sand, Bouncing Around the Room, Saw It Again > Fuego, You Enjoy Myself^[1]
Set 2: Wilson > Tweezer -> Back on the Train -> Tweezer > Back on the Train -> Tweezer > Waiting All Night > Free -> Tweezer -> Simple -> Tweezer -> Free -> Catapult -> Slave to the Traffic Light > Down with Disease^[2] -> NICU -> Hold Your Head Up > Jennifer Dances > Hold Your Head Up, I Been Around
Encore: Boogie On Reggae Woman > Tweezer Reprise
[1] With Trey waving his megaphone and using its siren.
[2] Unfinished.
Notes: This show was webcast via LivePhish. YEM included Flash Light teases and featured Trey waving his megaphone and using its siren. The first Tweezer contained Back on the Train teasing from Fish. The third Tweezer included Page teasing Manteca. Simple included a Magilla tease from Page. Catapult was played for the first time since August 14, 2009 (206 shows). DWD was unfinished. NICU contained Under Pressure teases. Tweezer was teased after the first HYHU and in I Been Around. Jennifer Dances was performed for the first time since December 17, 1999 (352 shows) and was quoted at the end of the second HYHU. I Been Around was last played October 16, 2010 (149 shows).



      Geez, where do I even start? How about the best first set I ever saw? I'd really have to rack my brain to find a better one. This had EVERYTHING. I thought a Fee opener was weird. I had just listened to the version from 7/8/99 that I attended and it was 23 minutes long, lots of Type 2 jamming. But then Trey fucked up the lyrics and had to abort it. So I've seen the longest and shortest Fee's.
     Then A Curtain, With. A song so Phishy you don't know which version it is until the end of the song. We got some bluegrass and 555 and then ….Sand. First set Sand? Not unprecedented, especially in this era but it went some great places. Bouncin' to catch our breaths and then I Saw It Again. Another rarity, and a big reminder of the version in 2010 they did that destroyed MMP. This was not that version but still great. Fuego kept things rolling and then. …....YEM, to end the first set???WOWOWOWOWOW!

Not my creation

      We were all ready to leave because that would have been a decent second set. Would the band wilt under the pressure to top the first set? Does Trey still have the intestinal fortitude to pull that off? HELL YES!!!!

Set 2: Wilson > Tweezer -> Back on the Train -> Tweezer > Back on the Train -> Tweezer > Waiting All Night > Free -> Tweezer -> Simple -> Tweezer -> Free -> Catapult -> Slave to the Traffic Light > Down with Disease^[2] -> NICU -> Hold Your Head Up > Jennifer Dances > Hold Your Head Up, I Been Around


      Really reminded me off the madness of the Bomb Factory '94 show. I know some are going to cry blasphemy but tough titties. When they immediately went into BOTT, I thought WTF? No jam at all? Oh Dave, don't worry, Phish has your back. By the third time back into Tweezer, it was all hose and they could do no wrong. Waiting All Night to catch our breath and then FREE, and into Simple, and Free Reprise, and then Catapault. WOWOWOWOWOWOW!! And then DWD, because you haven't had enough. And then Henrietta, and the long awaited bustout of Jennifer Dances
     Here is a little taste http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1999-12-17/jennifer-dances
      And they had a lot of fun with it. Never saw Been Around before, complete with marching around the stage. And Boogie On >Reprise for the encore. It had everything except an hour long song, but who needed that? This was old school, nerd, Phish. That JD stuff was all an inside joke for the fans. I'm sure PT blew up.
      Last night is why I try to see as many shows as I can. You never know how long the good times will last so enjoy each and everyone of them to its fullest, because when something is gone, it is gone, and nothing is gonna bring it back. My next post? From the Dirty South, as I hit the final 3 shows on this Tour on the Southern Swing



Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD Rock and Roll
  

It Was 20 Years Ago Today: Grateful Dead, July 16th and 17th, 1994, RFK Satdium, Washington, DC

      Hello everyone. I hope you are enjoying the incredible jams Phish is tossing off with little or no effort this summer. With 2 weeks between the Mann shows and the Merriweather/Southern swing of awesomeness I have coming up, it is time to take a quick break from the boys from Vermont to look back, and I mean way back. While Phish was finishing up the summer tour where Phish became Phish (thanks to Dave Stienberg for that great little line), I was going to see my boys at RFK stadium. So here it is, the Grateful Dead at RFK stadium in Washington DC, July 16^th and 17^th, 1994.
      This was the 5^th summer in a row of seeing the Dead at RFK and I had it down pat now. This was also the first summer where my mind was fully enlightened and experimentation was the rule of the day. So, due to me pushing the limits of my conscience, details aren't gonna be as plentiful as before. I do know we camped for these shows, and that's about it. Myself and my usual crew went down along with a few of W's friends from college.

07-16-94 Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, Washington, D.C. (Sat)
1: Cold Rain> Picasso Moon, Lazy River Road, El Paso@, Shoe Fits, Ramble On, Masterpiece, Loose Lucy, Promised
2: China Cat> I Know You Rider, Samba, Estimated> Crazy Fingers> Drumz> Last Time> Stella Blue> Saturday Night E: Liberty

Traffic opened

You can stream it here

https://listentothedead.com/1994/7/16

Note: The above website is safe, despite what your anti virus says

      A solid first set although If the Show Fits is a song that should have been left of the shelf. The second set started off right but Samba and Crazy Fingers were rather slow. Jerry missed his cue for the first verse of Stella Blue, which looking back should have been a flag that he wasn't taking care of himself. 

07-17-94 Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, Washington, D.C. (Sun)
1: Bucket> Bertha, Wang Dang Doodle, So Many Roads, Tom Thumb Blues, B. T. Wind@, Don't Ease
2: Victim> Eyes> Samson> He's Gone> Drumz> Way To Go> SOTM> Lovelight E: Brokedown

Traffic opened

You can stream it here

https://listentothedead.com/1994/7/17

       I must give a shout out to Traffic. This has been the only time I've been able to see Steve Winwood live, and both nights they did not disappoint. This was also during the final match of the World Cup. My friend of Italian decent manged to find a black and white television using an old school analog antenna to watch the game. Brazil ended up winning, beating Italy, which Steve Winwood brought up during his set.
      Another friend of a friend was there, and although the word didn't exist, he was definitely a “bro”. Juiced up, with pecs that looked like they needed scaffolding just to stay up, he kept repeating the word “Brazil”over and over again until it ceased to be a word. Only highlight I can remember is during Samson. It was raining but right as Jerry went into his solo, the skies really opened up and the crowd goes apeshit. You can hear it on the audience tapes. Glad to see Jerry still had a little bit of magic left to affect the weather.
      So there you have it. Only 3 more 20 Years Later entries for the good ole Grateful Dead and I hope I see most of you at Merriweather for Phish next weekend.



Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD Rock and Roll
  

Phish, July 8th and 9th, 2014, at the Mann Music Center, Philadelphia, PA

      Hey now everyone. Hope you are enjoying summer. As I write this on July 12^th, my mind wanders back 24 years for my first real show, the Grateful Dead at RFK stadium. If you're into something long enough, hopefully things come back around. And things have come back around BIG TIME as I was able to see Phish at a venue where I saw them 20 years ago, the Mann Music Center in downtown Philly. So without further ado, here are my adventures for the Phish from Vermont on July 8^th and 9^th, 2014.

You can read about my first trip there right here

http://kempepedia.blogspot.com/2014/06/greetings-everyone.html

      I went my Camp Gonzo crew Christie and Nate (whose wedding ceremony I performed) and Christine (the OG HMLL) and her hubby Todd (who taped the last Devolver show). Nate found a sweet apartment on Airbnb.com and I may never stay in a hotel again. It was cheaper than a suite with so much more room. Private secure parking although the alley in and out of the garage looked like it was an alley in Naples ItalyIt was located 10 minutes from the venue and a straight shot down one road.

      We got to the Lot early and set up camp. My friends Matt and Alicia ended up randomly parking right next to us. I had the HMLL shirt flying that I always bring to shows.

     Christie then gave me a flag and said hang this up, and it was the most EPIC, STUPENDOUS, GLORIOUS creation in the history of sewing.

     She got tee shirts and one do rag from all the HMLL's and one husband and made this amazing quilt. I'm still blown away by it. A true Lot worthy piece of art. Christie's like the Heady Betsy Ross.

Had several friends stop by and catch up as we ate cheese steaks in a Philly Lot, the way Ben Franklin intended it.

I also had my buddy Adrian up dating me on the semifinal match between Brazil and Germany. That match result 7-1, Germany, is really a little more mindblowing than any jam I have ever heard.

After a rather long wait to get into the venue, we found our spots on the lawn. Then, over the PA system, comes the warning a severe thunderstorm is headed our way and everyone on the lawn needs to return to there cars until the storm passes. I never had this happen before but it isn't unprecedented, Deer Creek '09 immediately springs to mind. So we returned to the Lot for about 45 minutes. We got back inside, found our spot, and the show got on the road right around 9:15.

Tuesday, 07/08/2014 The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA

Soundcheck: Billy Breathes, Sugar Shack, Let Me Lie
Set 1: Axilla, Gumbo > Taste, 555, Tube, Halfway to the Moon, Camel Walk, Sparkle, Halley's Comet > It's Ice, Ocelot, Walls of the Cave
Set 2: 46 Days > Fuego > The Line, Backwards Down the Number Line > Tweezer -> Ghost > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Harry Hood > Tweezer Reprise
Encore: Possum

You can stream it here

http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/2014-07-08

      So happy to get a full show despite the weather delay. First set was solid high energy. The Tube has a rather extended jam before “The Jam”. The new songs are developing very well, much better than my first impression on Halloween. The Camel Walk and Halley's were very strong. Walls is always a great set closer.

      Second set highlight was Fuego, which had 2 separate distinct jams, and was all about Page. Trey is definitely deferring to Page alot more as far as leading the jams. The Line was a nice way to catch our breath and I love Backwards, so nice Line>Line combo.

      Tweezer was compact but had some really great moments. It seemed Trey was playing Ghost about 5 minutes before everyone else. By this time, my hips and back were killing me from standing on the lawn. I made my way to the flat part of the lawn at the top and they go into 2001. Finally, the “No Covers” cherry was popped. Everybody was dancing up a storm. The Hood was great as was the non encore Reprise.

After a wonderful nights sleep thanks to the giant ceiling fan, we made it to the Lot for day two. Almost same spot, caught up with old friends and held my breath as Argentina held on to make it to the World Cup final. I had a two team parley for Germany and Argentina. 

Wednesday, 07/09/2014 The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA

Set 1: Glide, Sing Monica, Birds of a Feather, Wolfman's Brother, Sugar Shack, Alaska, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, Horn, Devotion To a Dream, Silent in the Morning, Run Like an Antelope
Set 2: Chalk Dust Torture^[1] > Wingsuit, Winterqueen, Twist > Crosseyed and Painless > Waste > Mike's Song > Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley
Encore: Julius > Weekapaug Groove
[1] Unfinished.

You can stream it here

http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/2014-07-09

      A rather long first set but really strong. I always love me some McGrupp because they name check myself. Again, the new songs are really taking shape and coming on strong. A second set Chalk Dust opener?? You know its gonna get epic. Wingsuit and Winterqueen both worked despite being rather slow.

      But when they did Crosseyed, everyone blew up. Christie had been calling this, so she really flipped her wig. A Waste to catch our breath and then Mike's. Into Sneakin'?? Holy shit. And we even got a small vocal jam. Stupendous. The boys have split Mike's and Weekapaugh with Weekapaugh in the encore spot, and I've seen them both.

      I really like how this summer is gonna play out. I have 2 weeks in which to savor these two shows, then its the Merriweather shows, 2 days of work, and then I fly out for the Southern Swing with my Wombat Crew. See you on the road.

Dave Kemp

BA American Studies

PhD Rock and Roll

Widespread Panic, Jun 14th. 2014, Mann Music Center, Philadelphia, PA

      Hello everyone. I hope you are as pumped as I am now that Phish's Summer Tour is under way. But I am not here to write about the immediate future, it's more about the immediate past. I am of course talking about the pride of Athens, GA, one Widespread Panic. And I got to see the boys 3 weeks ago on June 14^th, at the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia, PA
      I was pumped when this show was announced. One, I haven't seen the boys since way back in 2010, which was also my first blog post. You can read it here.

http://kempepedia.blogspot.com/2010/09/bliss-in-burlington.html

They rarely make it above the Mason Dixon Line and when they do, it usually is a mid week show. Second, this show begins my mini tour of the Mann this summer with 2 Phish shows during the first week of July. And third, the ass kicking band Galactic was opening up for them.

      Myself and Paul headed out and got to a rather empty lot. I ended up meeting some homies from WAY BACK in the day. I hadn't seen Kevin since before Devolver. Another friend, Hemi, recognized me even though he hasn't seen me since before my beard. He said we used to trade tapes. I had no recollection of him. D'oh. Such is the price one must pay on the crusade to find eternal joy and never ending splendor.

06/14/14 The Mann Center For Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA

0: Pigeons, Time Zones, Can't Get High, Machine > Barstools and Dreamers, Clinic Cynic, Space Wrangler > Walkin' (For Your Love), Tortured Artist > Blackout Blues > Drinking Muddy Water, Jesus Just Left Chicago > Drums* > Fixin' To Die**, Chilly Water**, Thought Sausage > Familiar Reality***, Use Me****

E: Old Joe, Imitation Leather Shoes

* with Stanton Moore on percussion ** with Jeff Raines on guitar *** with Ben Ellman on saxophone, Corey Henry on trombone **** with Ben Ellman on saxophone, Corey Henry on trombone, Maggie Koerner on vocals, Rich Vogell on keyboards ['Satisfied' rap during 'Barstools and Dreamers'; Galactic opened]

You can stream it here

http://www.panicstream.com/vault/widespread-panic-06142014-philadelphia-pa/

      We had actual seats in the pavilion. We got in early for Galactic and they did not disappoint. They had Maggie Koerner on vocals and she was great. Their drummer is Stanton Moore and I think he is one of the best in the business. Galactic first blew my mind back at the first Bonnaroo in 2003. The majority of their tunes are instrumentals. They are a healthy dose of New Orleans funk that goes down oh so sweet. Highlight of the set was “Oh Nah Nay” and a cover of the Jackson 5's “ I Want You Back”.

      We evidently weren't in our actual seats. It was an honest mistake given how bass ackwards the numbering of sections is at the venue. Should be a crazy time when Phish plays here.

This Panic set was very light on newer tunes ( written after 2005) so I was very pleased. The new tunes just don't measure up to the classics, unlike Phish who are still coming up with strong tunes. It's a shame Phish has said they aren't going to be playing as many covers, because it would be really cool to see 2 bands cover the same song (Jesus Left Chicago) at the same venue 3 weeks apart. I saw Phish and Furthur both cover The Mighty Quinn in the Summer of 2011 but it was at different venues.

      Highlights for myself were Blackout Blues, Fixin' To Die, Thought Sausage, and Use Me. Paul said Use Me is one of his favorite covers and Maggie crushed her vocal part.

We got out of the Lot in no time and got back to good ole Hanover by 2 AM. Nice to get the Summer of 2014 underway and am really looking forward to a season full of friends, jams and mind expanding adventures.

Dave Kemp

BA American Studies

PhD Rock and Roll

  

The McLovins, The Circle, Hanover, PA June 28th, 2014

     Greetings everyone, a real quickie this morning, at the request of one Mr Paul Kraft.
Last night I had my mind blown. The McLovins were playing at the at the Circle. Who are the McLovins? They are a jamband out of Connecticut and they burned the Circle down. A four piece augmented with a horn section for this tour, they were able to get into a rhythmic groove better than most bands I have heard. I went in cold, without hearing any of their music but had read a few articles about them.
      They played a really good mix of covers and originals. The second song they played was “Get Up Jake” by the Band and they nailed it. Their originals were very strong,lyrically and musically. The horn section didn't play on every song but when they did, they blended in perfectly. Big ups to whoever figured out the arrangements. Check out some of there stuff here

https://www.youtube.com/user/drummercl

And the all holy sites of sites, the Archive

https://archive.org/details/TheMcLovins

     The highlight of the night was 2001 with the horn section. After the first peak, the guitarist motioned to the drummer, and he started playing a different beat. I thought they were going into another song but instead they took the long way to get back to 2001. And again, I can't stress how fucking outstanding the horns were on this. I had just said to a friend 3 hours before this show that I wasn't really searching out any new music. Well I found some to dig deep into now.

     And I'm sure some of you are asking how and why were the McLovins, who have played really big stages like the Gathering of the Vibes, at the newly renamed The Circle in Hanover? Because the the Circle is becoming the real deal. From March thru the first week in April, I saw a better variety of kick ass music than I have ever in my life, even going back to my daze at Penn State. You may be reading a lot about new brewpubs opening up in Hanover, but don't forget who was serving heady micro brews, bringing eclectic music, and leading the revitalization of downtown Hanover first.

http://www.thecirclehanoverpa.com/

“Your scene is what you make it” uttered by myself back in 2000

Dave Kemp

BA American Studies

PhD Rock and Roll

It Was 20 Years Ago Today: Phish, July 1st, 1994, Mann Music Center, Philadelphia, PA

      Greetings everyone. I don't know about you, but I am really pumped for Phish's Summer Tour to get under way. I'll be seeing 7 shows in 26 days from Philly down to South Orange Beach Alabama. But the venue I'm most excited to visit is Philly's Mann Music Center. And why am I most looking forward to that? Because I've been seeing Phish for so long (20 years) that things are starting to circle back around. The first time I ever visited the Mann was 20 years ago for a Phish show on July 1^st. So with out further ado, Kempepedia is proud to present another installment of It Was 20 Years Ago Today, Phish at the Mann Music Center, July 1^st, in Philadelphia, PA

      I had already seen Phish once at Penn State that spring and was pumped to see them again. I already had tickets for the RFK (July 16th and 17^th) Dead shows, so 2 weeks before fit my schedule quite well. Myself, Nad, and W set out. This was W's first Phish show (Nad's second) and we were ready to rage.
      The venue is located in Philly's Fairmount Park and is absolutely gorgeous. Definitely the most beautiful outdoor venue in an urban area I have ever encountered. All the parking is on the grass, with a ton of trees to provide shade. A centrally located fountain is the perfect spot to tell people to meet up. Remember, this was the era before cell phones.

      We chilled out in the Lot and then proceeded into the venue. I was still something of a noob, and didn't have my accessories adequately stashed, which was a huge problem when I got to the gate. When he asked me to empty my pockets, my response was to turn around and flee. W was directly behind me and all he could do was look at the guy and shrug his shoulders. W was still coming down from the balloons we had done before heading in. I went to another entrance and met up with my
 crew.

Friday, 07/01/1994
The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA

Soundcheck: Dog Log, Funky Bitch, Jam, The Old Home Place
Set 1: Runaway Jim, Foam, Sample in a Jar, NICU > Stash, The Mango Song > It's Ice > Tela > Julius, Suzy Greenberg
Set 2: David Bowie, If I Could > Fluffhead > Down with Disease > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Possum > Hold Your Head Up > Terrapin > Hold Your Head Up, Harry Hood, Cavern
Encore: Rocky Top
Teases:
· Voodoo Child (Slight Return) tease in Possum
Notes: Possum included teases of Voodoo Child (Slight Return).

You can stream the show here

http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/1994-07-01

      I still wasn't familiar with all the songs but everything kicked ass. The Jim had some nice little moments and Foam was really good. The second set was really the meat of the show. Fluffhead was one of my favorite songs and this did not disappoint. I knew the TMWSIY> Avenu Malkenu>TMWSIY from tapes and hearing live brought home how beautiful a songwriter Trey was and how funky a 2000 year old Hebrew prayer could be. Only Phish could pull that off. Despite a lot of repeats from the Penn State show, I was thoroughly impressed.

      We ended up having seats near I guy I knew through the York Crew up at Penn State named D'Horhay. I know the spelling is wrong but he was an Asian/Polynesian guy with a Hispanic name so I have no idea what the proper spelling is. Nad wasn't and still isn't the biggest drinker. He really doesn't like alcohol. But for whatever reason, he was drinking a lot that day (Actually, it was probably like 2 beers). But it really made him ill, and he kept running to the bathroom to throw up. D'Horhay remarked to me” Wow, that guy has to piss ALOT” Ah, to be young and have absolutely no tolerance.

      So there you have it, my first but certainly not my last adventures at the beautiful Mann Music Center, which bills itself “As the Sound of Summer” And I can not wait to hear the Phish from Vermont rip it up 3.0 style there on July 8 and 9 this year.

Dave Kemp

BA American Studies

PhD Rock and Roll