Phish Festival 8 Set-By-Set Review
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Modified: 2009-11-19 00:36:40.0
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1Exile On Main Street 10/31/09 IIHalloween Costume commences with a mashup video of many of the "100 Original Possible" albums, with "Cocksucker Blues" footage artfully and humorously added at the end. Then it's off to the races with Rocks Off. As amazing as Trey is, the first few songs sound a bit thin w/out two guitars. Even horns can't quite fill the sound. After 4 songs or so I don't feel like I'll be listening to the Exile set the way I do their last Halloween set (11 years ago - wow) - VU's Loaded, which i was also lucky enough to catch live. Regardless, it's nice to actually hear the lyrics to many of these Jagger-mumbles for the first time. They hit a groove 4 or 5 in, though, and with one exception don't let up for the rest of the set. Even Fishman vocals on Sweet Virginia and Happy are credible and not jokey, the band and backup singers killing it. This has turned into an awesome set With the horns and the backup singers, numerous parts sounded a bit more like current-era live Stones than Exile-time-of-recording Stones. This is not a bad thing, as the Stones still kill it live. Shine a Light in particular benefits from that "only Phish can do this" treatment - Trey cresting some amazing solos that simply do not exist in the DNA of Keith Richards. Breakdown: 31.57% Sick, sick absolute killer versions - including a horn-and-backing-singer-blown-out Lovin' Cup that actually topped the versions Phisheads have loved for 12 or so years, a trancendental Shine A Light. All Down The Line was definitively better than any live versions the Stones have done (it's a song that the Stones have done semi-regularly since '72). And Torn and Frayed was magnificent, Sharon Jones tearing it up. 31.57% Really fricking cool versions with strong jams. 31.57% Enjoyable-But-Not-Memorable (early songs, Fishman vox, one other) 5.26 % clunkers (a lull when they hit mid-side 3 particluarly some 'relax your mind' vamp on "I just wanna see His face" w Sharon jones an the other backup singer" (who were otherwise excellent additions to the band) Overall, every bit as good as Vegas 98 Loaded, and even longer. I can't wait to get this on disc and dive in more. Hard to say whether I enjoyed this set or last nite's second set more, but I'll give the cover set the edge for the uniqueness.more info
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210/30/09 II<Video of the Burple Balloon> The second set the first night proves to be an absolute MONSTER setlist. It's certainly possible that the perfect buzz I have attained at this point is clouding my judgement, but every minute of this set had me (and everyone around me) utterly enraptured. Highlights were everywhere - Prince Caspian was transcendental. Wolfman's Brother was maybe a hair less-amazing (and quite different from) the Bonnaroo version, but still just a stunner. It ended with some really interesting jamming segueing into an almost Jesu-like wall of noise. A rapidfire doubletime Piper turned into a slower long jam. Harry Hood. "David Bowie" continues the sick, sick, sick set, with an appearance of a gigantic floating Stony Light of glowing red balloons. This soon segues into a changing color-multi-stony-light. It should be noted that I LOVE blinking stony lights. This fun effect has made this set an even bigger monster. <NOTE - I have since uploaded a video, the youtube uploader refers to this as a "Burple Balloon". it is always enjoyable to have a new word in one's vocabulary.> They close with a stellar Golgi (not a fave of mine per se, but loved it nonetheless, and an encore of Character Zero). Best set of music I have seen by any band so far in 2009 methinks - even better than their first set at Bonnaroo. I'm frankly slightly concerned that they have shot maybe too big of a load setlist-wise. But these are good concerns to have. Set II: Punch You In The Eye, Down With Disease > Prince Caspian > Wolfman's Brother > Piper > Joy David Bowie Harry Hood Golgi Apparatus Encore: Character Zeromore info
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310/31/09 IIIAs is typical with (III) sets by any jam band worth its salt, it's now all about the deep jams Just about every song is 10-15mins from here on out. Backwards Down The Number Line - great opener Fluffhead crowd goes batshit for most 15 min version, glowsticks coat the sky. Ghost - long version, bathroom break for me, not a fave, but some great jams at end When The Circus Comes - always a personal fave A long ecstatic YEM that tops the Fluffhead for crowd response, ending with Tuvan-throat-singing-mixed-with-Vincent-Price-style vocal jam Encore joined by Sharon Jones and the horns again is pretty unique - prior to seeing this I would have thought the terms "epic" and "soulful" would never be seen near the song Suzie Greenberg. Sharon Jones can certainly belt it out. Overall a great day and a great festival all the way so far. The only regret is we did not see a return of the "Burple Balloon" at all on Halloween.more info
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410/31/09 IPA has been broadcasting godawful pre-start music for the last 20. Hippies aren't known for their punctuality. Set is starting late if my memory of the set times is correct. Today it took less than 90seconds to get hit in the head by a beach ball (yesterday it was closer to 15mins in, and it was a balloon). I don't understand how Trey and Mike can be onstage, facing into the late afternoon sun, without any shades on. The first set of the day starts with joyous but languid versions of Sample In A Jar and Divided Sky. Next is that lame song about "olfactory hues" (exactly). Piss break. which means i unfortunately miss the first half of Kill Devil Falls, a rocking song on the mostly-strong new album. Kill Devil Falls doesn't quite sound like any other Phish song, both lyrically or otherwise. Bathtub Gin continues the slow groove jam vibe and then crescendoes magnificently in the last few minutes. Next is Runaway Jim, and a Possum that sends limbs flailing. Another almost impossibly strong and old-school setlist. As I type this they are teasing Antelope - yes. My occassionally-wise companion Luber points out multiple "animal songs" in a row. i guess that is maybe intentional? I don't go on enough Phish forums to be sure. The Antelope is SICK SICK SICK. Great set. I'm calling it a 9.5, though that is subject to change.more info
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511/1/09 I Acoustic Set11/1/09 (I) Acoustic Set Although it was advertised as their "first-ever acoustic set", that's not 100% true, as I saw them do a 40min set at Neil Young's Bridge Benefit about 10 years ago. It's a little after noon, and HOT (though not Coachella-hot). They commence with the kind of songs one would expect to hear them playing acoustically. Water in the sky Get Back On The Train Billy Breathes (I think- it was that beautiful 'this one is for you' song) I'm Waiting- a Mike song I didn't recognize Strange Design etc. 4 songs in Trey asks 'are you sure you don't want to sit? We're playing some really mellow stuff.' A remarkable thing happens as 30,000 people all sit down. Being near the soundboard smack in the middle I find myself praying that I won't have to pee. 40 mins in the whole crowd stands and releases some pentup dance energy to a strong acoustic raveup of that song whose name escapes me (Cavern?) that goes 'Please we have no regrets'. The highlight of the acoustic set so far. We're all back seated for another song whose name escapes me (Page vox). Followed by My Sweet One, and a number of other songs I recognize and couldn't name. It dawns on me that the presence of a full acoustic set this weekend is one of the reasons their full sets have been so pound-for-pound excellent setlist-wise - they have been saving all the slow stuff for this noon Sunday set. Two highlights when they break out of the mellow box a bit - an acoustic Bouncin Around The Room and a wonderful, strong Wilson, followed by a driving acoustic version of a Gamehendge song (Col Forbin?) They come back for a 3 song encore (Driver, and a couple of other pretty mellow songs) My first ever 100% sober Phish set is certainly an enjoyable one. I give it an 8.6 partly because at my advanced age I just dont need to see live acoustic music unless it's like Neil Young, and partly because the setlist had some yawners. Still, it was about as good as I would expect Phish to be able to play 100+minutes acoustically.more info
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610/30/09 IOpener: Party Time - Some N'awlins groove. Kinda like an Iko- nice enough starter to a long party, though certainly slight. Chalkdust. Long and pretty jammy. Luber calls a A plus. I’d give an A. One of my Phish faves. Moms Dance- not a fave. Followed by a song off new album that is pretty good. A strong Stash- the first 45 minutes are quite good, somewhat languid but excellent jams. However the momentum is killed by a barbershop song/vaccum cleaner solo, and then a hoedown song. u Now they are singing about ocelots (a low point of otherwise solid new album). The set has slid downhill, but at least the jams are stellar. Rest of the set is OK but the song choice just wasn’t there. They close with Time Turns Elastic, a long proggy song that starts in snooze mode and ends really really strong. A mostly good set though I confess to a minor flash of 'this weekend is a LOT of Phish' And I am 41 years old. . . Phish Festival 8 10.30.09 First Set Indio, CA Set Llist: Party Time Chalkdust Torture Moma Dance NICU Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan Stash I Didn't Know Poor Heart Cavern Beauty of a Broken Heart (from Page solo record) Ocelot Time Turns Elasticmore info
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711/1/09 IIWell, it had to happen - the crushingly good setlists so far somehow pushed all the Phish songs I loathe into the first evening set Sunday. Opens with the hated AC/DC Bag, and song #3 is the even more hated Jiboo. Both will be on my 5 Most Loathed Phish songs list. Which I will make as soon as we have a proper songs dataset on Ranker (Twist and Funky Bitch will also be on that list). Up next Heavy Things which may not be Top Five but is def Top 10 or 15 Most Loathed. The only positive spin so far is that it would be really hard to get worse. Just like Coachella on a Sunday night the all weekend partying has taken an obvious toll on some of the attendees. It's getting slightly ugly at least in the area we are standing. Reba with an excellent jammed out 2nd half keeps hope alive but then another slight song whose name escapes me kills the semblance of momentum. To top it off there are 3 little kids with incredibly loaded parents directly to my right running amok like little dervishes going after raining balloons and glowsticks. Families bringing multiple 5 year olds to weekend long rock festivals are not big on my respect list. Undermind. Would be an OK break from a good set, but not what we need here. Guelah Papyrus. Not loathed but far from loved. I wish I had to pee. It would give me a purposefilled respite from this abysmal setlist. The set closer was a fine Split Open and Melt, but that still didn't salvage this one for me. Last nights middle set had Turd on the Run - this one is running from turds. A reality check really - this weekend had been almost too good to be true. The one big negative is that we need to hit the road to get back to work the next day, hate to leave such a spectacular festival on such a bum note.more info
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811/1/09 III Final Set of Festival 8We hit the road - sounds like a pretty strong set. Here's a wrapup from jambands: http://www.jambands.com/news/2009/11/02/final-notes-of-phish-s-festival-8more info
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9soundcheck 10/30/09I wasn't on the grounds yet but sounds like they did something cool: http://www.spinner.com/2009/10/30/phish-surprises-fans-with-soundcheck-broadcast-at-festival-8/more info
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