#tower jam

Mostly, the argument comes down to context. Let’s take for example the tour closing run at SPAC this summer. The Saturday night show was a supreme example of a Phish “rock” show. The first set contained “Possum, Moma, Rift, Maze” a best of tour and glory-filled “Bathtub Gin”. Oh, and the band closed the FIRST SET with “Good Times Bad Times.” You can’t look at that set and say that Phish wasn’t feeling it that night, even if they weren’t feeling “IT.” 

Closing the first set with Zeppelin meant that Phish believed they could top even that regular clinic of energy and emulative glory. Coming off the heels of a runaway railroad of a Bathtub, “Good Times” had us floating at the upper ranges of our intensity barometers. We galloped up the pavilion walkway, not even realizing that we missed the entire setbreak recovering behind the food court lawn. And we were sober, I think.

How could they top a set like that, energetically speaking? How about opening with a “Down with Disease,” straightlaced until the segue into The Violent Femme’s 90’s radio sensation “Blister in the Sun.” Phish had an exciting time peppering the rest of the set with “Blister” teases and notations; good times were had by all. Especially the band, most especially Trey. Singing a song about being “High as a Kite” and “strung out” remind our hero of the battles he’s already waged and won as well as “the task ahead.” If this is the catharsis he needs to supplement his battle, the last thing we’ll ever do is complain. 

The rest of the set included “Golden Age, 2001, Boogie On, Mule, Caspian” and a “Mike’s Groove” with “Contact” sandwich. And then a rocky but still awesome and sentimental “Sabotage” encore with Trey belting to the heavens albeit with his guitar in the wrong key. It’s true the show was devoid of any serious attempt at experimental or creative improvisation. In fact, that is telling in and of itself. Sometimes the band doesn’t need, want or care to “go there.” 

Having raged the pit properly, we left the show nearly speechless, which for us, well, let’s just say it’s rare. The cavern at SPAC had been thoroughly and successfully rocked. We were dripping with sweat and couldn’t have cared less. Our normal instinct to instantly recounting personal highlights was completely stunted by the wave after wave of energy that had washed over us repeatedly through the night. We needed stiff drinks and an aftershow scene replete with music in order to come down. Both mentally and physically, we had been torn apart.

The last night of SPAC is where the real dirt went down though. “ACDC Bag, Camel Walk, Wilson, Gumbo, Foam and Melt” all came out to play. And then “La Grange” got dusted off to close the set. Phuck yes! The “Melt” (11 minutes) and “Foam” (over 9:00) both saw gorgeous playing. Were they “best of” versions? Nope, but risks were taken, especially in the “Melt,” which got so out there at one point that we weren’t sure Phish would be able to land the sucker. To be fair, it was an emergency landing, much like San Fran’s a month later. When you spin that wildly out of control, sometimes even Maverick has to eject. Poor Goose! Anyhow...

The second set of the last night of Tour was bananatown. “Axilla > Light,” “Twist > KDF (nearly 11 minutes of ripping)” a nasty ass “My Friend, My Friend” before perhaps the best jam of the first leg, a 15 minute long “Piper” that recounted some Gorge jamming from 2010. “Free, Kung (a tip of the hat to NYE) > Hood> Cavern> Bowie” is how you close a tour by the way. The YEM encore with bizarro vocal jam tells you everything you need to know about this show. And don’t miss that Bowie if you haven’t heard it. Phish is doing their damndest to break open David Bowie. They very nearly got there on 12/28/12 and some would say they did. We’ll simply say that 2013 is the year we get a contender for Best Bowie Ever. Yep. It’s gonna happen. You can flog us the way Trey beat “Sneaking Sally” on Friday night at SPAC. He made “Sally” his bitch.

We digress. Here is an observation: the venue was MUCH tamer Sunday night. It wasn’t rocking and shaking like it was Saturday night. The majority of the “energy” was centered on stage. This is because when Phish gets all experimental, when the mood to take risks and potentially open up new sonic territories arises, most of the energy remains on stage. It’s a much more introspective experience. 

Perhaps this is the tradeoff that Phish makes. The rock shows that Phish produces are more about fan/ band interactivity, enhancing the value for those present at the show but willing to potentially sacrifice the show’s long-term playback value.

So are we making the argument that a show such as Saturday night’s enabled Sunday’s successes? You bet your ass we are. These days it is rare for Phish to attempt, let alone accomplish, two consecutive nights of extreme risk-taking and creative improvisation. Breaking out of the box is not something they or we should ever take lightly. It is INCREDIBLY difficult. As one, and now maybe two musicians, we write with the full knowledge of how rare it is to succeed at that. If you want that kind of thing, go to Dick’s or a festival. Those are the places where Phish feels most comfortable because they have nearly complete control over the environment enabling them to create the optimal conditions THEY REQUIRE for experimentation and risk taking. Big Cypress Midnight Set,Tower and Storage Jam, Dick’s 2011 and ‘12.

Drugs, alcohol, mischievous or self-destructive behavior become outlets for people involved in such a task precisely because the risks are so damn high. It’s why rock stars destroy hotel rooms and jazz cats shoot dope. I mean, some of them are just assholes, but for the others, there just isn’t any other way to dial down from such heightened states.