The University of California Berkeley's legendary hillside outdoor Greek Theater last night was the setting for the first of three shows by the talented Vermont jazz-rockers Phish. The show was a sellout at 8500 -- with another 8500 wagging their fingers looking for tickets (8.5 of whom may have succeeded.) Here's a finger wagging gaggle on a street corner (unaware of the divide and conquer strategy.)
Here's the happy optimistic "I am just getting started but certain I'll get my ticket" look. She was probably still just as happy four hours later listening to the show from the Livermore Nuclear Lab parking lot above the venue.
This man was ready with his trade for a ticket. Probably harder to carry around for the night than the "ounce for your extra" pleas we heard, but this is a really nice try.
Here is one of the UC Berkeley's tenured Physics Professors trying to get in so he can experiment on the Trey/Mike sonic interplay.
Some of the "ECO's" (East Coast Outcasts) tried sympathetic trickery to get their ducats -- to no avail.
Others showed signs of carpal tunnel from their wagging in vain - men and women. (And yes, that is two busses mating in the background -- part of the UC Bio-Energy Department.)
This phishgirl had a sign. Again, nice try.
This girl had a $100 bill wrapped around her wagging finger. At the Gorge, this would have worked for sure.
This man had a sign plus money, but also to no avail. We saw only one ticket miracle go down -- a polite man who had bathed sold a ticket for $60 to a girl who had not, and she surprised everyone by pulling the $60 out of her midriff (the surprise was that she had the money, not where she kept it.)
Here is a very happy Mexican cousin -- this man already had his ticket and was set to groove.
The show was lighter than loud, although by the second set they had it pretty well adjusted. Page was the MVP, but Jonny B. Fishman gets an honorable mention. Trey had a new shirt and a new Languedoc guitar. Mike was fully clothed. Both Mike and Trey had the shaggy dog look perhaps as a non-verbal California Prop 19 endorsement. The crowd included numerous adults -- indeed, a super-demographic of music-lovers, including these two chaps.
Set I: Possum, Wolfman's Brother, Divided Sky, Funky B*tch, Kill Devil Falls (Phish's Cool Jerk), Halley's Comet ("I'm going down to the central part of town"), Sample in a Jar, NICU, Bouncing Around the Room, Run Like an Antelope. Here are some of the Cadillac rainbows.
Our core of four was on the floor. Neighbors from North Carolina, Texas, Northern California. Crowded, but not impossible.
Set II: Down with Disease, Free, Alaska ("stay right here"), Get Back on the Train, Maze, Joy, Tweezer, Fluffhead ("check this one out"). I was not alone.
At the encore, Trey came into the crowd and took the "Stage Banter" sign from the yellow-sign man and told the crowd he was going to "honor the request." He thanked Paul Languedoc the luthier from Vermont who built his new guitar. So did the rest of us. E: Loving Cup, Tweezer Reprise.
Then, even though his head exploded, like the roadrunner he is, Trey will be put back together again for tonight.
Remember, Phish is a team sport.
See you tonight!
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