We made it from Berkeley to Telluride to take in the Phish phenomenon Monday night at the Telluride Town Park. Sellout at 9000, including at least 2000 locals with their special San Miguel County tickets and at least 200 children. Children under 12 were free!
Needless to say, Telluride is the most stunning Phish location ever. Telluride is at the end of a box canyon -- surrounded by 14,000 foot+ peaks, 20 miles from the nearest intersection, and 100 miles from any other civilization. An awesome town if you like multi-million dollar homes occupied three weeks a year and which are prohibited by law from burning "wood" -- even if you do have 20 fireplaces.
The crowd was colorful, but not as outrageous as Berkeley -- perhaps because the scenery made up for it. But here was this chap hoping for a Union Federal.
Here is the view from the Town Park toward the waterfall at the end of the box canyon. Scores of ph's will be falling off these cliffs later this morning.
Here is the concert field and stage. Not enough room for the full CK5 rig. Also apparently not enough room for the the electronic box that keeps the sound from burping and chirping or Trey from forgetting lyrics and flubbing changes. Tickets were "easy" compared to Berkeley -- we saw several miracles and other exchanges. Not to mention that you could hear the show perfectly fine from the town without a ticket.
First set neighbors included "Team Awesome" -- a group of more than 20 from who took me in like their child and offered me an "Awesome is my bi#ch" t-shirt. Thoughtful, but I found myself missing the California girls (well, at least one California girl.)
Ganjola neighbors from Atlanta (Telluride homeowners who sent their "caretaker" with the house's electricity bill to get them a set of "local" tickets), Gunnison and Denver. Line-up neighbors from Los Angeles and Jeff Austin from Yonder Mountain who, impressively, rebuffed a stars-and-stripes bikini'd groupie -- "you want me to leave?" she asked at the end. First set neighbors included Team Awesome from Boulder, several New Yorkers, a local Telluride rockabilly hipster in a green suit, and a couple from Gig Harbor WA. Second set neighbors from Santa Fe, Birmingham Alabama, and Needham Mass. Not everyone had a disco-ball mosaic helmet.
Soundcheck from the riverside: Ginsing Sullivan, 46 Days.
Set I: Geese flyover, Down with Disease (reprise?), Camel Walk ("going downtown to the disco"), Light Up or Leave Me Alone (typical sheepish compliance all over), Summer of 89 (love song to his wife?), Stash (maybe a complete trainwreck, maybe not), Cavern (including sound burps), The Wedge ("I'm building you a pyramid with limestone blocks so large..."), Possum (reprise?), Julius ("Dont take another step" -- our predicted sleeper!)
Set II: Sand (many of the locals are wondering if this is a song or not, while the ph's are spinning right into the mud), Backward Down the Number Line (reprise?), Tweezer (reprise?), Boogie on Reggae Woman (200 little kids doing cartwheels in the back), Mountains in the Mist (hill-themed ballad), David Bowie (some of the locals are wearing ski gloves), Day in the Life (Page as John.) Mike was the night's MVP.
E: E: Quinn the Eskimo (Mr. Anastasio cant quite play an actual Jerry tune even on 8/9), Tweezer Reprise -- the mountains across the valley light up with reflections.
See you tonight at Town Park (Split Open and Melt guaranteed?)
Dont forget your touque!
Quinn is not an "actual Jerry tune". Quinn is an actual Dylan tune!
Posted by: bton dude | 08/10/2010 at 03:21
What does it mean to be hoping to hear Union Federal? It isn't even a song...
Posted by: Marco Esquandolas | 08/10/2010 at 01:59