6000 Foot Drop

Grant County WA: Phish 7/15/16 at the Gorge Amphitheater -- No Man is a Sandwich

The furiously talented Vermont jazz rock quartet Phish dropped into eastern Washington for a weekend at The Gorge Amphitheater. The weather was ideal, and over 25,000 made their way to remote Grant County. Phish at The Gorge is Washington State's number one visiting tourist draw and an overlooked pan-demographic. Our seat neighbors were from Coeur d'Alene, Ashland, and Spokane, and we met and smelled visitors from throughout northern North America. Phish displayed suburb musicianship, delivered a whirling show, and again proved itself to be the best American four-piece rock act.

This is Phish's eighth weekend visit to The Gorge ('97, '98, '99, '03, '09, '11 (review night 1 review night 2), '13 (review), '16) and each has been special. (This is the first presidential election year of Phish at The Gorge. Where was Gary Johnson?) Phish phans and The Gorge have matured together, slightly, but noticeably, over the nineteen years. Many phans have children at the show, and The Gorge now has twelve different ways to pay for parking, including not paying. The moist green organic that your feet tread upon remains the same.

In a world of chaos, Phish was dialed-in, doing its part for world peace from the banks of the Columbia River. Versatile keyboardist Page McConnell was the night's MVP, reminding the music world that no other rock act uses a grand piano like Phish. Coiffed bassist Mike Gordon retains the style award, now with a digital background to chameleonize his purple shirts. Artful drummer Jon Fishman retains the humor award. Untrimmed guitarist Trey Anastasio cannot help but be the talented leader of the band -- he's seen all the shows.   

Set I:

Tweezer: "Look who's in the freezer..." Thundering opener carried by the wind all the way to Mattawa. Reprise immediately pegged for Saturday.

Sample in a Jar: "I shuffle by alert but numb to all the glances and the glares..." CK5's new photo-runing LCD light box backdrops are showing images of Jupiter -- or just look on the south horizon and see Mars. 

The Old Home Place: "What have they done to the old home place..." Mike doowops and diddys like he likes to, and it seems appropriate in Grant County.

Wolfman's Brother: "I hear the high pitched cavitation of propellers from afar...." Page and Mr. Anastasio have fun with their interplay bouncing sounds off the canyons. This 2016 Gorge Wolfman's was better than the 1999 Gorge Wolfman's, the 2003 Gorge Wolfman's, and the 2011 Gorge Wolfman's, and about the same excitement level as the 2009 Gorge Wolfman's and the 2013 Gorge Wolfman's, but not quite as good as the 1997 Gorge Wolfman's.  

Bouncing Around the Room: "The woman was a dream I had...." Phish management is like the cigarette companies, aiming to hook new users. Phish has spent a generation trying to use Bouncing for this purpose -- you know, for kids. Not sure it's working.

Undermind: "Mystified and misshapen; misinformed but not mistaken...." Page is Korgtastic and sets the bar for what is to come. At least one beauty had this raw 2.0 masterwork on in the car on the way to the show.

Kill Devil Falls: "Reach for a beer, glad that I'm here...." Lyrics are less important to Phish 3.0. Phish does this one playfully, setting the Cool Jerk meme for the night to follow.

Lawn Boy: "I can smell the colors outside on my lawn...." Page takes the microphone and croons -- pure and clean like his parents bought him voice lessons as well as the piano lessons. The band members introduce each other in a nearly-sincere, admiring fashion.

Get Your Ass Handed to You: "Get your ass handed to you every day...." Mr. Anastasio introduces Jon's new diddy as has having the truest lyrics ever written, forgetting Jon also has a band named after him.

Party Time: "Party time!" 25,000 agree, as an ambulance flashes its way down the stage access road.

The Line: "And you step to the line...." Phish tries to be poignant, even though we all know what they really are.

Tide Turns: Mr. Anastasio tries another new set-killing song about a submarine.

Rift: "And silence contagious in moments like these...." Page and Mr. Anastasio continue their mastery of queer-music call and response. This masterpiece was not nominated for a Grammy for Song of the Year on its debut twenty-six years ago. 

Walls of the Cave: "Look at me, time stands still...." Pip pop splattered all over the walls of the Columbia River caves. Phish 2.0 stands the test of time.

Set II:

Cross-eyed and Painless: "Still waiting...." Jon Fishman as David Byrne. Slinky. Set I's submarine song portends the endless sandwich to come. 

What's the Use?: Soulful instrumental. If this were a Dead & Company show, people would be crying.

No Men in No Man's Land: "You stand on a rock, suspended in air...." Fast fun. If this is the dad/yacht rock the kids complain about, then count me as a dad into yachting. More Cool Jerk as the Cross-Eyed teasing begins.

Stash: "Was it for this my life I sought? Maybe so maybe not...." Un-unlikeable. All 25,000 are moving with some degree of amazement. Boss bossa nova. Cha-cha-cha. La-de-da. Oh-my-god.

Story of the Ghost: "But this was my big secret...." Thick. Confetti flies. More What's the Use? Another animated, amplified jewel in the desert.

Chalkdust Torture: "And watch what I say as it flutters away...." Mr. Anastasio plucks and strums a strong version of a song he has completely memorized.  No Men and Cross-Eyed return.

Meatstick: "Do, do atamaga shock...." Phish knows phans are in the audience from Japan. Would the Rolling Stones do a silly song like this?

2001: Huge. Precise. Complex. Not over too quickly. Slathered with No Men and Cross-Eyed mustard. Every Live Nation usher is dancing.

Cavern: "Give the director a serpent deflector...." Plate tectonic closer with a frilly toothpick. More What's the Use? All the loops are closed except Tweezer. With age (and perfect weather) comes wisdom, and more phans have taken care of their shoes.

E:

Makisupa Policeman: "Woke up this morning, I really like this song...." No need for the rasta to be paranoid in Washington state. You're welcome.

Wilson: "Can you still have fun...." Like Pearl Jam, Phish is occasionally political.

Good Times Bad Times: "But you still don't seem to care...." Can you imagine Mike Gordon auditioning for Led Zeppelin?

See you tonight at the Gorge!

Santa Clara CA: Fare Thee Well -- The Grateful Dead with Trey Anastasio 6/27/15 at Levi's Stadium -- Estimated Prophet

Peter Shapiro's "Fare Thee Well" hype tornado touched down last night at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California tossing cows and Chryslers without regard for consequences. The show was a sell out at 75,000, although tickets could be had in the lots for one third the cost of parking. Despite Mr. Shapiro's money back guarantee, many of the 75,000 likely did not expect a 50th anniversary history lesson with no song newer than 1970.  

Fare Thee Well is the remaining four members of the Grateful Dead, Bob Weir on rhythm  guitar, Phil Lesh on bass, Bill Kreutzmann on drums, and Mickey Hart on percussion, joined by Bruce Hornsby on piano, Jeff Chimenti on keyboards, and Trey Anastasio on lead guitar. Undoubtedly, this is one of the best rock music ensembles out there with a combined age over 400.  

The most impressive element of Fare The Well was the crowd. Every one of the 75,000 suffered some Shapiro-fueled indignity, including dynamic pricing, sand trap parking, and plastic bag backpacks -- but the scene remained relatively calm and optimistic that the music would overpower the hype. For an organism with a total weight exceeding that of the stadium, the crowd had a pretty good groove. We were in the lower bowl in Section 113 with seat neighbors from Denver, Los Angeles, and Boca Raton. Thousands of "no view" tickets ensured that seat hoppers would be in action. Some of the older generation were surprised at the temerity of the young seat hoppers plopping along like the stadium were named for Southwest Airlines. We tried the no view corner of Section 227 in the second set and the sound and view were fine.

Bob Weir was alive all night and was entirely sincere with his Jerry vocals. He really tied the room together. Bob is a walrus sporting aggressive Wilfred Brimley facial hair. If there were a Jerry Garcia Mr. Potatohead, you would use 3/4 of the Jerry beard parts to make a Bob.  

Phil Lesh looked happy and healthy. His silver fox zipperhead coif presumably is what Mike Gordon is aspiring to. Mr. Anastasio looked uncomfortable and concerned for his reputation, but he did have a schoolboy hair cut that accentuated how hard he appeared to be trying. Given the ancient setlist, it may be that Mr. Anastasio is learning the Grateful Dead catalogue in chronologic order. Mr. Anastasio was terrific, but less fluid than with Phish, like the Grateful Dead catalogue requires more muscle. But there is no doubt that Mr. Anastasio earned his paycheck.

Set I:

Truckin: "...what a long strange trip it's been..." Slow build with Wang Dang Doodle and Smokestack Lightning teases.

Uncle John's Band:  "...where does the time go?" The sound is light and distracted like the show has not yet started.

Alligator: "...creepy alligator comin round the bend..." Trey wreck. Nowhere near the 4/16/99 hippie olympics Warfield version. Going Down the Road Feeling Bad and I Know You Rider teases as Mr. Anastasio reminds us he can do more if Mr. Shapiro deems it necessary.

 

Cumberland Blues: "...he can't win for losing..." Rollicking. Mr. Anastasio's fingers are smoking, but it appears they aren't touching the strings.

Born Cross Eyed: "...meet me some morning in the sweet by and by..." Perhaps Mr. Anastasio is trying too hard. One of the skirted beauties in our section invites him to "let it go."

Cream Puff War: "...wait a minute, watch what you're doing with your time..." In the old days, you had to leave the seats to make phone calls during songs like this one.

Viola Lee Blues: "...you may know by now that I've got a friend somewhere..." Swampy with nice tinkling by Jeff. Set one wraps prematurely with a retro funky outro and the Bo Diddley beat.

Set II:

Cryptical Envelopment: "...you know he has to die...." Intricate. This will not be an 8/6/10 Berkeley Greek dance party. Those hoping for Eyes of the World or Sugar Magnolia will have to wait.

Dark Star: "Dark star crashes, pouring its light into ashes..." Bob, Phil and Mr. Anastasio all take turns at the Jerry vocals. Trey's stylings are sweet, Phil's are strong, but Bob's get the biggest reaction. Throughout the night, Bob does the best Jerry.

St. Stephen: "...wherever he goes the people all complain..." Western groove style. Mr. Anastasio finally turns on his equipment and his blistering earns some respect. "Can you answer? Yes I can..."

The Eleven: "...now is the test of the boomerang..."  This deep cut makes it clear this will not be a touch of greatest hits night. With Terrapin Station, Going Down the Road Feeling Bad, Camel Walk, and Like a Rolling Stone teases.

Turn on Your Lovelight: "...let it shine, let it shine, let it shine..." Bob as Pigpen?  The 10% of the audience who are thrilled so far by the history lesson are joined by at least another 60% of the assembled crowd. People start to get what they thought they had paid for.

Drums/Space: Mickey and Billy pound it out like they're auditioning for Whiplash. Undeniable talent on a global tableau of tablas. Bill looks like he's just back from deep sea fishing with a red hat and silver goatee. Mickey is sporting Rick Perry specs and Japanese taxi driver gloves. Mickey moves excitedly from the red jazz brushes to the bang bang silver club to the two-handed sledgehammer and then removes his gloves to stroke the nebuchadulcimer sending his good vibrations beyond the bay.

What's Become of the Baby: "...waves of violet go crashing and laughing..."  Aoxomoxoa for the masses. 

The Other One: "Spanish lady comes to me, she lays on me this rose..."  Sugar Magnolia, Scarlet Begonias, Truckin teases as Mr. Anastasio practices simultaneously to doing his job.

Morning Dew: "...guess it doesn't matter anyway..." An emotional closer. People never cry at Phish concerts. Phil closes the set with a quick donor rap.

E:

Casey Jones: "...trouble ahead, trouble behind, and you know that notion just crossed my mind..." Show ends with Bill K recognizing the rainbow over the stadium earlier in the night and the rainbow flag flying next to the bear of the California Republic. Flags matter.

 See you tonight in the suburbs!