NYS Music 20​16

Category: Show Reviews

  • Melissa Etheridge Sends a Pulse Through Peekskill

    When Melissa Etheridge took the stage at the Paramount Hudson Valley, her presence was immediate as the sold-out theater greeted her with a standing ovation at her first notes. As she appeared from the shadow behind her wall of guitars adorning the stage it was apparent that she was just as excited to be there as the audience was.

    For a solid two hours, Etheridge presented a dynamic set (with no break) complete with both delicate moments and high-energy songs. Although the show was a solo act, her two hour set wasn’t just a singer with a guitar. Using loop effects and some percussion she backed herself up with more than just a guitar. At one time, she played a game of guitar roulette – looping a few background percussion and rhythm lines as she contemplated which of her ten guitars to pick next to play a bit of the lead part.

    With a few words shared between songs, she took particular attention – honest attention – to the surrounding Peekskill community citing the art that she took in earlier in the day. Particularly stunning to the audience was her lead into “Silent Legacy” where she picked up the bass behind her and introduced it as the bass guitar she had bought just that day from Division Street Guitars (a small shop just around the corner from the Paramount) which is a permanent addition to her collection and is appearing with her elsewhere on tour.

    Etheridge’s setlist included many of her chart-topping songs and a few off her latest album This Is M.E. A few came in as requests including “Ready to Love” on piano which had never been recorded and only performed a few times. Two other highlights included the swampy tune “Stranger Road” played on her resonator and “Chrome Plated Heart” played on the candy blue guitar she called “Trouble” which included a lot of looping and soloing.

    Etheridge responded to the Orlando shootings which occured just days prior in the way she knew how buy writing, recording, and releasing a brand new song, “Pulse,” just two days later. Three days after the song was received by the public, Etheridge paused near the middle of her set to reflect about it and the song before performing it for one of the first times live. It was just as emotional for Etheridge as is was for some of the audience who held up signs supporting the song (a surprise to her).

    Etheridge brought a driving close to her set with a one song encore, building out a complete jam on the beautiful white 12-string Ovation. The ascending chord lines in the jam kept the audience wanting more each time, but sadly a show has to conclude at some point.

    Setlist: Ain’t It Heavy, If I Only Wanted To, Silent Legacy, I Want to Come Over, Ready to Love, Pulse, Come to My Window, Stranger Road, The Weakness in Me, Chrome Plated Heart, I’m the Only One, Bring Me Some Water

    Encore: Like the Way I Do

  • Hometown Hero Stocks Onondaga Lake With Rare Phish

    The venues on a Phish summer tour have become somewhat predictable. They’ve nailed down their favorite outdoor spot in nearly every region of the country, but not in Central/Western New York. They’ve bounced between Darien Lake, CMAC and Watkins Glen, never visiting the same place in consecutive years. This year, the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse opened up, and Phish decided to give the shed a whirl in it’s inaugural season. Will it become a regular or rare stop on Phish summer tours? Only time will tell, but they sure seemed to enjoy their first run of the place.

    The venue sits on Onondaga Lake, once the most polluted lake in the country. After decades of remediation it is just now re-emerging as a viable natural resource for the city. The opening of the amphitheater is just one of the signs of the lake’s renaissance.

    The band’s first set song selection was even more unpredictable than their New York venue choices. A rare take on their jazzy instrumental “Landlady” got things moving as the sun began it’s descent over Onondaga Lake in the background, but it would “Blaze On” for a little longer.

    As if anyone in the audience weren’t already fully aware, guitarist Trey Anastasio introduced drummer Jon Fishman as a native of Syracuse, leading to a rare performance of his song “Ha Ha Ha.” That began 3-song run of Fishman-penned tunes, with his brand new rocker “Friends,” and the fan-favorite funk out “Tube” following.

    The band continued to highlight its hometown hero throughout the show. Fishman was kicked out of band at Jamesville-DeWitt High School because he couldn’t keep the beat, so the story goes. One couldn’t help but wonder if he felt the need for a bit of retribution in his biggest show to date in his childhood home.

    With enough imagination, every song seemed to have a connection to his Syracuse roots: past, present and future. Lyrics like “A statement from his former life,” “I’m going to be a genius anyway,” “He buried all his memories of home” and “Gonna give you one last chance to see, gonna shrug demands off of me” spoke directly to his mentality. Other songs like the beautifully rendered “Winterqueen,” just referenced the city known for it’s brutal winters. The bust-out of “Destiny Unbound,” played on this night with a punchy exuberance, could be in reference to Destiny USA, the mall that sat just a couple of miles down the lake shore. Or maybe, and perhaps more likely, there was no rhyme or reason to the song selection at all. We should just ask the Axis, he knows everything.

    After a set stocked full with rare songs, including the second-ever “Timber,” off of their Halloween performance of Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House (wrapped cleverly around their long-time cover “Timber (Jerry)”) and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “The Ballad of Curtis Loew,” the band wanted to give Fishman one more chance to shine before the break. They were set to close with Edgar Winter’s drum-heavy prog-rock anthem “Frankenstein,” though keyboardist Page McConnell had some issues with his keytar, so they instead pulled one more rare treat out of the bag, closing with Jimi Hendrix’s “Bold As Love.”

    The second set featured songs about water and waste and worms and monsters, perfect for a venue sitting on a quasi-toxic lakefront. But more importantly, it featured a non-stop, near-70 minute ride through their repertoire, The set-opening take on the Who’s “Drowned” plumbed multiple themes in a short period of time, dredging up anthemic rock, spaced-out funk and melodic noodling. With that exploration complete, they parsed their discoveries song by song. The normally adventurous “Twist” was contained as a straight ahead rocker, the oft-amorphous “Piper” was kept tight and punchy, and “Simple” swam around beautifully before slowly dissolving.

    Diving back into their Chilling Thrilling material, a late-set “Martian Monster” featured some instrument-swapping by the band. Anastasio played on Fishman’s Marimba Lumina, bassist Mike Gordon picked up the guitar and McConnell grabbed the bass, in what became a rhythmic and jaunty jam. The members have pulled this stunt a few times over the summer tour already, making it perhaps the least surprising element of this full-of-surprises show, though still quintessentially quirky and exciting. Determined to get Fishman his big drum solo moment, the band did push through “Frankenstein” to close the second set, even without the signature keytar lead, with more excited exhortations from Anastasio about the drummer’s high school and hometown.

    The blistering rocker “Character Zero” encore, in keeping with the thematic choice of songs, even if completely imagined, was clearly a tribute to long-time Syracuse news anchor Matt Mulcahy.

    “Hometown hero stocks Onondaga Lake with rare Phish. News at 11.”

    Setlist by Phish.net:

    Soundcheck: Funky Bitch

    Set 1: The Landlady, Blaze On, Ha Ha Ha, Friends, Tube, Destiny Unbound > My Friend, My Friend[1]> The Mango Song, Timber -> Timber (Jerry) > Timber, The Ballad of Curtis Loew, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan > Mound, Winterqueen, Bold As Love

    Set 2: Drowned > Twist > Waste > Piper > Simple > Breath and Burning, Rocky Top > Martian Monster[2] > Golgi Apparatus > Frankenstein

    Encore: Character Zero

    [1] No “Myfe” ending.
    [2] Trey on Marimba Lumina; Mike on guitar; Page on bass.

    Notes: My Friend did not contain the “Myfe” ending. Simple contained a Magilla tease from Page. Martian Monster featured Trey on Marimba Lumina, Mike on guitar, and Page on bass.

  • Journey Review: When The Lights Go Down at SPAC, You Want to be The-e-er-ere

    Leather-vested and sweat-covered, Neal Schon unearthed a solo that — even amid the political hatefest and madness of 2016 — could unite America. The SPAC lighting backdrop transformed into a slideshow montage of soldiers, flags and the like as the Journey founding member serenaded the crowd with an improvisation-heavy guitar rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner.”

    Though the concert was the Fifth of July — not the Fourth — Schon’s tight fretwork and re-defining of the term “rock anthem” could be appreciated at anytime. Nearly 50 years into his musical career, he had not lost much in strum speed, not any in his tonal quality.

    The masses hooted and hollered, as you might expect an upstate New York crowd to do for an homage to the troops, but the three-minute solo, just half an hour into Journey’s set, was far from the show’s sole highlight.

    Without an unfair comparison to the voice of Steve Perry, lead singer Arnel Pineda’s vocals were rich, rangeless and did justice to the classics. The Filipino, now in his ninth year heading the band, was running and hopping around the stage like a man half his age for many of the upbeat songs — “Any Way You Want It” and “Wheel in the Sky”. In the slower, ballad-like hits — “Faithfully”, “Lights”, “Don’t Stop Believing” — he focused more on the notes, avoiding any pitch wavers a jump or leg-kick might cause to a sentimental song.

    Drummer Steve Smith was an unsung hero of the Journey set. Smith, who backed the band from 1978 until 1985, through much of its heyday, rejoined the band this year after Deen Castronovo left in the fallout of a domestic violence arrest.

    Smith’s rolls were precise and military-like and his cymbal work seemed effortless during his solo, about two-thirds through the band’s performance. The drummer, using a traditional grip for increased roll speed, may have delivered the best drum solo at the venue since 2013, the last time Neil Peart and Rush were in town; Smith’s work on the kit was simply incredible.

    Journey was the third band in the night’s lineup, immediately preceded by fellow Bay Area group — and also fellow notable Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame snub — The Doobie Brothers.

    A fan’s first observation of The Doobie Brothers taking the stage is likely the band’s size. With four men on guitars and basses across the front, two kit drummers in the back, and a saxophone and keyboard player too, the group’s look is imposing, and the sound was too.

    The Doobie Brothers were not as sing-along as Journey was (do not be mistaken, there were more than a couple patrons joining in on “Black Water”), but instead were jamming more. Whereas Journey’s song interludes isolated individuals soloing on their instruments, The Doobie Brothers had more collective instrumental sections.

    The first performance of the concert came from singer Dave Mason, originally of Traffic. Mason performed three of his own songs, including “We Just Disagree”, as well as three from Traffic.

    Mason’s guitar playing showed little wear from the years, as he demonstrated ample ability. The singer closed his set with “All Along the Watch Tower”, originally by Bob Dylan and made famous by Jimi Hendrix.

  • Dead and Company at Citi Field June 25-26

    Dead and Company returned to New York City having first visited Madison Square Garden this past fall. Their two-night run at Citi Field was met with excellent weather, some cool breezes, the return of Donna Jean Godcheaux to the microphone, and a chance for Oteil Burbridge to sing a chorus of “Going Down The Road Feeling Bad.”

    The band had previously in this tour made many song debuts not heard in the fall tour, though they broke out “Throwing Stones” for the first time.
     S Malinski - Dead and Company - Citi Field-22

    Dead and Company’s two shows at Citi Field had some more energy than their other appearance in New York at Saratoga Performing Arts Center a week prior, though to be fair to SPAC the crowd was much bigger as was the venue. Almost a year after Mayer experienced Fare The Well from the audience, he continued his Dead and Company trend to impress Dead Heads with his growing adaptability to the Grateful Dead format and style. To the New York City crowd, Mayer’s guitar and vocal work flowed even better than at their October/November 2015 shows at Madison Square Garden.

    Check out NYS Music’s gallery from the June 25 show below the setlists.

    S Malinski - Dead and Company - Citi Field-23

    June 25: (listen on archive.org)

    Set 1:
    Shakedown Street*, Jack Straw, Althea, Loose Lucy*, Ramble On Rose, Sugaree*, Passenger*, Casey Jones

    Set 2:
    Dark Star, Friend of the Devil*, Scarlet Begonias* -> Fire on the Mountain* -> Drums# -> Space -> The Other One -> Wharf Rat -> Throwing Stones+

    Encore:
    Ripple, One More Saturday Night

    June 26: (listen on archive.org)

    Set 1:
    St. Stephen, The Music Never Stopped*, Bertha*, Black-Throated Wind, Peggy-O, Box of Rain, Going Down the Road Feelin’ Bad*

    Set 2:
    Truckin’ -> He’s Gone*, Help on the Way* -> Slipknot! -> Franklin’s Tower* -> Drums -> Space -> Days Between, China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider*

    Encore:
    Samson and Delilah*

    Notes:
    *With Donna Jean Godcheaux
    #Oteil Burbidge on marimba
    +Dead and Company debut

  • Summer Nights: Rascal Flatts, Kelsea Ballerini and Chris Lane Heat Up Syracuse

    The music of Rascal Flatts brings memories of summer cookouts, hanging by a bonfire with beers and friends and cruising down a lake in a pontoon boat, while the sounds of country music, the water lapping the hull of the boat and the motor fill the air. And the Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse, NY, was the perfect venue for the June 24 Rascal Flatts’ concert. The venue sits with its back to Onondaga Lake and the concert’s starting time of 7:30 p.m. made it coincide perfectly with the sunset, which gave the horizon an almost picturesque rose-colored tint.

    Rascal FlattsDressed in a tight, white T-shirt and wearing rounded vintage sunglasses, Chris Lane opened the show and brought many ladies to their feet with his laid-back weekend party jam, “Saturday Night.” Keeping the crowd pumped up by asking “Syracuse, are y’all ready to celebrate the weekend or what?! Let’s do it!,” he continued his set with his pop-driven love ballads, “Her Own Kind of Beautiful”and “Who’s it Gonna Be.” Lane showed his musical range and that he knew how to play to his target audience, by including covers of classic boyband anthems such as the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way” and ‘N Sync’s “Bye Bye Bye.” Lane finished his set with his latest single, from the album of the same title, “Fix.”

    After a short break, new-comer Kelsea Ballerini continued the show. Ballerini released her first album in 2014 and has been touted by many industry experts as the next Taylor Swift. The fact that Ballerini is a tall, beautiful blonde with a smile bright enough to almost make this photographer have to lower the brightness settings on his camera, certainly helps her comparison to Country superstars Swift and Carrie Underwood. Ballerini is also one of only five women to score number-one hits on the Billboard Country Airplay Charts with their first two charted singles. Ballerini’s talent was further recognized when in 2016, she won the Academy of Country Music award for “Female Vocalist Of The Year.” Watching her vocal range, great energy and enthusiasm as she belted out “Yeah Boy,” “Dibs” and “Looking at Stars,” one could see that the hype surrounding her career was definitely warranted. Ballerini kept the crowd engaged between songs by encouraging us to sing-along with her, telling us about her first heartbreak, holding hands and even taking selfies with the crowd. Unsurprisingly, the crowd seemed to especially respond to Ballerini’s two hits, the upbeat “Love Me Like You Mean It” and “Peter Pan.” Great things are to be expected from Ms. Ballerini in the coming years.

    Following a short period, which allowed the stage crew set up for the next act behind a large black curtain, Rascal Flatts took the stage to the cheers of the crowd. They kicked off their set with the same song that had been in my head since I arrived at the Lakeview Amphitheater earlier that day, “Summer Nights.” Lead singer Gary LeVox’s ability to hit the highest notes did not fail to impress. The concert was filled with shout outs to Syracuse, high fives/hand holding with the members of the audience, and on several occasions, Levox would take one of the many phones being held up by the fans in the front rows, turn around and take a selfie with the crowd in the background, before handing the phone back to the lucky fan. The group even ventured into new musical territory and in honor of the late, great Prince, played “Purple Rain.” The group wound down their set with the hit designed to honor their hordes of fans over the years, “Here’s To You,” before leaving the stage for a short time and returning for an encore with one of their biggest hits, “Me and My Gang.” Chris Lane and Kelsea Ballerini joined them on stage at this point creating a memorable grand finale.

    Rascal Flatts Setlist: Summer Nights, I Like the Sound of That, Banjo, Come Wake Me Up/I Melt/I Won’t Let Go, Life Is a Highway, Why Wait, Stand, Bless the Broken Road/Open Arms (Journey cover), Rewind, Fast Cars and Freedom, Purple Rain (Prince cover), Love You Out Loud, My Wish, Take Me There, What Hurts the Most, Here’s To You

    Encore : Me and My Gang

  • Melissa Etheridge brings sexy back at the Beacon Theatre

    Singer, songwriter and activist, Melissa Etheridge, who is currently on tour with Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, stopped by the Beacon Theatre in New York City on Wednesday night to strut her stuff, flash her pearly whites and remind us what sexy music sounds like.

    Melissa Etheridge Beacon TheatreWatching Etheridge perform her hits from the 80’s, 90’s and the 00’s is a sensual pleasure for the ears and the heart. Her still stellar raspy signature voice commanded the audience as she tore through all her hits including “I Want to Come Over”, “Pulse”, “Chrome Plated Heart”, “I’m the Only One”, “Bring Me Some Water”.

    Melissa Etheridge Beacon TheatreHer Grammy award winning, “Come to My Window” had everyone on their feet and reminiscing about the longing and ache we’ve all felt for another.

    Her pumped up, energetic encore of “Like the Way I Do” practically blew the roof off the Beacon and left us all howling for more.

    Melissa Etheridge Beacon TheatreMs. Etheridge is on tour across the states and Canada all summer long. Come October, she’ll joining the reigns of many with her own cruise, “Melissa Etheridge and Friends, Rock the Boat” sailing from Tampa to Mexico.

    Melissa Etheridge Beacon Theatre

  • Phish Brings Joy to SPAC Night 3

    Phish returned to SPAC to close out their 3-night run. Following two incredibly fun shows, excitement and expectations for the Sunday show were sky high. The weather was as perfect as Saturday night. Fans roamed the packed lots well before the show, and, upon entering the venue, were greeted with easier security lines than the previous night. While the music may not have met the expectations of those hungry for a monster show, it had its moments, and everyone was filled with love and joy.

    Phish-SPAC-2016 (5)

    The first set was filled with many of their fun shorter songs that didn’t see much jamming, kicking off with “The Wedge” and “Heavy Things.” The dance party got started when the band launched into “Tube.” While a very fun Gordon song, “Sugar Shack” has been on many fans’ drop list for Phish, preferring it played by Gordon’s solo band. Anastasio hasn’t seemed to be able play it well. McConnell came out from behind the keys to croon the audience with “Lawn Boy” before a fast-paced “Sparkle” made it’s triumphant return following an absence in 2015. Excitement built as the first notes of “It’s Ice” were heard, followed by “Guelah Papyrus,” but the band took it down again with “Ocelot.” The set ended on a high note with “Possum” that brought the energy through the roof and glow sticks flying as everyone waited in anticipation of what would likely be a big second set.

    When Phish came back to open the second set with “Soul Shakedown Party,” the increased energy and excitement could be felt throughout the crowd. Then came the funk. “The Moma Dance” featured an extended Type II jam that brought us all to outer space, clocking in around 17 minutes and competing for best version. While much of the rest of the set was less interesting musically, the love throughout the crowd could be cut with a knife. “Joy” brought some needed relaxation to the set with the band telling us “we want you to be happy,” and the happiness spread like a wildfire. New song “Breath and Burning” came next, played for a third time this summer after its debut at Deer Creek. The energy returned at the end of the set with “Axilla > Theme from the Bottom > Harry Hood > Show of Life.” We all knew who our friends were during “Theme” as we were surrounded by them. “Harry Hood” featured a blissful jam and could have ended the set, but the band had another message for us. “Show of Life” returned for the first time since New Year’s Eve 2013 to close it out. When the band came out for the encore, we were all surprised that it would be “Rock and Roll.” It was, however, a fitting cap to what was a euphoric set as our lives had all just been saved by rock and roll.

    2016SPAC3-loveandphish

    The crowd was slow to disperse following the set as high fives, hugs and smiles were exchanged among new friends. The three-night run had come to a close, leaving all of us just a bit closer to finding ourselves in this show of life. Everyone walked out even more excited for the remainder of the tour. Next stop, Portland!

    Setlist by Phish.net

    Soundcheck: Winterqueen (x2), Guelah Papyrus

    Set 1: The Wedge, Heavy Things, Tube, Sugar Shack, Lawn Boy, Sparkle > Sample in a Jar, It’s Ice > Guelah Papyrus, Ocelot > Scent of a Mule, Possum

    Set 2: Soul Shakedown Party, The Moma Dance > Twist > Joy > Breath and Burning, Axilla > Theme From the Bottom > Harry Hood > Show of Life

    Encore: Rock and Roll

    [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTxvxCal92k[/embedyt]

  • Whitesnake Fills Artpark For A Night Of Greatest Hits

    On Tuesday, June 28th, Whitesnake and special guests Whitford/St. Holmes rolled into Lewiston, NY for an unforgettable night at Artpark.

    The evening started off just after 7PM with Whitford/St. Holmes. For those who were unfamiliar with the band, they surely put two and two together once the two legends took the stage. Nearly 40 years ago, Brad Whitford left Aerosmith to team up with Ted Nugent vocalist Derek St. Holmes to do an album and a tour. Now in 2016, the duo have another album and are getting the crowds ready each night for Whitesnake. Together, Whitford and St. Holmes cranked through 6 songs off their new album Reunion and ended with a mix of Aerosmith/Nugent tracks. For fans of that pure rock/blues rock genre, Whitford/St. Holmes truly bring it. As an added bonus, immediately after their set, both Whitford and St. Holmes stopped by the merch booth to sign copies of Reunion and meet fans.

    DSC_8819

    After a quick stage change,  the sound of “My Generation” by The Who came over the PA. This sound meant it was time to start the show and out walked the man everyone came to see, David Coverdale. Forming Whitesnake in 1978 after leaving Deep Purple, Coverdale has been the front-man ever since. Joining Coverdale in Whitesnake on Tuesday, were Tommy Aldridge on drums, Reb Beach and Joel Hoekstra on guitar, Michael Devin on bass and Michele Luppi on keyboards.

    DSC_9134

    The set kicked off with the track “Bad Boys” which was off the 1987 release Whitesnake. From that point, the crowd knew that the band was there for business. Labeled as “The Greatest Hits Tour”, Coverdale and the rest of Whitesnake surely delivered that to Artpark. Fans probably could have guessed what Whitesnake was going to play that evening but that wasn’t the point. It’s not often an iconic band such as Whitesnake comes to Lewiston, NY to play the beautiful Artpark. Judging from the turnout, everyone seemed to agree and bought tickets for the show. Artpark always offers great prices to their shows and at their concession stands.

    DSC_9559

    One of the highlights of the night was watching Reb Beach and Joel Hoekstra on guitar. The two went back and forth all night trading guitar licks and ripping solos. The two of them play with such ease and know how to perform. Both Beach and Hoekstra have great résumés. Beach has worked with bands such as Winger, Dokken, Alice Cooper and more. Joel Hoekstra, on the other hand, played for Night Ranger and was a member of the Trans Siberian Orchestra.

    DSC_9323

    Fans both young and old were spotted throughout the crowded amphitheater. Parents, who’ve been listening to Whitesnake for what seems like ages now, brought out their kids to see the show. Seeing generations rock out together to songs like “Slow an’Easy”, “Is This Love” and “Here I Go Again” goes to show how timeless these songs are. Whitesnake’s legacy is one that is surely going to last forever.

    Coverdale and the rest of Whitesnake ended the night with the hard-hitting track “Still of the Night” off their 1987 self-titled album. Coverdale, for being 64 years old, still sings the classic hits, like this one, incredibly well and left the audience standing begging for more.

    Whitesnake Setlist

    Bad Boys, Slide It In, Love Ain’t No Stranger, The Deeper The Love, Fool For Your Loving, Sailing Ships/Judgement Day, Guitar Solo, Slow an’Easy, Bass Solo, Crying In The Rain, Drum Solo, Is This Love, Give Me All Your Love, Here I Go Again, Still Of The Night.

    Whitford/St. Holmes Setlist

    Shapes, Rock All Day, Hell Is On Fire, Gotta Keep On Movin’, Shake It, Hot For You, Dayjob Medley (Last Child/Train Kept A-Rollin’/Stranglehold)

    [FinalTilesGallery id=’842′]

  • Phish Sets the Gearshift Out of Control for SPAC Night Two

    Phish’s second night at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center was preceded by a beautiful early summer afternoon, a welcome change from Friday’s thunderstorms that served as the soaking precursor to the night one show. Fans also seemed to feel more settled, ready to dive into the middle of the run, despite having to wait in the lengthy security lines.

    Phish-SPAC-2016 (1)

    The boys kicked things off with “Crowd Control,” a solid but rather underwhelming choice considering the intensity that would awaken later in the show. Mike Gordon took the lead vocals on the “555,” with accompaniment from John Fishman before sailing into some improv grooves on “Seven Below.” The consistently upbeat and funky “Back on the Train” had fans howling with delight. Trey Anastasio slammed into a solo only to be matched by Page McConnell’s key shreds. This led to “Army of One” with additional impressive displays of jazz inspired liberties on keys. The “Divided Sky” included the basic choreographed dance jumps of Anastasio and Gordon. The song included its lengthy pause in which all four members appeared still as statues. The raw human emotion could not be hidden as a wide grin on Anastasio’s face shined like a pillar of light, letting the 20,000 or so die-hard fans know he was just as happy to be in the spa city as they were.

    “Martian Monster,” a Halloween 2014 debut track, gave Anastasio another chance to demonstrate melodic percussion on Fishman’s marimba lumina as he did the previous night during the massive and lengthy “Chalkdust Torture.” A quick “Rift” followed by “Water in the Sky” moved into a slamming “46 Days.” Chris Kuroda’s new LED light boards beamed throughout the song, mimicking the look of liquid in motion as Anastasio and McConnell drove the song to the first set’s closer, “Walls of the Cave.”

    Phish-SPAC-2016 (2)

    The jam-heavy second set began with “No Man in No Man’s Land” before diving into the intensity of “Fuego,” featuring long and deep improvisations and jams. The crowd sang along the tune’s “whoa-ohs” and simultaneously tossed boat loads of glow sticks into the night sky. “Light” included some type II style jams before teasing back the lyrics of “No Man in No Man’s Land” and ended with a fun rendition of TV on the Radio’s “Golden Age.”

    PHISH WRIGLEY ENZLAH WATERMARKED-34

    The later half of the second set was stocked with tour debuts, beginning with “Taste,” which featured some intricate piano playing that moved throughout the song with McConnell’s directive. “Horse” glided right into “Silent in the Morning,” as it typically does. The ever perky “Julius” made it nearly impossible not to boogie down before the foursome took to the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” bringing the second set to a triumphant close. A small child on her father’s shoulders graciously accepted Anastasio’s guitar pick as a token of his appreciation for even his youngest fans.

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    A bubbly “Bouncing Around the Room” kicked off the two-song encore before exploding into “Run Like an Antelope,” demonstrating the extensive musical prowess of all four members and closing SPAC night 2 with a bang.

    As if your face hadn’t fully melted off after nights 1 and 2, there’s still time to grab the mop and bucket for night 3 at SPAC this evening. As they say, “never miss a Sunday show.”

    Setlist via Phish.net
    Soundcheck: Funky Bitch, How Many People Are You, Miss You, Tide Turns

    Set 1: Crowd Control, 555 > Seven Below > Back on the Train, Army of One, Divided Sky, Martian Monster[1] > Rift, Water in the Sky > 46 Days, Walls of the Cave

    Set 2: No Men In No Man’s Land > Fuego > Light -> Golden Age > Taste, The Horse > Silent in the Morning > Julius, A Day in the Life

    Encore: Bouncing Around the Room, Run Like an Antelope
    [1] Trey on Marimba Lumina.

  • 24 Songs and a Monster Chalkdust Torture Keep the Energy Flowing at Phish’s First Night at SPAC

    Phish made their triumphant return to SPAC for the first time since 2014 and brought with them a boatload of energy for a top show of tour thus far. The rain and tornado warnings peppered the pre-show with downpours and lightning, but a break in the weather gave the fans a chance to stroll Shakedown in the West 50 lot and catch up with friends new and old before heading into the venue for the band’s only three-night run on the east coast, and it’s a highly anticipated run at that.

    Opening the night with “Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan,” “The Birds” and “NICU,” Phish brought in the high energy from the outset, followed by “Cities” > “David Bowie,” which recalled the Ventura 98 “Bowie” > “Cities” > “Bowie,” if slightly short on replicating the magic from that sandwich.

    “Free,” “Uncle Pen” and “Halfway to the Moon” followed, which kept the energy rolling prior to “Let’s Go,” the sole debut of the night and a new tune penned by Mike Gordon with the most promise thus far. It could easily stand out as the single off the forthcoming Bob Ezrin-produced album expected later this year. First impressions and a few relistens give a JGB funk vibe mixed with Gordon’s “Andelman’s Yard”; fans will definitely be clamoring for “Let’s Go” throughout the tour.

    “Waiting All Night” dropped the tempo down slightly before a 10-plus minute “Bathtub Gin” took the reins and stood out as a highlight Type I jam of the set. A brief “Golgi Apparatus” seemed to be the set closer, but Trey let the crowd know “We’re gonna do one more,” leading into the perfect set closer, “The Squirming Coil.” A better first set in terms of song selection and maintaining energy could not have been scripted. Any dwelling on the memory of the storm that preceded the show had effectively been erased.

    The new light rig for Phish this tour is an upgrade visually and aesthetically, and it will get even better given how lighting designer Chris Kuroda evolves through each tour. The depth of the screens plus regular lighting mixed in accents the band in a different manner but accompanies the new material perfectly.

    #Phish @magicofspac Night 1

    A photo posted by pete mason (@phanart) on

    The second set of SPAC didn’t wait to get rolling, jumping out with “Sand” > “Carini,” two songs that signaled a stepping off point for Type II jamming. It was the “Chalkdust Torture” though that reigns supreme as the jam of the night and thus far of the tour, clocking in at more than 22 minutes and featuring intense, exploratory jamming, Trey on the Marimba Lumina, Mike on keys and a tone that derives from the drive-in set at Magnaball last August. Phish picked a great song to get weird during, rivaling the Randall’s Island “Chalkdust” from 2014 and creating its own moniker “SPACDust” almost immediately.

    Trey on the Marimba Lumina during a huge Chalkdust Torture jam at #SPAC #phish

    A video posted by NYS Music (@nystatemusic) on

    A mellow “Prince Caspian” and “Bug” followed and while not nearly as high energy as the 45 minutes that preceded, there was no drop off from the crowd response and thus, no complaints. “Shine a Light” by the Rolling Stones made its first debut of the tour, as did “My Sweet One,” thanks to a banner hanging in the balcony before the song. Trey pointed to the fans and led the band into the bluegrassy love song for a short two minutes. “Sleeping Monkey,” always welcome, teased Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name” in the intro, and eventually jumped into “2001” out of the blue, dropping funk late into the set ahead of a set closing “Fire.” The band returned to the stage to close the show with “Character Zero,” not relenting on the energy one bit.

    Phish is having a lot of fun at SPAC, and it was only the first night. Given the extensive song selection already this tour, rare covers, new Phish songs and tour debuts, we could be looking at the best three-night SPAC run since 2012, if night one is any indication.

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Soundcheck: Alaska, Let’s Go, Unknown Trey Song, Unknown Mike Song
    Set 1: Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, The Birds > NICU, Cities, David Bowie, Free, Uncle Pen, Halfway to the Moon, Let’s Go[1], Waiting All Night > Bathtub Gin > Golgi Apparatus, The Squirming Coil
    Set 2: Sand > Carini > Chalk Dust Torture[2] > Prince Caspian > Bug, Shine a Light, My Sweet One, Sleeping Monkey > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Fire
    Encore: Character Zero