Tag: mexico

Phish capped off their first Mexican excursion to Riviera Maya on Day 3 with a heavy hitting show that was packed to the brim with solid song selection and adept improvisation. After letting off the gas pedal the second night, Phish came back for the third night blazing from all cylinders. From the opening note of “Mexican Cousin” to the last note of Led Zeppelin’s “The Ocean” in the encore slot, the band wasted no time crafting a creative setlist.

During the day fans were showing no signs of fatigue as the large crowds congregated on the beach or at the pool for a DJ set. The energy was contagious and in full swing all the way up to show time. Walking inside the venue area there was a notably larger spread of food and drinks on the last day. The beach was absolutely beautiful and standing in the water as the sun was setting was nothing short of breathtaking.

When the band took the stage the crowd stretched as far back as the eye could see. The cooler temperatures however didn’t discourage fans to jump in the water and it was common to see people in and out of the water for the duration of the show. There was a collective celebratory splash from fans in the water as the opening notes of “Mexican Cousin” came through the speakers. Fan favorite “The Curtain With” was well executed and kept the applicable word play relevant given how far south the band and fans had to travel. The “With” section of the song was gorgeous and the band patiently moved through this section with grace. After a quick “Sample In A Jar” Trey used this time to explain that the band was going to be taking some time off and going back into the studio. This ignited an outcry of confusion and emotional questions and it wasn’t uncommon to overhear different conversations about the future of the band looking into 2016. Personally, I believe not much will change except possibly a lighter summer tour. The fact the band is going into the studio is a sign that the best is yet to come. Rumor around the camp fire is that Phish has locked in a three year contract at the Barcelo and Wrigley Field in Chicago in June is all but a sure thing. However, the term “hiatus” hit everyone hard.

After “Yarmouth Road” the band busted out “The Landlady” which came out of left field completely unexpected. “Army Of One” found its way into “Kill Devil Falls” before a monstrous “Bathtub Gin.” Nobody knew it at the time but the band was setting the stage for some serious heat as they delivered “Funky Bitch” > “The Moma Dance” > “Saw It Again,” which featured a lot of deep and thick improvisation from the band as they closed the first set.

When the band returned Trey teased “The Rover” before Mike played the opening notes to “Down With Disease.” After an extended jam which took the crowd deep into parts unknown, the band used “Roggae” as the perfect landing gear out of “Disease” before shifting gears to the beloved Talking Heads cover “Crosseyed and Painless.” “Farmhouse” was a stepping stone into “Mike’s Song” > “Bug” > “Weekapaug Groove.” Just as it looked like the band was going to close out the last set of the run, the opening notes of “Slave To the Traffic Light” came as a nice surprise as the band wasn’t done yet. This was an especially beautiful version that really hit home. What happened next was a swift reminder just how much power and authority the band has when they debuted Led Zeppelin’s “The Ocean.” I immediately flocked to the water with hundreds of other fans who were dancing so hard like it was their last night on Earth. Page took the driver seat for “The Ocean” and his voice is perfect for covering Led Zeppelin and it’s fitting that he also commands “No Quarter” as well for the band. The debut came as a shock and whiplashed the crowd into a frenzy as if they were possessed by something not of this earth. These are the moments that make everything worth it.

Phish bookmarked a chapter in 2016 that was nothing short of legendary. The best is absolutely yet to come and the news of the band going into the studio should be enough security to fans aching to see more live shows.

When the Phish Riviera crowd finally finished navigating the queue to proceed into the venue at Barcelo Maya, they were met with a full buffet of food, drinks to drown a pirate, Mayans dressed in full traditional garb, and a full feeling of how on Earth Phish was going to follow the previous night’s magic. However, within moments of them walking out onto the stage it was obvious that the momentum from the night before hadn’t left their souls.

From the first measures of “Camel Walk” it was an all out beach dance party. Phish failed to disappoint as they navigated through the first set, following the opener with “555” and “Rift” and satisfying many phans with a cover of Talking Heads’ “Cities.” The vibe was simply electric as “Cities” led into “Light”, which made way for “Simple” and “Timber.” The emotions really took hold as the first chords of “Wading in the Velvet Sea” could be heard. The exodus to the water was breathtaking and so few people had realized at that point how badly they wanted to indeed be wading in the sea to such a powerful song, which since Coventry has always hit one’s heartstrings. The first set wrapped up perfectly with a “Reba” that no one could stop talking about at set break and capping it off with a short “Chalkdust Torture.”

Second set started off with the same explosive energy that fired up the crowd in the first. TV on the Radio’s “Golden Age” was the preamble to another major flocking to the water so people could finally float upon the waves to “Prince Caspian.” The seaside dance party continued as the second set progressed, with the energy reaching insurmountable levels. Moving into an ever-impassioned “Joy” brought everyone down to earth, but a string of “46 Days” > “Twenty Years Later” > “Julius” caused huge amounts of splashing in Jeff Waful’s bright white lights that seemed to replace the always common glowstick wars at past shows. The set was finished, creating full crowd participation with “Harry Hood,” followed by a very quick break and Phish coming back out to encore with “Character Zero.”

As the flocks of phans exited the venue after night 2 of this amazing destination festival, everyone was buzzing. People walked back to their rooms or shuttled to their respective resorts to finish out their nights with poolside parties, dancing in numerous resort bars, and for a lucky few staying at the festival resort, some very welcome fireworks. After everyone caught their breath, the realization started to set in: the Sunday show is next!

The hype and anticipation surrounding Phish’s first tropical destination was colossal to say the least. This is the first time Phish has done anything with an all inclusive resort and more importantly this was the first time the band has performed at Riviera Maya in Mexico. The resort is absolutely gorgeous and phans alike were taking full advantage of the amenities.

With CK5 and Jefferson Waful collaborating on a variety of lighting insertions, the concert area came alive once the sun set. Getting into the venue area was honestly more tough than going through Mexican customs. As the line of almost 7,000 people stretched as far as one could see, there were a few brave souls trying to bribe security with up to $400 to get inside. Since there were several waves of security, including a stage where they scan your wristband, it seemed almost impossible to sneak in. Inside the venue there was added security on the beach for swimmers. It was completely locked down.

The first set kicked off fittingly with “A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing” and the band wasted no time getting into thick improvisation. “My Soul” surfaced next lifting the no covers ban. Trey ripped through this version with conviction. The crowd favorite “Martian Monster” whiplashed the crowd into a dancing frenzy before “Ya Mar” brought everyone back to earth. There were many notable highlights in the first set but a special moment was when Trey stepped up to the mic and said “well, this doesn’t suck” which inspired a roaring cheer from the crowd. Trey then subsequently dedicated the next song to the people standing on paddle boards in the ocean before the band stepped into “Theme From The Bottom.”

The second set was full of prime song selection and buttery transitions. The band opened up with “Drowned” which segued into “What’s the Use?” “Sand” was all too perfect given the atmosphere on the beach and the transition into “Ghost” was absolutely beautiful. Just as the the opening notes starred the heavens opened up and the rain came pouring down, which was actually quite refreshing. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. “2001” > “Wolfman’s Brother” > “Possum” kept the flow and energy consistent. It was especially nice to see the last two songs in the second set, outside of their typical first set placement. Phish closed with a tender, breathtaking take on The Rolling Stones’ “Shine A Light” that was full of emotion. Capping off the encore with “Rock & Roll” was a fitting reminder that everything is alright. One down and two to go and something tells me the best is yet to come.