NYS Music 20​16

Tag: Phish

  • 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

  • Phish “Friends” Premieres at The Mann, Fishman shares Lyrics

    Phish premiered a new song, “Friends” from Syracuse’s favorite drummer, Jon Fishman on June 29 at the Mann in Philadelphia. Fishman posted the lyrics in the comments of a fan’s (Peter Banta) Facebook post earlier today.

    The band kicked off a three-night run at Saratoga Performing Arts Center Friday night, which included another debut, “Let’s Go.” NYS Music is on site and will have a full wrap up of the SPAC run.

    NYS Music loves new songs as much as other dedicated fans. Share your thoughts on this, and other premieres on this tour.

    Friends, by Jon Fishman

    Friends,
    If the lord ever comes

    descending from the skies in some fiery fashion
    as so many say he will
    You will not see me
    going joyously to greet him expecting my deliverance,
    but running for the hills
    For if such a day should come to pass
    this is no God come to save the human race,
    but a big boat
    like the ones our forefathers sailed
    having made it across the great ocean to our shores
    from outer space.
    And friends
    when that boat finally comes
    ascending from the depths of our imagination
    to appear within our sight
    We’ll be born again
    as we’ve been so many times all throughout the ages when we find that we’re not right,
    and with darkness lifted from our eyes, then we’ll find what should come as no surprise…
    We’re on a big boat like the ones our forefathers sailed
    headed across the great ocean from our shores to outer space

  • Phish Takes on Wrigley Field

    Phish made its Wrigley Field debut this weekend and what a debut it was. Among the many highlights on Friday were a powerful first set “Sand,” and a “Down with Disease” > “Fuego” > “Twist” that started the second set off as strong as you could ask. Night 2 brought the return of “Fluffhead,” which was found after the one-two punch of “Carini” > “Tweezer.”

    A new song “Miss You” debuted, as well as an acapella version of Bowie’s “Space Oddity”, with a “Run Like an Antelope” that followed for a “Space Antelope” encore on Friday. Phish returns to The Mann Music Center in Philadelphia, PA tonight.

    Phish Wrigley FieldFriday, 6/24/2016, Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
    Set 1    : Sample in a Jar, Chalk Dust Torture, Martian Monster > Rift, Yarmouth Road, Sand, Miss You[1], The Wedge, Free > Blaze On
    Set 2: Down with Disease[2] > Fuego > Twist > Twenty Years Later > Waste > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Backwards Down the Number Line, Loving Cup
    Encore: Space Oddity[3], Run Like an Antelope

    [1] Debut.
    [2] Unfinished.
    [3] Phish debut; a capella.

    Saturday, 6/25/2016, Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
    Set 1    : The Moma Dance, AC/DC Bag > 555, Waiting All Night, Heavy Things, Happy Birthday to You, 46 Days, I Didn’t Know, Divided Sky, Cavern > Good Times Bad Times
    Set 2: Carini > Tweezer > Fluffhead > Piper -> Steam > Wading in the Velvet Sea, Harry Hood > Tweezer Reprise
    Encore: I Am the Walrus

    Setlists via Phish.net

  • Phish Releases Live Bait Vol. 12

    Live Bait Vol. 12 is a ten track collection of treasured Phish tracks released to help phans survive the building anticipation before Summer Tour 2016, which kicked off Thursday at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. It is a tradition that archivist Kevin Shapiro has kept going for years, each one featuring tracks from the cities that the group will hit on its tour.

    Live-Bait-12-full

    This year’s edition has an especially notable, almost 30 minute long, “Mike’s Song> Simple> Mike’s Song> Tela> Weekapaug Groove” from Onondaga War Memorial Auditorium in Syracuse on Nov. 4, 1994; as well as, “Piper>Gotta Jibboo” from SPAC on June 19, 2004, which is a little over 40 minutes long. In fact, every track is in the double digits in length on this volume.

    With the exception of “Mercury” (2015), which was recorded by Jon Altschiller, the other nine tracks were recorded by Paul Languedoc.

    Phish is doing a three-night run at the SPAC this summer starting on July 1, and will later hit Syracuse on July 10 at the Lakeview Amphitheater.

    You can download the album live here or stream it via the LivePhish+ App.

    Phish Live Bait Vol. 12

    • Reba (1995-10-25 Civic Center Arena – St. Paul, MN)
    • Split Open And Melt (1997-08-10 Deer Creek Music Center – Noblesville, IN)
    • Piper > Gotta Jibboo (2004-06-19 Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY)
    • Stash (1993-07-24 Great Woods Performing Arts Center – Mansfield, MA)
    • Ghost (2000-07-01 Meadows Music Theatre – Hartford, CT)
    • Mike’s Song > Simple > Mike’s Song > Tela > Weekapaug Groove (1994-11-04 Onondaga War Memorial Auditorium – Syracuse, NY)
    • Foam (1997-08-03 Gorge Amphitheatre – George, WA)
    • Bathtub Gin (2003-02-14 Great Western Forum – Inglewood, CA)
    • Tweezer (1999-09-18 Coors Amphitheatre – Chula Vista, CA)
    • Mercury (2015-09-05 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park – Commerce City, CO)

  • Phish Embarks on Summer Tour 2016

    Phish embarks on their 2016 summer tour tomorrow when they take the stage at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota for their first show of the year on American soil since January 2. Phans across the country will rejoice as the Vermont quartet plays a series of shows at some of their most beloved venues, including the Gorge, the Mann, SPAC, Bill Graham and Dick’s; as well as making some notable debuts at Wrigley Field and the Lockn’ Music and Arts Festival.

    As if the type II jams and deep collective musical voyages aren’t enough, there’s tons of fun stuff to check out beyond when Phish is on stage. In Chicago, Galerie F will be showcasing Jim Pollock’s art – including never before seen sketches, posters and other original pieces. Similarly, Masthay Studios will open their doors in Hartford prior to the Phish show to show fans where the magic happens.

    There will be a series of strong after parties including Pink Talking Phish at the Mezzanine in San Francisco, Assembly of Dust at Martyr’s in Chicago, Jazz Is Phish at the House of Blues Chicago, and an abundance of musical happenings at Nanola Malta, just 10 minutes from SPAC, including pre-show festivities with Hayley Jane and the Primates, and a Sunday brunch with Holly Bowling and appearances from Mister F, The McLovins and more. Additionally there will be a James Brown Dance Party aftershow in Philly. PhanArt will be hosting a series of art shows in Chicago and San Francisco as well, bringing together a rapidly expanding fan base of art aficionados.

    One thing that’s for certain, is there are a lot of moving parts to Phish tour and it’s not all about the music the Vermont quartet makes on stage. It’s about a umbrella of a community where you’ll find so much love and excitement. It’s about exploring new places, trying new things, stepping outside of your comfort zone and reuniting with old friends that you may only see once a year while simultaneously making new connections. There are a lot of exciting things coming out of the band’s camp, including the free sampler Live Bait 12 where every single track clocks in at double digits and the recent release of the third edition of The Phish Companion benefiting the Mockingbird Foundation, available at the PhanArt show this Saturday in Chicago.

    As for the band, things couldn’t look more promising before hitting the road; especially since they’ve presumably finished recording a new album with Bob Ezrin in Nashville. Armed with a fresh stable of new material, it’s safe to say we can expect some debuts and several new launching pads for deep improvisation.

    2016 has been a rough year so far with the losses of musical icons such as David Bowie, Merle Haggard and Prince so it will be interesting to see if Phish takes a swing at any of their musical catalogs. In recent years Phish has come more into their element than ever before in the 3.0 era. Now that all of the members are in their early 50s, they seem to have a grasp on the intrinsic connection they all share after being friends for all of these years. They seem more comfortable, happy, appreciative and healthy than ever before and it is certainly reflected in their music. Chris Kuroda is also rumored to be working with a new light rig that’s unlike anything he’s ever used in the past. There is a multi-panel design that will be suspended above the band and there appears to be three large LED panels encapsulating the members on stage. It looks like the perfect stepping stone to some extensive and deep psychedelic visual experiences.

    One thing to be expected is the unexpected. Phish hates being predictable and if everything goes off without a hitch this could be one of the best tours in the post-Hampton era. The build up certainly makes it seem that this tour will be a success right out of the gates. Let’s get down to the nitty gritty, lets get this show on the road.

  • Nanola Announces Schedule for Phish SPAC Pre and Post-Parties

    Looking for your pre- and post-show plans during Phish’s run at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) July 1 through 3? NYS Music and Nanola have you fully covered.

    The Capital Region’s own Mister F will host three nights of pre-shows and after-parties at Nanola in Malta to keep the fun going long after the lots have cleared after Phish each night. You can even take a shuttle to and from SPAC, just a short 10-minute ride from Nanola to SPAC.

    Friday’s after-party starts with Mister F at 12 a.m. and Lespecial at 2:15 a.m. Saturday’s pre-party features Hayley Jane and the Primates at 4 p.m., and Mister F is on again at 12 a.m. following the show, with Strange Machines hitting the stage at 2:15 a.m. Sunday’s pre-party has Mister F on at 4 p.m. and The McLovins closing out the weekend with an after-party beginning at 12 a.m.

    In addition to these pre- and post-shows, Nanola will be offering a $13 brunch buffet on Sunday, July 3, for Holly Bowling‘s performance. Reservations are recommended for table service and can be made by calling 518-587-1300.

    All pre-parties are free, with each nightly show costing $10. Shuttles are also $10, and a combo pass including all shuttles and after-shows is $50. You can pick up tickets here.

    Nanola features a full bar, great beer selection and traditional pub fare in addition to creole favorites like jambalaya, oysters and po’ boys.

  • Mockingbird Foundation Releases Third Edition of ‘The Phish Companion’

    The Mockingbird Foundation and Phish.net have released a third edition of The Phish Companion: A Guide To The Music & Their Music. The companion is an invaluable guide to the band’s history, show reviews, fan art, original photos and tour capsules.

    the phish companionThe eight chapter, 898 page hardcover book is filled with full-color pages capturing 33 years of Phish history. It includes art by some of the most esteemed Phish poster artists, such as AJ Masthay, David Welker and Justin Helton.

    The Mockingbird Foundation has said that if the first two editions were like trusty, sturdy Subarus that could get you around reliably, then the third edition is “Doc Brown’s DeLorean” time-machine.

    The book is available for purchase on the Phish Companion website. It will also be available for public sale outside of the website for the first time at the June 25 PhanArt show at the Cubby Bear in Chicago.

    All proceeds from the Mockingbird Foundation go to benefit music education for children, and the foundation has raised nearly $1 million for the cause.

  • Fit for a Queen: Holly Bowling Closes Massry Season with a Thriller

    A couple years ago, few knew of Holly Bowling. The unassuming Phish fan — a classically trained pianist with a love of improvisational music — was just going about her life. And that life would be changed on July 31, 2013, when Phish dropped a 37-minute “Tweezer” opus in Lake Tahoe.

    How are the two connected? Well, Bowling decided to transcribe the improvised jam note-for-note and arrange it for the piano. Her YouTube video has been viewed more than 65,000 times, and spawned her album Distillation of a Dream, which is full of Phish songs reimagined for the piano.

    Fast forward to the present, and Bowling has some time under her belt on the road, taking her act of just herself and a piano across the country. On May 12, Holly Bowling headlined the Massry Center for the Arts on the College of Saint Rose campus in Albany, becoming the first person ever to perform at the venue twice in one season. (Side note: This is the second time in a week I was lucky enough to see her live. She played a benefit at Garcia’s at the Capitol Theater ahead of Twiddle’s headlining show last Saturday.)

    DaveDeCrescente_HollyBowling51216-1

    To a crowd of enthusiasts in a space with room to move, Bowling jumped right into Phish’s “Pebbles and Marbles,” with her form-fitting black dress a near perfect compliment to St. Rose’s black baby grand piano. With an iPad affixed inches from her eyes, Bowling locked in with the focus of a baseball player at bat down by a run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

    Aside from the lights, which were provided by Buffalo’s Craig Freudenthal, and the songs, Bowling’s show couldn’t be any more different than what Phish does dozens of times each year. At one point, the green lights providing the backdrop appeared to look like the outside of Hampton Coliseum, a place Phish fans know well.

    “Train Song” was next, before Bowling explained that recently, she’s been transcribing Grateful Dead songs. On that note began my all-time favorite song ever written by anyone, the Phil Lesh-penned “Unbroken Chain.” “Theme From the Bottom,” a passionate “Wharf Rat,” “Roggae” and June 18, 1974’s “Eyes of the World”>”China Doll” closed out the hour-long set.

    The second set began with “A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing” from Phish’s run at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in June, 2004, which featured a prominent “Piper” tease. To everyone’s delight, Bowling ripped into the entire “Terrapin Station” suite, which took us to the close of the second set. “Slave to the Traffic Light” was a fitting encore to a wonderfully unique experience.

    DaveDeCrescente_HollyBowling51216-4

    But wait — Bowling wasn’t done. Just after announcing she’s working on a new album of Grateful Dead transcriptions, Bowling played a second encore of Phish’s “Taste,” a regular in her setlist. The crowd erupted in applause and Bowling flashed her overly thankful smile, sending everyone out the door in baited exhilaration.

    If you get the opportunity to see Bowling, you should not pass it up. Phish fans tend to be supremely passionate about their band, but Bowling has taken that fanaticism to another level with her performances and dedication.

    DaveDeCrescente_HollyBowling51216-3

    DaveDeCrescente_HollyBowling51216-2

    DaveDeCrescente_HollyBowling51216-5

  • Phish Releases New LivePhish Show From Fall 1999

    Whimsical jam band heavyweights Phish have hand-picked and released a new live show “From the Archives,” dating back to their fall tour of 1999.

    This Sept. 14 performance at Boise State University is now (officially) one for the books with its massive energy and notable 27-minute rendition of “AC/DC Bag.” Dubbed as the “Boise Bag,” the song features Trey Anastasio on keys and John Fishman on vacuum for the better half of the jam that steered its way into a groovy “Gumbo,” containing teases of “Another One Bites the Dust.”

    Additional highlights from the evening include a “Loving Cup > What’s the Use?” and bluegrass pickings “Nellie Kane” and “Rocky Top” to cap off the first set. For the audience, it’s always a pleasure to see the quartet gather at center stage to intimately sing songs a cappella, like “Hello My Baby” in this instance.

    You can order the live audio over at LivePhish.com or stream that show among many others by logging into the site.

    phish - LivePhish - Boise - 1999

    Here’s the full show notes from LivePhish.com:

    Phish kicked off their fall 1999 tour in Vancouver, followed by a two-night stand at The Gorge and a Sunday show in Portland. The tour then turned toward the Sawtooths for a Tuesday night show at Boise State University before continuing in California and beyond. The BSU Pavilion was opened in 1982 as the Boise State Broncos’ basketball arena with a concert capacity of about 13,000. Tickets for Phish cost $26.50 with a GA floor and reserved seating in the stands. This was the band’s second show at this venue (they had opened summer 1995 there) and their last show to-date in Idaho. Given the days off on both sides, the seven hour drive from Portland and the ten-plus hour drive to Shoreline for the next shows, many opted to skip this gig but those who took the trip were justly rewarded and those who didn’t will never forget it.”

    Boise’s Set I kicked off with Chalk Dust Torture and featured The Curtain > Waste, a dramatic sequence of Loving Cup > What’s The Use? and Wading In The Velvet Sea > Farmhouse, and a hot Taste. The mostly non-stop set II began with the first Peaches en Regalia in more than two years, followed by an AC/DC Bag for the ages. This Bag was a tour de force of multi-modal improvisation culminating in a psychedelic freakout so far Out that swirling vacuum ambiance was the only way to wrap it. The Boise Bag spilled over into a standout Gumbo with a slow funk Another One Bites The Dust jam that cemented Boise’s snooze-you-lose status. A frenetic Down With Disease > Frankenstein (with a nod to Pink Floyd) capped the set. The encore was Simple with a live fade-out that gave the band time to move downstage for an A cappella Hello My Baby to close out a magical night at BSU.”

  • NYS Music presents Phish SPAC after-parties with Mister F and friends

    Part of the fun in attending a Phish show is often the plans we make for the before and after parties. For those heading to Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) July 1 to 3 to see the boys, you’re now completely covered.

    The Capital Region’s own Mister F will host three nights of after-parties at Nanola in Malta to keep the fun going long after Phish’s encore. Shuttles will be available to and from SPAC – a quick 10-minute ride.

    20160510-phish-spac-after-party-Mister-F

    Mister F recently welcomed Mike Candela as new guitarist to a band that formed in 2013 from regional acts Timbre Coup and Capital Zen.

    While a schedule is to be determined, they will be joined by the McLovins, Lespecial, Strange Machines and Hayley Jane and the Primates.

    Presented by NYS Music, the bread to this Phish sandwich includes pre-parties on Saturday, July 2 and Sunday, July 3.

    Nanola features a full bar, great beer selection and traditional pub fare in addition to creole favorites like jambalaya, oysters and po’ boys.

    Tickets are available in a variety of options. Shows are $10 per night. Shuttles are also $10. A combo pass including all shuttles and after shows is $50.

    Additional details including the daily schedule and ticket information will be announced soon.