Category: Jam/Progressive

Phish Layers the Garden with Jimmies
On the second Sunday of the outstanding Baker’s Dozen run at Madison Square Garden, Phish once again left its mark in the building and reminded us why we should never miss a Sunday show. When they opened with the classic, “The Curtain With,” the audience knew that they were in for an extra tasty treat. On Night 8, the band showed patience, confidence, and, of course – a sense of humor. Launching into a short but sweet first set “Runaway Jim” the band brought smiles to faces as the first donut reference of the night was revealed. Phish has magically decorated all their sets with delicious toppings during the Baker’s Dozen, and they continue to please the crowd with the lyrics we know and love.

Unlike the outrageously raging Saturday night, the quartet took the “slow and steady wins the race” approach on Sunday. The unexpected Junta jam “Esther” poked its head out for the first time since 2015. A hush filled the chapel and the people looked happy as the boys eased into two more slower tunes in “Home” and “Brian and Robert.” After a straight forward “Nellie Kane” Trey Anastasio led into an unforgettable “Colonel Forbin’s Ascent> Fly Famous Mockingbird” while Chris Kuroda took the lights on a legendary adventure in “the World’s Most Famous Arena.”

A spine tingling “David Bowie” finished off the set highlighted by Trey’s exceptionally tight guitar playing. The first set may have been slow, but it certainly wasn’t dull as several bust outs and sought after trophies were obtained by the ravenous audience. During the set-break, it was clear that fans had made the right choice in buying tickets to the Garden rather than staying home to catch up on Game of Thrones.

While there was no mention of “Jimmies” in the set two opener, “Drowned,” there was certainly enough improvisation to write home about. Clearly the MSG residency has done something to the Vermonters as they are playing with a Nectar’s-esque level of commitment. The ambient and mind-altering “Song I Heard The Ocean Sing” that swam its way out of the “Drowned” jam was the perfect addition to an already stellar second set. Dialed in, Page anchored the jam with some incredible synth play and Gordon acted as the lift-guard and threw in a floating bass line to build the jam up.

After two songs and almost 40 minutes, the crowd was left speechless, but thankfully Phish did all the talking during what will be known as the “Baker’s Harpua.” The never-ending tale of Jimmy and his cat’s unfortunate fate has not been narrated since 1997 at the Garden, but this time around Trey, Mike, Page, and Jon sat down to tell us a story about the universe. Donuts have covered mid-town Manhattan as fans anxiously await the details of the next flavor each night. During the historic version of “Harpua,” Phish let us in on a little secret by informing us all that the entire Universe is just a donut! In the expansive narration of Jimmy and his comrades, Trey consistently made the connection between current events and what is happening in Jimmy’s world. The insanely entertaining story that was told on Sunday night will not just go down as one of the greatest things to happen during the 13-show run, but possibly one of the best renditions in Phishtory.

The band made it clear that they were not ready to head back down to planet Earth as they remained in outer-space for a cosmic “Also Sprach Zarathustra.” The crowd seemed perplexed and were still trying to wrap their minds around the “Harpua” story when the spacey and instrumental jam morphed into a familiar and grounding “Golgi Apparatus.” While I am not at liberty to assume how Trey writes his set lists, I imagine there was some thinking behind the second set on Sunday night. The band went from a water and ocean theme to explaining the massive and mysterious universe before looking into a microscope and focusing in on one of the smallest elements of a cell, the Golgi body.

Under the light, they couldn’t get anything wrong on this particular night as they settled on yet another a cappella song, “In The Good Old Summer Time” to finish off the amazing set. Phish acted as our genie and granted us the third wish of the night by debuting the Jimi Hendrix classic “The Wind Cried Mary.” While die-hard fans were hoping to hear the recognizable “Izabella” by Jimi, we got a slow and fitting “best-of Hendrix” tune instead. The Garden screamed Mary as smoke billowed and couples embraced during the well-executed cover. The “Jimmies” night of the Baker’s Dozen run was a huge success and solidified the second Sunday as another classic Garden performance for the band that knows it best.

Setlist courtesy of Phish.net

Set 1: The Curtain With > Runaway Jim, Waking Up Dead, Esther, Home, Brian and Robert, Nellie Kane, Colonel Forbin’s Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird > David Bowie

Set 2: Drowned, A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, Harpua > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Golgi Apparatus, In The Good Old Summer Time

Encore: The Wind Cries Mary[1]

[1] Phish debut.
August 1, 2017
Primus Announces 2017 Tour and Album Release

Primus has named their 2017 tour Ambushing the Storm and that’s exciting in and of itself being they haven’t toured since 2014. It starts Oct. 1 in Texas and will make its way towards the east coast with New York dates Oct. 27 at the Palace Theater, the Capital Theatre on Oct. 29 and Brooklyn Steel on Oct. 31. Tickets will be available for purchase Oct. 1 on the Primus website.

But what’s even more interesting is the inspiration behind their new album that will hit the market Sept.29. The collection will be called The Desaturating Seven and it’s inspired by an Italian children’s book Les Claypool read his own kin years ago called Rainbow Goblins. So far, the public has only been graced with a single call “The Seven” (video link below) which holds a very promising tone and attitude. It’s synonymous with “Jerry Was a Racecar Driver” according to Claypool and retains that classic Primus sound coupled with dramatic shifts in tempo and time signatures.

This project is something Claypool says he has been itching to work on, according to an interview with Rolling Stone.

“I remember being incredibly impressed with the artwork and the storyline and the content and the message, and I thought, ‘Wow, this would make a great piece of music,’” he says. “As I’m getting older, I’m realizing I need to start knocking some of these things off my list. So we did the Willy Wonka soundtrack a couple years back, and this was a project I wanted to do.”

What’s more – the gang is back together. Claypool originally considered piecing this album together with a side project of his, Claypool Lennon Delirium, but opted to work with his Primus band mates, Larry “Ler” LaLonde and Tim “Herb” Alexander instead. The group reportedly had some trouble taking off with such an unique platform but were able to piece together something they’re proud of.

“These days,” Claypool admits, “you gotta go the extra mile because otherwise people just take it off the internet.”

August 1, 2017
Phish is in the Midst of an Historic Residency at Madison Square Garden

Phish is doing something unprecedented at Madison Square Garden. They’re in the midst of a 13 show residency that is more than your average run of shows. This isn’t just a residency: it’s a historic Rock ‘n’ Roll experience that is falling under the radar as Phish often does. But what they’re doing deserves attention from music fans of all ranges.

With this ‘Baker’s Dozen‘ residency, Phish will have performed 53 times at The Garden in their career, dating back to 1994. As of Sunday, they will only be behind Elton John and Billy Joel for most times played at MSG. The band has played New York State more than any other state in the country, with a large chunk of their shows now in one building. The national media have been taking notice and giving credit where it is due to the band.

After 8 nights of shows since July 21, Phish has performed 141 different songs, debuted 11 covers and originals, played 9 20 minute+ jams and have left the audience wanting more. The final 3 nights of the run coming up this weekend have become a ticket as sought after as New Year’s Eve at The Garden, if not more so. The energy at the shows emanates through the bars and music venues that Phish fans populate daily before and after each show, building a beautiful buzz that grows each time Phish takes the stage. In short, Phish is doing something few rock bands can do during a residency of this nature, let alone play 13 shows at one venue, not get the slightest bit rusty and improve as the run progresses.

Credit: Fans.com

The Themes

Each night, donuts that are handed out for free, courtesy of Philadelphia’s Federal Donuts, and the donut flavor is reflected in the setlist each night. On Velvet donut night, two Velvet Underground songs were played, “Sunday Morning” and “Sweet Jane.” On Strawberry donut night, “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Strawberry Letter 23” were debuted. On Chocolate donut night, “Chocolate Rain,” and on Powder donut night, Neil Young’s “Powderfinger” debuted, to the laughter (chocolate) and awe (powder) of the crowd. With so many flavors of donuts, fans are anticipating song selections while avoiding the predictability that Phish eschews. With Maple Glazed donuts on Night 9 of the residency, fans wonder if they can expect “Maple Leaf Rag” by Scott Joplin and how that will play into the band’s themed set for the night. Keeping the theme of the run going each night, not just with physical donuts but music to accompany them, the band is giving their fans a treat in more ways than one.

The Jams

All time jams have been performed by Phish at MSG before, but during the residency, this has not been your typical jamming. We’re talking hallmark jams that can stand the test of time. The typically 3-4 minute lounge lizard “Lawn Boy” was performed for 30 minutes on July 25, and in the second set that night, Talking Heads “Crosseyed and Painless” hit the 33-minute mark. Upon listening back to these jams, you don’t notice time passing as the jams continue to build and escape the noodly uncertainty that improvisation can lend itself to. Versions of “Chalkdust Torture” (24 minutes), “Down With Disease” (20 minutes), “Fuego” (20 minutes), “Blaze On” (23 minutes), “Drowned” and “A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing” (40 minutes combined) as well as “Tube” (15 minutes) are just a some of the standouts in the first 8 shows. Phish is jamming on typical jam vehicles and non-traditional songs as well, keeping the audience on their toes. Expecting the unexpected is part of the Phish experience, but that has never been truer than during The Baker’s Dozen.

Debuts

Phish has debuted originals from side projects, seemingly as part of the effort not to repeat any songs during the run. The Trey Anastasio Band song “Mr. Completely” returned for the second time this year and only third version since 2003, while Mike Gordon Band’s “Waking up Dead” appeared on July 30 to the surprise and delight of fans. The Story of the Ghost closing track “End of Session,” was performed for the first time ever on Jam-filled donut night. Digging into their side projects and giving them the Phish treatment rarely turns out to be less than impressive, as the new twist reintroduces the songs to fans. You can expect more tunes from side projects to appear as the band (unofficially) attempts to deliver on a no-repeat run of shows.

The Covers

Name a classic rock artist and Phish has covered them this run. The Beatles. Velvet Underground. David Bowie. Led Zeppelin. Neil Young. The Who. Ween. Talking Heads. Then add in some funk via Prince, Hot Chocolate, and Deodato, with Tay Zonday and Fleet Foxes catching fans off guard on separate nights with acapella renditions of their originals. The list will continue to expand as Phish stretches well out of their comfort zone and surprises fans with a dose of something out of left field.

No Repeats

As of Sunday night, Phish has performed more than 140 unique songs with 5 nights to go. The band is on pace for close to 230 total unique songs by the end, without a single song repeated. There is no band performing today with a catalog that deep who could perform at this level for 13 shows over 17 days.

You may or may not be a Phish fan, but the musical history being written inside Madison Square Garden is worth paying attention to as the run comes to a close this week.

August 1, 2017
Hearing Aide: SkyDaddy ‘Wide Eyes’

Two years succeeding their debut, self-titled EP as a funky musical quartet, SkyDaddy makes a comeback with their latest EP Wide Eyes, due out on all digital platforms come August 1.

Dave Heinz (bass/vox), Joe North (saxophone/EWI), Tom Claney (guitar/vox) and Pat Agresta (drums) fit together as a jazzy-funk ensemble with nods of soul and rock fusion from downstate New York. However, its their solo skills that come together to create all that SkyDaddy stands for. Riding the wave of the ever-growing music scene in the Northeast, the foursome have lent their jam talents to venues across NYC and the tri-state area in support of The Nth Power, Pink Talking Fish, Amy Helm, Spiritual Rez, Sophistafunk and Zach Deputy, all within the last year.

Their self-titled effort brought fourth a five-track EP, including “Tell Me I’m Crazy” and “Just Enough Wine.” Dipping their toes into varying genres, Heinz, North, Clancey and Agresta use their talents to deliver spacey, progressive-like jams while capturing soul through their meaningful lyrics and memorable hooks.

Wide Eyes comes in the form of three tracks, all of which have the ability to get you on your feet and dancing or at least swaying side to side in your work chair. “Effortlessly Elegant” introduces the EP with a fitting title as the opening notes of the track and buttery-smooth saxophone make the listener’s need to move around and dance grow stronger by the second. “By the Fire Tonight” follows next, letting Agresta and the drum kit lead into the second track which appeals largely to the funkier soundscapes of their music. “Perspective” emphasizes on Heinz’ hearty vocals as he sings of relationships, wide eyed girls and the burning question of how they found their soul. Over the course of one year, the EP was recorded in REM Studios in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, collectively and accurately encompassing their sound as a unit thus far.

You can catch SkyDaddy on their Wide Eyes Tour during their slew of upcoming NY show dates, including a live WRRV Session at Newburgh Brewing Company, a September 19 Garcia’s gig with The Magic Beans in Port Chester and quick stops through VT and CT.

Check out more of their music on Soundcloud!

Key Track: By the Fire Tonight

July 31, 2017
Hot Chocolate and Cinnamon Spice Up Nights 6 and 7 of Phish’s Baker’s Dozen

Chocolate donut night on the sixth night of the Baker’s Dozen MSG residency brought Phish to cover an American Idol contestant’s viral hit, bringing “Chocolate Rain” to life, along with “Ass Handed,” tying the theme to the music once again before letting loose with a set of rarities and surprise jams. “Free” and “Sand’” marked the high points of Set 1’s jamming, with ‘Weigh’ and ‘Destiny Unbound’ garnering the loudest cheers as fans crossed songs off their bucket list for yet another night. During “Divided Sky,” Trey held ‘the note’ for such a long time that Chris Kuroda lit up the arena, with one spotlight shining down on Trey as he slowly looked around the entire arena, in as much awe of his surroundings as the crowd was.

The ever rare “Have Mercy” was the bustout to start set 2, opening the way for “Chalkdust Torture” which clocked in at 24 minutes and stood out as the jam of the evening. Ascending jams that rose and rose with full band builds with no let up highlighted “Chalkdust,” creating a jam vehicle that found its way towards Hot Chocolate’s “You Sexy Thing.” Hearing the opening notes of the funk from this 70s classic, the audience erupted in the glee of an out of left field bust out that led to a funk jam for the ages.

“Mercury,” while fresh and left off Big Boat, bridged the ending of “You Sexy Thing,” a jam the band sought to return to at the first opportunity. By the time the funk ended, the audience welcomed “Backwards Down the Number Line” with as much energy as they could muster and with “Rock and Roll” following, the crowd went into a frenzy listening to that New York Station. An encore of the ever rare “Fee” and “Space Oddity” capped the night as Phish continued to raise the bar during their historic run at Madison Square Garden.

Setlist via Phish.net
Set 1: Chocolate Rain[1], Ass Handed, Free, Weigh > Undermind > The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony, The Dogs, Destiny Unbound, Divided Sky, Things People Do, Sand

Set 2: Have Mercy, Chalk Dust Torture[2], You Sexy Thing[3] > Mercury -> You Sexy Thing > Backwards Down the Number Line > Rock and Roll

Encore: Fee[4], Space Oddity

[1] Phish debut; a cappella, with Page on a midi controller keyboard.
[2] Unfinished.
[3] Phish debut.
[4] Lyrics changed to “have a chocolate donut and catch your breath.”

Phish returned to the comfy confines of Madison Square Garden for Night 7 of the Baker’s Dozen residency on Saturday with a show that had all the Phishy elements fans love, starting off with with the energetic scorcher “Llama,” fastening in the crowd for a memorable, cinnamon flavored night.

Many fans who didn’t figure out their ticket situation in advance were left with their finger in the air come show time as it seemed many were shut out. Inside the venue, a recording came on urging the crowd to “not eat the brown donuts,” as they are not so good, surely a play on the famous brown acid announcement at the original Woodstock.

After the straightforward “Llama,” Phish launched into “Wilson” and the crowd was instantly ready, painting the famed venue walls with only the type of energy a Phish crowd can bring. Normally a quick hype song, this “Wilson” stretched beyond the nine-minute mark with an atypical jam out of what normally closes the song, which caught few off guard after the surprises Phish had in the first six shows.

Standard takes on “Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan” and “Ya Mar” warmed up for the semi-rare, and ultra sought after “Tela.” The band nailed the song and Trey played the closing guitar section masterfully, igniting a rousing applause from the capacity crowd.

“The Birds”>”The Line” was a nice segue, with the latter containing a bit of full band improvisation. “The Line” takes a lot of heat in the Phish world for being a bathroom break song, but this one was well placed and you can just tell how much Trey and Mike enjoy playing the song based off their mutual grins.

A brief “Water In The Sky” came as a warm up for the close of the set, which began with a very well played “Vultures,” another song that seemed to add an extra layer of frosting on an already rocking first set. Mike took the lead to sing “Train Song” that led into a segue into “Horn,” in which the entire band played each note almost perfectly. In recent years, Trey has taken some online flak for not playing the composed guitar part of “Horn” perfectly, but he did last night.

Not many expected what came next. When Page hit the two notes on the clav and Trey played the fuzzy lead line, the crowd nearly exploded with energy as everyone realized Phish was covering The Beatles’ beloved “I Am The Walrus.” As the band and crowd sang in unison and Chris Kuroda turned the Garden into a rainbow light dance party, a guy leaned in to my ear and said, “So dude, I really think they’re not going to repeat a single song.” Me too, kid. Me too.

After set break, Phish started up with “Blaze On,” a song that debuted two summers ago and quickly found its place as a first set rocker, late set jam vehicle and the coveted second set opener. It was apparent that Phish was going to sink their fins into this one as Trey didn’t waste a second before jumping into a nearly five-minute lead solo that was him wield his Languedoc high, bending notes in his signature rapid fire licks. It was some of his finest playing of the run, which was a bit of foreshadowing for what’s to come.

“Blaze On” then started to devolve, until Phish reconstructed it into a major key with a mildly funky and ethereal jam that kept everyone’s interest before bringing it back to a swirling crescendo finish that clocked in at nearly 24 minutes and left some speechless. This band is clearly as comfortable as they’ve felt in a really long time.

After a segue into “20 Years Later,” which seemed to contain some Led Zeppelin type elements in the jam, Phish broke out “Alumni Blues”>”Letter to Jimmy Page”>”Alumni Blues,” two of their oldest songs. While the segment was very textbook, it was very well played and featured Trey and Mike facing each other for a short bluesy segment, after which Trey shouted “it’s alright now, ‘cuz Mike’s playing the bass,” which elicited a crowd roar, before Mike took a short but powerful lead solo.

Out of the soundscape came fan favorite “Meatstick,” which has a rich history with MSG. In 1994 and 2010, Phish used the song as part of their New Year’s Eve gags. After the dance part, Trey and Page led the band into an atypical and psychedelic jam which landed perfectly on “Dirt.” While “Dirt” is typically a first set song, last night’s placement couldn’t have been any better, giving fans a bit of a break after nearly an hour of some pretty unique music. But, hey, that’s why we follow this band.

With time winding down in the night, anticipation was high in regard to what they’d close the set with. When Fishman hit the drums, “Harry Hood” made it’s Baker’s Dozen appearance and did more than close the set. Clocking in at 17:20, this “Hood” broke itself down into ambient space before Trey, Page and Mike revved the sing into the highest gear with very Allman Brothers’ “Mountain Jam”-esque teases and quotes. Approaching 17 minutes, “Hood” finished with a peak that only that song can bring. When this is all done and said, “Harry Hood” will go down as a very notable jam from this run.

Almost forgot that the theme was cinnamon donuts? Well, after a somewhat lengthy encore break, Phish came out and lit into a cover of Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl,” which was last played by the band 19 years, 364 days ago. The crowd had anticipated the song all night and Phish delivered with a stellar take on the song that sent 20,000 people flowing onto the streets of midtown Manhattan.

The stage is set for what we in the Phish world gear up for: A Sunday show. I think the saying goes something like, “never miss a Sunday show!”

In reality, it should be, “never miss a Phish show!”

Setlist via phish.net

Set 1: Llama, Wilson > Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan > Ya Mar, Tela, The Birds > The Line, Water in the Sky, Vultures, Train Song > Horn, I Am the Walrus

Set 2: Blaze On > Twenty Years Later > Alumni Blues > Letter to Jimmy Page > Alumni Blues > Meatstick > Dirt > Harry Hood

Encore: Cinnamon Girl

July 30, 2017
String Cheese Incident Announces Thanksgiving and New Years Eve Runs

The String Cheese Incident is known to shake things up with its tours this Thanksgiving and New Years Eve. This is not the type of band to have an East-Coast, West-Coast, and Mid-West tour, evenly spaced throughout the year. This year alone they’ve played in Mexico with Dead and Company, Los Muertos Con Queso (Get it?), played a string of Mid-West intimate venue shows, a two night run in Atlanta, and are playing a sleuth of new festivals like Summer Meltdown, The Oregon Eclipse Festival, and Element Festival in Princeton, BC, (not to be confused with Elements Fest in Brooklyn).

The only thing that seems normal this year is the annual three night run at Red Rocks Amphitheater that just took place July 21-23. After thanking the fans for a wonderful hometown throw down, the band announced that this year it will be playing a pair of Thanksgiving weekend shows in Chicago on November 24 and 25 at the Chicago Theater. SCI also announced it they will ring in the New Year with a three night stint at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, NY.

This comes as a huge surprise to fans, as this will be the first year not held at the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield Colorado since 2012. Cheese heads in the Northeast are rejoicing as they plan ahead for what will be a weekend to remember. This past New Year’s Eve, the band welcomed Big Gigantic for an entire set of the “Big Gigantic Incident” and The Floozies for their own set the following night. We can only guess what cheesy goodness they’ll serve up to us this year.

Ticket info and details are expected to drop soon. And remember, Life is Gouda.

July 28, 2017
Phish Puts the Power in Powder

On Wednesday July 26 at Madison Square Garden, Phish devised a plan to make hump day a great day. Keeping in form with the powdered donut theme, the foursome launched into an acappella version of Fleet Foxes’ “White Winter Hymnal” to get the party started. The “white snow red as strawberries” lyric reprised the Saturday night donut theme to the delight of MSG regulars and set the tone for a cover-filled evening on Night 6 of their Baker’s Dozen.

Fans entering the Garden after work could relate to the traffic -jammed “Cars Trucks Buses” that took the second spot in the rotation and saw Page McConnell work his magic on the boards. The always welcomed “My Soul” kept the energy building before a “Roses Are Free” completed the back-to-back cover annihilation. The Chilling Thrilling Sounds “Very Long Fuse” received some extended love as the powder keg audience realized they wouldn’t be getting another five song first set.

Rarities like “Pebbles and Marbles” have been filling the donut holes in a magical way throughout this run and it has become so common to hear bust-outs that the audience didn’t even detect how special it was. While speaking about special moments, the almost 15-minute “Tube” was explored by the band as if it was in a 1990’s Discovery Zone. The bouncy punch initiated by Mike Gordon was only outshined by Page’s dirty synth orgy. Trey found his groove and dissected the jam into what will be known as the “Baker’s Tube” for years to come.

When second sets begin with hard-rocking machines like “Carini,” Phish followers know they are in for a sweet treat. The 16-minute lumpiness dug its feet into the ground and setup another rarity in “Mr. Completely.” The TAB classic has only been played a handful of times by the quartet, yet it made its second appearance this tour to the delight of die-hards. Trey’s ditty may or may not become a staple in the band’s repertoire, but for now there is still much work to be done with the jam.

“The World’s Most Famous Arena” experienced a flashback to 1998 as the Vermonters destroyed Price’s “1999.” The second set was familiarly baked with incredible choices but the highlight may have been the jam that ensued. “Steam” rose out of the stage as a seamless and perfectly placed transition before Led Zepplin’s “No Quarter” shocked and awed an already speechless crowd. Page’s well-executed vocal takedown mixed with the ferocious Jimmy Page-like guitar antics by Big Red solidified this version as possibly the best one ever played. An overly ambitious “Character Zero” closed the set and proved that surprises come in all forms during this epic 13-show run.

Where is the powder? There’s the powder. Phish never lets us down in terms of donut symbolism. The encore debut of Neil Young’s “Powderfinger” closed the night and permanently gave us a new motto to live by: “Never miss a Wednesday show.”

Setlist via Phish.net

Set 1: White Winter Hymnal[1], Cars Trucks Buses, My Soul, Roses Are Free > The Very Long Fuse, Gumbo, Yarmouth Road, Pebbles and Marbles, Farmhouse, Tube
Set 2: Carini -> Mr. Completely > 1999 > Steam > No Quarter, Character Zero
Encore: Powderfinger[2]

[1] Phish debut; a cappella
[2] Phish debut

July 27, 2017
Phish Delivers a Jam Filled Show on Night 4 of Baker’s Dozen

On a night where jams were promised, jams were delivered. The complaint ‘Phish doesn’t jam anymore’ is now an antiquated phrase reserved for jaded vets and those looking for a reason to justify not attending a show. On Honey Dipped Jam-Filled Donut night, Phish’s Baker’s Dozen shifted into high gear starting the show with a 5 song first set with no song shorter than 10 minutes. By the time the show was over, the band had two 30 minute jams under their belt, as well as the debut of “End of Session” from 1998’s Story of the Ghost. The fourth night marked the best of the run, with nine nights still to go.

Starting for the fourth show in a row with an ‘S’ song, the normally simple “Sample in a Jar” topped out at 10 minutes, far longer than usual. It was when “Lawn Boy” started that fans were in for a treat among treats, and 29:59 later, after enormous blissful jamming that began when Page stood up to get his keytar, everyone knew they’d gotten something far out of the ordinary. Repeated listens will be required to fully absorb what Phish threw into this jam filled “Lawn Boy,” no, “Lawn Man.”

“My Friend, My Friend” and “Stash” both topped the 11-minute mark with stronger than normal Type I jams that kept the set flowing. “Bathtub Gin” followed suit, and despite these last three songs having as much punch as any first set jam this run, “Lawn Boy” slightly overshadowed the others, more for the factor of jamming “Lawn Boy” among all the other songs in their repertoire.

The second set started with “Fuego” clocking in at close to 20 minutes, followed by “Thread” which debuted in Chicago as a unique prog-rock number but also provided a bridge between jam vehicles, as “Crosseyed and Painless” provided an additional dose of jam that was promised. The Talking Heads cover veered into the usual improvisation and picked up speed as it dipped into a “2001” prelude that shifted gears and instead continued the “Crosseyed” jam in a third, or even fourth altogether different section.

“Makisupa Policeman” with nods to Page and Mike from Trey and the jam out of Makisupa melted into “End of Session,” which debuted to the delight of the few who recalled the final track on Story of the Ghost, an ambient composition on many fans bucketlists. The set was capped by “Tuesday” and “Cavern” and fans picking up the jaws that were dropped in the 33 minute “Crosseyed.”

To end the show, “Julius” came out rocking and segued into the ending of “Lawn Boy” to the intense delight of fans who saw the show come full circle, heading into Powdered donut night.

Setlist via Phish.net

Set 1: Sample in a Jar, Lawn Boy[1] > My Friend, My Friend[2] > Stash, Bathtub Gin

Set 2: Fuego > Thread > Crosseyed and Painless > Makisupa Policeman -> End of Session[3] > Tuesday > Cavern

Encore: Julius > Lawn Boy

[1] Page on keytar.
[2] No “Myfe” ending.
[3] Debut

July 26, 2017
The Werks Phish After Party at American Beauty NYC

The Werks kicked off the first night of Bakers Dozen after parties at American Beauty on Friday July 21. The band teased “In the End” by Linkin Park as a tribute to the late Chester Bennington.

Setlist provided by guitarist Chris Houser via The Werkers Union.

Set I: Chillin Groove, Duck Farm, Into The Moss[1], OG[2], Waiting Room[3]> Life During Wartime> Waiting Room

Set II: Fire Eater, Fall[4], The Answer, Moonset

[1] Blister in the Sun tease
[2] “In The End” (Linkin Park) vocals
[3] A Capella intro
[4] Plain White Toast tease

July 25, 2017
Sunday Velvety Sunday: Night 3 of Phish’s Baker’s Dozen

After two nights of Phish extending jams amid bustouts and debuts during the Baker’s Dozen, it was clear that these donut themed shows would be filled with jam and not jelly. On Red Velvet donut night, the audience was treated to a pair of Velvet Underground covers bookending the show, as a red hue illuminated the Garden and once again the mantra ‘Never miss a Sunday Show’ held true.

Opening with Velvet Underground’s “Sunday Morning” with Fishman in a Cardinal’s stole and mitre, he sang a perfect song to fit the day and theme, all while blessing the crowd with the ‘holy water’ that was in his scepter. And with that, the show amped up the energy with “Axilla” driving the crowd into a frenzy, “Your Pet Cat” throwing in a dose of funk, and an 11 minute “Back on the Train” that easily ventured beyond the usual length for the Farmhouse fan favorite. “How Many People Are You” kept the energy flowing, and while “Glide” isn’t an intense song, the oft-chased after song was greeted by all as another example of working through the band’s deep catalog to ensure no repeats throughout the 13 show run.

After a standard “Theme From the Bottom,” the jam of the evening took off inside “It’s Ice,” with the band stretching this version out past the 15 minute mark with a deeply exploratory jam built on patience from all four members. Setting the tone with jams in non-traditional jam vehicles has been a hallmark of this tour (see: Dayton “Wombat,” Pittsburgh “Mr. Completely”) and “It’s Ice” with its jazzy improvisation follows this trend. Closing the set was “More,” something everyone was asking for after the “Ice” jam.

After a creamy first set, Phish came out firing with a brief, but punchy “AC/DC Bag,” which a lot of fans were hoping would get lengthy jam treatment. While it clocked in at its typical time, “Bag” still got the Garden dancing as Anastasio brought some youthful playing to one of Phish’s oldest and most played songs.

Whatever song was up next was sure to get stretched out, as the band has displayed incredible improvisational prowess on this tour throughout each show, but especially in the second sets. So, with the opener providing more of a quick rocker, “Wolfman’s Brother” brought out a very audible cheer from the crowd, as Chris Kuroda followed suit with maybe the most intense lights of the run so far. From behind the stage, it appeared, at times, that the red lights morphed into a reflective orange, which made the crowd appear, at times, on fire. Meanwhile, after Phish got through the song portion of “Wolfman’s Brother,” the band kicked it 50 yards past high gear with a sort of circular feeling ambient jam that saw Mike Gordon lead a layered approach to another old and beloved song, which bled into “Twist.”

This “Twist” can really be described by its several distinct sections, and was highlighted by Page McConnell’s stellar use of his new synth toy. It seems that every member of the band has added something new, at it showed in this jam, which gave way to a series of loops from Anastasio. When it all came together, the peak settled back gently into the song’s theme. “Waves” came next, and quickly went dark and deep, but the jam was the only flat part of the entire set. Some around the section were loving it, but others were not sold on the jam. “Miss You” filled in where “2001” seemed to be emerging from the spacey jam out of “Waves.”

“Boogie On Reggae Woman” and, of course, “Wading In the Velvet Sea” closed out the set in funky and somewhat emotive fashion. Everyone knew “Velvet Sea” was coming, and it was pretty well placed after a set chock full of improvisation, landing well.

For the first time since Deer Creek 2012, Phish busted out a fan favorite in the Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane.” Kuroda brought back the red light theme, and Phish played the song flub free, ending with the crowd in a frenzy as the Anastasio jumped up and down to conclude another stellar show of the Baker’s Dozen.

Night 4 of Baker’s has been announced as Jam Filled, with mini Raspberry donuts the theme of the night. Few things can get a phan’s heart pumping than to know a night full of jamming is on tap.

Setlist via Phish.net

Set 1: Sunday Morning[1], Axilla, Your Pet Cat > Back on the Train, How Many People Are You, Glide, Theme From the Bottom >It’s Ice > More
Set 2: AC/DC Bag > Wolfman’s Brother[2] > Twist > Waves > Miss You, Boogie On Reggae Woman, Wading in the Velvet Sea
Encore: Sweet Jane
[1] Phish debut. Trey on drums.
[2] Unfinished.

July 25, 2017