In the fall of 1998, Phish had just released Story of the Ghost, and were just about to start their cross-country Fall Tour, which included not one but two shows covering full albums by The Velvet Underground and Pink Floyd. Before diving into the tour, they’d pay a visit to David Letterman at the Ed Sullivan Theater on October 27, 1998, for the fourth time, performing “Birds of a Feather.”
via just-add-cones.blogspot.com
While Fall Tour started proper on October 29, 1998, Phish had a few performances under their belt already that month. Playing at Farm Aid in Tinley Park, IL and Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit in Mountain View, CA, the band returned back east for a week of respite before a 30 day/22 show tour.
Poster for Louis Arzonico
Following guests Martin Short and Eddie Izzard, Phish served as musical guest that evening, performing the second track off Story of the Ghost, “Birds of a Feather.” Being their fourth time on the show, Letterman introduced the band noting they had their own book (The Phish Book) in addition to their new album.
The less than four minute version of “Birds of a Feather” has a lively audience celebrating not only the introduction of the band, but audibly so when the song breaks into a section where, in a live show environment, the band would venture off into exploring the arena rocker.
Following the performance, Letterman shakes hands with drummer Jon Fishman and says “Its Phish, kids!” The band would not return to the Ed Sullivan Theater until May of 2000, ahead of the release of Farmhouse.
Other individual song performances on Letterman include “Chalkdust Torture” on December 30, 1994, “Julius” on July 13, 1995, “Character Zero” on March 5, 1997, “Heavy Things” on May 15, 2000, “All of These Dreams” on December 19, 2002, a multi-song performance on the Ed Sullivan Theater marquee on June 21, 2004, and “The Line” on June 25, 2014.
Buffalo jam stars moe. took to the stage in Yarmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod this past weekend for the middle two nights of their four-night New England run. Nearly seven months have passed since their last pre-Covid performance in Atlantic City, with a planned pair of drive-in shows in upstate New York unexpectedly cancelled mere days before the performance. It was clear early on that moe. was eager to shake the cobwebs off and play for a live audience.
The Yarmouth Drive-In, though spacious and very well organized, has the drawback of lacking a PA system, which seemed to sway some of the opinions of prospective attendees in the weeks leading up to the show. The venue used an FM transmitter to deliver sound to the patrons, who either used battery-powered radios or their own car radios to dance in their private cordoned-off suites.
In a few instances, moe. fans at Yarmouth were seen lugging in their own PA systems, which they would mic up to a radio and supply loud, clean sound to their neighbors. Security was ever-present, making sure people were following the mask mandate and other safety protocols, while maintaining a friendly rapport with the fans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuJHhNPCkAY
On night one, the boys took the stage promptly at 7 o’clock and opened with a speedy and energetic “Threw it all Away,” with their anthemic “Plane Crash” following close on its heels. Then, moe. went into some exploratory territory with “Skrunk,” featuring some pedalboard experimentation from guitarist Chuck Garvey (one fan described the computerized, robotic shredding as “connecting us to AOL” in a Facebook post.) He would return to use the effect sparingly throughout the two-night run, but brought it to the forefront here. They left “Skrunk” in the dust with a long, patient and smooth transition into their jam vehicle “Time Ed,” which is around the time the sound crew really dialed in bassist Rob Derhak’s vocals. They kept the energy high with “Akimbo,” segued into one of the new album’s songs, “Who You Callin’ Scared” and then closed out the first set of the weekend with Al’s ode to his late father, the epic two-parter “Downward Facing Dog.”
Set two opened with a drawn-out intro to the new track “Along For The Ride,” a protest song complete with E-drums and a funky bassline, which seems to be getting its feet under it more and more each time it’s played. This abruptly led into Annihilation Blues, a short and sweet rock tune from the No Guts, No Glory album, which took a surprising turn and featured a long, inventive outro jam that slowly morphed into the crowd-pleasing “Bring It Back Home.” “Mar De Ma,” Vinny’s instrumental number, led flawlessly into the iconic bassline of “Billy Goat” in yet another creative segue. They finished the second set with a pair of songs penned by guitarist Al Schnier, the history-inspired “Puebla” and the dark, heavy, strange fantasy tale that is “Bearsong” with an Iron Butterfly homage in between for the classic rock buffs in the crowd. For their encore (after a chorus of cheers and honking horns) moe. returned to the stage for a rendition of the triumphant “Happy Hour Hero” before bidding the crowd farewell for the night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2naJUN5jYQ
While Night 1 had a creative setlist and some truly inspired segueways and jams, Night 2 showed a relentless side of moe. that can only emerge from months of quarantine. Nearly every single song transitioned into the next, either in the “no huddle” style of immediately diving into the next song, or with a long improvised jam that keeps the audience guessing, with only a single break between songs that occurred near the end of the first set. After opening with their flagship song, “Rebubula,” moe. played the traditional pairing of “Not Coming Down” and “Wormwood,” which bled into their first cover of the weekend, Pink Floyd’s rousing “Fearless” and then the reflective “Deep This Time.”
At this point, moe. stopped playing (for the only time the entire show) and Rob addressed the crowd with a brief speech in which he thanked the crowd for being there, expressing his solidarity. Shortly after, he plucked the opening notes of the Bush-era protest song “George” and the Yarmouth Drive-In briefly turned into a disco dance lot.
After a half hour set break, the temperature was dropping and occasional bursts of wind chilled the air. As some of the patrons added some extra layers and poured themselves another drink, moe. retook the stage for a fully segued set that deftly wove old classics and new additions to the moe. repertoire. Al started the set with a slow, bluesy lick, while the introduction to “Moth” was slowly solidified by his bandmates. “Moth” was left unfinished as they steered the soaring, uplifting “Moth” jam into the slap-happy, bass-heavy “LL3,” a new song written by Rob Derhak about his battle with oropharyngeal cancer. This version was livelier and heavier than previous versions, growing more and more energetic with each subsequent performance. They smoothly brought the tempo down and started teasing the harmonic intro of “Lazarus.” The song that has changed arrangements several times in the last decade and seems to have finally transformed back into the monstrous jam vehicle it once was.
They chased “Lazarus” with the mammoth instrumental “McBain,” which featured an expected “Walking On the Moon” tease (The Police) and a somewhat more predictable “Crosseyed and Painless” tease (Talking Heads) which has become a staple of performances of “McBain.” This was followed by another “no huddle,” this time into the Who’s classic hit “Pinball Wizard,” which has only been played seven times ever. Throwing yet another curveball our way, rather than ending “Pinball Wizard” and starting a new song to finish the set, moe. played a ripping, boisterous segue into the unfinished “Moth,” for one final singalong to close out the set. After a brief reading of the “al.nouncements,” they played a quick “Seat of my Pants” and “no huddled” once more into the bouncy, absurdist “Sensory Deprivation Bank” before finally calling it a night.
Despite the lack of PA and the safety restrictions due to the pandemic, moe. made the best of an unfortunate situation and delivered two powerhouse performances that would please the most devoted fans and casual attendees alike. Hopefully they will continue playing shows with this model for as long as it’s necessary. The fans seemed respectful of the rules for the most part, the Yarmouth Drive-In seemed to have peoples’ safety in mind, and the band seemed overjoyed to be back on stage.
Over four days in late October, 1979, Bob Marley and The Wailers performed seven shows at the legendary Apollo Theater, marking the first ever reggae performances at the recently reopened Harlem venue. The shows, beginning on October 25 and ending October 28, would add to the rich history of the Apollo and connect Marley with the one-time home of fellow Jamiacan, Marcus Garvey.
The shows at the Apollo were the third stop on his Survival tour, which had kicked off on October 21 in Boston at Harvard Stadium with Stevie Wonder. A day later, Marley and The Wailers would perform at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Performing in Harlem was designed to broaden his reach to a demographic that had not yet tuned into his music, Black Americans. Dennis Thompson, one of four audio engineers and sound technicians working with Marley on these shows told the Jamaica Observer.
Bob wanted to reach the African-American people and he liked the idea of an intimate setting, and the Apollo had it. Survival related to the struggles and oppression of people; Bob once said to me, how great it would be if there could be a United States of Africa, so these concerts were very important to him.”
Dennis Thompson
The album Survival still stands as one of Marley’s most politically charged albums, featuring anthems “Africa Unite” and “Zimbabwe,” the latter celebrating the fall of the white supremacist regime in Rhodesia.
A mixed audience of African Americans, West Indians and whites was reported by Clinton Lindsay, a Jamaican student at the New York Institute of Technology. In covering the shows for college newspaper, Scope, he noted
“The show on the Saturday night was the best, it was sold out and had the best vibes. The opening show was also sold-out and had lots of major stars attending. Each show, although the set list might have been the same, were never alike. Each had its own identity.
Clinton Lindsay
Part of the reason Marley sought to perform in Harlem was due to the connection of Marcus Garvey to the neighborhood. Garvey was a Jamaican-born writer and speaker in the early 20th century who encouraged the Pan-African movementa, emphasizing unity between African-Americans and their ancestral lands. Garvey would inspire Rastafarians advocating for Pan-Africanism. Marley would perform at the Apollo with three backdrops: one of the Ethiopian flag, one of Ethiopian emporer Haile Selassie I, revered by Rastafarians, and one of Garvey, Selassie and guerilla fighters.
The Apollo is an important part of black heritage, I can’t think of any major black international star who hasn’t played there at one point – Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, right from them people there to all the soul stars, everyone. That’s one reason Bob has to play there, to put him in that tradition for people to understand.
The lineup for the Apollo residency included Bob Marley on vocals and rhythm guitar, Aston Barrett (bass), Carlton Barrett (drums), Junior Marvin (lead guitar), Al Anderson (lead guitar), Tyrone Downie (keyboards), Earl “Wya” Lindo (organ), Alvin “Seeco” Patterson (percussion), Devon Evans (percussion), Glen DaCosta (saxophone), Dave Madden (trumpet) and The I-Threes (backing vocals).
A first hand experience from the show, shared with Marley Arkives, gives insight into the audience reaction to the peformances.
“Concerning the Bob Marley concert at the Apollo….there were three shows, in three days….and I made sure I was present for all three…Each show was different…but each unique. The Apollo Theater has 2 balconies…I was in the first balcony …front row center…best seat in the house…I sooo wish at least one of the concerts were on film….Bob rocked the house…so much so, at one point I actually got frightened…at the end of the third and final show…Bob had everyone on their feet singing “Get up Stand up”…of course everyone got up…but it wasn’t until a few minutes into the song that I realized the whole balcony was shaking….literally moving…I kept still to see if it was movement that I was really feeling…sure enough…it was…that’s when I started to hope that the balcony would hold….the balcony was full…even the isles…the Apollo is an old theater…..After the concert , I left feeling fulfilled and exhausted…Bob had taken all my energy…..any time he played NYC I was there….have never been to a concert that could surpass any Bob Marley concert since…….BLESS.”
Opening the shows was Betty Wright, known for “Clean up Woman” and “Tonight is the Night,” singing with a range from disco to soul. The New York Times said of the run of shows:
The theme of Bob Marley’s four-evening stint (Thursday through tomorrow) at Harlem’s newly reopened Apollo Theater is “black survival,” and Mr. Marley’s own survival has been a subject of concern lately. Although he seems to have recovered fully from a shooting incident a couple of years ago in politically turbulent Ja- maica, his reggae nas sounnea ratner pallid on recent albums and his opening‐night performance on Thursday was his first New York City appearance in nearly a year and a half.
While the Times felt that Marley was less energetic, he had begun to use his presence on stage to preach and inspire, with impassioned vocals and an audience that quickly warmed up and threw their energy back at the stage. These historic performances would be among Marley’s last shows in New York, returning the next September to open for The Commodores at Madison Square Garden in September, 1980; it would be one of Marley’s last performances.
On September 21, 1980, Marley would collapse while jogging in Central Park, likely due to malignant melanoma cancer he was diagnosed with three years prior. He would perform one more time, at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, before losing his battle with cancer at age 36.
Setlist – Bob Marley and The Wailer at The Apollo Theater, October 25, 1979
Natural Mystic, Them Belly Full (But We Hungry), I Shot the Sheriff, Concrete Jungle, Ambush in the Night, Ride Natty Ride, Running Away, Crazy Baldhead, Wake Up and Live, One Drop, No Woman, No Cry, Jamming, So Much Trouble in the World, Zimbabwe, Africa Unite, War, No More Trouble
Setlist – Bob Marley and The Wailer at The Apollo Theater, October 28, 1979
Positive Vibration, Wake Up & Live, The Heathen, One Drop, I Shot The Sheriff, Runnin Away, Crazy Baldhead, Zimbabwe, War, No More Trouble, Exodus
By now the word has gotten out. Arlo Guthrie, renowned folk singer and music industry icon has hung up a “Gone Fishing” sign. A lengthy and heartfelt Facebook post marks a change so abrupt on the hearts and ears of fans across the nation. But don’t make wake, we’re off to the Inlet to cast a line.
It’s been a great 50+ years of being a working entertainer, but I reached the difficult decision that touring and stage shows are no longer possible. I’ve cancelled the upcoming shows, and am not accepting offers for new ones. That’s the short version. For the longer version continue reading…
Guthrie’s message was missed by other major sources. While this marks the end of touring and live performances, it is also dawns a new beginning. His life will continue to influence the industry, while he basks in his accomplishments.
The road weighs on the toughest acts, constantly touring and performing. Especially for Guthrie, as he battled mini strokes and checked out to make a gig the next day.
“Then, on Thanksgiving Day 2019 (of all freaking days) it happened again. This time I was on my way to The Church / The Guthrie Center to help out with our annual Thanksgiving Dinner that we hold every year. I had pulled over to fuel up and realized I couldn’t continue to drive safely, as everything was spinning around, sort of like the old days, but without the help of illegal substance… [the next day he] had an important gig at Carnegie Hall in New York – The end of an annual series I’d been doing for decades and it was Sold Out. I had to be there. It was imperative.”
Arlo Guthrie’s ‘Gone Fishing’
The Cooney Island-born singer had big shoes to fill in the likes of his father, and he did. Now it is time to kick them off using the six-plus months a year he would be on the road to enjoy the sand and sun. Likewise, Guthrie is a hallmark, being an original Woodstock performer and tipping his hat at recreations in 2015 and the 50th anniversary.
Guthrie recounts memories of his original Woodstock performance at 22.
Just months ago, Arlo Guthrie released a heartfelt rendition of Stephen Collins Foster’s “Hard Times Come Again No More” with pianist Jim Wilson.
A heartfelt voice among a world pandemic, released July 31, 2020.
Hats off and best wishes to Guthrie as music, culture and storytelling are in his blood. Despite no longer touring, this will not be the last of Guthrie’s legacy. For now, Arlo Guthrie has just gone fishing.
Trey Anastasioreturned to New York City’s Beacon Theatre on October 23 for Week 3 of his Beacon Jams residency. This show came hot on the heels of Phish’s Halloween Dinner And A Movie announcement and excited fans got another incredible show highlighted by a silly version of “Windora Bug” in addition to jaw-dropping versions of “What’s The Use” and “The Lizards” featuring the Rescue Squad Strings.
Over 30,000 viewers flocked to Twitch again for this free live-streamed performance, with donations encouraged to The Divided Sky Fund, which focuses on delivering quality care and compassionate treatment for those battling from addiction, through Phish’s WaterWheel Foundation.
photo by Jake Silco
Ten minutes before the start of the show, fans were treated to a special video message from Page McConnell, wishing he could be in NYC with Trey and congratulating him for his work so far on the Beacon Jams. Page stated that he and Trey got together a while back to play together and a minute later a video started with a masked Anastasio helping a masked Page carry his keyboard out onto the deck of the Barn, subtly recreating the album cover of their Colorado ’88 release. The duo shared a previously recorded version of “Evening Song” that was absolutely beautiful. Trey’s acoustic guitar and Page’s Wurlitzer meshed wonderfully as they both sang this duet. Before long, the video faded out to start Trey’s evening of live music.
photo by Jake Silco
The planned night of music started in usual form at 8:04pm EDT with members of the Trey Anastasio Band on the Beacon stage with our favorite Ginger, consisting of Ray Paczkowski on keys, Tony Markellis on bass, Russ Lawton on drums and Cyro Baptista on percussion. Cyro’s toying with “Zamfir and his Pandemic Flute” brought us into the stream as Trey started things off with “Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan” before diving into his usual crowd banter with a couple of birthday wishes to Tom and Uncle Kevin. He dedicated the next song, “Party Time,” to Kevin up in Burlington and it’s safe to say that Kevin got quite the birthday treat with this noodley, fun version of the tune.
photo by Jake Silco
Things got a bit funkier as Trey thanked the Poster Nutbags Art Group for their generous donation last week, dedicating “The Way I Feel” to them. The ensuing smooth, slow, funk jam from Trey’s 1998 One Man’s Trash had him smiling the whole time, grooving to the entire band. When asked online by DillyBean what his favorite snack was, he replied saying, “Anything you can spatchcock. You can spatchcock anything.” Trey continued diving into his solo work with “Sweet Dreams Melinda,” followed by his eighth quarantine song, “Shaking Someone’s Outstretched Hand.”
Official poster for The Beacon Jams, by Jim Pollock
Cyro, the man who “wears a skunk on his head,” helped a speechless Trey thank everyone for their donations so far and gave us another taste of Zamfir’s (clang!) Pandemic Flute before the band dove into “Andre the Giant” and a jammed-out “Spin.”
photo by Jake Silco
Trey took out his acoustic to play “Turtle In The Clouds” before picking up Old Reliable/Mar Mar again to join the Rescue Squad Strings and Jeff Tanski on piano for a breathtaking version of “What’s The Use.” Trey continued on with the Rescue Squad Strings to share beautiful versions of “Brian and Robert” and “If I Could,” commenting between them that he likens the Beacon Jams to an extended band practice, something he has always enjoyed, and stating, “When life hands you a pandemic, make pandemic-ade.”
The recent NYE song “Rescue Squad” was teased by Trey as the TAB members returned to join the string quartet for a gorgeous rendition of “Leaves” and a squirrelly, harmonic version of “The Lizards” that had Trey smiling the entire time and certainly putting a smile on the face of everyone watching. As the strings departed, the good times continued with a rousing “Mr. Completely” ending with Cyro playing a bug-sounding instrument. This led the band to dive into a rather goofy “Windora Bug,” featuring alternate lyrics about the “Corona Bug” and references to fans folding laundry while watching the show.
photo by Jake Silco
The show continued on with a bouncy, spatchcocked version of “Possum” followed by a soaring “A Case of Ice and Snow” into a killer “Last Tube.” Having raised over $92,000 tonight, Trey ended the night with a song he called “Folding The Laundry” and “When Your Dryers Broken,” but you might know it better as “Twist.”
Trey Anastasio returns to the Beacon Theater again next Friday for another round in which he has promised to “rock out!”
Set 1: Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, Party Time, The Way I Feel, Sweet Dreams Melinda > Shaking Someone’s Outstretched Hand [1], Andre the Giant, Spin, Turtle in the Clouds [2], What’s the Use? [3], Brian and Robert [4], If I Could[4], Rescue Squad [5], Leaves [6], The Lizards [7], Mr. Completely > Windora Bug [8], Possum, A Case of Ice and Snow > Last Tube, Twist
[1] Debut. [2] Trey solo acoustic. [3] Just Trey with The Rescue Squad Strings and Jeff Tanski on piano. [4] Just Trey on acoustic guitar and The Rescue Squad Strings. [5] Trey solo acoustic; first acoustic performance by Trey. [6] TAB debut; Trey on acoustic guitar and The Rescue Squad Strings. [7] Full TAB debut; with The Rescue Squad Strings. [8] With Corona references.
On October 23, 2013, for the first time in 19 years, Phish returned to Glens Falls Civic Center for a fall tour stop. The legendary White Album marathon show on October 31, 1994 stands out as a pinnacle moment in the band’s history, and can be seen as the moment when ‘musical costumes’ became more common for bands on Halloween, and not just for Phish.
To highlight the day, fans did what they did best – took over the town parking lots, vended their wares, supported local eating and drinking establishments, and even held a Dinner & a Movie art show.
Mayor John A. “Jack” Diamond took notice of the musical history of the band, and proceeded to issue a Mayoral Proclamation (with souvenir copies available for fans) that the town of Glens Falls had ‘Gone Phishing.’ There could not have been a warmer reception on a warmer than average October night.
The night after playing Rochester, Phish fans flocked to what was a highly competitive ticket the moment the show was announced, and speculated as to whether or not they’d bring the same heat they did two decades prior. Would they bring back any of the 30 songs featured on the White Album? That question was answered just as the lights went down and Phish played their third ever version of “Back in the U.S.S.R.,” after a gap of nearly 700 shows. From there, the night was off and running, with a set full of first set standards, with a strong “Split Open and Melt” capping things off.
Set 2 was highlighted by two separate sequences. The first, The Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll” > “Seven Below” > “Alaska” > “Twist,” the latter of which Holly Bowling would transcribe for piano and perform on her rise to stardom. With a breather in “Wading in the Velvet Sea,” a fantastic “Harry Hood” > “Chalk Dust Torture” combo followed to wrap up the set. The full second set is a must listen, available here via Phishtracks.com.
Poster by Michael Boyer
To close the night out, another Beatles selection, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” was the call, another debut from Halloween 1994, and the perfect bookend to a fantastic night in Glens Falls. From there, phans flocked into the town, heading over to Hotshots to check out Twiddle with Mister F opening, or Sandy’s Clam Bar for the rarest of post-shows, Touchpants. Whether satiated by the two sets at the Civic Center or needing a little something extra, Phish had left its mark on Glens Falls once again.
Set 1: Back in the U.S.S.R., Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, Water in the Sky, Undermind, David Bowie, Golgi Apparatus, Gumbo, Yarmouth Road, Camel Walk, Horn > Limb By Limb > I Didn’t Know, Split Open and Melt
Set 2: Rock and Roll > Seven Below > Alaska > Twist, Wading in the Velvet Sea > Harry Hood > Chalk Dust Torture
Last Saturday was a special gathering in the midst of a strange year. Le Getaway was a sold-out, socially distanced event held by lespecial and Eggy which featured daytime activities, drum circles, basketball courts, ping-pong tables, and cabins that were rented for the night by attendees. It took place at Club Getaway, a beautiful lake resort nestled in between the mountains of Connecticut. Reminiscent of the good ol’ Catskill Chill days, there was a bonfire set and porch jams until the sun came up. It’s nice to know that a socially distanced live music event is possible if we can all be smart and responsible. If the right precautions are taken, it seems like we can get back to this live music thing soon.
So many activities.
This was a beautiful gathering, it was both much needed and very appreciated. But it was a bit chilly, so you know lespecial and Eggy had to bring the heat. Literally, Jon from lespecial had to turn up his personal heater it was so cold. Rory Dolan led a socially distanced drum circle early in the day, Luke joined in too.
Rory leads a socially distanced drum circle.
Eggy played a jam filled opening set, warming up the crowd as the sun went down. These guys are tight, I would not sleep on them. Soaring high on funky synth leads by Dani Battat and Jake Brownstein’s guitar shredding, Eggy proved to be an amazing opening act.
Eggy flying high.
lespecial then took the stage and opened up with “The Vessel.” Their set was everything you could every hope a lesepcial show to be: dark, bass heavy, and Primus-inspired goodness. Rory took a masterful drum solo. Mike Meyers even sat in on the Halloween Jam and Lee Ross sat in on the sax for a tune. There’s something spooky about this band that makes seeing them around Halloween feel so right. lespecial has a very unique, refusing sound that cuts through much of the jam band muck with many bands that sound similar. They stand out and stand behind their sound which definitely draws inspiration and honors Primus.
Rory’s drum solo.
After lespecial, the attendees with cabins were treated to a bonfire jam which featured, of course, a fire and music. Late night porch jams were held by the new “porch dwellers” with Escaper’s very own Will Hanza on mandolin. Nothing can substitute the space that live music creates.
lespecial put on a hell of a show.
This was exactly what we needed. Let us get back to this as soon as possible, in a safe and responsible way.
Can’t wait to be back.
lespecial at Le Getaway 10/17/20
The Vessel, Fruit Wolf Dance, Jackwise, Machine Elf, Harambe Zombie, Tommy the Cat (Primus cover) > The Awakening > Tommy The Cat, Onlookers, Sugaboi, Third Antler > Fourth Antler, Chocolate Chip Trip (Tool cover), Halloween Jam, Tonberry, Buggn>In the Air Tonight>Buggn
October 20, 2010 was Phish’s first performance in Utica, and they made it as memorable as possible. Having never played in “Sin City,” Phish had plenty in store for fans in Utica, amid a Fall 2010 tour that fans flocked to, selling out nearly the entire tour and making tickets for the 5,700 person capacity room the highest in demand of the tour, short of Halloween.
Fan made badge from Fall Tour 2010 – design by Jiggs
Phish had never played Utica before, although Trey Anastasio was no stranger, having performed thrice previously, once with Oysterhead in 2001 and twice with Trey Anastasio Band in 2002 and 2005. Returning to the Utica Auditorium, Anastasio blended Phish’s “Guyute” with Utica for “GuyUtica,” which many fans dubbed the unofficial name for the show, and led to a memorable weaving in and out of “Guyute” over the night.
If you were hanging outside ahead of the show, you saw an ample Lot scene, with a nice breakdown of the evening here from Coventry Phish. Fans celebrated outside, with Utica native Amy Fischer celebrating her 100th Phish show, and what a show it was. A delectable set that reference “Guyute” all night, thanks in part to fan Jesse Feitel, who rode the rail with a homemade ‘Guy-Utica’ sign that hung on the rail facing the band.
The energy was alive and palpable in the tiny auditorium this evening, giving it all the feels of an old school show. The band seems to pick up on this right away and launches into “My Soul,” a blues cover that fits nicely in the opening slot. The tone shifts from blues to rock with the “Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan,” still a fairly new tune at the time, that comes next. A typically rousing Trey Anastasio guitar solo puts the finishing touches on this one. Then comes only the second “Vultures” of the year to date, with the additional “potato to the throat” lyric thrown in for good measure.
While “Vultures” does yield a somewhat brief “Type 1” jam, things don’t seem to really stretch out until the “Wolfman’s Brother” that follows. A brief vocal jam transpires at the end of the composed section before giving way to the first real extended improvisation of the night. Keyboardist Page McConnell makes his presence felt on the clavinet early and often throughout this one. Trey even finds space to fit in a “Streets of Cairo” tease as the jam progresses before immediately shifting to another cover song, this time The Talking Heads’ “Cities.” This produces the first hometown reference of the night as the “dry ice” is changed to a “Genesee” factory. Much of the funk established in the preceding “Wolfman’s” carries right over into this one with another bass and clav-heavy jam. Now that the table has been set, so to speak, what comes next is one of the true highlights of the Phish 3.0 era, a sure sign to many that the band was finally “back” from its near five-year hiatus.
photo by Andy Hill
Anastasio begins strumming the opening melody, soon joined by drummer Jon Fishman, and the band is off and running with the show’s namesake, “Guyute.” The early, lightning quick pace and frenetic lights bouncing around the small auditorium seemed to create a verified frenzy in the room, leading to a raucous cheer at the end of this one. Even before the “David Bowie” that comes next, Anastasio is already teasing the main “Guyute” melody repeatedly and eventually bassist Mike Gordon joins in too. It’s fairly clear early on that this is no standard “Bowie.”
After a flawless run through the composed section, Anastasio drops one more “Guyute” tease before the music comes to a near standstill and the band collectively starts teasing “Wilson.” It only takes the crowd a measure or two before they begin the customary “Wilson” chants with Anastasio then singing lines from “Guyute” in response. They would do this one more time as well, jumping out of the “Bowie” jam to go back and tease “Wilson” briefly before reentering right where they left off.
Naturally, “Wilson” proper is the next selection, giving the amped up crowd one more time to chant. More teases and quotes abound in this one as well, it’s as if “Wilson” is being played in the key of “Guyute.” Finally, a reprieve of sorts comes through in “McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters” that produces a fairly mellow keys-driven jam that’s free of any nonsense. “I Saw It Again” sees even more “Guyute” teases in a feedback heavy outro jam that Anastasio eventually steers into a phenomenal set closing “Run Like An Antelope” with, you guessed it, even more “Guyute” quotes.
photo by Andy Hill
The show could have ended right then and there and there would have likely been little resistance. Instead, Phish follows it up with a set that may not be as memorable as the first one, but certainly does nothing to diminish this Utica show’s legacy. Just like the first one, the second set begins with a cover selection, this time The Who’s “Drowned” in its only performance of the tour. McConnell takes the reigns on this relatively brief jam before Anastasio seamlessly nudges it towards “Sand.” The pulsating, driving rhythm supplied by Gordon on bass fuel this one throughout in what’s really the most extended jam of the second set. In fact, it almost sounds slightly ripcord-ed as instead of exploring further, they shift gears into “Theme From the Bottom.”
“Axilla” and then “Birds of a Feather” follow, each doing their part to raise the second set energy back up. “Birds” especially produces a brief yet fierce jam with more splendid interplay between Anastasio and McConnell. Afterwards, the band lets Page sing “Tela,” only its fourth performance since their return last year.
photo by Andy Hill
“Axilla” and then “Birds of a Feather” follow, each doing their part to raise the second set energy back up. “Birds” especially produces a brief yet fierce jam with more splendid interplay between Anastasio and McConnell. Afterwards, the band lets Page sing “Tela,” only its fourth performance since their return last year.
The closing sequence to this show is quite something too. It begins with “Split Open and Melt,” a song that certainly has the capability of getting dark and deep. After a few early minor hiccups, it appears to be going in that direction. But instead, the music begins to take on a lighter tone with Anastasio singing something else lightly over the top of it. It takes the rest of the band a little while to join in, but before long, they veer into a quick version of “Have Mercy.” This is all but a quick pit stop as after one verse, Phish switches back to improv mode and begins the jam anew, taking it into a blissful new direction. After this peters out, Anastasio begins the (quick) into to “Piper” for one last dive into the unknown. One more relentless jam ensues, replete with a “Birds of a Feather” tease. Slowly but surely, the closing drum beat to “Split Open and Melt” soon arises from the end of this, finishing up the sequence in grand style.
Poster by Ryan Kerrigan
They waste no time before jumping into a grandiose and beautifully patient “Slave to the Traffic Light” that then closes the set in fitting fashion. As for an encore selection, Phish went back to cover well for another longtime favorite in Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times, Bad Times” and a version that near blows the roof off the Utica Memorial Auditorium. And with that, a show for the ages was born.
Phish Utica Memorial Auditorium – Utica, NY 10/20/10
Set 1: My Soul, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, Vultures, Wolfman’s Brother[1] -> Cities[2] > Guyute, David Bowie, Wilson[3] > McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters > Saw It Again -> Run Like an Antelope[4]
Set 2: Drowned -> Sand > Theme From the Bottom, Axilla > Birds of a Feather, Tela > Split Open and Melt -> Have Mercy > Piper -> Split Open and Melt > Slave to the Traffic Light
Encore: Good Times Bad Times
[1] Vocal jam. [2] Alternate “Genesee Factory” lyric. [3] Lyric changed to “I must inquire Guyute.” [4] Trey teased Guyute instead of saying “Marco Esquandolas.”
On October 18 and 19, 2015, Chris Cornell played two sold out acoustic shows at the historic Beacon Theatre in New York City. The shows were in support of what was to become his last solo album, Higher Truth. Playing for over two hours, the set incorporated songs by Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog.
There were also some songs from his solo career as well as some covers including Mad Season “River of Deceit” and U2’s “One” The biggest highlight of the night was when Chris brought out a very special guest, his eleven year old daughter Toni, for a cover of Bob Marley and the Wailers “Redemption Song.”
During the show Chris noted “I think this is my new favorite place to perform.” He sounded absolutely amazing as his voice resonated throughout the 2,900 seat theatre. It was a very intimate show interlaced with insightful anecdotes about his life and career.
Unfortunately, Chris Cornell struggled with depression most of his life. He was found dead in his Detroit hotel room on May 18, 2017. Within an hour of completing a performance at Detroit’s Fox Theatre, Soundgarden lead vocalist Chris Cornell was found unresponsive in his room at the MGM Grand Hotel after a concerned call to a friend from his wife, Vicky. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging.
Setlist: Misery Chain, Before We Disappear, Can’t Change Me, Cleaning My Gun, Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart, Fell On Black Days, Redemption Song, Say Hello To Heaven, River of Deceit, Wide Awake, Doesn’t Remind Me, Sweet Euphoria, Blow Up The Outside World, Let Your Eyes Wonder, One, Seasons, The Day I Tried To Live, When I’m Down, Worried Moon, Rusty Cage, Black Hole Sun, Like A Stone, Hunger Strike, A Day In The Life
The second week of Trey Anastasio’s The Beacon Jams served to be even more jam packed with surprises than the first week, including a string quartet joining in, and one of the most beautiful versions of “Divided Sky” you’ll ever hear.
Trey Anastasio at the Beacon Theatre, Week 2. Photo by Jake Silco
Once again, the live streamed performance from New York City’s Beacon Theatre we available free via Twitch, with donations encouraged to The Divided Sky Fund, which focuses on delivering quality care and compassionate treatment for those battling addiction, through Phish’s WaterWheel Foundation. On this night, the goal of $100,000 was surpassed roughly 100 minutes into the performance (9:41PM ET), with Anastasio sharing his experience on the road to sobriety, and the plans to open an addiction treatment center in Vermont.
Photo by Jake Silco
The night began as it did last week with familiar faces from Trey Anastasio Band – Tony Markellis on bass, Russ Lawton on drums, Ray Paczkowski on keys and Cyro Baptista on percussion. Cyro dove into his cache of percussion to create bird call noises preceding the show opening “Gotta Jibboo.”
Official poster for The Beacon Jams by Jim Pollock
After “Undermind,” which Trey said held the secret of the universe, was the world premiere (and a college try) of “Evolve,” one of Trey’s quarantunes, which quickly showed huge potential for both Trey Anastasio Band and Phish versions in the future. Trey was then joined only by Jeff Tanski for “Divided Sky,” which stands as one of the all-time great versions. The pair together performed the entire composition flawlessly, with Tanski getting a round of applause from the band after, and likely from many at home.
The first ever live performance of “Sigma Oasis” sincethe release of Sigma Oasis followed, a rousing number despite containing the now errant ‘take off your mask’ lyric. “Back on the Train” was nicely accented by Cyro’s train crossing sounds and shakers, and led into an enthusiastic “Ocelot.”
Photo by Jake Silco
Prompted by a fan comment in the stream, Trey took a few moments to opine on what we are experiencing during this time, remarking that this was “Just another chapter, a big wave crashing in the ocean … and we’re gonna surf with it a little bit.” While he was talking, a string quartet took the stage, later dubbed “The Rescue Squad Strings,” Trey clearly having memories of being stuck 40 feet above the stage this past New Years Eve. String members tonight included Anja Wood on cello, Maxim Moston and Katie Kresek on violin, and Rachel Golub on viola.
Photo by Jake Silco
Over the second hour of this week’s Beacon Jams, the quartet added depth and beauty to “Strange Design,” “Water in the Sky,” the quarantine track “Greater Good,” “Greyhound Rising,” and the first ever “Wolfman’s Brother” with string accompaniment plus Lawton and Baptista adding in subtle percussion, and Trey introducing the four classical musicians over the ending of “Wolfman’s.”
“No Man in No Man’s Land” was arranged well for this TAB configuration, and had Trey remarking afterwards that Tony was an absolute beast on the Phish jam-vehicle, but jam of the night honors go to excellent “Plasma.” To close the set, Cyro added in some creepy ‘Poltergiest’ sounds at Trey’s request, which fit perfectly as they segued into “Ghost.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CGbBXvljwFb/
Next week Anastasio returns to The Beacon Theatre with more surprises surely in store.
[1] Debut. [2] Only Trey with Jeff Tanski on piano. [3] Only Trey acoustic with The Rescue Squad Strings. [4] Debut; only Trey on vocals (no guitar) with The Rescue Squad Strings. [5] With The Rescue Squad Strings. [6] Trey acoustic with The Rescue Squad Strings. [7] TAB debut. [8] With Trey quoting a line from Poltergeist in the intro.
