I was sitting at the table at my parents’ house, after having a delicious meal with them, my brother (Ben), my nieces, and Gloria, when Ben pulled up the Live Phish feed of the opener of Saturday’s Phish show.
It was the only Baker’s Dozen show I was not attending and hearing “Soul Shakedown Party” made me wonder why I decided I would rather not go than be stuck with the upper-level tickets on Night 12. Phish had only ever played the song 10 times before, and I was at the last one (SPAC 2016). After watching that, we continued to go about celebrating my mother’s birthday, but I kept checking my Twitter feed (@Phish_FTR) for the setlist updates, and with each successive song, my heart sank a little more. When I saw they were playing “Petrichor” as Gloria and I were going to bed, we were beyond bummed. After all, that is the song that truly got Gloria on the Phish train last year and is her favorite Phish tune. Not her favorite new tune, you jaded vet; her favorite of all.
Unlike previous shows, in which the sets offered distinct vibes, usually a more song oriented first set and a more jam oriented second set, this show was a mixed bag in each set. So while the first set seemed to be business as usual with "Uncle Pen" and "The Sloth", the oddly placed "Gotta Jibboo" let the band stretch OT legs early on, and with good results. By the time that led to the ultra rare "Fuck Your Face", it seemed anything could happen - and what did happen was the kind of thing that makes Phish so special.
The flavor of the night was Boston Creme. Some fans predicted Boston songs, some guessed Cream songs; and some even speculated both. No one could have predicted "Sunshine of Your Feeling", an expertly crafted mashup made up mostly of Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love" and Boston's "More Than a Feeling", but also included elements of Boston's "Long Time", and Cream's "Tales of Brave Ulysses" and "White Room."
It was completely silly and absolutely brilliant, but it was in the middle of the set and impossible to top, so while the Trey Anastasio Band song "Frost" was great to hear, it was overshadowed by what had come before. Even the "Scent of a Mule" (with Mike forgetting a few lyrics) could not take the set anywhere new. "Fire" (the third Hendrix cover of the run) would have ended the set nicely, but the cute "Alaska" (which, like its cousin "Ocelot", can surprise you with a great big climax) reset the vibe of the set, making way for another excellent TAB tune, "Plasma", to close it out.
As with previous nights, the second set started with a bang. Ben and I watched some of that huge opening “Ghost” on Sunday morning, and I finished the excellent trifecta with “Petrichor” and “Light” during my run. Maybe it is just sour grapes, but that was not the best “Petrichor” of the handful they have played. “Light” was buzzing with energy, though, so “The Lizards”, while executed well, seemed like a bit of a comedown. Even more so was a thoroughly botched “The Horse” (I think I liked it better when they stopped playing it), though its accompanying “Silent in the Morning” is always a pleaser. After that, it sounded like MSG was partying to the end with a big ol’ “Quinn the Eskimo” and a sloppy but energetic “Rocky Top” to close it out.
Phish has used a ballad for the encore many times in the past as a contrast to an especially rocking set, but they had not dared to do so yet during the Baker’s Dozen. It is a bold move to make and they made it nicely with “Joy”, though would bet it was to the chagrin of some of the attendees. It is a sad song, but in a way it is uplifting; and with only one more night to go in this epic run of shows, it is hard not to feel exactly that.
No comments:
Post a Comment