Back to back at SPAC, July 8

Karen stayed behind at the hotel for the Sunday show, the last of that leg of Phish's summer tour before a month-long break.

Left to my own devices, I find myself searching for that special spot on the lawn that offers good sound and room to dance. And if I can get a good view of the stage, well, that is a plus. One thing I learned at the Arts Center in New Jersey is to check the front corners. There is a sweet spot at that venue that, for some reason, is often not crowded, yet offers excellent sound and a decent stage view.

The same held true at SPAC - I settled in to a front spot on Page-side (Rage side!) that had plenty of boogie room. And not only did I have a mostly unobstructed view of the stage, but I was directly under a screen, too, so I could look up and see the close-ups at any time.

I am a bit weary of "AC/DC Bag" as an opener, but I will admit it gets the job done. As for "My Soul" I liked it back in 1997 when everyone seemed to hate it, but now I can really do without it.

The show kicked into gear for me with "Camel Walk" which is always welcome. It took me more than 70 shows to finally get one; and even though I have seen a few since then, it still feels special.

Sometime during "Sample in a Jar" or "Wilson" someone I had met in Atlantic City saw me and came over to say hi. I was so happy to see her and catch up, but am a little sorry I only paid half of my attention to what was clearly a kick-ass "Party Time". I definitely need to hear that one again.

With my attention back on the show, I reveled in the bass bombs of "Gumbo" and the classic Phishiness of "Foam", as well as the bluegrass of the once-rare "Nellie Kane" and the quietude of "Driver", which I have always liked despite fan grumblings.

The kick-ass close of the set was a great "Split Open and Melt" followed by yet another bust-out - the first time they played ZZ Top's "La Grange" in almost 13 years!

Oh, how I loved the second set. It had almost everything I want in a Phish set.

Rock? How about a blast-off "Axilla" opener, a "Woo"-inducing "Twist", a "Cavern", and a raucous climax to "My Friend, My Friend"

Jam? Check out the way they stretched out in "Kill Devil Falls" and the always reliable "Light". How about "Piper", "Free" and "Harry Hood" while we are at it?

Mood? See the aforementioned "Light" jam, but also "Swept Away" and the 3.0-era improved "Steep"?

Goofiness? Look no further than "Kung"!

And to top it off - a set-closing "David Bowie" which, like "Light", has been consistently fantastic this year.

As I did the day before, I started moving toward the exit before the encore, but was stopped dead in my tracks when they played "You Enjoy Myself" to end the night. I had shivers because the last time I saw Phish do "YEM" as an encore was the excellently bittersweet final show before their 2000-2002 hiatus, in northern California.

This version stood up to it. When Mike brought the funk while Trey danced around, it was one of those "oh yeah" moments.

On the way out, I gave a gal a lift into town. I had not picked up a Phish hitch hiker since January 4, 2003, coming home from the Hampton show in Virginia. This gal was walking out of the lot, carrying a guitar in the silence of the night. So, while I sat in the traffic, I rolled down the window and asked her to play while we all waited to get out. She would not, but she asked for a lift, so I obliged.

After dropping her off in downtown Saratoga, I headed back to the hotel in Glens Falls to spend another night with Karen and get some sleep. The next morning, I did a three mile run before we headed out on a road-trip adventure the next day to northern Vermont to visit the Vermont Teddy Bear and Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream factories.

My seven-show summer Phish tour of the New Jersey and New York was over and it was another amazing experience. People ask how I can still enjoy it so much after 85 shows, but that is the beauty of Phish - they keep bringing it, so I keep going.