The first set of last night's Phish show at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., (the first of seven in the Empire State this summer) was what I expected Tuesday's tour opener to be - solid playing, heavy on the shorter songs, lighter on the jamming.
That is not to say it was bad. With the exception of "Yarmouth Road", one of the worst of last year's crop of new songs, the song selection was excellent and the execution was tight. The unusual "Farmhouse" opener gave way to a hot "Wolfman's Brother" with a climax that reminded me of the feeling I got on 12/28/2010, when I realized during that song that I had made the right decision to get back on the Phish train.
"Maze", "Chalk Dust Torture" and "Possum" were rollicking but never took flight. Even the loping groove of "Ocelot" stayed mostly reined in. Elsewhere in the set, the balladry of "Roggae" and the infrequently played (and treat to hear) "Strange Design" kept things pretty and light. New song "Devotion of a Dream" was a set highlight, thanks to punchy and precise musicianship and great vocals.
Thankfully, the downpours had ceased before the show and - minding my lesson learned from Jones Beach last year - I wore a cheap poncho to keep my shirt and shorts dry. There was still a light rain as set two started with "Bathtub Gin" and it was immediately obvious that if the first set offered nothing that truly soared, set two would more than make up for it.
The sound seemed much better on the lawn than in previous years. Was it because there were fewer people (it was not sold out) or had they improved the audio quality? From my spot in the center of the muddy lawn the sound was bright, loud and clear.
There will be no argument that "Limb by Limb" was the MVP jam of the night. What will be debated is whether it eclipsed the "Harry Hood" from Tuesday. My vote goes with "Hood", but it is close. After some soloing over the main chord structure, Trey Anastasio started playing an interesting counter rhythm over the complex drum pattern that Jon Fishman astoundingly keeps up for minutes on end (while singing on top of it, no less). But then Fish switched out of the original beat and matched Trey's new rhythm. It happened quickly and seamlessly, and the new direction gave the jam crazy new life as it peaked again. When it settled down into deep ambient sounds, Trey began the opening to "Winterqueen" the gorgeous sort-of-new song (does anyone else remember that the Trey Anastasio Band played it once three years ago and called it "Glacier"?) that radiates shimmering beauty. Another great new tune, "The Line" followed - at five performances, it is the most-played song from 'Fuego' and Phish has played it at every venue except Great Woods since its debut last fall.
As soon as the riff to "Tweezer" began, the crowd got fired up and glowsticks started flying everywhere. The jam kept the crowd dancing, though it did not reach any new heights and came to a close a bit abruptly to make way for, of all things, "Prince Caspian". Eliminating the closing section, Trey began the most oddly placed "Sparkle" ever. It totally worked.
And if "Sparkle" does not end with the frenzy of the old days, the climax to the set-closing "Run Like an Antlelope" provided all the frenzy one could handle.
An encore of "Sing Monica", in which the band's vocals sounded better than they have in years, would have been sufficient on its own, but they knocked out a "Tweezer Reprise" to cap it off with a bang.
The second night of the tour was another fantastic night with Phish. And, save for the one cover of "Funky Bitch" at Jazz Fest in April and "Auld Lang Syne" on New Year's Eve, it marked the eighth show in a row with no cover songs. What seemed like a stunt for the New Year's run, now seems very much like a new philosophy for the band. And though I may lament never again grooving to "Golden Age" or "Crosseyed and Painless", this new all Phish by Phish ethos is A-OK with me. Heck, it increases my chances of finally seeing them play "Undermind".
So tonight..."Wombat" opener?
July 3, 2014 set list
Set I: Farmhouse, Wolfman's Brother, Maze,Yarmouth Road, Strange Design, Devotion to a Dream, Ocelot, Chalk Dust Torture, Mound, Roggae, Possum
Set II: Bathtub Gin > Limb By Limb > Winterqueen, The Line, Tweezer > Prince Caspian > Sparkle, Run Like an Antelope
Encore: Sing Monica > Tweezer Reprise
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