Never miss a Sunday show, they say, but it sounded like even
the band itself could have skipped this one and taken a rest after two great
nights. Three in a row might be too much
for Phish these days.
On paper, this looks like the kind of show that gives
creedence to that motto, though. I mean,
check out the first set:
Set I: The Wedge, Heavy Things, Tube, Sugar Shack, Lawn Boy,
Sparkle > Sample in a Jar, It's Ice > Guelah Papyrus, Ocelot > Scent
of a Mule, Possum
Truth be told, there did not seem to be much hooking up in
this set. I had wondered if it was just
me, so I checked out the fan reviews at phish.net. Words like "perfunctory",
"spent", and "disappointed" dotted the mixed reviews.
Of course, "flubbed" showed up several times,
especially referring to the mess Trey Anastasio made of "Sugar Shack". I have seen Phish play that song six times, and never have I heard Trey nail that (admittedly difficult) lick. Beyond that, most of the set seemed
uninspired until "Ocelot" surprised me with some excellent soloing by
Trey (much as it did on 6/16/2012 in Atlantic City). "Scent"
featured a synthtastic solo by Jon Fishman on his Marimba Lumina and
"Possum", well hey, these guys can rock "Possum" in their
sleep by now.
And sleep is exactly what it sounded like Trey needed even though, once again, the list for the second set would get
any phan all hot and bothered:
Set II: Soul Shakedown Party, The Moma Dance > Twist >
Joy > Breath and Burning, Axilla > Theme From the Bottom > Harry Hood
> Show of Life
I mean, "Shakedown" and "Show of Life"
were played for the first time years (and only the 10th time ever for the former). So why did they feel lackluster?
Good thing "The Moma Dance" saved the day with a
sprawling jam that should be heard by everyone everywhere, and
"Twist" kept things rocking and rolling. But the sloppiness and lack of focus of the
subsequent songs prevented me from truly enjoying "Harry Hood",
especially after witnessing one of the best ever just a few nights before.
I made a beeline to the exit during the "Rock and
Roll" encore, which was well-played but not strong enough to salvage a
so-so show. While making my escape to the
street spot about a mile away where I parked in order to avoid the $10 parking
fee and beat the ridiculous traffic, I saw a homemade sign laying on the
lawn, dirtied up as if it had not been hoisted over the creator's head for a
while.
It read "Never miss a Sunday show".
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