Contrary to popular belief, I did not go fishing in Vermont last
weekend. Instead, it was Phish in Vermont. Some people just
don't get it. No, Phish is not a Dead cover band. In fact, they
sound nothing like the Dead. Furthermore, this band called Phish
exudes more energy in one bar of music than the Good Ol' Grateful
Dead have in their entire 30 year history (except maybe for 1968
when they were constantly tuned in and turned on). Yes, both
bands do indeed play continuously evolving, improvisational sets
and attract a loyal hoard of tie-dyed tripsters. However, this
is no reason to pop them into the same mellow-groove pigeon hole.
Pick up any of Phish's albums from the last few years, or better
yet, pick up a copy of they're new live double-disc set, A
Live One and take a listen for yourself. The proof of this
band's prowess, however, is in the live experience.
Phish has matured quite a bit since I first saw them back in 1990. I used to see them in tiny bars like The Haunt in Ithaca and now they can sell out venues like Madison Square Garden in a matter of minutes. They've grown from a college band to a nationally recognized staple of the road. Musically, they are confident enough with their own repertoire to reach back to classics from the annals of Rock 'n Roll. More power to 'em!
Starry skies, Green Mountains, tall pines, and Phish! And so it
was at the Sugarbush SummerStage this past Independence Day weekend.
To close out their hectic monthlong summer tour (during which
they only took five days off!) Vermont's Phinest headed home to
Sugarbush, just south of Burlington, Vermont, where it all started
for them over 10 years ago. Those who were in it for the long-haul
as well as those just catching some prime shows had been counting
down to these Sugarbush shows for weeks. "The 'Bush will
be the Motherload" was the buzz on tour this summer.
From their latest album Hoist "Sample in a Jar" opened the first show, proving that this band has more oomph in the first song of a show than most bands can muster up by the encore! Trey then paid homage to the glorious Vermont backdrop with "Divided Sky," a Gamehenge classic from the first Phish album Junta. Later in the set came the unexpected. The previous night at Great Woods, Trey had told a friend of mine that they had a surprise in store for Sugarbush. Out of nowhere came "Camel Walk," the Ike Turner classic Phish hadn't played in six and a half years. Without a doubt the funkiest thing I've ever seen this quartet perform.
I should mention that throughout this set, three balloons tied together in the shape of male genitalia were being tossed around the crowd. It finally made it up to the stage, landing in front of Fishman's drum kit. Mike kicked it around for a bit before a roadie pulled it off stage.
After a couple standards like "Reba" (which was never
finished) and "I Didn't Know" (complete with Henrietta's
vacuum solo--don't ask if you don't know) the band seemed to close
out the set with the title track from Rift. Trey then
took a moment to thank us for coming and to explain that this
show was a benefit concert for a local children's charity. Commenting
on the ticketless who had jumped the fence higher up the mountain,
Trey suggested that "those of you who were wandering through
the forest and found yourselves at the concert might want to donate
the price of a ticket." No tear gas here!
Instead of ending the set there, to the roaring crowd's delight we were treated to a nugget from the White Album, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." The crescent moon hung low over the mountain as the last rays of sunlight broke over the distant peaks.
"Runaway Jim" headed up a bouncy second set and mellowed into a tune high up on my personal wish list, "Makisupa Policeman." Gotta love Trey's one-liners during this song: the omnipresent "420" and the krazy killer "DANK!" Fine interplay between Page and Mike towards the end of this one. "Makisupa" dissolved in a cloud of smoke and there emerged the "Scent of a Mule," Mike's bluegrass romp complete with strong grand piano action by Page. The opening riff to "Tweezer" told us to buckle our seatbelts for a long journey. After 10-15 minutes we ended up with a new song, the hauntingly funky "Ha Ha Ha" which fell into "Sleeping Monkey." Fishman then came down from his perch and joined Page, Mike, and Trey for the four-acoustic-guitar-tune "Acoustic Army." A tremendous "Slave to the Traffic Light" closed out the show.
The a capella doo-wop opening to "Haley's Comet"
got everyone boogying for the encore. A raging reprise of "Tweezer"
topped off the first night on the mountain.
The après-show nightmare began as thousands of people wondered down off the mountain in hopes of returning to their cars, campgrounds, and mountainside condos. The shows were at Sugarbush North, while most people had parked or were staying at Sugarbush South, three miles down Route 100. Some 53 yellow school buses were shuttling weary Phish-heads between mountains, but getting on the bus was a battle and a half. After two hours of being pushed, shoved, trampled, and smushed, I finally made it on a bus back to Sugarbush South. Let's hope for better planning next time.
Monday at Sugarbush was more beautiful than Sunday. Clear blue sky against the green Green Mountains. "Run Like an Antelope" as the third song of the first set? "Antelope" usually closes the set. You can imagine how pumped the crowd was after setting the gear shift to the high gear of our souls! "Lovin' Cup," off of the Stones' Exile on Main Street had me grinning from ear to ear. I had never heard them play it before, but they did play it earlier in the tour at Deer Creek (was that the first time?). "Oh, what a beautiful buzz" was echoing in everyone's head all night.
Last night it was a balloon-penis, tonight it's an inflatable moose. The hound was tossed about the audience until it landed upright in front of Page's electric piano in the middle of "If I Could."
"Maze" was ferocious, and two more new songs, "Strange Design" sung by Page and "Free" lead by Trey, were well-received by the crowd. I really like the melodic riff to "Free." It will probably do well on the radio when it's released as a single. "Cavern" to close the set reminded us to take care of our shoes!
An all-too-rare "Timber-Ho!" opened what was one of
the most glorious Phish sets in memory. "David Bowie"
into "Johnny B. Goode" back into "David Bowie"?
These guys weren't kidding around! As if the show wasn't already
cooking, a rip-roaring "AC/DC Bag" resplendent with
Page's warbley electric piano and Trey's phased out guitar work
followed the monster Bowie. And it would have been enough....
But no! "Lizards" teased of an onslaught of Gamehenge
songs until Trey forgot the second verse. Poking fun at an aging
guitarist from an oft-compared band out of The Bay Area, Fishman
quipped "I don't know... maybe you need a TelePrompTer there,
Trey!" Mr. Anastasio responded with the frantic opening
chords to "Big Black Furry Creatures from Mars." After
all the "I'm running! I'm running!!!!" the band pulled
out another Beatles gem, this time from Sgt. Pepper, "A
Day in the Life." A masterful reading, boys. Clearly this
would end the set as it had a few nights earlier in Jones Beach.
But no! Out came a raging "Possum" and a glorious
"Squirming Coil." Trey, Mike, and Fish left Page hunched
over his piano pounding out a gorgeous solo to close the show.
We were beside ourselves with joy.
"We've got it simple, cause we're in a band. And we've got cymbals in the band." A perfect encore to a perfect weekend of music. After "Simple" Mike and Trey put down their guitars, Page got up off his piano stool, and Fishman joined them all on the front edge of the stage. Trey kicked around a hackysack thrown to him from the crowd (he's good!) and after some antics Page threw his pitch pipe out into the audience and the band broke into an a capella "Amazing Grace" to polish off the weekend.
Under a blanket of stars we walked the three miles back to Sugarbush South after this one.
