Monday, June 1, 2009

Fenway Park - 05.31.09

Last night, I witnessed Phishtory. That's right: that's a portmanteau of Phish and history.

The fearsome foursome from Burlington, Vermont, played a monumental show at Fenway Park in Boston. And while it wasn't the setlist I was hoping for, I still had a decent time. I survived the lengthy trip from Hampden, Maine, the subsequent encounters with the folk who seemed more into whippits than the music, and the small dose of cold rain that directly preceded the show.

A quick plug for the wonders of mass transit: I drove from my current home in Hampden to Portland (roughly 128 miles) so I could take a ride on Amtrak's "Downeaster," which runs a service to Boston. It was great, and being on a train made me feel as though I were back in Europe, where I lived for four months and where train travel is the norm. It'd actually be greater if they extended their service deeper into Maine so that I could further reduce my carbon footprint.

Anyhow, I arrived in Boston a few hours beforehand and wandered the area around Fenway. Being my first time at a Phish show, the wooks (those are the stereotypical Phish fans) had a chance to make a good first impression on me. They failed. My god, I've never seen so much huffing in my life. I understand the drug culture that surrounds the band (even though recreational users would do well to recognize the fact that Trey Anastasio is two-and-a-half years sober), but I fail to understand the whole whippits craze. The kids fill up balloons with nitrous oxide and huff on 'em like there's no tomorrow. I'm sure there's some euphoria to it, otherwise it wouldn't be done by so many. Oh, well. Different strokes for different folks. But I'm pretty sure including huffing among your hobbies automatically qualifies you as a veritable waste-oid.

On to the show: My brother and I had decent seats. We sat in the stands on the third base side. Not close to the stage in centerfield, but not terribly far either. After a brief wash of rain, the guys came out onto the field via the Red Sox dugout and delivered the Star Spangled Banner a capella--just like we were at a real life baseball game!

They then disappeared for five minutes so they could make their way through Fenway's catacombs and end up on the stage in the outfield. On account of the occasion, I was guessing that they'd break out a "You Enjoy Myself" or something similarly grandiose. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little let down when they opened with "Sample in a Jar." It's an okay tune, I'll admit. Not one of my favorites, but I know that others appreciate it. Mercifully, it was short, as Samples tend to be. They won me back over by following with "The Moma Dance." Then it was on to the fan favorite and rocker "Chalk Dust Torture." And then, the first highlight of the evening: they dropped the new "Ocelot" on us. I wasn't looking forward to the new stuff they would be playing, and I wanted them to get it out of the way. However, this new tune surprised me in a good way. The bouncing rhythm was awesomely infectious, and I became an instant fan. I hope they explore its jamming opportunities throughout the summer.

The first set concluded with several rockers that were abbreviated in length for the most part. A decent "Stash" and the rarity "Destiny Unbound" led to a roaring "Character Zero" to close. As a Phish fan, it's hard to be dissatisfied with the classic picks of the first set, but I had been hoping for more of my favorites. I would have preferred a set-closing "Run Like an Antelope" to "Character Zero," and I would've rather heard an "AC/DC Bag," "Split Open and Melt," or a "Punch You in the Eye" mixed in there somewhere. And there were no segues in the first hour and a half, something I really enjoy listening to in old Phish recordings ("Mike's Song" > "Old Home Place" from the Island Tour, or "Moma Dance" > "Free" from June 2004, anybody?). The visual presentation of the first set was also hindered by the daylight. Because of the 6:45ish start time, Chris Kuroda's one-of-a-kind light show couldn't be appreciated.

Things were different in the second set though. The sky was dark, the air was getting cooler, and dudes were ready to trade in a lengthier setlist for longer jams. Part II began with a great "Tweezer" that evolved into a beautiful and soaring piece of music. And finally, we had a segue, although I was at a loss as to what it was. All I knew was that it sounded new and it sounded good. I learned later on that it indeed was the new "Light." Lemme say that that rendition made me an instant fan as well. So the guys were two for two with the new stuff.

The segue was followed by a pair of pleasing jam vehicles. "Bathtub Gin" and "David Bowie" energized the crowd further before they introduced new song #3: Trey's magnum opus "Time Turns Elastic." I definitely would've appreciated this more if I had downloaded the studio version which was released in the days prior to the show. Going in, I knew nothing of the song, save for part of the chorus ("in and out of focus/time turns elastic"). The crowd seemed to have a hard time getting into it as well, but I would guess that largely it was due to them trying to figure it out as I was. Certainly, the piece sounds very promising, especially since it has several prog rock elements hearkening back to their Junta days. But the 17-minute length definitely left the crowd starving for something familiar once it had concluded. And they didn't fail to please, delivering a solid jam on "Free," followed by another bust-out: "The Ballad of Curtis Lowe," which apparently hadn't been played in 16 years. And, of course, no legendary show would've been complete without "You Enjoy Myself" ("finally!" I shouted to my brother. It had been my prediction for opener, but I settled with it as closer). Halfway through, I sadly had to start heading toward the exit so that I would be able to get out hassle-free and not miss my train from North Station. I did, however, get to see Mike Gordon's tremendous bass solo that led into the vocal jam. Epic.

In short, Set Two trumped the First by a large margin, although I would have gladly traded that Bowie for a "Harry Hood."

Complaints aside, my first time seeing the band live was pretty good. It's actually quite cool that I've finally seen them after years of collecting live shows that I could only wish I had attended. As long as they keep the touring up in years to come, I'm sure I'll see them again. And hell, maybe I'll write 'em in advance to make sure I get a "Harry Hood" or a "Split Open and Melt."

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