Phish: Jones Beach, Wantagh, NY 8/17/10

Closing this summer where they basically began last summer, Tuesday night’s fans were offered the perfect benchmark to see how far Phish has really come in their first year back.  The Jones Beach ‘09 run showed great promise, featured a few debuts that are now set staples, and gave a glimmer of hope that the band was taking this third time around with a revived focus and commitment. Those shows last year were a lot of fun, and offered some bright spots, but as part of the larger Phish picture, they were an early stepping stone with little pressure to perform.  Despite the deluge, it was just nice to be back at a summer Phish show again – and if you didn’t have a ticket, no worries…they were everywhere, many times for free.  One year later, all of that has apparently changed.  People working the lot for a ticket were shutout, concise ‘09 debuts are being stretched and explored, and from the opening notes of “Fluffhead,” they delivered a top-to-bottom blowout that offered a heated first set and a second set that dipped into Type II territory.

If you look at Phish like a prize fighter, after Coventry they were laid out, left for dead on the mat.  Phish 3.0 is that boxer slowly getting back on his feet, taking some shots, but winning a few rounds by decision.  Last night was a TKO, and I’m starting to think that if this phase of their career goes the distance, Phish could someday win the belt again.    

Opening the show with “Fluffhead” certainly set the stage for the ‘anything goes tonight’ mentality, and as the sold-out venue began to frantically fill, it was rather apparent that this wasn’t going to be a random Tuesday filler show.  The anthemic climax brought the crowd to its first collective roar, and though the epic composition was far from perfect, it was free from those sectional train-wrecks Trey Anastasio can sometimes fall victim too.  “Kill Devil Falls,” debuted at last year’s run (by request no less), was a great example of the progress they’ve made since their last visit.  A new arena rocker that nudges at any vice you may be partial to, “KDF” is beginning to breathe, providing Trey another straight-forward, guitar-heavy outro that fits in pretty much any slot.  Compared to the ‘09 version, this was a well oiled machine. 

As the tour moved East this week, talk of the Greek Theatre “ Cities” and “Simple” was still circling through the crowd, so when the former popped up, there was going to be an instant comparison made before the song was even over.  The Jones Beach “Cities” won’t take down The Greek for the blue ribbon, but the funk jam that somewhat mimicked the West coast version demonstrates that the band’s improvisational confidence is starting to awaken. And if “Cities” is the catalyst for extended funk jams meandering back into setlists, it bodes well for everyone.   Coupled with the “Funky Bitch” that followed, set one was off and running at a deep and thumping pace – aptly credited to bassist Mike Gordon.  Though it’s still clearly Trey’s band, once again Mike proved to be the one driving last night, and thankfully, ripcord Trey seems to be trusting him a bit more, less reluctant to – perhaps not jump off a cliff, but at least swim in the deep end. 

“Wilson,” always a treat no matter how abrupt the 3.0 ones have been, had a slice of metal thrown in, but instead of getting dark and heavy, the first ‘gag’ of the run came in the form of a plastic toy guitar.  It was hilarious and head-shaking, and best described via YouTube.  A set that was already building speed quickly kicked into 4th gear, and when they came around for the ‘Blat Boom,’ it was explosive.  To offer some breathing room and a chance to settle down, a relatively ‘whale-free’ Reba delicately filled the ocean air, and wistfully bounced off the concrete paradox of a stadium.  But the break was short-lived, as a powerful, rock-laden “Walk Away” stole the already monstrous set. Bringing it around in a fever pitch, Trey drove the song to gripping heights, and with a final punch it seemed the set would come to a raucous close.   So it was rather surprising when they quickly migrated into “Wolfman’s Brother.”  “Wolfman’s” has been one of the few songs that’s been a strong 3.0 platform, and this one continued the trend.  But we weren’t over yet.  The gazillionth “Possum” of 3.0 brought the party crowd back up, and complimented by a strong CK5 finale, the best first set of Jones Beach 3.0 was done.  

As we felt were about to settle in for the obligatory “Rock and Roll” set two opener, Phish won again by throwing out only the fifth appearance of “Lengthwise” in the last 17 years.  Clearly throwing the crowd for a loop, the quirky Fishman tune segued cleanly into “Maze,”  much like the ones you used to hear on a crackly XL-II.   If “Fluffhead” indicated that anything goes, a “Lengthwise -> Maze” opener confirmed that it would be a less-than-ordinary night.  Tearing through the solo, Trey powered the crowd into a whipping, fist-pumping frenzy that only elevated in energy when they burst into the a cappella of “Halley’s Comet.”  Rather common nowadays, “Halley’s” is becoming more than just an ‘80s treat, but a jam launch-pad that sets the base for things to come.  Eager to see what would arise from the "Halley’s," an unanimous roar from the crowd greeted the bomb-heavy “Mike’s Song.”  Not exactly an evil "Mike’s," but as we move through 3.0, they are definitely exploring some darker realms. 

Sandwiching a number of different songs into a “Mike’s Groove” is becoming the norm, so when they moved into “Simple,” it looked like we’d be in for another extended ride.  As with the “Cities” in set one, when the opening chords of “Simple” rose through the crowd, the Greek version was still fresh on people’s minds and comparisons were inevitable.  Much like the “Reba” solo, the delicacies of the “Simple” jam lofted slowly, affirming that the band is once again embracing the importance of patience.  With room to breathe, a casual transition to “Backwards Down The Number Line” seemed a fitting choice, and despite its prominent role in the new Phish repertoire, oddly enough it’s not that dominating in the jam sense.  There have been a few notable “Number Lines,”  but most have remained in their comfort zone.  This one bucked the system, exploring new ground and flirting with a strong “Maze” theme before drifting into ambience and locking in for the improv vehicle of the night. 

When it segued into “Prince Caspian,”  all the air at the beach was immediately sucked out, but trudging through the groans, “Caspian” followed closely with an abbreviated exploration of its own.  As the band prepared for the big, arena rock finish, Trey seamlessly shifted the band into the elusive “Rock and Roll.”  For those keeping score, that’s “Prince Caspian (unfinished) -> Rock and Roll.” 

Always a monster, last night’s “RnR” didn’t disappoint and brought the energy level back to peak levels.  As we inched closer to curfew, it seemed we’d get a quick “Weekapaug” and call it a night, but we got the exact opposite.  A ferocious, Mike-led ‘Paug’ brought the heat to an already humid night, with Mike bombs galore and fiery Trey solos rounding it out.  This was one of the stronger versions as of late, and should be added to the post-tour listening playlist.  As if that wasn’t a big enough show ender, the always dominating “Loving Cup” closed out the set and put an exclamation mark on one  hell of a show. 

The new ballad, “Show of Life,” and a quick and dirty “Golgi” took the encore pairing, and the Jones Beach faithful headed off to the Meadowbrook and Wantagh Parkways for some sleep before Wednesday’s return.  JB2 should bring it’s A game if it wants to beat that performance.

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