As part of their 20th anniversary tour, Phish made their first stop at Albany’s Pepsi Arena since September 2000, and they did so with a truly nostalgic celebration. Following two nights of guest appearances on top of performing material spanning all twenty years, the longtime fan favorite arena was full of anxious energy and eager anticipation. While the previous two stops of the tour offered appearances by old friends The Dude of Life and lyricist Tom Marshall, what was on tap in Albany will undoubtedly go down in Phish history.
Kicking off the evening with the arena rock anthem “Chalkdust Torture,” the crowd was instantly ignited, drowning out Trey Anastasio’s screams of the now classic line, “Can’t I live while I’m young?” And the audience participation continued with thousands clapping in unison to the always welcomed “Stash.” With its regimented introduction and intricate compositional style reminiscent of Anastasio’s earlier writings, the tale of “Guyute” provided a solid framework before a jam-laden “Thunderhead.” “Wolfman’s Brother” dug its way into a deep groove, and the Zeppelin classic “Good Times Bad Times” closed the set in fitting fashion.
If the first set was nothing to scoff at, the second set entailed only what Phish fan dreams are made of. In a traditional leadoff position, the monster known as “Tweezer” built itself up slowly before crawling into the band’s funky and dirty rendition of "Also Sprach Zarathustra.” “2001,” as it’s more affectionately known, wound up the crowd with its energetic let-it-all-hang-out crescendos and then an out of nowhere “You Enjoy Myself” reared its head, creating a complete frenzy of disbelief. But if there is anything Phish has become known for over the past twenty years, it’s expect the unexpected. So before the crowd could shake off the previous power trilogy, an additional mic stand was set up center stage, and the night was just beginning.
A founding member and a name heavily surrounded in “phoklore,” guitarist Jeff Holdsworth, who left the band in 1986, took the stage once again. And this time, that stage was a bit bigger. Nervous energy filled his voice as he took the lead on his own tune, "Camel Walk," and the band happily backed him on the following number, another Holdsworth original, "Possum." The Hollies, "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress," - told to be the first song the band ever played - was a notable selection, though the feverous pace of "Run Like An Antelope" proved a bit much for the obviously rusty Holdsworth, and he became noticeably absent from the mix. Marshall made his brief “Marco Esquandolas” cameo appearance, and the band, including Holdsworth, returned to the stage to encore with the Hendrix classic “Fire.”
Phish has built a career on spontaneity and surprise, and tonight was more than a fitting celebration of the past twenty years. But the billed anniversary show was in Boston the following evening, and it created an overwhelming ebay ticket frenzy. So the real shocker would eventually come when Albany proved to be yet another “you snooze, you lose” move in the show-hype chess game the band seems to adore.
Read Glide's exclusive interview with bassist Mike Gordon.
photos courtesy of Chad Anderson
