Phish @ Oak Mountain – Pelham, Alabama Setlist & The Skinny
Phish Summer Tour 2012 continued tonight at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre in Pelham, Alabama; where the band last played on September 28, 1999. Interestingly, the quartet didn’t play one song tonight that was debuted after their last visit to the venue as they stuck to material from the ’80s and ’90s.
[Photo via @ThisWeekOnLot]
From the time the band took the stage they appeared loose and happy. Dotting the first set with banter about their return to Alabama and the audience members in front of them, Phish rolled through heavy-rotation staples including a trimuvirate of songs from 1994′s Hoist LP (Sample In A Jar, Down With Disease, Julius). For the loose and happy emotions flowing from the stage, the group had a hard time connecting musicially at points as they struggled through a few of their compositions, especially Sample In A Jar. Back On The Train and a set-closing cover of While My Guitar Gently Weeps stood out as the highlights of the first set thanks to two above-average Trey Anastasio solos.
Phish kicked off the second set with a 15-minute cover of Rock and Roll by the Velvet Underground that featured a distinct tease of Paul McCartney’s Live and Let Die and peaked with a gorgeous major-key segment. The jam eventually faded into the year’s second Lizards. A straight-forward Halley’s Comet led into Sand which contained a dose of groovy, out-of-the-box improvisation before giving way to Twist. Both Twist and the Birds that followed were tight and energetic. The run of well-played, straight-forward standards continued with covers of Boogie On Reggae Woman and 2001 before Waste filled the ballad slot. A typically beautiful Slave To The Traffic Light, with a bit of added oomph at its climax ended the set. By the time Phish had encored with Good Times, Bad Times they had gone the whole show without performing anything they had debuted this century – an old-school affair through and through. The tour continues tomorrow in Atlanta.
Setlist…
Set 1: Possum, Cities > Sample in a Jar, Timber (Jerry) > Back on the Train, Lawn Boy, Down with Disease, Gumbo, Ginseng Sullivan > The Wedge, Julius > Cavern, While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Set 2: Rock and Roll[1] -> The Lizards, Halley’s Comet > Sand > Twist[2] > Birds of a Feather, Boogie On Reggae Woman > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Waste > Slave to the Traffic Light
Encore: Good Times Bad Times
[1] Live and Let Die teases from Trey.
[2] Oye Como Va jam.
Notes: This show was officially webcast via LivePhish. Rock and Roll contained Live and Let Die teases from Trey. Twist contained an Oye Como Va jam.
[via Phish.net]
Here’s The Skinny from Phish’s return to Oak Mountain…
- Venue Capacity / Attendance / Type: 9,936 / 9,936 / Outdoor Theater
- Previous Shows at Venue: 2 Shows – 10/15/1994 + 9/28/1999
- Number Of Songs / Length – First Set: 13 / 7:56PM – 9:21 (85 Minutes)
- Number Of Songs / Length – Second Set & Encore: 11 / 9:53PM – 11:26 (93 Minutes)
- Total Number of Songs / Covers / Originals: 24 / 16 / 8
- Average Song Age: 1992
- Biggest Bustout: Ginseng Sullivan – 22 Shows
- Debuts: N/A
- Weather: 81° and Partly Cloudy at Show Time Following Pre-Show Storm
- Wardrobe: Trey – Red, White and Black Checkered Long-Sleeve Button-Down and Jeans / Mike – Grey Short-Sleeve Polo Shirt and Red Pants / Page – Navy Short-Sleeve Button-Down Shirt and Jeans / Fish – Dress
- Average Song Gap: 6.79
- The Spread: Lawn Boy – 1, Picture of Nectar – 1, Rift – 1, Hoist – 3, Billy Breathes – 1, Story of the Ghost – 1, Farmhouse – 3, Misc – 5, Covers – 8,
- Longest LivePhish Track / Shortest LivePhish Track: Rock and Roll 16:28 / Ginseng Sullivan 2:51
- Audio: Live Phish
Poster…
“Photos” (Screen Caps)…
Scott Bernstein
Scott Bernstein co-founded Hidden Track in October 2006 and was managing editor until taking over as EiC in January 2008. Scotty also writes for Relix Magazine and curates YEMblog.com.
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Hey Scott,
Great site! I’m enjoying the stream now, but I wanted to point out that heavy Oye Como Va teases begin in the extended Rock and Roll Jam. Can’t wait until my friennds and I see them in Charlotte on Sunday!
jeff
Kyle,
I really don’t think things have changed all that much from the 90′s and early 2000′s as far as setlists. What is different in today’s day and age is how fast we receive the information. I’m not just referring to knowing the setlist from the moment it happens. As diehard fans, we have access to listen to each show with live streams, the following day using the Phish app, not to mention the special nights such as last night where we can watch the show via Webcast. Years ago if you were planning on catching a few shows on a tour you would probably have no idea what had been played on a nightly basis during the entire tour until you caught up with someone in the lot. Everyone expects to hear at least some of the heavy rotation songs when seeing a Phish show. I believe the casual fan at a Phish show who is not following their every move on a nightly basis is probably having a blast. Those of us who are diehards can see the patterns of what they play on a nightly basis which takes away the element of surprise. I think it would be really difficult to be a jam band these days with so much information at our fingertips. At least they do give a unique setlist every night. I would also say they discourage the touring from venue to venue as we once did in the past. Most fans pick a three day run such as San Fran or Dick’s and that is all the traveling they do instead of city to city. With the economy the way it is even that can be tough to do. Times have changed brother. As far as new material wait and see how things play out over the next year. On average an album was released every two years. If you consider solo efforts, they are still close to the same time frame.
Just my 2 cents
@Scotty you have seen a lot of phish shows like a lot of the rest of us. Does it seem like they are phoning it in this leg. Yes the rock and roll jams have been nice but without any new songs this band will fade away in less than 5 years it feels like the begining of the end to me. the first leg showed they could be the phish of old but so far this tour has been nothing but repeats. Im waiting fro a debut of ANY kind. I love this band but im done traveling hundreds of miles to see them play sample, dwd, cities, boogie on, gin, rock and roll. Halleys , sand and twist seem to show up every other night and especiall antelope where the jam goes no place. I never thought i would say this after 20 years but they are phoning it in. Honestly scotty I hope you answer this bc im confused how could a band as stong as phish only debut like 4 songs the past 4 tours or so. without new material they will die and i dont want that to happen. what do you think
Kyle, keep bringing up the same point of new material on every post…eventually someone will care.
I think I want to wait to see if they do record a new album or new material like Page mentioned before sounding the “need to stay fresh” alarm. Please refrain from personal attacks on other commenters. Souchebag AND douchebag are both not the way to voice your opinion
and not only debut 4 songs but put them on the shelf after 1 or 2 go arounds. I have high hopes but the tour is almost over and not single bustout and even the playing is sloppy. reeally makes me think its happening again. going to see trey in portchester at least i wont here gin samplae, dwd or twist all song i 100 percent love but they have taken this leg and done exactly what they did all of last summer (for the most part)
Standard show at best. In my opinion the show was OK not that jammy spacey Phish we all loved. The way they tour now a daze seems to be in my opion the Achilles Heel in all of this is down time between shows kills the momentum you’ll notice the best playing is during a two or three night stand. Ex second day of Bill Graham was amazing with the Crossed sandwich. But when I shell out $ for web cast they need to play sets wih more nuggets not Hoist and other songs that have been in heavy rotation for decades. Like the members of Phish it’s getting old.
I would safely say you are missing something. They sound so incredibly good right now. They are not always perfect, but so many gems. Enjoy it and stop complaining. If you don’t dig them right now, then don’t pay for webcasts and don’t go see them. It’s pretty simple.
John what have you been to like 10 shows. without new material a bands dies. and trust me go to ANY website souche bag and you will hear the same thing no debuts and nothing but repeats
Ive been to every show on both legs and I can tell you hearing velvet sea and joy in the same set in 3 show is terrible yes they are on fire and I am not complaining just asking what people think. but I forgot we were talking about phish so everyone knows everything
Relax Kyle, I’ve seen them regularly since 97 so not sure how that makes you feel. Not sure that matters really. I know Phish and am tired of these types of comments. Maybe you should see them less and you would have a more positive perspective. Its called balance man. Like mentioned above, there are certain realities about Phish and set lists and life you should come to terms with…
And by the way, I don’t get my opinion on Phish by going to websites. I generate it from listening to the shows…
hey john at least we have something in common been seeing them since 95 not sure if that matters *as you threw out there) but i certainly dont get my opinions from sites or fans of even webcasts i make my own my listening to the shows and you took it wayyyyyyyy wrong man Im saying what they are playing is fire but its the same stuff every 3rd night. trust me i was at both show where they played velvet sea and joy in the middle of the 2nd set and it 100 percent killed all energy in the room. all im saying is I love this band I wannt to continue to see them exceed expectations (which I admit is hard for phish) and see them with some new material thats all i mean. im not going to see them less but like you im allowed to have an opinion and 90 percent are 100 percent positive. and sorry about the douch bag remark no one deserves to be called names its childish and im apologise. peace and i all i wish for is new material and the new material that came out last year to keep being played ala steam and no quarter. And scotty i lost my cool sorry for the name calling it wont happen again i promise