Phish Returns to Green Mountain State
Phish did it.
In a triumphant return to their beloved home state, for a show that was announced a scant two weeks prior, everything went off without a hitch. Bookended by two days of pouring rain, Wednesday was magically perfect. Bright sunny skies and temperatures in the high-70’s gave way to a pristine evening with a full moon glowing down on 10,000 loyal fans happy to be there and absolutely no hint that Autumn is knocking on the door.
Just as the concerns about a nightmare at the box office at the Flynn were never realized, so too were any presumed traffic snafus. Despite an unnecessarily heavy police presence and traffic warning signs all along Interstate 89 leading North into Essex, traffic moved smoothly and efficiently, albeit with a slight slow-down passing the beautiful campus of St. Michael’s College, home of the famed November 19, 1992 show.
[Lined up and entering venue, Adam S from Phish.net, Dr. Pauly from Coventry Music, Phil Z from Phish.net & Mike J]
In an extraordinarily low-key pre-show parking lot scene that was more akin to a family picnic than a rock show or typical Phish event, warm embraces and friendly conversation prevailed. Seemingly, most of the 8,000 tickets sold in Vermont stayed with Green Mountain Staters. The fairgrounds certainly felt like the local hometown show that it was. At the sole entrance to the venue, security and ticket takers greeted many of the incoming attendees by name. Regardless if they knew you or not, they were certainly more intent on welcoming you, smiling at you, and treating you to true Yankee hospitality than they were to bother with checking anything other than your ticket.
READ ON for more on the experience of seeing Phish in Vermont…
Ticket supply and demand was at a perfect equilibrium. Fans simply did not arrive without tickets and nor were extras being peddled. While an occasional extra may have passed hands, I haven’t seen this little cash exchanged pre-show since Amy’s Farm.
[Packed house pre-show]
While ostensibly, in addition to the Friends of Waterwheel ticket, there were two types of tickets: “General Admission Floor” and “General Admission Grandstand,” in reality there was no distinction between the two and the ticket should have just been printed “General Admission Good Times.” The concert field had exponentially more width than depth, and barring the wings to Page Side and Fish Side, they were completely free of mud and in great shape despite recent rains. While tightly packed from front to back, and speaker stack to speaker stack, there was plenty of elbow room to be had off to the sides and not too hard to get close to the stage.
Despite the fact that everyone had access to the floor, the grandstands stayed packed throughout the night as well and were literally shaking during the show much like the balcony used to do at Portchester’s Capital Theater. Devoid of the plethora of song request signs that have been omnipresent at the entirety of summer tour, there was a scattered sign or two along with a sign reminding us why were all there. “Thanks for helping Gamehendge.”
[Thanks for Helping Gamehendge]
The Friends of Waterwheel lounge was a nice amenity for the fans who opted for the additional donation. A small “VIP” area was setup under the grandstands with couches, mood lighting and tapestries to create a homey backstage vibe. Partnered with a private bar of Vermont beer and a crepe station, it was a great place to socialize and relax both before the show and at setbreak. Behind the grandstand was an open area filled with local vendors selling falafel, coffee, pizza and more. With plenty of picnic tables and room to spread out, it too almost felt like a “VIP” area. The small town feeling came through again and felt more akin to a 4H fair than a Phish show.
[Governor Shumlin declares "There's nothing better than Phish"]
Mike introduced Vermont Governor Pete Shumlin not too terribly long after the 7PM ticket time. The Governor was clearly genuinely appreciative of not only Phish and the incredible effort that had been put in to organize the benefit, but also of the fans that have contributed and will continue to contribute to the Herculean task of rebuilding the communities that were devastated by Irene.
Governor Shumlin poignantly recounted stories of how so many people had literally lost everything and that this was an extremely long term rebuilding process that will take years and years. It was great to see the Governor, long after the TV crews had departed, so thoroughly engaged with the music and grooving among the throngs of the crowd for the entirety of the first set. To deafening cheers & applause to Shumlin’s proclamation that “there’s nothing better than Phish,” it was clear that show-time was imminent with the tight curfew only 3.5 hours away. Right around 7:30PM, Vermont’s favorite sons took the stage on home turf for the first time in seven years.
[Grandstand]
In a mostly straight forward effort, Phish’s performance echoed the Chalkdust Torture opener for the majority of the two sets. Eschewing creativity and exploratory jamming in favor of well played workhorses, Phish powered through the first set with authority. Veering from the path only after Possum, both Wolfman’s Brother and Julius saw some interesting twists and turns. Particularly strong versions of Bathtub Gin, Sample in a Jar and Cavern were included in the 11-song first set.
An atypical Carini started the second set after a brief dedication to Pete and Tara Carini by Trey for oddly his only spoken words of the night. At several points in Carini were it seemed like the jam was beginning to peter out, Trey extended the free-form improv for a thoroughly engaging version that segued nicely into another of the evening’s highlights in Down with Disease. While the set had relatively decent flow and enjoyable versions of Slave to the Traffic Light, Rock and Roll, Twist, Number Line and others, new musical ground was certainly not broken anywhere as few risks were taken. Loving Cup’s encore seemed completely appropriate. There certainly was a “beautiful buzz” throughout the fairgrounds and through the community. Letting their actions and likely $1 Million+ donation to the relief efforts speak for them, there was nothing left to say. The “sweet summer sun” symbolically done for the year after this being the last show until perhaps a New Year’s run, Phish bowed, waved to the crowd and closed the chapter on another historic show.
[Trey thrilled to be back in Vermont]
[Mike during Moma Dance]
[Fish's signature mumu had a little additional flair for the event]
[Trey]
Stay tuned to Hidden Track tomorrow for a complete image gallery and further reflections on the Essex show.
Regards,