Phish Leave Fans Exhausted and Satisfied After Explosive Performance

For the second year in a row, Phish trekked north of the border to play a stellar show to their Canadian fans. Opening with "Reba" and playing a 110-minute first set, the boys were obviously enthusiastic about playing in Toronto. The night before, the band was welcomed with an "all excess party" at the Mad Bar downtown and it was obvious then that the band loves coming to this beautiful city. It was my first show of the tour and I was eagerly anticipating an intense evening.

The vibe was electric, especially after hearing how tight the previous shows on the tour had been. Just after 7:30, the band took the stage with Trey pumping his fists in response to the crowd's boisterous welcome. The first chords to "Reba" were strummed and the night began. The "Dog Stole Things" and "Taste" that followed, were just incredible, nice grooves with Trey ripping some great solos. The band then slowed it down with a neat little "Dog Faced Boy" and then "Heavy Things" in which Trey really soared. The "Moma Dance" came out of Heavy Things and I was a little upset as I had heard this tune numerous times and was never impressed, until now. The band turned this song up a notch, Fishman was laying down a serious groove and Mike and Page along with Trey were playing to a level of intensity that is usually left for an "Antelope." The crowd was hooked after the "Moma Dance," I could have left then and been a happy fan but I decided to stick around. "First Tube," "I Didn't Know," "Josie Wales," "Bug," "Caspian" were all impressive if not remarkable. I had prepared myself to head to the washroom after "Caspian," assuming that it was going to be set break, the band had already played an hour and a half. This was not to be, after "Caspian" was "Golgi Apparatus" and then Trey mouthed the letters Y-E-M to Fishman. The YEM was great with Chris Kuroda taking full advantage of the friendly confines of the Molson Amphitheatre. Finally, after 110 minutes, the first set had come to an end, but not before Trey expressed his gratitude to the people of Toronto.

The set break was short, it had to be. It was 9:30 and there was an eleven thirty curfew at the venue. At about ten o'clock, the second set began with a very dark "Limb by Limb" with the band members keeping the pace very slow and eerie. The mood was once again upbeat as the band jumped into "2001" and the usually relaxed Toronto crowd had become ecstatic and were grooving hard. Toronto fans are notoriously inactive at concerts, usually preferring to chat amongst themselves than dance to the music. This all changes when Phish comes to town, and it did tonight. Phish was playing extremely well this evening, the only complaint being the song selection that followed "2001." A relatively unimpressive "Bug," a less than inspired "Piper" and a soft "Driver" seemed to have lost the crowd but they were quickly recaptured with a great "Harry Hood" that melted well into the anthem "Loving Cup." This song is quickly becoming a great second set closer. After the Cup, Trey, once again, expressed his love for the city and thanked the people for a wonderful time and that the band would be back soon. The encore "Squirming Coil" encore was nice, the night could have not ended any better than with the beautiful piano solo at the end and page reiterating Trey's sentiment in regards to Toronto.

It was thought to be that last years Toronto show was a fluke and that the band would not make Toronto a tour stop. After the explosive performance and the bands admiration for the city, it seems as though Toronto might be a Phish destination for years to come, that's all right with me. Two nights would be great.

In The News

The Burt Neilson Band played a great show to a packed house right after the Phish show. Check out www.burtneilson.com for tour dates in your area. The New Deal is featured in the August issue of Spin Magazine in an article titled "Jam Bands 3.0" by Richard Gehr. The Medicinal Marijuana Festival will be held in Port Burwell Ontario on August 18 and 19th and will feature BNB, Would Be Travelers Promenade, The Fat Cats, Jomomma, The Perfect Wave and others. Jomomma is quickly becoming one of Canada's emerging live acts, look for them to be featured soon in an upcoming international column. For all your Canadian jam band needs, be sure to check out The Can Jam web page at www.geocities.com/can_jam/.