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Roadtrip of the Month
Southern Swing
Edited by Rob Turner
by Rob TurnerThis month we head south and see some Flecktones, Colonel Bruce, and of course Phish. We also run into some great people, an obnoxious photographer, and an excellent but frustrating radio program. Come along if you can.
I paid some bills, visited my friend, gruff but lovable (no, not Gus you old school Letterman fans) Mike. After that I picked up some lil' ditties for my new home in Atlanta from my sister in Wayland. Knowing I had a long road trip (even by my standards) ahead of me, she was kind enough to whip up a fancy Italian dip for the veggies I had. She also hooked me with some blueberry yogurt, and I embarked on an overnight mission to what would be my home city by the end of July, Atlanta.
As I geared my vehicle onto the Mass Pike at 2:30 p.m. or so, I didn't think about the amount of miles that were ahead of me, I simply spun the dial to check out some of the Boston radio that I would soon be leaving for good. WXRV, 92.5 out of Haverhill, Mass, had the most interesting music as usual, and the sports talk was miserably boring on this lazy Tuesday in the middle of one of the most scorching New England June's ever. I was escaping the drought and headed to the, believe it or not, cooler weather of the south.
After my first stop, at the convenient Texaco off exit one of I-84, I was feelin' fine. "I don't need no coffee in my cup" is what Van Morrison had sung at his recent Roseland show that I had caught, and it rang true as I nosed my car back onto I-84. When you have 18 (or more) hours of non-stop driving ahead of you, you do NOT begin the trip with coffee, you go at least 1/3rd of the trip with a "clean head" if you will. You don't want to be less than half-way there and have the coffee stop working.....ya know?!?!
Also, another tip, don't go over 10 miles over the speed limit in Connecticut. They LOVE to generate revenue with speeding tickets in this state.
Well, as I neared the Tappan Zee bridge, I was expecting bad traffic, but an accident and some new construction created a parking lot scene, and I did not cross the Hudson for two and a half hours!!! Thankfully, Opie and Anthony were on WNEW, and having a hilariously "on" day discussing different ways New York women keep things sexually interesting for their men, and in turn keep their men. This and other discussions were extremely funny, and far better than anything I've heard on from most of Boston's on air talent. I mean I actually had two or three full belly laughs! That's a big laugh when a belly is as big as mine! Mark Parenteau was on vacation at 104.3, so there was no need to turn the dial. We used to get Opie and Anthony in Boston when they worked at Worcester's WAAF, and their show was spotty. They would have funny moments, but most couldn't hang with it for more than an hour (if that). Now they are schooled veterans who use restraint as well as they use crudity, and they battle their management in hilarious fashion. On a recent return trip from seeing Trey Anastasio in Washington DC I heard them rail on the station's play list, management tactics, treatment of guests, and much more. As they perused the songs they had been instructed to play they lamented being asked to play a certain Led Zeppelin song, "for the eighteen thousandth time." Amen. They are now so consistently funny and entertaining I can't believe what excellent hosts the two kids from Worcester (who used to get abused in Boston) had become. On that day, I even forgot to turn to hear my all-time favorite rock n' roll DJ Mark Parenteau on 104.3 a couple of times.
One other note on Opie and Anthony, they are the only DJs that were clearly stolen from by Howard Stern. They did this diaper thing....and....well Howard did it a few months later. Even though Howard took it to funnier places, it started with Opie and Anthony. They also had a TV show back in their WAAF days whose format was strikingly similar to Howard's "newly revamped" CBS show, but that correlation is a bit more tenuous.So, where was I? Oh yeah, I get over the bridge and into New Jersey and I was suddenly STARVING, so I went to a certain McDonald's off of the Garden State (We're all too rich or stupid or both to get out of the fast lane when someone wants to pass us) Parkway. This McD's is just minutes from my college sweetheart, Lisa Henkoff's childhood home in Montclair, New Jersey, so it's familiar turf. It was curious in there on this day, as the guy took my ten dollar bill, disappeared and then returned with four ones and a thank you. I had ordered close to eight dollars in food and coffee (yeah, I broke my own rule... but the traffic wore me down), but who am I to correct the mighty McDonald's? I undid all of my previous good veggie eating by plowing through a heavenly Big Mac and fries - traffic really takes it's toll! With the help of WXPN in Philly, 103.1 in the Baltimore area, the many public radio stations in DC, the Art Bell show on many stations, and thumping Government Mule, Soul Coughing, and Dylan tapes, I made it through the night with surprising ease. The next thing I knew I was on the (70 mph speed limit) I-85 dialing up Howard Stern on Charlotte's 95.7. It was the "Best of Stern" (re-runs, ya know) and there were a couple of funny segments. As I crossed the state line into my former (and never again) home state of South Carolina, Stern gave way to static and the radio dial went over to Spindale, NC's brilliant WNCW, a station so excellent I would love to do a feature on it sometime. (There are also transmitters for it in Charlotte, Beech Mountain, Greenville, and even one in Knoxville, Tennessee.) As my energy was starting to fade again, a rowdy Marcia Ball song came on and kicked my ass back up to driving level alertness. I was impressed with the amount of people that gladly moved out of the fast lane as I approached, and I made such good time that I only had NCW for an hour or so.
I arrived at my new lil' Townhouse in Atlanta at around 1:30 making it a 23 hour trip with only one thirty minute nap. I took another brief nap upon my arrival, and even more brief shower, and Jennifer and I went to pick Dave Saslavsky up at the Marta station. Dave had flown in for a weekend of Phish, but the bonus was Wednesday's Flecktones show with the Atlanta Symphony. We scurried over to Chastain early so we could eat before the show. This is a wonderful venue that blends a woodsy feel with a sort of yuppie feel (not over the top yuppie like Boston's Harbor Lights/Bank Boston Pavilion where I was once ejected from a Van Morrison show for dancing during his "Gloria" encore) and they let you bring in coolers, beer, and food into the show. They even have valet parking, which I've never seen at a concert! You can also leave and re-enter during the show. This is so refreshing in a country where you usually have to walk into an uptight, anal situation if you want to see a large-scale concert. Even some bars don't let you back in if you want to take a walk during a show......hello.....it's a fuckin' bar people!!! Lighten up!
Sorry, venting again.
But what about those bars that let you out early in the show and then change their policy mid-show. Whoever makes these decisions only serves to make people like Miss Crazy Horse look enlightened. You see, if you leave during one policy, and then return during the other......well I think most people reading this site can figure out the rest. Especially if you have been denied re-entry after being told it was allowed. Many of these bars have a mental block when it comes to customer service. We have one bar in Cambridge called the Middle East that conducts illegal searches on a nightly basis.
Anyway, Jennifer made a spectacular (all veggie) dinner that we enjoyed. We even saluted the yuppie scene with some red wine (I'm no yuppie, but I friggin' adore red wine), although it was crappy red wine, making me wish my Dad was there, as there is no crappy red wine in his repertoire. Just as we were finishing up the skies opened up and the rain began to fall. We moved right in front of the stage where it was dry, and we remained there through the Atlanta Symphony's brief but sparkling opening set. I don't remember the songs performed (you could fit my knowledge of classical music in a thimble) but the strings were exceptional and their set was expertly paced.
During the set break, Dave and I brought the cooler back to the car and prepared for Bela's set. We had to sliver through more than a few people on our return to the front, but there Jennifer was, waiting for us in the front row. Well, she was waiting for Victor really, and who could blame her as we were all mesmerized when the band took the stage and bassman Mr. Wooten was literally inches from our face. He is a walking gift from God, and it was very special to be this close, even as the Flecktones offered the standard opening of "Stomping Grounds" followed by "Oddity." (this is their version of "Bucket>Sugaree," very good - but common - you know) "New South Africa" was next on the set list, but I believe they skipped this one in favor of Wooten's, "Imagine This." By the end of this song, most of the symphony had gradually made their way back to their seats behind the Flecktones, and security had come and moved us off the stage a little bit. However, as the band started "Jamie Lynn" from Tales From An Acoustic Planet, the security decided to clear everyone out, explaining that the rain had ended, and I knew some form of an argument would ensue. I wanted to hear the Flecktones blend with a symphony, not security's explanation of why we had to move, so I bailed immediately, and Dave followed close behind. I went directly behind the sound board, and of course it began to pour again, this time it was heavy... as Dylan would say, "buckets of rain." I can't blame security though, they didn't have to let us stay up there at all, we were blocking the view of some of the season ticket holders at the tables directly in front of the stage. I just didn't want to miss hearing this rare opportunity. Jennifer stayed and actually got to sit down and stay dry...so she was happy.
Dave and I danced in what became a driving rain. The harder it rained, the harder we danced, and it was soul-stirring fun. They performed spectacular versions of "County Clare," and the Futureman sung "Sunset Road" (he emotes very well as a vocalist these days) before allowing the symphony to knock off for the night. The rest of the show was solid, as the sweet (but maybe a bit overplayed, as it seems to be losing steam a bit) "Big Country" was followed by the curiously-named new number, "Guitar.com." But the highlight of the show was the last two numbers. First, a spectacular version of Jeff Coffin's "Two Horned Blues." Coffin had been nailin' his solos all night, but the crowd didn't seem to be giving him due props. Perhaps fueled by this, Coffin ripped an absolutely gut jumbling solo in the meat of this soulful number. Bela had a funky effect for his solo on this same number, and it almost fulfilled my fantasy of seeing Jimi Hendrix play banjo, and I coined this version "Too Hendrixy Blues." They closed the set with "Spanish Point" which has really grown into an impressive number since its debut in nearby Greenville, South Carolina's Peace Center earlier this year.
Once I heard the familiar notes of "Sinister Minister" after the band returned for the encore, I decided to explore this venue that I had only been to one time before in 1992 or so. Behind the seated area there is a woodsy area, as opposed to the cookie-cutter lawn seen at most modern day amphitheaters. There are wooden walkways and tree-covered hideouts all over the place, lending a summer camp feel to the venue. The stone buildings inside the show add to this feel, and although it is an old amphitheater, the sound system must be very modern as even though the sound changed as I moved, it consistently sparkled once my ears adjusted. Certainly, there were a couple of "dead" spots, but they were the exception. Another modern enhancement is the video monitors they have up for people sitting in the back corners. Although the right side monitors (and the large screen on the right of the stage) were inoperable on this night, I could see how these might come in handy at a big show like Roger Waters or REM.We blasted home after the show to watch Craiggers (he is so, so, so funny) and get some sleep before our jaunt to Tennessee for our first Phish show of the summer. The Atlanta to Nashville route has become quite familiar to me in a short period of time, and it's nice to gain that hour when you travel there. It still is a four plus hour drive, and when you lose that hour coming home it can really beat on you physically if you have a late Tennessee night. All three of us were attending our first concert ever at the First American Center (formerly Starwood Amphitheater). Even though as long time concert goers we have trained ourselves to have our expectations in check, knowing that Alison Krauss had sat in with Phish during their last performance here had our bluegrass-loving appetites severely whetted. We were so close to Nashville that anybody could come out. The rumors in the lot mainly circled around Willie Nelson (who performed "Moonlight in Vermont" with Phish at last year's Farm Aid concert) and Merle Haggard (who has returned to touring recently).
Well, with all respect to these deserving legends of country, the guests we actually were treated to were about as drool-inducing as it gets. Jerry Douglas is an absolutely amazing dobro specialist who proved to the Phish fans almost immediately that he is not shy. Tim O'Brien had sat in with Phish on mandolin at Red Rocks in 1996, but with mandolin artist Ronnie McCoury in the house Tim opted to join the band with a fiddle. Ronnie McCoury was the one guest who might have been underused a bit, but it was my first time seeing him outside of the Merle Watson Festival. While the band was a bit sloppy at times, especially early in the show, they reserved their best playing for when they had the guests on stage. For further information on this show please see the review I submitted to the Southern region.
Our off-night focused on Southpark: The Movie. I have always enjoyed this TV show, but I never thought it quite had the satirical undercurrent that Beavis and Butthead had (so many people didn't realize the brilliance behind this show before B+B creator Mike Judge brought on the more obviously satirical King of the Hill). B+B also had a higher volume of funnier episodes, and they followed it up with a pretty good movie (I will admit it wasn't exactly a killer). Well, I don't want to ruin this for anybody, but Southpark is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen, and everyone should use the personal elevation tactic of their choice and go see this movie. There is even more clever social satire than TV show has ever had to offer. There was one half hour stretch that was so funny I was aching from laughing so hard.
After that, we went over to the Brandyhouse as I had recommended that Dave do a "Venue of the Month" feature on the club a while ago. He wanted to take advantage of being in town and he interviewed the owner and talked with some other folks. I was happy to stay there as long as he wanted as they had Sweetwater's "420" brew at the bar. I was first introduced to this beer when I went to see Jon Shain's band Wake at a Brewer's festival in Durham, NC a couple of years back. All of their beers were so fantastic that I bought a T-Shirt which I still haven't lost (a rarity for me). While fantasizing about the rumored Disco Biscuits show at this venue in September, I met an artist named Robbie who showed me some brilliant concert posters that he had done for Phish, Widespread, and the band that was on the schedule for the Brandyhouse that night, Ancient Harmony. He is a really nice guy and very enthusiastic about Ancient Harmony. I ran into him a few more times over the weekend and I hope I can get to know him when I'm living down here. It's so refreshing to meet people who are "in the scene" yet void of attitude. I got sick of the "rock star wannabe" attitude that was exhibited by more than a few on Dead tour in the mid-eighties (and it is around today too frequently), and people like Robbie are truly refreshing.
Again, we showed our "old guy" colors by leaving the Ancient Harmony show early so we could wind down with Craiggers and get some sleep. (Thank God, 'cuz Craiggers debuted the "Game-O-Matic" that night and nobody wants to miss that.) Ancient Harmony has a very Allman-esque sound, and they are very enjoyable and they definitely will gain popularity as their sound develops. One of their originals in the first set got me particularly moving. Their spirited second set opening "Franklin's Tower" was marred only by the similarity of approach the guitarist took to each solo. These guys definitely have potential, and are more than worth paying five or eight bucks to see (although it was free on this night).
So, the Lakewood shows were upon us. My first pleasure was seeing both Jeff Waful and Dave Saslavsky cited in the Tour Extra, perhaps the Extra will be more diligent about giving credit to people from whom they receive information now that it is under new leadership. There was also an Uncle Sammy advertisement! I was not as fired up as I usually am for shows, as we were clearly going to be stuck with lawn seats, and I had never sat on the lawn for Phish before. The walk around the parking lot proved that we were lucky to have the lawn seats. I ran into some of the Phish regulars that were in search of tickets who in the past were almost never in that position. Even Greg Phelps didn't have a ticket...whassup with that? He did, of course get in eventually. A Phish show without Greg Phelps is like a moe. show without Al.
One very special thing about the Lakewood shows is that our friends, Dave and Paige were going. They are two of the nicest, most down to Earth, kind, and gentle people you could ever hope to meet. Nothing phases these folks. They were seeing Phish for the first time in six years, and we were glad to be the ones dragging them back to the joy. They were also kind enough to put up Mark and Lee Ann, so we didn't have to deal with them (that's a joke).
The lawn proved to be an excellent experience both nights. Mark, Lee Ann, Dave, and Paige had secured a spot just a bit over toward Trey's side, and just behind the little incline at the front of the lawn. We were blessed with the people that ended up around us. They were respectfully quiet during the intimate moments for the most part, and highly energetic when Phish was throwing down. We were surrounded by such warm and lively people it felt like a Disco Biscuits crowd. The sound was immaculate and it was an ideal view for the mastery that is Chris Kuroda's lighting technique. I almost never take off my shoes at shows due to a weird incident back in 1983, but I did on this night. The lawn had survived the previous night's Ratt/Poison show completely unscathed (well OK, there was this one pile of shit, but let's not split hairs), which wasn't the case at Riverport last summer where Phishheads were treated to a lawn that had just been destroyed by the "Oz Fest" rowdies.
The Atlanta shows also had sloppy moments, but in general the band was sounding better than they did in Tennessee (excepting the Tennessee guest material). "Gumbo" had a nice jam coming out of it, although it was a tad polite, and rather than segue into another song, the band just let it drift off. "Tube" was outstanding, with the funk getting very deep at one point. "Funky Bitch" to my memory, featured strong McConnell and Anastasio solos. The band closed the first set with their first public version of another new song, which I believe is called, "Meatstick." The chorus, if taken literally, hints at lewdness with, "Time for the Meatstick, bury the Meatstick, take out the Meatstick time (or is it "bag?")." I will have to examine the lyrics more closely as I'm sure this is an allegory - perhaps for some of the people they have to do business with in their industry. I can't imagine that the band that dropped "penile erector" from Cavern would have such a bawdy song. People started joking about the song at set break, and Jennifer and I came up with the idea that they should jam the "Meatstick" into the "Mound." We could call it ladies night. Other folks wanted "Meat" into "Meatstick" which could be some kind of anti-vegetarian thing. My favorite part of the song is when Trey's guitar solo culminates with him playing the seductive melody of the song.
The second set opened with the bizarre accents of "Twist," another in the sea of top notch recent Phish material. This was a shorter version of the song than I was expecting, but it segued gently into "Piper." "Piper" was one of my favorites in 1997, as there were many explosive versions. After the Nassau version early last year though (which may have been the best I've seen yet) the ones I caught seemed to have considerably less steam. Although this version may not be comparable to those mighty 1997 ones, it certainly was better than any I had seen since Nassau. I am no authority on this however, I probably should ask Charles Dirksen or some other more knowledgeable Phish fan to see if this opinion holds water. Trey also debuted the first public Phish version of the gorgeous, "Mountains In The Mist," which we had been treated to on his solo tour. The crowd was so quiet near us during this song, I was in absolute heaven. As the band neared the end of the not often heard anymore, "Contact," they mixed up holidays (yeah, on purpose...I guess as Trey riffed, "The Little Drummer Boy."
Fishman offered a funny little solo version of "Little Drummer Boy," with seemingly improvised lyrics to begin the encore segment which culminated with "Oh, I love playing for you pa-rum-pa-pum-pah." After which he mumbled an introduction for Dr. Jack McConnell. Trey seemed to grasp the audience's confusion, so he said, "This is Page's Dad for those of you who don't know," causing the crowd to roar with approval. They then played what has become Jack's signature song (he's performed the song with them a few times now), "Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey," which I had only seen one time before at the Township Auditorium in Columbia, South Carolina. Dr. Jack embellished considerably on this one, and Trey layed an old-timey solo on the receptive crowd. We thought the show was over for sure when they left the stage for the second time. We headed for the exit, but we turned back to wait for the lights to go on. Out of nowhere came the enigmatic Steve Homer who was all revved up from the show. We rapped with him and his buddy for a while, and I think we got too caught up in his exciting presence, as we walked just past the line that only the venue security could see. Suddenly, we heard the opening notes of "Harry Hood" off in the distance, and when we turned to go back in, security denied our re-entry. This is even though it was quite obvious that we had been in the show. The police that were sitting nearby seemed to enjoy making fun of the fans who were trying to get back in. I have no problem with this though, because these policeman had stayed outside of the show for the entire night, and that is really admirably proper behavior for police at a Phish show, so they can make fun of us all they want! Thank God we only missed "Harry Hood" as with the exception of one version in Spartanburg about five years ago, I've never had this song blow me away as an encore before.
We blasted right to the Brandyhouse to see the musical icon that is Colonel Bruce. If there is anyone who has stayed true to the music for as long as Colonel Bruce, I am not aware of him or her. We were really excited to see him, particularly Dave, as he blasted for the front row right away. We went to the back to eat, but we could still hear the show, and we even brought Dave up a grilled chicken sandwich (Dave eats more chicken than Wade Boggs) which he nibbled on throughout the Colonel's set. We joined him just as the set break began, and we waited for a good amount of time so we could be in the front with him. The Colonel came out and rocked the house. He has a great band, a solid bass player, an explosive guitarist, and a hard-hitting drummer. However, the guy that was blowing my mind was his keyboard player who looked like Joe Jackson on acid. He got some crazy noises out of his rig, and his antics were a logical extension of his wild playing. I can definitely say I will be checking this band out from time to time when I'm living down here in Hot 'Lanta. The only black mark in an otherwise splendid post-Phish regaling was this one photographer. He came out from our right and slid in the front row and started taking pictures. This was fine, as usually photographers will, it a general admission bar setting, take a few shots and move on. He stood right in front of Jennifer (who is somewhat short) and to my right. She could no longer see, and I had to stop dancing as I would have bumped into him and ruined his shots. Well, after about ten minutes I asked him to move, and he rudely said, "I'm shooting for the band."
I tried to reason with him out of respect, but all I got was, "I'm shooting for the band." Well, I hope the Colonel knows that this photographer turned off quite a few people up front, and he put it on the Colonel. I would recommend a photographer that has a little more understanding of basic etiquette for future photojournalistic efforts, "for the band."
Well, shortly after the photoboy finally did slide away, Jon Fishman slid into the drummer's seat replacing the Colonel's drummer. I think it was during, "Ain't Nothin' You Can Do," which is an old blues song. I am most familiar with Van Morrison's approach on this one, as I have heard many different Van versions of it. The Colonel, of course, has his own soulful delivery on this one, and Fishman immediately settled into its groove. About twenty minutes later Jennifer tapped me, and at the same instant I heard a very soft, "excuse me," and I turned and I was eyeball to eyeball with the shaggy Mike Gordon. We cleared off some space on the cabinets in front of us and helped him onto the stage where he promptly joined in with the jam. I couldn't help but think how strange it is that here is this world famous accomplished musician, and he was overwhelmingly more polite than the belligerent, nobody photographer that had brandished his ugliness less than an hour before.
Colonel Bruce's bassman stayed out with Gordon for ten minutes or so, treating the crowd to a double bass delight. The room was captivated as Gordon and Fishman really stepped up and played hard for about 35-50 minutes of barroom nirvana. I'm not sure of every song that they attacked, but The Meters funk classic, "Cissy Strut," was in there somewhere. I really like the Brandyhouse. Their staff is great, everyone was courteous, the sound was good for a bar, and it was generally a great vibe in there. As long as they keep the rude photographers in check, I would highly recommend this little venue at Roswell and Wiecua in the Roswell/Wiecua shopping center.
Well, it was another day, another Phish show as Sunday came upon us. The Fourth of July first set featured the newly reworked, "Farmhouse." This song is ready to be recorded and put on an album, it may be even destined for FM airplay. I rarely get treated to the, "Oh Kee Pah Ceremony" these days so I enjoyed every second of it, and I wanted the "AC/DC Bag" (sounds like a death wish) and I got it...and it smoked! "Fast Enough For You" was nice, and I believe the first time I ever saw this song live was also in Atlanta at the Roxy some six years ago. "David Bowie" closed the set, and it was a brief, but invigorating version. I walked around the back of the lawn during "Bowie" and I was amazed how well the band sounded. It seemed as though there were very few "dead" spots for sound. I met a very large police man, who was also very nice. This guy was friggin' huge, football player size, seemingly cut like a bodybuilder. A man's man baby!! We spoke about the audience, and he said, "It seems like a lot of very nice people are here who are having a great time. This is probably the most well-behaved sell out crowd we've ever had." That's what I like to hear. But then he showed me a big fat bag of herbs that he had apparently taken from some kid, "y'all just gotta lay off of this stuff." I looked at the bag... it was huge... looked very kind as well... and then I looked back up at the officer and said, "that is absolutely deplorable sir, that kids are consuming illegal drugs on this property. Here, why don't you give that to me and I'll make sure it's disposed of properly." He erupted with laughter and slapped me on the back, it's so nice to see an officer who has a sense of humor. Especially after seeing the more donut-eating type patrolmen sitting on their asses and making fun of the Phishophiles when we exited the previous night's concert. It's not our fault you have boring lives guys. Clearly, tonight's officer was a bit more of a happy type. He told me someone was flaunting the bag, and he assured me that he wasn't hassling people unless they did the same. Keep it low key folks!
The second set opened with the always enjoyable, "Ghost," which segued flawlessly into a spectacular, brain-tickling, "Slave To The Traffic Light." "What's The Use" from the new Siket disc was a first-time treat for me, and then an explosive, entertaining, but also botched version of "Wilson" had the crowd revved up, especially when Trey started swinging his guitar around, perhaps in response to his own sloppy play. This set the stage for the sweet "Mike's Song>Sleeping Monkey>Weekapaug Groove" that closed the show. A solid second set, although there were still the occasional goofs... especially during, "Silent In The Morning." Oh yeah ... remember use the glow RINGS, not the glow STICKS. I saw a young girl get pounded by one of the little glowing weapons that are the glow STICKS. Please keep the sticks away from Phish shows... and quite frankly keep all of the friggin' things away from Disco Biscuits shows thank you very much. The band returned to the stage to crank up the always welcome "Carini," although it seems to deliver more of a punch when it's performed indoors. They then performed a shortened version (I think it was something more than a reprise) of "Meatstick" and they demonstrated the "Meatstick dance" that they would later teach the audience at Virginia Beach. I was hoping they would play that Chicago song that starts, "Saturday, in the park, I think it was the Fourth of July," because it also has the line, "I've been waiting such a long time, for today." You know, we have been waiting such a long time for Phish to play on the Fourth. In the past they seemed to skip it in deference to the Dead, who played many memorable shows on the Fourth, including the first full set with Bob Dylan back in 1987. Phish returned to the stage for a second encore (two nights in a row!), and opted for the "Star Spangled Banner" which is our National Anthem (even though Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" should be). The end of the song was punctuated by a short but brilliant fireworks display both over the band and over the lawn. Many folks commented on how intense the brief display was, and on how they were able to keep the smoke from choking people. There was pretty much no smoke from the explosions at all.
Since the second show was on a Sunday, we had the benefit of being able to hear the Dunham radio show on our way to a lil' bash at Dave and Paige's house. This is an excellent musical program that plays a mix of house. This is an excellent musical program that plays a mix of improvisational rock n' roll on commercial radio in Atlanta every Sunday night. There are only a few programs like this on commercial radio, and this one is by far the best of the ones I've heard. They broadcast out of their living room usually, but on this night they were doing a "remote broadcast" as they had a Colonel Bruce broadcast and an interview with Mike Gordon. I was really pleased to be able to hear the previous night's version of "Funky Bitch" which confirmed my memory of Trey and Page ripping fiery solos. After this they got into the Gordon interview, which was very revealing at times, but they kept interrupting him. I was climbing the walls of my Sable as I drove and listened to them repeatedly cut off the guest that they were lucky to have. The show is known for the hosts talking on and on, it's actually part of the character of the show. It just seemed out of place when they (and their listeners) are lucky enough to have Mike Gordon on their airwaves. They could have shared their long diatribes about their first Phish shows and their wonderful radio program with Gordon off the air. Similarly, they could have shared the same stories with us the following week. They had limited time with Mike, so their efforts should have been to get him talking. Fortunately, Gordon was able to squeeze a couple of stories in himself, including an entertaining description of how the band ended up performing (and partying) with Jim Carrey at a private party shortly before the current tour began. Apparently, Mike was invited by a friend to the set of the movie Carrey is working on up in Vermont. Mike got all caught up in the moment and invited Carrey and the crew to a big party that the band was having. Everybody accepted, but there was no party planned so Gordon had to go back to the band and say, "hey, Jim Carrey and the guys on the crew want to have a party and..." Well, I'm sure you get it. Good to hear Gordon knows how to, "work it." It sounds like everyone got along and had a great time.
Just as we did during our Road Trip of the Month.
See ya' next month.
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