In Search of "Comfortable Energy"
by Ira Pasternack

[Note: I did not plan to write about this particular trip, as it is focused on two bands I've already written about over the past few months, The Disco Biscuits and Phish. But after the experience I had, I could not pass up this opportunity. Next month, we'll have a guest writer with a story about a Stringcheese Incident Roadtrip. If you are interested in contributing a Roadtrip story, please let me know before you take your trip, to give me time to get you on the schedule. Even if you just have questions about what is involved, feel free to email me at ira@jambands.com. And, I'd love any feedback on this or past Roadtrips! Thanks, Ira]

Friday, 7 A.M. I left Providence, planning to catch 2 Disco Biscuit shows and at least one Phish show over a five day period. Tonight, the Biscuits were playing in Lexington, VA at the Buffalo Creek Music Festival, and tomorrow we've move on to see them and several other bands at the All Good Festival in West Virginia. Then, I'd head back north to New York City, where I would be seeing Phish's second of two nights at Radio City Music Hall. And, if I was lucky, I figured I might make it back in time and find a ticket for the first Phish show, and/or get a ticket to the last-minute show they had added on Tuesday at the Roseland Ballroom.

My first stop was in NYC, right around the corner from Radio City actually, where I had to meet a friend of some friends for a ticket exchange. He is a taper, and I had managed to get taper tickets for the second Radio City show when Ticketmaster had a small release the week before. I pulled up in front of Eric's office building right as he walked outside, although we had never met we easily recognized each other from our respective descriptions. And this is when my plans began to change, when Eric told me that he expected to get a taper ticket for Sunday's show, and if he did he would sell me his extra.

The catch was, he wasn't getting the taper ticket until an hour or so before show time on Sunday. And I wasn't sure I would even be back in time. But at the moment, I had friends to meet and a long drive ahead of me, so I took Eric's number, and told him I'd check in the next day.

Next, I drove around the corner to pick up my friend Carol, and we drove out to New Jersey. There, we left my car at another friends, and we met our friend Tom whose car we were taking to Virginia. By 1 P.M., we were headed South, and after a fun but pretty much uneventful 8 hours, we arrived at the Buffalo Creek Festival. The location: basically, a giant field. Several hundred yards long, and 50 to 75 yards wide. In one area, there was a barn where the band would play, a small covered area where a food vendor was set up, and a gazebo where we found a large group of friends.

We joined our friends in the gazebo, where we drank a few beers and caught up with people we hadn't seen in a while. At about 11 P.M., the Biscuits finally began to take the stage. After about a half hour of soundchecking, they finally began to play.

As the show opened with Mulberry's Dream, I moved around the inside of the venue (barn) trying to find a comfortable spot with good sound. I even wandered outside to check out the sound from there, which might have been good if the barn didn't have metal walls that vibrated from the bass. I remember being worried that the sound was going to be bad for the whole show - but by the time Mulberry's had segued into Spaga, all of those thoughts were forgotten.

As the first set progressed, I sensed a level of energy coming from the band that I had not sensed from them since before the first of this year. While the energy level was high, the band also seemed more comfortable than I'd seen them in months. This "comfortable energy" only seemed to increase when they were joined on stage by Jordan Crisman, of the band Cantus, who played bass for the set closing Little Betty Boop.

The second set built on the energy from the first. From the set opener of "The Unspoken Rhyme", I felt like the mood of the music fit perfectly with the atmosphere of the venue. The focus of the fans helped tie everything together, creating a wave of energy that everyone in the room, on stage and on the dance floor, rode through the night. When the show ended, sometime close to 4 in the morning, all I could say to Tom was "wow, I've been biscoed".

I could not remember a time when I felt so tired, yet energized, all at once. It was nice to be at a venue that was not going to close. Some people where camping out at the park for the night, but most of our friends were headed to a nearby party, and then heading to the All Good festival the next day, a few hours away in West Virginia. I had a decision - switch cars, go to the party and the All Good, or head back to NYC with Tom, Carol, and our friend Miha (who had come down with others, but needed to get back to New York to get to Sunday's Phish show).

I was looking forward to more Biscuits, and some of the other bands at the festival, plus I was looking forward to spending a day in West Virginia, where I went to graduate school. But, it looked like it might be a rainy day, and if I went I probably would not be back in time for the Phish show on Sunday. After weighing my options, I decided to head back to NYC. And since I had slept most of the way down while Tom drove, I ended up driving most of the way home.

We left at 5 A.M., and after a stop for breakfast along the way, we were back at my car by early afternoon the next day on Saturday. We said goodbye to Tom, and I drove Carol and Miha back to the City, dropped off Carol, and Miha and I went to his place to rest. We were going to call it an early night, but ended up heading to Westchester for a few hours in the evening, to celebrate the graduation of our friends Laura and Erica, and hang out with people going to see Phish the next day. Finally, we returned to Miha's, where I got my one great night of sleep of the whole road trip.

Since arriving back in NY the day before, I'd been checking in with Eric to see the status of my Sunday ticket. Each time I called, he asked me to call back, as his friend with his taper ticket had still not been in touch. Finally, by mid-afternoon on Sunday, we arranged a meeting place and I began to relax a bit, believing the ticket would come through. Up until this point, I'd worked hard not to expect the ticket, so I wouldn't be as disappointed if it fell through.

As I walked to Radio City, and began to see the relatively small and well-behaved scene, I started to get excited. After another nerve-wracking half hour or so, I finally found Eric, and had my ticket in hand. I had about an hour before show time, during which I met up with some friends, and finally entered the venue.

Radio City Music Hall! As we entered, I had my first glimpse of the inside of this beautiful venue. From the plush carpeting, to the high ceilings in the lobby, everything was impressive. And the formal wear that many of the phans wore to go along with this special venue just added to the great vibe. Everyone seemed to be on their best behavior, giving all the respect that was due to a building with the history of Radio City.

Phish took the stage, and began with a set that seemed to indicate their own respect, and even awe, of the room. After a high energy First Tube to open the show, they seemed to almost be holding back just a bit. Not that I'm complaining, or feel they should have done anything different. This was their first show since New Years Eve, and there is the fact that they were on the stage of one of the most famous theaters in the world. It only seems appropriate that they would need a little while to acclimate to the room, and maybe even let the fact that they were really there soak in.

In the second set, after opening with Gotta Jibboo, we had a strong sign of what I consider the new direction Phish is taking their jams, in Down With Disease. During the jam in this tune and a few others in the run, the band seemed more evenly balanced than ever. Mike seems to take more of a creative lead. And, they also incorporated a slow, almost trance-like groove into this jam.

Also in this set, we saw the band really take advantage of Radio City's great acoustics, by bringing the volume way down for slower moments in songs ranging like Dirt and Wading in a Velvet Sea, and then again in the encore during the Inlaw Josie Wales with Trey on acoustic guitar. Overall, the band seemed to relax a bit during this set, and kick things up a notch in the process. They still were not at the same level of "comfortable energy" I had felt on Friday night in Lexington, but that was the farthest thing from my mind as the show ended. Overall, I felt great, having seen an "average" - so still very good - Phish show, in an amazing venue.

After the show, I left with a few friends, and checked in with some other friends who were waiting in line for Roseland tickets. I was still thinking of waiting in line, but I also wanted to enjoy New York. The line was not too long yet, so we headed down to Wetlands to see Uncle Sammy play and record a live CD. After another several hours of enjoyable music, I went back up to Roseland with my friend Tom to wait for tickets. We assessed the situation, figured out that if we got in line right then we should be within the first 2000 to 3000 people, which meant we had a good chance to get in. But after an hour, I realized that I was not up for the wait. Tom was falling asleep, I felt that I could stay up for the several hours that I'd need to, but the comfortable hotel room waiting a few blocks away was calling me. I woke Tom up and we called it quits.

I was just happy I'd seen the show that night, and had one more to look forward to. I did have one other chance, which was to get on a guest list for the show. I didn't think this was likely, but I talked to a few friends who I knew might be able to help. I wasn't expecting to get in, I was just happy that I had one more show to see at Radio City. So, I returned to my hotel, where Phillip and Katie were still up chatting. We talked a bit more, watched a bit of SportsCenter, and went to sleep.

We awoke early in the afternoon on Tuesday. Katie rushed out to a meeting, while Tara, Phillip and I took our time waking up, enjoying the comforts of the Marriott. Phillip ventured outside to order a sushi platter to share with friends who were coming by before the show, and Tara and I took a stroll a bit later to get some coffee. As our casual afternoon turned into evening, Katie returned, friends began to come by, and our sushi was delivered.

Katie and Tara had to go pick up their tickets, and I had to meet Tom whose ticket I had, so the three of us headed out ahead of Phillip and our other friends. As we approached Radio City, we had fun as we attracted a bit of attention - all due to my companions, who may just have been the two most beautiful women who were attending the show. After arranging a meeting place inside the venue, Katie and Tara went to find their tickets as I went to find Tom.

We entered the venue on the early side, and went to check out our seats in the first mezzanine. The night before, I sat in the back of the orchestra, under the mezzanine. While I had a great time and the sound was good, the view of the room had been largely blocked. Tonight, I would have no such problems, both the sound and view from our seats was pristine. At the same time, our section was in no way overcrowded. There was room near us, so when we met up with Katie and Tara downstairs, they joined us and found a spot near Tom and I.

The show itself was a step up from the night before. I felt that the first set picked right up where they had left off the night before, more relaxed and energetic than the way they opened the first show. They continued to especially impress me with their quieter moments, such as in Billy Breathes.

The second set of this show continued the upward progression from the slightly tentative "good" Phish that opened the show yesterday. Some might have been disappointed with the opener of Bouncing Around The Room. While it is not exactly a song I hope to hear every night, it can be fun, and seemed especially appropriate in the slightly bouncy mezzanine. And from there, they just kept getting better. The David Bowie had one of the more intriguing jams I've ever heard in a Bowie. Then came Sand, my favorite of the newer batch of Phish songs, followed by an old favorite, Mango Song.

The highlight of the two days came to close this set. It was a one-two punch of Ghost and Rock and Roll. The Ghost, like the Bowie earlier in the set and the Down With Disease the night before, was a fantastic example of the new jam style that Phish seems to be moving towards. And then, the energy of the Rock and Roll, combined with Page's superb singing, closed out the set with a Bang!

Finally, the encore gave us another one-two punch, not as huge as the one to close the set, but a great way to end the run. Bug gave the band one last time to really take advantage of the great sound in the theater. And Golgi Apparatus gave us one more burst of energy to send us out into the New York City night, feeling great that we did have our ticket stubs in hand!

After the show ended, I was in no rush to leave the beautiful venue. Katie and Tara called me down to their spot, where they pointed out that Phillip and a bunch of our other friends had been almost straight below them for the entire show. Tom and I then headed down to the lobby, where we slowly said goodbye to other friends. By the time we left, we were just about the last people left in the venue.

We then grabbed a quick slice of pizza, Tom headed home, and I headed back for another late night of entertaining at the hotel room. At this point, I figured my chances for a ticket to Roseland had passed, but I didn't care. I felt as satisfied as I did after the all night set at Big Cypress, only this time I only had to wait a month for the next shows. So after stretching the night into morning, I slept a happy sleep.

The next day, we extended our checkout time as long as we could, before finally checking out. Phillip headed uptown, to meet up with other friends who he was going to the Roseland show with. Katie, Tara, and I walked around the corner to a Thai restaurant for a late lunch. After a leisurely meal, we were saying our goodbyes as my cell phone rang. It was Phillip, and he had managed to get me on the guest list for Roseland!

This news made the goodbyes a bit tougher, since I was the only lucky one to get added to the list. And, I literally was feeling so satisfied after the music of last few nights, that for a split second I asked myself if I really wanted to go. But, I immediately realized that yes I did, and headed uptown to meet Phillip. A few hours later, we were in line to go in the venue.

We were among the first few hundred people in the venue. As we entered, the first thing we realized was that it was freezing - that would change soon enough as people filled in, of course. Most of the people inside had staked out territory near the stage, but an added perk of our guest list tickets was that we had access to the balcony. We staked out a spot upstairs, then I wandered around and surprised my friends who had gotten in the hard way, waiting in line all night.

As the venue filled in, I observed two things. First, how lucky I was to not only be in the venue, but to be upstairs where it was much less crowded. (Those who helped it happen, you know who you are, and I thank you. :) Second, I noted the difference between Roseland and Radio City. Instead of a classic and newly renovated theater, we were in a club that is half the size, with not a single feature that can touch the impressiveness of Radio City.

Not a single thing, that is, until the room started to fill in. The energy that the phans inside created, especially those who had bonded with each other while sleeping out for tickets, created a buzz of anticipation in the room that I have never experienced in a decade of seeing live music. And from the moment Phish took the stage and dove right into AC/DC Bag, it was evident that they were feeding off of the crowd's energy.

The second tune of the night was Wilson, and the level and perfection of the crowd participation from every corner of the room cemented the fact that this a very special night. Everyone in the room knew their part, and even those who might not normally be inclined to yell out a "Wiiilson" joined in. The passion in the playing (not just at the time but also what comes through on the copy I'm listening to right now) was reminiscent of the norm from back in the days when Phish normally played venues such as this one. Which is not to say today's norm is better or worse, but you could tell that while Phish's style has evolved over the years, they took a step back in time for this night, in their playing even when not in their song selection. In a way, the transformation is similar to what happens to a person when they spend time with people from far in their past - sometimes, you behave in a way you have not behaved since you were with your old friends on a daily basis.

To go along with the almost indescribably level of energy that continued all night long, this show had a little of everything. A nice mix of old classics, some relative rarities, and a nice selection of new tunes. The few repeats from the two previous nights were perfectly acceptable, given that this whole run was an album release party for Farmhouse. At the same time, just to make sure they weren't too predictable, the one song from the CD they did not play at least once in the three shows was Farmhouse itself.

The energy, and where appropriate the audience participation, continued through the entire show. Not only could you hear and feel the energy, but it was also evident in the fact that both the first and second set lasted an hour and forty minutes. Overall, I felt that in this more casual venue packed full of hard-core phans, Phish had finally reached way beyond the "comfortable energy" level that the Biscuits had exhibited to me just four days earlier.

After the show, we stayed right were we were. No one was in a rush for us to leave the balcony, and we were in no rush to go anywhere. Phillip and I sat down with our friend Tara (a different Tara than the one we'd stayed with), all of us speechless. That was the general mood of everyone around us, and not a single person who I knew or had met that night was anything close to a "newbie". It was nights like this that make us do crazy things to see this band, and I'll say it again, I feel extremely lucky to have been in the building, not to mention the comfortable vantage point I ended up with.

Finally, when there were less people in the venue than when we'd arrived, we made our way downstairs and out into the streets of New York City. One quick stop uptown to grab our things, and Phillip and I began the final leg of the trip. And as the sun rose, we arrived home in Providence, back to the real world. Or was it?

As it turned out, this weekend, and in particular the Phish segment of the weekend, seems to have had a positive, lasting effect on me. After over nine years of seeing Phish, I love them more now than ever. And this new found love is helping me appreciate all music, not just Phish, on new levels. I'm not sure how to describe it really, but I'm having fun with the feeling, and just going with it for now. I'm sure I'll continue to figure it out, and report back on this feeling in a future article.