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Published: 2010/10/27
by Adam Perry

Phish, Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, NH – 10/26

Always Phish’s musical quarterback for better or worse, guitarist/singer Trey Anastasio is often brilliant and sometimes downright sloppy. In a town that has boasted comedians Adam Sandler and Sarah Silverman as residents, last night Anastasio made Phish’s first visit to New Hampshire in nearly 20 years memorable by doing his best Brett Favre impersonation.

Manchester, N.H., was Phish’s last stop in a series of relatively small-town gigs—Augusta, Me., population of 18,000, anyone? Buller?—before going big in Atlantic City for a much-anticipated Halloween run this weekend. And by opening the Verizon Wireless Arena gig in Manchester with blazing versions of rarified classics such as “After Midnight” (played for the first time since 1999), “Alumni Blues > Letter to Jimmy Page” and “The Sloth,” not to mention the debut of the recently deceased Gregory Isaacs’ reggae staple “Night Nurse,” it seemed the treats had come early.

By the reactions of his three bandmates, Anastasio’s spur-of-the-moment song selections surprised them just as much as the audience, and by the end of the first set—which included an absolutely gorgeous “Curtain With,” a feisty “It’s Ice” and a set-closing “Walls of the Cave” with a Velvet Underground-esque coda—the 11,000 in attendance smelled an all-rarities show a la Pittsburgh 2003. The second set, however, was the sort of hit-and-miss jumble that can sometimes accompany a band whose audience encourages it to improvise rock music at hockey arenas.

Out of a slow and funky “Mike’s Song” that featured Page McConnell funking things up with the kind of synthesizer exercises he went wild with in his side project Vida Blue, Anastasio pulled Phish into a sweet rendition of “Simple” and then the group’s reggae standard “Makisupa Policeman” (complete with a verse about “smoking another nug”). Then, after the aforementioned “Night Nurse”—no doubt a tribute to Isaacs, who passed away Monday night—and a no-frills “Wedge,” the real shenanigans began.

A well-executed “Ghost” finally arrived after being teased several times, and the deep and darkly funky jam that followed featured Anastasio goading the audience into virtual eruption with an impressive series of tension-and-release guitar runs. Out of a spontaneously beautiful transition, the jazzy “Mango Song” appeared, and while it’s hard to top a song about a child born with mangoes for hands and feet for sheer weirdness, slamming a botched “Weekapaug Groove” into a messy improvisation underneath another round of the “Ghost” lyrics, coming back into an up-to-speed “Weekapaug” after a failed attempt at the Rolling Stones’ “Can You Hear Me Knocking” outro and then suddenly finishing the set with “Llama”—a song Phish had played two hours earlier—was simply absurd. And not necessarily in a good way.

After a set like that, one imagines the four members of Phish walking backstage and asking each other, “What just happened?”

That the group encored solely with its borderline adult-contemporary ballad “Show of Life” didn’t please the crowd, either—especially those of us who’d witnessed the incredible “Reba > Backwards Down the Numberline” encore in Augusta last week.

Like Brett Favre—who threw a horde of interceptions Sunday night on plays that would’ve otherwise ended unspectacularly and then given his team a chance for glory a few moments later—Anastasio sometimes gets over ambitious, or perhaps even irrational, when given full reign when it comes to calling audibles. As Phish fans, we love him for that, and many if not most of the live Phish moments we consider memorable are due to the unbridled freedom we’ve come to expect the band to perform with. But as with Favre, Phish will always win some and lose some, for lack of a better phrase.

Still, seeing Phish perform twice in one week where one can not only feel good about Hood but actually drink the stuff was pretty special. And for the first time since I’ve been seeing the band, Anastasio looked directly at the audience during all his extended solos rather than choosing to intermittently stare at the roof of the arena—or at the mountains, as he did in Telluride over the summer. Whether that experience drove the Phish captain to make pressured decisions to meet zany expectations, we’ll probably never know. Alas, it’s almost Halloween and Phish is primed to play another full surprise album by another artist—anyone have an idea what it might be?

Comments

There are 35 comments associated with this post

J. Dub.....the Dubious One October 27, 2010, 14:00:37

I could not disagree more with your review of the show. Like anyone who posts and or responds to posts like this, I should qualify my rank of fandom….I’ve being listening to Phish since 1991 and first saw them in 1994, having been around the country seeing them and taking it all in. I know this band and know all that has been written or said about them. The fact is; they are the real deal when it comes to the live rock experience. Often times, people try to cleverly describe a show and like the Favre comparison you so horrendously wrote about, the review falls short and the reviewer sounds like he is full of more shit that a whale with no ass. Please do not try and make the audience feel more clever by an otherwise negative review. It fell short….your review that is. The show itself was great. Trey has his old clean toned sound back, his old double wood cabinet and they sounded like a force last night.
I hate to capitulate the argument by name calling, but your writing style is elementary at best, my man. Why set up a failed Brett Favre comparison without explanation until the end of your drivel?
On a scale of 1 gill to 5 gills, I give your review and unimpressive; 1.5 gills. You will die alone. Get out of the basement.

Antelope October 27, 2010, 14:11:00

I wouldn’t be as harsh to the reviewer, but I do think the Favre comparison is wrong here. The show was hot, the boyz were a force last night. While it wasn’t the best show ever, it had all the components of a great Phish show. Rare tunes, rocking songs, nice ballads, good jams. the show had it all. I thought Show of Life was a great way to end it, and send everyone smiling on their way home. I too was at Augusta, and while Reba->Backwards was a rarity, it really was a weird way to end. Everyone’s experience is their own and their ears tell the story. peace.

ericwyman October 27, 2010, 14:13:07

The trolls should come flowing out on this one. Kudos to you for the honesty regarding the closing stanza. Wedge was indeed a mess and the lyrics to Mango were pretty “mangled” as well. As far as Weekapaug goes, I appreciated the spontaneity. I thought the transition into the song was quite slick. Botched was not a word I’d use, unless you’re referring to something else. The whole of Weekapaug was down-tempo and felt unique and good. Maybe you could classify it as campy, but the lyrical quotes seemed to recap the set nicely. Page did a nice job feeding the Can’t You Hear Me Knocking tease, so it wasn’t just Trey leading on this one. The full speed Weekapaug > Llama was quite off on the lyrical side and in hindsight, Trey probably should have just built to the chorus. It’s not perfect but I thought the band was riffing and it was fun improv.

Phlip October 27, 2010, 14:51:15

I’ve been a phan since ’87 when these boys were playing in my living room. While I haven’t seen them perform in the last decade or so as life can keep one rather busy, I was really looking forward to seeing how far they’ve come musically, visually and stylistically. A long, long way. . . that’s how far. As a fairly seasoned concert goer, without preconceptions, the boys ripped it up last night! Well improvised with enough structure to keep the squeamish in check. Excellent ebb and flow and comforting to see them enjoying one another’s efforts, individually and collectively. If you truly love live music, then it doesn’t get much better. Was it brilliant from start to finish? No, not really but there were a dozen moments or more where everything coalesced beautifully. The hair on my neck was standing on end, goosebumps on the arms, I was able to dispense with all the little trivial (and not so trivial) worries and just enjoy the moment(s), and all in the world (or at least the arena) was “right.” I would much rather see musicians make it up as they go and do what they want with limited success than see a formulaic routine executed flawlessly. Where’s the adventure in that; I can buy the album. Last night Phish invited us to listen to the rubber meet their road and them tires were squealin’.

eric October 27, 2010, 15:18:43

This is an awfully tough review. Everyone, including some jaded vets like Mr. Minor, are scoring this show as a winner. I have given a couple of listens already today and think that it was a brilliant performance. The first set was great and the 2nd was also filled with great work from all the boys. IMO fishman actually stood out the most for me in this show, usually I’m all about the chairman of the board. A metaphor between Trey and a washed up NFL qb is just insulting to one of the best and most revelent guitarist of my generation. The llama reprise, I thought, was rather ingenious. Mango is a tough one but this version surpased any they have played so far in 3.0. I liked the no bass intro in weekapaug. In the end I guess what you term “The second set, however, was the sort of hit-and-miss jumble that can sometimes accompany a band whose audience encourages it to improvise rock music at hockey arenas.” is what I term “a live act with a wonderful history and willingness to try new and fun things be it in a hockey arena or the gorge. By far the best show to see is the phish from vt.”

Vandalay October 27, 2010, 15:26:51

You are a dickweed.all

hacksaw jim October 27, 2010, 15:48:34

I think people need to stop being so damned critical of Phish these days. When they chose the rolling stones “Exile on Main Street” as their halloween costume last year, it was more than just a cover of great album – it was a statement that obviously some people didn’t pick up on. Phish is not the same band they were in the acid drenched 90’s. They are more akin to the rolling stones these days – a great rock band that is pushing for longevity. I for one really like the direction and condition the band is in these days. Do people go to a stones shows and over analyze every note and song selection on the internet like it was their job? NO!!! People go to a rolling stones show to have a good time and rock out with their proverbial cocks out. I am sick and tired of jaded nitpickers on the internet ruining the post show experience. It is lame. Give the band a fucking break. Cut them some slack. “Their intent is for your delight.” I had to leave the opt stream chat room last night exactly because of this pompous phish bashing that is so easy to do on the interwebs. It is an internet only phenomena because no one at the shows is being a overly critical douche. It is what it is and it ain’t calculus or bio chemestry. Can some people still have fun without over ANALyzing everything? That was a dream setlist. period. end of story. Can this show hold up against the the greatness of other shows this fall such as charleston2 and utica? YES! Enjoy it while you can. life is too fucking short to be a jaded assclown critic.

joechip October 27, 2010, 16:19:59

Review of last nights show which doesn’t mention “Light” and the ensuing jam = FAIL

Sammy Martin October 27, 2010, 16:26:54

Thanks for the review. We all hear them differently. Last night looks great on paper so if it didn’t translate well ala via Trey then imo it’s because he’s playing like Frank Zappa..:)

Chris October 27, 2010, 16:33:47

What the hell is wrong with you people? What’s the point of a review if the guy simply wrote “best show eva” to satiate the narrow minded. We need to face some facts here: Trey has been inconsistent at best since 2000. He has good nights, but even those have plenty of slop thrown in for good measure. When he’s on, they can put on a great show. WHen he’s not, the other three can’t carry the momentum on their own. That’s where the Favre comparison comes in(trust me I know, I’m a vikings fan). You can feel great about his 300 yard game, but then he throws a pick a la Sand>the Horse, and you wonder “WHY? WHY TREY?”. And by the way, I don’t see the reviewer calling this a shit show. It had good moments, and it had bad moments. He basically liked everything except the Ghost outtro, the Weekapaug, and the Llama reprise. There are probably 3 or 4 shows since the return that were ALL good. As the man says “if you take risks, sometimes you’re gonna play shit”. So maybe you all need to actually, I don’t know, read the review before insulting the reviewer

early times October 27, 2010, 17:02:33

Ugh. The internet, which was once the greatest thing to happen to Phish has now become the worst. Arguing about whether someone’s review of a live Phish show is about the gayest (no offense to gays) thing that I’ve ever heard. Go to/listen to the shows and make your own judgments and understand that some people don’t see it your way. Nothing wrong with a bit of criticism. Mr. Minor uses superlatives so regularly they’ve basically lost all meaning. Kind of missing the old days, and for once it’s not because of the music.

Runaway Jim October 27, 2010, 17:13:43

Listening to set I now on LivePhish. Woah, mama. Grab a cold beverage, sit back and get down. This one is a keeper (as is just about this entire Tour).

carini October 27, 2010, 18:37:04

To the reviewer- “The audience encourages the band to improvise rock music at hockey arenas” ??? This is like saying Fans implore Rachel Ray to cook when she is on the set of her cooking show. Umm, that’s just what they do. Phish is an improvisational rock group. You don’t get Phish. Glad you enjoyed the first set, but honestly, it’s pretty apparent from that line and a bunch of other stuff in this review, you don’t get Phish.

yamutha October 27, 2010, 20:00:44

im only 23 and Ive seen phish 29 times and never left the show unhappy.. trey is nasty and never has an “off nights”.. maybe in the years when he was driving around with Herion and OCs on him but thats it. quit bitchin about nonsense, manch was rockin last night and im pritty sure everyone had a blast besides the snobby smelly wookies that were pissed because they “didnt play that song like that time back in 98 mannn” phuck you. get real.

Will October 27, 2010, 20:04:39

Ironically, this review sounds like the show itself. Good in places, severely lacking in other ones. I think the Favre/sports analogy – while not entirely without merit – comes off sounding like a vain attempt to be clever and topical.

Nolasox October 27, 2010, 21:18:29

I have no problem with a critical review of a Phish show, even one I thought was quite strong. I do, however, question how one can review last night’s show without discussing the Light. The final five minutes of the Light jam was perhaps the best part of the show.

pothead October 27, 2010, 21:20:37

nice comment philip ur on point

Chris October 27, 2010, 21:35:24

This review is like Brett Favre sending pictures of his junk… both ugly and unimpressive. And something no one wanted to see anyways.

@tmwsiy/ parker October 27, 2010, 22:29:00

scratching head pretty hard on this review. Everyone hears different things I guess, but I heard a stellar second set that flowed together practically seamlessly with a vibe I had not felt at a Phish show and a post-show glow unlike any in a long, long time. I really don’t know what people are looking for I guess. I could counter-point most of the negative statements about the second set, but everyone needs to listen and form their own opinion. I think this show will stand the test of time unlike most from ’09 and ’10. It wasn’t just good on the scale since Hampton, it was good on a scale of any Phish show. And for what it’s worth, I thought Show of Life was a stellar choice to end the bonanza in Manchester and capped a memorable show.

Jack-O October 28, 2010, 01:14:10

This is all very interesting. Since most people are posting their “qualifications”, then I will do the same. I am a 35 year old college English instructor who has been seeing Phish since 1993. I have traveled the country and seen them at their best and worse (trust me, yamutha, Trey does have his off nights). What I find interesting is the lack of acceptance for simple “critical commentary.” Adam Perry has done his best to authenticate our group experience by publishing a thoughtful and honest criticism — both positive and negative — of a band that so often is misunderstood by even the likes of Rolling Stone magazine. I could be purely subjective and say “The transition from Mango into Weekapaug was like being hit in the head” or “The encore was weak, lacked energy, and seemed to leave people in my section wondering what song they were going to play next.” Both of these things are true… from a certain point of view. However, what matters is being objective, and objectivity comes from study. We can only figure out if the Manchvegas show was good or bad by having people post comments about the SHOW, not the critical review. That only lets us know if the review was good or bad. Reviews are neiter good or bad; they are opinions, and as such only have weight when they are taken cumulatively. I only care that Perry worte something at all, not that I agreed or disagreed.
For the record (so we can begin posting relevant comments about the show, not perry’s review), I thought that Manchvegas was a flip-flop of a show. Each good song seemed to be followed by something that plodded along; each fast song seemed to be followed by something droning. This opinion is due to my bias, which is that I love Phish rock tunes and disdain “pretty Trey” songs. I think one thing is certain: I have listed to the “Mangopaug-llama” over and over and it strikes me as sloppy every time. That having been said, I still give the show a 10.7 (all Phish shows are 10 because even a “bad” Phish show is better than a “good” Celine Dion show). The boys were overall tight, crisp, and I like it when they have FUN onstage (remember before hiatus when Trey, at IT I think, held his guitar up and said “I won’t need this anymore!” Remember when he said he was “proud” of Mike on Charlie Rose? Douche.)
I, much like Perry, will keep picking apart Phish shows with my buddies, telling and retelling tales old and new, and even if I am critical of them, I will keep loving and touring with Phish.
And seriously… the encore sucked :)

Jimmy Page October 28, 2010, 04:54:06

I thought this was the best show I’ve seen since 1998 Worcester, MA… Wipe Out show. The first set was sprinkled with strong renditions of rarities non-stop and well structured. Then the second set was Steal Your Face jamming of their classic goto songs. The second set melted together like it was one giant piece of vibrations wobbling in and out of different tunes. Then suddenly they were playing another great combination of noise. Who cares if they missed a chord the transitions were amazing. I agree sometimes Phish misses, but not this show. I was there last night and I will remember this for a while.

burgerkingcrown October 28, 2010, 04:58:23

Terrible review. Great show though

Vermonter October 28, 2010, 16:51:41

Closing on on 200 shows starting in1992. Show was great, as good as you are going to get at this point. If you didn’t think so best to stay home.

Kyle October 28, 2010, 17:08:32

Wow, Qualifer been to almost 100 shows and there were only a few moments of the entire show that were not stellar. The first 6 songs were pretty much bustouts!!! I coulda walked out happy then. The only thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was walls of a cave and the encore. Other than that the first set was bustout city and the 2nd set was so smooth I mean the light not even mentioned. Everyone has their own opinion but to compare Trey to Farve is just wrong. We got everything you could ask for in a goog show. Like I said Ive been to almost 100 shows and I would put this one in the top 30. After Midnight opener??!! and then playing til just after midnight. That Makisupa was sick. I liked the review bc no show is perfect but saying trey is the quaterback for better or worse is just wrong. Everyone download the show and take a listen and hear for yourselves. They Kicked down so we could get down. And think about the set not one of their “Big Bang” songs like yem, hood, antelope, bowie, reba, etc. We wanted them to get in their repetoire and oh my friends they did. Ask any 1.0’er what they thought of the show and I bet they liked it.. People stop bitching online. If you dont like phish find another band bc they are back and on fire!!

green9 October 28, 2010, 18:23:55

Reading this review makes me wonder is I was at a different show. The tone throughout suggests the night was a train wreck, but meanwhile everyone I’ve talked to who attended this show agrees it was one of the best nights of the year (myself included). Not a single mention of the fact that possum, light and mikes song were far superior to the two versions of each played earlier in the week. Ghost was a throw down and I’m not sure how teasing a riff during a jam becomes a “failed attempt”. Weekapaug was not the standard 6 minutes of going through the motions we got twice earlier in the week and somehow that’s a bad thing? I go to shows to see phish take chances and build the energy in the room to explosive levels. They did those things with perfection in Manchester. Ps- Not sure what part of the crowd you were speaking with when you determined that show of life upset people, but I’ve yet to hear from anyone who was upset with it. In my opinion it couldn’t have been placed any better in the set list. On a practical note phish took the stage at 1147 for the encore so there was no time to relive the glory days of reba>number line.

TimClark October 28, 2010, 19:18:33

What other band plays two sets per night. Playing between 20- 28 songs. Covering a wide range of genres including new, original, and covers, all in one show. Its a phunky dance party. Phish always try to take an unexpected turn. I love it when they tease us. Especially if they mess up. They are human.

Adam October 28, 2010, 19:23:32

As you can tell from the various compliments and criticisms in my review, I thought portions of this show were incredible, portions were pretty good, and a few moments were awful.
That’s just my opinion. But what I’ve come to realize with hardcore Phish fans is that unless I write “this concert was the best ever played by any band in the history of the universe,” I’m going to get slammed. So be it. Just enjoy the music and be good to each other.

TimClark October 28, 2010, 19:37:32

My opinion is, don’t slam the person who wrote the review, right one yourself. We all have a view so please share. I wish I could have caught 1 show during the fall tour. Because they have jamming. Sometimes I want to hear more about the experience at show along the music.

Guyute October 28, 2010, 22:53:06

I was at this show as well as providence and Amherst. This show was the best I have seen, , except for this summer Alpine, since I was at Big Cypress. The flow was there, and it was spontaneous as well, it was IN THE MOMENT. The only soft spot was All of my Dreams. The rest of it was rock solid. Light show was spectacular. Scene was good too.

Owen Doflott October 28, 2010, 23:26:57

Unlike this review I never wanted Manchester to end. Such a good time and the Phishy-est Phish show I’ve heard since they’ve returned.

Mike October 29, 2010, 06:31:40

J-dub – your a joke First off, why do you feel it necessary to give your phish resume? What, because you have been seeing Phish since the mid 90’s that qualifies you more than any other fan to judge their performances? Please dude. Get over yourself.
Fans like you make me sick. Are you telling me that Phish hasn’t played sloppy shows? Please don’t tell me that. Are you one of those fans that thought Coventry was amazing? If so, go back and listen. Trey was high on smack the whole weekend and played like shit, butcher lyrics and missed notes, just as he did many other shows after 98.
Phish is one of the best live bands of all time. However, if you are going to sit there and suggest that Trey and the band have not had “Brett Farve” performances then you are kidding yourself. Even Trey would disagree with you.
Phish has been amazing the past two years. They are playing with an energy that has been missing since the mid 90’s. I couldn’t agree with the review any more. I have seen / listened to their last seven shows and there have been some moments where they have given an average performance at best… look no further than second set in Providence.
Again… get over yourself. Phish is a great live band. Moving forward I expect them to be as consistent as Tom Brady. But you are kidding yourself if you don’t think they will have some Brett Farve performances.

Adam Perry October 29, 2010, 19:28:38

Ok guys, in hindsight (via LivePhish.com) the “Mike’s Song” was a lot more remarkable than I remembered. In more astute technical language, it was “fucking ripping.” Other than that, however, on mp3 the show is as I remember: some very high points, some standard Phish fare, and a few very low points where things were just messy. Fun one to be at.

Lance October 30, 2010, 01:22:35

That show was Phish being Phish…the wacky band I’ve been listening to for a long time and that why I love them. They are so comfortable on the stage that they can try anything…wether it sounds sloppy to some or maybe it’s just crazy improv…all I know is that that was the longest llama ever…and I liked it, I really liked it!

Bathtub Jenn October 31, 2010, 17:13:45

They had fun. I had fun riding the rail with the old folks. Yes, they flubbed. Yes, they were tight at times. And yes, Show of LIfe was like doing Waste at the end of Portland 09. But it was still a fun show, and isn’t that what it’s all about? It was a unique show, and gave NH a show finally. NOW – Let’s stop talking about their ‘flubs’ and let’s start talking about gettin the NO2 off lot.

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Phish, Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, NH – 10/26

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