Overall solid show start to finish. Tight playing, but missing “that one jam,” with the exception of MOMA, which probably last spread its wings in ‘17 maybe? The second set techno/abstract prog of Ass Handed through Ghost is well worth listening to. SYSF is beautiful in the last couple minutes, which paired with CK5’s lights was otherworldly on the lawn. I mean it was seriously some gorgeous playing. Ghost is the real deal! So here’s the thing with Phish for me that I’ve noticed; when I’m listening to a show for the first time, either in concert or on tape, if a jam is real tasty, I’m the world’s worst timekeeper. For instance, I remember the Deer Creek Sand felt like 18-20 minutes and was shocked I’d witnessed 35 minutes of a jam when I saw the official SBD times. This Ghost is the same feeling, but opposite timing. It went through some serious peaks and then another section of Ass Handed quotes with some music teetering on the verge of type II, I thought it was easily in the 17-20 minute range lol. Timing be damned, this is an exciting Ghost that forgoes the usual Gin-like approach that’s been well established since 2009. David Bowie was a great call to end the set. Normally I’m not a big fan of this song in 3.0/4.0, but this one had some extra mustard on it and Trey absolutely nails the trills at the end. Or at least I remember thinking that in person, and I tend to be pretty critical of this song the few times I’ve seen it.

The only thing that sucked for me about this show were the people around me chatting nonstop through the second set and a venue worker walking through our section yelling “LAST CALL FOR ALCOHOL” sometime in the middle of the second set. Dude has an impressive yell as I could still here him as he walked past me to 100s of yards away, but it was kind of a mood killer. Hopefully the venue is a bit more liberal with alcohol sales on Saturdays.

Overall great show with couple of jams worth revisiting. I’m feeling a 3.75 +/- .1. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store!

17th show last night and back to where it all began for me in 2009, Hello Wisconsin! There were highs (nudge nudge wink wink...errr) and there were some lows. First, I didn't realize that this wasn't the RATM show, I read the calendar wrong (ba dum tsss).

I thought that they blasted out of the gate strong with Fuego, I was like, okay, this could be really exciting, off to a GREAT start, locked in and getting the crowd fired up (I'm here for two more nights, folks! Please tip your servers!). Then they immediately slowed it down with Clear Your Mind, and I said okay, I have no idea where this thing is headed. The interplay of CYM into Twist was great, the counterpoint singing was on point (see what I did there?) but I felt like they didn't commit to the silliness enough that can get that sweet, sweet cosmic mojo flowing. Let me note, based on my limited number of shows, I thought that technically they sounded great, they were very, very tight. But about at the point when they started up Halley's Comet, my wife (the true vet, Alpine '98) and I looked at each other and asked, are we going to get another paint-by-the-numbers show here?

We were fortunate enough to get to Deer Creek on the spring tour for three nights and have been listening to the rest of the shows this year on LP (I just have no idea how this band makes any money ????), so we are quite familiar with this tour's setlists. If you checked the gap chart for last night's show (you clever statisticians you), you'll see that the average was over 12, but that was only because of Destiny Unbound, which had been waiting in the wings since last October. Side note- We were also at the phenomenal Deer Creek run last year, and I'm referring to the Saturday night show in particular. If you look at the gap chart for that one, it was at about a 10 but the energy and jams were so good that they could have played the entire SO album start to finish and it wouldn't have mattered. So to travel the width of a circle, we are hoping that they go deeper and/or wider the rest of the weekend, as the comment about this summer tour has been "Reliable, but safe".

Moving on, there were some wonderful jams sprinkled (Sparkled? Nope, still chasing) throughout the night. We're listening back to the show now and the songs other people have referenced as being solid (Moma, David Bowie is a must-listen as well) are what we are hoping for the rest of the weekend. I would like to point out that the section of the hill we were dancing in was very chill, and other than the Alpinist skills required to get around (Could we get a ski-lift put in? Just asking) I LOVE this venue.

Ultimately, it was really fun and I can't wait to see what happens the next two nights. Oh and I'm calling a cover open tonight...hmm... acapella I Am The Walrus due to the multiple Beatles songs they've been doing lately.

See ya out there!

(View from the couch) with a two year old and a two month old the chances are exceedingly rare these days that I might catch a Phish show live. Hoping 2023 is the year for me and my wife to get back to some real normalcy. So the luxuries afforded us in this digital age, like live streams and webcasts, while possibly lost on others as sacrilege, with sentiments like, “you just had to be there,” or “webcasts don’t count!” Are actually the only option or outlet to connect to what we used to love to do in person: go see Phish on tour.

Anyway, got to catch the first set of this one. Damnit if they had to play DWYS again which always knocks this aging brethren out. It was a solid half of Music with excitement spawning out of MOMA, energetic takes on Clear Your Mind and Destiny Inbound and real treat in a Twist. What really caught my attention was the looseness of the band and in particular, Trey Smiles. Trey just couldn’t stop goofball laughing throughout the first half.

Anyway. Much love to y’all.

Mahalo Nui
Matthew

[Show notes only. GREAT seats, PAV row R (1st above pit, just behind accessible seating), flanked stage right. Best/most complete show of the 3, in my opinion; 4-stars here]:

Lots of energy to start. Fuego good choice to open weekend. Nice seg into Twist led wholly by fish. Excellent jam, emotive. Trey brings back, not best but clean, good. Likewise choice for vocal rain (?). Haley's perfect selection, energy sustained.

Haley's key changes fun, big smiles from trey and all around.. jam? Destiny, not perfect again but kinda perfect. High energy again. Jam?! Real tight, blues/purple with brief mood change before Chorus and out. Trey wants to do something.. not happening. Outro.

Funk continues with Moma. Fish sample, big laughs from trey. More classic structure, guitar melody/oh's.... real on point tonight. Hold that Key change! Delay. Scramble bliss. Blues/purples. Darker space within shade. Queue ck5 1st real [involvement]. Jam exploration channels tunnels, caves. Hidden beauty. Unknown elements. Losing track of time within darkness. intensifying. Exponential build. Immediate highlight. Rainbow madness. Peak! "Is this still moma?" Holy fuck. Perfection.

DRIFT. Earthbound indeed. Perfect choice to breathe. Tis the code. Executed very well, reggae section a bit shaky per usual. Not going to interrupt this set! Lots of love in the room. Played with energy, sincerity. Appropriate stop, left wanting more. (Near) yes perfect set. 8.53

II - 9:30, music 932
Ass handed --> insta hose.. well insta type 2 at least. 1st jammed out Ass
SYSF, nice execution, practice makes perfect. Nice drumming. Steady left pulse. Amid gossamer, floating jam, skies opening >
Golden age. Bliss, edge, bliss, nice syncopation fish. Searching... found perhaps via errant path.
Glow stick hits piano Lonely Trip, after vessels pass.
GHOST highlight, trey led. Red, darkness ass handed reprise, up tempo. 2.0 meets 4.0 kinda piper-esque
Howling. Troy howlers. Tempo taken back a tad, trey. Trey synth didn't take > chorus.
Simple (kiss method? [keep it simple stupid] ) nice call. Mellow spaces, it's the simple things. 4 [chord] held by gordo...
BOWIE. Good ripcord. Minor misstep composed 1. Rene stage right [during] composed 2.
Jam starts way back, lots of room to grow. Happy place, Page nice, trey comp. Full moon emerges from behind clouds. Positive ions. Excellent contrast from Pine Knob. Perfectly back to form, frenetic. Greatness. 1046
Lizards. Nice easy dynamic. No rush, gentle, secure.

4 more sets. Beauty send off, until we met again. Page says no... more.

This is largely for me. I understand about 90% of the notes. Pardon the rigmarole.

So great to be back at the home of Phish for so many Midwesterners, myself included (it’s as near a home venue for this South Dakotan as I’ve ever had and the site of my first shows in 2004). Indeed, the geographical extent of the market served by Alpine’s 40,000 capacity amphitheater brings a lively mix of regional audiences all points south, west, and east, contributing to a celebratory atmosphere of arrival. We made it! Clear your mind!

Trey seemed intent on demonstrating his lead chops through tight, major key bliss and rock. The first three quarters stayed within the fairly standard awesome range, which Moma’s departure a lone but noted exception. Starting with Ghost, which struck me as maybe being too late to deliver, shifted the dynamic decidedly to darker and minor key exploration, which bled seemlessly into my first encounter with The Howling, a serene Simple, and to my ears the song of the night in David Bowie. The latter never really found it’s place in 3.0 amidst the reinvention of so many other old guard deep cuts, but this version is attacking, undeterred, and transcendent. We’ll always ask for More Lizards, and in the encore slot? Thanks much!

I expect some different layers to emerge as the weekend continues. Regardless, we’ll get our asses handed. It’s Alpine. It’s what happens here.

17th show last night and back to where it all began for me in 2009, Hello Wisconsin! There were highs (nudge nudge wink wink...errr) and there were some lows. First, I didn't realize that this wasn't the RATM show, I read the calendar wrong (ba dum tsss).

I thought that they blasted out of the gate strong with Fuego, I was like, okay, this could be really exciting, off to a GREAT start, locked in and getting the crowd fired up (I'm here for two more nights, folks! Please tip your servers!). Then they immediately slowed it down with Clear Your Mind, and I said okay, I have no idea where this thing is headed. The interplay of CYM into Twist was great, the counterpoint singing was on point (see what I did there?) but I felt like they didn't commit to the silliness enough that can get that sweet, sweet cosmic mojo flowing. Let me note, based on my limited number of shows, I thought that technically they sounded great, they were very, very tight. But about at the point when they started up Halley's Comet, my wife (the true vet, Alpine '98) and I looked at each other and asked, are we going to get another paint-by-the-numbers show here?

We were fortunate enough to get to Deer Creek on the spring tour for three nights and have been listening to the rest of the shows this year on LP (I just have no idea how this band makes any money ????), so we are quite familiar with this tour's setlists. If you checked the gap chart for last night's show (you clever statisticians you), you'll see that the average was over 12, but that was only because of Destiny Unbound, which had been waiting in the wings since last October. Side note- We were also at the phenomenal Deer Creek run last year, and I'm referring to the Saturday night show in particular. If you look at the gap chart for that one, it was at about a 10 but the energy and jams were so good that they could have played the entire SO album start to finish and it wouldn't have mattered. So to travel the width of a circle, we are hoping that they go deeper and/or wider the rest of the weekend, as the comment about this summer tour has been "Reliable, but safe".

Moving on, there were some wonderful jams sprinkled (Sparkled? Nope, still chasing) throughout the night. We're listening back to the show now and the songs other people have referenced as being solid (Moma, David Bowie is a must-listen as well) are what we are hoping for the rest of the weekend. I would like to point out that the section of the hill we were dancing in was very chill, and other than the Alpinist skills required to get around (Could we get a ski-lift put in? Just asking) I LOVE this venue.

Ultimately, it was really fun and I can't wait to see what happens the next two nights. Oh and I'm calling a cover open tonight...hmm... acapella I Am The Walrus due to the multiple Beatles songs they've been doing lately.

See ya out there!

Listening to this show now, and it’s grossly underrated per usual. It’s an amazing breakout set 1 to catapult everyone on this alpine 3 night run. Blessed to have been here. The energy was electric. Phish in Wisconsin in the Summer equals a fucking great time. See you all there this Summer. Going to be awesome for everyone attending . Saving money to attend DC and Grand Rapids too. Maybe squeeze in St Louis while I’m at it. Happy Phishing everyone