Phish fans finally got some official couch tour action last night when the band webcast their sold-out shows in Alpharetta, GA on June 15th and 16th. Despite some minor technical hiccups and a nasty thunderstorm that interrupted Mound on 6/16, the webcast itself was a truly special way to see Phish. The webcast was $24.99, but seeing a close-up of Trey and Fishman's faces during a particularly crunchy jam, Mike's bass bombs, and watching Page's fingers glide along the keys are truly priceless.
If only the two Alpharetta shows could match the quality of the stream. First off, both setlists were full of repeats of recent shows. The only unique songs of the tour to be played at these two shows were Dinner and A Movie, Ginseng Sullivan, Light Up and Leave Me Alone, Army of One, Birdwatcher>Kung, and Water in the Sky. The two second sets were disjointed and confusing, especially on the second night, which was just one set closer after another. Birdwatcher > Kung a capella was fun, but musically harmful to the ears.
It looks like Phish may have seen the disappointment of phans after these two shows, because last nights show in Charlotte featured one of the best set lists in awhile. The Mike's Song > Hydrogen > Weekapaug started off a little sloppy, but soon after the band founds it groove and played cohesively. As the first set played on, it seemed that the set list would carry on in a predictable fashion- until they busted out Colonel Forbin's Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird for the first time this summer. Also making appearances in the first set- Axilla I, which had not been seen since PNC 6/1- and Scent of A Mule, which was only seen for the first time this summer a week prior in Camden on 6/10.
With Phish's recent track record of great first sets and underwhelming second sets, there were no expectations for the second set. Opening with Backwards Down the Number Line and going into Rock and Roll, it at first seemed like this show was going in that direction. Until Phish finally- FINALLY!!!!!- played Ghost for the first time this summer, with high energy. The rest of the set kept that energy, and in the spirit of the bustouts came Icculus. Another great thing about this set- the reemergence of Fishman antics, which, except for the occasional "WHAT?" or goofy utterance, had been pretty tame this tour. Hold Your Head Up > Bike + vacuum solo > Hold Your Head Up was a welcome and hilarious divulgence that restored the faith for second sets. Finishing up with an amped up Chalkdust Torture and a slightly darker You Enjoy Myself, and a Wilson > Loving Cup encore, this Gamehendge friendly show reminded us that, yes, Phish still has "it"- "it" just needs to be found sometimes.
The Charlotte show has put the bar back up pretty high. I'm very interested to see what's in store for the rest of the weekend, a these are the final shows the band will be playing before Superball IX.
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