SKIN IT BACK, AND WHAT DO YOU HAVE, A WARM GUN...

by mgolia6, July 03, 2012 9:52 pm

      Phish began their east coast return in style and much of what is conjured of Little Feat is that gritty primal urging instinct to something that feels wrong yet so right. (Heroin comes to mind, or just the act of shooting up- sorry for the buzz kill) But when Happiness dropped, presenting the same theme as Kin it Back, just in a completely different platform, I was all smiles. I had to skin back (yup, i went there) my expectations after what seemed like, and was a four minute Tube, hoping, like the Halleys that dropped later, we were in for a loop session and start stop jamming that lingers on the forefront of my mind as soon as the opening lyrics of that song are sent hurling from the stage. But with Trey working off effects alla Camden 2009, that jaded sound that lulls one in and makes them feel invincible and vulnerable all at once, we were certainly in for a fully formed entity compact into that four minute realm. And though Happiness is a Warm Gun definitely made me feel special, so many years after the initial time this song was played, and beyond that Mike's Groove, followed by the teasingly simple Halley's bled into Axilla, bled into Ya Mar, into Joy, and I thought the set was ending. And then Jesus, Jesus, oh how that bloody bloke left Chicago, in need of some saving, and Paige's solo gave way to smoking guitar, which foreshadowed the second set Walk Away scorcher yet to come, Number and Golgi just solidified this longer than ever first set! Something happened, but what? Huge gaps between songs 2000 plus in the first four songs! Set Break boiled up more anticipation then the last few weeks since Worcester, brimming to explosion.
     
      Set two, like Miner specified a few times in past reviews, conveniently, was filled with a highlight of summer, a highlight reel, and contender for top summer jam, a far and away bombastic couplet, (or triplet) of Golden- bloody-Sand, or (Chalky Golden Sand), which proceeded to venture into type two and type three jamming, areas relegated to area 51, the ether as it were, where all of our conspiratorial dreams go to be forgotten. When the ship landed twenty five minutes later, we had come through loops and funk, ambiant jamming and groove based improvisation that fueled my dancing shoes, and the legs attached. A deep in the second set Wolfman's->Walk Away appeared and blew the walls off the wall free Jones Breach(freudian slip) setting, and when everyone had given up on the set, in the VIP area, with Trey swatting the Bug-call, helped to cripple the crowd, (as Bailey always says, just wait five minutes, everyone will be rocking) so I got some dance space back. Yours truly was in blissful awakening. Fluff, Wedge, gave way to lightning in a bottle, complete with Miko- Gordo call and response. And as Zero was launched, I was left dreaming, boiling this one down to one of those shows (cooking down) I was so uncertain of, even in it's birth, existence, and completion, but knew my evening had been enhanced once again. I love this band, and I love that tonight they sent me on a fucking trip, once again, with nothing more than ambiance, and musical instruments! (oh yeah, and some ninja like skill!)