, attached to 2015-01-02

Review by Slewfoot

Slewfoot Wow. Wow. Wow. The boys brought it tonight with a second set that is an absolute must hear. The setlist looks excellent enough on paper, but the performance took it to another level.

The first set started out very similar to the night before with two song openers and then the third song normally being a set closer. Great energy and a great way to get the crowd engaged from the beginning. The set was solid all the way through except for a few Trey flubs in The Line. It didn't have much improvisation, but very nice song choices with a good all around vibe.

The second set? Not sure where to start. Any Mike's set opener is a welcome treat. As soon as the jam kicked in things began to get thick and deep. A big fat groove was laid down by Mike and Fish with Trey and Page dancing all around it. The 46 Days that followed was amped up and ready to go. This is one of those songs that seems to work well in any slot. As the song was winding down Trey started chopping away signifying that this was no normal version. After a few minutes I said to my friend Jeff that "46 Days has left the building!" An upbeat funk jam kept the party going with everyone in the room seeming to catch on. You had to wonder if they would take it further and further, but just as that thought enters your mind Fishman starts the drumming for Weekapaug. It was a bit startling for a moment, but all was quickly forgiven. The boys kept pushing this version into new territories with the first half being 90's style jamming before quickly jumping into 2015.

What ensued next was some of the most unique music I've heard them do and will undoubtedly be discussed and disected for years to come in Phish lore. As the music was becoming funkier and darker Trey moved over to Fish's Marimba Lumina with a huge grin on his face the entire time. Page started throwing out some dense notes at which point Mike perhaps thought they were bass-y enough where he could do something else. He then picked up Trey's guitar for some reverberating, dissonant, punctuating notes and chords. The jam had such incredible texture. Sometimes Mike's guitar would start to get out there, but Trey and Fish held tight to their pocket and never let it go. Picture this Summer's Chicago Scent of a Mule mixed with Phish Funk mixed with the band Rush and you'll have an idea of what this sounded like. Eventually they had to let it go and as they all returned to their instruments I thought, "they should go back into Weekapaug" which is exactly what they did to put the finishing stamp on tbis epic version. Surely one of the finest Weekapaug's they've ever done.

A welcome Fuego came next with a few minutes of extended improv that stayed close to the song structure itself. The Slave that followed was tremendous (have they ever played a bad one?). I have a feeling this Slave will get overlooked when people discuss this show which would be a disservice. It was tight and concise with a peak for the ages. Trey shredded for the last minute and half of the song that brought to mind a Morning Dew and I don't use that term lightly. Fantastic. The 2001 was the perfect choice to get the groove flowing again. This song never disappoints and is always one of Kuroda's finer moments. They nailed the peaks and I thought that was going to end the set, but the band felt differently playing an immense Walls of the Cave. Unnecessary at that point, but they nailed every change and peak to such an extent that your jaw hit the floor. Whew! The Sleeping Monkey>Rocky Top encore had a wonderful celebratory feel and brought me back to 8-13-96 Deer Creek which is one of my favorite shows ever attended.

In summary, get this show. While I haven't heard them all, this and Merriweather night 2 are probably my favorites in recent years. Time will tell how it holds up, but right now it feels pretty damn epic. Thanks, boys!


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