^ Dude that Weekapaug is HUGE. And I’ve been thinking that all tour: this shit sounds like some old Phish. So so so dissonant and harmonious at the same time. I am just beyond excited for New Years right now!
This is seriously the best show of 3.0 so far. I know people say that about shows all the time, but this one is special. Absolutely unbelievable playing, start to finish. My review starts with the second set, though. Possum is raging for a full 10 minutes, and then an excellent Light with great jamming and more Manteca teases. This goes into a strong, purposeful Mike’s with lots of evil licks from Trey. I don’t usually like Simple, but this one is really beautifully played, especially by Trey. Makisupa is funny; I think Trey might be smoking a bit again after hearing that lyric, but who knows. Night Nurse is one of the biggest treats one the show. When Trey sings the lyric “there’s a patient by the name of Gregory” you can hear the crowd explode. Very beautiful version of that song. Ghost -> Mango is great, solid jamming there as well. And then the bomb drops. This Weekapaug is unreal!!! Teases of like 5 different songs, and then, just as they finish the song, boom goes the dynamite and Llama comes flying out of left field (although Trey was playing the chords during the final strumming section, I don’t think anyone expected a full-on reprise). Out of control high energy in a song that is less than one minute, and when they hit that last collective note, the place explodes. And rightfully so. That second set is a gorgeous masterpiece, one for the ages.
And by the way, I love the Show of Life encore. I like that song more and more every time I hear it, and I would much rather hear it than something like Waste, so it fills its slot in the show very well. After playing with such outrageous energy for the whole show, I think the band deserved to chill out and play one like this. Plus, Trey’s solo is downright sublime (as always), and if for nothing else, it is worth a listen for that.
MVP (other than Mike because I think he is the overall MVP of 3.0): Trey. Big Red has still got it folks, and this show is extremely solid proof. The kind of dark, wacky, dissonant stuff he has been doing lately is very reminiscent of '96 and earlier, and I love it. I have always thought that Phish’s decline began in the Fall of 1997 (::dodges bullets::), and it is so great to hear the fun come back to their playing. Up until now, Trey was the only one holding it back, and now that he is into it 100% again, the sky is the limit!
