“And we’re glad, glad, glad, that you’re alive.”
If you were fortunate enough to make it to Shoreline Amphitheater last night in Mountain View, CA you were more than glad to be alive. But seriously, what a lyrical choice by guitarist Trey Anastasio to kick off the show, a show that wasn’t meant to be. Last night in Shoreline was supposed to take place last night in Lake Tahoe. Heavy, intense smoke from wildfires has been impacting the Lake Tahoe region for weeks, which caused the canceling of the shows and the smart, albeit difficult decision to move them to the venerable Bay area shed. What ended up taking place last night was legendary, a true modern Phish masterpiece delivering on so many levels.
“Glide” served as a poignant, kind opening gesture to the displaced fans that were able to make the four plus hour trek from Tahoe. Then Trey decided to bring us right into the heart of Gamehendge. As soon as the first notes of “Colonel Forbin’s Ascent” were dropped it was clear something special was about to take place at Shoreline. Going right into “Fly Famous Mockingbird”, three songs into the first frame, the band was grinning ear-to-ear and so were all in attendance.
Throughout the first set, the band kept linking up, locking in, and delivering. A couple of rarely played tunes punctuated the set with “If I Could” and “Weigh”, and the shredding during the set-closing “Moonage Daydream” was top-notch. But the real star of the set was “Stash”. Had there not been an all-time, legendary piece of improvisational music played in set two, this “Stash” would be at the top of the list for recent Type II excursions. It still deserves a deep, deep nod as a filthy, psychedelic must-listen-to gem reminiscent of when “Stash” was once more of a dynamic jam vehicle in the mid-to-late 90’s. What a set. What a delivery by Phish. But the best was yet to come.
When all was said and done last night in Shoreline, fans were treated to about half of the total Gamehendge saga, a magnificent “Hood” to close set two, and one of the bigger bust-outs in a long time with Axilla (Part II). The latter did have a rough moment in there, but hey, the last time they played it was 855 shows ago back in 1995, so I think that deserves a pass.
“Tela” is always an exceptional treat, as was “Fee” and “Wilson” in the encore slot. All that said, it’s really all about “Soul Planet” and the 47 minutes, yes, 47 minutes of insane improvisation music explored outside of the very few minutes of Type I structure at the start of the song. It’s hard to do the jam justice with words. It’s so long, yet had so many memorable sections of cohesion, exploration, and downright inspiration it’s amazing that it’s actually as long as it is.
Keyboardist Page McConnell and Trey have been feeding off each other intricately all tour. They did so in spades throughout this jam and bassist Mike Gordon seemed to provide the ultimate counter-bounce to support the interplay. Drummer Jon Fishman was a total MVP in this groove last night consistently keeping a flow that remained fresh and alive throughout the jam. Trey got to shred ferociously, and everyone took a leadership role at some point. This was a contemporary watershed moment when those of us that love this band so much can still smile knowing there is absolutely no one on the planet that is capable of doing what they do. Incredible.
What will probably be called the “Shoreline Soul”, or “Shoreline Planet” has already gone down in Phishtory. I like “Ocean is Love Jam”, but regardless, a legendary moment took place last night in Shoreline and who knows what will go down tonight. So many favorites are still on the table. I guess that’s what happens after a band known for being able to take it deep drops their third-longest piece of improvisational music of their career. Having attended the longest Phish jam ever on 11/29/97 (“Runaway Jim” Worcester) I can say that last night was a rollercoaster that actually kept my attention. The textures, themes, and spaces explored had such a dynamic flow to it, it’s truly astonishing it was all out of one song and held such cohesion. Fingers crossed for another heater tonight in Mountain View before the band heads East to Dick’s.
I also happen to be a Lake Tahoe local and am evacuated from my home on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe. I know many friends and locals who were unable to attend last night and I am feeling for each and every person impacted by the ongoing fires. There’s no substitute for a hometown show, but very cool of Phish to offer what they did last night.
Photos by Brennan Lagasse
