Postcards From Page Side: Super Ball IX

Now, for those that actually attended, I ask you: how was your experience?  Did the smaller crowd allow for you to enjoy yourself more? If so, how and why? I know for me, it was easier to meet up with certain friends, to gain a certain vantage point on the concert grounds and I simply saved time walking back to my RV and campsite than at previous festivals, which seemingly felt like you were miles from civilization and could never return until bedtime. Also, did the VIP options that I covered in a previous PFPS, Baller’s Ball, really impact your experience that much or at all?  I for one think it made logistics a little easier knowing where certain crews of mine were, and didn’t affect my weekend negatively at all, and in fact made it easier. Let me know what you think in the poll and comments below…

But at the heart of the matter is still Phish. And when we talk Phish, we undoubtedly focus on the music. With each and every set clocking in at 90 minutes-plus (my old Maxell 90’s are crying somewhere), Phish delivered the goods in my mind, blowing away any expectations that I had. Whether it was busting out songs like Life on Mars?, stretching out the newest cover anthem in Golden Age or simply playing some top-ever versions of their own material (Mound, Party Time and Wilson) Phish seemed to be relaxed and having fun – which I felt was reflected by the crowd as a whole. So, lastly, and most importantly in my mind, I ask you one final question: How did Phish stack up musically at Super Ball IX?

Overall, no matter what your take on Phish and Super Ball IX, a few things need to be stated. First, the band still knows how to stage a festival. In a day and age when festivals are seemingly becoming stale (stay tuned for a future column on this), the granddaddy’s of them still find ways to keep it fresh, whether it be the Ball Square with a Pinball Arcade, Big Screen and surround sound for a surprise secret set at 1:30AM.

Musically, as I said above, Super Ball were some of my favorite shows of the Summer, and since the band’s return at Hampton in 2009. While I pine, like many of you, for the days of the mid-’90s, the fact is that both the band and the fans are older and more mature (well, in their case anyway). Our lives and priorities have changed and that simply translates to having a different experience. I’m not saying it’s less fun or moving or important to our lives, just different. And let’s face it, those days of the mid and late ’90s are GONE…never to be repeated. The sooner we all realize that those days are likely never to be seen again, the better off we ALL will be in enjoying the current version of Phish that is happening as we speak. After Super Ball IX, I’d like to think that even the most jaded of vets in the Phish camp has to at least acknowledge that the band has some of their magic left: whether it be musically, artistically and certainly in throwing a festival in their grand scheme – even if the attendance numbers are much smaller.

Regardless of your take, thank you Phish for continuing to do what you do and for yet another amazing festival experience.

Here’s 100 of Andy Hill’s best Super Ball IX photos to give you a visual of the entire event…