Mr. Miner’s Venue Thoughts: Phish Summer Tour 2012

Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, OH

[View From The Lawn Photo – Some rights reserved by Sonnett]

Riverbend is one of the few stops on Phish tour that still retains its original (read: retro) feel, and has never been renovated to my knowledge outside of this year’s addition of a new artificial lawn. When arriving at Riverbend’s secondary entrances, even the shoddy plastic signs announcing your presence scream of the late ‘80s—and that is part of its charm. Framed with rust colored metal stanchions, the venue isn’t the most eye-popping, but due to the cookie-cutter nature of modern amphitheatres, you gotta’ appreciate the aura of the few OG sheds that are still around. Last summer, Riverbend had one of few GA Pits that was legitimately patrolled by security guards and maintained a semblance of normalcy in terms of its crowd. This might be something to consider when looking for tickets.

First Niagara Pavilion, Burgettstown, PA

Though nothing specific stands out at Star Lake other than its extensive and gravel lot scene, this venue has become a favorite of Phish fans for the quality of shows the band has played there. Starting in 1997, Phish made Star Lake—a venue that has gone through countless corporate name changes—a routine stop on their way between the northeast and Midwest. And starting in the same year, the band has routinely crushed shows at the venue with 2000 and 2009 providing the only arguable exceptions. One tip, at this venue you might as well pay for VIP parking or bring a hibachi for post-show festivities, because you’re bound to wait in line for quite some time to get out of the main lots after the encore.

Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH

After only two headlining shows at Blossom over the first 25+ years of their career (1995 & 2000), this year will mark the third consecutive summer that Phish stops at the Cleveland area venue. Blossom’s pavilion has a rustic feel, and the wooden craftsmanship makes it seem smaller than its actual capacity. Plenty of space is available in the upper pavilion, especially in the oversized, flat “moat” between the seats and the lawn. Though unlike most amphitheatres, this area is not separated from the seats with stairs, but is on the same plane. This small detail makes a world of difference when watching a show from this popular locale, as the sound is far better than in most walkways of summer, creating a legitimate option for those looking to ditch seats in favor of dance space. With a unique shape to its roof and a pastoral aesthetic, Blossom is a nice change from all the Verizon Wireless Amphitheares that speckle the country.

Klipsch Music Center, Noblesville, IN

I love Deer Creek and always have. The surrounding campgrounds, grassy lot scene, and its placement amidst cornfields in Indiana gives the venue a unique vibe among summer Phish shows. All fans seems a bit more laid back when tour hits Noblesville, partly due to the fact that we usually get to stop and rest for a multi-night stands (in every year except 1995 and 2009). When you get inside the venue, Deer Creek appears to be similar to any other shed on tour. But it isn’t, and I can’t totally describe the reasons why. The venue somehow achieves a more intimate feel than most, despite its 20,000 plus capacity. The aisles between the sections in the pavilion are unusually wide, growing more spacious as you go up, and turning into dance sections once the show gets going. I’ve always found the sound at Deer Creek to be crisper and the fans more respectful than at most tour stops, providing the feeling of a musical church juxtaposed to the frat party of Alpine Valley. And on stage, the band has historically responded, playing stellar show after stellar show in the cornfields throughout their career. After skipping their signature run of Deer Creek and Alpine last year, it will be nice to get back to Phish’s fields of dreams.

Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI

[Alpine Valley Photo – Some rights reserved by PedalFreak]

There are two lawns that you really want to avoid on this summer tour, and Alpine Valley’s is one of them. Boasting a slope steeper than many Olympic downhill skiing courses, it’s a wonder people stay on two feet throughout the show. After spending a show on this lawn back in the day, my shins hurt so much from attempting to dance on the extreme angle, I vowed never to return to that confounded hill. And once you step into the giant wooden amphitheatre, the entire venue changes. Though not containing a hell of a lot of space to maneuver, if you post up in the right spot in the pavilion, the sound at Alpine is quite juicy. However, it is definitely one of those venues that one has to sacrifice sound for space and vice versa. Phish has a propensity to throw down big-time shows at Alpine to match its mammoth environs, and everything always seems to work out just fine.

Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY

[Jones Beach Photo – Some rights reserved by Joe Shlabotnik]

There are two positive aspects to Jones Beach that likely make it an enjoyable venue for most fans—the crystal-clear, open-air sound and the aquatic backdrop. While many venues are near the water, Jones Beach is right on South Oyster Bay in Long Island. So much so, that if you decide to hang out on the sides of the lower pavilion, you are one railing away from ducks, salt water and seaweed. In addition to the unique setting, the sound at Jones Beach is great. Wherever I have been throughout the venue in this era, the revamped sound system at Nikon Theatre has been booming and clear, something that is hardly a given at summer sheds. The roofless nature contributes to the superb sound quality, making this venue a spectator’s dream. But, I gotta’ say, if you prefer to dance at shows—meaning not in a seat—Jones Beach is the pits. While there is always dance space to find at every venue—indoor or outdoor—Jones Beach has virtually none that I have discovered. An overzealous security team in the lower pavilion forces you into rows, and the rest of the joint is filled with metal railings and seats. One other down point is that as you move up, the two upper sections are “stadium seating” that seem unnecessarily removed from the stage. In essence, Jones Beach has some good points and some bad points depending on your perspective.

Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY

SPAC’s surroundings in Saratoga Spa State Park always make it a welcome addition to the touring docket. But there are some things that you should know when entering this place. First off, remember where you park! If you come out the wrong exit from the venue, you have a long and confusing walk in your immediate future. With parking lots far away from each other and a generally disorienting set up, I’ve spent some time trudging through the park after SPAC shows.

Secondly, and more importantly, this is the second lawn to avoid at all costs on this tour. If you are on the lawn, a place I have been for the Phil and Friends half of the GRAB tour in ’06, you are simply not in the concert. You might as well bring a picnic and a boombox, because it feels like you’re that removed from what is going on inside. You are forced to watch jumbotrons because you can’t see the stage, so if you’re into the more casual social scene at Phish shows, by all means, hang on the lawn. But once you step inside, the amphitheatre is amazing—on two levels. SPAC contains a legendary balcony that people rave about and that, allegedly, bounces when the show gets bumpin’. The lower pavilion has been remodeled for this era, and while having a bit less space than the original setup, is still an incredibly high quality show experience.

Lastly, the third thing you must know about is the bathroom situation. There are only two places where there are bathrooms, down low on left side of the lower pavilion or at the very top of the hill, which is a fairly long walk from inside. The lower ones get mobbed at setbreak, so consider that set-closing Suzy Greenberg piss if the opportunity strikes!

Thus completes our tour of Phish’s Leg One stops. June and early July are filled with classic venues that the community has descended upon many times before, so if familiarity breeds comfort, then we should all feel right at home regardless of where we pop in and out tour.

You can read more from Mr. Miner at Phish Thoughts or in his book. We’ll be sure to repost this article just before the tour begins for a refresher on these venues.

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11 Responses

  1. I’ve seen too many shows to count at Jones Beach, and I am honestly shocked to hear you praise it’s sound system. I’m assuming you’ve never seen a show there on a windy day, because if you did, you would know the sound blows around like a baby being tossed in a tornado. I love the scenery at Jones Beach, and I agree with you about the overzealous security and lack of dance space, but when it comes to sound, it’s pretty shoddy. On a windless day (which is rare at a venue set on a water front) the sound quality is decent. But beyond that, one could think they are having sound hallucinations while sober, as sound waves will blow every which way under the sun.

    1. Russ is exactly right, the sound at Jones Beach is mediocre on a placid night, and horrid and confusing when the weather isn’t perfect.

      The balcony at SPAC is pretty cool, and I can attest to the powerful sway and movement of it. Awesome.

  2. FWIW – SPAC is apparently revamping the lawn sound system for the better…but expect the views to still suck, since the overhang structure goes down about 10 feet off the ground.

  3. also Blossom! great venue! great shows i’ve been seeing them there since ’95 great lawn,sound, and last year was a steller show!! ..also Cinn. has a NO Backpack stupid rule;(

  4. So true on spac its my home town venue and the lawn blows. the balcony is where its at but ive had lawn seats in 2010 and when the lights hit the lawn you totally feel like its your own party

  5. The balcony in the pavillion at spac sways and bounces so much I found myself grabbing for the metal railing to catch my balance. Thousands of tons of metal, concrete, and humans should not all move simultaneously like that!

  6. i git some inside info that Phish will be 2 nights at Bonnaroo. i agree there are way to many people. it only gets bigger and bigger each year. manchester is 25 minutes from my house, so it is a no brainer for me to go. so i am oh so juiced for phish. and that is about all there and i can maneuver thru the madness. so being a north easterner would be nice. i would have more options to see phish.

  7. The bathrooms at SPAC are nothing compared to the disater at the DCU center. Everyone I know was pissing in those aluminum beer bottles. It litterally borders on unsafe and I’m surprised people didn’t piss their pants. It wouldn’t surpise me if the wait was 45 minutes.

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