The hoards of people surging towards the gates of the venue at Camden – who knows the amphitheater is called this year – were ready for the show. They were screaming and whooping in waves, overcome with anticipation and the spoils of a glorious, sunny day on the lot at a Phish concert.
[All photos by Jeff Volckhausen]
It was the sound of the circus come to town, and it brought with it a smile – it was a sound missing at Jones Beach, despite how truly excellent those three nights were. Inside, the place was packed from the stage lip to the fences as Phish hit the stage running with Chalk Dust Torture, followed by a stellar version of Fee during which Trey flubbed the lyrics, started laughing and then joined with Page for a rich, deeply hued jam that grew and glowed organically, reds and purples across the stage and ember colors creeping from behind the cloud cover over the Philly skyline. It was unique, and a sign of things to come.
To start the improv in Wolfman’s Brother, Fishman set to dancing brightly, drawing everyone else into his groove. The guitar was lacing between Mike’s slapping lines, a clavinet spilling over top it all, and eventually Trey swung the lead up and cut loose, wailing to a shattering peak – the second in what would be a night of stellar thematic jams.
READ ON for more of Dan’s thoughts on Phish @ Camden…
