Review: Phish @ Camden, Night One
Phish @ Susquehanna Bank Center, June 24
Phish, continuing its 2010 summer tour, spent the first of two nights in Camden, NJ in a laid-back & playful mood. Kicking things off with David Bowie, the fans were sure that Phish was going to have fun that night. Starting off with one of the more compositionally challenging songs of the Phish canon, Trey Anastasio spent the first couple minutes keeping to himself – luckily his deep concentration resulted in a near-flawless execution of the bouncy lines he’d written decades ago. A false vocal start during Water In The Sky had Trey & Page light-heartedly poking fun at themselves. A refreshing Uncle Pen showed Mike having a blast, especially during his bass solo.
Following a Boogie On Reggae Woman that was the first real dance breakdown number of the evening (including two foot-bell calls from Mike), were a whole slew of much anticipated songs. Of note were the concise Gumbo, the dark Timber, and a speedy Birds of a Feather. Welcoming the audience to the concert, Trey took an opportunity before Fishman stole the limelight in I Didn’t Know to discuss his prediction at last year’s Camden show that the Philadelphia Flyers would win the Stanley cup. Having not won this year, Trey let the audience knew that Fishman would play a “voodoo” solo to “summon the spirit of the beast” and “guarantee” a Flyers victory in the future.
An energized crowd started a “Let’s Go Flyers!” chant that led to an impromptu call-and-response with Fishman’s vacuum solo – a special treat indeed for Phish fans. A seemingly long first set (13 songs) featured an unexpected Reba and concluded with the classic Led Zeppelin tune, The Rover. As the band began the scorching classic-rock ode, confused fans turned to one another asking “Is this a Zeppelin song?” The song featured melodic riffs and multiple sections brimming with fluid chord changes. Page took the helm at lead vocals and pushed the top of his range in a stunning performance, pleading “If we could just join hands!” during the song’s chorus.
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next Tuesday and are primed for a breakout year of their own, managed to turn a truncated 45-minute set into a free-wheeling showcase of their boozy, country-infused, folk-rock.
at the Bowery Ballroom on March 6th. The sold-out show, an ages 16-and-over affair with three warm up bands (The Babies, Cloud Nothings, Parts & Labor), had the feel of hardcore matinee, with swarms of angsty punk-lusting teenagers idling in packs around the venue. Alas, it seemed many of the teenage fans, some accompanied by their supportive parents, car keys in hand, had been shuffled out the door and shuttled back to the suburbs by the time the headliners took the stage just after midnight. By the time Titus Andronicus went on, the crowd had grown decidedly older, the room darker and hotter, as the house lights went down and fans filed into the venue.
