10 Phish Summer Wishes. Err… Whatever.
Phish is gearing up for summer tour. These would be cool.
By Eric Frank
June 10, 2016
Aahhh… it’s that time again. Time to let the weird out. Time to reconvene with tens of thousands of our closest friends. Time to let loose, shed the weights and responsibilities of jobs, the monotonies and stressors of our daily life and pave our collective way onward with a band that has shown us how to do just that for nearly 40 years now. As we gear up for summer tour, here’s a list of things we’d love to see, but as we all know, no matter how it goes down, there’s no such thing as a bad Phish show!
1. New Songs
This seems to be the most obvious expectation, especially given Trey's recent sit-down with Rolling Stone in which he describes the progress of their new album. "I do think we'll be playing [the new tunes] this summer!" says Anastasio, clearly excited that the band is "firing on all cylinders right now."
As a fellow musician (though contrary to the desires all too often had by music fans), I’ll attest that bands love playing new material. It presents a new challenge, forces the brain to think differently, and pushes music into new, unexplored airspace. Simply put: it's a welcome change of pace. Listening to a song develop over time can be a real treat. Look no further than "Taste" to see how a song can evolve from an idea into a majestic and complex arrangement.
Given the success of the Bob Ezrin-produced Fuego in 2014, phans can expect the same high quality sound and structure of a new Ezrin-produced record in 2016. All four band members are said to have contributed songs to the batch while a few tunes that debuted in 2015 have apparently been tracked as well. Phish's 2015 debuts include “Blaze On,” “Mercury,” and “No Man In No Man’s Land." We're always fired up for fresh Phish.
2. Familiar Faces
No matter the reaches far and wide, a phan, a friend shall wind up at your side. This phan's first show was 2-20-03 at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL and at nearly every show since, I've encountered friends, lovers, acquaintances and... well, maybe an asshole or two. Some are dead and some are living and in my life, I've loved them all.
Colorado is a special place for many reasons, but one of those reasons is that, as we all know, there are a lot of transplants here. Like, really a lot. Phish tour is a great excuse to return to our roots, to visit our friends and family 'back home' and to reconnect as much in the mind as in the flesh. Whether you've made plans to together traverse the nation or you've drunkenly stumbled into your old cohort, the revolving cast of familiar faces are never too far away, complete with stories, smiles, struggles and strife that set the stage for new memories in the show of life.
3. "Divided Sky” Call/Response
Okay, this one is oddly specific, but it's something I've yearned for for years. At the song's onset, the only lyrics of the some are sung:
Divided sky, the wind blows high
(Divided sky, the wind blows high)
Divided sky, the wind blows high
It's that second line, in response to the call, that has remained absent now for years. Once sung by Page McConnell, it was abandoned sometime in the mid-90's for unknown reasons. Luckily, Phish phans are innovative and willing, so I propose we take the lead on this..
Why not make that response the role of the audience? We've got our triple-clap in "Stash," our "Hood!" response in "Harry Hood," and we still don't seem ready to depart with our random "Wooo" outbursts during seemingly any momentary rest in a jam. I submit that we, as phans, take it upon ourselves to bring about the return of the Divided Sky chant!
This won't happen, however, unless we start working on it now. As you listen to the Phish from Vermont in the coming weeks, start singing it to yourself. Tell your friends. Make sure they tell their friends. By the tour closer at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, CO on September 2, 3 & 4, we will have initiated a new standard to an old-favorite.
Either listen to the Junta studio version, or compare the chants here:
With the call and response, sung by Page
Without Page's response to the call.
4. The Return Of...
Phish phans love a bust-out. Last year at Dick's, we were treated to the first "Landlady" since 1994, a 768-show gap. Although I've got to say—and this is purely a personal opinion—that I'd rather groove to a PYITE complete with "The Landlady" section than as a standalone tune, it was nonetheless a special treat.
But that's just it, isn't it? Phish can and will do whatever they please. Haven't heard a song in a decade? Fuck Your Face! Songs seemingly comfortable in their retirement are never too old to dust off and reintroduce to the brave new world. We're looking forward to some major bust-outs this summer. We've got zero inside scoop, but here's a few tunes we'd consider a welcome revenant:
Demand
The finale to 1994's Hoist, "Demand" has only been played 15 times total. Its only performance of either the 2.0 or 3.0 era came on December 31st, 2009 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, FL. Typically paired with another song, we'd love to see a nod to the days of ol' and have the song blended with a high-energy Split Open and Melt jam.
Round Room
Another song that has limited live credentials, Round Room has only been performed a total of 5 times, all in 2003 save for its sole 3.0 performance on January 1st, 2011 (Madison Square Garden, NYC). I can still see the flying tortillas and a blow-up doll flying through the air at The Gorge on 7-13-03 (oddly, there is no mention of the tortilla war on the otherwise faithful Phish.net). With a playful melody that spills into a somber bridge and catchy hook, all the makings for a polyrhythmic dance party are at hand. Bring this song back, ASAP.
Time Turns Elastic
I know I'm gonna get shit for this one. The tune that served to introduce Phish 3.0 in 2009 didn't produce much enthusiasm from phans. In fact, I recall even at its debut at Fenway Park on 5-31-2009 that many used the tune as their bathroom/beer break. I myself can remember the disgusting bathroom at Fenway that night. After speaking with a brilliant pianist and respected intellectual, however, I took a different view. I've come to believe that had the song been written in 1989 and featured different lyrics—perhaps a story starring a mythical creature and a reference to a sliced nipple—that this tune would today be a fan favorite, placed alongside the other epics such as "Tela," "McGrupp & The Watchful Hosemasters," and "Colonel Forbin's Ascent." There's really a lot going on in this tune musically which, to me, immediately commands a degree of respect. Perhaps, only a minor tweaking of the composition would have been needed for this song to tip in fans' favor.
Spock's Brain
Because why the hell not?!
What songs would YOU like to see busted out this summer? Comment below!
5. Jammed-Out First Sets
My first shows were in 2003, the 2.0 era. As much as this incarnation of Phish gets ripped on and ridiculed, I still can't get enough of it. I'll be the first to admit that 2004 was far less consistent, with Trey's habits in full force and thus producing shows like the Vegas '04 run (yikes). But what was lacking, especially in (Trey's) vocals, was made up for in Type II exploration. The band clearly wasn't rehearsing to Phish standards, so fuck it... let's just jam! And it wasn't solely in second sets, as we've come to expect in Phish 3.0. They were crushing first sets. Just take a look at 1-03-03 Hampton, 2-20-03 Chicago, 2-16-03 Vegas, or 8-9-04 Hampton for proof. Jams went dark and deep and I love dark and deep. I must inquire, Wilson...
6. Fish's China
Another oddly specific desire... To drummer Jon Fishman's far right has almost always sat a Wuhan China cymbal. While some "Chinas" (as they're known) can have a long sustain that resonate in the eardrum like a tin-can gong to an almost painful degree, Wuhan Chinas are sharp with a crisp attack and short decay, creating a highly percussive sound that fills only a short period of airspace. It would be like hitting a normal cymbal and then having another person immediately clasp their hands on either side of it to stop the vibrations, thus canceling the sound. It's a wonderful cymbal and, to me (as a fellow drummer), a staple of Fish's sound—not to mention my own. However, it was absent all of last year. WTF Jon?
7. Glow Stick Wars
Each era of Phish has had its share of extraordinary glow-stick wars. The luminescent battles have been a staple of the band throughout their career, offering a participatory visual that coalesces beautifully with light-designer Chris Kuroda's imagery, creating rainbow skies that bleed into our collective memory. Prime examples come in the form of The Great Went's "Harry Hood" on 8-17-97 (below), IT's "Ghost" on 8-3-03 or during either night at Coventry. Hopefully, phans organize and figure out a date to throw and EPIC battle in 2016.
Might I offer a suggestion? Why not at the tour-closer? Let's gather our resources and crush it on Sunday, September 4th at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce, City, CO. The annual Labor Day weekend event has found its way into Phishtory, so why not help to write the next chapter? Let's start a glow-stick war at the onset of the jam of the first song to the second set!
8. Trey's Leslie & Wah
Another gear-head's itch. When Trey wants to kick the jam into high-gear, either of these tools are a path to instant gratification, albeit of different disposition. The Leslie speaker modifies its sound by rotating the loudspeakers. The musician controls the Leslie speaker by either an external switch or foot pedal that alternates between a slow and fast speed setting, creating a warbling, under-water effect. Most often associated with Hammond organs, Trey has incorporated a Leslie into his rig, switching it on at peak moments of jamming bliss. If you want to totally nerd out, check out this thread.
The wah, meanwhile, is what once commanded the cow-funk of '97 and '98. Lay down a staccato groove (bass bombs and more cowbell!), let the Hohner D6 Clavinet take over keyboard-land, layer some 7th chords smothered in wah-wah atop, and ride the train deep into Funky Town, USA. Here's some cow-funk at its best from an unlikely song and from a show that rarely seems to get mentioned...
9. Tempo
Not everything has to be at blazing tempo as it was in, say, ‘93 or even ‘03, but it seems that, at times, the band is playing for a clean recording rather than to the energy of the room. Don’t get me wrong, the execution is tight, the approach balanced. However, some songs just need some of that classic energy that comes strictly from tempo. A down-trodden Chalkdust just doesn’t do the song justice. Character Zero’s fury fails to manifest at 75 beats per minute. Sometimes, you’ve just gotta go for it!
10. Rich In Mirth
More than anything on this list, nothing would be more pleasing than to see Phish simply having fun. Smiles of sonic enjoyment, emotional fulfillment and individual perspective mean the band is healthy in body, in mind and in spirit. We can't wait to see the smiles abound this summer. Do as you do, Phish. We can't wait to witness what's next.