OPT's Highlights of Summer '21 (Part 1)
"This was the point I knew we had a whole new mutation of Phish on our hands."
From the moment Phish took the stage in Arkansas following the COVID hiatus of 2020, highlights abounded. The following is a chronological ordering of the best parts of the past summer’s tour.
I Never Needed You Like This Before (7/28)
This unexpected and perfect tour opener captured the lingering mood of the entire crowd. The unplanned absence of Phish touring in 2020 made our hearts grow fonder no doubt and I welcome this song to the expanding repertoire with open arms.Carini (7/31)
Beyond the fact that it was the tour’s first extended bout into deep type-II territory, this jam highlighted the band’s dynamic new improvisational chops and Trey’s patience and smoothness. The jam features a handful of segments requiring the band to be entirely locked in with one another. About halfway through, it seemed like both Page and Trey were vying for lead before fluttering into heavy psychedelia. Trey’s clarion guitar pierced the space with a glorious melody and led the band into an epic peak with Trey trilling on his new Languedoc before finding his way into Martian Monster.Everything’s Right (7/31)
This version is more about context than objective splendor. Going nearly 17-minutes in the two-slot of a first set makes a statement. It signaled to us that first sets were not going to afford you pee-breaks without making you regret it anymore. This jam is thick and slinky but mostly excellent for mere placement.Tweezer (8/1)
This one made my jaw literally drop. I heard it the day after. I was driving to work enjoying this jam when, in the last ten minutes, it took a turn for nasty. Enjoying the entire affair, a smiling Trey finds a pattern he fancies with Page soon mimicking it on the synth. Trey soon switches over to own new synthy effect (which, upon first listen, I actually thought was Page) with a total P-Funk vibe of descending notes. At the end of this descent opened a perfect opportunity for some stop/starts. Fishman—better than ever—explodes back from the stops as if he just time-traveled from Fall ‘97. In fact, the part that left my jaw literally hanging was the break soon following the 31:25 minute mark of the YouTube video (cued up below). The entire mixture of funky dance party, wild lights, and a crowd collectively losing their mind echoed in my memory the 7/23/97 Ghost when Page kicks it into synth mode and Trey is riding his wah pedal while the crowd is going bonkers. During the stop/start below, Fish uses his audio samples in a way I think is actually fun—HAHA|WIKA|HAHA—before ferociously rolling his snare back into the jam. This was the point I knew we had a whole new mutation of Phish on our hands.II: Mr. Completely > Birds of a Feather, Ghost -> Bathtub Gin > 2001 > Split (8/4)
This six-song monster set lit up Nashville brighter than its skyline. Mr. Completely helped lift things off in 2.0 fashion. Trey’s psychedelic boomerang effects really took the venue for a ride before launching into a Birds of a Feather which sounded excellent. Perhaps hyperbolic, but the clear tone of Trey’s noodling during the early parts of the jam reminded me of the 4/4/98 version. The tempo and accuracy Birds of a Feather demands has led to Trey struggling with the song in 3.0. This one sounds great. The Ghost jam is also great before smoothly segueing into Bathtub Gin. First of all, Gin is rarely a song they segue into (at least anymore) so that alone is a treat. Secondly, Bathtub Gin is officially a song no longer relegated to the first set as a cookie-cutter offering as it largely has been since 2009. This Gin really was another turning point for Phish in the current era. Okay, next we have 2001. I know, I know, “Phish doesn’t owe you anything” many of you will again type, but 2001 has been a song which has severely struggled in 3.0. The instrumental staple has lost much creativity since the digital delay loop years. Sure there have been exceptions but they are just that, exceptions. Not this one. This version digs deep. Mike rumbles the venue as Page leads with his synth (a lot of synth lately, huh?). Filthy stuff. Split Open and Melt’s spacey type-II jam to close the set reminded me of the 9/18/99 Halley’s Comet, how it ended the set on a big jam (only Trey didn’t walk off this time). No time for snoozers or even landing pads in this second set!
Stay tuned for part 2 of summer’s highlights.