So, I told you about the AmericanaramA show Mike and I attended featuring the likes of Bob Dylan, Wilco, My Morning Jacket, and Ryan Bingham. A couple days later we had the privilege to see Phish at the Hollywood Bowl. For those unfamiliar with Phish, let me start by saying there is a very large, rabid, loyal, and close-knit fan base for this genre defying act now in its 30th year as a band. Simultaneously, there is a large contingent of people who feel quite the opposite about said band. Their improvisational styled music coupled with a dedicated traveling audience and a bit of a carefree attitude towards controlled substances makes for an environment that is perhaps not suitable to all. In other words, there are a lot of hippies and a lot of drugs, to be blunt (pun). You can dive deeper into the debate over Phish on Earwolf's special podcast series Analyze Phish with hosts Harris Wittels and Scott Aukerman. For the fan, hater, and indifferent alike, this program is sure to entertain and provide legitimate insight into the world of Phish.
Anywho, the music itself is of the highest
technical caliber, the scene an amalgamation of all walks of life, all seeking fun. Only a crowd at Phish moves with such energy and excitement to such unusual music. The Hollywood Bowl
was a beautiful venue for Phish providing the wonderful natural acoustics of
the legendary Bowl's dome structure and a picturesque canvas for lighting
director Chris Kuroda to work his magic on. The swirling psychedelic
effects were in abundance on this beautiful evening tucked away in the
Hollywood hills. And even in my limited Phish experience (compared to
those who have literally attended hundreds of shows) I would conclude that
Hollywood Bowl is one of the best visual Phish affairs to witness.
As a long time appreciator of Phish I must say that
the group is performing at possibly its highest level ever in its 30 year
career. The poise and sense of adventure that is being injected to their
compositions is exceptional. And this is certainly no easy feat for a
catalog as varied and dense as this Vermont quartet boasts. At any given
Phish show you will hear all types of music from laid back funk to upbeat pop
and latin infused rhythmic extravaganzas to all-out shred fest progressive
rock. And each show's setlist is tailored specifically to each venue with
never a repeat in consecutive shows. They also typically inject several
covers in each show which range from classic rock covers like The Beatles'
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" to modern favorites like TV On TheRadio's "Golden Age", both of which we were treated to at the
Hollywood Bowl performance. And every show is an extensive trek through
approximately three hours of music divided between two sets.
For those Phish-heads interested, here is the track list for the first set:
Set I:
1. AC/DC Bag
2. The Moma Dance
3. Sparkle
4. Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan
5. Lawn Boy
6. Wolfman's Brother
7. Roses Are Free (Ween cover) ->
8. Scent of A Mule (highlight)
9. Cavern
10. Ocelot
11. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (The Beatles cover)
And the more improv heavy second set was as follows:
Set II:
1. Chalk Dust Torture
2. Golden Age (TV On The Radio cover) ->
3. Birds of A Feather
4. Sand ->
5. Down With Disease ->
6. My Friend, My Friend
7. Harry Hood -> (epic, stand out highlight of the show)
8. Character Zero
Encore:
9. Loving Cup (Rolling Stones cover)
So, there you have it. If'n you are hungry for more you can always visit Phish.net, the fan run site that catalogs everything Phish, and Mr. Miner's Phish Thoughts for reviews of shows. Not to mention you can download this particular show along with countless others at LivePhish.com. And shamelessly (not true, tons of shame) I will also share more of my own sophomoric ramblings about Phish here: bit.ly/SjrGyh on an entirely seperate and unnecessary blog. Hope you enjoyed, if not, my apologies.
Til next time,
Ty
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