Phish Converge on the Gorge July 21, 2003 - IGN.com By Tom Anderson "Is it possible, I wonder, to study a bird so closely, to observe and catalogue its peculiarities in such minute detail, that it becomes invisible?" - Alan Moore, The Watchmen Any attempt to 'review' Phish is probably destined for failure. On the one hand you have the establishment reviewers, who rarely immerse themselves in the music and quickly descend into a knee-jerk abyss of Grateful Dead analogies and jam band stereotypes. On the other hand you have fervent Phish head reviewers, who shovel blind laudatory praise upon every aspect of the band and over analyze the situation into oblivion. In the middle of all this, you have the phans and the former phans, both of which are opinionated, volatile groups, to say the least. The group that intrigues me the most are the minions of former phans (who, since the recent Hiatus, are now Legion and probably outnumber current phans at a ratio of about 100 to 1) who each have their own personal reason for hating Phish. Oh, they were all phans at one point, raving and drooling for the next installment. But one day, they had a change of heart and "realized" that Phish had sold out or lost it. There's the clowns who first heard of Phish is 93 and think they sold out in 96. Then there's the buffoon's who first heard Phish in 90 and think they lost it in 93. Even more laughable are the troglodytes who first heard Phish in 98 and think they're washed up now, not realizing that many factions gave up long before 98. My personal favorite is the soul I met in Arizona in 95. This guy was from Vermont and was convinced that Phish sold out in 88, long before they got signed by Elektra and became one of the top touring bands in the country. Whatever. Our trip began Saturday morning in Seattle. I had joined my brother Mike and his buddy Mark for the two-day camping/concert excursion. The drive out was immaculately beautiful and remarkably free of traffic. Leaving Seattle shortly after 9AM, we were in The Gorge campgrounds before 1PM: a good start for a great weekend. En route, I requested we stop off at a liquor store; I had a strange request. I wanted to hear "Mexican Cousin," an ode to tequila from Phish's latest release Round Room and thought that if we brought in a couple Cuervo shooters we would summon the song. Hey, I said it was as a strange request. The Gorge itself is probably the Most Beautiful Outdoor Amphitheater in the United States. And YES, it is more beautiful than Red Rocks. Although The Rocks have a richer history, more flair, better acoustics and a deeper mythology than The Gorge, when you are watching a concert at Red Rocks you can see Denver's suburbs glowing like a string of tumors in the distance. That alone compromises the overall beauty of the venue. At The Gorge, you have only a view of an enormous gorge that has been methodically eroded by the Columbia River. No city lights. No civilization. In fact The Gorge stage itself is quite minimalist, which allows concertgoers a relatively unrestricted view of the landscape. The only venue that I think could compare would be an amphitheater carved into the walls of extinct volcano on a Hawaiian island or a stage smack dab on the shoreline of the ocean, and, as far as I know, neither of these exists. I was eagerly anticipating this weekend of concerts. Phish was on their first summer tour in about three years, and I actually hadn't seen a summer show since, probably, '98. Plus this was the most remote of all the official Amphitheater's they would be playing on this tour, nestled off in central Washington State. Of course, The Gorge wasn't nearly as remote as Phish's end-of-tour IT festival in middle of absolutely nowhere Maine, but then again, IT isn't being held at an official concert site. Apart from Phish, no one plays there. This may sound like an odd statement, but then again, Phish is an odd band. They don't have singles that are played on the radio. They don't have videos that are played on MTV. Their songs don't appear on the soundtracks of summer blockbuster films. Although they are the embodiment of the dictionary term alternative ('occurring outside the boundaries of the established social, economic systems), they are not classified in the genre of Alternative music. So what are they? Well, I've been listening to Phish and attending their concerts for over 10 years and I can honestly say I haven't the foggiest idea. They're basically an insane bunch of pranksters who somehow created not only their own band, but also their own socio-economic order on the fringes of the music industry. Although The Media ignores them, they manage to be one of the top grossing bands in the country. How? Once again, I don't have a clue. But it works and it's fun, and I highly recommend it to all who haven't tried. After spending the day drinking cold brews in the omnipresent summer sun, we wandered into the amphitheater about 30 minutes before show time on Saturday evening. The sun was still above the horizon; gotta love those long northern summer nights! Mark had only seen Phish once before and said he wanted to take the first set kind of mellow. About five minutes before Phish took the stage I dragged Mike and Mark right up to the front of the stage on the floor. There would be plenty of time to be mellow later. The opening number was "Taste" from the Billy Breathes album. It's a jaunty, jammy tune and Phish delivered a fun version for the fans who got in early enough to catch the 1st set. After "Taste", the group paused…and then broke into "Mexican Cousin"! Who-Hoo! I think Mark was in a state of shock. I know I was, since I thought we'd be lucky to get the song as an encore. During the chorus we sipped from our shooters and then passed 'em through the crowd: Well, I'm awfully sorry you got pissed. Just have to cross you off the list Of my true friends And Tequila's where it starts and where it ends. The 1st set continued with a rippin' version of "Stash" and a greatly appreciated "NICU", which has a funky reggae beat that just gets everybody dancin'. After playing "Heavy Things" (which was actually released as a single and gets played on those psuedo-adult contemporary radio stations that highlight artists such as Ben Harper, Dave Matthews and The Wallflowers), Phish broke into another Round Room tune: "Mock Song". I think this is the first time they've played this one live, after neglecting it over their New Year's and Winter tours, and it was fun to hear. Although guitarist Trey Anistasio pens the majority of Phish songs, with the help of his high school buddy, poet Tom Marshall, "Mock Song" is a Mike Gordon composition, and the tune lends itself to a certain Gordon weirdness which I delight in. The crowd simmered slightly for a new non-released tune entitled "Army of One," and then Phish broke out the big guns to end the 1st set with "Maze". The "Maze" was finely delivered. Jon Fishman and Gordon held the complex pulsating neurotic beat while Paige McConnell took a devilish keyboard solo, the only fault of which was that it wasn't LOUD enough. Will someone, please, TURN PAIGE UP! After Paige's solo, Trey jumped in and teased the crowd with a lengthy searing guitar jam that mutated into a crescendo of musical madness. The second set was solid, but it seemed to be slightly stuck in time. Looking at the setlist, it reads more like a '98 show than a reunited 2003 Phish show. Highlights included a red-hot "Tweezer", which contained some "Free" seasoning and a bouncy "Water in the Sky" which is one of Phish's overtly cheery 'alt-bluegrass' compositions. And yes, they sealed the show with a tight closer: "David Bowie". The "Bowie" blasted into the crowd sending the message: "Yeah, we're Phish, and we're back together, and we love this s***. Don't you?" My personal favorite part of the second set was actually the encore. Phish returned to the stage and erupted into the Edgar Winter Group's "Frankenstein". Phish could be the greatest cover band in the history of rock n roll, and they are totally on point for hard driving classic rock compositions such as this one. The icing on the night's cake was a predictable yet energetic "Tweezer Reprise" to end the concert. I don't say end the evening because most people would not be going to bed until the sun came up. As for us, we wandered back to the campground, ate some food and crashed. Amazingly, the summer heat was consistent through the night; so neither sweatshirts nor long pants were needed. I slept on a blanket in front of my tent under the impenetrable stars, my legs exhausted from dancing. "Man, I wish I hadn't left my camera in the car." - My Brother, Mike Since I slept outside of my tent I was awakened by the sun. It had been a long night. A couple dogs decided to have a turf war over my head sometime around 2 AM, and shortly afterwards a horde of nitrous oxide freakers had discovered a tank in a car about 20 yards from our campsite. I woke up…rested? We spent some time mulling around the tent and then decided to take a journey down the highway to swim in the Columbia River. This turned out to be a phenomenal side trip! Now, it's a shame we had to drive to the river since you can see it from the campsite. But for some reason, probably intertwined with insurance issues, there are no trails from The Gorge campground to the river. Instead, you have to drive about 10 miles down the Interstate. We cruised down to Vantage, which lies across I-90 on the other side of the river and disembarked from the car. For the next 3 hours we would be sippin' brews and swimming in the crisp, clear water. Ah, yes, this is what summer tour is about. Phish travels across the country on their tours, and it's always wise to break away from The Lot Scene to enjoy the local offerings. Of course, the majority of folks prefer to stay in the parking lot, which may be all fine and well when the band is playing say Cleveland or Houston, but when tour rolls into central Washington you should get off your keister and explore. It was exciting to have a second night of Phish at The Gorge on tap. Unlike 95% of bands on the circuit, Phish plays a unique set every single night. One night of Phish just whets your appetite for more. A second night gives you a fully rounded experience. But we weren't just getting a second night of Phish; we were getting a second night of Phish at The Gorge. Ah, yes! My view is, if you're just hitting a single show, save yourself the agony and Stay Home or at least plan to get sucked in and hit a second show. We met some gals by the river who had seen the Saturday show and were bummed that they had planned to drive back to Seattle that day. I think by the time we left the riverbank, they were fully convinced the best course was to return to The Gorge for night two. We rolled back to the campground with enough time to relax a bit before heading into the amphitheater. I spent some time talking to a few folks who had been On Tour since Phish's summer tour began in Phoenix six days prior. None seemed too impressed with the previous night's 1st set surprising me, as it had been my highlight. Then again tour rats tend to be like born-again Christians and crank addicts: never quite satisfied no matter how much of a fix they get. By the end of summer tour, a chunk of these people will probably be ranting about how Phish has 'sold-out' or 'lost it'. When we were ¾'s of the way from the campground to the venue, my brother realized he had forgotten his camera back at the tent. It was too late, but it was a major bummer. For the Sunday night show, we decided to grab a seat at the bottom of the lawn. This would allow us both a full view of the stage and a full view of the gorge itself. The view was majestic. The view was stupefying. The view was, pardon the expression, Gorgeous! This is no exaggeration. The entire horizon was a view of the gorge, the sky above mostly clear, with some cirrus clouds scattered about for effect. I'd show you a photograph, but my bro forgot his camera. The sun was still sitting above the far western shore when Phish took the stage. Whereas on Saturday the band had taken the stage dressed in casual clothes and in a jovial manner, tonight's mood was more somber. The musicians were clad in black, except for Fish who wore his habitual dress. It was as if they didn't want to interfere with the landscape. Tonight, at least for the first set, they were merely backup musicians for Mother Nature's spectacle. Set 1 kicked off with "Runaway Jim", an early 90s Phish tune that never made a studio album but made its fair share of shows. Near the end of the song, the band began to crack a bit, but Fish reeled them all back in with some serious drumming. This highlighted one of my favorite aspects of Phish. They're not necessarily the perfect band musically, but their cohesion as band mates is unparallelled. It's impressive to watch them work their way through difficult music and come to each other's rescue. When the applause died down after Jim, they dipped into a new composition entitled "Scents and Subtle Sounds". This is a masterful composition, harking back to Phish's early years when Trey was fascinated by complex musical structures. It has the architecture of Fluffhead and Reba and Y.E.M. The lyrics, however, reflected the growing maturity of Trey and Tom's collaborations. Neither nonsense, nor absurdity, the verses impose the listener to pay attention to the surroundings, the scents and subtle sounds of one's immediate environment. It appeared that Phish was saying, "yo, wake up, and stop crowding the stage, don't you see this incredible Gorge we're performing in?" The people on the floor were not destined to get this message. I thought at first that I was reading a bit much into the song, but afterwards Mark turned to Mike and I and stated, "That was beautiful. I literally cried during that song." Mike replied, "Man, I wish I hadn't forgotten the camera in the car." Phish dipped into a couple darker tunes: "Axilla" (with the original lyrics) flowed directly into "Carini". Then, out of left field, they played the simple acoustic "Dog Faced Boy". From whence this song came from I have no idea, but it seemed to fit as perfectly as the motorboat zipping along the Columbia behind the stage. Mike restated: "Man, I wish I hadn't forgotten the camera in the car." There was a slight pause after "Dog Faced Boy", and then Phish danced into the title track from the newly issued Round Room. The instant the first notes hit, tortillas began flying though the air. We don't know who organized this or how they organized it since so many tortillas began flying from so many different directions at once. As Mark pointed out, "I didn't get that memo." Regardless, "Round Room" was delivered with bounce and verve and got the crowd thrilled. Like "Mock Song", "Round Room" is a Gordon composition, which involves some treacherous changes within transcendent chords. At the same time the song exudes a Gothic joy. When the song ended, Phish decided to continue playing. They're good at that. They merely continued the musical theme, although Paige played "Round Room"'s final reverberating chord several times to signify This Song Is Over. If you were on the lawn, though, you were able to discern what was going down, namely The Sun. Just as the sun hit the edge of the gorge on the western shore, Phish ended Round Room. That's when Gordon picked up the electric bagpipes and played an adieu to the setting sun. I'm not sure if this effect was visible from the floor, but everyone on the lawn was encompassed by it. After finishing his bagpipe solo Gordon broke into an a cappella chant: "Halley's Comet". Any questions as to whether Phish had lost it during the hiatus were firmly laid to rest during this classic number. I assumed H.C. would end the set, but Phish decided to continue with "Guyute". After "Guyute", they decided to play one more, probably for the kids who had to drive home that night and were only staying for the first set. They dove into "You Enjoy Myself" and the crowd went nuts. By this time, the sun was behind the horizon; so Chris Kurdoa turned on the lights. He kept them slightly dim until the end of YEM when the boys went into a vocal jam. Chris puts on one of the best light shows in live music; it was delicious. The set break was quite a welcome experience. The light slowly faded from the sky and Paul Languedoc played some mellow Babba Maal over the soundboard. If Chris Kurdoa is the 5th member of Phish, than Paul is true leader. Both Mike and Trey play Languedoc designed instruments. Paul is the one who ultimately decides what Phish sounds like. He's the alchemist. After the beautiful sunset and mellow set break I was hoping for a nice easy opener. Whatever. Phish retook the stage and jammed an explosive "Llama", which although flawed, still got the energy level back up where it needed to be. I was hoping they would break out "Brother", but instead we were treated to "Wolfman's Brother". Considering the full moon we were having that evening, it was appropriate. (Also, considering my outrageous sideburns, that makes me the wolfman and my bro the wolfman's brother). Wolfman's traversed its funky structure and then faded into ZZ Top's "Jesus Left Chicago". "Jesus Left Chicago" could have been the musical highlight of the weekend. The song is a standard blues number, which is carried vocally and led by Paige on the keys: Jesus left Chicago and he's bound for New Orleans Well, Jesus left Chicago and he's bound for New Orleans Workin' from one end to the other and all points in between. After the intro choruses, Paige took a lean mean solo. Paige plays the grand piano for some of his big numbers and his keys shone out in the summer night, echoing majestically off the walls of the gorge. After his solo, Trey took a dizzying guitar solo. It started off standardly, as standardly as Phish can get. By the solo's end, the band had scaled the heights to the moon and the crowd had gone insane. Of course, all of this was greatly facilitated by Chris' light show. For a few minutes, the band disappeared and we were all sucked into our favorite jukebox, the surreal dripping lights bubbling all around. After "Jesus Left Chicago", Phish wasted no time waltzing into another new tune: "Seven Below". "Seven Below", another Round Room composition, is destined to become a Phish classic. It starts with a funky syncopated cadence, which is shifted into a stretched guitar anthem. After this intro, the band sings the echoing lyrics: The anthem is repeated and the cadence continues. Then Phish goes off into that strange place of jams of which they are the sole proprietors. Not surprisingly, the intensity of the jam snuck up on everyone. At first they were playing "Seven Below", but things quickly began to get weird. Then everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs and we were sucked into Chris' light jukebox again. Eventually, Phish merely stopped playing the jam and began playing the cadence again. Enough was enough! (Although, most of us would have been happy if they had continued on the tangent all night long.) After a pause, Phish broke into "Harry Hood": a reggae-esqe epic number that is considered a favorite by many a Phish head. As a tease, Trey played the "Seven Below" theme during the intro portion of the song, begging the question 'Is enough really enough?' Post-Hood, the band paused again and then ripped out "Chalkdust Torture" to close the set. It was a fiery version, to be sure, and when they played the last sustained note, everyone was cheering for more. Unfortunately, Phish left the stage. They returned quickly for a tight one-song encore: "First Tube". Not only was the version Phish executed tight and fresh, but Trey was actually dancing while playing. By this point I couldn't dance any longer. In fact my legs were going to be sore for the next three days. It was worth it. Too bad Mike forgot his camera, though. Article Copyright © 2003 IGN Entertainment, Inc