Phish: No anger, misplaced attitude August 4, 2003 - Portland Press Herald By Bob Keyes Three was not enough. After playing a trio of regular sets on the main stage of the two-day It festival at the former Loring Air Force Base, Phish appeared atop the control tower at about 2 a.m. Sunday to close the first day of music with a surprise concert. Complete with a light show and stunt men who rapelled down the tower, the bonus set for nearby campers was a nice topping to what had already been an exhilarating night for the Vermont rock group and the 60,000 to 70,000 fans who spent the weekend in a northern Maine lovefest. During its earlier sets of music on the festival's main stage, the four-man jam band earned the right to retain its calling as America's pre-eminent live rock act. Led by Trey Anastasio's '60s-laced guitar licks, Phish trolled familiar turf by concentrating on extended improvisational explorations of its familiar songs, delighting fans who traveled thousands of miles and endured unimaginable traffic for the chance to hear the band during the height of its cultural relevance. Misquoting Shakespeare, a signed adorned on an arch welcoming fans to the concert site teased what lay ahead: "Our Intent is All for Your Delight." And so it was. Playing three sets between 5:30 p.m. and midnight, Phish never allowed the music to become lost in the sheer scope of the event. Fans may have elevated partying to new levels in the days and hours before the first note was played, but when the music finally and thankfully began, the purpose of It was obvious. This was a music festival first and foremost. It has been well-documented that Phish takes at least some of its cues from bands like the Allman Brothers and the Grateful Dead. Fair enough, but its music is vastly different than either. Less bluesy and heavy-handed than the Allmans and more cohesive and sonically pleasing than the Dead, Phish walks a fine line between extraneous show-off noodling and pure-pop posturing. The songs have purpose and mission in their structure and content, and band members deliver their chops with precision and flair. Phish plays soothing, feel-good music with a certain purity in intent and execution that is sorely lacking in much of today's edgier music, which is often laced with anger and misplaced attitude. To compare Phish to the best of American jazz is not beyond the scope of sensibility. With Anastasio leading the way on guitar and most vocals, the band seamlessly navigates its orchestral jams with deft precision in the same spirit of the great jazz horn players and rock's guitar gods. Given that, it's no wonder - and endlessly encouraging - that so many young people are interested in the band. Phish also presented a top-notch technological show, infusing the music with an engaging light display and stunningly clear video screens that helped keep the music in focus to those fans standing at the farther reaches. Similarly, the sound system had enough guts to propel the music to most corners of the massive concert site. It helped, too, that Saturday's weather was delightfully cooperative. The early-evening set came under a partly sunny sky, with temperatures in the 70s. Saturday night was spectacular, with a soft breeze and a quarter-moon conveniently situated within the line of vision of the stage. After the sun went down, fans sent glow balls and sticks high into the air - dozens at a time - filling the area in front of the stage with a neon aerial display that added to the festive atmosphere. Less safe were the bottle rockets launched among the masses. But the highlight was the surprise from atop the control tower, a nice gesture by the band and further evidence its members do not take their popularity for granted. Copyright © 2003 Portland Press Herald