Jay and I were ready to fully rock the last show at Alpine Valley. We got to the lots early and had more great neighbors, like Will & crew from Milwaukee and Dan from CO who spotted my disk golf related stickers in traffic. We shared food, beers, yerba matte, and Phishstories before the show. I had a brief but great meetup with Jenny from MN, a phriend that I met in an unlikely scenario and our love for live music and Phish transcended the formality of the college Admissions process... great to see you Jenny!
We headed into venue determined to take in every ounce of Phishness for our last show. The PhabPhour didn't disappoint as they opened with another breakout, Brother. The chorus of the song is "somebody's jumpin' in the tub with your brother" and as Trey led a toddler by the hand to a steel tub on stage, Jay said something like, "it would be amazing if all their kids got in the tub." Sure enough one-by-one, all of the Phish children walked (or were carried) on stage into the tub. It was a salute to Father's Day, and as Trey wished everyone a happy day, it was clear the band was in a much different place this tour, with family and kids backstage.
The rest of the show was epic; one of the best of the whole tour, right up there with Jones Beach Day 2, Camden NJ, and Asheville (for me). The highlight for me was another break out; The Man Who Stepped Into Yestrerday into the Jewish tune Avenu Malkenu. Who knew a Hebrew tune could be so rockin', but it's one I've loved for years (despite the literal translation that praises the hell outta God). It was a real treat for me, having hoped to hear a live version in person.
The second set delivered a powerful finale to an amazing touring experience, and I knew at Crossed & Painless (a great Talking Heads tune) that this would be a delight of a set. They jammed with ease as the night meandered on from rocking solos to tight well timed favorites of the tour.
As Jay and I danced through another mass of heads on our way up the mountain, Phish came back for a rippin' encore where Page played an enormous Keytar, Mike was on a flaming bass, and Trey on a 5 neck guitar. They played Edgar Winter's Frankenstein and brought the house down with a fury of rock. As we watched from a tall deck overlooking the whole venue, Jay and I triumphantly embraced as the final notes were played. We walked back to the car that night proud and fulfilled with an amazing adventure behind us.
Stay tuned for one more blog in retrospect, and for a few more in August when I see Phish at SPAC and Darien Lake in NY.
No comments:
Post a Comment