Sunday, February 7, 2010

Show #1: Thomas & Mack Center Night 1 (Vegas)

I think it’s time I tackled ‘04 in its entirety, front to back. They only played 18 shows (not counting Letterman)and I’ve only heard the two SPAC shows.

OK – here we go … 4/15/04 – Thomas & Mack. Buried Alive opener.

A dark winter makes that first Spring day all the more enjoyable. :) Not going to spin anything else ’til I’ve heard all of ‘04 (I’ve never heard anything but the SPAC shows I’ve had for years).I will lean on you guys as I go through this trial by fire.

2004: Show No. 1
Set I -

Buried Alive – nice bust-out opener, sort of; should get the crowd going;
AC/DC Bag – a little slow and haggard; scary ending;
LxL – “loose” – a song that requires a high degree of synchronization; also a song with a some hard to hit vocal notes that someone isn’t hitting; at the drop, the song just doesn’t take off – it stays in the same exact tempo that it had been in before the drop – which when you are expecting it to blast off and doesn’t, feels like a let down; as the jam progresses, Fishman starts working the hi-hat aggressively as if trying to pull the band forward and faster, but to no avail. I can’t hear Mike in this AUD at all! Around the 7 minute mark, I felt like it was just going to die a slow death, but Trey recovers it with some aggressive playing, keeping people from turning this into a bathroom break at least. But the peaks were missing completely. As Fishman closes it out without any solo vocals, I’m glad its over.

4. Moma Dance – WTF was with that opening? Doesn’t sound like an Moma I’ve ever heard. If I’d been there, I might not be moving more than my head. If Fenton Williams’ work on lighting isn’t up to snuff, I’d probably be sitting down at this point. Mid-way through opening Jam, the beat picks up a little, but it all still feels like its dragging. Who’s driving this train? Intro jam is actually kinda alright at the 3:30 mark and unexpected – maybe there’s hope? Verses begin now and things feel and sound ok again. Answer: Fishman is at the wheel, but his vocals are too high in the mix. I really hope they nail the peak that should be coming up in a minute (where Fishman has the vocal howl). Answer: they don’t. And I don’t hear any crowd either. But, Page seems to want to get into the drivers seat following the “peak,” and does so for a sec, before Trey’s back at the wheel. I don’t know if I’d be getting my groove on; probably would just be moving my head and staring at the stage. Again, Trey pulls out some “scary” notes in the outtro jam, and hits the machine gun for a brief moment. Nearing the 12 minute mark and things are finally breaking out as they are supposed to. More machine gun Trey, but its not as cohesive as it ought to be. As the outtro melody plays, I’m beginning to wonder.

Old Home Place playing now – surely this will set things right … right, Mike?

6. Roggae – another song where Fishman sings (did someone say Trey was sick?). Things seem to be on-track now after that nice little dose of Kentucky Bluegrass. Vocals are key to this song – someone is off … sounds like its Page. No problems with tempo here – it’s supposed to be slow. But, the vocals are awful. Maybe they should play What’s the Use? followed by CTB next. At least give me a nice build to a peak in the jam please. Did someone turn on the dynamic compression? – they seem stuck in a “trading range” and can’t break above the “moving 50 day average.” Build starting to happen finally around the 6:20 mark, but it doesn’t go anywhere. I can feel this one starting to head out without any paying. Well, ok, Trey drops a dime on the counter first, but the bill was for more than that. The slower a song is the more important synchronization is because you can hear the misses in the empty spaces. Well, this is the tour opener and a multi-day run, so maybe they’re just getting their sea legs underneath them.

7. Water in the Sky – another breather. Do I really need a breather at this point. Don’t think so. But, at least the vocals seems a little more in tune. Overall, this WITS is not bad. The increased tempo seems to help (take note boys!). At 2:30 I finally am starting to move more than my head. Maybe there’s some hope left, after all. Crowd is starting to feel it a little. (Since when has it taken WITS to “get this show on the road”?). Now, let’s keep it going after that nice warm-up.

8. All of these Dreams? another breather. I’m going to get a beer. OK, I’m gonna chalk this up to night one of a three-night run – they have to be saving the heat for later.

8. All of these dreams – this is Vegas right? Are there any slot machines in this place?

9. Stash – OK, the heat has been opened finally. People are racing back from the bathroom to participate in the group hug, I mean clap. I hope CK5 left FW some good notes on what this song deserves visually. Wow, they’ve almost been playing an hour and only now are breaking out the goods. At the 2:40 mark, I thought the day had been saved, but there’s still a lack of synchronization. Trey’s got fat fingers tonight, huh? again, tempo is dragging; trey’s actually trying to slow it down with the vocals, no kidding. [hey, are you feeling anything?; I don't think it worked; maybe we should take another one?]. What did they do for three months since Miami? Mike looks bored. Nearing the 8 minute mark with nary a peak to be found. Maybe they’ll stretch this out into space, which would be cool.

WTF! – they just skipped out on the jam completely (unless I tracked forward by mistake and I don’t think I did) for …

10. Timber (Jerry), but at least the band finally seems to be into it and it’s making a difference. Maybe they’ll come back to Stash …. wait … is this Stash or Timber. [Dude, what song are they playing?]

^ I think I’m going to write this one down as Stash->Timber (Stash) on my little piece of paper.

^ Or maybe Stash*

* included heavy Timber (Jerry) quotes.

^ OK – back to Timber (Jerry) after some heavy Stash-like jamming. Just not enough of it. More please. More!

That’s the end of the set. Damn. Just when it was starting to get hot. Well, they seem up to the task;

OK – went ahead and started Set II

1. 46 Days – worst start ever. But once things pick up I feel like I’m finally listening to Phish. Nice jamming at the 4 minute mark. They finally picked up the pace (at least where it needs to be, even on a funk-laden song like 46 days). Into…

2. Drowned – hmm, haven’t heard this one in a second set much :)With 46 Days not being the platform for jumping off, Drowned is sure to be. Page’s vocals still seem off (maybe its the recording).

2. Drowned (cont.) – OK, this could be any version from 2009. Page is raging on the keys. Re: vocals from this song, maybe it’s not Page, does Mike sing Drowned? I can’t remember and, strangely, can’t tell from this version.

2. Drowned (cont.) – 9 minutes in, and we’re in spacey territory now. I’m drown with it

3. > 2001 – alright. Set II is shaping up nicely. Got my groove locked and loaded. Trey’s throwing some bluesy riffs into the intro build, letting this one baste a little while. Here comes the funk …. oh shit, Trey missed a note badly during the first lead-up. But, that’s behind me, cause this is live, and the only thing that matter is what’s coming …. first PEAK! Fenton Williams is no CK5.

3. 2001 (cont.) – after that first peak, this tempo is back down to “lounge-level” – I think I need “anything on the rocks” to go with this.

OK – that 2001 was a let-down. No payoff. None. Sounds like DWD is coming

4. DWD – another start/restart sounding start – but it’s Mike, so how can this one fail? At least there are a thousand barefoot children outside dancing on my lawn, and this has all been wonderful. But damn, the singing tonight is terrible. Ok, Trey whoever said it, Trey must have a cold. Let Fishman sing. Does Fishman ever sing second set?

^ other than during a HYHY > something by Syd > HYHU

4. Worst DWD core I’ve ever heard; the outtro is always great, but Trey’s got fat fingers again.

4. DWD (cont.) – we’re into the jam now where chops aren’t as noticeable. I just don’t know what I’m hearing exactly (is it a lack of practice, or sedation?). IT is there, but the mistakes are mixed in like walnuts in brownies.

4. DWD jam (cont.) – 10 min mark – interesting Type II stuff going on, but it’s sporadic … no real direction … at all. Trey’s guitar is so loud in the mix. Where’s Mike? Progressing through the murky waters now, into something that is sonically interesting now during the 13 minute mark, but I feel a segue coming. I guess I’m drown with that. Or, it could just be some spacey ambient playing, or do I hear a Maze, no it’s not maze, its just more type II jamming. No, this is going somewhere …. where? Spacey Mike Bass. What song is this again? Something pretty seems to be coming up from the depths, but I can’t quite lock on to it.

5. Free – not a bad choice, but has that dragging feeling. Did they just restart again? Not completely, but it has that deja vu feeling like they repeated the beginning, or there was a hiccup in there that interrupted the flow. What sort of drug would make the tempo be t h i s s l o w a l l n i g h t?

Damn, Trey’s voice just cracked during “floating.”

5. Free (cont.) – come ON. Funk can be laid back, but speed it up a little bit. My body is getting tired from trying to dance this slow. Plus, I don’t look as stupid when dancing faster because you can’t discern the true lack of rhythm. Maybe I’ll just dance in double time.

This Free jam is undefined.

5. Free (cont.) – a bit of redemption in the latter part of the jam, and a nice build up to the final main theme close.

(Yes, I’ve seen those interview – always wondered why he sounded and looked so bad).

6. Scent of Mule starting …. and seeming to …. restart. WTF? At least Mike will be singing this one. Plus, dancing a jig is an easy task for a white boy.
Standard playing though … even Page’s keys aren’t that spectacular. Did I let the negative bias towards ‘04 affect me?

6. Scent (cont.) – this is the most interesting song played tonight. Some nice chops and some unusual interplay between the band. …. Ok now here’s something I’ve never heard before … a totally different jam for Scent. Trey is rapping now? I’ve seen/heard it all now. Something about “girls girls girls,” and “spanish shit (or chick”)”

7. [girls, girls, girls] – I have no idea what hip-hopper raps this originally, but I could do without it right now. Heading to the bathroom and to get one last beer, if they haven’t stopped selling them (this is Vegas right, do they ever stop selling?).

7. I think there’s a black woman on stage singing right now. Where am I?

8. Scent of a Mule returns – and the world seems set back on its axis, but after that WTF interruption, it’s merely a means to an end at this point. Take it home, Mike!

9. The guy next to me says this song is Secret Smile – I don’t have a clue. The beer line was shut down already. How far is it back to the hotel? The casino? The airport?

9. Secret Smile (cont.) – people have started to leave, sort of like when the home team is getting blown out and the fourth quarter has started. Tomorrow night better be better. I feel like I’m watching that Nic Cage movie about Vegas. But, I’ll stick it out. They can’t end the show like this; there’s gotta be some heat left.

10. Crowd Control – I guess they are trying to reign the crowd back in – a few people who were walking in the corridor have ducked back into the arena. Some people hate this song; I sort of like it … but this late in the night. Did you write a set list Trey?

11. Slave – hmm. glad to hear it. Guess that means that this night is coming to a close soon. Hoping for a few builds and peaks to leave me wanting some more for tomorrow night’s show. Did I mention that Trey’s guitar is way too loud in the mix.

11. Slave (cont.) – I’ve heard better for sure. This one feels like its tired. Arena is only 60% full now.

11. Slave (cont). – they can still drive this one home alright. Those left in the crowd are enjoying it.

E: Sneakin’ Sally – Hell yeah! They are Phish after all and this is their way of punishing those who left during the second set.

4/15/2004 – Thomas & Mack Center, Vegas

Check that one off the list.

But hey, Fishman’s gonna wear a suit tomorrow, that’s a “sound making dress” so I’ve got that to look forward to.

2004 Show #1 – post-game report

As I leave the arena, it occurs to me that there were no clean-up hitters played tonight – no Tweezer, no Mikes, no Bowie, no Reba, no Runaway Jim, No YEM, No Antelope, No Suzy, Still no Fluffhead, No Ghost, No Piper. So many things left on the table. Tonight, the highlight was DWD; but unless its a Disease-fest, DWD can’t carry an entire show. There was simply no centerpiece around which the rest of the night could be fashioned. Thank goodness there are two more shows left during this spring run.

No comments:

Post a Comment