Last Friday night my friend and I went to see Phish at US Bank Arena (aka The Crown) in Cincinnati, OH. In the days leading up to the concert I was a bit unsure about it all…crappy seats, overpaying for tickets, and Phish indoors (what does this mean?). But within minutes of stepping into the arena, my doubts were squandered.
It turned out that our seats were incredible. Firstly, US Bank is a hockey stadium, which lends to a great concert environment. The general admission floor seating was minimal (hockey arena vs. football stadium) which made it seem that even the farthest seats were towering right over center stage. Our seats were “Page side” in row H – which ended up being a perfect viewing angle! We could see every move Page made, and most of Trey and Mike. We were practically in the wings of the concert hall (if it were actually a concert hall, that is). The crowd was phriendly as usual – we met some real cool people sitting around us. One guy even offered to email us the pictures he would be taking throughout the show (to be posted eventually). The stage was set for a great night of music.
First Set:
Chalkdust Torture, Moma Dance, Divided Sky, Alaska, Water In The Sky, Fast Enough For You, Time Turns Elastic, Gotta Jibboo, Fluffhead
This first set was a great mix of dance grooves, composition pieces, and sappy ballads. “Chalkdust” and “Moma” were a great opening combination to welcome the crowd and get a great Phish dance party started. “Divided Sky” (which I’ve never seen live) was incredible. This expansive composition piece, which initially seemed to be a counterpoint to the indoor atmosphere, was beautifully played and loved by the crowd. Highlight of the piece (and maybe the night) was the pause in the middle of the the dreamy theme (see 5:20 of this). I never realized they all stand motionless during this section, waiting for the crowd to roar. Pretty cool. “Time Turns Elastic” was great as well. Hearing a live interpretation of the new composition was cool, and I was particularly impressed by Page’s contributions on synth and organ (a theme of the whole night for me).
Second Set:
Punch You In The Eye, Tweezer > Light > Back On The Train > Possum, Slave To The Traffic Light, You Enjoy Myself,
Another great set opener in “Punch You In The Eye.” But the highligh of the second set was definitely the next four songs that seemed to flow perfectly from one to the next. The segue of “Tweezer > Light” was so cool – a barrage of synth and effects-laden guitar that created a very strange and beautiful ambient sound. Moving to “Back on the Train” didn’t seem to fit the two previous psychedelic songs, but it ended up as a great funk version of their shuffle classic. And “Possum” fit right into that frame as well. “You Enjoy Myself” was fantastic – you could tell that all four members were really enjoying every minute of the performance. Trey and Mike brought out the trampolines for the middle of the YEM jam. They were both all smiles the whole time. Its so great to see them all back to being happy as a band and playing with passion. The vocal jam at the end may have been the highlight of the second set for me – and it was at this point that I realized how much Chris Kuroda’s light show adds to the live Phish experience. He manipulated the rig perfectly in time with the jam, and brought us a great psychedelic experience – even for the sober people. What a great show.
Encore:
Joy, Golgi Apparatus, Tweezer Reprise
You can never go wrong by ending a show with “Tweezer Reprise.” What a great night of music.
