8/16/24 Dover - Mondegreen #2
Set 1
The set gets off to an interesting start with a Bouncing opener! This
actually works great, feeling more like an overture or into to the show
rather than the "actual" opener. Very cool.
Kill Devil Falls immediately yanks us awake, however. A very interesting
version, they take this one for a RIDE!! Not quite the robot hellscape
of Light from 8/15, it still follows the same basic course, quickly
deviating and totally going sideways for its duration. Relaxingly
chaotic!!! Type 2 all the way, baby!! I dont know if Id call it must
hear but is absolutely unique as hell and demands a jam chart entry!!
Cool stuff!!!
The fun keeps going with a powerhouse Peaches!! The crowd roars approval and the boys burn it down. Awesome version for sure!!!
Free is really good but nothing special overall. Great little standard version with a little more funk than usual.
The first true must hear big boy of the night is Divided Sky. An absolutely inspired version,
there is extra mustard all over this sucker. Played flawlessly, it just
has that extra specialness about it. In a Gamehendge bereft summer,
this just feels fresh!! Grab this sucker!!!
Small steps forward with set as me move into a very, very nice Tube.
Only 7 minutes, but the jamming is great. Trey makes wonderful use of
the whale siren loop and his delay pedals. Awesome stuff. Throw this on
the highlights list as well. The funkiness slowly builds into a sizzling
heat and they proceed to just tear our damn faces off. Definitely must
hear! Sometimes the small treasures are the best treasures!!!! This smoked!!!
A really, really, extra excellent Mountains gives us a quick breather.
Im burnt out on the song but this version definitely made me take
notice. Definitely must hear!!! 
10 outta friggin 10. This version was downright magical!!!!
Following Mountains, we get what may be the Reba of the year and one of
the finest of this whole period of Phish!! Downright flawlessly played
and tight like its 1995, it builds to the typical peak, but this one is
so good it will give you goosebumps. Definitely must hear! An incredible reading!!!
Then, I was deflated when they moved into Twist (please shelve this for a while, im so done with 8 minute Twists!). However,
this one is totally different to the laid back version from Bethel.
This one just about goes type 2 and totally reaches a crazy rock and
roll energy! This deserves a damn jam chart!!! Must hear? Probably. It's
definitely refreshing!!!!
The set closes with a typically facemelting C Zero.
All in all, this set felt like a strange step down from night one
for reasons I cant really place. Divided Sky, Mountains and Reba are all
essential, while Tube, Twist, Peaches and KDF all deserve major
mention.
Definitely a great set but I think it was perhaps a bit too "all over the place", if you will.
Set 2
And the 2nd set opens surprisingly with an 11 minute My Friend! MyFr is a
powerhouse. They dont really take it dark, but the rock it to hell and
back.
Just as the jam fizzles out, they launch into a crushing No
Men. This one ragers hotter than a supernova, eventually spending a few
minutes in absolutely glorious Type 2 "screaming through robo space"
land. This kicks SO MUCH ASS!!! X FACTOR ALL OVER!!! THIS WAS
SPECTACULAR!! IF THIS DOESNT HAVE YOU HEADBANGING THEN YOU HAVE
ISSUES!!!
And just as that jam reaches a natual apex, they launch into a 15 minute Ruby Waves. And holy moly this Ruby is a BEAST!!!! Super
powerful, they rage hard until morphing into a funky kind of tropical
island jam, or something. Very Twist like. They explore this far and
wide until slowly things get dark and the jam devolves into a damn Melt
jam!! Dark and broken and screwed up. Just fantastic. Total X Factor on this one. Essential!!
And out of the ashes of Ruby comes Pillow Jets. And oh my sweet Icculus. Top 5 or 10 jam of the summer right here. Holy mother of F......So
PJ itself just annihilates, extra sauce all over. Then the jam suddenly
moves into a crazy uptempo jam and we get ANOTHER PJ>Your Pet Cat
pairing!!! The YPC back into Ruby is utterly DEVASTATING. Outer
Space X Factor Dance Party gone wild!!!!! If must hear had a name, its
the 8/16 PJ>YPC>RW. An absolutely masterpiece of jamming in
league with the best of any era of Phish!!
WHAT ARE YOU DOING JUST SITTING THERE?!?!?! GO THROW IT ON AND LOSE YOUR MIND!!!!!
A nice Ghost keeps things moving. Its an excellent reading but stays in
the "upbeat bliss rock" zone. Still, an honestly great version
regardless. Really awesome outro with Page and Trey linking up. The
outro jam really builds a strong head of steam and they shift flawlessly
into a No Men reprise to close this psychedelic sandwich of
ridiculousness. Im on the fence about calling that Ghost essential but
it was definitely a perfectly fitting component of the set!!!!
Oh my effing god you guys. The Dead had their various sandwiches,
but Phish just added a new all timer sandwich to the list......
AND NOW LETS JUMP INTO FLUFFHEAD!
As with Reba, Fluffhead is essential. Yet another dang near flawless reading from the boys. Not much to say. Fantastic.
The Harry Hood into First Tube is so great I'm not even bothering to say how so. Hood is, again, another must hear.....
All in all..... what do you say when you run out of things to
say?!?!?! Set 1 was great but felt a bit "lesser" to me for whatever
reason.
Set 2 was an absolute mother effing monster. Aside from MyFe, id say
basically the entirety of set 2 and the Hood are must hear. For as
incredible as night 1 was, this 2nd set was crazy, inspired and totally
cohesive in the best way.
Juggernaut supreme.
Yea, I understand the 4.5 rating now...
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