7 16 22 Bangor
Set 1
The show opens with a really good combo of Free into INNYLTB. Neither
are essential, but both rock good enough and are an excellent way to
open a show.
555 is up next and this thing DRAGS like hell. Thankfully the tightness
makes up for that and they turn in a really, really good type 1 reading.
Possum picks the tempo back up but, as with Free and INNYLTB, its never
quite as hot as it should be. Its "regular good enough" hot, but aside
from a brief (and excellent!) peak near the end, its just a
hot-but-average Possum.
Up next is No Men, and this is chillist version ive ever heard, hands down. The
thing with this set so far is that it has been exceptionally LAID BACK.
Not sleepy, but "slow ride, take it easy" kinda chill. And that applies
big time to No Men. It ends up being a really nice version when all is
said and done but this is definitely NOT the fire to the face you
expect.
The first true, probably-but-not-quite must hear of the set is Ocelot.
Not the song we needed in such a laid back set, but this is a genuinely
excellent reading. Nothing you havent heard before, but it is tight and
the guys are locked in together. Excellent solo/jam on this one.
Definitely worth a listen.
Up next is Reba and, considering the set so far, its surprisingly
sprightly and peppy! Reba is 98% excellent and the solo is definitely
strong without pushing it over the top. Good stuff!!
After a real nice Axilla, the set ends with a real nice Antelope. Nothing more, nothing less.
All in all, this is a really weird set, imo. The energy is there -
this isnt sleepy! - but the whole thing just feels way too laid back.
There is nothing here that will make you upset, no major flubbage, tight
playing throughout. But at the same time there is basically zero "wow"
factor to any of it. A bunch of really good versions that overall fail
to IMPRESS beyond initial listening.
Nothing at all is must hear, but Ocelot comes close.
Set 2
The set opens with a fantastic 11+ minute Sigma. Right away the energy
definitely feels different to set 1. This thing is must hear!!! It goes
type 2 immediately and stays there!! Gnarling robo jamming gives way to
ethereal soundscape building before an angsty and downright strange
deconstruction section to close it out morphing seamlessly into Disease.
Wow. Definite x factor on this one!! Total must hear for sure!!!
To top that, they follow up with a friggin 30 minute Disease!!! And holy F### WHAT A DISEASE IT IS!!! The
song itself sounds terrific - high energy, tight, Trey nailing all the
various licks etc. The jam begins and they spend a long time flitting
back and forth between type 1 and type 2, not really committing to it
yet. Then around 14 minutes something happens and the jam totally slows
right down to about half speed. For the next 3 glorious minutes they go
deep into a robo kind of synthy type 2. Around 17 minutes a fiery late
night vibe appears and Trey begins to slowly build his solo to magical
proportions. By 21 minutes, this thing absolutely EXPLODES like the back
half if the Mexico 2024 Chalkdust. Unbelievable. This is a solid 2
minutes of the finest modern Phish available. Around 23 minutes they
slowly increase the speed bit by bit returning to a fast rocking jam. By
27 minutes we are in pedal to the metal full hose annihilation like the
best of 2023. They return perfectly to the song and close her out.
Holy mother of god that was a true all timer for any era jam.
Nothing but X Factor. JOTY right here. Close up shop and go home, it
wont get better than that.....
Without a beat to catch our breath, they go perfectly into a wonderfully
delicate WTU. Nothing essential but it was so perfectly placed and
sounds great!!!
Ridiculously, they slowy morph out of WTU and into Fluffhead! This
transition feels so unexpected that I dont think the crowd knew how to
react! Fluffhead is excellent, played basically flawlessly. Really
strong version of the song. Oddly, the usual climax seems to kinda just
fizzle out instead, like a balloon deflating. Very strange.
Segueing excellently out of Fluff is a wacky Twist>Sigma Reprise Jam
to close the set. Twist itself gets going nicely into some inspired robo
jamming before, somehow, Trey leads them ridiculously smoothly straight
up back into Sigma, full blown!! Great jamming ensues. X Factor all
over this combo. Definitely must hear.
Terrific encore of a FIERY Rose and First Tube. Honestly, Roses is probably must hear. Serious heft to that one.
All in all, set 2 right through the end of the show is basically
all killer no filler. Sigma, Disease and that Twist>Sigma are all
must hear while everything else is just excellent regardless.
Set 1 is ok but so ridiculously non-impressive that you can legitimately just skip straight to set 2.
Wow, what a set.
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