Phish 8-22-2012 Starlight Theater, Kansas City, MO

It's been quite a while since Phish have played in the KC area and it was really good to have them back.  The Starlight Theater is a nice venue with a capacity of around 7,800 people.  It has a nice sloping grade from bottom to top so everyone can see the show and from all angles.

Phish came on just before dusk to kick off the night with a Chalk Dust Torture and the crowd erupted.  There wasn't a single space open in the venue, the isles were crammed with dancers and the whole from area was as well.  I started off the night about 10 rows back just joining in the one big dance that was going on.

There were some really good highlights flowing through the first set with The Momo Dance getting everyone dancing.  From end to end there was hardly a person sitting in a seat anywhere at the show.  I love a nice Bathtub Gin and is was good to hear one tonight at the show along with a Stash getting everyone interacting with some clapping.  I feel like every time I see them they play Kill Devil Falls and this was no exception.  Still a great energetic version.

Finally I found my way back to my seat at the intermission of the show.  They took about a 30 minute break inbetween the two 90 minute sets.  When they came back out they ripped it into a Tweezer which only meant that they were going to reprise it at some point, probably the end.  They did a few other newer tunes along the way with a classic harmonizing Bouncing Around the Room to get the folks stirred up.

The best of the show was still to come as they tore into a Weekapaug Groove and continues to get the crowd going with a Harry Hood and into a Suzy Greenburg where somewhere in that tune the was an added line "Todd Akin's a neurologist" yes a nice close to the set to come out and really finish strong with a cover of Loving Cup that was hot and right on as it flowed into the reprise of Tweezer and it was goodnight!

Great energetic show from end to end.  the venue was amazing as it was easy to get in and out of and loads of people just hung out, had beers and talked about previous shows and what they wanted and didn't want to hear that night.  I was quite satisfied with what I heard from end to end.

If you are interested in hearing this show live, you can pick a copy up at LivePhish.com KC Show.



Setlist: Chalk Dust Torture; Skin It Back; The Moma Dance; Rift; Bathtub Gin; Stash; The Ballad of Curtis Loew; Kill Devil Falls; Funky Bitch; Run Like an Antelope. Intermission. Tweezer; Piper; Mike’s Song; Bouncing Around the Room; Backwards Down the Number Line; Heavy Things; If I Could; Weekapaug Groove; Harry Hood; Suzy Greenburg. Encore: Loving Cup/Tweezer Reprise.

Phish - Joy CD Review

After a five year break Phish came back out and toured and now have put out a new studio CD, Joy. This Cd was produced by Steve Lillywhite and many of the songs have already been heard on the tour in live format. I personally have never been a huge fan of Phish's Studio CDs compared to the live material, but still you have to start somewhere.

This is one studio CD that has been growing on me as I've been hearing the tracks on it. There are some catchy tunes that really have a nice beat. "Backwards Down the Number Line" is a good tune to jump right into it. Fun song, a little pop tune, but pretty cool.

I really dig "Ocelot", good song with a good beat. Keeps me just wanting to hear more as I hear it. That goes into "Kill Devil Falls" which again is a good road trip tune. Nice speedy rhythym to it and another good one to hear. "Light" slows it down at the start and sort of goes into a ballad type song.

"Time Turns Elastic" came from Trey's little symphony project that he worked on this past year. It's a longer song about 16 minutes, but a good jam and really fun.

Page sings a few songs on the CD and are both pretty fun, bluesy tunes. "I've Been Around" and "Sugar Shack" are his songs on the CD.

"Twenty Years Later" finishes it off and it keeps you wanting to hear more. How you can fit 10 Phish songs on a CD takes someone like Steve Lillywhite. If it wasn't for him, I bet this would be a 90 minute jam session.

Fun CD that has a couple bonus songs on the iTunes version and if you buy the Deluxe version from the Phish website, you get a full bonus CD and a DVD of highlights from the June 2009 tour dates.

I really enjoy this one and would recommend picking it up for sure.

Track Listing:

1. Backwards Down the Number Line
2. Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan
3. Joy
4. Sugar Shack
5. Ocelot
6. Kill Devil Falls
7. Light
8. I Been Around
9. Time Turns Elastic
10. Twenty Years Later

Phish - 06/20/2009 - 06/21/2009 Alpine Valley, East Troy, WI

Phish have been away since 2004 and now 5 years after a break and doing Solo work they have embarked on a new tour to be followed up with a new CD at the end of July as well. They started their reunion back in March with three nights at Hampton Coliseum and then kicked off the summer portion at Fenway Park in Boston and wrapped up the first leg at Alpine Valley June 21st.

The first night of the two night adventure was pretty amazing. The boys came out strong with a Punch You In The Eye and continued a rockin' first set with some great tunes including Stash, Bathtub gin, Farmhouse and Run Like an Antelope. A stellar first set to start the weekend off. Trey was right on his game as well as the rest of the band. Mike Gordon was brilliant on bass and Page was great and Fishman as well. I love just watching Trey just stand there casually with a few steps and that big smile all with jamming it out.

Second set was right on the money. Sample in a Jar to Maze was sweet and Makisupa Policeman just had the crowd bouncing all over and tossing light sticks in the thousands. NICU was great as well as Prince Caspian. Fire was a good version, but a little fast for me. Overall a brillian show and Phish was really on for this one.

06/20/2009 Alpine Valley, East Troy, WI

SET ONE: Punch You in the Eye (9:17) Runaway Jim (9:32) Stash (12:08) Ya Mar (7:14) Bathtub Gin (13:05) Kill Devil Falls (8:20) Train Song (2:47) Farmhouse (4:55) Sparkle (3:47) Run Like an Antelope (10:25)

SET TWO:Waves (8:23) Sample in a Jar (5:20) Maze (11:37) Makisupa Policeman (5:13) Ghost (11:58) The Lizards (10:31) You Enjoy Myself (12:27) NICU (4:56) Prince Caspian (6:49) Waste (5:32) Fire (5:15)

ENCORE: Character Zero (7:37)

Night Two was a different kind of jam night. The first night had a real good beat and really kept you dancing all the way through. Second night started off cool with all the kids from the boys came out and it was a happy fathers day
wish to all us dads. They jammed it out, some longer and some slower than the night before. still a great show and it was cool to hear a 16 minute version of Time Turns Elastic. A nice mix of songs the second night and a ton more fun.

If you get a chance, catch one of the nights on the second leg of this tour it will be well worth it.
06/21/2009 Alpine Valley, East Troy, WI

SET ONE: Brother (5:42) Wolfman's Brother (9:04) Funky Bitch (5:03) The Divided Sky (15:31) Joy (5:22) Back on the Train (7:41) Taste (8:54) Poor Heart (2:26) The Horse (1:06) Silent In The Morning (4:50) The Man Who Stepped into Yesterday (2:44) Avenu Malkanu (3:13) The Man Who Stepped into Yesterday (1:43) Time Turns Elastic (16:51) SET TWO:Crosseyed and Painless (5:53) Alpine Jam (9:16) Down with Disease (13:18) Bug (8:04) Piper (12:50) Wading in the Velvet Sea (6:15) Boogie On Reggae Woman (5:48) Slave to the Traffic Light (13:54)

ENCORE:Grind (2:33) Frankenstein (5:46)