06/16 - Fox Theatre - St. Louis, MO - Post-Show Discussion and Review

[okelnard]

superfreakie quote:
[/quote]
No, not at all. I am speaking of individuals such as Mr Minor's blog. These are the extremes of the spectrum and then there is everything that lies in between. We all sit somewhere along that spectrum and thus ideas of how a show is perceived may result in rubbing someone the wrong way if we are unable to understand their chosen interpretation.
[/quote]

That's another part that is the beauty of what this is all about.  If anyone was truly a hater, they wouldn't be here.  I think it is fair to say that we don't just "sit somewhere along that spectrum" but that we glide around within some frequency band on the spectrum. There is usually some wiggle room for swaying others and for being swayed.  And if a show really sucked, then it really sucked. so be it.

I f'd up my attempt to quote sf...

[shoreline99]

I couldn't be on the thread last night with all that negativity. I can't take it. It drives me nuts.

For me it's often the opposite, I have trouble with gushing fan boy phish apologists. I can't take it. It drives me nuts. So I guess to each his own. Ah, wonderful difference, the beautiful spice of life.  

so that's it?  if you not bashing Phish for their setlists or imperfect playing, you're a fanboy?

No, not at all. I am speaking of individuals such as Mr Minor's blog. These are the extremes of the spectrum and then there is everything that lies in between. We all sit somewhere along that spectrum and thus ideas of how a show is perceived may result in rubbing someone the wrong way if we are unable to understand their chosen interpretation.

I just don't really like reading a bunch of "lame" comments all night. It doesn't do anything for me. I pulled up the 'paug during setbreak on my phone Sunday night and everyone was bashing the Bruce sit-in which I just thoroughly enjoyed. I just don't have the patience for it. I don't fluff regardless! I will poo-poo bad stuff. But it kills me when that's all I see.

that is all.

That's why it's tough to having access to the streams. The streams (with the exception of 6/12) have all been pretty horrible. They offer a taste of the boys, but often leave a lot to be desired. The Bruce sit-in sounded HORRIBLE and out of tune on the stream, but the sbd was pretty good (and i acknowledged that in another post). Personally, I think it's cooler to have the excitement (like we did at hampton) without judging the quality of the performance before we've had a chance to listen to it properly.

That being said, as teh drunk level increases the comments get pretty funny tho, yo...  

[justjezmund]

Greetings all.  Well just started sbd (thank robo-god i can hear the show now without the robot sex) so far this kill devil falls is def rockin.  Ill see yall in a bit.

[kellerb]

Greetings all.  Well just started sbd (thank robo-god i can hear the show now without the robot sex) so far this kill devil falls is def rockin.  Ill see yall in a bit.

Robo-sex didn't kick in til the 2nd set...You'll get to it.

[Rift]

As much as Zero has been played on this tour... or any tour for that matter, I will admit my love for it. Besides Mike's Song it was one of the first Phish songs I learned on the guitar. It's easy as hell to play and you can crank the shit out of it. I think they need to back off of it a bit but I'll never turn down a good Zero.

The negativity experienced last night was weird to say the least. After hearing the show more clearly today I can say it's one of the better shows of the tour thus far. Not nearly the best but certainly not the worst.

And McGrupp during the encore? Hell yeah!

[Play_It_Leo]

Ok, some quick thoughts after last night. Haven't had time to re-listen yet, so this is all from memory and impressions live. Pre-show, I had a blast hanging w/ caravan and JPhishman. The 2 new tunes to open were rocking. Nothing too exploratory, but Trey was all over them. The smattering of slow songs--B&R, sleep, sez--did seem to disrupt the energy a little. I really enjoyed sleep especially, though I wish it had been a first set tune.  Reba, YaMar, and Possum were solid, but again, didn't venture out much. Was a little disappointed there was no whistling.

Halley's was a killer opener to set II. TTE may not have been the tightest version they played, and it may not be my favorite new tune, but I felt like I "got" this version a little more than the one from Fenway. Like it or not, Trey's poured his heart into this song, and I felt that last night in such an intimate venue. The rest of the set after sleep was solid again. Mikes was raging. I'm curious how technically sound H2 was, it sounded on live. I told people before about the balcony shaking. I'm glad Zero proved just how much shaking that old balcony can handle.

I figured there would be an a cappella song to start the encore. I must be one of the only people to get a Star Spangled Banner in 2 straight shows since Fenway was my previous show.  I thought Hello My Baby would've fit the Fox old time feel a little better, but St. Louis is a pretty hard core baseball town, so I couldn't argue. They did a fantastic job with it.  McGrupp was finally the kickdown we were all expecting to see more of. iirc Page did a nice job on his solo at the end. Wmggw may not have been technically sound, but the jam was sweet.

This didn't beat out 6/12, which is obviously the show of the tour so far. But there was a ton of rocking the f out, which I enjoyed immensely.

Post-show, we 3 paugers headed to the bar I frequented in college that's a couple blocks from the Fox. More good times. Then I got 4 hours of sleep and had to be up for work. It's been a rough day, but all worth it. I read back through most of the live setlist thread. I think our expectations were so high for this show as a group, that I can understand where some of the comments were coming from. While I was hoping for a few more major bust-outs, I'm not surprised that we got a straight ahead rocker. Definitely not disappointed to say the least.

[Hicks]

Anyone know what the delay is? Usually the sources pop up in the wee hours of the morning. Maybe there isn't a demand or there wasn't a whole lot of tapers...

When a show hasn't popped up less than 24 hours after it ended, it's not really a "delay".   :roll:

[rowjimmy]

Set II

Halley's - Nice. this jam goes places for a little while and is entertaining without being overindulgent. It starts to fall apart a touch and slips

> Runaway Jim - This version was just fine but not particularly spectacular. Notable however that it was not pair with Foam at this show.

Frankie Sez - Totally missed this. I think I dozed off.

TTE - Woke up in this having missed the part that I least like. The end was a little flubbish but meh.

Sleep - Awesome. I adore this song and, imo, if you can't play it in an intimate venue, where can you play it?

Mike's Song - Killer. This is a great version. Not life altering but def. better than other versions this year. Feels like they really have it down now

> I Am Hydrogen - Not perfect but not a trainwreck either. Perfectly fine version.

> Week4paug - This has some shrage, some cowfunk and some general goodness.

Boogie On - Good slice of cowfunk and well paced to keep the energy up.

Zero - Hate on haters, this one should leave you pumped and if it doesn't you might need your hate gland flushed out.

Haven't listened to the encore. I'll hit it up in the a.m.

[Undermind]

Zero - Hate on haters, this one should leave you pumped and if it doesn't you might need your hate gland flushed out.

:-D

[flow00]

Just finished the show. This is in my top three this tour (others are Camden & first night of the 'Roo).

Set 1:
Kill Devil Falls: Good way to get the show rocking. Not a big fan. Maybe too much rock.

Ocelot: My favorite new song. Very solid version. Has great potential for a feel-good set 1 song. But what's with the Dear Prudence rip off?

Brian & Robert: Sorry, guys. I like this song. I like the new arrangement, but I'd like to see more of a Franky Sez kind of ending to it, something that fades away. How can you hate these lyrics? "If children playing all around/to you is noise not pleasant sound/and you'd be lost on the playground/then this one is for you." Maybe you had to be in that state of mood at one point.

Sample: I usually am not a big fan, but the first set seemed lathered in sweetness, so it worked, despite the hype leading up to the show.

Rift: A breakout, but one I wasn't too excited about. Most Rifts sound the same to me.

Ya Mar: Nothing special, but nice and sweet with Page, Trey and Fish taking turns with a little groove.

Reba: Average.

Train Song: Fits the theme of the night.

Horn: This always hurts my ears.

Possum: Average version, but still rockin'

Slave To The Traffic Light: What happened here?

Set 2:
Halley's Comet> Loved it. Built fast and mellowed into a nice groove that, despite 13 minutes, ended too quickly. Why are they stopping jams early???

Runaway Jim: Average. Nothing exploratory.

Frankie Says: Somehow this worked for me. Maybe it was the mellow nature of the show.

Time Turns Elastic: Seriously, Trey can't sing. It kills me to hear him singing for 10 straight minutes. It sounds terrible. I know this song must mean a lot to him, but damn! Sing it in the shower. ... I actually thought this was tighter and showed more potential than the other two played this tour. I think they're going to work hard on this song. I could get behind it without all of the cliche-drenched lyrics that are poorly sang. Sorry to be a hater, but this isn't the Phish I like.

Sleep: Somehow, again, fit the mellow mood.

Mike's Song>: I love how Trey hit a few mellow notes just before opening Mike's. I wasn't too impressed with this version. I like the darker Mike's, but this showed the first inkling of funk all night.

I am Hydrogen>: Some missed notes, but whatever. 

Weekapaug Groove: Way too short. They were building a nice jam.

Boogie On Reggae Woman: Highlight of the show for me, by far. This and the Jones Beach version are two of my favorite jams from the tour. This was tight! I couldn't help but dance in my backyard when this came on.

Character Zero: Haven't heard this one yet.  :roll:

Encore:
The Star Spangled Banner*: Meh. 

McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters: Hell yea. Total surprise. A few flubs but it's nice to hear it.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps: Trey's vocals at some points sounded like a mouse with a parched throat. Standard version.

I know a lot of people were upset with the flow, but somehow I really liked the mellow mood. This show was too hyped. This is the kind of Phish you listen too while you're hanging out on a mellow Sunday afternoon with a joint and some wine.

[susep]

This is the kind of Phish you listen too while you're hanging out on a mellow Sunday afternoon with a joint and some wine.

sounds nice.  good review btw.

[rowjimmy]

This is the kind of Phish you listen too while you're hanging out on a mellow Sunday afternoon with a joint and some wine.

sounds nice.  good review btw.

Agreed. +k

[Hicks]

werd, on the strength of that review I'll listen to it tomorrow.

[JPhishman]

I was staring at the walls for sure.  

Finally have a little down time to give my impressions after the 10 hour journey to Pittsburgh today. I was flying solo but had no trouble plowing through the drive being so freaking happy I am back out here with all y'all and the boys.

Haven't listened back yet but had plenty of time to reflect today on what I witnessed last night.

This was my first show back so the first set was totally surreal for me. I was just like "holy shit are we really back at this?" On top of just seeing Phish again being a shock to my system, this venue was un-fucking-real! I have never seen anything like it and pretty much spent setbreak and about 15 minutes post-show walking around with my jaw on the floor. So incredibly ornate, I really felt like I was on a whole new plane unto inself, which I was.  :wink:

First set I was definitely blissed out for Ya Mar and Reba. Ya Mar was more just seeing them play it but Reba was a pretty scorching performance IMO. Even Sample felt pretty wonderful to me but, first set back, of course it did. For some reason I have little recollection of the Possum that has gotten pretty solid reviews. Unfortunately I have a pretty crystal recollection of the Slave. RJ called it "brutal", couldn't have said it better myself. From the first note I knew this was the wrong song for them to be playing right then and it was pretty excruciating for me. This threw me for a loop because I expected rough patches but not the butchering of a classic. I had let it go though by the time I made it out to the foyer to gawk at the building itself.

Dug the Halley's for sure, nice redemption after the 1st set closer, which you won't hear me talking about again after this review. Jim was a little awkward in that slot, maybe just unexpected, it turned out pretty nice. I was disappointed that they went slow with it with Frankie, but a minute in I was into it, CK helped make this one a nice call. TTE, knew it was coming, and I stood and took it in. I can dig about 70% of it, but would be a lot more enjoyable if it were 6-8 minutes shorter. That is pretty much consensus. But I definitely felt that the band came together during this tune and was about to bust out afterwards, which was absolutely true. Sleep was unexpected, but you've got to appreciate it. Another good point by RJ, if not there, where? Mike's raged and made the show for me. Best version of '09. Just booming and totally cohesive when they dropped it in. Boogie on finally gave Page a chance to stretch out, and I felt like he wanted to keep going when they ended the jam. Always good to hear that tune. I'm down with Zero and anyone that was there can't deny that it rocked the house. SSB defintely better than the Fenway version, I dug it. McGrupp was sweet, sounded really good and of course made us feel all warm and gamehengey inside. I could take or leave Guitar Weeps, not a very good version.

All around excellent night though. Had a blast with Caravan and Leo. I think we all would have had even more fun if we could have had seats together, but soon enough. I'll post some pics when this is said and done and I can upload from home. Looking forward to tomorrow and meeting some new paugers! These next 4 days are going to be HUGE!  :banana: Bring on C&P!

[mbw]

I was staring at the walls for sure.  

Finally have a little down time to give my impressions after the 10 hour journey to Pittsburgh today. I was flying solo but had no trouble plowing through the drive being so freaking happy I am back out here with all y'all and the boys.

Haven't listened back yet but had plenty of time to reflect today on what I witnessed last night.

This was my first show back so the first set was totally surreal for me. I was just like "holy shit are we really back at this?" On top of just seeing Phish again being a shock to my system, this venue was un-fucking-real! I have never seen anything like it and pretty much spent setbreak and about 15 minutes post-show walking around with my jaw on the floor. So incredibly ornate, I really felt like I was on a whole new plane unto inself, which I was.  :wink:

First set I was definitely blissed out for Ya Mar and Reba. Ya Mar was more just seeing them play it but Reba was a pretty scorching performance IMO. Even Sample felt pretty wonderful to me but, first set back, of course it did. For some reason I have little recollection of the Possum that has gotten pretty solid reviews. Unfortunately I have a pretty crystal recollection of the Slave. RJ called it "brutal", couldn't have said it better myself. From the first note I knew this was the wrong song for them to be playing right then and it was pretty excruciating for me. This threw me for a loop because I expected rough patches but not the butchering of a classic. I had let it go though by the time I made it out to the foyer to gawk at the building itself.

Dug the Halley's for sure, nice redemption after the 1st set closer, which you won't hear me talking about again after this review. Jim was a little awkward in that slot, maybe just unexpected, it turned out pretty nice. I was disappointed that they went slow with it with Frankie, but a minute in I was into it, CK helped make this one a nice call. TTE, knew it was coming, and I stood and took it in. I can dig about 70% of it, but would be a lot more enjoyable if it were 6-8 minutes shorter. That is pretty much consensus. But I definitely felt that the band came together during this tune and was about to bust out afterwards, which was absolutely true. Sleep was unexpected, but you've got to appreciate it. Another good point by RJ, if not there, where? Mike's raged and made the show for me. Best version of '09. Just booming and totally cohesive when they dropped it in. Boogie on finally gave Page a chance to stretch out, and I felt like he wanted to keep going when they ended the jam. Always good to hear that tune. I'm down with Zero and anyone that was there can't deny that it rocked the house. SSB defintely better than the Fenway version, I dug it. McGrupp was sweet, sounded really good and of course made us feel all warm and gamehengey inside. I could take or leave Guitar Weeps, not a very good version.

All around excellent night though. Had a blast with Caravan and Leo. I think we all would have had even more fun if we could have had seats together, but soon enough. I'll post some pics when this is said and done and I can upload from home. Looking forward to tomorrow and meeting some new paugers! These next 4 days are going to be HUGE!  :banana: Bring on C&P!

another nice write up!