2023-07-23 - St. Joseph's Health Amp - Syracuse NY - Post-show Discussion/Review

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ST. JOSEPH'S HEALTH AMPHITHEATER AT LAKEVIEW
Syracuse, NY   

Soundcheck: My Soul, Blues Jam, Broken Into Pieces (x3), Blues Jam (this soundcheck may be incomplete)

SET 1: Happy Birthday to You > Free, Steam > McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters, Evolve, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan > Meat, Walk Away, Theme From the Bottom, Kill Devil Falls   

SET 2: Suzy Greenberg > Tweezer -> Oblivion, Miss You, Wolfman's Brother, Possum   

ENCORE: I Didn't Know, What's the Use? > Tweezer Reprise   

Happy Birthday was performed for Lisa Simpson (she had made Fish's "Syracuse colored" dress for the evening and was in attendance). Trey and Page teased That's All in Tweezer. Page teased Long Tall Glasses in Possum and Hold Your Head Up after I Didn't Know. The soundcheck's My Soul had Dog Log lyrics.





So, this was the first time I was 100% satisfied with a Phish show.  Every song had me excited.  I did not think i would ever experience that.  I found the playing to be average-great.  McGrupp, however, was expertly executed for the time period.  The jam especially was very solid. 

The jams since 2021 have become kind of an ever-unfurling rhythmic landscape that doesn't quite bubble up the way they used to, but I enjoyed the long jams.  Lots of modulations in KDF and Tweezer, and Oblivion is fucking awesome.  Steam was also extra juicy, and Theme had as well-played of a jam riff as you could hope for or expect in this day and age.  Solid 8.5/10.  Anything legendary that will resonate through the years?  No, except perhaps Oblivion due to it being the longest version ever, or a discussion about when WTU was in an encore (this was the 2nd time).  Wolfman's lat in the 2nd set was weird and very welcome.  Miss You was expertly placed and perfect.  Wolfmans > Possum to end a show is magnitudes, MAGNITUDES better and more welcome than Numberline > Zero.  Evolve is awesome too!  Very similar changes to Water in the Sky, and I love it.  Even Stealing time was sick and welcome!  What a world we live in, where that song generates excitement.  And then Meat and Walk Away?  OKAY.  Fuck!   

The Free opener was an easy call, and I also called the WTU in the encore when I heard the fraction of Trey's guitar sounds prior to the first note.  My bandmates were impressed lol. 


Anyway, I feel very blessed to finally be able to say I saw a completely satisfying Phish show.  I truly never thought I would ever experience that.