While I’d never recommend to anybody that they make spontaneous plans to visit Dallas, necessarily, the argument for jumping onto Phish tour amassed another body of evidence with last night’s show at the L.A. Forum.

We are four shows into the summer swing and the band is deliberate, playful, and right where they belong – namely, deeply engaged with one another. Trey and Mike’s onstage bromance – manifested in lots of face-to-face interplay and even a little instrumental spooning – flowered further last night.

Photo by @tweeprise

For Mike’s part, I’m not sure if I’ve seen him as scrutable, engaged, and outwardly happy on a Phish stage in quite some time. As for Trey, it is hard not to conclude that his experience preparing for and playing in the Fare Thee Well celebration has reinvigorated his guitar playing, and in ways that nobody predicted.

The old, tired saw on the Grateful Dead and Phish, of course, goes like this: Phish brought precision and chops to the jam rock idiom that the Grateful Dead weren’t capable of. In fairness, that may have been sort of true a while ago. But none of us are exempt from the taxes of time and age, so in recent years precision and chops aren’t always on the menu when it comes to Phish. Yet in immersing himself in the riffs, techniques, and tones of Garcia’s playing, Trey has somehow rediscovered his Inner Anastasio. He is nailing the tough changes in a way that suggests it really matters to him, cheerfully volunteering for duty as Phish’s leader, prowling the stage, stoking a furnace of creativity, and assertively micromanaging the flow of jams and sets.

Photo by @tweeprise

The Forum crowd was electric and loud right out of the gate last night. The band took the stage to cacophonous roars, conspired for a few seconds, and then charged headlong into “Martian Monster,” which easily vaults into frontrunner status for Least Anticipated Opener of Tour. I confess that I still have trouble understanding where the scripted parts of that song end and the improvisational bits begin (if there are any, really), but I also don’t care very much. I’d take it over the expected perfunctory “AC/DC Bag” seven days of the week and twice on Saturday. A perfect audible.

The crackling energy carried over into a concise but ultra-fiery “Down with Disease” that featured a carefully constructed and gratifying return to the “this has all been wonderful” theme. “Waiting All Night,” a song I genuinely love, didn’t hang together particularly well, however, and precipitated a trough of sorts that encompassed “Heavy Things” (hot-ass organ), “Axilla” (LOUD-ASS organ), and “555.” Trey relished “Limb By Limb,” spinning up melodic gems en route to a scorching peak, but these gains were surrendered by a tossed-off “Ya Mar” that probably sounded like a perfectly reasonable call at the time. Band just couldn’t really play it for shit.

Photo by @tweeprise

Fortunately, there’s “Fuego.” Phish played it in the same room not even a year earlier, so I think a fair number of the fans in attendance were surprised to see it pop up again last night, but it refocused the set, recharged the crowd, and poured the foundation for a powerful and dramatic “Walls of the Cave.” While not nearly as exploratory as the last Forum “Walls” (2/14/03), it sent us into the long set break with cottonmouths and knees of jelly.

“No Men In No Man’s Land” opened the second frame right where the first left off, and I spent much of this song watching the throng of dancing dervishes at the back of the floor who were emphatically in it to win it, at any cost. It is easy-breezy to get sucked into this quicksand groove, and Trey’s new Mutron pedal (thanks again, Fare Thee Well!) turns out to be the express train to my cerebral pleasure centers. Various band members seemed to hint at “Ghost” as the “No Men” jam began to fragment, but set that aside for a businesslike run at “Carini” and “Tweezer” (both versions the first of the tour).

Photo by Dave Vann © Phish From the Road

It’s at this point that I’m probably expected to complain in calibrated fashion about the fact that the “Carini” -> “Tweezer” sequence was short and not especially adventurous. Yep, those two statements are factually true, and it’s also at least arguably true that “My Friend, My Friend” intruded upon the “Tweezer” just as it was starting to cook. But I didn’t mind a bit at the time, and even in playback it was a fun fifteen minutes. Moreover, there was nothing at all to complain about whatsoever in the following three tunes – neither the boiling tension of “My Friend,” nor the timely caress of “Roggae,” nor the machine gun fusillades of “Backwards Down the Number Line” (played in honor of Chris Kuroda’s birthday, or so I am told). The expected “Slave to the Traffic Light” closer – and the first L.A.-area “Slave” since Pauley Pavilion in 1996, strangely enough – found Mike and Trey toe-to-toe at center stage trading licks as they ascended to a deeply satisfying climax.

Photo by @stim_buck

Finally: Be it resolved that Phish should always encore with “You Enjoy Myself.” I always want to be sent home by “YEM,” and to be sent home with this unique and spirited version was especially sweet. By now you have seen the photos of Trey and Mike making the human guitar pretzel, which was certainly a nifty little parlor trick. The music produced during this section was not nearly as compelling as the “drum + bass” passage that followed, which was thundering and melodic and just plain huge. I’m told Bill Walton made it to the rail to get down to this “YEM,” but I suppose I couldn’t pick him out of the crowd...

There’s lots of good news in the emerging arc of this tour, fans. Phish’s playing is consistent enough right now that three of the first four shows could support arguments for best show of tour so far, and Bend I gets a pass because it was the opener. Devotees of the long jam will probably lean Shoreline, and devotees of the unusual setlist will probably lean Bend II, but devotees of the carefully assembled start-to-finish show may find their bliss in last night’s Forum gig. [Discuss.]

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

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[Editor's Note: You may already be familiar with @UCPete's wonderful recap of last night. But Shoreline inspired another of our friends, and we hope you appreciate her thoughts as well. -charlie]

with the third concert of summer tour at shoreline, it seems the band is continuing in a very interesting and most excellent direction. while the first two opening concerts of summer tour at the bend gifted a veritable plethora of new songs, last night's concert revealed many superb moments of unified musicianship and improvisation with a setlist of familiar compositions. my overall impression was one of hearing and observing a definite and desired unity within the band.

Photo © @moSTgHoSt

in considering the shoreline concert as a whole, i heard at some given moment each band member centered in individual excellence. in my mind, the jam band concept is at its best when it is more like that of any great assemblage of jazz musicians. A democracy with a designated leader, respecting and allowing the other "voices" to take their turn and moment where-ever and whenever that moment spontaneously happens. i felt and heard such excellence last night, particularly in the second set.

the first two songs, "the line" and "moma dance", sounded as a respectable warm up and settling in, familiar and comfortable. i heard things begin to meld into the unity with "kill devil falls", and i noted trey's guitar sound, glorious tones with an eloquent chase of page on the keyboard, eloquence. "yarmouth road" was sweet and calm, in contrast to the moments of excitement within "kill devil falls", and as we moved through the cleverness of the lyrics in "undermind" at the conclusion of the song, i felt fishman punctuating the end so certainly and most intensely. the drums most immediate and confident.

Photo © Phish From the Road

then we are free. "free", a highlight for me within the first set. the bass was so so deep and very very on. i love this song for the bass breakaway moment and as i hear the lyrics, i just get ready with anticipation for the bass to take over and the guitar to answer back. last night's "free" was tight and intense. ( as it should be ) next, "reba", the rhythm section so beautifully synched behind the glory of the guitar soaring and i honestly felt like i was just taking a happy happy walk with that rhythm, just walking along and at leisure. this same feeling of walking with the rhythm section continued into "46 days", so unified and sweet, walking, walking, with leisure and ease.

in retrospect, i would say the well-played familiar favorites of the first set, initiated the space for the surprising improvisational moments that happened in the second set. the new song "blaze on" was the set opener and again i noted an impression of unity among all band members. a new song debuted at the bend in Oregon earlier that week, it already seems to be stretching into something creative and unexpected. "twist" was very interesting, different from other versions with unique moments of improvisation, particularly as i focused and listened to page on keyboard. the very strong bass sound helped make it unique.

"light" was a highlight - most definitely. i need to find the moment to revist last night's recording before i can articualte exactly why, but "light" was very special and exiting, with superb contribution and, again, unity on the part of all band members. being in attendance last night with weather conditions somewhat warmish and following the excitement and energy of both "twist&ququot; and "light", "joy" was so so welcome as a calm down moment for the audience to regroup and rest and so on... i needed to drink an entire bottle of water and do some note taking at this juncture, and the lyrics of "joy" are just so sweet and welcome to my ears - always.

Photo © Phish From the Road

"harry hood" again takes us back out there. very very interesting. i noted a fishman highlight with the intro and i just love it. i did have the happy experience of getting lost in the "hood" and as my thoughts went abstract with the improvisation i did forget what song we were exactly hearing until the return to the familiar with the descent to the conclusion. the set concluded with "cavern" and with nothing out of the the crazy ordinary in this song. i just felt the continuation of last night's wonderful unity of sound. the encore, "character zero", rocked, and the crowd was still all fired up on the friday night. i greatly enjoyed focusing on the glory of the all-out-rocking lead guitar.

i sincerely recommend a listen to last night's concert. the second set was a winner and i can't wait to revisit the recordings. i predict an excellent and unique summer tour with so many new songs, so much potential for improvisation, and exploration. the band continues in excellent form.

and so it was... i gathered with and followed out my crew. as the designated sober driver, i was cruising the calm San Francisco highways with very happy people, experiencing the drive across the golden gate bridge. gliding, gliding... with the glorious high of the aftermath, the euphoria of listening.

Official 7/24/15 Shoreline LE poster by Justin Santora. Edition of 675, 17.25x24.

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

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After two strong tour-opening shows in Bend, during which the band surprised the crowds with seven debuts and displayed a confidence and tightness not normally seen until the middle of tour, Phish rolled down the coast to California for the band’s fourteenth show at Shoreline Amphitheatre in the last 23 years, and first since Summer 2009. Though oft-maligned by fans for its poor sightlines and sound from the lawn, Shoreline has an undeniable cachet to fans of the Grateful Dead and fans of Phish alike. Concert promoter Bill Graham essentially built Shoreline for the Dead and even modeled its construction after the “steal your face” logo (see this photo and compare it with the logo), so it’s no coincidence that the Dead played Shoreline 39 times from 1987 - 1995.

Photo © Phish From the Road

Phish has honored the Dead on numerous occasions at Shoreline, from the 7/31/97 “Happy Birthday to You” tease in “Weekapaug Groove” for Jerry’s birthday (August 1st), to the 9/17/99 “YEM -> Jam” featuring Phil Lesh on trampolines, to the encore with Bob Weir on 10/6/00, the penultimate show of Phish 1.0. In fact, 9/17/99 and 10/6/00 were my first two shows, so Shoreline and its connection with the Dead will always hold a special place in my heart. And with Trey’s recent foray into the music of the Grateful Dead, it makes sense that Phish opted to visit Shoreline instead of Bill Graham Civic Auditorium this year, especially given that they were only to spend a single night in Northern California this tour. Were we in for another Dead sit-in? Would we hear a Dead song?! Let’s find out...

The band took the stage a few minutes after 8 PM to a raucous applause from the crowd, and started things off with “The Line”. It was a somewhat surprising choice as it had never opened a show previously – perhaps it was Trey’s tongue-in-cheek answer to the question “are you going to cover a Dead song?”, or maybe it was a reference to the venue name itself – but it was well-executed and essentially a replica of the studio version off of “Fuego”. “The Moma Dance” got things started in earnest, and Trey’s crisp tone stood out and nicely complemented Page’s clavinet work. A rousing “Kill Devil Falls” followed, and provided the first extended improvisation of the evening. Trey’s spirited soloing (reminiscent at times of "I Know You Rider") elevated this largely in-the-box rendition of “KDF”. Only three songs in, it was already apparent how focused Trey was, and how loose and happy the band was to be back in California.

The Mike-penned “Yarmouth Road” and a short “Undermind” dissipated some of the momentum gathered from the “Moma”, “KDF” pairing, but the ensuing “Free” brought things back up a notch. While it was not on the same level as the “Martian Monster”-infused “Free” from MGM last Fall Tour, it was a perfect infusion of energy into the set. Page’s melodious work on piano guided Mike and Trey through the jam section, and Mike’s dominant bass work meshed perfectly with Trey’s assertive leads. The opening notes of “Reba” sent the crowd into a frenzy, and like many versions of “Reba”, the fine execution of the difficult composed section sent the band into the improvised section with ample wind beneath their sails. Trey immediately began to assert himself again, effortlessly nailing lick after lick in a “Meatstick”-esque fashion at times, while Fishman’s fleet drum-work pushed the jam onward and upward with the utmost of patience. When Fishman did eventually mash the toms to signal the end of the jam, Trey perfectly weaved one more beautiful riff right into the final chord – they absolutely stuck the landing. Despite a sloppy-but-hilarious whistling outro, the crowd went nuts in approval for what was to that point the highlight of the set and one of the better “Rebas” in recent memory. “46 Days” served as an exclamation point on the first set, and while standard-great in nature, it did feature Mike and Trey rocking out while standing back-to-back. After 70+ minutes of solid but largely standard playing other than the transcendent “Reba”, the first set was in the books with the recommended dose of momentum heading into the second frame.

Photo by @uprising77

After a 35-minute set break, the band retook the stage a few minutes before 10 PM, and kicked into the second-ever version of “Blaze On”. Played for the first time just three nights earlier in Bend during the tour-opening first set, “Blaze On” had shown serious improvisational promise but didn’t explore too deeply in its debut. With the tune now situated in the high-profile second set opening slot, we were hopeful to capitalize on that potential, and the band delivered on that promise in spades. Near the five minute mark, the jam started in similar fashion to the Bend rendition, but Trey and Mike tugged at the structure a bit, stretching the song beyond the known into uncharted territory for the next five minutes. Near the 11 minute mark, Trey led the band back into the chorus chords and repeated “you got one life // blaze on” to bring things back home, but it was only a short visit as the band almost immediately began to drift back into an improvisational space again. Some twinkling looping synth play from Page and some staccato work from Trey pushed things onward, and as the 15 minute mark approached, the jam dissolved to give way for “Twist”. The look on Trey’s face was telling, as if to say “we’re not messing around tonight”, and the excitement of the crowd was tangible.

Around six minutes into "Twist", Trey changed his tone to a dirtier 2.0 sound and Mike immediately followed suit with some filthy bass lines vaguely reminiscent of the Gorge “Rock and Roll”. This grungier segment led right into a section not unlike the Bend “Simple” jam, and near the 9 minute mark, Trey began to play the main riff again, potentially signaling the end of the jam segment. Thankfully, the jam was far from over, as the revisitation of the main riff was just another launching pad for a second improvised section. The second jam headed into major mode territory, with Trey picking some “Lizards”-like riffs before the chord progression and Trey’s playing led into two alternating major chords not entirely dissimilar from (but far from a tease of) “Fire on the Mountain”. At 13 minutes in, the jam began to pick up serious steam with a big push from Mike and Fish, and Trey played some fluid octave leads. A friend described this “Twist” as “a metamorphic masterpiece of evil to good; truly Darth Vader-esque”, and I couldn’t have put it better myself. The intent empathetic listening on display between the band members and the crowd was phenomenal, and when we thought it just might be too much, Trey let the opening chords of “Light” ring through the air.

The light began growing brighter, figuratively and literally as CK5 (Happy Birthday Chris!) painted the tent with his latest and greatest. After some extra mustard in the pre-jam vocals, the jam went right into standard “Light” space, with minor mode musings and Eastern scales from Trey. Like many of the better versions of “Light”, this darkness led to a modulation into major mode territory. After a “Manteca”-like reference from Trey and Fish and some “Blaze On” stylings near the 8 minute mark, like the first two songs of the set, the jam regathered itself and led to a hose-filled Allman Brothers Band-like section (with more hinting at "I Know You Rider") that represented a huge catharsis after more than 45 minutes of brilliant playing.

Photo © Phish From the Road

The ensuing “Joy” (after a brief "Twist" tease) could not have been better placed in the traditional Jerry ballad slot, and gave us a nice breather. But instead of running for the bathrooms, the crowd shared in the band’s joy, and much of the crowd seemed to appreciate the sometimes-cheesy-but-always-heartfelt sentiment that the band just wants us to be happy. By this point, I had sent a few texts to friends saying they had to play the “Hood” they didn’t play in Bend, and sure enough, Fishman gave us what we wanted. The intro was perfectly executed with some nice Hammond B3 work from Page, and six minutes in, the glowsticks were flying. On a dime with no prior notice, the band smoothly kicked into minor mode territory, and around 11 minutes in, the playing had a distinct Pink Floyd vibe to it. After the 12 minute mark, there was a near “Timber” fake-out before seamlessly slipping back into the feel good “Hood” coda. “Hood” has been ridiculously strong the past two years, and this Type II version was no exception. Already 70 minutes into the second set, instead of wrapping up, they kicked into a fiery “Cavern” to provide the exclamation point on the set. Trey was so pumped up that he yelled “Thanks everybody that was just so fun, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!”. Everyone in the venue knew we had just witnessed something special, and this second set will surely hold up for years to come. The “Character Zero” encore, though not my favorite, was all gravy at that point and allowed Trey to hose the audience down one last time.

The tour rolls along to Los Angeles tonight where Phish will play at The Forum for the second time in 9 months. I expect another stellar performance from the band and the birthday boy, Chris Kuroda, and I think it’s safe to say he’ll be activating the starry night LEDs at some point in the second set – perhaps when the stars all turn around during “Roggae”? I look forward to seeing everyone again tonight!

-- pete

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

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“Look, man I've got certain information alright? Certain things have come to light, and uh, ya know, has it ever occurred to you, that uh, instead of uh, you know running around, uh uh, blaming me, given the nature of all this new shit, you know it, it it, this could be a uh, a lot more uh, uh, uh, uh, complex, I mean it's not just, it might not be, just such a simple, uh--you know?”

I had been asking for Phish to play in Bend for five years. Finally it has happened… to great effect. During the weeks that preceded the two Phish shows at the Les Schwab Amphitheater, several things were prevalent in the news. The region was embroiled in a sweltering and seemingly interminable heat wave. Due to a well-written but inarguably stale (to a geologist) piece in The New Yorker, the impending destruction of the Pacific Northwest by a massive megathrust earthquake and the accompanying tsunami it will spawn finally became a point of concern for everybody. Recreational cannabis is now legal. The New Horizons probe was beaming back our first high resolution views of the ice mountains and hydrocarbon lakes on Pluto. El Chapo is once again on the loose and threatening current Republican Presidential candidate front-runner El Donald with assassination. A robot passed a self-awareness test shortly after another had killed a man. Trey was playing guitar with the Grateful Dead. In other words… new shit was coming to light… and things were getting deliciously weird.

Photos by @tweeprise

Expect the unexpected is my early take on this summer tour. Only one show down and already three new songs had been played. Night two had to settle into a more familiar place, right? A patient, thoughtfully communicative “Stash” to open the show suggested that might be the case. The Phish debut of the Mike Gordon/Scott Murawski penned “How Many People Are You?” which followed destroyed that notion immediately. Imagine “Alabama Getaway” being played by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. What a tight fucking groooooooove. Hair follicles still tingling. I am hearing the Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House all over this one. Fishman is a beast. The question of the previous night was back... “What is going ON? Is this another new song?”

A pretty pleasing “Winterqueen” provided a cerebral massage that allowed me to ponder what else may be coming this evening. Trey and Page extol the virtues of The Teaches of Peaches and we get right back into fucking the pain away for real. A burning question for a decade or so has been, what the hell happened to the second jam in “Mike’s Song” anyway? The Phish debut of Page McConnell’s “Heavy Rotation” finally provided the answer. At this point, this show was starting to feel a lot like the 2/26/03 Worcester Centrum gig that featured a side project debut from every band member. Unexpectedly awesome.

Photo by Dave Vann © Phish 2015

Whatever Trey did to prepare for the Fare Thee Well gigs is really on display in “Back on the Train”... so many notes, great tone, a walk down the “Streets of Cairo” thrown in for good measure. Loving every moment of this. Did I mention Fishman is just crushing the beats? The Phish debut of Trey’s “Scabbard” artfully weaves threads of “Reba” with strains of “Fluffhead” and “Harry Hood” jams before decaying into a gorgeous outro that actually caused tears of joy to well up from somewhere deep within.

The manic haze of the “Maze” which followed caused that brief moment of sensitivity to run screaming, hair ablaze with a few strong “How Many People Are You?” teases along the way. Hot stuff. Exceedingly tight. But wait… there’s more. The fourth new Phish song, “Mercury” is a lyrical exploration of Mercury the planet, the messenger god, the element, and the pigment adorning the tomb of a Mayan queen beneath a limestone block pyramid at Palenque. A Marimba Lumina bridge transports us into an unbreakable safety net with a “Tweezer” cum “Help On the Way” outro jam and you have another winner. Awesome “Possum.”

Photo by Dave Vann © Phish 2015

The second set was a thematic construct based off the Cascadia Subduction Zone fears that had permeated the regional consciousness earlier in the month. A soaring “A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing” coupled with an invigorating splash through shimmering “Waves” was feeding me images of earthquakes and tsunami and the future cataclysm awaiting the Pacific Northwest. Rather than dwell on the potential horror of such an occurrence, I was carried aloft by the music and realized I was standing in a place that would be completely safe from that future moment of doom. The “Waves” outro jam veers into ambient space with some deep texture and augurs the next flight via “Wingsuit.” Another passionate rendition. Perfect placement. Killer skies. Get after it Trey! Third quarter very mellow and cerebral. Deep thoughts achieved.

Photo by Dave Vann © Phish 2015

The back to back combo of “Farmhouse” and “Simple” made my wife very happy. But who can blame her? A soulful and sweet embrace followed by some deep dark dirty grime. I stomped a hole in the ground during “First Tube” which despite a few clams was searing in its intensity. A “Bathtub Gin” encore? When was the last time that happened? Over nineteen years ago (7/12/96 Melkweg, 643 shows ago). The day I told my boss in Reading, Pennsylvania that I had decided to move to Oregon and set in motion the long incredible chain of events that had lead to the exact moment I was experiencing in real life. This was a true family affair. Thanks to all of you who participated both here and at home. Team Acaster shall remain perpetually mind blown by everything. Happy to be heading south. See you at Shoreline.

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

Official Bend Poster • 18x24 Limited Edition of 700 • By Jackson Tupper

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Heading into my fourth consecutive summer tour opener, I feel like I've been to enough of these launchpad shows to learn what to expect: nothing, just enjoy the moment. As tours progress and the band gets tighter and more oiled simultaneously, the shows tend to get better; it's been almost seven months since the band walked off the stage in Miami after a successful run of shows. Since then, Trey famously performed as sideman for another band of lore, and Mike had a well-received tour with his revamped touring ensemble. In any case, there's a certain excitement in the air when these guys walk out on stage for the first time in a while. The fans of course add to that energy, but you can also see it on the faces of Mike, Page, Fish and Trey when they plug in and get set to hit that first note of summer. Enjoy the friends and fans who travelled from afar to see the boys from Vermont, and chances are, Phish will offer up a surprise or two that you hadn't anticipated.

Bend is a hip, smallish city located on the eastern slope of the Cascade Mountains in central Oregon. The cool/crunchy downtown reminds me of Burlington, VT in some ways, and there's tons to do in the area. The Les Schwab Amphitheater is small by Phish’s standards with a capacity of 8,000 and offers the appeal of both a picturesque Western setting and relatively intimate size.

7/21/15 Setlist • Live Phish Official Sounboard Download

Once inside the venue it was easy to get situated just about anywhere you wanted. Because of a local noise ordinance which takes effect at 10:00 PM, Phish took the stage far earlier than customary, at 6:24 PM. Since sunset in Bend occurred at 8:41, CK5 had a less noticeable role with the lights during the first set and into the early part of the second. But cleverly, he pointed his digital LEDs out at the audience during the daylight portion, which added some interesting color to the foreground. Crystal clear skies were on order, and a warm but not hot temperature of about 81F° prevailed as the band hit the stage.

Photo @brianfeller

The first set featured a healthy dose of funk-infused songs, including “Sand,” “555,” “Tube,” and “Wolfman's Brother.” “Sand” arriving in the number two slot after the crowd pleasing “Sample” opener took many by surprise, but the surprise was welcome, and the whole place was immediately bopping to the crescendo-oriented groove. Interspersed with the funkier songs were a variety songs from the Phish canon, including the debut of the Trey/Tom Marshall original, “Blaze On.” The crowd seemed to laugh a lot during the lyrical portion of the song, and at first, it seemed a bit sing-song-like. But once the jam portion began, this new number suggested some great potential for future improvisation. None of the songs from the first set had noteworthy jams. On the other hand, the band sounded well rehearsed, and the playing was spot on with the exception of “Horn” which seemed to give Trey some troubles. But he made up for it in spades, and he gets my vote for the MVP of Bend I. Clearly, his efforts with the Grateful Dead are paying dividends now with Phish. Following another crescendo-oriented jam in “Wolfman's,” the band departed for set break at 7:37.

Photo © Phish From the Road

When Phish retook the stage at 8:11, the sun was mostly down and the temperature had dropped to a comfortable 73F°. The second set would prove to be similar in many ways to the first. While there were no major jams of note, the playing was excellent, there was an abundance of funk, and the band debuted two more songs. “Fuego” seemed like it had the most potential to stretch out for a ride, but instead the band decided to transition to another new song, “Shade.” While this song seems to have a bit of a ballad quality that some fans viewed as an opportunity to hit the restrooms, I thought Trey's solo was excellent, and another example of the benefit of his work for the GD50 shows.

Photo © Phish From the Road

From there the band launched into another debut, “No Men In No Man's Land.” This song is great, perhaps the song highlight of the show, combining funk with a quick tempo and great syncopated play. It's a bit like “Tube,” but features more interplay between Trey and Page, and the dance-till-you-drop jam section lasted much longer than your garden variety “Tube.” Coupled with a solid “Weekapaug,” which was followed by Stevie Wonder's “Boogie On Reggae Woman,” as well as a benign “Ghost” at the beginning of the set, the funky theme was on display throughout the evening. A predictably rousing “Chalk Dust Torture” had the crowds pumping fists as the band left the stage for a brief encore break. Returning to the stage, the band closed the night with a strong “Theme,” and once again Trey's musicianship was excellent.

Photos © Phish From the Road

My takeaway from this show is twofold: First, Phish is absolutely not a nostalgia act, riding on a tsunami of songs written thirty or more years ago. Seven of the songs performed were either brand new, or are very recent. That they are continuing to write and play new music is a sign to me that these guys still mean business. And while the big improvisational jams were not a factor in tonight's show, at least a couple of the new songs seem to have great potential. The second is that this band is playing very well for the first show of the summer. With the exception of one hiccup in “Horn,” Trey sounded terrific all night, and both Mike and Page were their usual exemplary selves. The jams will come. But this was a great showing in terms of competent, cohesive playing. Meanwhile, a mix of funky dance-along songs and spirited peaking jams kept the crowd happy and engaged. And finally, for an east coaster seeing his first west coast show, Bend is a pretty damn sweet place to see a Phish concert in mid summer!

You can feel good about Mount Hood. Photo © Mike Gordon

Phish Summer 2015 – Setlists & Recaps
07/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 1
07/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Bend 2
07/24/15 Setlist – Recap, Recap2 – Shoreline
07/25/15 Setlist – Recap – LA Forum
07/28/15 Setlist – Recap – Austin
07/29/15 Setlist – Recap – Grand Prarie
07/31/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 1
08/01/15 Setlist – Recap – Atlanta 2
08/02/15 Setlist – Recap – Tuscaloosa
08/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Nashville
08/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Kansas City
08/07/15 Setlist – Recap – Blossom
08/08/15 Setlist – Recap – Alpine 1
08/09/15 Setlist – Recap – Apline 2
08/11/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 1
08/12/15 Setlist – Recap – Mann 2
08/14/15 Setlist – Recap – Raleigh
08/15/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 1
08/16/15 Setlist – Recap – Merriweather 2
08/21/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 1
08/22/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 2
08/23/15 Setlist – Recap – Magnaball 3
09/04/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 1
09/05/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 2
09/06/15 Setlist – Recap – Dick's 3

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Happy Summer Tour Eve, and welcome to the 192th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday. The winner will receive an MP3 download courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam clip. Each person gets one guess per day, with the second “day” starting after I post the hint. A hint will be posted on Tuesday if necessary, with the answer to follow on Wednesday. Good luck!

Answer: With his sixth win, @PersnicketyJim joins @mcgrupp81 and @ucpete on the precipice of emeritus-hood, identifying the 12/5/99 Taste.

The folks at LivePhish have released Live Bait Volume 11 as a free download, featuring tracks from previous shows from cities Phish will perform on the 2015 summer tour that begins next week. The collection includes the following:

- "Prince Caspian" > "Light" from 2012-09-01 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park - Commerce City, CO
- "Runaway Jim" from 1997-07-31 at Shoreline Amphitheatre - Mountain View, CA
- "Tweezer" from 1996-12-01 at Pauley Pavilion – University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- "You Enjoy Myself" from 1995-10-14 at Austin Music Hall – Austin, TX – with Medeski Martin & Wood and Dominic Placco
- "Stash" > "I Didn't Know" from 1995-06-15 at Lakewood Amphitheatre – Atlanta, GA
- "Mike's Song" > "I Am Hydrogen" > "Weekapaug Groove" from 1991-11-08 at Ivory Tusk – Tuscaloosa, AL
- "Bathtub Gin" > "The Vibration of Life" from 1996-11-19 at Municipal Auditorium – Kansas City, MO
- "Halley's Comet" from 2000-09-18 at Blossom Music Center – Cuyahoga Falls, OH
- "Reba" from 1997-08-09 at Alpine Valley Music Theatre – East Troy, WI
- "Split Open and Melt" from 2000-06-25 at ALLTEL Pavilion at Walnut Creek – Raleigh, NC
- "Harry Hood" from 1998-08-08 Merriweather Post Pavilion – Columbia, MD
- "Storage Jam" > "Sleeping Monkey" from 2011-07-02 SuperBall IX – Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY

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The celebration of fifty years of the Grateful Dead came to a bittersweet conclusion on Sunday at Chicago’s Soldier Field, the last of five “Fare Thee Well” concerts billed as the final shows of this quintessentially American of institutions. During this abbreviated final run of shows – that some had labelled a nostalgia trip or worse, a “cash grab” – a band emerged that very closely approximated the spirit of the Grateful Dead. Not just in the authenticity provided by a lineup of its surviving members, but in the truest spirit of the band, producing music that – in, at times, brilliant flashes – transcended all the bullshit, and gave us the real thing.

Photo © @soldierfield

Before the first set began, the band gathered to offer bows to audience and a group hug before The Last Grateful Dead Show Ever. Constructing the final setlist must have been an enormously difficult task – one last shot at their enormous repertoire as a group. The celebration kicked off with a rousing “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider” with Trey and Bruce trading verses on “China Cat” and Bobby taking lead vocals on “IKYR.” As was the case for large segments of this run, Trey shined throughout, weaving leads both delicate and powerful. They opted for a democratic approach with Bobby, Phil and Trey sharing Garcia’s signature “I wish I was a headlight, on a northbound train” line, and the fifteen-minute combo set a tone of celebration and earnest joy for the gig. “Estimated Prophet” added to this first set’s “second-set feel.” Approached with an almost funereal pace that saw Trey intently following Bobby’s lead to keep (the lack of) pace, the jam nevertheless gathered some steam toward the end.

“Built to Last” was offered seemingly not as self-congratulations, but as a nod to the enduring bond between the band and its fans. Bruce assumed the vocal duties, but it was Trey who would shine on this tune with confidently delivered lines that floated effortlessly and optimistically. “Samson and Delilah” rarely missed a Sunday show, and this version stayed true to the Dead’s history, even in the band’s heyday, of often sloppy performances. Phil’s “Mountains of the Moon” was a surprise call, given that it was never performed in a Dead show after 1969. “Mountains of the Moon” sent more than a few fans to the restroom and concessions, but that would have been a mistake; “Mountains” was brilliant, easily provided the jamming highlight of the first set, and one of the most patient, balanced, and engaging conversational passages of the entire run. The traditionally spirited “Throwing Stones” closed the set with an almost unrecognizably slow pace. At one point it seemed that Bobby had forgotten the song’s lyrics and we were heading for a “senior moment” but instead he delivered a modern day improvisation that “you can buy the whole goddamn government today!” We give you a hard time, but we love you, Bobby!

Photo © @languagestrange

The second set began with fireworks (literally) and then opened with their first big radio “hit” (and one of only two repeats from Santa Clara), “Truckin’.” “Cassidy” offered a good-bye from the band – “Faring thee well now / Let your life proceed by its own design / Nothing to tell now / Let the words be yours, I'm done with mine” – and also the jamming highlight of the second set, twelve blissful minutes that would have been notable show highlights in almost any Grateful Dead era. Trey took a crack at Garcia’s loved “Althea” that was compact but far from throw-away before yielding to the beloved “Terrapin Station.” Phil and Bobby traded vocal versus on this “Terrapin” that proved one of the only questionable decisions of the night, as the band was unable to find solid footing in the basic mechanics of the song.

After the final “Drums” -> “Space” segment – augmented by an array of psychedelic computer graphics on the venue’s massive video screen as well as on the webcast feed, in the event that stuff wasn’t already happening inside your head – Phil offered another moving testament to the collective love that all had gathered to celebrate with “Unbroken Chain.” Though born in the band’s prime and appearing on 1974’s From the Mars Hotel, “Unbroken Chain” almost never made it into the Dead's live repertoire, emerging only in the spring of 1995 just months before Garcia’s passing, also appearing in the Dead’s final Soldier Field performance on 7/9/95. They made it through the composed section mostly unscathed and validated the choice with an inspired if brief jam. Bobby then delivered a moving rendition of the final Garcia ballad performed by this band, “Days Between,” with the set predictably concluding with “Not Fade Away.” Trey, Bruce and Bobby shared vocals on the “Touch of Grey” encore that hilariously saw Bobby donning a “Let Trey Sing” t-shirt… never too late for one final joke. Never trust a prankster! A single encore would simply not suffice and the band returned one more time for a touching “Attics of My Life.”

Photo © @jayblakesberg

Especially given the unrelenting amount of shit given by many fans in the lead-up to the event's organizer, Pete Shapiro, for everything from ticket prices and distribution to the show’s venues, it should be said that these events were exceptionally well-run, professional, and fan friendly. The record-breaking crowds of 70k+ in attendance each day truly put the revamped Soldier Field facilities to the test, with bathroom and concession lines often challenging, and the biggest complaint being the congestion ordeal of exiting the venue on the routes back to civilization. But other than some of these difficulties inherent in any big event, those in attendance seemed no worse off from the experience (far from it!). The in-venue visuals by Candace Brightman and Paul Hoffman were spectacular, and the at-home production was also stellar, with virtually flawless delivery, outstanding production value, crystal clear and full sound, and magnificent halftime video montages by Justin Kreutzmann with original music by Neal Casal. There were a million things that could have gone wrong, but most everything went right; so kudos to everyone involved in putting together these historic events in a way that allowed fans to keep their focus where it belonged, on the stage.

Photo © @languagestrange

The band on that stage produced some truly inspired music. I’ll readily admit that I was skeptical from the outset – these guys don’t play together regularly, for reasons. The Grateful Dead was a democratic institution to a fault, and you don’t need to be a rock-and-roll hall famer to know that sometimes you just want to do your own thing, the way you want. Put those guys who are used to having things precisely their way back into that democratic cauldron… it doesn’t often work. To be honest, it hasn't worked all that well in the post-Jerry attempts to date. That they put aside those differences to gather as a group one last time was no surprise, as the incentives to do so were plentiful. That they did so and produced music of a quality that was deserving of the mantle of the band’s name, Grateful Dead – that surprised me. To Bobby, Phil, Mickey and Billy: thank you, for this weekend, and for the music that has been the soundtrack to my life since my first show in 1981. Bruce Hornsby and Jeff Chimenti also deserve the appreciation, respect, and thanks of fans for their contributions to this continuum of music known as the Grateful Dead.

Photo © @languagestrange

These shows were clearly not about Trey Anastasio. But we’re covering this on phish.net because of his involvement, so a few concluding words about his performace are in order. What a moment for him… as happy as I was to be listening to my favorite living musician playing with the band I grew up with, I was more happy for Trey. This obviously was far from the first time he’s had the opportunity to play these songs with members of the Dead, but to be able to attack the catalog so fully, to not only perform the songs but really lead the band through jam after jam, on the biggest of stages, it was a profound joy to witness. Grateful Dead music that is good requires a lead guitarist who can execute the compositions competently; Grateful Dead music that is great requires a lead guitarist that can converse as an equal, but also put the band on his shoulders and elevate the whole. Trey did both. Trey Anastasio didn’t need the validation of being able to fill the hardest hole to fill in all of rock and roll – and to gain the appreciation, respect and even love of the only rock audience more skeptical than Phish fans – to be known by many as the world’s greatest living rock musician. But it sure doesn’t hurt. The implications for Phish of this experience? Could be huge... simply huge.

Sayin’ thank you!… for a real good time!

–Phillip Zerbo

(Chicago1 Recap; Chicago2 Recap)

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Welcome to the 191th edition of Phish.Net's Mystery Jam Monday! Because last week's entry stumped the contestants, the winner will receive two MP3 downloads courtesy of our friends at LivePhish.com / Nugs.Net. To win, be the first person to identify the song and date of the mystery jam clip. Each person gets one guess per day, with the second “day” starting after I post the hint. A hint will be posted on Tuesday if necessary, with the answer to follow on Wednesday. May thee fare weller than last week!

Answer: First-time winner @stillwaitin wasted no time in quickly identifying the mystery jam. This week's clip was taken from the tail-end of the 10/6/00 Chalk Dust Torture, which features Trey's fellow Fare-Thee-Weller, Mr. Bob Weir.

Happy Fourth of July! Let’s get right to the action from Saturday’s Fare Thee Well gig from Chicago’s Soldier Field...

“Shakedown Street” kicked off the gig a little after 7:30 local time with Bobby taking the vocals, which he would do in whole or in part on no less than six traditionally “Jerry songs” this night. On paper this opener may look deceptively good – a fifteen minute “Shakedown” is usually cause for great excitement. The reality was something less than that headline grabber would indicate, as the song suffered from deficits of pace, direction and energy that made it a fan favorite in the Dead’s heyday. “Shakedown” wasn’t a total trainwreck, but it never found a long enough straight-away to gather momentum.

Photo @languagestrange

Garcia/Hunter’s 90’s-era optimistic anthemic “Liberty” was the first of several nods to the 4th of July holiday, again with Bobby at the vocal helm. Trey took his only solo lead vocal of the set with “Standing on the Moon.” This was a brilliant call for its placement in the first set, removing it from the shadow of the late-second set tear-jerking centerpiece role where Jerry wrote substantial chapters of his legacy. Trey acquitted himself well with a tender, convincing and respectful offering of the song, acknowledged with a hug from Phil at its conclusion.

The balance of the set settled into a familiar song-oriented approach of Bobby-driven cowboy and blues tunes typical of Grateful Dead first sets, with improvisation relegated to a supporting role. “Me & My Uncle,” “Tennessee Jed” (a rotation of Bobby, Bruce and Trey vocals), “Cumberland Blues” and “Little Red Rooster” filled out this Bobby-centric segment. Phil stepped up to the mic for “Friend of the Devil” that was notable for a Trey and Bruce tag team trade-off of solos that neither seemed to want to end. The 80-minute set was capped off by a ripping “Deal” (Trey and Bruce on vocals) that was the set's highlight, recapturing some of the spark that was more consistently evidenced in Friday’s show.

Photo @andreanusinov

“Bird Song” kicked off the second set with Phil taking vocals, and in short order it was clear that the second set would – in keeping with the Grateful Dead’s legacy that we’ve gathered to celebrate – be an entirely different beast from the first. The “Bird Song” jam returned to a formula that found so much success in the first Chicago show, with the band paving an improvisational runway for Trey’s lead to soar. Bruce and Trey again shared lead vocals for “The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion),” a song that has found a home in the Phil Lesh & Friends repertoire but precious few fans had ever seen the Grateful Dead perform live – or were even alive when it was performed – as it was only saw stage time during a brief stretch in 1967. Bobby Cheese led the “Golden Road” through a vocal breakdown, then Trey pulled the band through an awesome concluding jam that was decidedly Phish-y in nature.

Photo @andreanusinov

Bobby’s “Lost Sailor” > “Saint of Circumstance” combo got off to a humorous start when Mickey Hart – who has been a non-factor in the music outside of the “Drums” segments, casually gum-smacking through the proceedings with brush-stroked irrelevance – donned a sailor hat. Cute, Mickey. “Lost Sailor” was beautifully rendered overall with brilliant lead fills by Trey near the song’s conclusion and in the transition to (and jam within) “Saint of Circumstance.” Bruce offered an innovative vocal take on “West L.A. Fadeaway.” “West L.A” was an unexpected setlist call in this spot given its traditional first set role with Grateful Dead proper, but it worked surprisingly well, in no small part because it fits Trey’s low-down funky style to a T$.

Photo @jayblakesberg

In a spot that would suggest time for “Drums,” instead we were treated to “Foolish Heart” with Trey on vocals, his second take of the evening on a beloved Jerry tune from Built to Last. These were the moments – Trey in the lead with clutch emotional trigger songs – that inspired both great hopes and figgity concern leading up to these gigs. But only the most crusty and closed-minded could fail to stand and cheer this performance that balanced powerful leads, delicate finesse and sweet vocals for a major second set highlight.

“Drums” and a more involved “Space” than Friday set the stage for a “Stella Blue” that was well-received but never truly soared, with Bobby taking another questionable turn at the microphone and a jam that never quite found its footing. “One More Saturday Night” brought the set home, in this case for one last Saturday night, at least with this lineup. The holiday-appropriate “U.S. Blues” encore featured an innovative remote red-white-and-blue tie-dyed light show from the Empire State Building projected on the venue’s screens and to the home viewing audience (a “Tower Jam” reprise!). The celebration continued with a tremendous fireworks display set to John Philip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

Photo @andreanusinov

This show had a lot of win, but in much smaller packages spread throughout the night. The first set outside of “Standing On the Moon” and “Deal” was mostly a slog, a fitting celebration of fifty years of Grateful Dead music that often featured mostly uneventful first sets. The show got much better starting with “Deal” and through to the “Drums” portion of the second set, which has real replay value. But overall this was a performance that regressed to mean expectations of what many observers felt was this lineup’s ceiling – fun, mostly competent, but lacking in the excitement of improvisational excursions that had sparked such high hopes on Friday. On the plus side, this was still a great deal better than Santa Clara, and we have one more night to go. That’s right, Saturday Night!

Never miss a Sunday show… we’ll be back with more coverage tomorrow.

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Going into the Santa Clara shows last week, the Fare Thee Well lineup assembled to celebrate fifty years of the Grateful Dead was a blank slate upon which every fan could (and did, in abundance) project the story they wanted to see. This celebration was first and foremost about the profound and enduring history of the defining improvisational rock-and-roll band of our time. The question at hand was: was this going to be a pure nostalgia trip, where the music really didn’t matter? Or would the music stand on its own and honor that history in a meaningful way, in the present?

Photo by @andreanusinov

Those Santa Clara shows contained their fair share of musical enjoyment, and there were many positive moments that offered hope for Chicago. However, an honest assessment of those performances also revealed, at times, a band that suffered from wide discrepancies in preparation by individual members, an almost total lack of conversational cohesion, an absence and/or confusion about leadership roles, and an unsettling lack of ability to perform core elements of beloved songs. So as we approached the first of the final three shows by this ensemble, expectations of an amazing event remained high... while hopes for transcendent music were, let’s say, muted.

Then a funny thing happened between Santa Clara and Chicago – like the best athlete or manager, they made some critical halftime adjustments, and came out of the gates seemingly an entirely different band, one that much more closely approximated the one that we’ve assembled to celebrate.

Photo by @neddyo

“Box of Rain” bridged the twenty years since the Grateful Dead’s final performance on 7/9/95, when “Box” was the final song officially performed under that band name. It’s all a dream we dreamed, one afternoon long ago! Phil delivered the vocals with confidence and beaming pride, and we were off to a great start. An extremely slow intro jam paved the way for “Jack Straw,” with Phil sharing vocal duties with Bobby. Maintaining a tempo that was in the same ballpark of the songs as performed throughout their history was a challenge in Chicago, but by the end they had collectively pulled “Jack Straw” up by its bootstraps for a more than respectable version.

“Bertha” allowed Trey his first lead vocals of the night, and while nerves may have marred his opening line, his recovery was sweet and pure. A “Bertha” that works – or, for that matter, any performance of Grateful Dead music that works – depends on a confident lead guitarist who knows the material and can be assertive in that role. This “Bertha” showcases Trey ready, willing and able to carry that weight. “Passenger” saw Bobby in much more comfortable form than we saw during much of Santa Clara, delivering not just competent but confident vocals. Bruce Hornsby was offered a moment in “Passenger” to emerge from witness protection with a solo, a courtesy also offered to Jeff Chimenti, though both would be relegated to complementary – if often inaudible – roles for most of the gig.

Photo by @andreanusinov

“The Wheel” opened some delightful space, allowing Trey some breathing room, and for a few minutes it seemed like we were deep into a second set. “Crazy Fingers” is a difficult song to perform well even by ensembles with extensive practice, making this a somewhat bold tactical call. The band was more than up to the task, with Trey’s taking the lead vocal and finding a sweet spot despite his having never previously performed the song; Trey’s “I tried” ending vocal refrain was convincing and touching in its authenticity. “The Music Never Stopped” was a little sloppy but compensated by a collective soaring energy, Trey crushing the final solo and Bobby riffing on “never stop, never stop now!” Only a shade over an hour, but the set was totally entertaining end-to-end, rendering the issues and concerns from Santa Clara an unfortunate footnote. That was a great first set – no qualifications, not “for this lineup” or “for this era” – simply great.

A lengthy, hour-plus halftime ended a little after 9:30 local time with Phil and Bobby sharing lead vocals on “Mason’s Children”, though that was a mere prelude to “Scarlet Begonias!!” “Scarlet” was really the moment where the metaphorical keys to this ride we’re handed over to Trey – a ride that may have flipped the odometer a few times, but still has plenty left in the tank. The composed section of the song was bright, airy, hopeful, and gorgeous! This “Scarlet” extended to around fourteen minutes and crystallized so much of what Grateful Dead music does to inspire: starting with a balanced conversation, but allowing the lead guitar to shape that conversation and take flight, bringing not just the band but the audience along for a journey of adventure and discovery. An intricate yet simple web formed around Trey, who soared above yet never strayed too far from the conversation… nostalgia would have to step aside for this “Scarlet,” as this band’s magical story was witnessing a chapter in progress.

The “Fire on the Mountain” portion of the “Scarlet” -> “Fire” was somewhat less thrilling, with an abrupt transition rather than a patient melding of peanut butter and chocolate, though it did afford Bruce a turn at lead vocals. This “Fire” would be the weaker partner of the combo, but the afterglow of the “Scarlet” left few if any dissapointed. A ~twelve-minute (and seemingly rather early) “Drums” allowed room for Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart to take the reigns, followed by a very short “Space.”

“New Potato Caboose” emerged from “Space” with Phil and Bobby sharing vocals, but as with the beginning of the set, this was simply the lob for the smash that would come with the “Playing In The Band.” History is replete with so many instances of “Playing” defying improvisational gravity over its 44-year life – forming the pillars of rock improv upon which an entire modern musical genre rests – that it’s almost hard to imagine the song breaking new ground in 2015. Almost, but not quite: this “Playing” has essentially four different jams, several of which were very un-”Dead”-like, proving old dogs can indeed learn new tricks. Afforded repeat opportunities to pull the plug and move on, someone would instead offer a new idea to continue the conversation. Alongside the “Scarlet,” this spectacular “Playing In the Band” formed this show’s must-hear highlights.

Photo by @neddyo

One of the themes that emerged among the “Playing” jams was “Let It Grow,” which was dusted off in earnest next. Bobby delivered the song’s vocals confidently, while Trey’s shined brightly with an increasing sense of ease in his share of leadership among the band and the crowd. For the set’s finale they went all-in, with “Help on the Way” > “Slipknot!” > “Franklin’s Tower.” Trey took the vocals on “Help” with an ease and confidence that almost demands performances in future contexts. The “Help” jam and transition to “Slipknot!” will not be lauded as examples of precision performances of these songs, but the energy was right there and filled the space of the biggest of stages. Phil took lead vocals on a “Franklin’s” that crossed the finish line for this set that exceeded all but the most unrealistically demanding expectations. A sweet and tender “Ripple” provided the encore.

Especially considering the baseline established in Santa Clara, this show was all win, and sets the balance of the weekend in an entirely more positive and hopeful light, musically, to go alongside the high spirits of gathering the tribe in such a high profile context. There has been a tremendous amount of energy devoted to the money and the tickets and the name of the band (that you can find… elsewhere), but when it comes to the music, we now appear to have an ensemble equal to the task of fulfilling dreams as a group one last time.

Are you excited? I’m excited! Have a great show... we’ll be back with more coverage tomorrow.

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