We're surprised to see how many tickets are still available for shows later this month featuring Trey and varous orchestras, performing pieces from his 30-year career as well as a brand new composition (for electric guitar and orchestra) that he's created just for this tour!

Consider the Hollywood Bowl show, Friday September 26th, featuring the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Scott Dunn. Even if, somehow, the show itself (not to mention the venue) weren't compelling enough, consider the opening act: Richard Reed Parry (Arcade Fire), Bryce Dessner (The National), and the yMusic ensemble, performing selections from new release Music for Heart and Breath.

While tickets up front top $400, rear sections start at only $18 (!) - and while you won't see the bassoonist's fingers from the back, the sound is great. At that price, the music, venue, weather, and ticket availability make for a great family night - so, the Lemurians are coming kids-in-tow. If you are as well, let's aim for a Phish.net family gathering picnic outside pre-show?

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The Mimi Fishman Foundation has announced a new on-line charity auction in conjunction with Phish’s WaterWheel Foundation. Bidding has already begun on ticket/cd packages for every show on the fall tour, as well as a Las Vegas package which includes ticket to all three shows, overnight accommodations at the MGM Grand, and a bunch of other goodies. The proceeds of the auction, which closes September 18h, will benefit the organizations hosted at the WaterWheel table at each venue during the tour.

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You may have heard about the Philosophy School of Phish, which is directed by Professor Stephanie Jenkins, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the School of History, Philosophy, and Religion at Oregon State University. She is also co-director of the Phronesis Lab for Engaged Ethics, which concerns communicating with each other about ethical questions and issues in a pragmatic, active, and civil way, in order to foster greater experience and understanding of the human condition. See, e.g., this article from April 2014 about Dr. Jenkins’s work with high school students regarding whether whites owe blacks reparations for slavery.

Dr. Jenkins also recently invited Dr. Ellis Godard, Ph.D., the executive director of The Mockingbird Foundation and an associate professor of sociology at California State University Northridge, to answer questions from her students, and he did so in a post in July to this blog.

I asked Dr. Jenkins and a few of her students about the “Phishlosophy” course, and how it went.

Dr. Jenkins answered my questions as follows:

How did the course go?

From my perspective, the course was fantastic! This was a class that I’ve daydreamed about for years, but I never thought it would happen. I’m thrilled it came to life in this way, honored to have been a part of it, and grateful to those whose support made it possible. Obviously, there’s always room for improvement, but we had a successful start.

How many enrolled students were there, and where were they from (if you know)?

There were 15 students enrolled in the course. I really enjoyed the size. It was large enough to generate a lively conversation with different perspectives, yet small enough to get to know individual students. In addition to students from Oregon, there were students from across the country, including Illinois, Washington, and New Hampshire.

How many of them did you meet face-to-face and when/where?

I met three enrolled students in person at SPAC, Chicago, and MPP. I also had the opportunity to meet many philosophy majors and professors, as well as scholars from other fields, throughout the summer.

What are your favorite aspects of how the course went?

In no particular order:

1. MPP2’s magic: During the set break, I struck up a conversation with the phan sitting next to me, only to discover that he was taking the class! After this improbable meeting, we were gifted with an equally surprising Tweezerfest and Jennifer Dances!
2. Student emails: I always try to make my assignments engaging, but it can be hard- especially in courses that meet general education requirements- to make homework fun. This summer, I received regular messages from students telling me how much they enjoyed the assignments and a few even said they looked forward to writing their essays each week!
3. The Phish.net threads: One of my goals for the course was to create opportunities for interested phans to participate in the on-going philosophical dialogue, even if they weren’t enrolled in the course. Thank you to Phish.net, forum participants, and especially Dr. Ellis Godard (aka @Lemuria) for making the event possible and generating an interesting series of posts about Phish, music, and community. I still smile every time I think about @Lemuria’s comment, “I'm pretty sure that this is the first time Phish.net has ever had homework.”

What did you learn (from your students or otherwise)?

I learn from every course I teach through students’ questions and assignments, rereading the material, and the unpredictable back-and-forth of philosophical dialogue. It’s hard to summarize these findings, because they consist of ideas for future research and pedagogical strategies. The students introduced me to new perspectives, shows, case studies, and examples that will help with these future endeavors.

My favorite philosopher, Michael Foucault, wrote with the goal of creating “experience books.” He wrote to transform himself. What, after all, is the point of writing a book, if you’re the same person you were before you started, after it is finished? And, hopefully, readers of his books become different through their encounter with the text. This course affirmed my goal to create an experience classroom.

I can lecture to you about Nietzsche’s discussion of music in The Birth of Tragedy, but you’ll probably forget the content fairly quickly. If I pair the reading with a concert and you take Nietzsche’s conceptual tools with you, you’ll be able to test those ideas for yourself and apply them to a concrete situation. That’s the kind of learning that sticks.

What will you change about the course?

A few of the changes I plan on making include:

1. Content update: Some of the course content is specific to the 2014 Summer Tour, so I will update or modify those sections of the course.
2. Schedule change: The course ran during Oregon State University’s summer session 3, which is 8 weeks long, instead of our usual 10-week terms. Next time, I will opt for a full quarter over the accelerated session, which means some of the content will need to be reorganized to account for the slower pace.
3. Formalizing “Hangouts”: In addition to required assignments, students were able to participate in “Google Hangouts” with guest speakers, including authors of some of our readings. I interviewed the guests using questions generated by the class. Students were able to participate in the Hangouts themselves or watch the recordings at their convenience. This is the first time I have used this Google feature with a class, so it was a bit of an experiment. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, so I will incorporate “Hangouts” more in future sessions of the course. Some of the Hangouts are publicly available and can be accessed at philosophyschoolofphish.com.

Will you be teaching the course again, and what are the details of when you'll be teaching it again, e.g., how can one enroll?

I will definitely teach the course again, most likely next summer. Once the course is officially on the course schedule, I will announce the details via my website and Twitter (@scjenkins).

For now, potential students can watch the course announcement video, check out the syllabus (subject to change), and find additional resources (including the Google Hangouts) on the course website.

Really cannot thank you enough, Dr. Jenkins, for this information, and for the idea of this course and your work in pragmatic philosophy! As you know, I also touched-base briefly with some of your students, and here is what they had to say.

How did you learn about the class?

[Michael Mason:] I heard about the class via a Google news alert for Phish-related news. Since I got my B.A. in philosophy and religious studies, I was instantly interested.

[Christopher Prinos:] I first learned about this class through a press release that hit my inbox via JamBase. Within 20 minutes I found out what I had to do to enroll in OSU's e-campus, and had filed the $20 application. Before I knew it I was enrolled and officially part of the course. I really had no idea what I was in for. I have a pretty demanding work schedule and this class hit me at a time when I was getting ready to start a stretch of Summer tour, 4th of July vacation, and a number of work-related trips. I dove right in and worked hard to stay on top of my work in the class, but, that said, I quickly found myself behind on a few assignments. After week three I had resigned myself to the fact that I was going to withdraw because I didn't think I could dedicate the time that the class, in my opinion, deserved. Thankfully, Stephanie worked with me and convinced me to stay in the class and I'm happy to say it was one of the highlights of my year. It was an AMAZING, fun, and rewarding experience for a 37-year-old Phish fan.

What did you like most about the School of Phish course?

[Michael Mason:] I most enjoyed getting to read other students' thoughts about Phish and philosophy; particularly the students who had not heard of Phish.

[Christopher Prinos:] I loved how Stephanie organized the course into weekly "themes." It was really very easy to roll week-to-week knowing you were focused on a particular topic -- whether it be aesthetics, the sublime, or community. The "structure" of the class was very well done.

Stephanie also blended classical and modern texts in a way that kept each week interesting. At times, reading some of the classical work from philosophers like Kant and Tolstoy was difficult, but it actually got me to approach reading in a more deliberate way -- something I hadn't been used to since my last trip to college.

The live hangouts with characters like Jesse Jarnow, Professor DeChaine, Dr. Ellis Godard, and Dr. Jeanette Bicknell (our text book author) were great. The Jarnow session was especially memorable, as his enthusiasm and perspective were infectious.

I also got to learn how college works TODAY. The whole concept of Blackboard, online discussions, and filing work electronically was really interesting. As someone who graduated in 1998, it was really amazing to see how things have changed.

The class and our coursework was in my head constantly throughout the 8 weeks. The class was in the middle of summer tour, so I would always be telling my friends what we were doing this week, etc., and sometimes I'd even share some of the readings with them. I remember whipping-out some of my Week One reading assignments late night after SPAC night one. I thought it was great that I was able to showcase what Stephanie was doing to a host of other people -- both phans and non-phans alike.

I also loved the fact that we were able to integrate field studies and actually meet our classmates. I met another student at MPP2 and ran into Stephanie at SPAC, Chicago and Merriweather. I feel like the class, in addition to offering a great experience, introduced me to some new friends I'll have forever.

What did you learn about Phish, or your appreciation of Phish, and/or Philosophy, in taking this class?

[Michael Mason:] In examining my own thoughts and feelings about phish during the course, I realized that the experience of the event itself is of the highest value. I recognize that a lot of fans enjoy recording the event and analyzing and critiquing the performance and keeping track of how many shows they've seen; and prior to the course, I was a bit envious and felt a little left out that I couldn't really get into it. After the thoughtful consideration of the course, I feel a degree of validation of my more existential focus.

[Christopher Prinos:] I learned / confirmed that, for me, Phish is truly about music, community, and experience. I also learned that even if you don't like Phish per se (like some of the students in our class), you really can't ignore the fact that the band and its fans have something special going on. As far as Philosophy is concerned, I learned a lot about looking at perspectives from all angles. I constantly found myself formulating my own opinions only to change them, and often change them again. I think the class did a great job of making you think at every turn with material that was fun, engaging, and -- of course -- Phishy.

Thanks very much to Dr. Jenkins, Michael Mason and Christopher Prinos for your time and effort on this piece! -charlie

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Last night Phish closed their fourth consecutive Labor Day run at Dick's Sporting Goods Park outside of Denver. In that relatively short period of time, the band has done more than just play twelve mostly above average shows at the otherwise soulless soccer stadium; they've created a new tradition. New Years Eve and Halloween will likely always be the two most hallowed days on the Phish calendar, but pencil in the Dick's run right below those. Fans are on notice, if they weren't already, that this isn't just another three-show run. Miss these shows at your peril, because it's no longer coincidence that Phish delivers outstanding shows at Dick's.

After two great shows to open the run, we knew we were going to be pouring from the proverbial gravy boat all night. Even a run of the mill show couldn't really tarnish either the run or the Dick's legacy, but the band made it clear with a cleanly played "Curtain With" opener, that there would be no need to entertain those possibilities. It's always good times when the boys take the stage looking for fun and a playful "Wombat" declared those intentions. Straight forward versions of "Kill Devil Falls," "Bouncing" and "Poor Heart" continued to show the band in good form, even if they didn't offer groundbreaking improvisation. "ASIHTOS" (aka "Assy Toes") provided the first, albeit brief, glimpse of deep improv. "Lawn Boy" let everyone catch their breath before jumping right back into the deep end with a stellar "Wolfman's Brother." Rather than proceed directly to the swampy funk peak as many versions tend to do, this "Wolfman's" took its time, hitting several slinky grooves along the way. Don't miss this one.

Photo © Andrea Nusinov

The Fuego combo of "Waiting All Night" and "Winterqueen" followed at which point many probably figured "Funky Bitch" would close the set. Phish had other ideas, though, and threw a quick "Tube" at us before closing the set with "Possum." Cooked low and slow, this "Possum" had a little extra mustard in the sauce as it finished off the best first set of the run on a high note.

As the Dick's run becomes a Labor Day tradition, Phish continues to build several traditions within the tradition. The most obvious is, of course, the first night spelling sets. Less obvious, but more rewarding, is the annual running of the Dick's "Chalk Dust Torture." Phish played standout versions of the song in the second sets of both the 2012 and 2013 runs and would do so again in 2014 (for the third consecutive year, on 8/31). Unlike the prior two years, type-II renditions of "CDT" have become expected over the course of 2014. But that doesn't make them any less appreciated, and this was certainly a keeper. Fish drove the band to deep space and back in this version. As the band returned from the beyond into a soaring jam, it appeared we might be heading from the land of "very good" into "great." Alas, just as Mike seemed to be starting up the third phase of the jam, Trey opted for what turned out to be a fairly standard "Twist." "The Wedge" followed and, while it, too, stuck to the script, this was a hot version.

At this point, everyone knew we were due for the "Tweezer" and the band did not disappoint. "Tweezer" methodically built to a rock peak vaguely reminiscent of the Dick's "Light," before melting into a "Sand" that would serve as the high point of the evening. Trey took immediate control of "Sand. " At the show it sure seemed like he led everyone back into "Tweezer," but, on reflection, it was probably just a tease. Whether the rest of the jam is "Tweezer" or "Sand" may be up for debate, but what is not is that this was pure insanity -- a jam from another dimension and the reason so many of us continue to travel so far to see as many shows as we can. A brief but fiery "Piper" kept the energy up before "Joy" provided the sole breather of the set.

Any thoughts that Phish would be ending the Sunday festivities on the early side were thrown to the wind when they started up "Mike's" just before 11:30 local time. There are three things I will take away from the 2014 Dick's run. The first is the "Simple" from night one that is, in my estimation, the single best jam of 2014. The second is the "Tweezer" -> "Sand" segment I just described. But in terms of pure elation, I'm not sure either of those moments will top being reunited with an old friend. "Mike's Song" has come in for its share of criticism in the 3.0 era as being too by-the-numbers. Grass roots campaigns to bring back the fabled "second jam" have been brought to band members' attention on at least two occasions. Those pleas have gone unanswered and we didn't get the second jam last night either. But what we did get was a truly unique and inspired reading of "Mike's Song" for the first time in nearly fifteen years. Deep into the gravy boat at this point, the band launched into "Sneaking Sally" in the traditional "Hydrogen" spot (as "Hydrogen" still has yet to make an appearance in 2014). "Weekapaug" served as the exclamation point to the deceptively jammy ten-song second set.

"Loving Cup" (rather than "Lushington") and "Tweezer Reprise" closed the book on Dick's 2014, as the band made their presumed midnight curfew with mere seconds to spare. As the house lights came on to chants of "We love Dick's," what we should have been chanting was "FOUR MORE YEARS!!!!!" See everyone next September 4th.

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[We’d like to welcome guest blogger Tanya Sperry for today’s recap - PZ]

Saturday night is the sweet spot of Phish’s 3-day Labor Day weekend run at Dick’s. With Friday’s anticipation out of the way and Monday’s post-weekend let down in the distant future, we were primed to enjoy some middle show bliss. Plus, it was one of those beautiful Denver Saturdays whose giant blue skies mocked sleeping in and inspired at least some hang time in the sun, if not a hike in the foothills or a stroll to a farmer’s market.

Photo by Andy Man, © Phish, Phish From the Road

There were gems in the first three songs that held possibility: a rare “Free” opener accompanied by gentle rain, Page’s re-invocation of John Paul Jones early in the “Moma,” and that hint of exploration in “Halley’s.” Together, they offered promise that tonight’s show could develop in any direction. As the set progressed from “Stealing Time” to “555,” “Rift” and “Sample,” an anthemic spirit was established. Fitting for a sold out, 26,000 capacity Saturday show, it was not surprising that Trey took the reigns. The set was mostly fueled by speedy acumen and arena rock with the exception of the juxtaposition of contemplative relationship songs “Devotion to a Dream” & “Yarmouth Road” (humorously resolved by “Sparkle”). Thank you, “Wingsuit,” for transporting us back to sweeter pastures and gliding gently into “Bowie.” A botched “Cavern” ended the set on a “Saturday Night Special note.

Photo © Phish, Phish From the Road

A hearty “Down with Disease” laced with “Fuego” melted lusciously into “What’s the Use?” And then “Carini” > “Light” > “Fuego” harnessed the rock energy, producing mellifluous improvisation that, in contrast to the playful, funk-infused Friday “Simple,” stayed rooted in rock and roll. The “Carini” jam, although less lengthy than some of its monster 2013 predecessors, featured an ascension from dark to light which, for me, was tonight’s co-highlight along with “Slave.”

Photo © Phish, Phish From the Road

“Light” brought us to the land of rhythmic goo, which led to a brief foray into the fading territory of woo (thankfully, this brief assault does not sully the recording), before landing at the inevitable “Fuego.”

I loved tonight’s “Slave” because it defied the night’s expectations. In the context of a Saturday night rock show, we got a tender, gentle “Slave” whose patient, thoughtful quiet section gave rise to a decisive, cleanly-resolved peak.

Photo © Phish, Phish From the Road

Another Dick’s “Meatstick” (they just can’t help themselves) and a rare “Bold as Love” girded us with the range of emotions explored tonight.

Tonight’s triple (or quadruple) encore featured the return of “The Horse,” foreshadowed in an obvious way by the event t-shirt and more subtly by some quiet “Call to the Post” noodling at the beginning of the second set. The band feigned a walk off, but thankfully stayed to play a giggly “Silent in the Morning,” after which Trey explained, “We used to do stupid stuff like that so much” in reference to the Horseless Silents and then an almost Silent-less Horse, which reminded him of the 1989 gag song, “In a Hole.” “Fluffhead” perfectly concluded the encore.

Photo @ Andrea Nusinov

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Our usually devoted recap team on site is still in recovery mode from the fun last night at Dick's. We'll be providing your regular recap coverage in a more reflective mode, when time allows us to give last night's show the proper treatment it deserves. In the interim, we invite you to catch up on the gig over at our friends at JamBase, and enjoy some photos from the gig. Whether watching at home or here on site, we wish everyone a great show tonight!

Photo © Paul Citone

Photo © Paul Citone

Photo © Paul Citone

Photo © Paul Citone

Photo © Paul Citone

Photo © Phish, Phish From the Road

Photo © Phish, Phish From the Road

Photo © Phish, Phish From the Road

Photo © Andrea Nusinov

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If you're attending the Dick's shows this weekend in Denver, think ahead to Sunday afternoon. You've raged two nights, and you've had two mornings sleeping in, emerging for some variety of breakfast beverage, and following that somewhat later by an impressive tour lunch. But you have another show to go, so now's the time to revive and rejunevate, building your stamina and rebuilding your focus, while helping fund music education for children.

From 1:30 to 3pm, on Sunday August 31, Tracy Stoneker and Brooke Carlson will be leading another session of Surrender to the Flow, yoga accompanied by Phish recordings. All proceeds benefit the Mockingbird Foundation and Street Yoga. Sign up at www.surrendertotheflowyoga.com/register. And breeeeathe....

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With Dick's mere days ahead, we thought we'd give the pot a little stir and provoke some discussion around the finest jams of summer tour proper.

There's an embarrassment of riches to pick from -- from the varied meanderings of the "Randalls Chalk Dust" to the dad-rock majesty of the Northerly "Wedge" to the trifecta of jamming "Fuegos" -- and we encourage you to rank 'em up below the fold and discuss in the comments. We've started you out with the staff's top ten, but please feel free to add your own favorites so people can vote those up as well. Enjoy!

Phishing Poll, Vol. 11: Best Jam of the Summer 2014

(If you do not see your favorite jam listed, please feel free to add it following the existing format: 7/dd - song - city, state)

The phish.net's crew's initial rankings of a Top 15 are as follows (with links courtesy of PhishTracks):

7/13 - Chalk Dust Torture - New York, NY
7/20 - The Wedge - Chicago, Illinois
7/04 - Fuego - Saratoga Springs, New York
7/19 - Harry Hood - Chicago, Illinois
7/30 - Fuego - Portsmouth, Virginia
7/18 - Wombat - Chicago, Illinois
7/08 - Fuego - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7/20 - Ghost - Chicago, Illinois
7/01 - Harry Hood - Mansfield, Massachusetts
7/26 - Ghost - Columbia, Maryland
7/13 - Light - New York, New York
7/13 - Tweezer - New York, New York
7/30 - Piper - Portsmouth, Virginia
7/04 - Down with Disease - Saratoga Springs, New York
7/11 - Down with Disease - New York, New York

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Welcome to the 183rd episode 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: For the second MJM in a row, we have a first-time winner. @VanNicky made quick work out of this week's clip and knew it came from the 8/25/12 Chalk Dust Torture.

It was ten years ago, on August 14, 2004, when Phish began one of the most anticipated and emotionally-charged concerts of their career. The very word “Coventry” is a deeply meaningful, if not painful, trigger among fans, given the festival's extraordinary and tragic circumstances. Coventry’s music is full of staggering contradictions, in that it is at times ponderous and exciting, dour and joyful, miserable and soul-expanding. The art of Coventry is revisited here not only in honor of its 10th Anniversary, but also out of love for Phish and their music, warts and all.

In the event you don’t know the background of Phish’s shows in Coventry, here’s the short version: The shows were billed as the last shows that Phish would play. Ever.

Take a moment to breathe that in.

Imagine how you’d feel if Phish announced that the Vegas shows over Halloween weekend would be the last shows that they would ever play. That’s it, no more shows after Vegas! No NYE run, nothing next year, no more shows. Period. Would you try to go to Vegas, even if you hated extremely-large crowds, or Nevada for that matter? Would you view the shows—before they were even performed—as potentially the most important rock concerts you may ever experience in your life, what with your favorite band declaring them to be their LAST SHOWS!? And during the shows, whether you were watching the webcast or present in the flesh, would you try to keep in mind that every version of every song you were hearing and seeing would be it—the very last version of that song that would ever be performed by Phish?

Now, in the weeks before their final shows at Coventry, how do you think the band felt? How do you think Trey, Mike, Page and Fish were feeling on August 14, ten years ago, when they took the stage well-aware of their fans’ incalculably-great expectations? As Trey even claimed during the 8/15 show, he had never been nervous at a Phish show before, but that night he was “a little nervous.”

Months before it had occurred and sold out, and even before it was announced that the shows would be broadcasted live to a number of theaters across the country, the Coventry festival already was, and would be, a profoundly sensitive event for fans and the band. And then the rains came. And came. Coventry was inundated in the weeks before the shows by so much record-breaking rain that the grounds were terribly muddy, even disastrously so in some areas.

Photo © Nick Ninfa

If you weren’t there, imagine the worst mud you’ve ever been stuck in. And then smear it all over yourself and your loved ones, and lose your boots in it, and then go somewhere to wash it all off, and seemingly wash it all off, but then somehow you still manage to vaguely smell it lingering somewhere, but you’re unable to put your nose on where, and it still unsettles you, several days later. Coventry’s mud was like that.

The grounds were in such poor shape that fans on the road—while en route to the shows—had been asked repeatedly by the band via the Bunny to return home! When fans showed up to park, RVs and cars got stuck left and right, traffic backed up for many miles, and thousands of fans abandoned their vehicles and hiked (carrying, dragging their stuff) to the venue. A venue whose grounds were so muddy (with dollops of manure) that expansive areas were simply uninhabitable.

Before the band had played even a single note, Coventry was about far more than just the music. To this day, the love exhibited by the fans for the band, having walked all those miles into a literally-shitty venue, is inspiring. And, despite the literally-shitty scene, Phish nevertheless managed to be musically intimate, and memorably so, with tens of thousands of their fans.

Photo © Nick Ninfa

It’s arguably unreasonable to compare Coventry’s music, like that of Big Cypress, to the music of other shows. These two monumental events in Phish history really do seem “beyond compare,” given the emotion that they involve, which dwarfs that of the typical show, and even that of the typical three set festival show. Coventry was billed to be the final Phish festival, and to include the final Phish shows, nearly four years after Phish had played—for more than six hours straight on a reservation in Florida at the dawn of a new millennium—what is still considered to be one of the greatest concerts in rock and roll history!

That said, it’s impossible for some of us to avoid comparing and contrasting jams and versions of Phish’s songs with each other. And making comparisons arguably becomes a Moral Imperative when, for example, someone speaks about Coventry’s music in a manner that is either outright false, or at least demonstrably ignorant. Sure, there was plenty to be upset about at the shows, musically and otherwise. Those of us who were there were active participants in what was likely among the largest wakes held in U.S. history. The "vibe" at times was cheerless, and even grave.

From the mud or the theater, we were effectively witnessing the death of a legendary band, and it is challenging to be joyful under such circumstances even if accompanied by angelic music. When four of your most beloved musicians who love each other very much are in mourning as they perform, you’re predictably melancholic. And the technical mistakes that were made during the shows were so clear that even the deafest among us can hear them. But in context, are they not understandable, if not forgivable, in the light of the love explicitly expressed by the band for us fans?

Some would say “no.” Trey, or the band, should have done this, or done that, instead of this, or that, given X, or Y, and because of A, B and C. But can any among us say that they have performed a concert before over 70,000 of our fans that was billed to be the last concert? Imagine the weight of that. Of course, if you’re the sort of fan who mostly cares about whether the composed sections of songs are played well, and don’t care much for improvisation, it makes some sense that you dislike Coventry’s music—if you’ve even made the effort to hear the shows at all. But there are too many wonderful, even transcendent, musical performances by the band to ignore or forget. When Trey, Mike, Page and Fish were “on” that Coventry weekend, their music reached as majestic a peak as it ever has.

“That’s bullshit,” you might be thinking.

Photo © John Crouch

If you’re thinking that, or even if you’re not, please take a mere thirty seconds—even if you think you remember them all—to skim some of the musical highlights of August 2004, listed for your convenience here. And then do yourself a favor and actually (re)listen to some of them.

Don’t be surprised if, when you hear them again, some of Coventry’s highlights stand-up in comparison with the most spirited and thrilling improvisation of the last decade, including masterpieces like the Tahoe “Tweezer,” the Gorge “Rock and Roll->Meatstick,” the Pine Knob “Down with Disease,” the Randall’s “CDT” (or Dick’s, of course!), Hampton’s “Carini,” the Greek “Cities,” and so on and so on. Most recent versions of “CDT” have been exceptional, as you know, but don’t overlook Coventry’s, not to mention Hampton’s, which are also well above-average versions with stellar improv throughout them.

As grueling and disturbing as the Coventry weekend was, many positive, life-affirming and soulful events still occurred not only on stage, but also in our lives as fans of Phish. Some of those highlights include the following, and please add to this list in the Comments—or “Remembrances,” if you prefer—below:

• Trey’s melodic soloing in “Jibboo” (compare this version to the one in Portsmouth a few weeks ago; I’d be surprised if you didn’t like Coventry’s a lot more);
• Trey’s hinting at “Manteca” during the jam segment of “YEM,” after they had given away the trampolines;
• Tom Marshall’s “Rye rye rocco. Marco Esquandolas. Been you to have any spliff man” during the “Antelope,” which is one of the more chaordic versions on record, and is more intense than nearly every version performed since then (but don’t take my word for it; listen to them all, or at least those on the jam chart, and hear for yourself); and notably, at the end of "Antelope," Trey sends "our deepest love" to the fans who had managed the traffic and then walked to the venue;
• The soupy, cacophonous, blazing haze in “Fire,” shortly before they returned to the theme and closed the version and the first set strongly—an unusual and all-hallowed version of “Fire” for sure; in fact, this first set, despite Trey’s flubs, given its massive quantity of improvisation, is among the most improvisationally-almighty first sets in Phish history;

Photo © Seth Blankensop

• A magnificently melodic (for a spell) “AC/DC Bag,” which is among the finest versions in history, helped bring IT to start the second set on August 14, and has diverse improv illustrating the fascinating evolution of this tune’s jam segment over the decades;
• The on- and off-the-rails, dark and terrifying-at-times, 20+ minute “Stash;”
• An extremely-atypical “Free,” where Trey and Mike were in a duet for awhile (had this version been performed this summer, it would be a highlight of 2014 for sure);
• The jamming during the “Drowned” around the 21-23 min point, when Phish hoses everyone down and the jam reaches a transcendent peak; improv of this caliber is why Phish is an incredible rock band, and the fact that in 2014 they can still jam like this makes them worth seeing over and over and over again (especially for only $60 a ticket);
• 8/14’s “Harry Hood” encore that the band obviously did not want to end (it’s still among the longest versions ever, even after those this summer), and that, despite its many imperfections, is still unforgettably moving, fragile, and heartfelt, particularly when the audience sings the “You can feel good” closing lyrics unaccompanied by the band;

• The vigorous playing in—and brevity of—the “Weekapaug Groove,” which is reminiscent of many 1990s versions in its twists and turns (and if you compare Coventry’s version with recent efforts, I’d be surprised if, like me, you don’t strongly prefer Coventry);
• A stupendous “Reba” jam, easily among the most stirring and dramatic versions in history;
• Trey’s mom and Mike’s mom on stage during “Wolfman’s” (as Page rages on clavinet), doing “the bump” with Trey and Mike, Trey’s yelling “MOMS!!!” as they leave the stage and, of course, the “double team” by Trey and Mike of Phish’s long-time manager, John Paluska;
• The mind-blowingly sick ending of the jam segment of the first-set-closing “Taste;"
• “DWD” is a roller coaster, with a hilariously and consciously chaotic and dissonant jam that leaps into the triumphant return of the “DWD”-theme but, instead of concluding, the band then segues into a steady, fervid improvisation marked by Trey playing a bit like early 1970’s David Gilmour (a bit);
• Page during the “Velvet Sea”;

Photo © Jason Kaczorowski

• After the wretched “Glide,” the band beautifully thanking us, and speaking to us for several minutes tearfully, and Fish’s remark that everyone who had walked to the shows had paid the band “the greatest compliment that we could ever have…unbelievable” (it’s a shame that this banter, so to speak, isn’t on PhishTracks, if only given its historical importance; these powerful sentiments of the band should be mandatory listening for every fan);
• The spacey psychedelic haze during the spectacular, 30 minute, blowing-off-steam "SOAM" (don’t miss the SBD version on LiveBait Vol. 5 (Track 31), as it’s much more clear than the auds);
• The novelty and nerve of opening the final set of Phish with “FEFY,” and its poignancy (“…You wouldn’t pile another stone upon me, and I’d be happy just to watch you age.”);

• An unbelievably ferocious “Piper” (a version that, had it been performed in the last few weeks, would be considered among the fiercest in recent years), and Page’s prominent soloing before the song the band set to "Cool Jerk" with lyrics referring to Bruno, their monitor engineer;
• A loose, but still bedazzling, “Slave;” and, of course,
• “The Curtain With” encore, which, though obviously flawed, is nevertheless as moving as this marvelous song can be, given its significance to the band, and to many fans as well, as it had helped turn me and many others into Phish fans decades ago.

We cannot thank Trey, Mike, Jon and Page enough for opening their hearts to us so passionately at Coventry, and for all of the other experiences and friendships their music has created over the last 30 years. For them, and for ourselves, why not act always as though the show we're seeing will be our last show? $0.02.

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