FORUM RECAP: GRAVITY'S RAINBOW
On Friday night, Phish rolled into The Forum in Inglewood, CA for the third consecutive year and the penultimate show of the 2016 summer tour. After an unusually sluggish opening two weeks of the campaign, starting with Great Woods Phish had returned to mid-season form, including most recently a successful run in San Francisco that featured entertaining jams and a bounty of bustouts. The tour has seen its fair share of ups and downs, but with an upward arc and two high-profile, webcasted, weekend gigs to wrap up, the hammer was theirs to pull out the come-from-behind tour championship. Let’s see how they did.
Photo © Derek Gregory
The band took the stage at 8:15p and opened with a “Moma Dance” > “Sample” combo, a set of songs that are often deployed in early slots because they are easy to perform, relative to much of the band’s seemingly limitless repertoire. “Moma” safely allowed everyone to get comfortable, but in what turned out to be a harbinger for how much of the show would play out, Trey struggled with routine parts of “Sample.” The first “Paul and Silas” since 10/20/13 Hampton (107 shows) was a fun surprise and would be the only rarity of the night.
The balance of the set was standard modern first set fare, without anything in the way of real highlights. There were plenty of “average great” segments: check out Trey’s MuTron deployment in “Kill Devil Falls,” the short but engaging jam in “Stash” (after Trey oddly flubbing the easy part and getting a chuckle with the crowd), and the jam segment of “Antelope” which saw Trey briefly run free and relaxed, a state that seemed elusive for much of the set. There were competent if forgettable performances of “Yarmouth Road,” “Halfway to the Moon,” “Blaze On,” and “Cavern,” while “Horn” and “Heavy Things” joined “Sample” in the trainwreck category.
On the heels of the first set from the final night in San Francisco – widely and appropriately praised as among the best first sets of the 3.0 era – it was understandable that Phish would serve up an uneventful, average-for-3.0 first set. What followed though was a genuine surprise, with a set break that lasted as long as the Worcester “Runaway Jim,” almost an hour. The crowd (and fans following along on couch tour) was of course drunk with speculation as to what it all meant, man; the delay could have been the result of a million things that don’t benefit from guessing, but we’d be remiss not to note that it happened.
Photo © Derek Gregory
The band finally returned to the stage a little after 10:30p with “Axilla,” which perhaps not coincidentally was present in the 7/3/16 SPAC3 second set. As has been the case for the last several outings, “Fuego” featured a nice Trey jam that was given room to roam, setting the stage for a centerpiece jam. There was a moment of indecision where a new improvisational launchpoint briefly emerged, but that window closed in favor of “Back on the Train.” “BOTT” packed a lot of spunk into seven and half minutes, and with the opening notes of “Saw It Again” it was clear that they’d be delivering a suite absent an improvisational centerpiece.
The next half hour was uneventful, as “Saw it Again” was followed by a combo of “Prince Caspian” that floated upon the “Waves.” Along with “Paul and Silas,” “Waves” was the only 2016 debut of the show. It was a great call in a vacuum, though placed between “Caspian” and “Joy” was not an effective sequence for the heart of the second set. “The Wedge” further cemented the sense that this night was basically two first sets of mostly short and thematically unconnected songs. “Scent of a Mule” featured the sought-after Trey-Fish Marimba Lumina duet for the drums/space portion of the show. “Rock and Roll” reached a peak that was sorely needed by this late point, and “You Enjoy Myself” brought the set to a close, but not before a Mike and Trey face-off duel. Phish oddly limped home in the encore with tepid, sloppy versions of “Boogie On Reggae Woman,” “Bouncing,” and “Golgi.”
Photo © Derek Gregory
There is Phish, the fantasy. This is a world where everything Phish is unicorns and rainbows, and the only variations in Phish performances are whether they were merely “totally sick” or, more likely, “the best ever!” Phish as escapist fantasy is totally valid approach – an island oasis of lights and colors, brilliant scents and subtle sounds, amongst friends. Everything. Is. Awesome. If you loved that show, more power to you! Own that experience, and don’t let anyone tell you differently.
Then there is Phish, the reality. The very human reality of four musicians — and the staff and crew and managers and partners that support them — who perform live and without a net. They are four humans who grow and regress, who have good days and bad days. Phish is a band that has climbed virtually every mountain they faced and sometimes several times over, but that progress has not nearly always been marked by linear growth. They are a band that has pushed change relentlessly, sometimes stumbling but seemingly always coming up Millhouse in the end. Tonight at The Forum was a stumble… and that’s, OK.
Fans who came of age in the 3.0 era are often looking for “their” equivalent of the revered moments of Phish’s earlier career. In 2016, they have it, in “their own” 1996, a year of creative uncertainty and adjustment following a historical peak. It’s part of the package if you hang around long enough as a fan. It’s also a convenient time to reflect upon the true greatness that Phish exhibited in 2015. 2015 was a great year of Phish, and if 2016 seems in any way less so, relax – that’s just gravity. If you don’t like the weather, stick around – it’s likely to change, dramatically!
Phillip Zerbo is the editor of The Phish Companion. #ReadTheBook
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As an aside, I couch'd set one. I hate to read into any one band member's demeanor, or physical appearance, but, man, I swear Gordon would have rather been at the dentist.
Cheers. Can't wait for tonight.
Currently on the way down to Chula Vista! Given that this is the end of summer tour proper, I feel like tonight will either be a total scorcher or another "confusing" show, but either way, I AM NOW AND FOREVER THANKFUL FOR THE PHISH!!!!
i was in attendance at the forum last night after attending the beautific bgca trilogy this week and what i will share is - climate control must be taken into consideration
after being in cool cool san francisco LA is in a heat wave. it is challenging physically to move from cool cool weather to hot heat. the forum was so hot on the floor, i cannot recall ever feeling so uncomfortable at a venue. when security passed through the crowd, I asked if there is any way to turn up the ac and the response was - too many people here. the ac would start and stop and was very weak while outside the venue the temperature reached 99 degrees. this is part of the reason the songs last night were more chill and why I think there were no extended jams. the energy of the crowd was definitely hampered with the heat in the room and the floor was very crowded at the opening of set two.
also, those of us who attended all bcga concerts have thrown down a lot of energy already.
i attended last night and to call it a clunker is completely fair. i have no regrets happy to be present with this band any and every time i get a chance. i can recall many interesting moments last night, yet those moments were sporadic and not sustained.
i love the phish from vermont. it doesn't matter. if your favorite team loses a game with honest effort - you go to the next game and keep rooting for the next win - something i shall do tonight attending chula vista.
- moSTgHost
After attending each LA area gig over the last twenty years I was really bummed at not being able to attend last night. Until midway through the show that is, when I became thankful for not having to deal with the logistics of a Forum show compounded by triple degree temperatures.
There is something I have felt for quite a while and wonder if there is concurrence. I am always ambivalent about an LA gig if it occurs in correlation with a BGCA run. If it precedes it seems they save the good stuff for BGCA. If it follows then they've just blown their wad and LA suffers. I also think Dick's can have the same effect, the last Hollywood Bowl notwithstanding. Thoughts?
Nor do I buy the notion that I have to plunk down two weeks pay to follow them through four stops on a tour in the hopes of catching a night when they're "engaged."
There's something else going on. More than likely the erstwhile reviewer nailed it. They have a new album coming out, so I doubt seriously that its a lack of interest. They don't have their footing right now.
The Fall, will be better I think.
I will only say that 53 is different than 23. One of these days the previous "Peak" will have been their last. It happens to everyone eventually, though I tend to agree with you that it's way premature to signal-flare the death of Phish.
There are definite signs, however, that Trey no longer relates to, or wants to carry the weight of the mantle. I suspect the band is starting to part ways in their creative process. And this is not a good thing.
You considered Prince Caspian> Waves> Joy> The Wedge "thematically unconnected songs" but I don't see that at all. They connect in a distinctly Phishy way to me, especially lyrically. Sure, the segues weren't nailed, nor the jams drawn out, and it probably isn't the best fit for middle of set 2 for lots of people, but it definitely gives me the flow of extended meaning that I like to find in Phish's music.
Phish is the ultimate flood pants.
Flood pants was a man...w a horrible disease.
Love the reference @pzerbo
We always need reviews w contextual aplomb
The beauty of Phish is the multilateral levels of interpretation allowed through their music. I totally feel what you're saying brother. I get off on the multilayered lyricism supplemented with their divinely inspired musicianship. To me a Phish show is like "The Glass Bead Game" of Hermann Hesse lore. From Moma & Sample to the Golgi encore closer, there was a supreme connectivity of lyrical proofs. Some go for the Jams which I do love but what I go for is the Truth they seek to expel.
he and i both think there was something off in the balance of the sound at the forum. he noticed the sound at chula vista suddenly saying - listen to how good page sounds. and we both noted that we could hear page with such clarity at chula vista. i recall at the forum that the sound of guitar seemed to outweigh bass piano drums ( not the playing style of the guitar) but the general sound in comparison to the rest of the band.
something was off this night
after last night - chula vista - i am not too worried about the offness becoming a trend.
and my goodness - the sound at chula vista was astonishing in comparison to the forum this year
"They plot, they plot, sleeping or afoot they never let up."
--TP, GR
This is too much.
Great review Thanks!
Or I could give some weight to the concept that there is always somebody in our social universe determined to inform us that the wonderful experience we just had was just, well, actually crap. Kind of like the Republican convention's take on the current state of the USA. My take of the reviewer's preference is that Phish hit their peak in the mid-1990's, and have been on an irreversible decline since. Why bother going to see 'em anymore?
I am not familiar with Philip Zerbo or his credentials, but I suspect there's about 19,000+ folks who were in attendance who don't have a clue what the hell his reasons are for pooping on the wonderful show we saw. And don't give a shit. If he's really an editor of the Phish Companion, it's a great reason for not buying the book.
Hey, Mortician's Wife. I had a great time, too. Along with the folks I went with and EVERYBODY within visual range of our seats.
My credentials? I saw the Dead in 1970 in New Orleans at the Warehouse, the night they got "busted, down in New Orleans..." Take that, Zamboni. I mean, Zerbo...
I didn't feel either was negative, hopeless or moribund. I felt both were hopeful, realistic and honest.
Your honest assessment does not invalidate others. I respect you as an older Head, but this reviewer, no doubt, has plenty of credentials to write this review and I will be buying the book.
SoCal is different.. LA draws an element of scenesters who are curious to check things out, but not hard-core phans. So they talk over the music and the vibe is different, and the band responded Friday by playing 26(!) songs, a whole marathon. There wasn't much for the tour folks to sink their teeth into, but it was strong, high energy and rocking. Fuego jam was very cool, Waves was beautifully played, and the show was a big fun party. It doesn't deserve the abuse it's getting online.
On any given night at an east coast show you'll find anywhere between 5-10 Angelenos in either the front row or somewhere close to it. I live in LA and know countless people who've seen 100, 200, 300 or more shows. Bay Area crowds are routinely noisier than LA crowds, at least when it comes to Phish. The notion that the band delivered what a dilettante crowd was really looking for is abject nonsense if you possess a semblance of a clue. Stop looking for nonsensical excuses for what was patently a garbage performance.
So is it fair to assume you simply stopped reading when I said precisely the opposite, i.e. "If you loved that show, more power to you! Own that experience, and don’t let anyone tell you differently"? Perhaps you just nodded off for that part.
"Or I could give some weight to the concept that there is always somebody in our social universe determined to inform us that the wonderful experience we just had was just, well, actually crap."
I'll dumb this down just for you: it's not a review of your experience. It's a review of the show performed by Phish, on stage. Nobody is capable of reviewing your experience – it's yours alone.
"Kind of like the Republican convention's take on the current state of the USA."
Oh? lol...
"My take of the reviewer's preference is that Phish hit their peak in the mid-1990's, and have been on an irreversible decline since. Why bother going to see 'em anymore? "
What is the EVIDENCE for your claim? But who needs evidence when you can just pull shit out of your ass? Because there is a 898-page, 411,000-word book that definitively refutes your fact-free, middle-school-fail insult.
"I am not familiar with Philip Zerbo or his credentials, but I suspect there's about 19,000+ folks who were in attendance who don't have a clue what the hell his reasons are for pooping on the wonderful show we saw. And don't give a shit. If he's really an editor of the Phish Companion, it's a great reason for not buying the book."
The book wouldn't help you. It's intended for people who can read words and understand what they "mean."
"Hey, Mortician's Wife. I had a great time, too. Along with the folks I went with and EVERYBODY within visual range of our seats. "
So if the crowd is going wild, the music MUST be great?
"My credentials? I saw the Dead in 1970 in New Orleans at the Warehouse, the night they got "busted, down in New Orleans..." "
It's hard growing old, I know first hand. It's not a joking matter, when the mind starts failing, as it has clearly has done in your case. Congrats, you saw the Dead in 1970. Your family must be very proud, but I’m failing to see the relevance here.
"Take that, Zamboni. I mean, Zerbo..."
Ooh, an insult, based on my name. That's original. Middle school hall of fame! Nice job, buddy!
Sigh.
We built a great circle of heads to dance with over your and found ourselves a perfect spot about 25ft from Fish, with a perfect view and sound. Shared our thoughts about the previous shows and what we could expect on this night. We had predicted several of the songs that were played.
My group was ready for a rocker. We didn't need a deep drawn out jam. This show kept us moving, singing, smiling, hugging and high five-ing! I thought it was a great time and had a ton of fun. I try to keep myself in a mindset to not expect the band to do anything, and let myself fully accept what they put on the table. This keeps me happy and satisfied with them.
I think the greater point in that for us as fans is that we need (I should say I need; I'll keep it in first person and not presume on others here) to not only recognize what you are saying, but, just as the band must at some point realize this, we need to give them the freedom to say goodbye when the time comes.
I've been on a roller-coaster of emotions this tour. At times I've felt resentful, at times thankful, at times frustrated and at times simply languid and tired of it all. I can only imagine the genuine multiplication of these emotions which these gentlemen must deal with also.
Not only from a musical perspective, in terms of their relationship with us, but also, and perhaps more weighty, is the pressure to continue to perform in order to support the massive operation of payroll and family provision that is Traveling Phish.
This weight really became the death of Jerry Garcia and the Dead, as they literally crumbled before our eyes trying to meet the expectations of their fans and their entourage, when common sense should have dictated that they take a couple years off and let Jerry heal.
I hope it never comes to that.
My timeline for going to Dead concerts was 1970 to 1994. In that time, there were shows i attended that were so bad, if they were the first show I ever saw the Dead play, i would've never come back. Whereas with Phish, I have never, ever seen a bad show. Sometime they're just good, but pretty regularly transcendent. Phish always puts out!
Mr. Factsareuseless, the statement that you align with the RNC world view invalidates any opinion you may have. I suggest a fallout shelter for your back yard.
This is likely my last post on Phish.net. Most of you don't know a good thing when its heart is beating right in front of you.