Ticket Bastards

I'm working on a review of the second and third shows of Phish's reunion shows at Hampton Coliseum and yes, it's taken a while. I've been super busy with work, and honestly, I've just now been able to digest the amazing music I saw at Hampton. The review for Friday night is below. But right now, I want to rant for a second about getting tickets for the upcoming summer tour.

Now first off, I'm probably luckier than a lot of phans: I have tickets to Burgettstown, both nights at The Gorge, Darien Lake, Hartford, Merriweather and SPAC, and if our whole crew gets the tickets they need, I'll probably trade some of my extras for some of the other shows near me: at least Asheville, Camden and probably Jones Beach and Camden, too.

But, I'd rather have tickets for all the events I'd like to go to in hand, without the need to trade and barter and beg. And I've heard horror stories from both friends others on line about the trials and tribulations with TicketBastard. From many folks perspectives, as well as my own, the ticket procurement process for Phish Summer Tour 2009 definitely has left something to be desired. There must be a better way.

For the shows I was shut out of, I hit the "buy that shit now" buttons within 2-3 seconds of tickets becoming available. I was following the US Naval Observatory Master Clock Time, for crissakes!!! Not to mention that having seen the Grateful Dead almost 90 times and Phish almost 50 times, I've done the giant rock concert ticket buying frenzy a few times before. Definitely not a novice. And yet, I was shut out of every internet order I tried to make except for The Gorge. Red Rocks? Ha! Merriweather, my home venue, for which I preordered? No lottery! No regular ticket sale! No soup for you! If it wasn't for my buddy, I would have been shut out of a venue that's less than 30 minutes from my front door. He waited in line at our local ticket outlet and got two lawns.

I don't know what is the best way to ensure that more phans and less scalpers get tickets. But, there must be a better way. And before you say imprinted names on tickets, imagine the lines getting into a show if each ticket needed to be checked against a name. Or think of waiting in line while 15,000 hippies and freaks try to find their drivers licenses and credit cards? No thanks.

Wilson, King of Prussia, I lay this hate on *you*.


I saw you with a ticket stub in your hand!

Phish is Back! Oh Wow, What A Weekend.

-Lightning Bolt

Over the weekend of March 6th, 7th and 8th, I was lucky enough to attend Phish's return to performing after a nearly 5 year hiatus. If somehow you haven't heard these shows yet, I'm going give you a play by play of the action from the ground. The photos are mine, the videos are from youtube users. When possible, click on HD. It makes a big difference!

I've begun to digest what I saw at Hampton Colisuem and will try to do justice to a performance of epic proportions, that will live on forever in Phish lore.

In the months, weeks, and days leading up to the shows, the paramount question on my mind, and I'm sure every other phan, was how would they sound? And what would they play? And what would they open with?

Anticipation was high as we made our way into the venue and onto the floor of the general admission arena. I'd seen Phish's first show at Hampton in 1995 as well as Jerry Garcia Band in 1993, both stellar performances in their own right. The building is know for majik! The weekend would prove to be no different.

On this night, for the coronation of Phish 3.0, what would they choose to open with? Here one group of phans gives their recommendation of a song the boys could play:


-Lightning Bolt

I saw these phans again Sunday night when they would indeed get their wish!

At close to 8 o'clock, the lights dimmed and as the band took the stage the crowd went wild. The moment everyone was waiting for was upon us.

A slight hush came over the crowd until Trey began to play the opening notes of Fluffhead. The crowd cheered at a deafening level for several minutes, band members saying later that they could not hear themselves play at points. Audience members, myself included, screamed, hands raised, ecstatic not only at the song we were hearing, but the fact that we were there at all. Sheer joy and elation.

And amazement. A Fluffhead opener in 1993 would be a suprise. A statement that all involved that night were in for a ride. But, for the band to open with it at Hampton- the first notes played in almost 5 years- was ballsy. The audacity of hope in a new era of the Phish saga.



...and from the front row.


Hearing the first notes of Fluffhead ascend through the hallowed space of Hampton Coliseum was like a visit from a old friend, bringing with it a barrage of emotions. I hadn't seen this friend since a mini-tour in 1998 from Portland Meadows up to The Gorge. There was a lot of catching up to do!


Fluff your head! Yeah!!!

What next. Well Divided Sky. Just in case you weren't already completely blissed out from Fluffhead.



The jam toward the end of the song is just shear joy:



Song after song filled The Mothership. 16 in all in the first set. At one point, I was wondering if they were just going to play straight through, with no set break at all!

Can't this wait till I'm old? Can I live while I'm young!?!



Control for smilers can't be bought. The solar garlic starts to rot. Was it for this my life I sought?


One of the many amazing facets of this epic weekend was Chris Kuroda's lights. The entire weekend the light show was completely amazing. I saw almost 90 Grateful Dead shows and was always in awe of what Candice could do. The stuff that Chris was doing blew my mind. Check them out here during the ending jam of Stash. Yummy.


Fishman came from behind the drums to regale us in a vacuum solo. Ahhh Henrietta.

-Lightning Bolt

And Trey decided to accompany him on drums!

-Lightning Bolt

Trey slowed it down and played the beautiful Farmhouse.


Later on, a 10:30 minute David Bowie...



...and the band mercifully took a set break allowing us to collect our brains, socialize with friends and neighbors, or visit one or more of the many attractions of the hallways: bathrooms, beer, food and beverage, and merchandise!

Settled in a bit closer to the stage, we readied ourselves for what was sure to be an equally intense offering. Libations were shared all around and neighbor became friend.

Set two opened with a first.

Backwards Down the Main Line is a new song destined to end up on the new album Phish has in the works. Lotsa potential with this one. Title track?



Here's the jam in Taste. Tasty indeed!!


First Tube. Again, check out Chris Kuroda's light show!


You can feel good about Hood. We were all feeling good. Glad the boys were back on the road.


Come waste your time with me:


Okay. I'll see ya at Burgettsville, The Gorge, Darien Lake, Hartford, Merriweather, and SPAC!

The first notes of You Enjoy Myself rang out. Oops wrong key. They stop. Not like the last time we started a song over, Trey says. No, it most certainly is not like the last time they played. Phish 3.0 is on the market now. And if this trial run is a sign of things to come, 3.0 is a must buy. It is going to melt the minds of all who encounter this monstrous group of psychedelic sorcerers.



Really great shots of the trampolines in this one!:




I'm the man from the mountain. Yes, Trey, you certainly are.



Loving Cup, with it's opening line "I'm the man from the mountain, won't ya come on up" was a perfect end to a perfect evening of music. Our musical cups filled to overflowing, we spilled out into the night, awash in the joy of seeing the boys not only reunite, but completely drink in and ingest the possibility of the music and spit it out in all its psychedelic rock and roll glory.

Total time played: 3 hours and 41 minutes of music. What would tomorrow bring? Whatever it was, obviously it was going to be sick.

Coming next, I'll continue by posting about the Saturday night show. It took me a long time to get Back On The Train...

03-06-09 Hampton Coliseum
I: Fluffhead, The Divided Sky, Chalkdust Torture, Sample in a Jar, Stash, I Didn’t Know, The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg, Farmhouse, NICU, Horn, Rift, Train Song, Water in the Sky, The Squirming Coil, David Bowie

II: Backwards Down The Number Line, Tweezer > Taste, Possum, Theme from the Bottom, First Tube, Harry Hood, Waste, You Enjoy Myself
E: Grind, Bouncing Around the Room, Loving Cup