The Universe is a Donut

Hey now! Apologies for dropping off the face(book) of the earth the past week but I have been too busy living my liphe to take the time to sit down and write. Well that's part of the reason. I also wasn't the best version of myself last weekend and really hurt the feelings of one of my best friends in the world and a true brother of mine. When I write well - and by well I mean truly honestly - it's akin to taking a hard look in the mirror. One of the reasons that I am generally a happy dude is that most of the time when I look in the mirror I'm (too?) proud of the man looking back at me. Well last weekend I did some things that made me not as proud as I typically am of the person staring back at me. 

Sometimes I get too wrapped up in the Phish bubble. I get stressed and can lose sight of what's really important. What matters in life. As always I have learned some lessons this tour. This one was a critical one that I'm still processing. Hopefully I will understand and learn and grow from it and become a better human. 

I hope to continue writing after tour and this is a subject that I am going to dive much deeper into at that time. However I'm not ready to open and expose that wound while I'm the middle of the greatest tour in musical history. So for now let's table this super vague intro and dive into some summaries of the past few shows.

I still haven't listened back to any shows nor read any reviews. Obviously I'm picking up (and creating) a lot of chatter on the ground but I'm still attempting to keep these reviews as my personal takes on the show. 

Bakers Dozen 6. Friday, 7/28/17. Double Chocolate

It's been so much fun trying to guess what songs the band is going to play when the donut is released. There hasn't been this much phan based guessing and excitement since Phish was killing off 99 different albums for Festival 8. Double chocolate felt like some funk to me. 

This was a tough show for me because my transgression occurred this evening. Sometimes music helps you escape, sometimes it doesn't. I was in my head the entire first set so my focus on the music was unfortunately completely lacking. 

The band opened with another new acapella cover, chocolate rain. I haven't been familiar with a lot of the covers. That's been a unique and fun aspect to the dozen for me. I see and listen to a lot of Phish. It isn't often that I am at a show and hear a song I don't recognize, much less almost 13 in a row. Very cool. 

The Free seemed to be pretty solid and was appropriate for my buddy who retired that day. Ass handed was appropriate for me. As I said before, Phish doesn't always play what you want to hear they play what you need to hear. 

I dig undermine but couldn't get there, nice to hear an oh kee pah sans Suzy. Thought that was really promising for the show. The destiny unbound was the highlight of the set for me. Sand was good but given how much TAB has been playing it and the exploratory nature of the Bakers Dozen, I was somewhat surprised it wasn't placed as a second set 20+ min huge jam vehicle. 

I was still in a bad head space and then Have Mercy started up....what I needed to hear. I'm human and make mistakes, have mercy on me. I also need to have mercy on myself - perfection is an allusion. The Chalkdust was so good I can't even. I had jamnesia two separate times, the transition into you sexy thing was amazing. That was an incredible stretch of music - for me up until that point in the dozen the best to date. It was weird to recognize just how good the music was but not be able to enjoy and immerse myself in it. 

I love Mercury (true top 5) but there was a bit of a struggle during the composed part. When playing 250 songs there are going to be some rough parts. But mistakes are what make Phish, and me, human. I dug the jam, loved the return into you sexy thing. Really fun stretch of music. 

Number line is always the same for me. A tinge of disappointment when I hear the first few jarring notes, then I remember this is the song that brought Phish back together, then I remember that Phish always seems to nail the jam. Same as usual here (great jam) but again personally a struggle because of what happened earlier in the night. Theme of the night. 

Rock n roll unfortunately felt a little bit like a throw away here, nothing much to report. Always great to hear Fee, Space oddity brought back some nice memories of 2016. 

Overall a really solid night of music if not the best night for me personally.

Bakers Dozen 7. Saturday 7/29/17. Cinnamon Donut

Better head space tonight, had a nice show. Overall probably not as good musically as Friday night but personally a more enjoyable evening. 

Played a lot of songs in the first set, I prefer slow Llama, Water in the Sky always brings back Big Cypress memories. Don't woo during Vultures people. Nice Train song and I am the Walrus but musically pretty forgettable set to me. 

Blaze on was awesome. I still don't know if they threw in a glaze on lyric but I would assume so. Kind of surprised it showed up here, assumed it would be a highlight during the last show of the run. In fact I thought (and still think) there will be some Broadway like production the final night of the run. 

The 20 years later was the highlight of the night. Dark and awesome. Really loved this jam so much. I always think of the Reading version as the best but my initial thought was that the Bakers Dozen 20YL is now at the top of that list.

Alumni was (always is actually) cool since there was a graduation in the MSG theatre the day before. Big bust out chase song for some. I like dirt and you can always feel hood about good. I actually don't remember the hood by now. 

Most were calling for a Cinnamon Girl with the donut theme, I didn't think it was likely due to the recent Powderfinger cover. Two Neil Young covers thus far...Albuquerque anyone? Any Neil covers are going to be fun but I preferred the powderfinger. 

Better night for me, solid night of music that would in a normal year be a great show but this is best case a mid-tier Bakers dozen. 

Bakers Dozen 8. Sunday 7/30/17. Rainbow Jimmies Donut

As indicated I hope to learn a lot of valuable lessons while on tour. Some aren't as valuable. I had no idea a Jimmie was a sprinkle? Either way people were nearly as excited for Jimmie night as they were for Jam night due to the possible Harpua. 

There was something in the air before the show. Sometimes you just know when a night is going to be special. All day Sunday I had those vibes. And I wasn't alone. There was that buzz in the air...people were feeling IT. Talking about it. Feels like this was the second most excited people were for musical possibilities based on the donut after jam night. 

Curtain with -> Jim was a fun opener, both extended and awesome jams. Seemed like right out of the gate Phish wasn't fucking around. They meant serious business. No new songs, no acapella, no covers.... old school dope AF Phish. My favorite. 

For a Mike song I'm cool with Waking up Dead. I like the jam, feel and sound. Even Mike's weird singing. Another good omen for the show. Esther started up and it wasn't Things People Do (always initially think that) so that was awesome. Back to old school Phish. Good version, seems like it's been a minute since we heard from her. Then back to new school Phish with Home (which wasn't split open and melt - the start sounds like a sped up Melt). The jam in this song was amazing.  I really dug it. Phish was locked in. 

It was really beautiful to take in Brian and Robert with Holly. Brian and Robert fit the rainbow theme. Beautiful song at that moment in time. 

Forbins -> Mockingbird up next with very limited narration but some clues. I consider myself a pretty hardcore phan but I still never really understand all of the hints and clues and gamehendge references. At this point I turned to Jeni and said Harpua was 100% happening. I thought the limited narration meant they were saving it for the Harpua. 

Bowie is a classic set closer but has been a bit in the bullpen lately. Nice to hear again but not quite a super jammed out set closer, pretty standard version in fact. Either way a beautiful first set for me and I felt teed us up for what could be a memorable second set. 

Drowned -> ASIHTOS was legendary. Drowned was a big rock n roll jam. I was getting down. Song I heard was special. Like really special. Didn't know she had it in her. This was 40 minutes of incredible and amazing music. Phish was bringing IT. We were bringing IT. I was bringing IT. IT was happening. Why we do what we do. 

There are a few moments in Phishtory where the crowd just explodes with joy and happiness that you can feel and hear on the tapes. 1997 Terrapin. 2003 Piper. 2009 Fluffhead. For me add 2017 Harpua to that list. 

Even though we suspected it was coming, when the first notes of Harpua were played the crowd went nuts, I went nuts, the band went nuts. What a beautiful moment. I have goosebumps just thinking about it. 

I love the fact that Phish is so comfortable in their skin that they can and will do whatever they want, including some acting right next to Broadway. If they want to bring out some chairs and read about the universe being a donut, they do. While I didn't quite follow the entire story (turns out it was from the article below) and perhaps it went a little long, I didn't stop smiling nor laughing the whole time. Neither did the band. They were so happy. When phish is happy, we are happy. Fucking Phish. The universe is a donut. Loved the effort so much. 

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2003/03/11/science/universe-as-doughnut-new-data-new-debate.html

Time to get our dance on with a fun 2001. It felt celebratory. People were so happy, grooving, smiling. What an energy. There is nothing in the world that can make me feel the way I feel when I'm in the zone at a Phish show. And boogying at 2001 is one of the special Phish zones. 

I really enjoyed everyone showing their donut tickets during Golgi (present company included), nice good ol summertime acapella to close out the set. Wind cries Mary closes out the final Jimmie on the night. I share a bday with Hendrix so I'm partial. Would've preferred Izabella but in Phish I trust. 

This show was legendary. It wasn't a concert. It was a show. A performance. Again I can't really separate my own personal experience however the band, crowd, energy...everything about this Sunday night was special to me. Never miss a Sunday reins supreme. 

Bakers Dozen 9. Tuesday 8/1/17. Maple Donut

If I could have picked one show to be the best show of the run, I would have wanted it to be this one. Jar got on a plane from San Diego Tuesday morning only with a magazine and Purcell. He arrived to MSG at 6:00 and then flew back on the first flight Wednesday morning. His only show of the Bakers Dozen. I would have loved to seen him rewarded. Rewarded isn't the right word... he was rewarded with love and fun and friendship, but it clearly wasn't the best show of the run. 

One of the beauties of Phish is that, like a box of donuts, you never know what you're going to get. What song, how they are going to play, the energy around you, etc. However you are pretty much always going to leave happy. My buddy John pointed out that when you leave a sporting event, some people always leave upset. Very few people leave a concert upset, everyone pretty much leaves happy. The worst day Phishing beats the best day working. 

That said sometimes you don't get the best musical experience. They can't all be Harpua nights. Tuesday night, most especially the first set, was just one of those sets that didn't work for me. The band was off. Trey was off. They weren't locked in, together, flowing. It happens. It's actually quite amazing that this is the first time it really has happened during the dozen. 

There were some nice moments during the second set, especially the 46 days -> Piper -> 46 days, but overall this was my least favorite show musically of the run. However rocking the show with a huge crew of my closest homies on the floor made it one of my more favorite nights. A good reminder/lesson and a continuation of the theme and struggles I was having from the previous weekend. Phish giving me not what I wanted but just what I needed. The universe is indeed a donut. 

Bakers Dozen 10. Wednesday 8/2/17. Donut Holes

After dropping what was in my opinion the worst show of the Bakers Dozen run, Phish proceeded to drop the best set and arguably show of the run the next night. (Fink recency bias alert). Just like that Phish was back on their game. 

I loved the Tom Waits cover to open the show. Once again digging the new tunes they are playing. According to one of Phish's sound guys, the crew is getting to the venue about 2:00 PM and the band is sound checking every show, playing the new tunes. And then Trey is staying on stage literally for hours "fidgeting" with his gear, trying new stuff. One of the most noticeable aspects making the Bakers Dozen so special is that the band is trying and cares so deeply. They have put time, effort, practice and so much of themselves and their energy into this. From the concept to the donuts to the setlists. It's really beautiful and we are so lucky they care so much. What a special group of individuals. 

Kill Devil Falls was rocking right away, the band felt much more in tune and locked in with each other from the jump. Guyute was a bit of a struggle but always fun to hear. The I hope this happens once again line was cool, a big crowd roar of appreciation for the dozen. Not sure that it will happen again next year but I'm pretty sure it will happen once again. It's been so awesome. 

The Meat had some extra, well, meat. And the Maze was solid. Maze has become a reliable first set vehicle. The antelope also had some extra meat. Nice way to close out a really solid first set. 

8/2/17 II will be a set of numbers that I think of and go back to on the reg. It was absolutely magical. As close to a perfect set of music as I can remember. The Mikes was out of this world good. Grant jokingly mouthed to me, "Is this still Mikes?" Twice. Speaking of twice it had a true second jam. That Mikes was an epic throw down dance party get dirty jam. The oh holy night with the steam fit perfectly. The best Taste ever. I returned the question and asked Grant "Is this still taste?" Twice. Wingsuit was beautifully placed and played. What a perfect song to take a breathe. Sally was a standard Sally but a standard sally is still sexy as hell. Back to the dance party. And the Paug had mustard. It really flowed perfectly and was just such a wonderful set of music. I was sweating and grinning from ear to ear. What a Day In the Liphe indeed. 

Summary

Not sure that I will be blogging much until after the dozen is over. We all have an idea of what songs are coming. I think we might get something really special on Sunday night - something akin to a New Years gag or Broadway type of show or something. Perhaps Tweeprise the musical. Regardless of what we get I know in my heart and soul this is going to be one of the greatest musical weekends of all time. It's in the air, you can feel it everywhere. The word is out. People know. Tickets are nowhere to be found. 

Phish continues to amaze me every single show. Phish is the best band in the world. It's not even close at this point. I think they are the best band ever. They are at the absolute peak and height of their powers. We are witnessing ultimate greatness. Something special. It's like watching Jordan in the playoffs and he already has 89 points midway through the third quarter. There really isn't another band in history that could play 13 straight shows and not repeat a song, much less play those songs with the heart and soul that Phish is putting into every single note. It's happening. Right here and right now. It so fucking beautiful. 

Photo by @custynoob

Photo by @custynoob