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Words by: Court Scott | Images by: John Crouch
Phish :: 08.07.09 :: Gorge Amphitheatre :: George, WA
 Phish :: 08.07.09 :: The Gorge |
As the sun tucked itself behind the mountains across the Columbia River, the energy rose as the band walked to the stage for the first time since 2003. Within moments the low end of Mike's bass introduced a "Down With Disease" opener. From my initial space on the lawn, the wind whipped up through The Gorge and made the sound sway and fade and necessitated a trek to lower ground for the essential 12-bar blues of "Ocelot." A new tune with some promise, after several listens I still remain unconvinced. A new tune's song placement for a second song was odd and the crowd's energy immediately dipped, but only temporarily as a big "Pebbles and Marbles" burst forth.
Riding the energy of the crowd, the band busted into a "Possum" featuring a sweet, somewhat atypical funk jam with teeth. A quick breather for Farmhouse's "Sleep" and then "Destiny Unbound." More a novelty than sick song, I enjoyed it but was far more into the subsequent "Stash." Had I been wearing socks they would have been blown off for the bust-out "Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley," a Robert Palmer cover from days of yore. "Sally" featured a short but awesome vocal jam as well as a more in-depth jam at the end. Rounding out the first set was a spot-on "Cavern."
 Trey :: 08.07.09 :: The Gorge |
Second set opener "Moma Dance" was a funked out delight with an almost Calypso touch. The band was locked in from the get-go and they were right on top of the jam. It's a notable difference for me with Phish 3.0. They are once again a band; no one is leading, no one is following. There is no chasing one another. They are all in synch and right on top of each jam, and I am glad to have that back.
"Light," a new tune off the upcoming Joy was a great romp with promise, and it segued into a smoking "Taste" with Fishman's vocals stronger than I ever remember hearing them. "Joy," another new tune was up before "Fluffhead," which was the only part of the show I noticed a bit of a loss of traction; certainly not a deal breaker but it was overshadowed by the huge "Bathtub," which featured as close to space-funk that we got. Set closer was a solid "Hood." A beautiful "Slave" was the encore.
Overall the show was unhurried and had a nice flow. A notable touch was the outro P.A. music of L.L. Cool J's "Going Back to Cali," an unabashed nod to the upcoming Halloween Festival in Indio. Overall show = A solid B+.
Phish :: 08.07.09 :: Gorge Amphitheatre :: George, WA
Set I: Down With Disease, Ocelot, Pebbles and Marbles, Possum, Sleep, Destiny Unbound, Stash, Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley > Gorge Jam, Cavern
Set II: Moma Dance, Light, Taste, Fluffhead, Joy, Bathtub Gin, Harry Hood
E: Slave to The Traffic Light
For more pics of this show go here.
Phish perform again tonight at The Gorge in George, WA. Check back for live Tweets, setlists, pics and full reviews. Complete Phish tour dates available here.
Just like Leg I of Phish's Summer Tour, JamBase will be at every stop with more coverage than you'll find anywhere! Keep up to speed with all things Phish at jambase.com/phish.
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