Trey Anastasio ::
06.30.06 |
Osby and Trey then squared off for an interesting duel of free-form guitar and saxophone, and that meandered into
a buoyant "Fire on the Mountain." Not only did Trey introduce the vocal lead, he delivered mesmerizing
reproductions of the classic "Fire" Garcia leads. Of all the guitarists that have played with Phil, Trey has ironically
remained most steadfast and true to the Garcia lead guitar lines. It's as if they are ingrained in his brain and fingers;
he effortlessly plays the classic Garcia lines in riff, verses, and solos. For a guy who swore forever he was nothing
like Jerry, his masterful dedication to the timeless Garcia licks is something special. All of Phil's Friends on guitar
have added their own flair and style to the songs, and Trey does that as well. But more often he stays true to
Garcia's sonic visions, and that I applaud mightily. The screaming "Fire" guitar work from Trey cements this point.
The band flowed finally into an anthemic "I Know You Rider," with Phil and Rob singing and saving Garcia's
"headlight" verse for the redhead. The band country-jammed out the end of the mammoth set, which ended just
after 1 am. Phil and his band, sans Trey, returned for a gripping "Box of Rain" that, as per usual, tugged on the
heartstrings of most in the venue. The roughly two-hour journey was exhilarating and served to further develop the
bond between generations. This particular evening of music was a filial exchange of song and emotion, from the
monumental GD catalogue through the fearless and ambitious guitarist, amongst all of the other magical
collaboration that filled the night.
The following day's events at Holmdel paled in comparison to the previous enchanted evening. Formerly the Garden
State Arts Centre, the PNC Bank Arts Center in
Holmdel is also a sight of various great shows in Phishtory. This day was probably a good time, but still reeling from
Camden and on the heels of that second Phil set, it was difficult to focus. Phil and Friends opened this Saturday
show, and Mike and the Italians closed the show.
Joe Russo :: 06.30.06 |
The only thing similar about the two shows was the Duo opening set, where on Saturday they chose to perform "Play
Pause Stop" as well as several songs from their last two records. This was in essence a hometown show for these
two North Jersey cats, who grew up playing kickball, listening to hair bands, and hanging out at the mall in these
Babylon suburbs. Joe Russo reveled on the drum riser, looking out into a crowd that held many of his lifelong
friends and family and Marco's as well - a proud night for the Duo indeed.
Phil and Friends took the stage early in the evening, with the sun still shining brightly and people filing in a few at a
time. The vibe was almost that of a West Coast GD/Phil show, with some dancing, talking, and a good-time vibe
permeating during the band's set. Their selections were choice but seemingly less inspired (or less intense). A
show-opening sing-along in "Truckin'" set the tone, and soon after, Mike Gordon ambled onstage with a banjo and
plucked along to a hot "Cumberland Blues" and "Big River," the latter featuring a sizzling jam that Larry Campbell
tore to shreds with some sweet, clean Fender licks. The classic "Stagger Lee" was told with Phil tackling the tune
with bounce aplenty and Rob Barraco peeking out with sweet ragtime piano and vocals. A Joan-led "Sugaree" closed
out the fun first set.
Barry Sless :: 06.30.06 |
"Playin'" launched the second set, and the energy and focus seemed a bit more prevalent as the night wore on for
Phil and Friends. A '90s style "Eyes of the World" allowed Greg Osby to shine with soaring saxophone leads, a la
Branford Marsalis. Barry Sless was following Osby's lead and playing impressive Garcia tones with serene pedal steel
phrasings. Ryan Adams' "Magnolia Mountain" is an interesting alt-country track that Phil has taken quite a liking to,
and Larry Campbell soothed the humid Jersey faithful with tranquil passages. A monster "Help> Slipknot> Franklin's
Tower" suite closed the set, with Phil, Molo, and Larry laying out tasty, snake-charming rhythms, locking into a
colossal groove that shook the foundation of the pavilion. Trey was late to the party, arriving onstage to strum
along to "Franklin's" and smile at friends and family in the first two rows. He emerged for the fun and spirited "Goin'
Down the Road Feelin' Bad" encore, playing along with the band and soakin' up much of the adulation remaining
from the previous night's supernatural experience.
The GRAB band, as Phil called them, had some bigger shoes to fill in the headlining slot. On this night, the exquisite
lighting of longtime Phish director Chris Kuroda would be on display. They opened curiously with "Plasma," a solo
Trey song from the album of the same name. The Duo laid a sinister foundation for Mike and Trey to build upon,
and Trey's aural six-string assault was on display, a la mid-Nineties pure shred. Though I love "Drifting," a sappy
Trey song that is quite well-written, the Duo and Mike didn't add much to it. I prefer Trey's other versions, with the
subtle horns and female vocal.
Mike Gordon :: 06.30.06 |
Some songs were very successful in taking advantage of the strengths of this band, most notably "Suskind Hotel,"
sung by Mike. This original featured phenomenal "IT"-era type jamming, full of tension, sonic noise rock, release,
and suspense. Joe's drumming on this song was exemplary, his masterful use of cymbals on display. "Suskind
Hotel" truly demonstrated the heights this band can ascend to if they focus on their strengths and play reciprocally.
"Goodbye Head" was a song with potential, a prog-rock track with many sections that were expounded upon with
alert and spirited interplay between Marco and Trey. This has been played in other Trey incarnations as well, but I
found most of Trey's previous solo work to be inappropriate for this project.
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