Phish | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Shakedown Street to “Sand”: WXPN’s day in Phish-town
The jam band titans stretched out on a sweaty Tuesday night in Philly. Here’s what we heard and saw.
Almost 32 years to the day since they first headlined The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, jam scene titans Phish returned to its stage Tuesday night for the opening gig of a two-night stand. It was the band’s 16th time performing at the iconic Fairmount Park venue; they first played The Mann in 1992 opening for Carlos Santana, and first headlined it on July 16th, 1993 (making tonight‘s show an anniversary proper).
To celebrate the occasion and mix it up with the legions of Phish phaithful in Philly and beyond (fans were in the house from as far away as Arkansas last night), WXPN posted up at the concert for a live broadcast from the parking lot, and stuck around to take in an expansive show.
On Shakedown Street
WXPN’s Dan Reed and our engineering team arrived in mid-afternoon and set up at ground zero of the much-mythologized jam band parking lot scene: Shakedown Street. It’s a somewhat lawless autonomous zone in the sprawl of the parking lot, where the constant hiss of nitrous tanks and the sizzle of grilling burgers fills the air. Makeshift bars are staged, open container laws are flaunted, and one doesn’t have to walk far down the path before a stranger leans in and completely unsubtly stage-whispers “cokemollyketamine.”
It’s sticky and sweaty — especially in the the corner of the tree grove where any breeze is blocked on all sides — so much so that the crowd, wandering and blankly observing their surroundings, seems in a daze. (Is it the heat? Is it ~*other*~ factors?) At the same time, Shakedown Street is a remarkably wholesome environment. Old friends embrace, catching up for the first time since their last show (whether that was last year or last week). Groups of fans play music on guitar and dumbek. Crafters sell handmade clothes, jewelry, and artwork, decked out in vibrant greens, reds, yellows, and blues. The more adventurous people in the crowd dressed up creatively — one hot dog vendor was decked out in 50s diner attire — and food and hospitality abound.
Into this fray strolled Phish bassist and vocalist Mike Gordon, who made his way over to the WXPN encampment for a live on-air chat with Reed. “I love coming out to Shakedown,” he said. “I’m in my element!” Gordon only had a few minutes to hang, but he and Reed touched on a wide range of topics, including the fan consensus that Phish is playing better than ever on it’s current run of concerts.
“We usually do shorter tours these days,” Gordon said, noting that this run was six weeks instead of three. “So having more time out here helps us figure out how to do it better sometimes. I’m definitely feeling the flow, it feels good.”
Reed and Gordon also talked about the band’s earliest gigs in the region, including Chestnut Cabaret, “and even before then, 23 East,” Gordon added, shouting out the venue that became Ardmore Music Hall (which is hosting this week’s Phish afterparties). Gordon talked about wandering around the city to find coffee shops and jazz clubs.
Reed also noted that, before Phish fully took off in the early 90s, it was a very DIY operation, with Gordon booking tours alongside keys player Page McConnell, doing promotional outreach for the band, and dedicating hours every month to answering fan mail (thus building the fan community populating Shakedown). Seeing the level it’s grown to, Gordon said, is surreal.
Listen to Dan and Mike’s chat below.
Camp XPN also got other visitors, including Julian Booker (formerly of Sleepy Hollow, currently of WRTI), General Manager Roger LaMay, and World Cafe bookings coordinator Chelsea Johnson, not to mention a steady parade of listeners (including one in a Land Of The Lost tee) and new friends. Scenes and vibes in the gallery below.
At The Show
Last year, Phish released its 16th studio album, Evolve, and last night’s setlist featured zero songs from it. But that’s kind of not the point. The band’s M.O. is more about looking at the breadth of their catalog and finding new and interesting ways to bring it to the stage. Gordon spoke about this with Reed; he said the band loves to stay on its toes creatively and truly offer a different show every night. With that comes the unspoken condition: sometimes it hits, sometimes it doesn’t. Last night’s show did both.
Phish took the stage as temps simmered down to the mid-80s and the crowd migrated into their seats, filling the Mann Center’s pavilion and the expanse of the lawn. Their opening number, a nugget called “Punch You In The Eye,” was a swirling melodic dreamscape. For a first-time Phish concert-goer such as this author, it was a solid introduction. From there, however, the energy cavorted into jib-jabby jarring funk expeditions like “Everything’s Right,” and careened further into stretches of expansive monotony.
“Camel Walk” was built on simple melodies and looping rhythms. It was fascinating to watch how the band slowly, one by one, subtly built up and embellished upon what they were doing — Gordon introducing a new bass lead several minutes in, and drummer Jon Fishman slightly shifting his rhythm in response — bit it was a lot. By comparison, “Theme From The Bottom” from the band’s Billy Breathes record was easily this set’s highlight. It was strongly focused, with soaring melodies and fervent crowd participation. The interminable set-closer “David Bowie” from Junta, though, veered back into mild chaos that was unfun, at least for the uninitiated. For the throngs of devotees up front, though, the vibes were high all around.
Ironically, the song that connected the most, the one that made everything in this show click for this newbie, was also its longest. Phish opened set two with “Sand,” a dreamy tune from their record Farmhouse. And then they kept playing it. And kept playing it. Depending on who from the taper section you talk to, the performance of this song alone lasted between 36 and 38 minutes, and while the runtime is in debate, the consensus seems to be that this was the longest “Sand” in Phishstory. Fishman’s drums kept a steady pattering rhythm on the snare, while McConnell offered a warm underbelly with some lead flourishes dropped in. At center stage, lead guitarist and singer Trey Anastasio’s guitar work on this song dazzled. From trilling hammer-ons to moaning bends, it ebbed and flowed, was intricate and reserved, intense and sublime. On his side of the stage Gordon answered him with solos of his own, following the steady rhythm like something from the annals of Can or Faust. (Am I being too generous with my music nerd praise just there? Perhaps. But the rock intelligentsia should not delude themselves into thinking that the experimental artists of the 70s weren’t jam bands in their own way.)
From there, the set sailed: a wandering and exploratory “My Friend My Friend” from Rift, a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Boogie On, Reggae Woman,” and a gnarly late-night rocker “Carini” took us to the end of set two. For the encore, the quirky live fave “I Didn’t Know” was delivered in valudeville-esque barbershop harmony, with Fishman playing a vacuum like a didgeridoo. Anastasio praised his prowess on the non-instrument and called Fishman “a permanent resident of Phish-town,” a nod that Philly fans certainly appreciated.
In between sets, I ran into Rob Berliner of Philly folk-rockers Hoots And Hellmouth, who first saw Phish at The Mann Center 30 years ago: June 24, 1995. He marveled at the way things have changed, but also not. “It’s still the same four guys,” Berliner said. “It’s still the same music. The venue is more or less the same. But also,” and he gestured broadly at the 12,000-something fans filling every available inch of space, ready to dance at the drop of a hat.
Phish continues their two-night stand in Philly tonight before heading to a weekend in Chicago, and dates in New York and Saratoga Springs. Find their full tour schedule here.
