Phish’s two-night run in Hartford came and went with many memorable moments being logged into the Phish history books, including a Friday night encore feature Sleeping Monkey and a double Tweezer Reprise.
Whether or not the lengthy jams produced by the band stand tall next to classic jams or the best of 2009 is an insignificant argument to those who were in attendance and sharing in the groove Thursday and Friday night.
Courtesy of Dave Vann and Phish.
Night One:
06/17/2010 Comcast Theatre
Set 1: Punch You In the Eye, Ocelot, Dinner and a Movie, Stash, Esther, Walk Away, The Divided Sky, When the Circus Comes, Sugar Shack, Alaska > Golgi Apparatus
Set 2: Party Time > Down with Disease -> Sand -> The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Guyute, Farmhouse, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove
Encore: Shine a Light
Night one will be remembered for a second set featuring a fantastic 17 minute Down with Disease jam that led into a Sand, that while not on par with the one played in Camden last year, was still a meaty version.
But that wasn’t all the band had in store for fans, as they played extended versions of Walk Away and Farmhouse, the former being a scorching Tweezer Reprise-inspired jam and the latter coming off as nothing more but a nice treat.
Phish began the show the same way they did Hartford’s only 2009 show with Punch You In The Eye. It worked so well last year, and set the tone once again for a memorable two nights.
Set one had much to be proud of, with a “Stash” jam that was highlighted by impressive play from Page McConnell. The jammed out Alaska was one of the best versions I’ve heard yet and Dinner and a Movie was an enjoyable bust out.
The band also touched on the circus theme scene outside of the Meadows. With Cirque du Soleil in town, the band played When The Circus Comes, a cover of the Los Lobos song.
Mike’s Groove closing out the second set was your standard amplified 3.0 material and certainly a welcome closer.
Finishing up the night was a beautiful rendition of The Rolling Stones’ Shine a Light, a tune the band has worked into its cover arsenal ever since their Exile on Main Street set at Festival 8.
Highlights: Down with Disease > Sand, Alaska, Stash, Walk Away.
Night Two:
06/18/2010 Comcast Theatre
Set 1: Fee > Rift, Wolfman’s Brother, Summer of ‘89, Foam, Possum > The Moma Dance > Julius, Reba[1], Cavern
Set 2: Halley’s Comet > Light -> Billy Breathes, Tweezer > Theme From the Bottom > Harry Hood > Wading in the Velvet Sea, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan
Encore: Sleeping Monkey > Tweezer Reprise, Tweezer Reprise[2]
[1] No whistling.
[2] Played a second time, for Hershey
Phish’s second night in Hartford began smoothly, with a megaphone-less version of Fee, a song that I hold special as one of the songs that got me into Phish. The band followed that up with a raging Rift and Wolfman’s Brother, two songs that really helped set the night’s tone.
The band then debuted the Trey Anastasio written Summer of ’89,”which slowed the pace down substantially, and wasn’t one of the band’s better slow ballads. But things did proceed to pick right back up with a flawless version of Foam and a version of Possum that was absolutely killed.
Halley’s Comet was a nice treat as set two began, but that would soon be second fiddle to a terrific run of Light -> Billy Breathes, Tweezer > Theme From the Bottom > Harry Hood. Light became a Phish 3.0 vehicle jam in 2009 and it’s nice to see that theme continue in 2010. Billy Breathes was a classy, slower touch to a set that would begin to melt audience members faces shortly.
Then came the Tweezer, lasting just over 16 minutes, would be the basis for the memorable encore, but that wouldn’t come until after the band teared through Theme From the Bottom and played a more patient Harry Hood. Before leaving the stage for the encore, they played a knockout Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, one of the band’s better new songs in my opinion.
The band went on to play Sleeping Monkey for a fan who had, as Trey claimed, a beautiful request sign. In a chilling moment Trey had the audience sing a few lines of the song towards the end. But this wouldn’t be the most memorable item of the encore.
As expected came a Tweezer Reprise. As unexpected came a second Tweezer Reprise to make up for the one they didn’t play in Hershey last week. The second version wasn’t your regular Tweeprise either, as Trey and the rest of the band really laid into the tune the second time around. Morphed in “Rock Star Trey”, the band’s leader was moving around the stage, face full of smiles, jumping on and off of amps in what would be a moment that sent the entire venue into a frenzy.
Highlights: Fee > Rift, Possum, Tweezer, Sleeping Monkey > Tweezer Reprise, Tweezer Reprise.
Filed under: Concert Reviews, Live Music, Hartford, Phish
