Phish closed out what seemed to be another awesome Bonnaroo
on Sunday night. I have not been able to attend the ‘Roo since the first
two festivals, but thankfully, most of the four day event was streamed live
throughout the weekend and I was able to catch the mammoth Phish set in its
entirety.
The two sets contained many of the same songs the band
played from their tour opener in Worcester, but it certainly didn’t matter as
most of the folks at the ‘Roo had been on the farm since Thursday night.
One of the many highlights came during the first set when
Trey Anastasio welcomed Kenny Rogers to the stage to join the band for
one of his most beloved songs, “The Gambler.”
Phish got very spacey on “Tweezer” which offered the band a
chance to improvise before launching into “Free.” The first set was full
of high-energy from the opener, “Down with Disease” through “Cavern” that
closed out the first set.
Phish kicked off the second set with their rendition of TV
On The Radio’s “Golden Age” which segued into a very funky “Also Sprach
Zarathrustra” into an intense “Chalk Dust Torture.” Next came a nicely
jammed out version of “Carini,” before the band simmered down into the first
“Shafty” since 2003 and then brought everything back to boil with a rowdy version
of the Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll.”
Not to be critical, but I felt the band ended “Harry Hood” a
bit short to make way for “Light” which was the one of the only odd transitions
of the evening. Again, not being there, I could imagine that most of the
festival goers wanted to see Phish break open “Hood” a little longer, but it
was just not to be.
“Character Zero” and “Rocky Top” closed out a spectacular
second set for Phish and if they are playing at this level only three shows
into their 2012 summer tour, I cannot imagine what’s in store for us in Atlanta
in August.
-Will Fisher, The Showbiz Kids
Set 1: Down with Disease, Funky Bitch, The Moma Dance,
Sample in a Jar, Axilla,The Gambler[1], Possum[2] > Wilson > Tweezer >
Free > Backwards Down the Number Line > Cavern
Set 2: Golden Age > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Chalk
Dust Torture, Carini ->Shafty > Rock and Roll, Alaska > Harry Hood
-> Light > Character Zero > Rocky Top
Encore: Show of Life > Julius > Tweezer Reprise
[1] Phish debut, with Kenny Rogers.
[2] The Gambler and Streets of Cairo teases.
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