Around the League 1/28

> Word broke this week that New Orleans is going to permanently inactivate Chris Kaman while they shop around the league looking to trade him. Two days prior to that announcement Eric Gordon turned down a four-year contract extension. (In that same press release Gordon was declared out another 3-6 weeks with a right knee “contusion.” He’s appeared in only TWO games all season. Might the league be hiding something here? Hmm...) Couple those two things with Al-Farouq Aminu basically stinking (shooting 37.5% with a PER of 10.20) and the Timberwolves being decent (9-10 with a +1.58 point differential) and my prediction is coming true even faster than I anticipated.

It’s really not hard to see where the league went wrong either. When Commissioner David Stern took control away from GM Dell Demps and gave it to Stu Jackson that was a crucial error in judgment. I voted Demps third for Executive of the Year last season and his track record runs circles around that of Jackson. I still believe the Laker/Houston trade was better in terms of assets even though Lamar Odom has been terrible (9.38 PER), Kevin Martin injured (plantar fasciitis right foot) and Luis Scola fatigued. Goran Dragic is having a career year (15.33 PER) and New York’s pick (7-12 & -1.32) could easily be higher than Minnesota’s.

I may end up eating a heaping pile of crow if Kaman returns something of significance and Gordon eventually resigns but both of those things seem unlikely at the moment. The league needlessly harpooned Kaman’s value when they decided to stop playing him, and he really wasn’t playing that well to begin with (13.98 PER). It’s well known that the Pacers are going to come hard after Gordon this summer and that Eric wants badly to go there (he’s from Indiana). I could see Gordon and his agent Rob Pelinka telling the Hornets to sign and trade him to Indy (for say Danny Granger) or else he’ll sign the one-year tender to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2013. Stay tuned…

> Andrew Bogut is going to miss 8-12 weeks with a fractured left ankle after landing on Samuel Dalembet’s foot Wednesday night. Besides being completely snake bitten when it comes to fluke injuries Bogut is the anchor of Milwaukee’s defense. The Bucks give up 7.5 fewer points per 100 possessions this season per 82games.com with the big Aussie on the court. Last season it was 3.3 and the season prior it was 5.5. While Drew Gooden is a capable backup no one is ever going to confuse him with a defensive presence in the paint. The East is so bad that this probably doesn’t kill Milwaukee’s playoff chances but they are certainly on life support.

> On Tuesday Washington fired Coach Flip Saunders and replaced him with assistant Randy Wittman through the end of the season. Much like Paul Westphal in Sacramento, Saunders had lost his team, but the mix of players is so putrid that Phil Jackson couldn’t coach them to a .500 record much less the playoffs. I know the final nail in Flip’s coffin was John Wall’s supposed lack of improvement but I’m not sure who on the Wizards Wall can really make better or vice versa?That’s why it’s long past time for President Ernie Grunfeld to be shown the door in DC. He’s the one that assembled this mess of a roster and I’m sure Owner Ted Leonsis is overjoyed to be paying Saunders $4.5 million next year to sit on his couch. Wittman has a career record of 100-207 and has never coached anything resembling a playoff contender so he should feel right at home adding some more losses and another last place division finish to his distinguished resume.

> Everyone’s favorite NBA punch line, Minnesota President David Kahn, made another in a long line of blunders Wednesday when he signed Kevin Love to a contract extension with an opt out after three years. This deal will allow Love to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2015 when a certain marquee team in Los Angeles (no, not the Clippers) will have salary cap space galore.

Kahn apparently wanted to keep his “designated player” option available (in the new collective bargaining agreement every team is allowed to have one "designated player" who receives a five-year maximum extension on his rookie contract) in case Ricky Rubio turns into that kind of talent. Umm, ok buddy, never mind that Love has the fifth highest PER (25.04) in the Association, is shooting 40.4% from three, averaging 24.9 points and 13.9 rebounds RIGHT NOW. I think the contract negotiations between Kahn and Kevin’s agent Jeff Schwartz probably went something like this...

Schwartz: “We’d like the full five-year maximum for $80 million.”

Kahn: “We can’t go that high Jeff how about four years for between $60-62 million?”

Schwartz: “We can do that Dave but only if the fourth year is a player option.”

Kahn: “Ok we have a deal!”

Schwartz: “Alright let me know when the paper work is drawn up.”

Schwartz hangs up and calls Love: “You’re never going to believe this but I got us EXACTLY what we wanted all along. The same kind of contract LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh signed with an opt out after three seasons.”

Love: “NICE! Make sure you contact Mitch Kupchak through back channels and let him know I’m coming there in 2015.”

Schwartz: “I’m already on it my man.”

Around the League 1/21

> Man-o-man…where to start with the Lakers. Being without Steve Blake (ribs) for 2-3 more weeks deprives them of their top bench scorer (7.3 ppg), best 3-point shooter (35.4%) and only tolerable option at PG. Derek Fisher is shooting a career low 20.8% from three and can’t guard a chair on defense. The good news is that he has a player option on his contract for next season when he’ll be 38 years old! While rookie Darius Morris is very athletic he has no idea how to run an NBA team and sports a PER of 2.89. More than anything else this is why Los Angeles struggles; they lack any semblance of competency at the most important position in the modern game.

(This is why trading Lamar Odom for nothing was beyond dumb. With Andre Miller making noise in Denver that he should be a starter Odom could have easily went there straight up. Or how about asking Dallas to include Rodrigue Beaubois in the original deal? With Devin Harris now available in Utah his $9.3 million salary doesn’t fit into the $8.9 million trade exception dumping Lam-Lam created either.)

The Lakers are tied for second in opponent shooting (41.1%) and third in rebound differential (+3.59) so defense obviously isn’t why they are 1-6 on the road. There’s no doubt that being tied for last in 3-point shooting (25.7%) plays a big part in their offensive struggles but this isn’t the first time a Mike Brown coached side has looked completely unimaginative and stale on offense. Anyone remember the give the ball to LeBron James and everyone else stand around attack he ran in Cleveland? Well we’re seeing plenty of that in LA just replace LeBron with Kobe Bryant. I’m surprised Little Jimmy Buss didn’t see this coming when he hired Brown after only one interview with almost no outside influence. Wait, no I’m not.

The future really doesn’t look very bright for the Lakers either since they have $61.5 million tied up in just four players (Bryant, Blake, Pau Gasol & Metta World Peace) two seasons after this one. The only way out is by making some big trades...and soon. If I was GM Mitch Kupchak I’d be calling Rockets GM Daryl Morey and proposing this and if that was no good I’d try to re-concoct the original three team deal for Chris Paul with New Jersey and Houston for Deron Williams. Of course if Kupchak is patient and receives some help from a few agents he may be able to swindle Nets President Billy King into this and Otis Smith in Orlando into this right at the March 15th trade deadline. One can dream anyway…

> When the Atlanta hawks lost Al Horford for 3-4 months with a torn left pectoral muscle I thought they were done, but somewhat amazingly they have gone 4-2 since losing who I consider to be their best player. In Horford’s absence Joe Johnson and particularly Josh Smith have stepped up their games but I’m dubious as to how long they can keep it up. Replacing everything Al does on the interior from low post scoring to help defense to rebounding is going to be especially tough over the long haul. Rookie PF Ivan Johnson has been a pleasant surprise, Zaza Pachulia is solid when mentally engaged but Jason Collins (-1.08 PER) is awful. I may yet be right about them missing the playoffs.

> So far this season the Boston Celtics have beaten Detroit, Washington (twice), New Jersey and Toronto. That’s it, that’s the entire list. Paul Pierce (right heel) has been slow to round into form, Rajon Rondo (right wrist) is currently sidelined and Kevin Garnett looks flat out done. Remember when the Celtics used to be one of the best defensive teams in the Association? Well that was before Tom Thibodeau and his replacement Lawrence Frank left for Chicago and Detroit respectively. Boston is tied for 12th in opponent shooting (43.5%) which isn’t that bad but when you couple that with being 26th in rebound differential (-2.72) the outlook isn’t as rosy. I’m not even mentioning that they have virtually no depth, athleticism or youth.

Which is why I think it’s high time that GM Danny Ainge starts taking some heat. Other than being gifted KG by a former teammate (Kevin McHale) and having Ray Allen fall into his lap during Sam Presti’s Seattle fire sale what has he done? He has nothing but a draft pick (less favorable of Clippers and Timberwolves pick in 2012, protected top 10 in 2012-15, unprotected in 2016) to show for Kendrick Perkins and his draft record is not the greatest to be kind. So when Ainge came out this week and said he’s willing to break up the big three it got me thinking that he’s primed for another fleecing; something along the lines of this. This is a developing situation that bears monitoring as the season progresses.

> If you are a long time reader you know that I’m extremely partial to guys like Andrei Kirilenko (young version), Josh Howard (ditto) and Jonas Jerebko. Or do-it-all small forward types that don’t demand the ball on offense, know how to defend and just play all around smart team ball. Well I’m here to tell you that I’ve found another one of these guys in Houston rookie Chandler Parsons. Since Coach McHale inserted him (and Sam Dalembert) into the starting lineup the Rockets are 6-2. Parsons is very long and has decent athleticism. He’s also a great rebounder, a willing passer, solid defender and doesn’t venture outside of his role in the starting unit. The only question I have is what took McHale so long to play him?

> In my travels around the league with my remote I’ve noticed two players in particular that have stood out to me as playing really well and when I looked at their numbers it turned out both were having career years. In Denver Al Harrington is tearing it up shooting a blistering 55.4% from the field while posting a 21.43 PER (both career highs). Then down in New Orleans Jarret Jack is putting up career numbers in points (16.3), assists (7.4), rebounds (4.3) and PER (18.36). Mr. Jack would look FANtastic in Laker purple and gold right about now. Think Hornets GM Dell Demps would do this? Even Lloyd Christmas knows that one has no chance.

My Year in Music 2011

Raw Statistics

Phish Shows – 9
Other Shows – 19
Festivals – Re:Generation (14 sets), Eugene Celebration (10 sets) & Outside Lands (5 sets)

Studio Albums

5) Rich Robinson – “Through a Crooked Sun”

In the seven years since 2004’s debut solo album “Paper” Rich’s vocal delivery has grown more confident while his music has stayed true to his roots. Joe Magistro (drums) and Steve Molitz (keys) join Rich (guitar/bass) to form his core band (Brain Allen plays bass live) while guests like Warren Haynes, John Medeski and Larry Campbell add their talents to three tunes. This is one of those albums that grows on you with each play and if old school rock is your thing you won’t be disappointed.

4) The Disco Biscuits – “Otherwise Law Abiding Citizens”

After the utter debacle that was 2009’s “Planet Anthem” the Biscuits rebounded with arguably their best record ever. The heavy overproduction that plagued “Anthem” has been replaced with stripped down straight up Bisco. From the opening grove party of “Great Abyss” to the slamming closer “Lunar Pursuit” the listener is taken on a voyage through all things Biscuits. Though no “new” songs appear fan favorites like “Spraypaint” and “Portal to an Empty Head” are given the full studio treatment.

3) Greensky Bluegrass – “Handguns”

Right from the opening track “Don’t Lie” you can’t help but be moved by Paul Hoffman’s lyrics and drawn into the pictures his words paint. Every time I hear “No Idea” I still get goose bumps just because the subject matter hits so close to home for me. The 11+ minute closing jam on “All Four” gives you a taste of their live show and the three piece horn section on “I’d Probably Kill You” works surprisingly well. From start to finish this album is a journey that is well worth taking for any music fan.

2) The Wood Brothers – “Smoke Ring Halo”

Brothers Chris (bass) and Oliver (guitar) truly struck gold on their fourth studio album. Tyler Greenwell joins them on drums, John Medeski makes a few appearances on organ and there are even horns on three tracks. There is something for everybody on this record. You have get up and dance numbers like “Shoofly Pie” and “When I was Young,” tender ballads like the title track and “Blue and Green” (the later no doubt a tribute their mother Renate who passed in 2010) and everything in between.

1) Tedeschi Trucks Band – “Revelator”

The husband and wife duo of Susan Tedeschi (guitar/vocals) and Derek Trucks (guitar) crafted a masterpiece with their debut release. Susan’s amazing voice is the star of record but the backing band has some serious talent too. You’ve got Oteil (bass) and Kofi (keys/flute) Burbridge, two drummers, two backup vocalists and three more horn players. That might sound crowded but it all comes together perfectly in a soulful southern rock stew. If you haven’t heard this one yet you are cheating yourself.

Official Live Releases

4) Soulive – “Bowlive” – DVD compilation of 3/2-13/10

This DVD chronicles Soulive’s very first Brooklyn Bowl residency and the cavalcade of guests and the quality of their sit-ins is an amazing sight to behold. Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, Robert Randolph, Ivan Neville, Susan Tedeschi and DJ Logic are just the big names. Nigel Hall and The Shady Horns are also well represented and each track is preceded by one of the guests talking about Soulive. Charlie Hunter’s interview during the closing credits where he responds in German is DVD stealing hilarious.

3) Sound Tribe Sector 9 – “Axe the Cables” – 2 DVDs of 12/29/09

This double DVD set shows the iClips recording of the very first STS9 “acoustic” show (David Murphy plays electric bass throughout). Songs like “From Now On,” “986 Foot Tall Trees” and “So It Goes” thrive in this setting. Old favorites “Equinox,” “Satori” and “Breathe In” also flourish as do new numbers “South of Here” and “Glen Tells Kengo.” However it’s the tunes you wouldn’t expect like “Lo Swaga,” “Kamuy” and “Moon Socket” that steal the show. The only downside here is no surround sound option.

2) The Disco Biscuits – “Bisco Inferno 09/10” – 2 DVDs of 5/30/09 & 5/29/10

These discs document the Biscuits first two headlining shows at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The excitement of the band in 2009 when they first walk on stage is palpable. Then they drop into “Rock Candy > Strobelights and Martinis > I-Man > Strobelights and Martinis > Crickets > Sound One.” That totals an hour and fifteen minutes of a non-stop Bisco dance party. The 2010 show is no slouch with a guest guitar spot from Chris Michetti on “M.E.M.P.H.I.S.” but 2009 brings the heat from start to finish.

1) Phish – “Hampton/Winston-Salem ‘97” – 7 CDs of 11/21-23/97 (including the sound checks from 11/21 & 11/23)

“Emotional Rescue > Split Open and Melt” and “Ghost > AC/DC Bag” from 11/21 are 30+ and 40+ minutes respectively. Then “Mike’s Song > I am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove” and “Halley’s Comet > Tweezer > Black-Eyed Katy” from 11/22 are 35+ and 44+ respectively. Not to mention the near 32 minute “Bathtub Gin” from 11/23 too. Fred Kevorkian’s re-masters of Paul Languedoc’s original recordings capture the band at the height of their improvisational powers; a must have for any phan.

Top 5 Non-Phish Shows

5) 6/26/11 – Sound Tribe Sector 9 – North Plains, OR – Horning’s Hideout (34th show)
Equinox, From Now On, Moon Socket, South of Here, Glen Tells Kengo, ???, The New Soma, Circus, Roygbiv > Dance

See the number one show in this section.

4) 3/5/11 – Mike Gordon – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theatre (3rd show)
I: Horizon Line, Middle of the Road, Traveled Too Far, Willow Tree, Sailin’ Shoes, Be Good and You’ll Be Lonely, Babylon Baby^
II: Funky Bitch, Andelmans’ Yard, The Grid, Cruel World, Crumbling Bones, Pretend > She Said She Said, What Things Seem, Dig Further Down
E: Mound^
^first time played

I reached a milestone this year as I had my first ever review posted on Relix.com.

3) 3/6/11 – The New Mastersounds – Eugene, OR – WOW Hall (1st show)
Hole in the Bag, Run the Gauntlet, Take What You Need, Pure, Dusty Groove, On the Border, Thermal Bad, Return to Gijon, Fast Man, Give Me a Minute Part 2 > Six Underground, Carrot Juice, Make Me Proud!, 9 'Til 5, In the Middle, Baby Bouncer
E: San Frantico, Can You Get It?, Nervous

Things started slowly due to the late arriving crowd but by the time “Pure” rolled around the energy inside the intimate hall was crackling. What caught my ear about the first half of the show was that tunes like “Take What You Need,” “On the Border” and “Fast Man” had vocals...a surprise to this novice. From the opening guitar riff of “Carrot Juice” through the end of the show the boys were on fire and loving the enthusiastically dancing crowd. “Make Me Proud,” “In the Middle” and “Baby Bouncer” were also highlights. I really think they would have played all night long if there wasn’t a curfew…that’s how much fun everyone including the band was having (on a Sunday night no less). I didn’t know what to expect from my first Mastersound show but by the end of it I was a fan for life.

2) 11/17/11 – Greensky Bluegrass – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theatre (5th show)
Climbing Up a Mountain, Handguns, Doin’ My Time > Dry County > Time > Breathe Reprise > Doin’ My Time, Cold Feet, Can’t Stop Now, Train Junkie, Better Off, Little Red Corvette, Shuckin’ the Corn, Little Red Corvette Reprise
Hornedogs: ???, Up on Cripple Creek
Devolvers: Crowing at the Moon, Mean Old Wind
Green Butter: I'll Fly Away, I’m Working on a Building

In my 12 years of living in the Eugene area I don’t know of another band that made the jump from Sam Bond’s Garage (150 capacity) to the McDonald (1250 capacity) in the same calendar year. Well Greensky did just that playing Sam Bond’s on 3/10 and headlining the McDonald just eight months later. Granted the upstairs was closed and the floor was less than packed but I was impressed nonetheless.

The one-two punch of “Climbing Up a Mountain” and “Handguns” got things rolling but the show really took off with “Doin’ My Time > Dry County > Time > Breathe Reprise > Doin’ My Time.” That 20+ minutes saw bluegrass go in a direction that I didn’t think possible. The only way to describe the transition from “Doin’ My Time > Dry County” is “spacegrass” (copy write pending) featuring Anders Beck’s dobro at the forefront. New Grass Revival’s “Can’t Stop Now” had a nice jam but Beck was back at his spacey finest during a 13+ minute “Train Junkie.” During the peak in “Junkie” his dobro was literally reverberating off the walls of the theatre creating sounds that had to be felt in order to be fully appreciated. I thought Prince’s “Little Red Corvette” derailed the momentum of the show but it was only temporary.

The encore was a band “competition” between “teams” picked by Bryan Horne (bass, Hot Buttered Rum) and Mike Devol (bass, GSBG). Even though The Hornedogs pulled off a nice version of The Band’s “Cripple Creek” with Greensky guitar player Dave Bruzza on drums the Devolvers won the “competition” in my book with choice covers by Joshua Davis and Kris Delmhorst respectively. The capper to the evening, and one of those things you had to be there for, was the joint set featuring every musician in both bands (except Horne) unplugged at the lip of the stage. The audience participation was particularly impressive since you had to be pin drop quiet to hear what was being played while alternately belting out the chorus’ to the traditional numbers at Bruzza’s request. Just a fine night of music all around that I’m sure won Greensky a ton of new fans in this area.

1) 6/25/11 – Sound Tribe Sector 9 – North Plains, OR – Horning’s Hideout (33rd show)
I: This Us, Instantly, Shock Doctrine, Frequencies 2 > Frequencies 3, Four Year Puma, Arigato > NIN Closer > Tooth, When the Dust Settles
II: The Unquestionable Supremacy of Nature, Golden Gate, F. Word, Water Song, Aimlessly, 20-12, Scheme, Rent
E: Breathe In, We'll Meet in Our Dreams

Check out my jambands.com review of the entire festival here.

Top 4 Phish Shows

4) 9/2/11 – Commerce City, CO – Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (128th show)
I: Sample in a Jar, Sparkle, The Sloth, Sweet Virginia, Susskind Hotel, Strange Design, Stash, Sneakin’ Sally through the Alley > Sparks*, Scent of a Mule, Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan, Shine a Light, Split Open and Melt, The Squirming Coil
II: Sand, Simple > Steam, Soul Shakedown Party > Seven Below, Suzy Greenberg > Scents and Subtle Sounds, Slave to the Traffic Light > Silent in the Morning, Sanity, Sweet Adeline**
E: Sabotage***
* last time played 11/29/96 (463 shows)
** last time played 8/1/99 (285 shows)
*** last time played 11/21/98 (318 shows)

The vibe at the beginning of this night was unlike anything I’d ever experienced at a Phish show. The boys came on stage and stated playing and people weren’t even paying attention to them. Everyone was talking to their friends, getting situated or whatever but the band and the music was obviously secondary to most of the crowd around us. I think this was the main factor in the uneven start to the evening but once “Susskind” dropped the energy began to change.

I’d say around “Strange Design” is where people started to realize that all the songs so far had started with the letter “S.” So by the time Allen Toussaint’s “Sneaking Sally” started up people were going bonkers and the transition into The Who’s “Sparks” caught everyone off guard. “Melt” was ferocious and could have closed the set but “Coil” was the perfect way to send everyone into set break buzzing.

Normally set breaks are like quiet debates amongst friends about what they just heard but this intermission was different. Everyone was talking to everyone about what “S” songs were left for set two. We were having an open conversation with our row and the rows directly behind and in front of us (and for the record we did a good job naming most of the second set).

With wild energy like that during set break it’s no wonder that “Sand” absolutely exploded into a full on dance party and the set kept rolling from there. A nice “Simple” flowed ever so smoothly into a powerful version of “Steam” that had me getting down with reckless abandon. “Seven Below” was another highlight as was my first “Scents” since 8/12/04.

Part of the excitement in the crowd was that Carlos Santana was in town to play Red Rocks the next two nights and many in attendance thought we’d get an “S stands for Santana” prior to the encore. Well that didn’t happen but the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” was a very Phishy joke on everyone thinking that way. As we scampered back to our rental car we were giddy at the prospect of the next two nights after the quality of the opening show we had just seen.

3) 8/5/11 – George, WA – Gorge Amphitheatre (122nd show)
I: Kill Devil Falls, The Wedge, Bathtub Gin, Nellie Kane, My Friend My Friend, Cavern, Taste, Roggae, Walk Away, Funky Bitch, Roses are Free, David Bowie
II: Backwards Down the Number Line, Rock and Roll > Meatstick > Boogie On Reggae Woman, Farmhouse, Show of Life, Julius, Character Zero
E: Loving Cup

The Gorge always brings something special out of Phish and 2011 was no exception. The show didn’t really get going until “Gin” but that suited us OK as we barely made it to the floor in time for the opener. Even with our just-in-time arrival we actually had plenty space to boogie on the floor toward the back on Fish side. The “Roggae” that was the next standout is a nominee for best version ever and the closing “Bowie” that brought on dusk was no slouch either.

The meat of the second set, and arguably the best jam of the year, was the near 38 minute combo of “Rock and Roll > Meatstick > Boogie On Reggae Woman.” The Velvet Underground classic was a blast of supreme psychedelic “storage jamming” with Page moving over to the theremin and taking everyone on a ride through the cosmos. The segue into “Meatstick” was seamless and out of left field and gave me a brief respite to digest what I had just seen. My jaw was literally hanging open as I wondered if what just happened would translate upon re-listen (it did). As “Meatstick” became Stevie Wonder’s “Boogie On” I think most people there were floating above the ground with smiles as wide as the Columbia River Gorge.

“Farmhouse” was the final high point of the evening as the set kind of fizzled for me after that. This is the reason why the show containing the jam of the year only finishes third on my list.

2) 9/4/11 – Commerce City, CO – Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (130th show)
I: Maze, Back on the Train, Rift, Bathtub Gin, The Way It Goes^, Halfway to the Moon, Gumbo, Halley's Comet > Tube, Timber (Jerry), Roses are Free, Chalk Dust Torture
II: Rock and Roll > Come Together* > Twist > Piper > Harry Hood, Roggae, Ghost > Guy Forget** > Ghost, Walls of the Cave
E: Backwards Down the Number Line
^ first time played
* last time played 12/8/95 (537 shows)
** last time played 10/1/00 (199 shows)

This show got started with the first “Maze” opener since 12/9/95 (536 shows) and let everyone know the boys meant business as they bid adieu to the western states for the year. Another sick version of “Gin” anchored the first set and the debut of Gillian Welch’s “The Way it Goes” was nailed and saw me dancing up down an entire empty row by myself. The transition between “Halley’s” and “Tube” was unexpectedly smooth and “Chalk Dust” closed down what was an incredibly consistent first set from start to finish.

Set number two was a straight up rager from beginning to end. Once again “Rock and Roll” kick started things and as the jam was getting out there all of sudden they were playing the Beatles’ “Come Together?” Wow. After a short stopover in “Come Together” the classic combo of “Twist > Piper” was next to deliver the goods complete with a brief jam on War’s “Low Rider.” But the boys weren’t done yet segueing one more time into a sublime “Hood.” That was nearly 46 minutes of non-stop playing or something you don’t see very often from Phish 3.0.

When the familiar bass lines of “Ghost” started up everyone knew something top-shelf was coming but it’s the second time ever rendition of “Guy Forget” (100% club for me) that made this version special. A tightly fierce “Walls” closed things down and as we walked back to the rental we were in awe of the three night run we had just witnessed. Money well spent.

1) 8/6/11 – George, WA – Gorge Amphitheatre (123rd show)
I: Possum, The Moma Dance, Sample in a Jar, Limb by Limb, Ocelot, Poor Heart, On Your Way Down, Wolfman's Brother > Maze, Wilson, Fluffhead
II: Chalk Dust Torture, Tweezer > Prince Caspian > Sand > Tweezer > Birds of a Feather, Waste > Golden Age, Reba, Run Like an Antelope
E: Suzy Greenberg, Sanity, Tweezer Reprise

Rather than the floor we opted for a perch in the flat mezzanine section of the Gorge lawn this time around (thanks to Brian, Doug & Doug for holding the spots under the sun) and it turned out to be a good choice. With our entire crew of ten people all right next to each other the stage was set for an outstanding night. Toussaint’s “On Your Way Down” was my first highlight but the substance of the first set was the near 20 minute jaunt of “Wolfman’s > Maze.” I also thought the “Fluffhead” closer was extremely well played.

If the first set was light on standout versions the second frame more than made up for it. “Chalk Dust” openers always signal good things ahead and this instance was no different. The 38+ minutes that was “Tweezer > Caspian > Sand > Tweezer > Birds” featured some sick, sick jamming in both “Tweezer” and “Sand.” And when the dance party that was “Sand” segued back into “Tweezer” the place erupted. The highlights don’t stop there though.

“Waste” was a much needed breather but the dance party kicked right back into high gear again when TV on the Radio’s “Golden Age” started up. Then out of nowhere we got a late second set “Reba” that created a night time dreamscape with its delicate and building guitar outro. Oh but the hits kept coming with an “Antelope” that featured teases of “Reba,” “Tweezer,” “Sand” and “Golden Age.” It was quite obvious that the boys were having a grand old time up there.

The encore fit my mood perfectly as “Sanity” was just the song I needed to hear before one last rave-up in “Reprise.” This was far and away the most fun I had seeing music all year. Just being around good friends all day shooting the breeze in the Terrace Camping area was fun enough, but then you throw some top quality Phish into the mix and you have one unforgettable experience.

Around the League 1/5

I’ve been back to watching games for four days now and in an attempt to stay more relevant I’m going to try and post more often this season, even if it’s just short bursts. Unfortunately for some of you this means more Laker talk than you can probably stomach.

> Andrew Bynum has really embraced his role as an offensive focal point. So much so that I think he’s ready to be the second option on offense right now (or first, but we all know that isn’t happening while Kobe Bryant is still drawing breath). Granted Drew could get hurt or implode at any time but his aggressiveness, conditioning and skills seem to be coming together at the same time like a tasty gumbo. While this is happening shrinking violet Pau Gasol is getting pushed around like a rag doll on a nightly basis. I fully believe that if given a truth serum Gasoft would admit that he is fine playing third banana and filling in around the edges on offense. All that may sound crazy but barring a trade that is the course Coach Mike Brown should pursue.

Los Angeles’ defense has been surprisingly tough early on (2nd in opponent shooting) and is the main reason I am more optimistic about their chances than I was prior to tip-off. Their crunch time offense can be like watching paint dry but consistent defensive effort will keep them in games when they can’t buy a bucket. I was also really liking the way their rotation was shaping up until Josh McRoberts (left big toe) got hurt forcing Troy Murphy to have to play way more minutes than he should be at this point in his career. Steve Blake getting more time and closing out games over starter Derek Fisher might be Brown’s best coaching decision to date.

> If you’ve followed my ramblings over the years you know that I tend to track my playoffs picks closer than other sides early on. This leads me to my selection of the Milwaukee Bucks over the Atlanta Hawks. After seeing each team play a few games it’s quite obvious I made a blunder here.

The Bucks offense is still atrocious and watching one of their games is like watching the Lakers in crunch time for 48 minutes. Andrew Bogut still doesn’t look right, Brandon Jennings hasn’t really improved since his rookie year and newcomers Stephen Jackson and Mike Dunleavy are shooting 32.4% and 32% from the field respectively. I think GM John Hammond needs to nip this in the bud and fire Coach Scott Skiles sooner rather than later or this is going to be a repeat of last season.

Contrary to what I had been reading leading up to the season the Hawks chemistry seems A-OK to me. In fact their experience together combined with their still top notch athleticism has them 3rd in opponent shooting early on. Jeff Teague has been a welcome surprise and given them way more than I thought he could. I still think their geriatric depth will catch up with them but they are a playoff team in the East regardless.

> What in the heck is going on in Cow Town…err…Sacramento? First Coach Paul Westphal releases a statement to the media that DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins has been told to stay away from the team because “When a player continually, aggressively, lets it be known that he is unwilling/unable to embrace traveling in the same direction as his team, it cannot be ignored indefinitely.” Then after one game Boogie was back in the fold and two games later Westphal was fired. Not only is this roster a mess as I said in my preview but the owners are broke, the personnel man (Geoff Petrie) is well past his prime and the future location of the franchise is in limbo. While Westphal had clearly lost control of his guys replacing him with Keith Smart isn’t going to change much of anything for the Kings.

> We had our first in season trade yesterday that saw Memphis acquire Marreese Speights, New Orleans Xavier Henry and Philadelphia two second picks (Grizzlies 2012 & Hornets 2013). Memphis GM Chris Wallace already made one nice save singing Dante Cunningham to replace Darrell Arthur (right Achilles) and in Speights he gets a stand in for Zach Randolph (right MCL, out 6-8 weeks). Marreese’s low post game will never be mistaken for Z-Bo’s but Speights had shown a few flashes prior to being permanently stuck in Coach Doug Collins’ dog house. I think you’ll see Marreese benefit from a change of scenery and put up some nice numbers occasionally but he still won’t play any defense.

Henry is a young athletic wing player that really doesn’t have an NBA skill or position to my eyes and how he helps NOLA is unclear to me. Then again the Hornets don’t really have much worth mentioning at the wing positions outside of Eric Gordon. So when Xavier’s right ankle heals he’ll get his chances.

On the 76ers end they received two second round picks for a guy they weren’t playing nor were they going to resign in the summer. Not a bad move from President Rod Thorn considering that NOLA pick could be #31.

> Manu Ginobili will miss at least two months with a broken left hand but I don’t see that as a death knell for San Antonio at all. The Spurs have nice depth at the SG position with second year pros Gary Neal and James Anderson. I expect Gregg Popovich to act like nothing has happened and coach his club the exact same way. What this does do to SA is eliminate any chance they had for a high seed in the West but they are still making the playoffs.

> I can’t understand how Ed Davis isn’t playing more in Toronto? First he inexplicably was shafted off both All-Rookie teams after last season by the coaches (I had him first team) and now new coach Dwane Casey is only playing him 17.8 minutes a game (down from 24.6 mpg last season). I know Andrea Bargnani is now playing almost exclusively at PF but couldn’t Davis spell him for 12 minutes and then play some with him in a two PF alignment? Nothing chaps my hide more than when coaches of bad teams won’t play their young guns so they can properly develop. But that’s an entire column for another day.