My Year in Music 2013

Raw Statistics

Phish Shows – 14

Other Shows – 21

Festivals – Soulstice (4 sets), Cascadia (5 sets) & Eugene Celebration (2 sets)

Studio Albums

4) The Wood Brothers – “The Muse”

The fifth album from Chris and Oliver Wood is the first to feature full time drummer, vocalist and shuitar player Jano Rix.  Jano has undoubtedly improved their chemistry but there’s something a little off with this disc.  The Wood Brothers thrive with certain rawness and this record is obviously still very good but it’s a little more polished and slick than their previous releases.  Highlights include the title track, “Sing About It,” “Honey Jar,” “I Got Loaded” (a Robert Camille cover) and the rocking “Who the Devil.”

3) Assembly of Dust – “Sun Shot”

The fourth album from AoD is also the first to feature new drummer Dave Diamond and keyboard/violin player Jason Crosby.  “Sun Shot” is a big departure from 2009’s guest heavy “Some Assembly Required” but in a good way.  AoD got back to their roots by mixing Reid Genauer’s voice with Adam Terrell’s lead guitar.  There are soft ballads, rocking numbers and everything in between.  “Vaulted Sky,” “Cluttered,” “Lost and Amazed,” and “Arkansas Down” are my favorites but this album has an extremely nice flow to it.

2) Tedeschi Trucks Band – “Made Up Mind”

TTB’s second album, and first without original bassist Oteil Burbridge, picks up right where 2011’s “Revelator” left off.  You can hear the evolution of this 11-piece band as they play to their strengths like a well oiled machine.  The impressive list of songwriting collaborators includes Oliver Wood (“Made Up Mind”), Gary Louris (“Whiskey Legs”), Doyle Bramhall II (“Part of Me” & “All That I Need”) and Sonya Kitchell & Eric Krasno (“Misunderstood” & “It’s So Heavy”).  You really can’t go wrong with TTB.

1) The Greyboy Allstars – “Inland Emperor”

The fourth album in 18 years from the GBA also features a new member in drummer Aaron Redfield.  What really stands out though is that Karl Denson contributed no original tunes to this record and it’s still great!  Keyboardist Robert Walter and guitarist Elgin Park either wrote or co-wrote every track but three (which got group credits).  Maybe I like this disc so much because it features some Greyboy-tronica in “Multiplier” and “Better Get a Jump On It” but their trademark boogaloo is still there with some rock too.

Official Live Releases

4) Various Artists – “Move Me Brightly” – DVD compilation of 8/3/12

I was a little disappointed this DVD wasn’t the entire 4 ½ hour 26 song 70^th birthday show for Jerry Garcia but Director Justin Kreutzmann did a really good job editing this monster down.  Included are all of the interviews from the webcast and some more that go further in depth with Jerry’s immediate family.  Since this was recorded at Bob Weir’s TRI Studios the sound and video are immaculate and there’s enough musical treats to bring you right back to that epic night.

3) Mike Gordon – “The Egg” – 3 CDs of 12/11/11

This was the final show of 2011 for the MGB before they made their way to Amsterdam in March of 2012 for their last shows until 2014.  Mike described this room as “so tight sounding that evening that every note was easy to hear.”  You can tell the band is hooked up right from the opening “Horizon Line” and the first set features five songs that stretch past the 12-minute mark.  Set two might not be as good musically but it’s no slouch either plus the Dude of Life adds vocals to the “Suzy Greenberg” encore.

2) The Black Crowes – “Wiser for the Time” – 2 CD compilation of 10/31-11/6/10

In a first for My Year in Music a download (or vinyl) only release made the cut.  During this sold out 5-night run at the Best Buy Theater in New York City the Crowes played an acoustic set followed by an electric set.  The first disc is 77:20 featuring 15 acoustic tracks and the second disc is 78:56 with 10 electric songs.  The best thing about this release is the song selection is anything but stock.  Both discs are chock-full of rarities making this a must have for any hardcore Crowes fan.

1) Grateful Dead – “Sunshine Daydream” – 3 CDs & 1 DVD of 8/27/72

Per archivist David Lemieux this show was by far the most requested one that hadn’t been released from the vault.  Apparently the reason it took so long to make available was that the Dead didn’t own the rights to the film.  Well let me tell you it was worth the wait.  The audio is pristine but it’s the movie that really takes the cake.  Interspersed at random places in the film is real live footage from some of the original acid tests.  This legendary show took place in the town I live in so it’s a great historical document as well.

Top 5 Non-Phish Shows

5) 12/6/13 • The Black Crowes • Portland, OR • Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (17^th show)

Sting Me, Twice as Hard, Good Morning Captain, High Head Blues, Remedy, Ballad in Urgency > Wiser Time, Oh! Sweet Nuthin’, She Talks to Angels. Thorn in My Pride, Soul Singing, Jealous Again, Hard to Handle > Hush > Hard to Handle

E: Torn and Frayed, Happy 

Any discussion of this show has to begin with the horrendous drive in a full on blizzard from Veneta to Salem.  Without a doubt one of the top-five most stressful drives of my life…and that’s really saying something.  We left at 11:00 and arrived at our hotel at 2:45 which all things considered probably wasn’t that bad but my knuckles were ready to be any color but white after that drive.

Being that the Crowes were off for a full 12 days prior to this show I was worried we’d be in for a stock setlist and not much jamming.  Well I was 50% right as the show started slowly with some classics and then began to pick up steam with “Captain.”  When the opening riff of “High Head” echoed out the momentum of the show really shifted and when an early set “Remedy” absolutely exploded the place was suddenly on fire.

We were getting down with reckless abandon thanks to the four seats we had dead center right on the aisle (I really appreciated those people not showing up) and the somewhat straight laced Crowes crowd was giving us a WIDE berth taboot.  The 28 ½ minute journey of “Ballad > Wiser” was just what the doctor ordered and allayed any fears I had about new guitarist Jackie Greene fitting in.  It didn’t stop there though with Rich Robinson taking lead vocals on a 10-minute version of the Velvet Underground’s “Nuthin’.”  A mostly acoustic take on “Angels” with Greene on mandolin followed and let everyone catch their breath before 12 ½ minutes of “Thorn” closed down the meat of the show.

From there it was back to standards-ville before a double encore of Rolling Stones tunes.  Nobody does “Torn” like the Crowes (sorry Phish) and I was really psyched to hear it and “Happy” was just icing on the cake.  The only downer to this night was that I lost my winter hat, so I must have had a really good time!

4) 2/23/13 • Sound Tribe Sector 9 • Eugene, OR • McDonald Theatre (36^th show)

I: Vapors, F. Word, Lo Swaga, Tokyo, Kabuki*, Shock Doctrine, Frequencies 2 > 3, Scheme

II: Really What?, When the Dust Settles, Squares & Cubes, Empires, Robot Rock, Grow, Instantly, What is Love?

E: Moon Socket, EHM

* last time played 3/13/07

This show has to be prefaced with we had awesome seats, dead center in the first row of the balcony, thanks to my buddy Dean.  The reason I need to start there is because Saxton Waller’s light show was just insane.  I mean it had to be seen to be believed and as Dean said the next day “The best light show I’ve seen since Roger Waters.”  To put it briefly there was a giant digital pyramid behind the band that could display anything at all and always went along with the music.  It was an all encompassing display to say the least.

Other than the opening “Vapors” (a tune that has since grown on me) there was no filler in the first set.  “F. Word,” “Swaga” and “Tokyo” might not be crowd favorites but they are all songs I like.  The bust out of “Kabuki” was totally unexpected yet thoroughly enjoyed.  “Shock D” kept the momentum rolling but the highlight for me was one-two punch of “Frequencies” and “Scheme” that closed the set down strong.

At this point it must be mentioned that this was the absolute craziest crowd scene I’ve ever been a part of at the McDonald.  The search getting in was beyond repressive but once inside it was a complete free-for-all.  Both of these are anomalies for the McD as was Palmer Parker walking right by people smoking weed and the kid next to me smoking a cigarette inside.  For Eugene locals this might seem weird but I witnessed it all…well what I could see between all the smoke and lights.

Anyway set two really brought the heat to the hyped-up sold out Saturday night crowd.  There’s no better way to open an STS9 set than “Really” and to follow that with “Dust” kept the energy at a fever pitch.  The next big treats for me were “Squares” and guitarist Hunter Brown completely slaying Daft Punk’s “Robot.” 

“Grow” was a repeat from Portland two days prior but anyone that was bothered by that quickly forgot when they dropped the “Instantly” that had been lurking all night.  After blowing the roof off the joint Deee-Lite’s “Love” was almost superfluous but the crowd was insatiable 

A 16-minute double encore of fan favorites sent everyone into the night smiling and tired but something tells me the youngsters in attendance had even more left in the tank.  I’m writing this exactly a week after it was announced that bassist David “Murph” Murphy and the band were “parting ways.”  This review is somewhat bittersweet for me after all the good times Murph has given me since my first show way back on 5/22/99.  I’m glad my last show with Murph was a barnburner and here’s to hoping that STS9 lands on their feet going forward.

3) 7/30/13 • ALO • Stateline, NV • Horizon Casino (7^th show)

I Love Music, Blew Out the Walls, Shapeshifter, Try > After Midnight > Try, Chilly Chilly*, Falling Dominoes*, Dead Still Dance, Plastic Bubble, Cowboys and Chorus Girls, Suenas de Vegas > Get Lucky > Suenas de Vegas, Walls of Jericho, Maria, Pobrecito > Lady Loop

E: The Champ > Barbeque > The Champ

* with Josh Clark on guitar

At my age late night shows post-Phish are rarely a good idea but with a chance to see ALO for the first time since 8/4/07 I couldn’t resist.  It was a good call on my part to say the least as the band played like the ALO I always knew they could be.  What I mean by that is they jammed pretty much every tune they played with guitarist Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz in especially fine form.  The first two numbers were basically a 17-minute warm up before things started to get out there.

“Shapeshifter” was 13 ½ minutes of Lebo guitar acrobatics with a nice long tease (verse?) of “My Favorite Things” inside.  “Try” again stretched past the 13-minute mark and featured a full on segue in and out of the recently passed J.J. Cale’s “Midnight.”  Just when things couldn’t get any better Josh Clark from Tea Leaf Green stepped to the stage and proceeded to have a near 20-minute guitar duel with Lebo over the course of two songs with “Chilly” really standing out.

Keyboardist Zach Gill kept things light and moving, literally with a laser pointer strapped to the end of his ukulele, during “Bubble” and “Cowboys” was nearly 11 minutes of ALO goodness.  I had heard “Suenas” once before on 10/30/05 but I never thought I’d hear it again, much less in a sandwich with Daft Punk’s “Lucky.”  The obligatory “Jericho” almost reached 10 minutes but it was the 12 ½ minute “Maria” that killed us. 

We left during “Pobrecito” and it turned out we didn’t miss much after that.  However worth noting is that after two hours of dancing AFTER a Phish show we saw a bear two houses down from where we were staying as the cab dropped us off at almost 3 AM.  Not that it freaked us out or anything…

2) 3/8/13 • Assembly of Dust • Portland, OR • Mississippi Studios (4^th show)

I: Avenue of the Giants, Elixir, Telling Sue, Bus Driver, 15 Arrows, All That I Am Now, ???, Bootlegger’s Advice, Speculator

II: Two Poets, Fountain, Honest Hour, Vaulted Sky^, Rachel, Cluttered^, Mama, Sun Shot

E: ???, Cabin John

^ first time played

We timed the start of this show perfectly since as we walked in the band was literally strapping on their instruments.  We sidled up to Mark and Missy about five rows back or so right in front of singer Reid Genauer.  “Avenue” was not a song I really wanted to hear but what took me aback was the sheer energy and determination that Reid and the boys were already playing with.  When “Elixir” exploded in the second slot all bets were off and I may have been levitating off the floor as I danced and/or elbowing everyone around me.

Keyboardist Jason Crosby broke out a violin that added the perfect touch to “Sue” but “Arrows” was a song that was so far out of left field that it wasn’t even on my radar.  The best part was the band just destroyed it pumping up the energy in the room to even higher levels.  It was at this point I took notice of what Mark had been saying about Reid and how serious he looked on stage.  I mean he was all business and ready to rock our socks off.  “Bootlegger’s” was on my want to hear list (as was “Elixir”) and almost killed me.

It needs to be mentioned at this point in the year I was still experiencing an awful lot of back pain and during “Speculator” I knew the second set was going to be a challenge for me to stay upright.  “Poets” started the second set off right and “Fountain” kept it going but alas I had to abandon ship and move to the back of the room so I could lean against a wall.  Crosby broke out the violin again on “Hour” and then the debuts started.

“Sky” was another tune I hoped to hear and it was played well for a debut.  Crosby hopped back on the violin once more for a high energy romp through “Rachel” and then the new song we all universally wanted to hear in “Cluttered” came next.  It totally delivered and had me doing the best wall-boogie I could muster.  “Mama” kept things rolling (even more violin) and by this time the energy in the room was so thick you could reach out and touch it.  The final encore of “Cabin” must have been meant as some kind of cruel joke to me since I wanted to dance so badly but literally couldn’t move.

The only downer to this night, and I’m not including my back, was that no recording surfaced.  I was in contact with front of house engineer John Coretto from about the Monday after the show until he informed me that he wouldn’t be posting it because the goof ball at the venue didn’t plug his taping rig into the soundboard properly making the first set a single channel recording.  I groveled more in hopes of getting the second set but alas this will go down as one of those nights where you had to be there or you missed out.

1) 8/25/13 • New Monsoon • Veneta, OR • My Deck (14^th show)

Trust in Me, Gelstream, Raven’s Eye, Border Ghost, Alaska, Downstream, Condor Canyon, Stagger Lee, Velvet Pouch, Fearless, Drive Wheel > Country Interlude

setlist may be incomplete and/or out of order

Did you ever have one of those experiences that are just magical?  Well maybe you have on some level but on this night everything just came together so perfectly that everyone in attendance had a GREAT (not good) time.  But first some back story is needed.

This all started innocently enough with the announcement that NM would be doing a Kickstarter campaign to help finance their first record in six years.  In the jambands.com article some ignorami were posting all kinds of negativity so I stepped up and defended NM like any fan of theirs would.  So no big deal another fight of internet tough guys, well hold that thought.

As part of their Kickstarter NM was offering to play private shows for $1,000 but the catch was you had to live in the Bay Area.  Since when would that stop an internet ranger like me from at least inquiring?  So I sent an email asking about the possibility of a non-Bay Area show and the response I got back was “Are you the same Derreck that defended us in comments section of the jambands.com article?”  I replied that I was and the next email I got said that the band would be in my area for Eugene Celebration and was interested in playing my house.

After the shock of a phone call from lead guitarist Jeff Miller while I was at my desk at work wore off I rounded up some donations from the willing and the rest is history.  The band arrived at our house around 11 and dug into the copious spread Teri had laid out for them.  I could tell they were getting antsy to play around midnight or so but they managed to hold off until the people that saw Dumpstaphunk close the Celebration arrived.  They were even gracious enough to let them eat and drink some before starting up.

The first note was struck at 12:56 AM (don’t worry, the neighbors all cleared it) and I’m pretty sure everyone there was taken completely aback by their skill level.  I’m not sure any of the 20+ people there outside of 3-4 had even heard them play before.  To set the scene Jeff and bassist Marshall Harrell were both plugged in to small amps, Bo Carper switched between acoustic guitar and banjo and keyboardist Phil Ferlino rotated between acoustic guitar and accordion.  Original drummer Marty Ylitalo played what I can only assume is some kind of Australian soft drum.

I had cracked a joke prior to the first note asking when it was too early for requests (which they all laughed at thankfully) and they played the song I asked for in slot two.  “Gelstream” is one of their killer tunes that usually goes off late in the second set igniting a dance party.  So when they started it up and got to the first peak I had to get the dance party started on my deck in front of the fire pit.  “Gelstream” just ripped acoustically and Bo said after they finished “that was a first.” 

“Raven’s” was a first to my ears and had me buying Jeff’s solo album the next day.  “Alaska” showcased Bo’s vocals and had everyone following the story of an outlaw dad and his fiddle playing daughter.  “Downstream” was another that came off very well acoustically with Jeff seeing just how loud he could take his solo.  Then I piped up again asking for the brand new instrumental “Condor” which I couldn’t believe they actually played for me.  Marty commented to me after the set that he hadn’t even heard that tune before and it sounded SO good acoustic.

Bo did himself justice again on the traditional “Stagger” and then Teri got her request when they busted into “Velvet.”  There was some band discussion about what to play next and I heard someone mention Pink Floyd’s “Fearless” so I piped up again and said “If I have a vote I vote for Fearless” and they freaking nailed it!  Again, it sounded so good and polished that no neighbor in their right mind would have complained.  The closing duo of “Wheel > Country” once again saw Jeff pushing the limits of late night noise but no one was complaining.  In fact, pretty much everyone left was dancing around the fire.

They stopped playing at 2:58 AM and everyone’s mind was kind of blown at what had just gone down.  For starters after midnight it was Marshall’s birthday and Chip and Kristina’s wedding anniversary so that added even another level of magic to the evening.  Things went so well that I got a text from Jeff the next day that on their drive home they were still talking about what a great time they had and how much they’d like to come back next year.  I got an email a few days later from Jeff saying the same thing, so who knows, maybe Surastock II will be happening this summer. 

Much thanks to everyone who contributed because without you this magical night would have never happened.  I just wish there were some pictures or some kind of documentation of this evening but oh well.

Top 6 Phish Shows

6) 11/1/13 • Atlantic City, NJ • Boardwalk Hall (150^th show)

I: Cavern, Runaway Jim, Sand, Halfway to the Moon, Halley’s Comet, Tube, Possum, When the Circus Comes to Town, Sugar Shack, Jesus Just Left Chicago, David Bowie

II: Twist, Gotta Jibboo, Makisupa Policeman > Light > Chalk Dust Torture, Meatstick > Boogie On Reggae Woman, The Wedge, Slave to the Traffic Light

E: Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley

Before I get into this show I’ll address why the “Wingsuit” show from 10/31/13 didn‘t make the list.  I loved the second set on 10/31 as it was happening and just as much the 20+ times I must have listened to it since.  And while the third set was above average as far as third sets go the first set was just so meh that I can’t include the show.  Unlike many of the more famous reviewers of Phish shows I’m not solely looking for a big jam or three in the second set.  I actually prefer shows where the first set delivers AND the second set has big jams.

My seat for this night was practically straight on but also in the very last row of the venue.  Some people complained about the sound afterwards but I didn’t experience any of those problems where I was slightly to the right of center.  The people around me were so cool that it made the night that much more enjoyable since I was rolling solo.

You could tell the boys meant business right away when “Runaway” went past the 9-minute mark and included a funky breakdown section where the theme from “Shaft” was toyed with.  In the middle of the “Shaft” jam Trey stepped to the mic and said “Who’s the green private dick who’s a sex machine to all the chicks?  Cactus!  John Cactus.”  So they were obviously feeling good and when “Sand” was dropped in the three hole so was everyone in the audience.  This “Sand” almost made it to 11 minutes and had everyone getting down with reckless abandon.  “Halley’s” and “Tube” kept the momentum going and a solid “Bowie” closed things down.

Things got really crazy in set two with “Twist” reaching 21 ½ minutes and featuring a full on jam based around Queen’s “Under Pressure” to the point that I had to note it in my setlist book as a segue.  A 10 ½ minute “Jibboo” kept everyone in the groove and “Makisupa” featured more comedy from Trey about smoking OG Kush under a bush.  A 14 ½ minute “Light” was the next highlight and “Meatstick > Boogie On” was fun with more bush references.

The icing on the cake of this show was undoubtedly the nearly 12-minute encore groove bonanza of Robert Palmer’s “Sally.”  The “Shaft” theme was revisited and it felt like the band was trying to sap every last bit of energy the crowd had left.  Kenny and Larisa wanted to hit the tables after the show but all I had energy for was my head hitting the pillow.  Overall I didn’t think the three shows I saw on fall tour matched the quality of what I had seen in the summer, but I’m not there every night either.

5) 8/4/13 • San Francisco, CA • Bill Graham Civic Auditorium (144^th show)

I: Crowd Control, The Divided Sky > Wilson, Foam, Halley’s Comet, My Soul, Ya Mar, Army of One, Taste, Gumbo, Train Song*, Pebbles and Marbles

II: Energy, Runaway Jim > Carini > The Wedge, Light > David Bowie, Silent in the Morning, Meatstick, Quinn the Eskimo, You Enjoy Myself

E: Sanity, Bold as Love

* last time played 8/13/10 (120 shows)

Teri, Kenny, Larisa and I probably had our worst seats of the 3-night run way up on Page side with a somewhat obstructed view.  That’s what you get when you wait until the last minute at an all GA concert but we did have plenty of room to boogie.  Anyway a 16 ½ “Divided” got the first set rolling and “Foam” was absolutely nailed.  I always love it when Page summons his inner Elton John on “Army” and “Gumbo” was a funky treat.  The bust out of Mike’s “Train Song” was unexpected so late in the set but it was my first “Pebbles” since 8/7/09 that really got my juices flowing.  “P&M” almost made the 10-minute mark with the band doing the composed portion justice and extending the jam taboot.

My first and only version of The Apples in Stereo’s “Energy” made the wait worth the while getting way out there with a quickness.  The “Runaway” that followed was the centerpiece of the show and probably the best version I’ve heard out my 31.  Landing this epic “Jim” in “Carini” nearly imploded the building making “The Wedge” a cool down tune.  This opening 4-song stanza was 42 ½ minutes but then Phish walloped us with another 24 minutes of “Light > Bowie.”  I thought the show might be over here but the train kept rolling along until a nearly 19-minute “YEM” closed things down.

This second set had the feeling of a tour closer even though there was a show the next day in Hollywood.  The double encore of “Sanity” and Jimi Hendrix’ “Bold” (my first since 8/5/09) kept that feeling alive as we headed out into the San Francisco night with smiles on our faces.

4) 8/31/13 • Commerce City, CO • Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (147^th show)

I: Buried Alive, AC/DC Bag, Wolfman’s Brother, Yarmouth Road, Fee, Halfway to the Moon, The Wedge, Halley’s Comet, Bathtub Gin, Bouncing Around the Room, Mound, Gumbo, Run Like an Antelope

II: Chalk Dust Torture, Light > 46 Days, Steam > Free, Joy, Also Sprach Zarathustra, Tweezer > Backwards Down the Number Line

E: On the Road Again^, Tweezer Reprise

^ first time played

We ended up on Page side about mid-way back in the bleachers sitting with Mark, Missy, Eric, Teresa and Kerry.  The seats would have been perfect had Mark listened to Missy and not moved us back but late arrivers like us can’t be choosers.  The one-two punch of “Buried” (only my third ever and first since 4/15/04) and “Bag” got things started properly before an 11-minute “Wolfman’s” settled everyone into the groove.  “Fee” was a welcome treat especially for Teri and the next highlight was a 13-minute “Gin” that featured teases of “Dave’s Energy Guide.”  A solid “Antelope” closed things down before the main event.

“CDT” was the real deal and probably the second best jam I heard all year.  It stretched to the 23 ½ minute mark and featured several different segments that seemed to build off each other with some nice “Manteca” teases as well.  “Steam > Free” was short but very sweet and at one point I thought “Free” might actually go off but alas it was not to be.  “Joy” was a breather but “2001” ramped up the energy once again before the surprise of the night came in a late set “Tweezer” that made the entire sold out crowd detonate in ecstasy.  The 12-minute “Tweezer” was a rocking good time that I thought might end the show and it probably should have.  The debut of Willie Nelson’s “Road” was nice to hear before we sprinted to the car during “Reprise.”

3) 7/27/13 • George, WA • Gorge Amphitheatre (139^th show)

I: Architect, Golgi Apparatus, The Curtain With, Kill Devil Falls, The Moma Dance, Maze, Beauty of a Broken Heart, Roses are Free, Say Something^, Ocelot, After Midnight

II: Down with Disease > Undermind > Light > Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley > Also Sprach Zarathustra, Walls of the Cave, Fluffhead, Run Like an Antelope

E: Show of Life, Good Times Bad Times

^ first time played

We ended up in the terrace section for this show with Brian, Angel, Gary and Beddo.  The Gorge is my favorite venue on the planet and on this night it was just a surreal scene with a wildfire burning behind the stage across the river.  There was so much smoke that it was a little tough to breath at times and our entire camp was covered in ash the next morning.  This is probably my most controversial ranking within the nerdy Phish community and I will say that upon re-listen this show did move up my rankings a bit.  I think I was so blown away by the first night that I didn’t give this night its due in the moment.

I hate to say that I didn’t really enjoy my first “Architect” but to me it just didn’t work as a show opener.  “Golgi” made me forget about it pretty quick though and when “The Curtain” dropped it was like “Architect” never happened at all. It was my first “With” since 12/30/09 and the with section was the perfect antidote for the hot afternoon stretching to almost 13 minutes.  “Moma” and “Maze” kept the energy high but it was the debut of Mike’s “Something” that was the highlight of the set for me.  Being that “SS” was a debut it didn’t break form but you could hear the potential this number has to be a centerpiece jammer.  J.J. Cale passed away the previous night and Phish did him justice absolutely shredding “Midnight” to pieces.

This second set was a complete barnburner from start to finish with no let up or breather songs.  “DwD > Undermind > Light > Sally > 2001” was nearly 53 minutes of non-stop music with Phish completely on point the entire time.  “Undermind” was definitely the highlight of the evening with Fish hopping on his marimba lumina at one point deep in the jam.  The “Sally > 2001” portion was an absolute dance party as I’m sure you can imagine.  I was sure a breather had to be next but nope the boys jumped right into a nearly 12-minute “Walls” and there was no break until the encore.

While “Fluffhead” and “Antelope” kept the energy high I didn’t think either was a standout version and the encore was mailed in, which to be fair is expected after such an epic second set.  This show was a darn good time and very well played throughout but I can’t agree with best of summer or even best second set but it certainly has great replay value.

2) 7/31/13 • Stateline, NV • Harvey’s Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena (141^st show)

I: Chalk Dust Torture, Camel Walk, Sparkle, Back on the Train, It’s Ice, Brian and Robert, Yarmouth Road, Kill Devil Falls, Lawn Boy, Ocelot, Stash

II: Tweezer, Tela, Twist, Architect, Bouncing Around the Room, Run Like an Antelope

E: Julius, Tweezer Reprise

Teri and I were alone for this one on the bleachers facing the stage slightly off to Page side.  These seats were by far our favorite of the four shows we’ve seen in Tahoe and we will certainly hit them up again if we ever go back. 

I’m always a sucker for a “CDT” show opener and this one was no exception getting the party started right like it always does.  My first “Camel” since 10/31/10 was very welcome and if I only hear “Sparkle” once a year I actually don’t mind it.  I love “Ice” and this one was played with some extra gusto so I got down hard.  When our first “B&R” since 11/1/09 started up I sat down but Teri was going nuts as she loves it.  She said out loud to no one in particular “I have to be the only person who’s excited to hear this.”  But lo and behold the guy right in front of her turned around and said “I love this song too” and they high-fived.  We both thoroughly enjoyed our first “Yarmouth” and the 21 minutes of “Ocelot” and “Stash” closed the set down nicely.

By now everyone has heard the legend of the “Tahoe Tweezer” and the 36:48 does not disappoint.  The “TT” is the seventh longest jam of Phish’s 30-year career and the longest since “46 Days” on 8/3/03.  It moved through several different sections without any down time or space/ambience and is easily the best jam I heard all year.  Of course this is also where phan “woo’ing” was born but what really stood out to me about the “TT” was when Trey brought the jam back to the original opening lick of “Tweezer.”  It was such a cathartic moment because they were jamming so well that it felt like it would never end…or at least transition into something else.  But instead they started up my fourth ever “Tela” and first since 12/30/09.  A monstrous jam followed by one of my favorite bust outs?  Check please!

“Twist” kept the momentum going and the closing “Antelope” packed a little extra punch with the crowd dropping some more “woos.”  I may have this show ranked too high but this is certainly a night that holds more value if you witnessed it in person.  The energy was just ridiculously off the charts and the buzz after the show was something else.  Throw in a song selection that fits me perfectly and you’ve got the #2 show of the year.

1) 7/26/13 • George, WA • Gorge Amphitheatre (138^th show)

I: AC/DC Bag > Timber (Jerry), Wolfman’s Brother, Funky Bitch, Happy Birthday*, Wilson, Possum, Tube, Secret Smile**, McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters > The Ballad of Curtis Loew, Split Open and Melt

II: Crosseyed and Painless > Twist, Steam > Waves > Twenty Years Later > The Mango Song, Bug > David Bowie, Rocky Top, Character Zero

E: Harry Hood, Fire

* last time played 3/8/09 (186 shows)

** last time played 11/1/09 (156 shows)

This night was spent with Doug and his friends in the terrace, and what a night it was.  “Bag > Timber” was an awesome way to start the show with a bang before the funk of “Wolfman’s” got everybody grooving in the open air environs.  After wishing lighting director Chris Kuroda happy birthday a creative phan got Trey to put on a homemade “Wilson” shirt, complete with duh-duh duh-duh on the front, for Seahawks QB Russell Wilson.  Trey seized the moment and went on a rant about how he wanted the “Wilson” chant to happen at Seahawks games and he eventually got his way with NFL Films picking up on it (Part1 & Part2).

“Tube” jump started the second half of the set and the bust out of “Smile” was played as the sun set and fit in that slot perfectly.  My fifth “McGrupp” ever and first since 11/1/09 was a major treat as was my second ever version of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Loew.”  As Brian said after the show “You barely had time to cheer for McGrupp before they started Curtis Loew.”  So true, anyway a near 12-minute completely raging version of “Melt” closed down what was the best first set I saw all year.

The second set opened strong with an 18-minute version of the Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed” that had everyone around us getting down like crazy.  “C&P” got dark and spacey before moving into “Twist.”  The next 25 minutes of “Steam > Waves > 20 Years” was expertly played.  “Steam” got the entire place moving as one and my first “Waves” since 8/2/09 was much appreciated.  “20 Years” is a great landing place after some heavy jamming but the band wasn’t done segueing into a rare late second set “Mango.”

“Bug” was the real breather of the set and we really needed it at that point.  I was sure the strong 13-minute “Bowie” would be the closer but the band was feeling it and totally in the zone.  “Rocky Top” was nice but I knew it couldn’t close the set.  So when Trey asked CK5 to turn off the lights so they could jam to the moon during “Zero” I didn’t know what to think.  Not only did they jam to the moon but they also started howling at it, all four of them at once, which of course the crowd joined in on too.

“Hood” was a great encore and fit the majesty of the Gorge perfectly during its celestial 12-minute ride.  I think the band literally didn’t want to stop playing since they were having such a good time and obviously had the crowd in the palm of their hands.  So they threw an old school version of Hendrix’ “Fire” complete with Trey yelling “Move over rover and let Jon Fishman take over!”  The ride back to the campground was nothing but smiles and excited chatter.  This was truly one of those nights, and post-show late nights, that can only happen at the best venue on the planet.

> This year’s coveted NBA-Jam band on the rise award goes to Brooklyn’s Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds.  Keep your ears peeled for them in 2014.