Five Things I Learned While Phishing At The Gorge

Let's start with what I guess I already knew before heading west: The Gorge lives up to the hype as the most beautiful venue in the country. Seeing the 180 degree unobstructed views of Mother Nature reinforced my already held belief that every music fan needs to make a journey to this special place.

But I also learned a few things about Phish and hauling across the country to see them in 2016.  Let's get into it:

1. Phish ticket lotteries work a lot differently when the venues are huge.

I've never had much luck in the Phish ticket lottery.  It always seems like a roll of the dice.

But this year, I happened to submit for the two biggest venues on tour.  So along with nosebleed Wrigley tickets, I was set up with a two day pass to the Gorge... and just like that I was committed to a summer filled with Phish.   Since I had never been that far west, the decision to make this pilgrimage for Phish came swift and filled with anticipation.

2.  Mythology can eclipse the music.  And that's okay.

Located in the heart of Washington State, The Gorge is a remarkable music venue -- it almost feels like it shouldn't be there.  An extremely large event space in the middle of nowhere, few fans are truly "local".  For these reasons, for live music fans like myself, it is a place steeped in mythology.

Sunsets seem to last forever there with majestic views as far as the eye can see. The venue itself is massive with a capacity of over 25,000 people, but the Columbia River valley somehow made me feel small and insignificant.

Behind the stage snakes the river itself, which seemed to follow my travel buddy and I all the way from Portland to the venue. The whole scene trumped anything Phish was playing and I found myself fairly sober on night one, yet smiling ear to ear as I took in the glory of this breathtaking music venue.

But mythology sometimes gets a hard wake up from reality, too.  The place is still run by Live Nation, who despite ovations to fan friendliness, still hire unnecessarily disruptive security at their gates.  However, a certain joyous lawlessness in the venue's campground (my vegan tamales were quite the feast) counteract it nicely.

3.  There's something different about Phish in 2016

Those more expert in their music than I may be able to pin this down better, but they may be having trouble keeping up with the heights reached in 2015.

Trey's GD50 preparation was undoubtedly a highlight of his professional career and it reflected in the crispness Phish adopted last summer tour.  All that practice led to jams being taken to thrilling climaxes...but this year seems much more relaxed and not-in-a-good-way weirder. The addition of Kuroda's LED screens also seems to reflect this outwardly -- new elements to the band's production that are a jarring contrast to the way things were just 12 months ago.

4.  As a result, Fishman is the band's MVP

When Saturday's second set kicked off with "Crosseyed and Painless".  I immediately knew we were in for a special set. Phish doesn't merely cover this Talking Heads' song, they actually have allowed it to realize its full potential. With Jon's lead vocals, it drew my attention to the drummer.  When the "Crosseyed" themes redeveloped over the course of the set, it was Fishman who seemed to provoke this sense of adventure.

Trey's new obsessiveness with percussion and the Marimba Lumina probably also contributed to this, as many of the jams were focussed not on soaring guitar leads, but rhythmic excercises, exploring textures and soundscapes.

Saturday's encore began with Trey on the drum kit where he kicked off "Hold Your Head Up" as Fishman approached the mic stand. The  drummer then took a moment to comment on the beautiful venue before busting out Syd Barrett's "Love You" which he joked was one of the few songs he actually knew. 

Towards the end of the tune, Fishman, donning his Bernie Sanders-inspired dress, grabbed the vacuum cleaner for an unforgettable solo that filled me with joy. I don't know how to keep a straight face when Fishman starts exploring his Electrolux groove, so the laughs just kept coming that night. He ran a few laps around the stage as the band jammed out to "Hold Your Head Up" and even jumped on Page's piano like a spider monkey.

In an era where this kind of display is increasingly rare, this was an unforgettable moment that solidified Fishman's MVP status.

5. First sets can get awfully first setty

Let's look at Sunday's first set.  Again, I'm no expert on "bust-outs" or "sleepers".  I haven't even accumulated enough Phish to worry about "chasing" songs.

So while "Sleep Again" may have been huge to check off of many fans' list, to me, it was just a slow and sentimental tune at a time when I was primed to kick it up.  The version they attempted at The Gorge contained a short but sweet Page led jam that almost led to group improvisation but instead it was cut short by "It's Ice."

I say this as a way to aknoweldege that -- at a destination venue, where fans were ready to party -- it seems like the band was holding back, afraid to take it to the next level. By the time "Sand" rolled around it seemed like Trey may have finally found his weekend swag, but after an uneventful "Horn" and Page led "Halfway to the Moon," I found myself "still waiting..." for something BIG to happen

By the time the set came to an end with a spaced out "Bathtub Gin," it was too late in for redemption.   Overall, I was left wanting more... more jams... more improv... just more of the live Phish I grew accustomed to in 2015.