Phish just played a signature show, good for any era, last night at Dick’s in Colorado. Opening with (F)irst Tube and proceeding to spell out “F*** YOUR FACE” over the course of the night, then capping it off with the song itself and a “Grind”, “Meatstick” encore. Read on for a quick recap and the “FYF” setlist.
Night 1 : Phish @ Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO 8/31/12
(I) First Tube, Uncle Pen, Carini, Kill Devil Falls > You Enjoy Myself[1], Ocelot[2], Undermind
(II) Runaway Jim[3] > Farmhouse > Alaska, Chalk Dust Torture[3] > Emotional Rescue > F*** Your Face[4]
(E) Grind, Meatstick[5]
[1] “We all love Dick’s” vocal jam theme.
[2] Crosseyed and Painless tease.
[3] Unfinished.
[4] Emotional Rescue quote.
[5] Japanese Lyrics.
(Setlist from Phish.net)
Download the show from LivePhish.
Some Quick Thoughts On The Show
There really aren’t words to describe what many of us saw and heard. Phish re-wrote the rule book that doesn’t exist yet again. You’d be hard pressed to find a better first set, and you definitely won’t find one that spells out “F.U.C.K.Y.O.U.”
The best thing about the theme is that the music backs it up in spades. Each version of every song (Yes, even “Farmhouse and “Alaska”) can easily be put in the “best all year” category and it’s not even close. A smoking first set “Carini”, a “You Enjoy Myself” with “We all love Dicks” vocal jam and a funktastic “Undermind” (clocking in at 15 minutes) all devoured in the first frame.
Then the twenty minute “Runaway Jim” second set opener to make sure everyone was still paying attention. “Farmhouse” got so out there and ambient, most thought it was melting into “Also Sprach Zarathustra”, and some may even debate it actually did, but instead the band gave a big middle finger (F*** You!) to that idea and used the “A” for “Alaska.”
Then busting out “Emotional Rescue” for the first time since September 30, 2000. And lest we forget about the 18 minute “Chalk Dust Torture” that had the entire audience on another planet.
remember that odd feeling after New Year's run that everything wasn't quite right with #Phish? Well, this is the EXACT opposite. Bliss. A+
— Parker (@tmwsiy) September 1, 2012
Stop what you are doing and go listen to this show (again and again). The band has harnessed new magic in Colorado. The best part is we still have two more nights. Last night’s is so good, it’ll be marinating for the entire weekend, basically giving Phish a free-pass on whatever they want to do on Saturday and Sunday. When you play a show like Friday night’s “FYF”, you’ve earned it.
Follow along with me @phortin for photos and tweets from Colorado all weekend long!
