Greeting friends. The holidaze are almost upon us again. A time to reunite with friends and family that you haven’t hung with in awhile. But it’s also a great time to see shows, because what better way to celebrate than with your friends and family. So I thought I would revisit some holiday runs that didn’t get a write up the first time around. And who wants to wait until 2029 for an installment of my world famous “It was 20 Years Ago …”series? So, with out further ado, I present for the first time the epic run that was Phish at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA 11/24 and 11/25/09.
As I’ve said before, my favorite time of year for Tour is the Fall. The leaves are turning, football season is well under way, and bands return to the arenas and theaters after basking in the sun all summer long. The Fall Tour started only 2 weeks after Festival 8, so the boys were fired up and ready to go. And what better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than with Phish shows in Philly the Tuesday and Wednesday before Turkey Day.
I got my tickets with no real plan how I was gonna proceed. My brother lived right outside of Philly and I thought it would be cool to see my niece and nephews in between the craziness that is Tour. Most of my friends were only going to the Wed show so I made my plans accordingly. Switzer was coming home before the shows. She was going to stay over at Megan’s apartment (yes, this is the same one I have waxed poetically over and over about, mainly on my chronicles about Camden shows). Then early Wed, she was going to shoot over to the airport and pick up her fiancé (now soulmate and husband) Josh and hit the show. She said she needed a ride to Philly, where she had a place to stay, then a ride back to Hanover after the Wed show. Sounds as perfect as can be!
I came down with a nasty cold the Friday before the shows and didn’t even make it through a 7 hour day. When Monday rolled around, I was in no shape to work 12 hours and then do 2 days of Tour. So I called in sick (something I rarely do) to rest up and was in much better shape on Tuesday when we roll out.
We got to the Lots before they even opened. We waited with all the vendors and then rolled in. We had the choice of going left or right and Switzer said right. We got cutoff by some douche bag (Chill out man, its 6 hours until the band goes on and we are already in the Lot.) Some asshole vendor, selling bunk items no doubt. No one directed us so we found a spot 3 or 4 rows off of Shakedown, no need to be right in the middle of all the madness. I like it much more when we can visit and get out of the Lot rather quickly. Switzer’s friend Courtney was going to meet us in the Lot. And where in the Lot? Directly under the light post that said M3. Could it be any easier for peeps to find?
She rolled up and had a hatchback station wagon just like mine. We fashioned a covering out of old ponchos and a cassette deck mp3 adapter that I didn’t use anymore. Just a little bit of old junk in my car and I totally went MacGyver on their asses.
As I stated before, Switzer was staying at Megan’s apartment but Meg didn’t have a ticket. I assured her she would be able to procure one in the Lot at less than face value. You couldn’t give them away at some of the Summer shows. As we wandered around Shakedown, we ran into a typical Italian American Philly Dead Head selling tickets. He was wearing a too tight Dead tie-dye, gold chain and half-assed mustache. I’ve seen a hundred of these guys at shows over the years. Megan flashed her Lot skills by bargaining with the guy and got the ticket for 20 bucks. Mission accomplished!
A few friends showed up, again drawn to us by our beacon of light shining through the darkness of Lot. I had a great conversation with a rabbi I meet who was following Phish. Where else am I going to get advice from my rabbi? A temple?
We make our way inside and got some phatty seats, Fishman’s side, second level and get ready to rage!
Tuesday, 11/24/2009
Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA
Set 1: Chalk Dust Torture, Bathtub Gin, Cities > Camel Walk, The Curtain With, The Wedge, The Moma Dance, Reba[1], Golgi Apparatus, Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan
Set 2: Possum > Down with Disease[2] > Twenty Years Later > Harry Hood > The Mango Song > Mike's Song > Simple > Slave to the Traffic Light > Weekapaug Groove[3]
Encore: A Day in the Life
[1] No whistling.
[2] Unfinished.
[3] Slowed down in parts.
Notes: Cities was played in response to a fan with a sign requesting the song and featured alternative lyrics referencing Thanksgiving. Reba did not have the whistling ending. Disease was unfinished. Much of Weekapaug was played at a significantly slower pace than normal. Prior to ADITL, Fish teased the Weekapaug drumbeat.
First set was very high energy. But when isn’t it when Phish plays Philadelphia? I've always felt blessed living so close to a city that bands love to throw down in and tonight was no exception.
We go our separate ways and I make it to my brother’s in one piece where I get a good night’s sleep, hang with my family and recharge. My oldest nephew, Owen, who was 3 at the time, declared he wanted to go because if Uncle Dave likes it, it must be fun. Someday my young padawon, but not this Tour. I can barely take care of myself on the road, let alone a child.
I’m still on I-76 when I get a text from Switzer “Lot M3 bitches”. She got the same exact spot on the Lot. That is why she is HMLL! I reunite with them and this time a band called Flux Capacitor is playing in the lane behind us. Good spots near Shakedown and a live band, hell yes! Andy Miller and some friends somehow scored rooms at the Holiday Inn that is right next door to the arena and they made their way over.
While all this is going on, we are waiting to see what is going on with Switzer’s fiancé Josh. He was supposed to arrive in Philly around noon but was fogged in at the Newark Airport in northern New Jersey. It was only a few hours north of us by car but his flight kept getting delayed because of the foggy, rainy mess that was all over the East Coast.
His luggage was on the plane so he couldn’t just bail on the flight. But we had a plan. Megan was going to pick him up from the airport and take him to the Lot. She knew exactly where to take him because we were in the exact same spot as the night before. He could stash his bag in my car and then meet up with us inside the show. And, as long time readers of my blog no doubt know, I had an extra set of keys for my old car just in case a crazy situation like this one came up. Megan came to the Lot, got my keys, picked up josh from the airport and took him to my car. He put his bag in my car and through the magic of texting, found us inside the show. He ended up only missing half the first set. Not too shabby.
Wednesday, 11/25/2009
Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA
Set 1: Kill Devil Falls, 46 Days, Sugar Shack, Halley's Comet > Divided Sky, Sleep Again, Ocelot, Train Song, Wilson > Run Like an Antelope
Set 2: Birds of a Feather, Farmhouse > Tweezer, You Enjoy Myself, Esther, Time Turns Elastic > Tweezer Reprise
Encore: Oh! Sweet Nuthin'
Notes: During Wilson, Trey implored Mike to take a "heavy metal bass solo" (and Mike complied). The lyrics to Antelope were changed to "Been you to have any Mike, man?" followed by another bass solo from Mike
This show was good until the second set. During the first 2 years of Phish 3.0, a lot of people have rightfully complained about the set flow. Check out second set of Merriweather 8/15/09, the flow just isn’t there. 11/25 was the definition of this. I’m not saying the music wasn’t well played, and they had some nice jams, it just lacked energy. Birds was a good opener, but you could hear the sigh from the crowd when they followed that with Farmhouse. The Tweezer had some nice moments but then just stopped. The Esther really didn’t get anyone dancing and then Time Turns Elastic. I literally heard people groaning and even saw quite a few heading towards the exits. This song is very long (15 min) and when placed in the right spot, it does work. But late in the second set is not the right spot. Trey tacked on the Reprise and then they went off stage.
After a 2 night run in Philly and with everyone heading home to see family the next day, you would think Trey or someone else in the band would have a few words to say before they sent us on our way. They came out and said nothing. They then proceed to play a rather mellow encore, Oh Sweet Nuthin’. The chorus is “You ain’t got nothing at all.” My theory is that Trey was pissed at the crowd’s reactions to some of the songs in the second set and decided to tell them to go fuck off. You don’t know anything. You don’t have anything. Just my theory but based on the way they ended the run, I know I’m right.
Switzer, Josh, and myself made our way back to Hanover after the show. Switzer was spent and passed out but Josh was a trooper, he stayed up the whole way home. We listened to the Dead 12/6/73 from Cleveland, OH. I wanted a desolate show and what area would be more desolate than a show from Cleveland, in the dead of winter. The area was economically reeling in the early 70’s, so what better way than to celebrate Thanksgiving than this show. It does have a 43 min. Dark Star and since I can’t stream archived Phish shows, take a listen to this hidden gem.
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1973-12-06.sbd.miller.105560.flac16
While I’ve been to many a holiday run, this one seemed like it was ready to be written about. If you’re in the Hanover area this coming weekend, a few things are happening. On Sat, Boxcar Social will be kicking out the jams DOWNSATIRS at the Coliseum in Hanover, starting at 10 p.m.
Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
Ph.D. in Rock and Roll
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