They’re back. They’re older now. I’m older now. They’re taking it seriously. Maybe? I’m maybe not. Or maybe I am? Whatever, the long drive is still the long drive, the sunshine is still the sunshine, and the music is still outside and 40,000 people are still singing and dancing on a grassy slope in southern Wisconsin and yeah, there’s no way I’m missing out on that.
The Drive – Hoffmaldo picked me up on Saturday morning and we hit the road. Stopped at Culver’s off some random exit for a late lunch. Making excellent time. Maldo guessing every exit arrival time. “We will be at exit 144 at 2:26″ or whatever, I didn’t really pay attention but then like 45 minutes later it’d be 2:26 and he’d be fist-pumping while yelling “HELL YEAH DID I SAY 2:26??!!” and I’d look up and we’d be at exit 144 so he clearly was on his game. We checked into our hotel in some other random town before going to the show. It was a Holiday Inn Express. That means free cinnamon rolls. There was also a Taco Bell in the parking lot. I pinched myself repeatedly. Then we left for the show.
Preshow – Parking Lot – Traffic into Alpine not that bad at all. We settle into the blue lot, unpack our chairs and beers and grill and kick back in the sunshine and start to make friends. I start cranking out grilled cheese (w/garlic, to attract the crowds, obvs) and Molly comes over from wherever she was parked and people stop by and talk and give us $1 and sometimes they don’t and that’s ok, our sign said “suggested donation” anyway. One girl came by and asked why we were vending “like is it because you used to or something?”. That’s right, folks, we’re like a nostalgia act. Superbest. Seriously, it was. You sit and talk and clown with the people walking by and you cook some food and you have no idea how giving someone a grilled cheese can just blow their mind. “I can have this?!” Yes, dude, you can. Now let’s go in and dance.
Preshow – Walkup – Awesome thick crowds pouring in around 7:30 or so when we made our approach. Festive and energetic but totally mellow and under control. Nothing crazy at all. GA Lawn tickets were everywhere. Going super cheap. $5, $10, I’m sure free in a lot of cases. Security was light. Hoffman didn’t get touched, presumably because he looks like a narc and they assume he’s one of them. And we’re in. And we’re down to our seats. “These don’t suck,” says Maldo. No sir, they do not. And now some waiting and talking with people around us and the heat of the day is leaving and there’s a cool breeze and it’s just so perfect and the preshow music goes down and here they come and the place goes crazy and oh man they’re smiling and then, just as they settle in and pick up their instruments, Trey’s daughters scamper across the stage to the far side to have a seat and watch daddy shred. That’s how we roll now. Bring it.
Set 1 – Opens with a ‘Punch You In The Eye’. Call and response crowd pumping greatness. I’m in orbit. Then a ‘Runaway Jim’ and we’re only two songs in but you know that part where Gordon is just riding that bassline and Trey comes blasting in and the lights are flashing and you realize you get to do this for 3 more hours? Yeah, that part was pretty great. Then a ‘Stash’ and a ‘Ya Mar’ and huge ‘Gin’ and things are just so working. And here’s the thing: it’s totally not the Dead in ’76 or whatever, because the Dead weren’t a mess in ’74 when they hung it up. And Phish was kind of a mess in ’04. But 5 years later they’ve got it figured back out. At least for now. Because everything was working. And then the sun starts to fade and the stars start to come out and the set closes with a ‘Sparkle’ and a fantastic ‘Antelope’ and the glowsticks came out heavy and yeah, that part was pretty great, too. I’m still smiling 4 days later.
Here’s a vid, it doesn’t do it justice.
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Set 2 – Long setbreak. Avoided the $10 beers. $10! Ha! Tons of kids crashing into the pavilion, it’s way more crowded down there. But that’s cool, the vibe is friendly enough. Opens back up with a ‘Waves’, easing back into it. Then a ‘Sample’ and then into a monster ‘Maze’ and the ‘Ghost’ I predicted and then check out this run: Lizards, YEM, NICU, Caspian. I mean honestly. Lizards with all it’s fun? A YEM with all it’s orchestrated and spacey goodness? And I haven’t even listened to a Prince Caspian in probably 5 years, but this one started and I was almost surprised by how much I was loving it. And then what? How about a Waste, to calm everyone down. Because sure, it’s 40,000 people, but look how we can make that feel intimate, too. Did I say working? Everything. Then a ‘Fire’ and a ‘Character Zero’ encore and I’m SO exhausted I can barely climb the hill. I also forgot my visor. DAMMIT.
Return – Drove exactly the speed limit all the way back to the hotel. Of course. Hello, Wisconsin! Made it back about 2. I walk thru the Taco Bell drive thru and the kid doesn’t even make me go back and get the car. This day has now reached some absurd level of greatness. Or has it? Because then we go into the lobby and what’s this? 5 large pizzas just sitting here for the taking?! YES PLEASE PINCH ME. Then like a 45 minute shower.
I could break down the drive home, but I won’t. It was a lot of XM coverage of the US Open. It’s better than you’d think.
Good stuff. I know it maybe wasn’t the best show of the tour. Or even of the run at Alpine depending on who you ask. I don’t care. It was fantastic. Easily one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Deal with it.
6/20/2009 Alpine Vallye [livephish]
