Yet another fun night at Higher Ground. The acoustics here are superb. My friend Adam attended this show with me. We have both been fans of Phish since the 1990s,but this was the first time either of us attended a band member's solo show.
Mike Gordon is an odd,quirky guy,and his music reflects this. Both sets of this show contained his songs plus unfamiliar cover songs. All of these songs contain LOTS of space for improv and plenty of chances for Mr. Gordon to showcase his excellent bass skills. His bass and Scott Murawski's guitar both would light up at different points during the show. (See green photo below.)
During one song,a large disc was passed through the audience. This disc would create musical notes when anyone's hand would touch one of the white spots on it.
There was speculation that another Phish member would show up as a guest,but that did not happen. Below my ticket stub are 2 photos I took at the show.
My 1st Mule show in about 8 years! The intimate Capitol Center for the Arts had very good acoustics. I was concerned that I may get my ears blasted out in my 2nd row seat,but there was no problem. The sound was well-balanced.
Opening with "Mule" always makes me happy. And this one grabbed you hard! A few songs into the show,the guys surprised me with a cover of Rufus's "Tell Me Something Good". I had forgotten that The Mule loves a great cover. "Time to Confess" ended the first set.
Free's "Mr. Big" got the 2nd set rolling. A brutal "Streamline Woman" led into a muscular Matt Abts drum solo. This guy just improves with age! After a very fine 2nd set,the band returned for a 2 song encore: "Just Got Paid" and "Jesus Just Left Chicago". This was quite appropriate as The Mule had played with ZZ Top the night before in Wantagh,NY.
The band covered many bases for me this night. A great opener,a surprise cover and all kinds of teases and jams thrown in the mix. Thanks a lot guys!
Below my ticket stub are some photos I took that night.
I returned to SPAC with my friend Adam for another 3 day Phish extravaganza. This time around we stayed in a hotel in nearby Queensbury,NY instead of camping. The drive to SPAC took about 25 minutes.
On night #1 we were rained on heavily before the show while we were down on the rail. By showtime the rain stopped entirely. This is my favorite show of the run. Highlights include a first set "David Bowie",a debut of "Let's Go" and a brain-crushing "Chalkdust Torture" which included Trey playing the Marimba Lumina. The band also played "My Sweet One" in response to a fan-made tapestry in the balcony. Jon even treated us to a drum solo in this song! The Rolling Stones's "Shine a Light" and Hendrix's "Fire" were played later in the show.
Night #2 was a frustrating experience. For the 1st set we had people constantly walking past us and destroying my concentration. We had a better vantage point for the 2nd set,and highlights included "Golden Age" and "Run Like an Antelope".
Night #3 we were down near the rail again in the center. This was my second favorite night. At this show we got a very jammed-out "Moma Dance", "Soul Shakedown Party" and a slew of early 1990s Phish songs.
Another great weekend at SPAC. Below my ticket stubs are photos I took that weekend.
The Machine has been covering Pink Floyd since 1988,so they have it down to a science. At the same time, they can also improvise at the drop of a hat. I've seen them several times since 1994,and they have never disappointed.
My friend Harold accompanied me to this show. Opening with "One of These Days",the band quickly knocked the crowd into submission. The Machine threw me a curveball by performing the fairly obscure track "Wot's..Uh the Deal" from the Obscured by Clouds album. Set 2 began with a beautiful "Echoes". During "Young Lust" the band did an instrument swap which led into a cool extended jam. The double encore consisted of "Comfortably Numb" and "Run Like Hell". I highly recommend The Machine.
Below is my ticket stub and a (blurry) photo from the show.
I had been aware of Black Sabbath for many years. It was not until 2005 that I began to really listen to them and buy their albums. So I was a bit of a late starter. They slowly but surely became one of favorite bands. Late in 2015, the band announced their final tour,and they were coming to Montreal. This was a must-see event. So I went online the minute tickets went on sale,and I secured 3 floor seats for the show. I wanted to see these guys UP CLOSE.
My friends Harold and Justin accompanied me to the show on a cold Canadian night. We were situated about 14 rows from the stage right on the floor. Beautiful!! On top of the fine view,the Bell Centre had amazing sound. It was loud but not shrill or piercing.
After a high-energy set from openers "Rival Sons",the mighty Sabbath took the stage with "Black Sabbath". It was a big rush for me to finally see these guys in the flesh. Ozzy apologized for having a cold,but he sounded good to me. He had a BIG cup of tea,some water,and who knows what else on the drum riser behind him.
The band played all old songs on this night. For whatever reason,they ignored the material from 2013's album "13". I was pleasantly surprised that they played "After Forever" from 1971 and "Dirty Women" from 1976. Tony Iommi (who has leukemia) showed no signs of sickness at all with his massive guitar work. Geezer Butler was as solid as ever on bass. And Tommy Clufetos treated us to a blinding drum solo after a quick "Rat Salad'.
The encore was "Paranoid" during which a ton of confetti fell on the crowd. Upon closer inspection,the confetti had "BLACK SABBATH" printed on it. This was a beautiful going away party for a legendary band.
