| My friend Zoe called me a few weeks after Phish
played New Years'
Eve in Big Cypress, Florida, with some interesting news. Phish
was going to play a Farmhouse-release concert in a small theater in New
York. She wouldn't tell me where, though. My mind reeled. Several weeks
later, the secret was out: Radio City Music Hall.
Without a doubt, the classiest, most beautiful venue Phish has ever played. Sure, Red Rocks and The Gorge offer breathtaking natural beauty. And Hampton has sick sound. But nothing compares to RCMH for its sheer style. New York at its best. |
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To get tickets for the show, Beth
and I went to my office
at 9:30 a.m. on a Saturday to connect to TicketBastard with a high
speed line. We scored a pair of front row, 2nd mezzanine seats for the
first of the two legendary shows. Going to work
on a Saturday morning paid off big time.
Besides dressing up for the event, we brought some fun light toys, including a spinning tri-color glowtoy which I bought at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey Circus a few weeks earlier. We turned it on for most of the show, explaining the picture on the top of this page. |
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| Since this was no ordinary Phish concert, our gang decided
to dress up nicely to honor the event. Or at least differently. So Beth
and I spent the day of the Sunday show looking for a tie for me and Sean.
I asked my Mom where I might find a funky tie, and like the incredible
shopper she is, she said "A woman was selling weird ties in a Stuyvesant
Village street fair today." We went down and found our tie lady. I bought
Sean a piano tie, perfect for his (and Jordan's)
10th row Page-side seats. I bought a money tie. Together, they cost $7.
I ran into my old buddy Mike "chief" Thomas going into the show with his girlfriend, Buppy. Mike noticed my tie and told me, "You're money." I kept hearing quotes from Swingers all night long: "You're so money and you don't even know it." Appropriate for a true money show. |
| I can't review the Sunday concert like a traditional Phish show. The set list probably looks ordinary, but the experience was anything but. Trey made a speech in the second set that was worth my brother flying in from Nevada for. He said that a situation had evolved in a very special way. And that the guys in the band appreciate the incredible opportunity. Trey said that the situation (which is a perfect way to describe it) had been going for 15 years, and they wouldn't do anything to change it. Get the tapes. You'll hear what I mean. |
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| I don't think I've been to a better venue to showcase Chris Kuroda's light show. I've seen the Allman Brothers and Beck play at Radio City, and I don't recall seeing a light show like this was. The two pictures below don't even do justice to the magic that went down that night. Thanks Chris! |
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| With Bethy going to Italy for two months following Phish's two-night stand at Radio City, I was determined to get tickets for Monday night's show. Since she would be missing all of summer tour, I figured we could afford to spend a little over face value for tickets. With scalpers asking $300 for mezzanine tickets, I found a deal--$200 for floor seats. Some deal, huh? Worth every penny. If Sunday's show was spectacular, Monday's was miraculous. |
| Beth
and I snuck in front
of the soundboard with our N'Sync- loving friend from Boston
U., Liz. She had just graduated on Sunday and went straight to NYC
for the Monday show.
We had dancing room, and boy did we ever need it. The Lou Reed that was piped through the PA during intermission on Sunday (off the New York album) reoccurred as a fiery "Rock 'N Roll" second set closer on Monday. |
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| A really special thing happened during the second show. Chris turned
on the house lights, with the mellow gold tint of the Radio City walls
illuminating the audience. The house lights stayed on for a few minutes,
paying respect to the beauty of the venue. The crowd cheered, looked around,
and absorbed the awesome energy of the music hall. The photo above was
taken during that time, with the stage lights turned off for the event.
The situation also paid tribute to the fans, who played as much a role
at the concert as did Phish.
"Rock 'N Roll" is a tune about a chick named Janie who listens to the New York radio and finds a new kind of music that changes everything. That fine, fine music is Rock & Roll. Before that, nothing was happening at all (not at all). Then came Rock & Roll. Besides tipping a hat to the New Yorker Lou Reed, that song represents what Phish means to a lot of phans. Hell, I used to listen to Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson before I discovered Phish. My life was saved by Rock & Roll. |
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| During the Golgi encore (fitting for such a tough ticket), the band slowed the song to a whisper during the "calm before the storm." A girl next to me screamed "Go Knicks!" just as Phish kicked back into the chaos of Golgi. With The Knicks eliminating the Miami Heat just minutes before the Sunday show, this girl absolutely made my night. I've read reviews where this bothered people, but those must be the same guys who hate fans who clap during Stash. For me, it reminded me of yet another reason to be happy. As if I didn't have enough excuses for to be delirious. You can hear it on the tapes: "Go Knicks!" |
