Listen: Nikon At Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY - 06/02/2009

[Welcome To Weekly Catch With Osiris! A weekly series brought to you from the team at Osiris. Each Wednesday we're going to bring you a historic Phish show from that week with some commentary. Our goal is to go beyond official releases and well-known shows to bring you some of the overlooked gems throughout Phish history. If you like what you find, we'd encourage you to check out the assortment of podcasts at the Osiris! This week's catch comes from Brian Brinkman of Beyond The Pond.]

Ten years ago this week Phish kicked off their first full tour of 3.0. It's an odd moment of reflection. Back in June 2009 there were lingering questions about Phish's ability to recapture the magic of their peak era. You could still see 1.0 in the rearview mirror, as well as the darkest days of Phish from 2003-2004. Following the Hampton shows in March there were questions about the long-term viability of the band as a creative force. The three reunion shows were more or less recitles, lacking the surprises and on-the-spot creativity that had long defined the band at their best. Fenway's tour opener felt similar in many ways, a vanilla welcome-back that, aside from the "Tweezer -> Light" and the debut of "Time Turns Elastic," felt like hitting shuffle on many of Phish's 1990's studio releases. It would thus be night one in Jones Beach - a venue the band hadn't played since 1995 - where the familiarity and newness of Phish 3.0 would come into focus.

Read more...