, attached to 2011-09-03

Review by waxbanks

waxbanks The second set through Light is a devastating run of songs - I'm a big fan of Light, and this is a well-integrated version, smoothly rolling from the usual incantatory wails through a tense minor-key section to a gorgeous outro jam (reminiscent of the classic 8/7/09 Gorge version)...which turns unexpectedly into a patient, majestic DWD Reprise!! The return of the DWD riff has capped several great jams over the years (2/16/03 Piper and 2/17/97 set II spring right to mind), but this one is special: a gentle downtempo guitar line from Trey brings the whole band into wondrous unison to seal the setlong deal.

At that point it makes perfect sense to start the homeward-bound Julius/Cavern/Antelope sequence. Can't complain.

Disease itself is a pretty standard 2011 version, actually - it's the Trey/Mike segue into Tweezer that sets things off. Fish calls for Golden Age during this chiming major-key Tweezer, and Trey obliges as the jam fades out; a short version of that tune ends with a brief bit of funk riffing that previews the night's 2001. Great stuff.

But then LxL continues unexpectedly to serve as a showcase jam tune, and the band keeps blasting out the KDF jam *after* its closing vocals, and after a standard 2001 we have the aforementioned triumphant 'Down with Light' jam, jam, jam, damn.

That's about 70 minutes of grade-A+ Phish to anchor another 2011-level show, which is to say everything here is very very good or better. And don't miss the huge Wolfman's in the first, nor Ocelot, nor FEFY. This show is similar to 8/16, the second night of last month's UIC run: every jam is full of energy, empathy, detail, inspiration. Maybe I'll look back on my 2011-gushing someday with mild embarrassment, but right now I wouldn't bet on it: the music is just better than it has any right to be, given the late hour...


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